Summer Hiking Adventures Part Two, Canada 2021

Let's jump right back into our 2021 summer of adventures. The last post ended with our boozy engagement celebrations with the Vancouver family. The hangover caught up with us and we all swore off drinking for a while after that night. In fact the next day we were all saying it was the worst hangover of our lives. I blame the pickleback shots, a drink Josh loves to introduce to everyone we meet. We were absolutely blown away by our friends and family back at home who sent cards, gifts and adorable hampers to celebrate our engagement. We were flying high in a cloud of happiness and really feeling the love. Thank you so much to the amazing people in our lives!  

Once we had fully recovered from our big night, we got straight back into hiking. There is a trail called the Grouse Grind which is a rite of passage for anyone who lives in Vancouver. It is essentially a long staircase with a series of steep steps that go all the way to the ski hills of Grouse Mountain. It was named well because it really is a grind. Sweat will be dripping down your face as you put one foot in front of the other up the steep steps. Luckily it is only 3km so the suffering doesn't last for long. We got to the top of the grind with our backs wet and foreheads gleaming, and took a minute to rest whilst enjoy the beautiful views. A bonus of making it to the top is getting to see the two rescued grizzly bears called Grinder and Coola. They live in a big enclosure at the top of the mountain with trees, swimming ponds and caves. We walked over to try and see them and quickly learnt a lesson about how camoflagued a 300kg bear can be. We must have been searching for a few minutes, puzzled as other people were pointing into the forest. This was until we realised they were right in front of us, asleep amongst the trees. It was astonishing that two giant bears could be 20m away from us and we could not even see them. One of the bears woke up and decided to have a swim which gave us a chance to see him properly. He sat in the pond to cool off and showed off his paws which were as big as my head. They definitely make black bears look like kittens and made us grateful that we hadn't come across any grizzlies on our hikes. Weekends in Vancouver are always best spent hiking in the sun and we really enjoyed the experience of Grouse. It is always good to treat yourself after a busy day climbing up a mountain and our favourite treat was definitely sushi. I can't tell you how many times we'd pop in to Ginger Sushi on Commercial Drive after a long hike. Our other favourite place to visit was at James and Libe's beautiful apartment. They would invite us over to relax by their amazing swimming pool and hot tub. The bonus was that T&T supermarket was just below them where we could grab some discount sushi to share in the sunshine. 

By some sort of miracle Libe managed to get a pass to camp overnight at Garibaldi Lake during peak season. We had time to plan and prepare for our big adventure which would be our first time camping in tents in the backcountry. We chose to stay in a hostel for one night in Whistler before our big hike which in theory seemed like a good idea. This hostel is clearly made for the cold and not the heatwave that was still affecting the Pacific Northwest. We very nearly died in the small room which had one tiny window and no fan. I imagine this is great in the winter when you want to keep the cold out, but the lack of ventilation meant that it was sweltering. After very little sleep we woke up early to begin our camping adventure. Garibaldi Lake is very popular so the trailhead is notorious for filling up quickly. Luckily we got there early and got a parking spot no problem. We had a 9km hike ahead of us from the car park to the campsite which doesn't sound like a lot, but remember we were carrying all our camping gear up a steep incline. Josh took the opportunity to do a dump in the toilets which earnt him the nickname 'Jobby Josh', although he didn't hold this title for long. We started our hike up a series of switchbacks. These lessen the steepness by trailing the path in a zigzag up the mountain. It is a bit demoralising as you feel like you're not getting very far, but certainly better than hiking straight up. We stopped a few times to feed the birds and a very sassy chipmunk who was jumping up onto our hands. We eventually got to a ridge to look at the views, but all we could see was smoke from the forest fires around us. It had been such a hot and dry summer that the forests were continuously on fire. The climb continued until we got to the turn off for the lakeside campground.

We'd made it up in pretty good time so we slowly clambered down the boulders, and then back on ourselves along the lakeside. This was when we got our first glimpse of Garibaldi Lake. It certainly made the hike worth it as we looked at the water glowing in the sunshine. The lake is framed by the mountains all around and the water is a gorgeous turquoise blue. Depending on the section of the lake and how deep it is, the water varies from light blue to a dark teal. It felt like the water was neverending and it was easy to see why this is one of the top rated hikes in BC. There was still an open camping spot right on the lake front so we got to work setting up our tents. We were very prepared and had brought a lot of stuff, but one thing we didn't anticipate at the lake were the giant biting flies. We had to cover ourselves in the evening and squish as many as we could before they got us. To get some relief from the flies, we went on an afternoon walk into the meadows of Garibaldi National Park. We wandered through the beautiful alpine flower meadows and saw the imposing mountain top peak of black tusk, a hike we were excited to complete another time. We were all knackered so it was a good idea to not go too far. Plus we had to get back to the lake to take some pictures and swim in the beautiful water. On our return Jobby Josh sadly lost his title to James, who had to run off to go for an urgent poo in the lovely conveyor belt toilets. He was then crowned Jobby James for the rest of the trip. These drop toilets were actually quite clever if not a little gross. The poo sits on a shelf until you're done at which point you press the peddle with your foot to move it along the conveyor belt. This allows the solids and the liquids to separate meaning the toilets don't fill up as quick. Backcountry camping has taught us a lot about how convenient sewage systems are! After that laugh we went straight to the lake for a dip. We were 1,500m high so the water was pretty fresh, but in the heat of the summer sun going for a swim was magical. We watched the sun set around us as we made some noodles on our little stoves and laughed about the most random things. James surprised us with a little bottle of fireball whiskey to keep us going and it was amazing. The cinnamon and alcohol kept us warm as the sun set over the mountains. We enjoyed our night under the stars in the wilderness, listening to coyotes howling to the big moon in the night's sky. 

We woke up to a beautifully clear day the next morning which meant the lake was glowing an even brighter shade of blue. It was perfect timing as today we planned to hike to the spectacular viewpoint panorama ridge. This would add an extra 21km to our day of hiking as we still had the 9km journey back to the car with all our camping stuff. We started off early, hiking through the meadows and rocks which were stunning. We saw hoary marmots, big fluffy ground squirrels, sunning themselves on rocks as well small lakes in every shade of blue and green. We eventually got to the rocky section where we had to climb to the ridge. It was a steep and sweaty hike up, we all took plenty of breaks and tried to remind ourselves why we were doing this. When we got to the top all the pain of the climb disappeared as we saw the most beautiful view across the lake. It felt like we could see every mountain in BC and it truly was a panoramic view of the lake, what a good name for the hike hey! We took a few moments just to enjoy the bright turquoise lake water and mountains all around us, some still topped with snow. We captured the moment with a few incredibly sweaty and windswept photos that I'll treasure forever. It was always amazing to hike with James and Libe, they're so much fun and so resilient. It really helps to keep you going through the tough parts. The climb down was actually a little difficult too as it was so steep and slippery. Libe again reminded us that she gets no sense of achievement when hiking, but does it for the views and to hang out together. She's an angel! It was a long slog back to the campsite and we all knew we had another couple of hours before we were back at the car. The switchbacks we enjoyed at the start, were brutal at the end. It felt like the twists and turns were never ending, but we eventually arrived at a corner and got a glimpse of our bright orange van glowing in the sunlight. This spurred us on and before we knew it we had thrown our bags in the boot and were downing water in the car. It was a sleepy car journey back which ended in a challenge trying to order some pizza. In the end we got some from Virtuous Pie, a famous vegan pizza place in Vancouver, but it wasn't quite what we needed. Indian Pizza Castle, I'm looking at you. We slept well that night, perhaps too well as I'm sure this was the Monday that Josh woke up late to work for the first time.

Our time in Vancouver wouldn't have been the same without our favourite hang out, Simply Delicious. This is an amazing sushi restaurant that used to be a karaoke bar before COVID closed everything. We would spend many weekends meeting up with James, Libe, Alex, Lucia, Emily, Andre and Cam to have some delicious, ice cold pints of Asahis. It was a real winner because it wasn't too expensive and in a good location on Main Street. Main was another cool area outside of downtown Vancouver that is full of vintage shops, unique places to eat and fun bars. To us it was like a bigger version of Commercial Drive and we always enjoyed meeting up in Main, even if that meant riding on the number 20 bus to Kingsway. This bus is infamous for being a little bit terrifying as it is often full of people doing weird things. We've seen people have fights, sleep standing up with their heads touching the ground and scream to themselves. It is an important line that goes all the way into downtown, through East Hastings. This is where a tent town has been built by those experiencing homelessness. There must be hundreds, maybe thousands of people in makeshift tents on the streets here. The government does little to help, or struggles to know how to solve the issue. We've seen people shooting up and smoking crack in broad daylight, others naked on the ground asleep and sadly even someone getting resuscitated. The drug issues are certainly related to the fact pharmaceutical companies are seen as brands here and medical care is very limited. If you injure yourself and don't have good enough medical care, you won't be able to afford surgery or physiotherapy to fix the problem. Instead they'll prescribe strong painkillers as a cheap alternative to help with the pain. This can spiral into addiction, where people quickly lose their jobs, houses, families - everything. Then they are left on the street with nothing but more drugs to numb the pain. This all could have been different if they had access to free medical care. It's a reminder that the UK is fortunate to have the NHS, no matter how strained and under funded it is.

There was a legendary night worth mentioning where we visited a local pub at the end of the drive and accidentally saw the best band in the world. They are called the Golden Archies and they blew our minds. They were an amazingly talented band and it really was a pleasure to sit and listen to them play. Just as we were about to leave, they started to play a track that James recognised. He couldn't believe it as he told us it was an incredibly rare and difficult to play Beatles medley. We stayed to listen for the next ten minutes whilst James sang along and we pretended to know the songs. It was proper psychedelic Beatles and don't tell James, but we actually all really enjoyed it. It is little experiences like this that make your time in a place extra special and reminds us that it is always wonderful to go out with our best pals. Another amazing moment was when James and Libe invited us along to the water-ski club. This was all thanks to James' family, Martin and Linda, who have the biggest hearts and are so full of kindness. They let us come along, pitch up a tent at the club and ride in their amazing speed boat. It felt like a dream to be in a stunning boat, riding around in the blue water. We also got to meet their friends, mostly Scottish folk who you know are lovely because they're Celtic fans. They were all unbelievably welcoming and endlessly kind and we felt like part of the family instantly. Even despite our awful condition of being English, they still made us feel like we'd known them our whole lives. Josh and James even got to try out water-skiing which they were really good at. Highlights were Libe shouting out "roasted eggs", James singing and playing the guitar for everyone, Gary the policeman accidentally dialling 911 in the middle of the night and James drinking from the stagnant water tubs and getting the shits. A place really is made by the people who are there, and this lovely group are so fortunate to have found each other. 

In August we decided to head over to Manning Park on a reccomendation from my boss Michelle. It is a few hours outside of Vancouver so we booked one of the campgrounds a plan to sleep in our car Gina for the first time. We didn't have the car set up properly yet, but we folded the chairs down and popped in our mini mattress from IKEA which worked a treat. I'm glad we did decide to sleep in Gina because when we arrived to the park the temperatures at night were close to zero. We didn't realise that the park sits at 1,500m elevation and is nestled between some impressive mountains. Despite the low night temperatures, the day was still swelteringly hot and there were still some lingering forest fires in the north of the park. This meant a lot of areas were out of bounds, so we decided to go to a ridge hike in the south called Lone Goat. Just before we left for the hike, we had some funny encounters with the local wildlife whilst trying to eat breakfast. One encounter was with the chipmunks who were incredibly sassy here. We were filming them as they scampered around our feet, when suddenly one got onto Josh's lap by crawling up his trouser leg. He was very interested in the snacks Josh had been eating, which were now just crumbs. I however, had a whole biscuit in my hand which the sneaky chipmunk saw. I was trying to film him when he did a quick jump and grabbed it from my hand. It was hilarious watching him drag away a biscuit that probably weighed as much as him. 

We were so lucky with the weather that weekend as we had beautiful sunshine. The end of August is a special time as it's Roxy's and Josh's dad's birthday on the same day. I was still incredibly heartbroken at the loss of Roxy and I wanted to commemorate her at every chance. In July I hiked alone to a waterfall in Lynn Valley to have some time to think about her and leave her a little note. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to, the water glowed a beautiful olive green, and I even found a tri-coloured rock to treasure. Our trip to Manning meant we could visit another beautiful spot to honour Roxy in the most beautiful way. It really was a stunning hike which meandered along a mountain ridge that was so lush and green even at the end of August. The summer flowers were still around and the views went on for miles. We made it to the peak and felt like we could touch the sky. It always feels so special to be close to nature, especially when you're missing someone you love. I left some special rocks and a note for my special girl. We tried to soak in the stunning views and take plenty pictures, vowing to come back here as soon as we could.

The summer was coming to an end which was signalled by the leaves of the maple trees turning a gorgeous bright red. This is such a beautiful time in Vancouver as it feels like nature is letting you know that fall is here and winter is on the way. There is another big signal that the summer is ending and that is Canadian Thanksgiving at the start of October. Andre and Emily kindly offered to host Thanksgiving in their beautiful home which we were thrilled about. They live in a big house split into a few apartments, with really great communal areas that are perfect for a dinner party. The non-Canadians were all excited to see what Thanksgiving was like and we were not disappointed. We all brought different dishes to the meal which included lots of potatoes, phenomenal vegetable dishes, cupcakes and a pumpkin pie. We walked into their home to a beautiful transformation of their living room. They'd set up a big table with the most gorgeous decorations of pine cones, leaves and flowers, as well as intricate name settings that Emily had made. They are stylish in everything they do, but this was particularly beautiful. We ate and drank together and were truly thankful for having such lovely friends in our lives. This was also the time we got to meet their housemate's dog, the tiny chihuahua named Kevin. He was full of trembles, had a tongue that didn't quite fit in his mouth and could barely walk, but he brought some fun to the party for sure. We definitely think Napoleon and Coisette, Emily and Andre's big fluffy cats, would be able to eat him as a snack. 

The hiking days were dwindling as fall really settled in to BC. Josh and I had black tusk in Garibaldi National Park on our bucket list so planned a weekend we could go. Black tusk is the infamous pointy rock we'd seen in the seaplane and on our hike to panorama ridge with James and Libe. It is a remnant of a volcano which has eroded over time and you can climb up a small chimney to get to the top. We were very excited and decided to camp in our car on the Friday night so we were ready to take on the tusk early in the morning. The hike was great and we progressed quickly through the trail as we knew the terrain. It was beautiful to see the national park in another season as the plants were starting to turn brown and there was a hint of snow in the air. We climbed up and up through the alpine meadows until we got to the scrambling rock that would lead up to the tusk. It was a very windy day, and that meant a lot of cloud was flying around. It made the scramble up pretty exciting as one moment we had a view over the valley and the next it was shrowded in clouds. We got to the steepest section and the wind started to really blow. The clouds got thick around us and we couldn't even see the thin ridge line we were meant to cross to get to the tusk. We decided to sit and wait for it to pass, but it was getting colder and rainer. It was a big decision but we had to face the fact we weren't going to get to climb up the rock chimney to get to the top of the tusk. This is actually quite dangerous even in good conditions and they reccomend you wear helmets and have climbing experience. We were happy to have made it to the base of the tusk and kept it on our list to visit again. This experience reminded us of a visit to the sustainable and fancy vegan restaurant called The Acorn. My mum and dad bought Josh a tasting experience for his birthday which we booked as soon as it was available. They presented us a six course meal, where we got to taste a variety of seasonal delights. It started off very well, with some delicious beetroot salad and flavourful soup. It was a tasting menu so the mains were small but full of flavours that we couldn't even name. I am such a sweet fiend that I was very excited for the dessert imagining what delicious cake or brownie it might be. The lady came over with two bowls which contained what I can only describe as green slop. It was full of flowers and was probably very healthy, but I couldn't hide my disappointment. We really enjoyed The Acorn as a whole and we got our sweet treat in the end with some gelato on the way home. 

We had spent the summer enjoying the beauty of British Columbia, but also found ourselves falling in love with Vancouver. We had lots of hikes and places to visit, including Quarry Rock which has some spectacular views. We started the hike on a very clear blue day, that had a wintery crispness about it. This spot is so busy in the summer that they had to close it during COVID because too many people were visiting. We quickly realised why it is so popular as we got to the viewpoint which had a panoramic view across the calm water at rocky point. This is a place people visit in their boats which has a little row of shops and apparently some amazing ice cream. We clambered up the rocks to the various viewpoints and enjoyed the hazy end to the summer days. It was really starting to feel autumnal with the glowing red maple leaves, early sunsets and chill in the air. This meant we needed to spend some time in Stanley Park before our friends the racoons went into hibernation. Although I'm not actually sure they do hibernate in the warm climate of Vancouver. It is hard to explain how a park can have such a place in your heart, but the wild woods and rustic beaches of Stanley Park just draw you in. It is a magical green space in the centre of a city where you can stand in the darkness of the forest listening to bird calls and peering through the mist. A place of wilderness in the comfort of human construction. I'm not sure we'll ever live as close to somewhere like this again, and we savoured every second of it. 

Fall wouldn't be complete without another epic Emily and Andre party. This time it was Halloween, their house being the perfect location as it was actually used in a small horror movie. I wasn't exaggerating when I said they were amazing hosts. Whether it's a dinner party, pizza garden party, Thanksgiving or a boozy Halloween party, they can do it all. We all kept our outfits a secret which meant a hilarious reveal as we turned up at the house. Josh and I were Steve Irwin and a crocodile, complete with massive cardboard head and tail expertly made by Josh. Alex and Lucia brought some Halloween realism with their amazing red riding hood and wolf costumes. They are used to dressing up for carnival where they've worn some epic outfits. Andre and Emily looked effortlessly classy as Mr and Mrs Fox from Fantastic Mr Fox. They were such well made costumes, owing to the fact Emily is a style and design queen. James and Libe also pulled it out the bag as they arrived as the Tiger King and Carole Baskin. They had everyone in hysterics with James in a blonde wig and tash, and Libe with a tiger over her shoulder. We ate some snacks, had lots of drinks and cuddled Kevin the trembling chihuahua. It was a hilarious night and I spent the early hours of the morning showering off green paint from my face. We genuinely feel so lucky to have found such lovely friends to hang out with, on all occasions. It meant that our hearts were warmed even as we moved towards the chill of winter.