In the past three years, I’ve summited more than one hundred peaks on my list, and I’ve categorized them based on their type – which makes it easier to make recommendations to friends. When it comes to aesthetic ridge scrambles on Vancouver Island, Mount Abraham is among the best; for …
Hiking Between the Peaks in the Genesis Range: A Failed Attempt at Mount Abraham
It’s great having a regular group of friends to hike with. From week to week, the members of the group may change, but each person comes to be someone on whom I can rely. It’s more important that they are consistent and always improving than that they are the best at …
Hiking Mount Derby & Mount Peel: Uphill Both Ways
Another May long weekend has come and gone, and with it another “first of the summer” camping trip. I don’t put much stock into the idea of the shoulder season — it’s a myth made up by The Man — but this trip felt more like a summer getaway than …
Mount Sarai
View PostMount Adam: Spring in the Genesis Range
Every once in a while, one of my adventures doesn’t live up to my expectations (ahem, West Coast Trail). Be it an error in planning and predicting terrain, or environmental conditions, sometimes a trip is either much easier or much more difficult than anticipated. In our planning for Mount Adam, we …
Big Baldy Mountain — A Long March Into Spring
Most people mark the passage of time by annual events in their lives like birthdays, holidays, the New Year, and so on. Since I’ve started my Island Alpine Quest, I’ve started marking the march into Spring by how early I leave home on Sunday morning. During the winter, my departure …
Canoe Peak: Go Slow to Go Fast
View PostMackenzie Range Adventure: Turning Back Again
Canoe Peak is a thorn in my side! It’s approaching comical how many times I’ve set this peak as our objective for a trip and then had to change the plan. Be it weather forecast, avalanche conditions, a blizzard through Sutton Pass, or zero visibility, for one reason or another …
Tyee Mountain
View PostA Spring Summit of Mount Flannigan
Mount Flannigan is a 1550-metre peak located on the east edge of Strathcona Park. You’ll easily find it on the map because the park border sticks out like a sore thumb. The summit overlooks the Tools Creek Valley. If you love backcountry skiing, then you’re probably already familiar with this …