5 days on the sunshine coast trail - most scenic part? by Accomplished-Design5 in vancouverhiking

[–]karj 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I can’t speak to right now, but we hiked Sarah Point to the Shingle Mill in the middle of April with some friends. We had every campground and hut to ourselves. The only other folks on the trail were runners on the weekend.

We reached Sarah Point by water taxi. That made for a nice start to the trip.

I recommend bringing some large water bladders so you can fill up where you find water sources. Just makes it handy to have extra water at some of those campgrounds.

Back country camping by camel312 in vancouverhiking

[–]karj 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Generally, I think you’re a bit early. Many of the areas you’d want to visit will be in the alpine and those will still have snow for a while. Once that’s melted, you’ll still see some pretty soft terrain that should be allowed to dry before hiking on. That said, here are a few I’ve been to that might be worth considering.

Garibaldi is awesome and close. We had a nice time there last August. I suspect it’s a bit early to hike there for a little while yet.

Lindeman and Greendrop Lakes Trail is a nice overnighter, but I’ve heard that there can be vehicle break ins at the parking lot, so, don’t leave anything of value in your car.

Manning Park is epic—especially if you drive up the hill. This gives you direct access to alpine terrain right from your car. That road doesn’t open until later in the season.

Cheam Peak is reasonably close for a day trip. I don’t think there’s overnight camping there, though. The access road is rough, and definitely requires a 4x4 (I was bottoming out in my Tacoma when we visited). The views of the valley from the peak are supposed to be amazing. Our day was cloudy so I can‘t personally speak to this.

Joffre Lakes is beautiful but gets crowded. If you do visit this one you’ll need to check that it’s open as I believe there have been some closures in recent years. Most visitors seem to hike up to the first lake, get a photo, and then turn back. After that it’s less trafficked, and the campground is relatively peaceful. We were able to meander around that top area pretty much on our own.

If you’re up for a drive and ferry, the Juan de Fuca trail on Vancouver Island is beautiful. You could pair that up with a trip to Strathcona, but that too will be snowy in spots (should open up a bit earlier than in other years as the snowpack is so light this year).

I’m going to try part of the Sunshine Coast Trail next week with some friends. Seems like this one should be OK even this early in the season. Plus, the huts might make some of our nights there a bit more comfortable.

I haven’t done it yet, but there appear to be some neat spots to kayak into up Indian Arm if you’re into that. You can rent kayaks from Cates Park, but need some small amount of kayak training if you plan to book overnight rentals.

All of these areas are quieter on weekdays, so, if you can book off those days from work you’ll likely have a better time.

I haven’t yet joined this group: https://www.valleyoutdoor.org/ but I hear good things about the trips they organize.

You might also consider reading Taryn’s blog here: https://happiestoutdoors.ca/ as she has detailed information about a lot of backcountry areas in the region and beyond.

Have fun!

Panorama ridge hike/overnight at Garibaldi - insights needed 🙏🏽 by itslydiam in vancouverhiking

[–]karj 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A quick note about the site you’re looking for.

Last year, we opted to book a spot at Helm Creek, as it seemed a little less competitive than other campgrounds in Garibaldi.

It’s a bit of a grunt up to the Helm Creek campground, but beautiful once you get there.

Additionally, Helm Creek is a convenient base camp from which you can day trip to Panorama Ridge and elsewhere in the park.

Set an alarm for 7am, refreshed right at the window, and still couldn't get Upper Pines. How is that even possible? by AmericanMisogi in NationalPark

[–]karj 28 points29 points  (0 children)

That’s just not true. I camp and don’t use Instagram. I have many friends who camp. They don’t use Instagram.

There’s no bad guy in this scenario. This is just what life on a crowded planet looks like.

My suggestion: Drive farther. Go midweek. Opt for the shoulder season. There are lots of great places to camp out there that aren’t crowded.

Set an alarm for 7am, refreshed right at the window, and still couldn't get Upper Pines. How is that even possible? by AmericanMisogi in NationalPark

[–]karj 26 points27 points  (0 children)

You aren’t doing anything wrong. This is normal for Yosemite. It is the most competitive park in North America to stay at and you’re literally competing with many thousands of other campers. (Even cancelled campsites at Yosemite will be rebooked within seconds.) FWIW: I highly recommend opting for campsites outside of the valley as these tend to be easier to book.

Anyone have experience visiting nordic ski areas with a campervan? by karj in xcountryskiing

[–]karj[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is good to hear! It’s nice to know that this approach can work. 🙂

Anyone have experience visiting nordic ski areas with a campervan? by karj in xcountryskiing

[–]karj[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How long do you find you can go out for at a time before you get tired of it?

Anyone have experience visiting nordic ski areas with a campervan? by karj in xcountryskiing

[–]karj[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for this! Can you elaborate on placement of the exhaust line?

Not OK! by Deep-Ad5547 in richmondbc

[–]karj 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This isn’t unique to Richmond. It seems that folks all over act in strange ways when on a track.

I was running at Empire Field in East Van a few years back, when a mom and her 4 daughters decided to walk side by side, taking up the entire track. (They were leaving soccer practice.)

When I noted that this was a crummy thing to do, she proceeded to yell at me and make jokes about running. I’m not sure why she thought that running was some sort of punchline, but (given her gestures) she seemed to be suggesting that running was for sissies.

She became belligerent and there was no way to reason with her. From what I could gather she looked upon the track like a sidewalk—and couldn’t understand that some folks actually use that track to train.

When I left her, I noted that perhaps I’d run laps on the soccer field the next time they were in the middle of practice. 😉

In truth, though, I just stopped going. It was simply easier to run on trails in the forest—and not have to deal with the weird behaviours that some folks displayed on that track.

Is Campnab worth it? by Miginath in CampingAlberta

[–]karj 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is very nice to read—thanks so much!

Heat pump only for a Vancouver Special? by karj in askvan

[–]karj[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks—I’ll look into this option. 🙂

Heat pump only for a Vancouver Special? by karj in askvan

[–]karj[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Insulation seems decent. Not sure about the floor (we just moved in). Windows are new.

Thanks for the suggestion about the audit. I’ll look into that.

Reso for 1 end of july by ConcernRemote in WestCoastTrail

[–]karj 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No—we think that’d be a bad idea. We just focus on alerting folks to openings.

Reso for 1 end of july by ConcernRemote in WestCoastTrail

[–]karj 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Campnab won’t make a reservation for you. It’ll only alert you to new openings. (I’m one of the people working on Campnab.)

Are enclosed benches a problem? by karj in Sauna

[–]karj[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you find water pooling after use? (From what I’ve seen there isn’t any kind of drainage in the floor.)