“Over the Top & Back Again” by Brandon Wilson Receives 2010 Book of the Year Bronze Award
Hiking the West Coast Trail
West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island, BC
The rugged beauty of the West Coast Trail in British Columbia has made it one of the top 10 hikes in the world. Backpackers will enjoy the ever-changing splendor of an untouched coastline where the powerful Pacific Ocean batters the shores of Vancouver Island.
The sandy beaches are endless and the old-growth forest is thick. Hikers will see and hear the crashing water just off shore and will walk along the jagged tidal shelf in solitude. It’s mesmerizing to see the abundant sea creatures that live on the narrow border between land and sea, air and water.
The 47 mile West Coast Trail is a historic rescue route used by survivors of disastrous ship wrecks during the 1800’s. Today, it is now part of the Pacific Rim National Park and is one of the most popular reserves in the Canadian park system. It attracts hikers from all over the world and offers both a physical and mental challenge on this 6-8 day trek.
We saw 65 year old men with bad knees complete this hike. We came across families with young children marching through the mud, their laughter was loud enough to ward off the coastal black bears. People of all fitness levels who had a strong mental attitude have successfully completed the trek.
Before hitting the trail, learn what to expect and how to cope with the seasonal conditions (rain in spring, heat in summer, arid in autumn). And prepare for a wild Pacific storm with torrential rain and gale force winds which may blow ashore at any time.
When to Hike the West Coast Trail
The West Coast Trail is open from May 1 to September 30. During this time, Parks Canada staffs the trail on foot and provides emergency removals with patrolling boats and helicopters. Permit & hiking fees help to fund these emergency services.
The best time to hike is in autumn, after Labor Day in September when the crowds have thinned. With fewer people on the trail, the hiking experience is more secluded and intimate. The trail is relatively dry and the days are warm and sunny. Most mornings are greeted with slow moving fog that crawls along the low lying beaches and gorges. By mid-morning, the mist has been burned away.
During the summer months, camp sites along the beach are in high demand and delays on the ladders are frequent. Rain is common during the spring. Winter travel is unpleasant, unsafe and highly discouraged.
Tips for Hiking the West Coast Trail
- Only 60 backpackers per day are allowed to start the trek so reservations are highly recommended.
- Due to safety issues, it’s best to backpack with at least one other person. Accidents are common and help may be hours away.
- Hiking companions should have similar fitness levels so the group can travel safely in unison. Personalities should also be compatible since it takes from 6 – 8 days to complete (and there are no showers).
- Hike with care. It’s easy to sprain an ankle or twist a knee on the uneven boardwalks. Every year, rescuers make emergency removals of people who have fallen and broken limbs.
- Have a flexible schedule. Weather delays and minor injuries such as blisters may slow your progress. And bring extra supplies to cover unexpected interruptions.
- Set up camp before nightfall since it gets very dark here.
- Headlamps are better to use than flashlights, allowing for both hands to be free.
- We happened to be on the West Coast Trail during a full moon and the landscape was bathed in a beautiful blue light. Watching a moon-rise over the open ocean was one of the highlights of the trip.
Hiking the West Coast Trail is difficult and dangerous in sections but the challenge is more mental than physical. You don’t have to be super-fit to complete the 47 mile trail but having a good sense of adventure, lots of determination and sturdy hiking books will help you complete this rugged personal challenge.
Greg Lynch is the author of the Scenic Travel Canada, a website for travelers looking for lesser-known Canadian adventures. Sign up for the Scenic Traveler newsletter to find hiking and adventure hints, tips and outings!
Father’s Day Gifts for Outdoorsy Dads
Does your father like to get outside? If so here are a couple of my favorite Father’s Day gifts.
The first is a custom handmade walking stick. This is something that can be passed down and will last for generations. As your father uses the hiking stick the bumps and dirt will add character and history.
Another great gift is a Tarp hat from Real Deal Brazil. I have a tarp hat and love it. No one else has a hat like it and I love its durability and style.
Hiking in Pembrokeshire, West Wales
In UK terms, Pembrokeshire is a long way from anywhere, and that may explain why it gets less attention than other British hiking destinations. The Lake District, Snowdonia, and Cornwall are all with an hour or so of a major city while Pembrokeshire is tucked away in the sparsely populated south-western corner of Wales. However, the peace and quiet is just part of the charm and this area has views to rival any coastal path in Europe.
A continuous long-distance footpath runs from St Dogmaels to Amroth, taking in 186 miles of clifftop, sandy beach, and meadow. There are no mountains as such but the complete length of the Pembrokeshire Coast path involves a very respectable 35000ft of ascent and descent. That’s 5 and a half Mount Washingtons. Lovers of altitude can look down on rock climbers starting up the cliffs hundreds of feet below.
The striking sandstone and limestone cliffs attract rock climbers from all over the world, and they also provide nest sites for peregrine falcons, guillemots, and other birds. Skomer Island 
provides what might be the best day walk in the region and seabirds are certainly the main attraction. In the summer months birdwatchers, hikers, scientists and sightseers can hop on a boat at Martin’s Haven and spend the day on Skomer, amongst 13000 puffins, razorbills, kittiwakes, fulmars, and more. The circuit of the island is only about 5 miles but hikers do sometimes have to wait for puffins to waddle across the path with peaks full of sand eels.
Spring sees the coastal fields and woodlands fill up with bluebells, foxgloves, and other flowers. They contrast beautifully with the dark red sandstone cliffs and the blue sea, which is as clear as anywhere around Britain. Boat trippers and clifftop walkers often find grey seals resting on the rocks, and lucky visitors might also see porpoises, any one of three dolphin species, and even orca, minke and fin whales.
Pembrokeshire is largely rural these days, but it was once a major trading center. Pembroke Castle has been standing for 1000 years. The baby who would become Henry VII was born there in the 15th Century. The cathedral in the tiny ‘city’ of St Davids has a history going back even further, and was built in a natural dip so the spires couldn’t be seen by Viking raiders out to sea. The Coast Path is dotted with early Celtic chapels, the remains of iron and broze age settlements, ruined castles, World War II defences, and many more signs of long and varied human occupation.
There are also natural landmarks. The Green Bridge of Wales is a huge limestone arch carved out by the sea. It stands 100ft tall and reaches almost that far out from the cliffs, and there are tall, leaning sea stacks and craggy islands, blowholes, and caves to explore all along the 
coast.
The steep rocky terrain is broken up by sandy coves and beaches, and by many of these stand typical Welsh villages complete with more or less anything a tired walker could want- bed and breakfast accommodation, cafes, and some very old and venerable pubs. It’s not wilderness, but the Pembrokeshire coast is a wonderful place to walk. Whether you choose the the full 168 miles of the Coastal Path or a quiet amble around Skomer Island, there is something new to see around every corner.
Jess Spate lives in Wales and works for Appalachian Outdoors. She walks and climbs in Pembrokeshire and has recently returned from a day on Skomer.
Hiking in Grasslands National Park
Saskatchewan, Canada
Located in the southern region of Saskatchewan is one of Canada’s lesser-known and least visited national parks. The area is dry and lonely yet scenic and beautiful. The low-lying hills are returning to their natural state and the resilient long and short grass has come back. Hiking in Grasslands National Park is unlike anywhere else in the country.
“These hikes are expansive and endless.” says, Greg Lynch, an avid hiker and adventure-seeker with Scenic Travel Canada. “The terrain is mainly rolling hills, dotted with stone-size cactus. When you reach a top of a knoll and stare at the endless horizon, hikers can actually see the curvature of the earth.”
Here are a few tips for hiking in Grasslands National Park:
- Take a lot of water as summer temperatures can exceed +40 C. The park is remote and services are non-existent on the open plains.
- Proper footwear is essential. Good ankle support is needed to avoid injury from rocks, gopher holes, and cactus or for when you jump from a rattlesnake.
- It’s easy to get lost when the terrain is indistinguishable. The official paths are designated with navigation posts but when breaking your own trail, clearly mark your path and don’t rely on a GPS device just in case the battery fails.
- Backcountry camping is permitted. Be careful of thunderstorms, unobstructed wind and meandering animals including bison and antelope.
- The park administration office is in Val Marie, Saskatchewan and the town has all tourist amenities. Arrive early as most stores and restaurants close before 7:00 PM.
- Don’t miss the dark night sky. Take a guided tour of the park and rediscover the twinkling beauty of the Milky Way. Nocturnal tours of the black-footed ferret colony are also available.
This southern Saskatchewan reserve is an entirely different landscape from what most hikers expect on a Canadian adventure. The hikes do not take you to great heights or along grueling routes but they do create lasting memories of a prairie oasis. There are lots of adventures to discover in the lesser-known and picturesque Grasslands National Park.
Greg Lynch is the author of the Scenic Travel Canada, a website for travelers looking for lesser-known Canadian adventures. From hiking to sightseeing, from the Rocky Mountains to the coastal shores, there’s plenty of beautiful scenery to discover on your next Canadian adventure.
Grand Canyon Hike
HORSESHOE MESA, HANCE CREEK and THE COLORADO RIVER
It’s not a secret to many hikers that acquiring permits for backpacking trips in the Grand Canyon has become an intensely competitive process with thousands of requests arriving every month and many people leaving empty-handed. One of the reasons for this is the overwhelming focus by many on “The Corridor” which comprises the most moderate – and most popular – trails in the Canyon. For this hiking review I’m going to focus on an equally beautiful area with much more solitude and one tenth the permit competition. We call it the Horseshoe Mesa, Hance Creek and Colorado River Adventure.
Beginning at Grandview Trailhead, you’ll descend the Grandview Trail for 3 steep miles on a maintained trail. This trail is aptly named for it’s amazing views of a large expanse of the Canyon as well as distant view of the Colorado River snaking its way from the east.
This trail was built by Pete Barry, one of the Canyon’s original entrepreneurs. He began mining, but even after finding some of the richest copper ore in the world, the transportation costs of getting the ore out ate up his profits. He eventually turned to tourism, even building a small lodge on the rim (which is no longer there). Horseshoe Mesa still boasts some amazing relics from the Pete Barry era, including his old cabin and an array of old, rusty mining machinery.
At the Mesa you’ll see a trail cutting to the right (east) and that’s the one you want to get down to Miners Spring and/or Hance Creek (2 of the 3 closest water sources). I recommend going all the way to Hance Creek the first day, which will take you another mile and a half past the Mesa, for a total of 4.5 miles of hiking that day.
The drop off the Mesa down to Hance Creek is steep and rugged and should be traveled with caution. There are some spots where tripping is not an option. Hance Creek is a beautiful oasis in the desert, with a perennial flow of spring-fed, clear water makes for excellent camping.
I recommend spending two nights here at Hance Creek and making a day trip to the Colorado River on your layover day, which is approximately 13 miles round trip. It’s a long day but totally doable. Hance Rapid is a breathtaking area of the Colorado River, decorated by the famous Red Canyon – one of the most beautiful layers in the Canyon.
From here you can exit via the New Hance Trail, but I recommend camping the last night on Horseshoe Mesa. Start by circling around beneath Horseshoe Mesa on the Tonto Trail to Cottonwood Creek. Fill up your water here, with plenty for the night and the next day because there’s no water on the Mesa. Set up camp and go check out Cave of the Domes, which is the only cave in Grand Canyon National Park that guests are allowed into. Hike along the western edge of the Mesa until you come to the point where the last major ridge coming down off the butte in the center of the Mesa meets the trail. Keep an eye out to your left for a thin path that leads to the cave. It’s at the end of one of the major gullies that drains off the Mesa on the western edge. Bring headlamps along and be sure to turn them off to experience some absolute darkness (can’t even see your hand waving in front of your face).
The last day will take you back up to the Grandview Trailhead at the South Rim, where you’ll fully deserve the shower and all-you-can-eat buffet that I’m sure will await you. Enjoy!
Thanks to Scott Cundy, owner of The Wildland Trekking Company, for this report. For more info on Grand Canyon hiking tours be sure to check out his company’s website. Then you can book your next adventure.
www.wildlandtrekking.com
Help Restore a Popular Trail After Storms
The American South was hit hard by the tornadoes of late April in what may be the worst tornado season ever. There’s a lot of work to be done by volunteers, and if you’re like me the trails are close to your heart. And if you’re like me you know what it’s like to hike a trail after a storm that hasn’t been cleared yet – think about leaning over with a heavy pack to climb under and fallen oak.
Please visit the Pine Mountain Trail Association’s website to find dates to volunteer. This is a beautiful area and you can easily squeeze in some time in Warm Springs to visit FDR’s home and to explore the wilderness of Pine Mountain, Georgia.
Update:
Rokit Fuel Review
I turn down most product reviews, but occasionally a company catches my attention, and Rokit Fuel is one of those companies. I have worked with or owned three different start-ups so small companies have a special place in my heart, but this small company won’t stay small long as more people consume their great tasting energy cereals and mixes.
I remember eating my first energy bar about 15 years ago. I was impressed with all the goodness compressed into such a tiny package, but eating it made my mouth hurt. After a while I gave up on most energy foods and just brought candy bars and light items like bread on hikes. Neither provided the long term energy or nutrition one needs on hard outdoor activities but they were light, tasty, and easy to pack. Now that I’ve tried Rokit Fuel I again have something to carry that is nutritious, tasty, and easy to eat.
My favorite Rokit Fuel products are the cereals and mixes. The cereals are light weight and full of goodness and the mixes are even lighter and easier to carry. I highly suggest hikers taking a few packages of the mixes with them. All the flavors I’ve tried were great, but you’ll have to try a few on your own to pick your favorites. The mixes and cereals are chock full of good things like nuts, fruits, seeds, and other natural stuff that you know is real and not mixed with who knows what.
These are energy products so in the end they have to provide you with, you know, energy. The first product I tried was just before a big paddle across Lake Lanier on a choppy day. Taking the kayak out on a lake filled with speed boats and sailboats meant I had to watch out for myself and paddle fast to avoid other crafts while 
navigating two to three foot swells. For this task I sucked down a package of spice cookie energy mix. Despite the long paddle and all the other obstacles I did fine on the water and had more than enough energy and strength to hold my own.
This humble hiking blog doesn’t quite pay the bills so I have to work despite my objections. Sitting all day is the worst thing you can do to your body so I take a boot camp class in the mornings. Getting up before sunrise to do push-ups, sprints, and runs isn’t easy, but a cereal before helped me through a tough morning class after a late night of working. The hearty cereal cup was as tasty as any breakfast anywhere and I knew I was eating something good instead of another greasy biscuit from the local fast food joint.
Rokit Fuel has taken a great idea – the energy bar – and improved it. They just upped the game. Their products will catch on and you will see this company more and more in the coming months and years. If you want to try Rokit Fuel you can order directly from their website or find a store near you with their Find a Store tool.