9/18/2026 I’ve been enjoying visiting summits along the Howe Sound Crest Trail, and this was no exception. The trail was easy to follow directly from the Cypress lodge, and I couldn’t help but get a tiny bit rattled as a I passed a big “Bear in Area” sign while I was alone in the dark with a headlamp that was rapidly running out of battery. Thank goodness for cell phone flashlights! The early part of the Howe Sound Crest Trail had clearly had work done on it recently, and it

5/31/2026 This was a memorable day-hike of a prominent peak in the North Shore Mountains near Vancouver with awesome views of Howe Sound and the surrounding peaks. Cool trees After doing a couple errands in the city, I drove out to Lions Bay, foolishly expecting to be able to park at the trailhead. Little did I know, half of the metro area seemed to be hiking to Tunnel Bluffs that day, so I ended up having to park a good distance away from the official trailhead on a resident

7/19/2025 Katie and I were in Whistler and enjoyed an excellent hike to Panorama Ridge to see the brilliant blue waters of Garibaldi Lake. The hike starts from the Rubble Creek Trailhead, and a day-use pass is required in the summer. Beautiful views abound on this hike with the Tantalus Range, Black Tusk, and Garibaldi and its surrounding glaciers stealing the show. Even though the round-trip distance is over 16 miles with 5000 feet of elevation gain, this is a well-establish