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Wednesday 15 September 2010

getting out of the city: Howe Sound Crest Trail


Vistas on the Howe Sound Crest Trail




The Howe Sound Crest Trail (HSCT) is literally 45 minutes away from Vancouver. The southern trail head starts at Cypress Provincial Park (local ski mountain) and ends in Porteau Cove, which is basically halfway between Vancouver and Squamish. It is about 30 km long and most people hike it in 2 days. The HSCT can be done in a day (10 or more hours of fast walking). There is a detailed route description at clubtread.com. The official park site has more info about the area.

We went southbound, I recommend to go northbound though. The trail markers are way better to spot heading north. The HSCT is probably one of the best short hikes near Vancouver. We did it in late August 2010.

More pictures are here.

Thursday 2 September 2010

beach walking: North Coast Trail, Vancouver Island, Canada


Hiking through a lush temperate rain forests and strolling on beaches in late August 2010





The North Coast Trail (NCT) was my first coastal walk and it was also the first time for me to get to see Vancouver Island. My itinerary was to finish the trail in approx. 3 days and spent another 3 days in Cape Scott National Park. The NCT is actually an extension of the aforementioned park and has been finished just a few years ago. I always wanted to do the West Coast Trail, but the NCT is less crowded and also cheaper and no booking is required. There is just a $ 10 fee for every campsite.