Vancouver Island’s weather often is incongruent to which weatherman forecast. Sunday, February 22 was an exception, we were promised an amazing day and that is exactly what we got! Sunshine, warm breeze, excellent visibility and dry conditions, it was like hiking the alpine in late June! The perfect day for …
Hiking the Kludahk Trail In February — Winter 2015 is Officially Done!
My wife gave me the best Valentines Day gift ever, the gift of hiking! She took the day to visit friends in Vancouver! This weekend I did two trips, a portion of the Kludahk Trail and another section of the Beaufort Range Mountains. The weekend was two full days of …
Mt Buttle, Summited During The Winter That Never Was
What does February 1st have in store? A winter attempt at a not often visited peak in the Lake Cowichan region. Phil and I were on our way, geared up to the gills for a winter ascent of Mt Buttle. Both of us well prepared for the weather and the …
Mt Moriarty Winter Ascent…. more or less
An early morning departure was the order of the day, the morning of January 25th 2015. Phil Jackson contacted me late on Friday evening with an offer to do a winter ascent of Mt. Moriarty. This trip marks my third summit of this peak in twelve months, I climbed Moriarty …
Mt Arrowsmith — The First Hike of 2015
Arrowsmith is, arguably, the most hiked mountain on Vancouver Island. I’m sure there are other hills that are more commonly hiked, Mt. Bension, Mt. Finlayson and even Mt. Tzouhalem come to mind. However, they are each below 1000 m. Arrowsmith, at 1819 m (5967 ft), is just short of the …
Limestone Mountain on the Winter Solstice
December 21st marks the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year and the official start of winter in the northern hemisphere, how should I cerebrate this day? I set out on another early morning adventure, this time with Phil Jackson and Jaime Curcil. Our destination, Limestone Mountain, located between …
December Ascent of Mt Clifton
I’m not sure why this looks so amazing but who cares! 2014 has seen late onset of winter conditions for Vancouver Island’s alpine. Though the Island isn’t exactly known to be a winter wonderland, there is usually an excellent buildup of snow at elevations exceeding 1300 m. This year, it …
The East Sooke Park Coastal Route, Done in the Blazing November Sun!
Oh the west coast of Vancouver Island. Why are so unpredictable! They say, if you don’t like the weather just wait five minutes….. How true they are! November on the west coast is not known for is ample sun, warm days, and gorgeous sunny views. Rather it is common to find oneself …
Mt Tzouhalem from Genoa Bay
If you are hoping to do a hike with great views of are not interested in driving logging roads and would rather instead a drive through idyllic bucolic landscapes, consider hiking Mt Tzouhalem. The hike is an easy one, with a max elevation somewhere around 475 metres it gives amazing …
The Obscure Sadie Peak
View from the summit of Sadie Peak, looking North Many of those who read my blog will know that I live in Nanaimo BC and that most of my hiking trips take me to the mid and north island. If you know your geography at all, you will also know …