A Rainy Weekend in Squamish, BC

August 9, 2019

On the Fourth of July last year, as fireworks boomed loudly for hours in our neighborhood in NE Portland, Lindsay and I decided we would spend the next year’s holiday outside of the city where we might find a little bit of peace and quiet.

In the spring, when we were deciding where to go for the holiday weekend, we threw out a visit to the provincial parks north of Vancouver as an option. We last visited British Columbia in late summer of 2016 and were blown away by the beauty of Canada’s westernmost province. The epic scenery - pristine alpine lakes, towering peaks, rugged mountain ranges - left me speechless.

Squamish is a small town at the northern end of the Howe Sound. The area attracts outdoors-lovers and is well-known as a destination for climbers, hikers, mountain bikers, and trail runners. The granite monoliths that rise thousands of feet from the sea reminded me a little of the majestic granite walls in Yosemite.

Backpacking to Mount Assiniboine

October 20, 2016

I can't remember when I first saw a photo of Mount Assiniboine but I do remember feeling a deep desire to see the place for myself someday. Fast forward a few years and here we are on a beautiful mid-September afternoon standing on an exposed ridge, miles and miles from any sign of civilization, breathing in the majesty of this impressive peak. The day before we had hiked 18 miles in rain and snow deep into grizzly country, arriving at Lake Magog to the mountains shrouded by clouds. The next morning, though, blue sky and sunshine greeted us, as did the snow-capped pyramidal peak of Assiniboine. Oh, what luck.

A Day at Lake O'Hara in Yoho National Park

October 9, 2016

Yoho National Park is a true gem. It is home to the most stunning scenery in all of the Canadian Rockies, including the prized Lake O'Hara. Our visit to Lake O'Hara was the highlight of our trip, despite cold temperatures, rain, snow, and a cold that inevitably afflicted me after a few days of hiking in the rain and sleeping in hostels. Lake O'Hara is one of the most scenic areas in all of the Canadian Rockies - turquoise alpine lakes, hanging valleys, snowcapped mountains, and premier hiking. To make it even more special, Parks Canada, the country's national park service, restricts access to the area to preserve its special, fragile landscape.

After a cloudy and rainy start to the day we are delighted by afternoon blue sky and sunshine. Mount Robson's peak is elusive.

Backpacking the Berg Lake Trail in British Columbia

September 29, 2016

Just as we are about to get on the road to kick off our ten day trip to the Canadian Rockies it starts to pour. The ten day forecast calls for chilly temperatures, rain, and clouds. Sounds like standard PNW fall weather, so why not start fall a little early? We drive in an incessant rain for the entire five hour drive to Bellingham, Washington, where we spend the night. We wake early and get on the road. The drive to the US-Canada border is beautiful. Clouds and fog hang low in the valley and the sun that breaks through illuminates the striking Northern Cascades.