At the end of winter, Interior Mountains and all high terrain is still blanketed in snow.   Well-used trails have ice until mid March then mud follows.   After the hills dry out, it is only the lower slopes that can be hiked for another month or more.    Anxious to get started on hiking, we have opted to go for a week of hiking in a milder spot.   Where can you hike in Canada that is snow-free in early March?

For a number of years we have booked accommodations on one of the Gulf Islands in March and we will continue to do so:

• Accommodations are at "best prices."
• Not all services are available in winter, but restaurants, pubs, and stores are uncrowded.
• Trails are free of snow and ice, though they may be wet.
• Beaches and shorelines are empty, but the views are still good.
• Well-established trails on islands make good hiking even in this "shoulder season."

We have not yet hiked all of the islands but will continue to add more over time.    We have hiked almost all of the established trails on the following islands:

• Saturna
• Galiano
• Salt Spring
• Cortes

All 4 islands offer excellent hiking and if you go in the summer, excellent kayaking too.   One of the best resources is "Hiking the Gulf Islands" by Charles Kahn.   It contains detailed information on individual trails.   We have found the information accurate and informative.

Featured on this website will be trails on the 4 islands noted above.   There is a wealth of information on paddling the Gulf Islands in multiple sources, but we will add a bit to the mix too.  

Missing the dirt trails?   Perhaps a "field trip" to one of the Gulf Islands is the cure for your cabin fever.