I’ve been talking about doing the Elfin Lakes trail since we moved to Vancouver. For one reason or another, it’s never quite happened. First I was intent on staying in the Elfin Lakes shelter. Then, on another weekend it was pouring rain and 22km in the rain with no views isn’t that appealing even for…
Canada is pretty famous for its lakes. Whilst you may not have heard of many of the lakes near Vancouver on this list, I’m sure you’ve heard of Maligne Lake and Lake Louise in Banff, Alberta. There’s something I just love about a hike that ends up at a lake, especially when the views are…
One of my favourite things about the 6 years that I lived in Vancouver was that there were mountains right on our doorstep. In under an hour, you can go from downtown city to backcountry wilderness! The Mt Seymour area has some great winter hikes, and it’s also one of the best free camping spots…
I’d seen photos of some cute cabins tucked away in amongst the trees near Cypress Mountain ski resort for a while before I figured out how to get there. Down from the Cypress Mountain ski area, you can find around 100 Cypress cabins. They’re privately owned, and not for rent (as far as I can…
The Artist Point Snowshoe in the Mt Baker Ski Area in Washington State remains one of the best snowshoe walks I’ve done. It’s not particularly difficult and, on a clear day, the views are absolutely incredible. You’ll come out to an area at the end of the hike where you can see both Mt Baker…
I think if you embrace winter by still getting outdoors then it makes the short days and grey skies a lot more bearable. I’m a skier and so have always loved getting up into the mountains but since moving to Vancouver I’ve enjoyed a different way of experiencing snowy landscapes: snowshoeing. I’d heard many things…
The Joffre Lake hike is the one hike near Vancouver that I think I probably see a picture of on Instagram every day. UPDATE August 2023: Joffre Lakes are Currently Closed while The Líl̓wat Nation and N’Quatqua First Nation assert their Title and Rights to their shared unceded territory and take time to harvest and…
The Panorama Ridge hike is my new favourite hike near Whistler, BC. It used to be the Garibaldi Lake hike but now say hello to the Panorama Ridge trail in Garibaldi Provincial Park. While living in Canada I was lucky enough to hike this trail multiple times and it never failed to impress. I’ve hiked…
Summer in Vancouver came and went in a flash. All of a sudden we’re back to rain. But we’ve still got time before the snow comes to get in some fall hikes in Vancouver! Hiking in the forests and the mountains (on clearer days) is one of the best things to do in Vancouver in…
St Mark’s Summit is one of the best Vancouver hikes. In fact, I like it so much that I’ve done it twice in the space of just a few weeks. If it weren’t for Panorama Ridge I might even say that it’s one of the top BC hikes. The best thing about the St Marks…