It’s been a disappointing Spring for me. While I’m not normally a ‘glass-half-empty’ sort of guy, the last few soggy months have brought canceled multi-day trips, abortive summit attempts, and numerous other events that simply failed to launch. It’s been a trying season! I don’t intend to dwell on these facts, …
Mount Heber: worth the squeeze?
View PostA winter route up Big Den turns unseasonably warm
View PostOur first failure at winter camping
Dear Hemingway, We just finished our first father-and-son camping trip, or at least our first attempt. You’re only three and a half years old, and we’ve already done a lot of overnight backcountry trips, but never one in snow, and never just the two of us. I was excited, and …
Mt Elma: A Beginner Ski tour
On February 19th, we met at Ski Tak Hut in Courtenay to gather the final pieces of backcountry ski gear needed for our day on the mountain. Lisa and I watched the sky, hoping that the hard rain would let up – or at least, that it was snowing on the …
2017 Kicking off the year of family adventure
A large group of Island Mountain Ramblers and guests assembled in the parking lot of Raven lodge, mid-morning of January 7th. The wind in the parking lot was frigid and the thermometer in my car read temperatures close to -10 C. In keeping with many of the family/novice snowshoe trips I lead, I …
Snowshoeing on Mount Milner
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 …