The trail up to the col between Mount Uto and Sir Donald is very steep, but the views are spectacular. Sir Donald stands high above Rogers Pass, a pyramid of quartzite 3297m high. It is a classic climb and indeed there is a small campsite at the last bit of meadow below the col, used by climbers as a high … Continue reading…
We have hiked, run, biked, cross country skied, and snowshoed this route over many years. A description of the route was provided in a summer hike post (link), but this time we snowshoed the route in mid-January. The route starts at the end of Lac le Jeune Drive. Park on the street and go through the gate at the end … Continue reading…
Verdant Pass is a lesser-know hike in Jasper, but it is a pleasing day hike to a remote spot. The trail starts on the Edith Cavell Road, at the Astoria River Trailhead (to Tonquin Valley). Follow this trail on a gradual descent above the river for 4km. As the route approaches the junction of Verdant Creek and the Astoria River, … Continue reading…
The Upper Timber Lake area is one of our favorite areas to snowshoe. In winter, there is rarely anyone around, but the backroads are fine for stomping. We have described the route in to the trailhead before (link to a previous article). The Timber Lake FSR is in good shape right now, but there are times when 4WD may be … Continue reading…
We have been up to the base of Edith Cavell several times since it is the start of a few hikes – Astoria River Trail to Tonquin Valley, Verdant Pass (behind Edith Cavell), and Edith Cavell Meadows. The area can be very busy in summer and the parking area is often full. Many tourists walk to Cavell Lake to photograph … Continue reading…
On our first trip to Zion National Park, we were thrilled with the Observation Point Trail. It was one of our favorites (previous article). Since then we have hiked it twice more and we will continue to go up the trail for as long as we can (the next time will be October, 2014). There are many options and much … Continue reading…
Rising above the Coquihalla stands Mount Thynne. There is a road to the top and when the snows have left 4×4’s and quads climb to the summit, but in later spring, we can drive up the road, park and hike to the top while snows still cover the upper road. The rewards are open slopes, alpine meadows, the first wildflowers … Continue reading…
The Virgin River comes off the heights of the Colorado Plateau through a deep canyon. Visitors to Zion National Park can go to the end of the road and then walk along the river path to the end of the trail. From that point on, all progress is in the river on a route called The Zion Narrows. Every day, … Continue reading…
In Zion National Park, many of the best routes are not trails. They follow canyons or are traverses across the upper slickrock slopes. The Many Pools route has a few cairns and some footprints in sandy washes, but it is an intuitive route – just follow the potholes and pour-offs. In this dry desert country, rain is infrequent, but when … Continue reading…
Many of the ponds in the hills of our area are quite alkaline, salts discourage plant growth around the edges. As the ponds dry out, a fringe of white alkali salts frames the edges of these ponds. Only salt tolerant plants (saltworts) can grow in this medium. Salicorum (pickleweed) is 30 cm succulent herb that germinates and roots in the … Continue reading…
Each year, I try to save my favorite hike of the year for the final post of the year. In 2013, this was the East Temple Loop in Zion National Park. The section of road from the Zion-Mt. Carmel tunnel to the east entrance is in a narrow gorge between slickrock towers. There are very few designated hikes there, but … Continue reading…
In a spring trip to explore Elephant Hill Provincial Park (link to Parks info) a previous article on this site (link) explained access to these barren hills near Ashcroft. The big surprise for me was a hillside of bitterroot in bloom, an uncommon site in the Interior. Bitterroot (lewisia redviva) is a member of the purslane family, a perennial … Continue reading…
Kauai has one large central mountain, Mt. Wai’ale’ale. The dormant volcano’s interior has partly collapsed and a high jungle swampland has filled the huge caldera. The summit is the wettest spot on earth, surrounded by sheer cliffs and impenetrable jungle. A road climbs the drier western shores of the island to the rim of the caldera in Kokee State Park. … Continue reading…
Most visitors to Zion National Park follow the main road into the Virgin River Canyon, but there are other access routes into the park and one of them is off Highway 15, to the northwest. A park entrance and paved road leads to the Finger Canyons of the Kolob Plateau. We had enjoyed the hike into the Middle Fork of … Continue reading…
We first hiked Bryce Canyon National Park in October of 2012 and at that time we decided that the Fairyland Trail was our favorite hike of the whole year (link to the story). We returned a year later to hike it again. We were ready this time for the overwhelming views, the unearthly formations, the explosion of color, and the … Continue reading…
British Columbians think of hiking as routes up ridges to hilltops. Part of the reason for this is that we have to hike up through miles of forests to get to the treeline. The viewpoints are best above the treeline or somtimes on slope breaks at mid elevations. In the southwest, though, the Colorado Plateau spans 4 states and ranges … Continue reading…
