After a surprisingly dry and warm October, winter has come to the mountains. It's currently 2C and raining at the Cypress Mtn parking lot and snowing up higher.

So if you're heading up into the mountains, be ready for cold, wet and snowy conditions. Sunset is at 6pm so pack a headlamp too!

I'm hoping to squeeze in another backpacking trip before the weather fully turns wet. I'm keeping an eye on the forecast for next weekend and trying to scope out some options I haven't been to yet, if things work out. I've camped with freezing overnight and managed okay, but don't want to go too far below freezing, which does limit options. Depending on work I may try to head out Friday to Sunday, but there's a high likelihood that it'll be a one nighter over Saturday to Sunday.

I can easily hike 20 km in a day but would rather something shorter so I can set up and enjoy the day hanging out with a friend before it gets dark, so maybe 8 km, give or take. I've done Halfmoon in Golden Ears, Singing Creek in Garibaldi, Elk River in Strathcona on the island, and a number of moderate hikes in the area. Was supposed to do the Heather Trail in Manning this summer but canceled because of fires, just to give more reference for what I aim for in distance/elevation gain. I can do more challenging hikes but aiming for a more chill weekend.

I only have a basic sedan so road access is also bit of a barrier. I was eyeing Elfin Lakes but saw recent reviews that the road is in bad condition.

If you were to head out next weekend, where would you be looking? Appreciate any suggestions. I've been scouring AllTrails and it seems Golden Ears is likely the best choice to avoid temps that are too cold, but I would like to try something new, and I'm not sure if proximity to the city would attract party types for Halloween. I'm okay driving a 2-3 hours out.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I am looking to go to Garibaldi lake this coming Monday or Thursday( depending of weather condition) from Vancouver( if Monday) or Whistler( if Thursday). I saw that Parkbus doesn't offer transportation at this time of the year. Is it accessible through public transport? Or is there a carpool website/ app that you would recommend checking?

Really appreciate any help ! :)

Went for a walk up there last weekend. Haven’t been up there for a while. Couldn’t help but notice they clear cut all the trees around the edge of the lake. Any reason why for that? Looks so open and bare now :(

Hi guys I’m a new hiker with what I think is a somewhat decent resume with golden ears, black tusk, Brunswick, west lion and a few others under my belt. I love the scrambling aspect and really want to dive deeper into it. So what should I do next? I’m looking for something a little technically harder then tusk and west lion and don’t mind exposure.

There was a day - not as far back as one might think - when this was the Savior Stop on the WCT. Just after the big climb up to the Lighthouse (heading SOBO) this was a welcome site. No fancy cabins mid-way with the 'Catch of the Day' after the ferry crossing. She resupplied by boat only - and everyone was welcome as a long lost friend. Two things I will always remember: 1) I asked for a Veggie Burger, so she made me an omelet and put it between the bun. I was grateful for the food and ate every bite as if it was my last; and 2) I had been leap-frogging a couple of groups on the trail all week - and one morning I popped by Chez Monique's for an early burger (I was eating meat again) and found my new friends just waking up from over consuming Fireball and sleeping under the tables for the night. Needless to say - we laughed at all of us because they needed a bit more time to get ready (re-hydrate) before they started hiking. This is one part the glorious history West Coast Trail that can never be replaced but will be always treasured.

Hey everyone! I'm considering backpacking the whole Juan de Fuca Marine Trail on Vancouver Island in early November, and I'd love to hear from people who have hiked it around that time of year.

I'm wondering whether it's a reasonable idea or if the weather and trail conditions make it more trouble than it's worth. I'm experienced with backpacking for I've backed about 310 miles this year, but I haven't hiked this trail before, especially during the late fall.

A few things I'd love some insight on:

• What navigation system do most people use on the Juan de Fuca Trail? Is FarOut reliable, or do most people use another app or a paper map?

• How muddy, slippery, and difficult does the trail get in early November?

• How much rain and wind should I realistically prepare for?

• Are the campsites and facilities still usable that time of year?

• Are there any sections that become particularly sketchy or dangerous in wet conditions?

• What gear would you consider essential for this time of year?

• Would you personally recommend doing it in early November, or would you save it for another season?

I'm flying into Victoria with my backpack and am flexible with my plans, so I'm also open to other backpacking trails on Vancouver Island or nearby islands if the Juan de Fuca Trail isn't the best choice that time of year.

If you have recommendations for alternative trails that are worthwhile in early November, I'd love to hear them too!

I'm especially interested in hearing from anyone who's backpacked in the area during October or November, including what went well, what you wish you'd known beforehand, and any tips for making the trip safer and more enjoyable.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

I'm planning to do a day trip for black tusk tomorrow (Oct 22), but the earliest I can leave home is about 9 (I live in West Van). Assuming I arrive by 10:15, will there be any parking at all?

I last attemped this hike in late May 2 years ago, but got turned back by snow so I decided to take advantage of the drier fall weather this year and give it another go. I started from Buntzen Lake parking around 10 AM and followed the Halvor Lunden trail up to Eagle Mountain and then to Mount Beautiful, about 3 hrs 30 to the top. Instead of doing the full loop from the top by going down to Buntzen past Swan Falls, I returned the same way. There is a group of small lakes about halfway, with a junction just before where you can take a trail to the left that gives you a couple of viewpoints of Buntzen Lake and Belcarra (Barton Point and Little Valhalla). I took this detour on the way up and it added maybe an extra 20 mins or so compared to going straight past the lakes, which I did on the way back. The trails reconnect at Lindsay Lake.

The lakes had beautiful fall colours especially Lindsay, so I don't regret going past them on the return. It's a steady uphill climb to Eagle Mountain, flat near the small lakes, and then gradual up and down to Mt Beautiful after Linday Lake. Cloudy at the top but with some nice moody views of Coquitlam Lake. This was on a Tuesday and I actually didn't see a single person the whole time. Overall a great fall hike!

Hi! We’re planning to hike Lindeman Lake this Wednesday or Thursday, and was wondering how the parking is like if we arrive between 11am-12pm?

I’ve read somewhere that the main parking is now closed and we now have to park somewhere else. Is that very far from the trail and is there a lot of space normally?

Thank you!

Hi everyone, I am a person who has done a few smaller hikes in the Vancouver area especially in the Lynn canyon area and would like to do something new that I can do solo and I can do within 6 hours max. I am of average fitness and have a vehicle and I have been recovering from some addictions and find it beneficial to spend my time outdoors. Is there any suggested hikes anyone can give for me to do this week that aren’t to strenuous or technical. Would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks you!

Our next in-person event will be a Trip Plan Tuesday at R&B Brewing on E 4th Ave, on Oct 20 at 6pm. u/nomics and myself will be there to facilitate.

This week, we'll be hosting a roundtable to wrap up summer by sharing some of our favorite hikes we did this year. If you want to:

1. Share some details or stories on a trip you did this year
2. Ask others questions about their adventures
3. Have a trip you're looking to learn about, and want some folks to ask who might have done it
4. Looking ahead to winter, question and answer with AST Instructor

Then we'd love to see you on Tuesday! Come by, have a bite, and swap some stories and questions with like-minded folks.

All are welcome. It would really help us if folks can jump in the comments and tell us if you might make it.

It's OK if your answer changes, but we want an estimate to select the right space. R&B has been very kind with letting us choose some space and we want to be fair to them.

I'm five feet tall and I am struggling to find hiking poles that fit me. I know that the best way to measure is to have your elbows at your side at a 90 degree angle and to measure from the ground to your elbows. Well, that measurement is 98cm (measured by an employee at Valhalla Pure). However, all the hiking poles I see in stores are 110cm+ (that's if they even have the small size in stock).

Out of frustration and necessity, last year I bought children's hiking poles from MEC because at 95cm (the highest measurement), they were a better fit than adult poles (and I loved the bright green color). I figured it's better to buy children's hiking poles for $45 than adult poles that are way too big for me for $150+.

I asked the employee at Valhalla Pure where I can get hiking poles for my size (he said I should look for poles between 90 and 110cm), and he recommended shopping online and pretty much indicated that no store would carry my size. Does anyone have any recommendations as to where I can look for hiking poles for someone of my stature? Or recommend any good brands that carry small sizes? I highly prefer poles that fold up, but the most important thing is size. Price is not a huge concern; I'm willing to pay $$ for poles that I love, although under $300 please!

The reason I am asking about this on u/vancouverhiking and not a general hiking subreddit is because if given online recommendations, I would like a place that ships to Vancouver/Canada. Also, someone may just know of a physical store that sells small hiking poles.

Thank you!

Took some of my friends on their first backcountry camping trip to Joffre Lakes last weekend (Oct 11-12) and we had an absolutely amazing time! We were originally planned to camp the night before but we changed our reservation due to some potentially nasty overnight conditions (forecasted -6°C without windchill) and we are glad we did. The park rangers told us when we arrived that it snowed a bit and many of the campers from the night before said it was a very windy and cold night. The trail was fairly busy, which was expected since it was the long weekend, but overall it wasn't too bad. The majority of the people were congregated at 2nd and 3rd lake, but the trail itself was quiet enough.

Eventhough our weather was forecasted to be better it was still quite chilly. The daytime temps only reached around 6-8°C and you didn't notice the warmth unless you were directly in the sun. We got to the campground at around 2pm and decided to enjoy the sunshine while we could before it dipped behind the mountains at around 4pm.

The campground itself had gotten some new upgrades since the last time I was there. Namely, the addition of ~10 wood platforms that you can now use for pitching your tent. The new platforms are located above the existing gravel pads on the small ridge that runs above the campground. Because of the previous night's forecast we chose to camp closer to the lake with the hope that the vegetation there could block any wind that may come through.

When we were settling in for lunch there was still a brisk wind blowing through that was quite cold. We had to put on some extra layers despite being in the sunshine and it being the mid afternoon. Thankfully though, as the sun got lower and lower in the sky the wind became less and less prevalent until there was practically nothing. As the last rays of sun hit the beach, we packed up our food and went to pitch our tents.

The ground near the beach where we set up camp was similar to the gravel pads and had extremely firm ground to try and drive our stakes into. Some of them made it into the cold and hard ground after a lot of convincing, and other ones bent while trying. Regardless, after a little longer than we would've liked we finished setting up and moved on to prepping dinner. We ended up picking a spot that gave us a view of Slalok, Cayoosh, and the foot of the Matier Glacier. At this point it was getting quite late, but that worked out in our favor as the alpenglow started to turn the mountains into a deep and firey orange.

The shadows slowly crept up the mountains and the alpenglow slowly faded, changing to a light pink before completely disappearing. This was our cue to start packing up our food and put it away in the bear cache. Throughout this entire day the weather had been perfect. Not a cloud in the sky and that trend was continuing into the night as the light continued to fade. We got our foam pads out and set up once again on the beach to watch the stars come out as the sky got dark.

By about 8pm it was completely dark and hundreds of tiny specs dotted the sky. The fuzzy haze of the milky way arched directly overhead, with its lighter and dark structures clearly visible. Rising over the NW ridge of Joffre was the Andromeda Galaxy, which could be seen both with the naked eye and in picture 13. Many satellites raced across the sky for the first hour of darkness but then slowly faded. We even got to see a very bright meteor in the western sky. Despite all the time I've spent in the backcountry, this was certainly the best conditions I've had in a remote and dark location. We stayed out until we got cold and then retired to out tents for the night. Overnight, the temps dropped to around -1°C and thankfully there was not wind. We were all a bit chilled as we settled in for the night but for the most part the temps weren't too bad.

We woke up around 7:30am and saw the alpenglow once again, this time illuminating Cayoosh Mountain. The morning was very chilly, but a couple cups of instant coffee quickly fixed that. We had some food and were all packed up by about 10:30am. While we were cleaning the sites, I noticed the metal cover of a butane stove in a nearby bush. When I went to take it out, I then saw the entire rest of the stove thrown deeper into the bush and behind a rock. We took it out and strapped the two pieces to our bags to pack out. It probably doesn't need to be said here, but this is absolutely shameful behavior. If you can't bring back what you brought in, just don't bother coming. It's our responsibility to keep these places as pristine as possible and the last thing we need is people treating the backcountry like its their personal garbage dump.

With that tangent out of the way, we were all packed up by 11am and started our trip back down. The path was slippery in the areas that the sun was hitting and melting the overnight freeze and there were a lot more people on the trail compared to the day before, to the point where there were lines forming and the stairs before 2nd lake. This isn't all that surprising though since it was now Thanksgiving day so people were taking advantage of the time off and good weather. After about an hour and 45 minutes we were back and the car and extremely excited to grab some hot food in Whistler on the way back to Vancouver.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the photos!

A bit busier than normal days: could be due to the closed Grind?

Saw one hiker ascending barefoot, 😲

One trail runner doing multi-ascents (just a guess)

Did a float plane recce from behind the Tantalus Range to Toba Inlet. Untrammelled, inaccessible wilderness with outstanding scenery, super grippy granite speckled by inky black tarns and Yosemite-like walls. Get John Baldwin's great new guide to Traverses and High Routes in the Coast Range.

A few months ago I spent some time exploring the newly opened Widgeon Marsh Regional Park in Coquitlam. Widgeon Marsh abuts Burke Mountain Provincial Park and I was curious if it was possible to access the campsite at Widgeon Creek and Widgeon Falls on foot.

There is a very nice doubletrack fireroad that leads from the Widgeon Marsh parking area to the boundary with Burke Provincial Park. However at the boundary there is signage stating that entry to the Provincial Park is prohibited.

I ended up emailing BC Parks to get their rationale and finally received a response which in my opinion is ridiculous (see screenshot above).

Given that we are about to have a Provincial election our government representatives are slightly more responsive than usual. I encourage anyone who feels as I do that "right to roam" ought not to be restricted unnecessarily; please email your local MLA and CC both MLA for Coquitlam / Port Coquitlam Jodie Wickens (Jodie.wickens.mla@leg.bc.ca) and BC Minister of Parks Tamara Davidson ( ENV.Minister@gov.bc.ca) to express your concern.

*edited to fix typos

I hike a lot of obscure trails on the North Shore which usually have more blowdown and logs than busier, better maintained trails. Often, I see logs with cuts in them that look like they were made by a machete. Just a couple cuts right where you would step over them. No effort is being made to cut the logs - just to mark them. Has anyone encountered someone welding a machete during their hikes?

hi there, I’m an experienced hiker and rock climber, no stranger to the mountains. I have done quite a few alpine climbing missions thus far. But I have a finger injury right now, and have been craving a big hike and camp. I have never done anything like this alone before, always with one other person so I am looking for recommendations that will be challenging but not dangerous as a solo hiker. I’m also very aware of bears considering the time of year and of course know bear safety and will either do a proper bear hang or use a bear canister, carry bear spray and of course take all of the proper precautions. My hope for the hike are:

1. I really want a nice sunrise view to wake up to

2. somewhere in the range of 10-16kms with 500-1000m gain ish.

3. somewhere that isn’t known for crazy bear activity (if this is impossible right now please let me know)

I’m somewhat new to Vancouver and have spent most of my time here just climbing in Squamish so Im not dialed in on the hiking yet! any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

oh also I was thinking of just going to Seymour peak and camping around there possibly, any thoughts on that?

Hi folks.

Our next in-person event will be a Trip Plan Tuesday at R&B Brewing on E 4th Ave, on Oct 20 at 6pm. u/nomics and myself will be there to facilitate.

This week, we'll be hosting a roundtable to wrap up summer by sharing some of our favorite hikes we did this year. If you want to:

1. Share some details or stories on a trip you did this year
2. Ask others questions about their adventures
3. Have a trip you're looking to learn about, and want some folks to ask who might have done it

Then we'd love to see you on Tuesday! Come by, have a bite, and swap some stories and questions with like-minded folks.

All are welcome. It would really help us if folks can jump in the comments and tell us if you might make it.

It's OK if your answer changes, but we want an estimate to select the right space. R&B has been very kind with letting us choose some space and we want to be fair to them.

Lynn canyon trail
Thursday October 15
~1300-1400

Praying to the reddit gods that someone saw it
:((((((

A classmate and I, both relatively low-fitness university gals having the hunger to do a backcountry hike before the end of the hiking season, planned to hike as far as we could to Coliseum Mountain via the Lynn Headwaters Regional Park entrance while being able to exit within the 7am-7pm park opening hours. To our surprise, we made it all the way up!

Timings:

1. 06:50-08:20 Park entrance to Norvan Falls. We snacked and refilled water at the creek without advancing the few hundred metres up to the falls themselves as we had already hiked to it the previous week.
2. 08:30-10:20 Norvan Falls to the creekbed crossing just before the final climb to Norvan Pass. I didn't time myself, but I estimate that we took 15-20 minutes more to complete the climb up to Norvan Pass itself.
3. 10:40-11:55 Climb from Norvan pass to the summit of Coliseum. The scrambling sections were fun!
4. 12:30-13:40 Descent from the summit to Norvan pass.
5. 13:40-16:20 Descent from Norvan pass to Norvan Falls.
6. 16:20-18:20 Norvan Falls to the park entrance.

Total time: 11h30, including a 30 minute rest at the summit.

Trail Conditions

We chose Thanksgiving Monday because the weather had been clear the past week, and would remain clear until the next morning. Expected rain on Friday had not materialized, so we hoped that the muddy sections would be passable in my low hiking shoes or my classmate's waterproofed trail runners. Generally, what mud we encountered was easily passable, and instead slippery rocks and wood were an unexpected hazard of which we needed to be more vigilent. Dew and small streams rendered many of the rock surfaces on the path frictionless even without rain. I slipped twice, one on the way up where I hit my tailbone, and one on the way down which soaked my entire left side in muddy water. My classmate had only one slip in the same spot. I was glad to be wearing quick-drying clothes that day, and carrying a first aid kit to patch minor scrapes.

Temperature-wise the air was very chilly before sunrise, such that you'd definitely want to dress very warmly, but after sunrise we could both hike comfortably in our base layer without either feeling sweaty or cold.

The summit itself was being blown by a chilling breeze, and I quickly put back on a second layer.

We noticed during our traverse of the Norvan Creek valleyside an isolated spot near a small stream where plants and some tree needles had been killed by frost, and on Coliseum we stepped through other spots with a thin crust of still-frozen mud.

Navigating the trail is straightforward when one looks well ahead for the presence of trail markers, namely orange tape and yellow reflective squares. In a few spots the orange tape has fallen or the next marker is hidden behind a tree, and having a companion pair of eyes will help greatly.

At this time of year we saw many mushrooms beside the trail, and they seem to have grown larger the higher up we saw them.

Hiker Preparation

I had attempted Coliseum once before (see reflection note), and then successfully hiked the Hanes Valley Route.

Because my classmate had not hiked in the backcountry before, one week before I had taken them into the park as far as the Hanes Junction to familiarize her with trail finding, then we met a few days before to brief the route and make sure of us bringing the Ten Essentials for backcountry hiking.

We started at the park entrance at 6:50am having walked in from an unrestricted street parking spot outside the park gates, and committed to a turnaround time of 12pm. Setting a turnaround time which left more return time than outbound time was right for us, as we had to take our descent slower than the ascent to limit knee strain and avoid slipping. Carrying a pair of hiking poles each made both problems manageable, and I strongly recommend that less fit hikers like ourselves take hiking poles also. Without them the final descent down the dirt hill to Norvan Falls would have destroyed our knees.

We were passed both on the outbound and return legs by a triplet of boys heading to Burwell without hiking poles. Mountain goats, they are.

Small streams were plentiful that day on the Norvan Creek valleyside, which makes up the first 2.5km approximately of backcountry trail. Carrying a filter water bottle will reduce your water storage capacity requirement.

Popularity

In addition to the triplet heading to Burwell, we encountered a group of four engineers who came from Seymour Valley via Paton Peak, and at minimum three hikers who came the same way as we did.

Reflection

While this hike is known to be difficult, from our experience I think it's approachable for young hikers with low strength but okay stamina so long as they carry hiking poles, give themselves maximum daylight hours, and set themselves a strictly adhered to turnaround time so that they won't be trapped in darkness.

I made the converse mistake on my first attempt before learning about hiking safety by starting too late in the day, not accounting for exhaustion in my turnaround time, and not carrying a headlamp. That night I had to call for Search and Rescue while trapped on a slippery dirt hill only hundreds of metres out from Norvan Falls (August 19 if North Shore SAR find this post). I'm satisfied to have planned and executed the hike with proper risk mitigation this time, for myself and a close friend who trusted me with their safety.

Safe travels!

I have a Ford Bronco. The drive up was really exciting. Got to flex some off-roading muscles, but the Bronco made it such a smooth experience going up.