The highlight of my week is Sunday, when I’m adventuring in Vancouver Island’s alpine. Planning a weekly trip is an involved process that takes considerable planning. In many ways, these trips shape all the activities in my weekly schedule. There’s research, route-planning and plotting, communication with participants, weather-watching, and drafting …
Waring Peak: Striking Back
Have you ever struggled to achieve an objective, and been turned back? I have–a lot! Waring Peak in the Sutton Range is among several peaks that we failed to summit last winter. My first attempt came to a premature end, with the group looking longingly at the base of the …
Mount Abel: A Great Spring Snowshoe in the Sutton Range
View PostMt. Cain –The Long Way Around
Being focused on an objective is a great way to track progress and remember to celebrate when you achieve a goal. But sometimes, I get so focused on the objective that I forget about everything that goes into making the day a success. On January 22nd, I had a good …
2017: The year for adventure!
View PostTrio Mountain
–photographs by Phil Jackson (thank you) Vancouver Island’s backcountry is bristling with mountains, most of which are unknown to the average person. Many of these peaks don’t have local names, or even official names! Trio Mountain falls into this unknown category. Even though it’s only a few kilometers from Gold River, it’s seldom visited. …
Peak 5800: An Attainable Obscure Peak
Without a doubt, the shoulder season is one of my favourite seasons for hiking! The cool air makes steep climbs tolerable, and when the sun makes an appearance, it usually brings just enough warmth to chase the chill away, but not enough to dehydrate us. The cooler temperatures mean I’m …
Unnamed Peak in the Genesis Range
On September 11th I joined three friends on an unsuccessful attempt at Mount Sarai, a peak in the Genesis Range. We were hastened by fine weather, and though we didn’t make our primary objective, we eventually summited an unnamed bump and enjoyed stellar views. The clock ticked past 8:00 am …
Peak 5769: Day Three in The Bonanza Range
This report is one chapter in a longer series that chronicles a multiday car-camping and mountaineering expedition, done in the summer of 2016. This report is for Day Three, July 17th. We hiked Peak 5769 and several other numbered bumps (read Day 1, Day 2). I came to call this …
Whiltilla Mountain, Day two in the Bonanza Range
This report is a chapter in a longer series of reports from a multi-day car camping and mountaineering expedition done in the summer of 2016. In this section, day 2 July 17th, we climb Whiltilla Mountain. Every summer I look forward to one of two long trips trekking and mountaineering …