Author: Rick Mc

Career gymnastics coach who loves the outdoors, and the internet.
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The American Perimeter Trail

Planned is a a 12,000-mile loop of existing trails, roads, and off-trail travel.

Something like this.

Rue McKenrick, a triple crown veteran, walked away from his home in Bend.  And is inventing the route as he goes along.

When COVID-19 hit, Rue kept hiking — but

“no longer resupplied in towns, relying on a 7 day resupply box which was sent to remote post offices. I utilized lesser known trails and continued up the east coast on the avoiding the popular, but closed Appalachian trail. …”

It’s a work in progress.

Click through for details:

americanperimetertrailproject.weebly.com

I learned of this project via the Out and Back podcast interview – episode 10 – Rue McKenrick and the American Perimeter Trail

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786km, 32 days hiking Iceland

Iðunn Bragadóttir and her 20-year-old daughter, Þóra Dagný Stefánsdóttir, have spent 32 days traversing Iceland. The duo started on the Reykjanes peninsula and hiked diagonally, southwest to northeast, across the country to Langanes Point.

The 786km route is one of the longest possible ways to traverse Iceland. …

Mother and Daughter Hike Across Iceland

(via Adventure Blog)

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Hiking Helmcken Falls, British Columbia

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles.

Helmcken Falls is a 141 m (463 ft) waterfall on the Murtle River within Wells Gray Provincial Park in British Columbia …

The protection of Helmcken Falls was one of the reasons for the creation of Wells Gray Provincial Park in 1939.

This was my first visit to massive Wells Gray.  Like 99% of visitors, I drove only the 42km of paved roadway out of the gateway town of Clearwater.

End of the road is the short walk to a viewing platform on the rim of the canyon providing a panorama of the falls and canyon

Helmcken is the fourth highest waterfall in Canada, measured by total straight drop without a break.

Next I hiked to the top of the Falls (other side) on the Rim Trail.

That’s about 3 hours, 8 km round-trip.

There’s no fence along canyon edge so you can climb directly above the river.

Click PLAY or watch some drone footage on YouTube.

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Golden Hinde Traverse, Strathcona Vancouver Island

BestHike editor Rick McCharles

UPDATE.  I didn’t get very far on the Traverse finding it too difficult and dangerous to hike solo.  I’ll go with a group next time. 

For example, one hiking group did complete the Golden Hinde(less) Traverse between July 18-24, 2020.

I did complete the first two sections:

      1. Elk River Trail
      2. Elk Pass Trail

ORIGINAL POST from Sept 2, 2020 below:

Heading for Strathcona Provincial Park September 3rd.

Hoping to climb Golden Hinde, the highest mountain on Vancouver Island 2,195 m (7,201 ft).  September should have drier trails. Fewer bugs. … Hopefully.

Many try and fail to get to this summit.  It’s a scramble up snow or rock at the top.

The mountain took its name from Sir Francis Drake‘s ship, the Golden Hind, named by an early fur-trading captain who was reminded of Drake’s ship as sunset hit the mountain

Jes Scott made it August 2019.  Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Jes had tried and failed in 2017.

My plan is to hike the 47km Golden Hinde Traverse on the Elk River trail through to Myra Falls. I’ll only attempt the summit as a detour if conditions, health, time and weather permit. No pressure.  🙂

Cost for a guided climb is about CAD $1500 for 5 days.

The best hiking guidebook is Exploring Strathcona Park. Dead tree version available only.

See our list of the best hikes in North America.

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Best Pemberton B.C. hike – One Mile to Nairn Falls

I parked at the Tim Horton’s coffee shop in Pemberton near Whistler.

Hiked to Nairn via pretty One Mile Lake.

About an hour each way to visit both.

In fact, I enjoyed One Mile just much as the Falls themselves.

I do love boardwalk.

It’s a great family hiking option year-round. You can skate One Mile Lake during the winter.

From the end of the lake I connected to Nairn Falls via Lumpy’s mountain bike trail system. A bit rugged at points.

Nairn Falls themselves are busy during the summer. This is a very popular stop for tourists.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. 

related – Outdoor Vancouver – Nairn Falls Hike in Pemberton

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Maligne Canyon, Jasper, Alberta

One of the must do day hikes in the Canadian Rockies is Maligne Canyon close to Jasper, Alberta.

… the canyon measures over 50 metres (160 ft) deep. Popular for sightseeing and exploration, the area contains waterfalls, underground stream outlets, birds and plant life. …

Best is to start from the main parking lot close to the tea house and the Hi Maligne Canyon Lodge.

The canyon is deep here.

The canyon was named by a zealous Jesuit missionary, who called the canyon “la traverse maligne”, after his horses were swept away by the swirling waters. There are six bridges built across the canyon to help one explore this magnificent work of nature : the first bridge was built in 1914.

I’d recommend you hike at least to the point of seeing the 5th bridge.  From there you could loop back on the cycling / horseback trail.

There are interesting interpretive displays en route.  This hike is great for kids.

With each bridge, you get closer and closer to the water.

When the river freezes over in winter, the experience is completely different.  If you are one of the brave venturing to Jasper National Park in winter, consider doing a guided ice walk in Maligne Canyon in winter. It is an out of this world experience.

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Birkenstock water-friendly sandals

On a recent backcountry hike my friend Karen brought super-lightweight Birkenstocks as her camp shoes.

She loves them.

Very easy to clean, they are made of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) which is a something between foam and rubber.

Like many plastics, EVA is difficult to biodegrade. 

There are many different styles for both Men and Women.

 

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Lake O’Hara Alpine Circuit WITHOUT booking

Our favourite hiking area in the Canadian Rockies is Lake O’Hara. 

But it’s extremely difficult to get a reservation.

Our friends at travel2walk did the famed circuit the hard way:

  • distance: 14.3 miles (23.0 km)
  • elevation change: 4651 ft. ascent (1418 m) & 3228 ft. descent (984 m)
  • time: 8:23 hours (7:17 moving)

They hiked in 6.9 miles (11 km) on the Lake O’Hara fire road.  Did the Circuit.  And were lucky enough to get seats on the 4:30pm bus out (CAD$9.75 fee per person cash).

Read their August 2019 Trip Report:

Yoho National Park – Lake O’Hara Alpine Circuit

 

To learn more check out Lake O’Hara Alpine Circuit information page.

Autumn is a good time to make the long day hike, by the way.

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Mt Assiniboine: Windy Ridge

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Days 1-2 | 3 | 4-5

I was up early at Magog campground.

This was the first campground cook house I’d seen open since the COVID-19 shutdown.

We had deer and elk hanging out.  I assume they are looking for salt from hiker urine.

Not many do Windy Ridge from Magog as it’s a long day hike.  We loved it.

Alpine meadows.  Quite flat.

Windy Ridge looked pretty easy.  None of us had been there before.

At the top we found a narrow ridge connecting a viewpoint.

We had a view over the other side we’d not seen yet.

Here’s the view back to Assiniboine.

Henry and Sam climbed up on to a sketchy nearby peak.

I messed around on the Cliff edge.

Jack’s knee was bothering him.  He sat back and enjoyed the wild flowers.

Click PLAY or watch a short video of the adventure on YouTube.

NEXT MORNING we flew out to Shark by Helicopter.  Cost about CAD $185 one way.

The chopper only flies 3 days / week. Flying out fit our work schedules better. And hiking uphill is easier on the knees for many. 

Assiniboine Lodge

Here’s our last look at the big mountain.

Great trip!

Days 1-2 | 3 | 4-5

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Mt Assiniboine: Chuck’s and Nub Peak

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Days 1-2 | 3 | 4-5

Magog campground in Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, B.C. has 40 sites, all good.

Supposedly 100% booked, quite a few were empty. We assumed people had forgotten to cancel.

Though it had rained much of the night, morning was gorgeous.

We set off for Nub Peak as it’s typically the most popular day hike out of Magog.  One you want to do in good weather.

What’s this? An artist working on his NUDE HIKING CALENDAR photos.

We passed Sunburst, Cerulean, and Elizabeth Lakes.

Though I could name mountains and tell you our GPS coordinates, somehow we got lost.

The trail sign said Chuck’s Ridge, so we decided to check it out.

I couldn’t recall having climbed up here on past trips.   Chuck’s Ridge is excellent.

Mosquitoes at Magog were bad, as they have been everywhere in 2020. (They were bad here in 2019, as well.)

Rather than apply skin poison, for protection from the tiny vampires, I wear baggy nylon clothing instead. Even when it’s hot.

On the return from Chuck’s, somebody had the bright idea to scramble up to Nub, rather than backtrack to the correct trailhead.

As you would expect, that didn’t work.

When it got too dangerous, we decided to scree back down the way we came. 

This about finished my worn out Merrell Moabs.

Click PLAY or watch our scramble on YouTube.

After a lunch break at camp, we set out again for Nub.  The trail sign had been stolen — so many were missing the turn as we had in the morning.

First stop is the Nublet. Next the Niblet.  The classic Assiniboine vista.

I’ve always enjoyed the ridge walk up from there.

Here’s the Nub Peak summit cairn.

Henry noticed an interesting phenomenon of light.

Last ones on the mountain, we lingered.

Up high the wild flowers were still in bloom.

Vistas of Assiniboine are some of my favourites world wide.

Click PLAY or watch a short video of our Nub on YouTube.

We were very late getting back to camp.

Assiniboine alpenglow

Dinner in the dark.

Days 1-2 | 3 | 4-5