Category: flora

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In Praise of Pampas Grass

Pampas grass or pampas-grass or Pap’s grass are common names for several similar-looking, tall-growing species of grass.

Cortaderia selloana is native to southern South America, including the Pampas region after which it is named. 

It is widely distributed throughout the world as a cultivated ornamental plant. And it is common in the yards on Vancouver Island where I’m at right now.

In fact, it’s my favourite of the ornamental plants here. Tall, impressive, and pretty.

Jindai Botanical Garden, Japan, height 4 metres (13.1 ft) and diameter 7 metres (23 ft)

That said, many gardeners hate the stuff, considering it an invasive weed. It’s difficult to manage.

Click PLAY or watch a short montage on YouTube.

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Hiking Vancouver Island in January

by site editor Rick McCharles

The BEST thing about coastal Vancouver Island ➙ we can hike and cycle year round.

As I post in January, we’ve yet to have any snow in Parksville.

This YouTube #short was shot on iPhone 16 Pro in vertical. In and around Qualicum Beach.

Most of the clips were shot in the Heritage Forest, a 50-acre pocket of old growth coastal Douglas fir, western red cedar, grand fir, Sitka spruce, and hemlock.

Personally, the many wildly varied stumps I found most photogenic.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Hiking Valencia, Spain

One of our BEST VIDEOS.

One of the best urban hikes anywhere is right through the heart of Valencia, Spain — though a huge green space that runs through the city.

After a catastrophic flood in 1957, the city drained and rerouted the Turia river creating a sunken park. Ideal for walking and all outdoor activities.

Trip report.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Sadly, the city was flooded again in 2024.

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Visit British Columbia

For a hiker, B.C. is an ideal holiday destination.

  • Whistler
  • Garibaldi Provincial Park
  • Sunshine Coast
  • Vancouver
  • Okanagan Valley
  • Yoho National Park
  • Kootenay National Park
  • Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park
  • Vancouver Island
  • Gulf Islands
  • Squamish
  • Wells Gray Provincial Park
  • Mount Robson Provincial Park
  • Mt. Revelstoke National Park

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Autumn Hiking, Vancouver Island

My favourite season for hiking is autumn.

The colours, for sure.

Sunlight low in the sky.

But even more is the melancholy of days getting shorter. The year coming to an end.

Most of the trees in the Vancouver Island rain forest are evergreen. But there are enough deciduous to make for wonderful scenes.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Englishman River Salmon Run, Vancouver Island

My parents live very near Englishman River — and I hike, run, and cycle these exact trails when I’m visiting.

You can hike year round in this temperate rain forest climate.

VIPaerials captured the annual salmon run … alongside a black bear. I’ve never once seen a bear at this location as there are a lot of people around. BUT the easily available salmon are a great temptation.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Cape Wrath Trail, Scotland

I’m considering doing some hiking in Scotland, September 2024.

… But where to go?

Cape Wrath Trail is approximately 200 miles (321 km) in length and is considered to be one of the most challenging long distance walks in the UK. …

The trail begins in Fort William and ends at Cape Wrath lighthouse on the northwest tip of the Scottish mainland. …

Officially the trail is not endorsed by Scottish Natural Heritage and it is not waymarked or signposted.

Facilities along the trail are also minimal and it covers some of the remotest parts of mainland Britain. …

I’d do some section(s) of the Cape Wrath, if I can nail the logistics down.

Ideally it would be late in the season — after the midges have begun to disappear.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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TOP 10 day hikes ➙ Alpine Circuit, Lake O’Hara, Canada

One of our top 10 day hikes in the world.

Why?

Many feel this is the most beautiful of the Canadian Rockies trails.

  • Yoho National Park in British Columbia near Banff, Alberta.
  • mid-June through the end of September (start and end dates vary) for example, bus operated for hikers and campers from June 19 to October 4, 2018
  • 11.6 km
  • perhaps 9 hours
  • perhaps 900 photos 🙂
  • highest point 2528 m
  • elevation gain 1012 m

World → N America → Rockies → Canada → Alpine Circuit, Lake O’Hara

For details click over to our Alpine Circuit, Lake O’Hara information page.

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Hiking Cathedral Grove, Vancouver Island

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Click PLAY or get a glimpse on YouTube.

MacMillan Provincial Park is a 301-hectare (740-acre) provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Located 25 km (16 mi) west of Qualicum Beach and 16 km (9.9 mi) east of Port Alberni, the park straddles Highway 4 and the Island Rail Corridor in central Vancouver Island.

The park is home to a famous, 157-hectare (390-acre) stand of ancient Douglas fir, known as Cathedral Grove, which draws visitors from all over the world.

… the only highway-accessible protected old-growth Douglas-fir forest in British Columbia.

In 2007 Cathedral Grove made the short list on CBC‘s competition Seven Wonders of Canada.

My video includes parts of both loops. AND some shots outside Cathedral Grove, in the Provincial park.

I stop every time I drive highway 4.

Dozens of times, so far.

It is a fantastic short day hike.

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Hiking in ‘Salvage Logging’ Forest

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

In the temperate rain forest of Vancouver Island you can hike almost anywhere, year round.

It’s fantastic.

One local hike I’d avoided is Roosevelt – Chinook – Channels – Clay Banks near the excellent Englishman River Provincial Park.

I’d heard it was mainly used for mountain biking.

Home made mountain biking trails tend to be rugged, muddy — and not all that hiker friendly.

Turned out that wasn’t the BIG problem.

Very close to the Provincial Park, logging companies have been Thinning.

In this area, they claim to be removing about half the trees so the other half will grow faster.

It’s a kind of salvage logging.

Not clearcut — but still ugly and muddy.

There were a few good moments — but I won’t again be hiking in any area that has been thinned.