Nicolle Flats Hike

Buffalo Pound and Nicolle Flats are a great place for hiking.

There are usually a lot of mosquitoes, but today there was a breeze that took care of that.  Actually, it was too windy; in places it was so windy that I couldn't hear what my hiking friends were saying.  Still, below are some pictures which show why this is such a special place.

Cypress Hills

This is the 4th time in 5 years that I've gone hiking and camping at Cypress Hills.

Twice in 2013.

Once in in 2016.

And this year.

There's a reason I keep going back: the hiking.

I'm not a huge camper, and I only camp in the trip because it takes so long just to get there, but I have to say, every time I've camped here I've enjoyed it.

The weather was hot, smoking hot.  In Saturday's group hike I underestimated the effect the hot weather would have on our hikers.  We ran out of water.  People got cranky.

I also underestimated how larger groups impact group dynamics.  Faster hikers had no qualms leaving the rest of the group behind; and those in the back made little effort to keep up with the front walkers.  It was frustrating for me as the organizer.  It proves what I've been preaching, namely, that a group larger than 12 compromises the hike from a number of viewpoints, from group cohesion to skill level to route options, to name only 3.

I'm only including a few pictures of the 100+ I took.  My favourite is the last one, I took it around 10pm, when the last few traces of the sun were disappearing behind the tall forest trees.

Blue Mountain

It was a rainy (miserable) day today but that didn't deter 6 of us from heading to Blue Mountain for a day of hiking.  The setting was hilly and miserably wet.  It (almost) reminded me of Vancouver weather.

Hiking Elk Trail

One of the things that has given me great joy over the past year has been the regular hikes I've been able to plan with a local hiking group.

The people I meet along the way, the conversations, the traveling (getting there and back), the fresh air of God's beautiful creation, and the physical rigour of a good hike all add to the overall sense of fulfilment I get from these experiences.

Today a group of us went to PANP and hiked 28+ kms.  Before we began I suggested we do 20-22 kms, and the group gave me a resounding "No."  They felt that 15, maybe 20, max.  When we reached the 9 km mark and I suggested we turn around to make sure we keep the hike under 20, everyone was so energized that they insisted we continued.  So onward and forward we went.

Until the 14km mark.  That's when people said "Uhmmm....maybe we better turn around."

On the way back we caught just the outer edge of a small thunderstorm.  The contrast between the various shades of blue above us throughout the day was splendid - light blue and joyful in the morning when it was sunny, dark blue and ominous late afternoon when the rains came.  There were also lots of greys and browns still in the trees and the shrubs around us - winter has just finished,  spring has not completely arrived yet.

We live in a very beautiful place.  Below a few pictures other hikers took.

Thank you Lord for a wonderful day of hiking.  Thank you for the glory of your creation.

Eastbank Trails

I love these pictures.  They give a sort of depiction of how cold it was out today.  I shiver, just looking at them.

It was -21, minus 30 with windchill.  We hiked 10 kms.  And survived.

Below, dinner, after a rigorous day out in the cold.  Judging on the picture, one would think I'm actually a decent cook...

Last Hike Before Winter?

Today we conquered Blackstrap, covering about 12 kms.

A good group turned out, 13 in total.  The weather was cold and overcast so many of us kept our jackets and toques on the whole day, but that didn't dampen the warmth of conversation and laughter; a good group of people.

This may be our last hike before the real cold arrives.

This Time To Chief Whitecap

Just over a week ago we trekked through 15cms of snow for 17 kms at Douglas Provincial Park.

Today we endured cold temps, rain, and a blistering wind while hiking from Diefenbaker to Chief Whitecap Park.  Here are a few pics taken during the hike.

We covered about 12 kms.

Afterwards we went to the Berry Barn and had a hearty brunch.

Hiking In The Snow

Since arriving in Saskatchewan 3.5 years ago I've heard people gently warn me that snow could come pretty much anytime of the year, even in the summer, and certainly in shoulder months like May and October.  I guess they were right...

As Marco said to me upon seeing the snow 2 days ago: "Wow.  Snow in October.  That leaves no room at all for interpretation.  Winter is here."

We covered around 17kms.  Except for a couple areas where we weren't protected by the trees and the wind cut through, we were able to stay warm.  Unfortunately the signage on the trail wasn't always good, so we ended up taking an unnecessary detour that cost us an extra 3kms.  I didn't mind, really, but it was a bit stressful for one of the other hikers.

As I hope the pictures show, the scenery is subtly beautiful.  The white snow, contrasted by the  grey clouds, lake, and bare trees. 

Hiking Danielson

Covered 16kms today.

Fall is on the way.

Hiking Buffalo Pound

I love hiking!

Today a group of us went to Buffalo Pound and hiked +/-14kms.  What a gorgeous place to explore God's creation.

We met at 8:30am, and drove down in a caravan of 3 cars.  Once there we got on our gear and headed straight out on the trails.  Mosquitoes.   But we managed.  In the sun or wind they were not so noticeable.

After about 10 kms we took our lunch, by this time it was around 1:30pm.

We had a lot of fun - the conversation was great.  Lots of laughter.  One of the girls, Rachel, never met her before, had a great sense of humour and a gorgeously infectious laugh.

I'd like to come back a month from now and see the fall colours decorating the trees.

Meadow Lake: Day 2

Another day...another hike.  This time not as long, and not as scenic, but still great.

I slept well, mostly.  The sleeping pad I bought (to put underneath my sleeping bag) last summer is an inch thicker, and it works - I slept much better than I usually do when I go camping.

Good morning picture:

Campsite:

Hiking pictures:

Marco and company headed up the food department.  Is there anything better than grilled food?

In the evening things got a bit heated.  We started taking about the 2 topics everybody says you shouldn't talk about - politics and religion.

Energy and the environment.

Capitalism.

Faith in the public square.

Such great topics, worthy of discernment and discussion indeed.  Add a glass or two of wine, and you have all the ingredients necessary for an ... argument.

But it's necessary to have these "arguments" every now and again - iron sharpens iron.

I get a little bit tired of the argument that Christians are "blind sheep".  That argument may have held in the past, but today, Christians are anything but blind sheep.  We actually get a fuller education than the secular world offers, because simply speaking, we are taught both, the sciences and religion.  Secularists are blind in only paying attention to the empirical world.  They believe a priori that there's no need in studying faith-related matters, and are therefore completely ignorant of them.  So who's really blind here?

Camping @ Meadow Lake

I'm camping in Meadow Lake with Eric, Marco, Dorotea, and John for the long weekend.

Today we went on a 17km hike - it was perfect weather: slightly overcast, warm, and a breeze to keep the bugs away.

Good company, mostly.  Sometimes I get annoyed by people, more than I should...

Sunday Hike

I went hiking this afternoon.  Fall colours are beginning to show.

A Little Piece Of Heaven

What a hike - today I saw a piece of heaven.

Eight of us met up shorty after 8am and took the 1 hour drive north to Garibaldi Lake.  And it was worth it, an appropriate "crowing" of a great two weeks spent on the west coast.

It took us 8 hours to hike around 22kms, but we took some well deserved breaks along the way to enjoy the company and the view.

Below are a few pics worth sharing... 

My favourite part of the hike is not necessarily teal-coloured Garibaldi lake and it's majestic surroundings, but rather, the meadows leading to it.  The pathways meander back and forth between flat and hilly areas with a smattering of douglas fir trees, before going on a final switch-back descent - yes, downhill, and now in a deep forested area - to the lake.  

And the view of Black Tusk is always awe-inspiring, inviting and challenging you to conquer it.  Inevitably, I, at least, end up saying to myself: "Next time..."

As always, Marty was the photographer par excellence with us.  Below, from left to right: Ruth, Benja, Marilu, Nancy, Anoush, Sanjit, cub, and Marty.

Once back in Vanvouver around 8, we went to eat some ramen noodles near Ruth and Marty's place.

It was my final day in Vancouver.  I hugged everyone good-bye, got into dad's SUV, and made my trip to Abbotsford where I'll spend my last evening on the west coast.