The name “Mount Milner” is unfamiliar to most Vancouver Island hikers. Hidden deep in the Prince of Wales Range, it’s not a well-known mountain. The rocky peak sits high above the connecting ridge that forms the Prince of Wales Range, and is only visible from deep in the valleys, from …
Horseshoe Mountain: The Journey is the Destination
Everyone has a favourite hike. For some, that hike may be a well-travelled location, such as the Cape Scott Trail, or a route past Lake Helen Mackenzie. For others, favourite routes are more private, with information held close by those in-the-know; secret spots where not many people venture. Assuredly, Horseshoe …
Rodgers Ridge: An Easy Alpine Ramble
Rodgers Ridge is among my favourite easy alpine hiking routes. It’s a non-technical route with a lightly booted trail that ambles through the light alpine bush, past a secret hut, and along rolling slab rock. Once high on the ridge you can see views of Buttle Lake and many of the peaks in …
Elkhorn & Elkhorn South: Learning about Leadership
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View PostHigh Rigger Mountain: A Festival of Bush Bashing!
Every weekend brings a new adventure: in the past month, I’ve been up Cederstedt and Kokummi Mountains, and in a kayak for two multiday trips! The warm sun and longer days are telling me that summer is right around the corner, and after a fantastic winter, I’m looking forward to …
Alexandra Peak: The Last Snowshoe of the Season
In search of what is sure to be our final snowshoe trip of the season, I set out on a mission with three other Island Mountain Ramblers. We braved a long logging road approach up Buttle Bluffs Mainline to reach camp for our summit of Alexandra Peak the next day. …
Crest Mountain on a less than perfect day
An important part of planning any trip is having a Plan B, and sometimes a Plan C. There are a lot of factors that go into developing backup plans, but for me, one of the most important factors is geography: Plan B should be close to Plan A. On Sunday February …
Family Day weekend adventure to Stowe Peak.
Is there a difference between hiking and camping for three days, versus doing three hikes in three days? It sure feels like there is. For Family Day weekend 2016, I ventured out on three day-trips, each with a different group of friends. The first trip was a beginner/family snowshoe around …
I rebuilt a pulk sled, pulk 2.0
Over the past two months, I have been working to build a pulk sled. I’m motivated by my dream of backpack-free winter camping (as I could haul my gear behind me on my snowshoe and backcountry ski tours), and by the weight of my son (as he just won’t stop …