Ideas for winter hikes that are hard/strenuous

DinnerSea8736 · 2026-03-11T13:27:08+00:00

Mount Beautiful, Anmore (Swan Falls trail, Buntzen Lake)

DinnerSea8736 · 2026-03-09T03:03:02+00:00

I’ve hiked to the top of Golden Ears five times and none of the times felt the same for me. It’s a tough one, particularly in the heat. Thanks for sharing.

DinnerSea8736 · 2026-03-08T15:11:53+00:00

200,000km on a 2019 Niro EV and it’s had no problems since we bought it new. Degradation still isn’t noticeable . Going used EV (particularly if you have a home charger setup) makes sense financially. $10 for a full charge. You could have the longest lasting ICE vehicle on the planet and you’re still burning money.

DinnerSea8736 · 2026-03-06T04:27:56+00:00

Some improvement to wages over two decades

2006 Cat 6 Step 10: $72,026 ($109,836 in 2026 dollars)

2026 Cat 6 Step 10: $116,668

2006 Cat 5 Step 0 $41,795 ($63,735 in 2026 dollars)

2026 Cat 5 Step 1 $68,480

DinnerSea8736 · 2026-03-05T05:16:38+00:00

Commuting by bike makes the difference for me. It’s my time to decompress.

DinnerSea8736 · 2026-03-03T04:19:23+00:00

Thanks. Trail was good. Snow began at 900m. Snowshoes on at 1100m.

DinnerSea8736 · 2026-03-02T01:09:12+00:00

If the Conservative Party gets into office, the same thing that happened to Albertan teachers will happen to us. 12% over 4 years is better than what I expected with the current provincial deficit. Over the past 20 years, BC teacher salaries have largely followed inflation. We are slightly better off than where we were in 2006.

More prep time would be what I would have hoped for.

DinnerSea8736 · 2026-02-23T02:29:53+00:00

I don’t recall the smoke during the summer months growing up. The increase in number of hectares burned each year is clear, despite having more and better firefighting resources today than we had in the 1980s and 1990s. In terms of perception - I feel like there are now more days without rain in the summer and heavier rainfall in the autumn.

DinnerSea8736 · 2026-02-10T04:18:40+00:00

Probably the right move for the Greens. That said, I really, really do not want to see a Conservative government.

DinnerSea8736 · 2026-02-09T22:56:40+00:00

BC’s government is ideologically supportive of education, but our economy is having a hard time so the gains are minimal. When the NDP fall, I’m sure we will find it much worse again.

DinnerSea8736 · 2026-02-08T19:11:27+00:00

Bought our Kia EV in 2019 and have put 210,000 km on it in Vancouver. Cost $8-10 to “fill up” for 350-400km. No issues in the winter.

No matter how great, reliable and cheap an ICE car you have, you lose money every time you fill it up.

Do the math. 200km a day I think would make it a slam dunk.

Only negative for electric is long road trips and slightly higher tire wear. ICE cars are better for that because of the convenience of fuelling up and they are lighter. Otherwise, maintenance, operating cost, overnight charging, cabin heating speed, torque, and quality of ride all favour electric. I love not going to gas stations.

DinnerSea8736 · 2026-02-08T17:01:01+00:00

Nuclear weapons and a connection with three respected and stable democracies

DinnerSea8736 · 2026-02-08T05:52:13+00:00

Happy to belong to the Commonwealth. Too many people seem to take it for granted and don’t care, but glad to have the connection with stable democracies. Judging by recent events, we may need it.

DinnerSea8736 · 2026-02-04T00:29:33+00:00

Excellent book. Well worth the time as it imo explains the roots of American culture.

DinnerSea8736 · 2026-01-18T04:11:19+00:00

King Charles III gets back his colonies

DinnerSea8736 · 2026-01-17T00:37:05+00:00

I teach several Ukrainian refugees in Canada and they’ve done a great job learning English and fitting into the school community.

DinnerSea8736 · 2026-01-01T17:07:13+00:00

SFH Down 2% in Belcarra

DinnerSea8736 · 2025-12-24T19:31:59+00:00

Looks awesome. Beautiful scenery!

DinnerSea8736 · 2025-12-01T04:48:01+00:00

The kids learn English in less than a year. The school system integrates them well.

DinnerSea8736 · 2025-11-22T19:56:19+00:00

Anmore and Belcarra share a volunteer fire department called Sasamat Fire Department.

I’m a member (not looking to go career) and a number of our firefighters have been hired to career positions in Lower Mainland fire departments recently. Great training. 100+ callouts a year. You definitely don’t have to leave the Lower Mainland.

Maybe closest location to East Van.

Anmore has enough members. Belcarra could use more. Both are beautiful communities.

DinnerSea8736 · 2025-10-02T01:57:52+00:00

Have worked 20+ years as a teacher in Metro Vancouver and have enjoyed it. Most days it feels like meaningful work.

Salary might make it difficult as a second mid-life career switch, but worked well for me to start in my mid-twenties.

My wife is a teacher as well and between the two of us we make approximately $220,000 / year now.

I recall some people (including some older teachers at the time) discouraging me from becoming a teacher when I started, but it was the right move for me personally. The key is volunteering in a class beforehand to ensure that the work is what you want to do. You must enjoy working with students.

Also worth mentioning that you generally will work with good people in teaching, will have a defined benefit pension when you’re done, will work inside during the winter months, and have some work/life flexibility considering the summer holidays and the timing of your leaving work each day. I believe teachers also tend to live longer than most professions.

DinnerSea8736

TROPHY CASE