August 15, 2026 -- Cultus Lake Stats: 9 km / 670m gain / 1719m high / 3:30 hours MT What to do when the air quality index is moderate? Stay local and do a moderate hike. The smell of forest fire smoke and the haze it creates, was a constant throughout the hike. But it was still a pleasnt day well spent. I managed to get not one, but two 4WDs. It being a Saturday, our company could spare one. Owen said that the road was in good condition which was true, but he didn't mention

August 5-9, 2026 Every other year our family gets together at Scotch Creek campsite on North Shuswap Lake. This tradition started when I was only 6 years old! As I was driving towards the campsite after leaving Hwy 1, a lot of memories came flooding back to me. How my parents started out with a big old army tent that my mom paid for with pennies she'd saved up in a big glass jar. We helped her count them and put them into rolls. And at the age of 13 how I got hit on for the f

June 28 - July 4, 2026 As we progressed from the west to the north and then in this final blog, to the east and a bit of the south, we noticed more civilization, more sea birds and whales, a more diverse vegetation and warmer temperatures. The moderate hikes were often high above the sea, hugging the edges of cliffs. June 28 On the road from Terra Nova National park to Bona Vista. Hawkweed This was the first day in Newfoundland that it was warm enough to wear shorts and T-shi