Call it our wedding anniversary, the final weekend before school, an early celebration of Octavia’s birthday, or just Labour Day; on September long weekend, I led a group of families on a traverse of Strathcona Park. I’ve hiked the route between Raven Lodge and the Old Forbidden Plateau ski lodge …
Mount Cokely: The Kids Ontop
Dear Hemingway and Octavia, Time tends to run away from me when I’m not looking. Mired in the day to day conflicts that arise between parents and kids, it feels like we’re standing still; Like we’ll never get out of this stage –whatever it is– and onto the next. But, …
Mount Arrowsmith – My Mouth Is Full
On Sunday, August 9th, I participated in a club trip to Mount Arrowsmith. I had scheduled it in the before times, as a way to sneak in an extra day of weekend hiking with the promise that I’d take my two kids with me. They are always up for an …
Sutton Peak via the West Ridge
Sutton Peak is one of Vancouver Island’s illustrious 6000 footers. It’s a destination that I frequently poke Phil about doing; since he first summited – without me—back in 2016. Aside from its height, this route’s sparkling feature is the long west ridge that leads mountaineers to seek this summit. No …
Green Mountain via Sno Bird Trail
Dear Hemingway and Octavia, No one will deny that 2020 is a year of social and economic challenges. Regardless of what’s happening, you two keep growing. Every day I discover you each have a new level of understanding of the world around you, I see it reflected in your eyes …
Family Snowshoe Trip
On Saturday, March 14, I led a small group on a snowshoe trip to Lake Helen Mackenzie. It was two families, me with my two children, and Jes with his son Trace. It was Hemingway’s first-time wearing snowshoes to walk, even though the conditions didn’t require it. We had very …
Mount Benson: Late Fall
Dear Hemingway and Octavia, Over that past few years, I’ve been working steadily towards completing my Island Alpine Quest. Even through the winters, I’ve reached objectives that started on remote sections of highway or plowed industrial roads, but this winter will be the first in a long while where I …
Mook Peak, Or What Happens When You Go Biking With Phil
We did it! We finally summited Mook Peak! Sure, it may have taken seven scheduled attempts, but we only set foot on the mountain twice. So often it appeared on the schedule, that it became a running joke between my hiking buddies and I. However, it was on the second …
Mount Chief Frank over Mount Clifton
When authors describe the beauty of the island’s alpine, I imagine they are visualizing a place like the Beaufort Range, which offers some of the best low-alpine hiking on Vancouver Island. The rolling features and open heather-covered meadows that allow you to wander easily walked routes make it a highly …
Mount Drabble, The Family Way
Dear Hemingway, My trip reports usually focus on the technical details of a hike: the terrain type, weather, and simple descriptions of the route, including any notable terrain features. But sometimes those details aren’t the important ones. Our trip to Mount Drabble is a great example; it’s the things you …