Story: Magic in the Mountains

Magic in the Mountains

Originally printed in Comox Valley Collective, Spring 2016 issue 

An endless coastline, mild climate, and constant ocean breeze are all part of life on Vancouver Island. Most visitors come to Canada’s lush West Coast isle to stroll the beaches, play in the surf, and get a taste of Island time.

But Vancouver Island hides a wild secret far away from its sandy shores.

Hike to Cruikshank Canyon

Sitting on the edge of the world...Cruikshank Canyon lookout

The journey to the Cruikshank Canyon lookout is just as spectacular as the destination. Travelling through pristine sub-alpine terrain, and past endless crystal clear lakes, the trail to the lookout is loaded with awesome scenery. The icing on the cake is reaching the Canyon and enjoying lunch at the lookout, complete with Whiskey Jacks and 180 degree mountain and valley views. If you haven't been to Cruikshank Canyon yet, be sure to add it to the top of your Vancouver Island hiking list.

Hike to Flower Ridge

 Have you been to Flower Ridge in Strathcona Provincial Park?  Well...you've got no excuses now...

I have written about Flower Ridge before- after my first trip up to this magical trail in the Park.  That day, Kim and I did a great ultra training run on the Ridge, covering 32kms of gorgeous alpine singletrack and falling in love with the route in the process.

Head over to The Outbound Collective to read the entire trip report and create your own 'bucket list' of adventures!

Hike to Flower Ridge

With a name like Flower Ridge, who wouldn't want to add this hike to their bucket list?
The Flower Ridge trailhead is located approximately 26kms down the Buttle Lake Parkway, towards Westmin Mine, in Strathcona Provincial Park. A classic Island alpine approach, you will be more than warmed up after the first few minutes. It is straight up through calf searing vertical terrain, but the views will distract you from the burn. Steep out of the gates, the trail gains 1200m in 5kms to reach the ridge. On the way up, the trail is sheltered in an ancient, peaceful forest, with giant trees and a green shag carpet.

Hiking to Marble Meadows

Last month, I finally made my way up to Marble Meadows, on one of the last warm weekends of the year.  This area of Strathcona Park has been on my list for a while now and I was stoked to get the chance to scout it out.  Check out my trip report on The Outbound Collective, along with my other adventures and recent articles.  Not on the Outbound yet?  Well, you best get on over there my friend!  Set up your own profile so that you can read, save and tick off your own adventure 'to do' list on this awesome online collective.  Hope to see you over there!

Cheers,
SS

Hike Mount Albert Edward

Let's go on an adventure!

New Adventure up on The Outbound Collective!  Read on for details on hiking the striking, Mount Albert Edward.

Happy Trails,
SS

Augerpoint Traverse Run Report

Magical moments in the mountains. Heading up Albert Edward.

This August, alongside two super gals, I finally ran across the spine of Vancouver Island.  The Augerpoint Traverse had been on my list for a while but not in the traditional sense.  Most people take 3-5 days to hike the Traverse, but I had my mind set on finding out just how quickly I could cover it.  I spent a few trips scouting out the route from both ends this summer to get a better picture of the terrain and approximate times for each section of the route.  Once I had it pieced together, I waited for a free day and a few crazy friends and we went for it! 

IAG Mountain Skills Course

 

Mountain mornings are good mornings.

Well, that was pretty awesome.

The Outbound Collective: 7 Leave No Trace Principles

I am excited to share my most recent article from The Outbound Collective- be sure to follow the link below and head on over to this great online resource for inspiration, education and motivation to help you plan your next outdoor adventure.

Enjoy!
SS

7 Leave No Trace Principles to Respect the Wild

Take only pictures, leave nothing but footprints

Best month ever?

Loving life on Mount Matchlee

It seems like a dream now, but I am pretty sure I really did fly in by helicopter to Mount Matchlee a few weeks ago to learn how to lead climb on ice, build snow anchors and travel across glaciers...then I ran around the province with 11 other women...then I ran across Vancouver Island...haha.  Seems surreal now... but I have the photos, so it must have really happened!

What a wild month it has been.  I have been working and playing overtime in the mountains since the last week of June and I need to get my adventures and images on 'paper' before the lines blur.  Here is a catch-me-up to catch-me-up:

Run BC Project

Girls + Mountains = Rad

Over the past week I have driven 1800kms of winding roads, run close to 130kms of pristine alpine single track and climbed a super dose of elevation in the mountains of BC alongside 11 rad women. The inaugural Run BC Project was an epic road trip to remember and I am grateful to have been a part of it!

Backcountry Running: Tips and Gear List

 

 Fastpacking Mount Septimus

Can you hear that?  The mountains are calling your name!  

If you are like me, you hear the call of the wild as soon as the snow begins to melt and the days start to stretch out.  Personally, I can't get enough of moving through the mountains and exploring new terrain, off the beaten path.  The further from the road you go, the less human distractions there are to detract from the raw beauty of the wild.  In the back country, the sky appears bluer, the air tastes cleaner, the sunrises are more delicious and the space is intoxicating.  Like I said, I can't get enough.

The Outbound Collective: Hiking Mount Becher

I have just started contributing articles to the Outbound Collective and hope that you will come on over and join the community!  If you are looking for inspiration, motivation and direction for your next outdoor adventure, then this is the place to start.  A collection of people, images, stories, tips, maps and many other resources awaits you on the Collective.

Please head on over to check out my first submission complete with images, trip details and tales from the trail: Hiking Mount Becher.  Hope to see you there!

Happy Trails,
SS

Backpacking: Jack's Augerpoint Trail

 "All good things are wild and free." - Henry David Thoreau

Ain't that the truth.

Last week I had the pure pleasure of living in the mountains and on the trails of Strathcona Provincial Park.  With a week off and my other half out fishing the coast I decided to pack up and try to cure some of my wanderlust.  It was a full on 'dirt bag peak week' loaded with adventures and I need a week off from my week off- but wouldn't have it any other way!

Here is how I spent the first few days...

Dirtbag Peak Week

 So many peaks, so little time...

Wow.  Just wow.  I need a week off after my week off!  I am totally spent and completely filled to the brim with mountain stoke.  Over the past week I have been hustling from one adventure to the next, making the most of my time off and dirt-bagging it out of my back pack for most of the days.  After a week straight of hiking, running and biking, I woke up at 5am on Saturday morning in the BC Parks Forbidden Plateau Ranger Station cabin (yup, that's right) and realized I was done.  Physically maxed out, mentally toast, covered in bug bites, blisters and sunburns...I was dirty, exhausted, ready for a real meal and overflowing with trail stoke and mountain bliss.  I couldn't be happier:).

Backyard Bliss: Mount Albert Edward

**Interested in Backcountry Running?  Be sure to read my article for the tips and gear needed to get you there safely!


 Ready to go on another backyard adventure?  Follow me!

NE aspect of Mount Albert Edward.  1700m, May 30

Mount Albert Edward is hard to miss.  If you have ever driven up to Mount Washington you will remember the unique profile of this mountain to the west of Raven Lodge.  Its long drawn out scree ridge ends dramatically in a ski jump style peak before falling off into the abyss below.  The Grinch himself would surely be proud to call this summit home.  Mount Albert Edward is one of only 16 peaks belonging to 2000m+ club on Vancouver Island.  At 2093m, it is the 6th tallest peak on the Island and it stands guard at the eastern entrance of Strathcona Provincial Park.

Backyard Bliss: Mt. Becher

I have travelled this path 100 times and I can only hope that I am lucky enough to do so 100 times more.
4:30am...I'm awake...the birds are chirping...the mountains are calling...I must go.  Three cameras, one fruit bar, water, my sneakers and I am out the door.

Reflections

Is it already January 22nd?  Wowza...2015 is off like a rocket!  

 Flower Ridge, July 2014

Looking back...
2014 was a doozy for me.  I started the year with some health issues that rocked my world and left me with some new perspectives.  I spent the year focused on rebuilding my body and working towards a healthier balance of work, life and training.  It was a tough year for me but it was also a beautiful year...that always seems to be the way. 

Hinde Sight

 

I climbed the Golden Hinde.  

The weather was perfect, I had a wide open schedule and the mountains were calling.  I needed to clear my head and figured a nice, long, solo 'walk about' in the mountains would be the best place to do it.  

Sweet and Sticky: Maple Syrup Trail

If you are a mountain biker on Vancouver Island you have most likely heard whispers about 'that Maple Syrup trail'.  By now, you may have even gone to taste the Syrup for yourself.  So sweet hey?

If you haven't had a chance to sample the Syrup, here is a little taster for you...

I have been spending much more time in my sneakers than my bike shoes this year, and have to say that I came a little late to the party.  By the time I caught wind of the whispers this summer, the fabled Maple Syrup trail on Maple Mountain, had been well worn by thousands of wide grinning riders.  This 'new' trail was, in fact, officially opened last October by the CTSS- Cowichan Trail Stewardship Society.  Friends of friends had riden it.  Profile pics of wide spanning, 'rainbow' bridges appeared on social media.  Rumours of 'an epic ride' with a 5k climb and '10km of sweet continuous singletrack' got me salivating instantly.   It isn't very often that a south Island trail creates enough chatter to drag Valley riders out of our wonderful Cumberland cocoon.  It was time to check this trail out.

A few weeks ago a group of us managed to merge our schedules and book it down Island on a Friday.  The drive is about 2 hours from the Comox Valley and the trailhead is on Maple Mountain, a couple of kms south of Crofton.  'A 2 hour drive to ride a trail' you say?  I can now say that it is well worth the drive!

There are no other trails like it on Vancouver Island.  If you have ridden one, please correct me.  You can either ride about 5kms up the logging road, which is a good grunt with a few steeper pitches on it, but entirely rideable.  Or, you can ride up the new 'climbers trail' which has been crafted at the perfect slope for an enjoyable and very smooth single track ride.  The climbers trail was about 2/3 complete and it only left a short climb to the radio tower at the top.  I was impressed already!  A climbing trail!  The lovely, wide, 'green' trail wove it's way through shadey Arbutus forest, open grass fields and over rocky bluffs.  100 times more enjoyable than riding the road, having a trail to climb makes any ride that much better IMO. 

The view from the top gave us all some perspective on just how much elevation we had gained on our ride up.  The Village of Maple Bay, complete with tiny boats, appeared in miniature, far below. After a snack and a drink it was time to hit the 10k descent.  10k!

Maple Syrup is really like 3 trails in one.  The trail covers so much real estate that it actually travels through a very wide range of terrain from top to bottom.  It offers a combination of Hornby flow, Nimby 50 gnarl and Jughead/Blue Collar woohoo.   As it winds it's way back and forth across Maple Mountain, the trail morphs from steep, technical, rock at the start to mellow, flowy birms at the bottom.  All levels of rider will find something they love on the trail. 

The very top of the trail includes the most technical terrain, with plenty of rocky drops and steep roll overs.  The sun bakes Maple Mountain and by mid summer the dirt turns to powder, making steep pitches loose and challenging.  Quickly, the natural rocky drops disappear and the trail flows into big turns, fun descents and sweet rolling bridges (I call them rainbow bridges), reminiscent of the few park trails that I have ridden.  It is definitely a thinking trail.  After every long descent there is a punchy little climb.  Around every corner is a gnarly rock to navigate over or around.  The trail definitely keeps you on your toes.   By the time Maple Syrup merged into 'Solar Coaster' my body and brain were working overtime.   I loved it!

The trail transitions to more flow and less work over the final kms.  By then, it is a welcome break and an enjoyable way to finish the ride.  Beginners can jump in off the road to experience the lower 'Loggers lane' section of the trail, Intermediate riders can start half way up on the flow of Solar Coaster and those looking for more of a Challenge can tackle the entire trail from the steeps at the top.  Brilliant.  Helmets off to the trail builders who had the vision and even more impressive ability to execute the idea.  They have created a world class trail that will have riders returning for seconds...and thirds...and...

But don't take my word for it.  Go ride it for yourself! 

Still not convinced?  Watch this video of other people having fun riding it...and see if you can resist a road trip...


Happy Trails,
SS

Augerpoint Trail

I think I'm going to lose a toe nail.  Or three.