Category: urban

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Bobcats in Calgary

In my travels around the world I’ve seen much elusive wildlife including snow leopards.

BUT I’d never seen more than bobcat paw-prints.

In recent years, bobcats have been moving into big city Calgary, population 1.2 million plus.

MyCalgary.com

The city offers plenty of squirrels and jackrabbits.

One took a nap in a city yard a couple of weeks ago.

I saw this one just after dawn in the neighbourhood where I grew up. It seemed totally unworried about me standing only about 2m distant.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Hole in the Wall, Port Alberni BC

Hole in the Wall, a short day hike, is a is fast becoming a major attraction for the Vancouver Island community.

The hole is all that remains of a decades old water line.

Check in at the Port Alberni Visitor Centre for directions.

Parking is difficult though the trail itself is only an easy 1.3km return walk.

Rather than following the normal route as posted on AllTrails Port Alberni Hole in the Wall, I walked instead from an industrial park end of Sherwood Road.

Definitely muddier and less traveled, I did find it interesting. Nobody else parked there.

Here are the rough trails as shown on Maps.me.

Click PLAY or get a glimpse of my hike on YouTube.

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Glorious Rathtrevor Beach at Dawn

Dawn low tide at Rathtrevor Beach in Parksville on Vancouver Island.

I’ve been walking early morning at Rathtrevor for months during COVID lockdown. This edit gives you a good feel for the glorious setting.

I’ve not yet tired of taking a morning walk in exactly the same place each day. Every dawn is different.

Low tide here stretches nearly a kilometre out into the Strait of Georgia.

Thousands of birds are here Spring and Autumn during migration. This video shot in November.

Rathtrevor has a terrific campground, if you ever get the chance to visit.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Willingdon Creek Trail, Powell River B.C.

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles.

If you ever get to the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, there are two unique attractions in Powell River you might easily miss:

  1. Powell River Giant Hulks breakwater
  2. Willingdon Beach Trail

First, Willingdon.

Though it’s an easy, flat 1.2km stroll one way, I still rank Willingdon one of the best hikes in North America because it’s so unique. Historical.

Started 1910 as a logging railway along the coast, today it’s an outdoor museum of forestry technology, gradually being consumed by temperate rainforest.

Start at the main coastal park in downtown Powell River and walk towards Willingdon Beach Campsite (excellent, by the way).

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

After you finish the trail, if you continue walking towards the Pulp Mill — staying as close to the water as you can — you’ll get some distant views of the largest floating Hulk breakwater in the world. Very cool.

It’s used to protect the Pulp Mill’s log storage pond.

While nine of these ten ships were built during the Second World War, the tenth ship, the S. S. Peralta, is the last remaining WWI concrete ship afloat.

Click PLAY or see them on YouTube.

related – trip report – Adventure Awaits – Willingdon Beach Trail

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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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HIKE the Dragon’s Back, Hong Kong

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles (2011)

The Dragon’s Back is more than a hike, it’s a “tourist attraction”.

The Dragon’s Back (Traditional Chinese: 龍脊) is a ridge in southeastern Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, between Wan Cham Shan and Shek O Peak. It lies within the Shek O Country Park. In 2004 the Dragon’s Back Trail was selected by TIMEasia as the best urban hiking trail.

See reviews on Trip Adviser.

trail signboard

Despite all that popularity, I loved it.

Who wouldn’t love a ridge walk on a tropical island?

Many start up the Hong Kong tram and hike down to Big Wave Bay, but I followed the longer and more difficult 8.5km route recommended in The Inside Guide to Hikes and Walks in Hong Kong, a free publication from Hong Kong Tourism.

If you get to Hong Kong, the Dragon’s Back is a must hike.

Friends, loved ones and unloved who don’t want to go can wait at the finish, Big Wave Bay Beach.

see more photos from my day hike

related – Hiking the World trip report  (2016)

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day hiking Peace Pagoda, Pokhara

One popular destination close to Pokhara, Nepal is Shanti Stupa, a Buddhist pagoda-style monument.

There are great views of the Annapurna range on a clear day.


Though you can taxi, cycle, or walk — best is crossing Fewa Lake by local boat.

A long paddle, Josh helped out the boatman.

From the bottom it’s a steep climb on stone stairs. Perhaps 45 minutes.

It’s  115 feet tall and 344 feet in diameter.

We’d come up for sunset not knowing that it closes about sunset. We didn’t get the chance to see Buddha.

So the highlight for me was the flower gardens.

We returned by boat, as well. It was dark by the time we got back to Lakeside.

The Diwali festival was ramping up. We happened upon three fire dancers at landing.

Worldwide, there are many similar Peace Pagodas. Check out any you come across on your travels.

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