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#4 day hike – Laguna de los Tres, Argentina

One of our top 10 day hikes in the world.

Why?

The photos say it all. 😀

  • our pick for best day hike — of many — out of El Chaltén, Argentina’s Trekking Capital in Patagonia
  • the nearest airport is El Calafate
  • November – March are the best months. You might have snow on the trail in November or March, however.
  • 8+ hours round trip depending on route
  • elevation gain 2,300 ft. (700m)
  • option to tent near the lake
  • infamous for bad weather. Be prepared for extreme wind.

World → S America → Patagonian Andes → Argentina → Laguna de los Tres

vista from El Chaltén

For details click over to our Laguna de los Tres information page.

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Permit for the Wonderland Trail, Washington State

Without question, Wonderland is one of the best hikes in the world.

I’ve been only once in 2010. Fantastic.

The Wonderland Trail is an approximately 93-mile (150 km) hiking trail that circumnavigates Mount Rainier in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington …

An estimated 200 to 250 people a year complete the entire trail with several thousand others doing shorter sections of it. …

Milissa (aka Mary Poppins) and Lady on a Rock got a permit by showing up early at the ranger station on a Monday morning with no specific expectations and took whatever was available.

Read the TRIP REPORT:

HIKE THE WONDERLAND TRAIL: A JOURNEY AROUND MOUNT RAINIER

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Top 10 Coastal Hikes ➙ Abel Tasman, New Zealand

Abel Tasman Coast Track is one of our top 10 coastal hikes in the world.

Anatakapau Bay and Mutton Cove

Why?

  • one of the Great Walks
  • most popular multi-day hike in New Zealand
  • 54.4 km easy coastal hike (or kayak)
  • 3-5 days to complete
  • huts and campsites available for a fee
  • tide dependent
  • booking in advance is required
  • access by road or water taxi
  • idyllic multi-hued sand beaches; swim calm crystalline seas; enjoy awesome sea vistas from atop rugged cliffs
  • fascinating & photogenic tidal estuaries
  • stable, warm summer weather
  • open year round. Kiwi Autumn (February, March, April, May) would be our favourite months.
  • easy to access and organize
  • one of the best hiking options in New Zealand for families, children & groups
  • in case of injury, illness, fatigue, etc., you can escape by water taxi
  • you can fish. Check with DOC for permit details.

For details, click over to our Abel Tasman Coast Track information page.

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Trail Run, Vancouver Island

by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Part of my off-season conditioning for hiking is running about 30 minutes / day during the winter. Happily, I can do that easily on Vancouver Island as the climate is so mild. We don’t get much snow.

Most days I run Rathtrevor Beach.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I also like running around Englishman River Falls. VIDEO.

If I don’t run, I do 10 sets of stairs. instead. VIDEO.

My best pace this winter was about 5:47 minutes / km. BUT I mostly run leisurely, stopping for photos whenever I want.

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BestHike VIDEO Highlights 2024

by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

The biggest change shooting hiking video in 2024 was having a NEW drone with excellent obstacle avoidance.

I only crashed it once. 😀

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. I like the pacing of this one.

Some of those clips come from 2024 adventures:

related:

Top 10 BestHike VIDEOS

Subscribe to the BestHike YouTube channel.

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First Spring Flowers on Vancouver Island

First large flowers to bloom in March 2025 in Parksville were skunk cabbage.

It’s an impressive plant found in swamps and wet woods, along streams and in other wet areas of the Pacific Northwest. A distinctive “skunky” odor is characteristic of blooms.

About the same time, Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris), also known as Kingcup start to pop up. Also near wetlands, marshes, and along streams and ponds.

Both are impressive, brightening up the trail after a long winter.

In fact, I saw tiny Daisies (Bellis perennis) even earlier. Late February.

Though pretty, we usually remove them from our lawn during the summer — along with dandelions.

Speaking of dandelions — they are among the first flowers to bloom in the spring, a crucial food source for bees as they emerge from hibernation and begin foraging.  So I’ll leave the first flowers of the season alone.


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Dangerous Treks?

Here’s a list of some of the established hikes known to have caused deaths and injuries in the past.

Of course if you are experienced and cautious, I’d call most of them ‘safe’.

Of the list, I’ve done 5 myself and would recommend them.

El Caminito I’d call SUPER safe in 2025.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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My RAB Men’s Cirrus Flex Insulated Hooded Jacket

I’ve been wearing a series of Helly Hansen LIFALOFT™ Hooded Insulator Jackets almost daily since 2019.

Love them. Especially because I can machine wash and dry those jackets without fear. I’ve washed some dozens of times.

But in 2025 I’m having trouble finding that jacket online.

As an alternative, I’m trying my first RAB synthetic puffy jacket.

Vancouver Island Balance Beam

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Synthetic primaloft equivalent to 650 fill.

CAD $230 shipped free to me. A good price. Not much more than I’ve paid for the Helly Hansen.

Click PLAY or watch a review on YouTube.