Guilty. 😀
Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/BlairBraverman/status/1309256616676651011
Can you CHIN your backpack?
A tradition started by Greg Chartier:
If you can’t do 1 chin-up carrying your backpack, you MUST remove weight.
Repairing down jackets and bags
For the first time in a long hiking career I’ve repaired a sleeping bag using something like Tenacious Tape.
So far, so good. It held up well on the first week long trip.
Click PLAY or watch an example on YouTube.
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:
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.
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.
Mt. Assiniboine: Shark to Magog
Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles
Hiking Shark trailhead to Magog campground
Mountain sheep, not mountain goats. Let’s get that straight.
It was almost 5pm by the time we walked away from Mt. Shark trailhead on the Bryant Creek Trail.
We would have come in from Sunshine — but both the bus and Gondola were closed in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Jack was wearing brand new shoes. Surprisingly, they worked well for him over 5 days.
I was happy to join up with Brian Mason and sons for one of his favourite hikes.
I’d thought the trail to McBride campground (BR 14) was 9.8km flat. It’s closer to 13km with some ups and downs.
The Masons had most everything they needed, but it wasn’t really “packed”. 😀
Turns out McBride is a lousy camp: no water, few level sites, distant cooking area.
Masons didn’t finish dinner until well after dark.
NIGHT
No fly for me. I only use it if I must.
Masons were happy with their new 4 person MEC tent, the first time they’d used it.
I wished we’d camped instead at Big Springs 9.6km. But Brian was actually happy we went all the way to McBride as it shortened the climbing day up to Assiniboine.
At the Ranger cabin we turned uphill towards Marvel Lake. (The alternative trail is the easier, but less scenic, Assiniboine Pass.)
The river is the water supply for McBride. While at that camp, I saw two closer potential sources that were NOT running.
I do love alpine meadows.
My free Peakfinder app was useful in identifying mountains. You need to download the data in advance before going offline.
Gorgeous Marvel Lake.
Fantastic.
It’s a steep climb up to Assiniboine on switchbacks, but the views keep you going.
We stopped for lunch at the top.
What a vista !
From there we scrambled up to a higher viewpoint, leaving our big packs below.
Eventually we strolled into Magog campground with fantastic views of the Matterhorn of the Rockies.
We’d walked about 28 km (17.6 miles) from Shark. Plus our side trip.
Click PLAY or watch a short video on our hike on YouTube.
GSI Pack Grater for Camping
Each year a group of friends heads out for a week of hiking and camping.
Each year they compare gear. And consider adding something NEW to their kit.
In 2020 I was very impressed with Karen’s GSI Pack Grater. Less than $10.
Very lightweight and compact, it did a terrific job grating cheese for our traditional Trail Quesadillas.
We typically make the Rockin’ Ronnie Shewchuk version including fresh apple and Rosemary.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
I’m purchasing a GSI Pack Grater for myself.
Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD battery
Though I’m now bikepacking with solar, to be SURE I’ve got enough juice to get my devices through a weekend hike I’ve also purchased the Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD with 30W.
This is the largest portable battery currently allowed for airline carry-on baggage.
26800mAh of power charges most phones over 7 times, tablets at least 2 times or notebooks at least once.
There are two parts: battery and USB-C wall charger.
Charging devices from a wall socket (including the battery) is claimed to be up to 3x faster.
On longer cycling trips when I’m carrying a laptop, this unit IS powerful enough to recharge a MacBook Pro. That will help me keep up-to-date with photos, video and trip reports.
Flower Ridge Trails, Strathcona Park B.C.
Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles.
Experts agree that the Flower Ridge trails are some of the best in Strathcona Provincial Park, Vancouver Island.
The up-and-back Flower Ridge Trail:
- 27km return
- 1-3 days
- 1970m elevation gain/loss
- summit of Central Crags 1642m
- no permit needed
- Phillip Stone – Exploring Strathcona Park guidebook
- no electricity nor mobile phone service
If adventurous, you could return via other longer routes including:
- Comox Glacier to Buttle Lake Traverse
- Ash River Horseshoe
- Mt. Rosseau to Cream to Bedwell lakes
- Green lake to Price creek
Good navigation needed on all those options, of course.
I was actually hoping to return via the Henshaw Creek Horseshoe since it returns you to where you started. A perfect loop.
In fact, it’s one of guidebook author Phillip Stone’s favourite hikes in the Park.
But I would have needed a guide and full mountaineering gear to pull that off in June. Perhaps a helicopter, as well. 😀
I was there early season.
Beautiful morning. Ideal campsite in the Marine Park next to Buttle Lake campground.
It was June 14th. Free. ($10/night/site starting June 15th.)
I enjoyed a leisurely morning.
Next cycled to the trailhead, easy access from gorgeous Buttle Lake Parkway.
It’s close to Ralph River campground.
Full Strathcona Park map (PDF).
Strathcona Park had just opened following the COVID-19 shutdown.
The previous day I’d tried King’s Peak with a light day pack. Didn’t get higher than 770m due to high creeks.
Learning my lesson, for Flower Ridge I brought food for up to 3 days. Full pack.
Started up about 5pm.
Like many Strathcona hikes, Flower Ridge starts with a steep climb. But less steep than most others
Not many views early on. When you do, it’s of the the Myra Falls Mine (opened 1959)
The mine is currently owned by Nyrstar and produces zinc, lead, copper, silver and gold concentrates.
Any time you are hiking a ridge, finding running water might be a problem. But my guidebook said there was one reliable creek — I never found it.
No worries. There is plenty of snow to melt. You dig to find the clean white stuff.
I set up 8:30pm at the first obvious campsite. Days are long in Canada in June.
Normally my dinners are based around instant mashed potatoes. But for this trip I went all in for instant stuffing.
I carried my 1.2 pound solar charger for the first time. Normally it stays with my bikepacking gear.
There’s no electricity in Strathcona. No mobile phone service.
I climbed higher next morning. But quickly the snow got too deep. Just like King’s Peak the previous day, I only reached perhaps 800m elevation before turning back.
The ridge is about 1200m. In those meadows I would have found more famed spring flowers.
I really need to return to Strathcona late season: August – September.
#LessonLearned
If you want to do it right, click over to MBGuiding:
Flower Ridge Trail – July 13-15, 2018
The best hiking guidebook is Exploring Strathcona Park. Dead tree version available only.
See our list of the best hikes in North America.
BigBlue 28W USB Solar Charger
UPDATE: Love the solar charger. But on the last trip it stopped charging my Apple watch. Not sure why. But it would charge my Anker PowerCore Fussion 5000 battery which does charge the watch.
My first solar power charger. No built-in lithium ion battery.
I chose BigBlue 28W USB Solar Charger over similar products based on the positive Wirecutter review. AND this one is quite inexpensive.
I plan to use it mostly for bikepacking where weight is less a concern. But I carried it on a few hikes as well.
1.2 pounds.
On the bike, it can get bumpy.
Mostly I’m wanting to keep charged:
-
- iPhone
- EarPods
- Apple Watch
It works well in direct sunlight. Slowly when overcast.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
besthike.com 