Best Hikes and Nature Walks With Kids: New B.C. guidebook coming May 2022

Coming May 2022

My third hiking guidebook has a title, a cover, and a release date. Might as well have a book trailer too!

Best Hikes and Nature Walks With Kids In and Around Southwestern British Columbia (published by Greystone Books) is coming to bookstores on May 17, 2022. It’s now available for pre-order.

Best Hikes and Nature Walks With Kids was a delight to put together. The book features 55 hikes of the shorter and easier variety near Vancouver, including several in Washington. (It’s worth noting the selection of hikes is totally different than my other books, 105 Hikes and Destination Hikes.)

Continue reading “Best Hikes and Nature Walks With Kids: New B.C. guidebook coming May 2022”

Extended trailer: Destination Hikes In and Around Southwestern British Columbia

Destination Hikes In and Around Southwestern British Columbia is set to arrive in three months. I’m pleased to present a homemade extended trailer, featuring plenty of photos from the hiking trails in the guidebook.

Coming in May from Greystone Books, Destination Hikes describes 55 day hikes in B.C. and Washington, all within weekend-trip range of Vancouver (the Canadian one). It covers the North Shore, Sea to Sky, Fraser Valley, Coquihalla, Manning Park, Sunshine Coast, Gulf Islands, Nanaimo, Bellingham, Mount Baker, Cascade River, and other regions.

Destination Hikes is a stand-alone guide. However, if you own a copy of 105 Hikes In and Around Southwestern British Columbia, Destination Hikes serves as a companion volume — containing different hikes, a familiar rating system, in-depth write-ups, many more photos, and shiny new features.

Continue reading “Extended trailer: Destination Hikes In and Around Southwestern British Columbia”

Hiking the Tatchu Trail on Vancouver Island

After experiencing the North Coast Trail and East Beach Trail, I felt a yearning to return to the wild coast of British Columbia. Backpacking the remote Tatchu Trail on Vancouver Island fit the bill.

This essentially unmarked coastal route traverses the Tatchu Peninsula in the territory of the Nuu-chah-nulth people, covering 32 km (20 mi) on the west coast of the island. Access is by air or water; we opted to floatplane in and out from Gold River with Air Nootka.

From Port Eliza, we trekked northwest to Rugged Point in five days, encountering no other hikers or even kayakers. Things got off to a wet start upon disembarking the floatplane, when my backpack fell in the ocean as we transferred gear and ourselves from dock to shore using an inflatable dinghy. Then it rained as I hastily separated my soggy and dry clothes.

Continue reading “Hiking the Tatchu Trail on Vancouver Island”

Book trailer: Destination Hikes In and Around Southwestern British Columbia

Even seen a trailer for a hiking guidebook? Well, there’s a first time for everything.

Without further ado, I’d like to present the official book trailer for Destination Hikes In and Around Southwestern British Columbia: Swimming Holes, Mountain Peaks, Waterfalls, and More.

A quick book teaser is also available for those with shorter attention spans.

Continue reading “Book trailer: Destination Hikes In and Around Southwestern British Columbia”

Hiking the East Beach Trail on Haida Gwaii

East Beach. Photo: Stephen Hui
East Beach. Photo: Stephen Hui

I often say that my most memorable backpacking trip was the 10 days I spent on the 178-kilometre Sunshine Coast Trail in B.C.

The East Beach Trail, which is found in Naikoon Provincial Park on Haida Gwaii, is second on the list. Running from Tlell (Tllaal) to Tow Hill (Taaw) via the East Beach (GaahllsGagas), Rose Spit (Nee Kun), and North Beach (Gaatguusd), this remote coastal route covers 89 kilometres on Graham Island in Haida Nation territory.

Our hike lasted six days. We camped at Cape Ball River (MaaGan Gandlaay), East Beach lumber pile, Oeanda River (Xuuya Gandlee), Cape Fife (Sk’aw Gandalaa), and North Beach.

Continue reading “Hiking the East Beach Trail on Haida Gwaii”