besthike.com

July 3, 2020July 3, 2020

Cycle hiking Gabriola Island, B.C.

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles.

On July 1, 2020 I cycle toured Gabriola Island, the first time I’d been back to the island since I was a kid on family summer vacation.

Gabriola is about 14 kilometres (9 mi) long by 4.2 kilometres (2.6 mi) wide, about the same land mass as Bermuda.

I caught the ferry over from Nanaimo in the early evening.

Next morning, while celebrating Canada Day, I was reminded that descendants of the original inhabitants are still there — the Snuneymuxw, a First Nation of the Coast Salish People.

Sobering.

First stop was the Malaspina Galleries, a sandstone cliff carved by wind and waves. Lovely shoreline, as well.

To navigate I used Cycling the Islands: A Guide to Scenic Routes on the San Juan and Gulf Islands by John Crouch.

And Hiking Trails 2: South-Central Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands by Richard K. Blier.

Gabriola is less developed than I anticipated. A definite hippy vibe.

I circled the island counter-clockwise, stopping next at Sandwell Provincial Park.

Popped in briefly to Joyce Lockwood Community Park.

There’s a marina and campground at Silva Bay at the far end of the island.

Cycling and hiking temperate rain forest is wonderful when it’s not raining. And the rain held off this day.

My last stop was Drumbeg Provincial Park.

One day was enough to explore Gabriola. All good. The hiking trail infrastructure is excellent for a small island. Paths well marked.

All trails are short and easy.

I recommend Gabriola.

July 3, 2020July 2, 2020

9 great hiking destinations in Finland

Hendrik Morkel, editor of Hiking in Finland, gives us the list:

- Hetta-Pallas Trail
- St. Olavs Trail
- Sipoonkorpi National Park
- Repovesi National Park
- Helvetinjärvi & Seitseminen National Parks
- Ruka-Kuusamo Area
- Urho Kekkonen National Park
- Pöyrisjärvi
- Käsivarsi Wilderness Area

Together with four friends we compiled the Best Hikes in Finland: https://t.co/MzhOTWzY0V Have a look and let us know which one you'd like to go on! #travel #hiking #trekking #backpacking #Finland pic.twitter.com/mhei24yWV5

— Hendrik Morkel is no longer tweeting (@hendrikmorkel) June 3, 2020

June 29, 2020June 27, 2020

Out There: A Voice from the Wild by Chris Townsend

Chris Townsend (born 1949) is the hiking author who’s influenced me most.

He’s written over 20 books, including Cicerone guidebooks, and countless articles

I started with High Summer: Backpacking The Canadian Rockies (1989).

He’s most famous for The Backpacker’s Handbook.

But If you’ve never read Chris Townsend, I’d recommend you start with Out There: A Voice from the Wild. I recently read the Kindle edition while hiking on Vancouver Island.

Chris reflects back on the takeaways from all those trips.

Drawing from more than forty years of experience as an outdoorsman, and probably the world’s best known long distance walker who also writes, Chris Townsend describes the landscapes and wildlife, the walkers and climbers, and the authors who have influenced him in this lucid and beautiful book.

Writing from his home in the heart of the Cairngorms he discusses the wild, its importance to civilisation and how we cannot do without it.

June 27, 2020June 26, 2020

Climbing Mt Arrowsmith, Vancouver Island

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles.

Mount Arrowsmith 1,819 m (5,968 ft) is the most prominent peak seen from my parents home in Vancouver Island.

It’s close to Port Alberni, B.C.

Alanna@VanIsle – Arrowsmith from Parksville in winter

The most popular hike to the top is called Judges Route. Details.

6-7 km (4 miles) roundtrip
elevation gain 1,000m (3,280ft)

Finding the trailhead can be confusing. Google Maps has it wrong, for example.

I used the free Maps.me app — that worked.

It’s 4-6 hours return. Challenging. Some exposure. A bit of scrambling. Some route finding. I was briefly lost 3 times.

There are some views on the way up.

On June 25th, 2020 I didn’t have much snow.

The summit is interesting.

From the top you can see from Port Alberni to Mt. Baker in Washington State.

I was inspired to try one of my rare panoramas.

Great day.

Starting up at 4pm I was last hiker on the mountain.

June 25, 2020October 14, 2020

Buttle Lake Campground, Strathcona Park B.C.

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

First time to this part of Strathcona Provincial Park, Vancouver Island, I decided to tent at the biggest campground on arrival — Buttle Lake.

And was glad I did.

Easy access from Campbell River. I cycled.

Campgrounds had just opened following the COVID-19 shutdown. Their reservation system was still getting going.

I could choose any site not listed on the whiteboard.

There was one other cyclist that night — John, a cabinet maker from Vancouver — who was out-of-work at the moment from his set design job for the TV series Riverdale.

We decided to share a site and campfire.

After setting up the tent, I checked out the many short hikes accessible from camp.

Best was the Beach Access Trail

This lake has many drowned tree stumps. Very evocative.

I stumbled upon 5 campsites not shown on any map. Cool.

The Ranger informed me they were Marine Campsites, designated for those fishing and boating. BUT that they were free until June 15th.

John and I booked in for the night of June 14th.

I can hardly recall a more perfect camp.

Buttle, like most high mountain lakes, is prone to high winds due convection created by the sun heating the canyon walls during the day. Fishermen try to get off the lake by eleven.

Early next morning, I had a visitor.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The other big car campground in this part of the Park is called Ralph River. On paper, it’s similar. But I would recommend you camp at Buttle Lake instead, if you can.

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

See our list of the best hikes in North America.

June 24, 2020October 14, 2020

Strathcona Park BC – Buttle Lake area day hikes

By BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Strathcona Provincial Park, Vancouver Island, offers many challenging multi-day adventures. And many very challenging day hikes.

In this post, however, I focus on easy highway-accessible day hikes recommended for kids, families, everyone.

I hiked most of these. All good.

Lower Myra Falls
Lady Falls

Almost everyone stops for the short walk to the viewing platform at Lady Falls.

Elk River Viewpoint
Lupin Falls
Auger Point
Karst Creek
Wild Ginger
Shepherd Creek

Without question Lower Myra Falls is best of the easy day hikes. Don’t miss it. And bring a bathing suit if weather is good.

Auger Point Fire Trail was interesting in seeing how some trees can survive major forest fires.

If you stay at Buttle Lake campground, I loved their Beach Access Trail.

I was cycling this trip, hiding my bike in the trees between each short nature walk.

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

See our list of the best hikes in North America.

June 23, 2020October 14, 2020

Bedwell Lake trails, Strathcona Park B.C.

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

The Bedwell Lakes trails are some of the best in Strathcona Provincial Park, Vancouver Island.

We’ve added Bedwell to our list of best hikes in North America.

The up-and-back Bedwell Lake Trail:

- - 10km return
  - 1-3 days
  - 875m elevation gain/loss
  - Bedwell Lake lookout 980m
  - camping fee at trailhead (CAD $10 / site in 2020)
  - Phillip Stone – Exploring Strathcona Park guidebook
  - no electricity nor mobile phone service. I carried a solar charger.

If adventurous, you could continue to longer routes including:

Cream Lake
climbing Big Interior mountain
continue to Mt Myra
continue to Phillips Ridge
exit via Flower Ridge
exit via Price Creek
climbing Mt Tom Taylor

Amazing would be to continue to Bedwell Sound, organizing a water taxi to take you to Tofino.

Good navigation needed on all those options, of course. They are all more difficult than Bedwell.

If I had proper snow gear I would have continued on to Cream Lake (at least) where you get views of Nine Peaks, Mt Septimus and (possibly) Della Falls, highest in Canada.

I did talk to one couple who were trying to posthole their way to Cream. And they looked prepared. It would be easier later in the season.

CAUTION – A hiker died here in 2015, Anders Jason Newman. He slipped and fell from height somewhere above the lakes.

Cycled to the trailhead, walking the last 3km as Jim Mitchell Lake road was steep!

Full Strathcona Park map (PDF)

Started up about 3pm in perfect weather.

Bedwell is possibly the best maintained trail in Strathcona. So steep and (potentially) wet, numerous anti-erosion measures are necessary: wood bridges, metal bridges, boardwalk, etc.

I reached Baby Bedwell lake about 6pm. A gorgeous vista looking over to Mt. Tom Taylor.

Relaxed. Enjoyed dinner from the rocks watching the fading light.

Next morning perfect weather again. No wind.

En route to the big lake are a number of steel ladders and one chain assist. It would be very slippery when wet descending in the rain.

Wow. You arrive well above Bedwell lake with astonishing vistas.

There are tent platforms at both lakes. Personally I prefer those at Baby Bedwell over these at Bedwell.

With good weather, my return back down the same trail seemed easy to me.

What a nice 2-day hike!

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

See our list of the best hikes in North America.

June 22, 2020October 14, 2020

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.

June 21, 2020September 10, 2020

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.