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Take a Hike: British Columbia Boasts 10 Fabulous Fall Jaunts

November 25, 2009 by Fractional & Shared Ownership Property News & Reviews · Leave a Comment

by Malcolm Johnson

takeahike1 When composing his essay on walking, Henry David Thoreau had this to say: “Give me the ocean, the desert or the wilderness.” Considering those words, it’s not hard to think that the famed author would have loved the westernmost of Canada’s provinces. He would have found all that he sought, and all of it on a scale that he could never have imagined.

From the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Rocky Mountains in the east, British Columbia is a place of endless diversity: lush rainforests and dry canyons, barren alpines and gentle farmlands, soaring ranges and sea-swept beaches. There’s no better way to see it all than by setting out on foot, and experienced hikers know that autumn is the best time for day hikes: crisp and clear, the high country is still free from the deep snows of winter.

So strap on your boots, grab your camera, and get out there – but always remember that it’s important to be fully equipped and prepared. Here follows a sampling of fabulous fall hikes in British Columbia, where you’ll find plenty of views to inspire the soul.

Vancouver, Coast & Mountains

The Grouse Grind
Length: 2.9 kilometers
Vertical: 853 meters (2,798 feet)
Estimated time to complete: 1.5 hours

A winding trail that scrambles up Grouse Mountain’s southern slope in North Vancouver, the Grind has become British Columbia’s best-known hike. It’s certainly well named – with an average grade of 30 degrees, it’s a steep, thigh-burning trail boasting an elevation gain of 853 meters (2,798 feet) as it climbs through the forest from the Valley Station to the peak plateau. (In all, there are 2,800 steps built into the trail.) The Grind was completed in
the early 1980s, and it’s a must for locals and travelers alike. And though you probably won’t match the trail record of 24 minutes—for the average adult, it’s about an hour and a half—a trip up the Grind will give you a first-hand view
of Vancouver’s unique urban and outdoor cultures. The best way down? Hop aboard the scenic Grouse Mountain Skyride, where a $5 one-way ride offers stunning views of the city.
www.grousemountain.com

The Trails of Garibaldi
Length: varies, depending on the trail or trails chosen
Vertical: challenging; between 600 meters (1,968 feet) to over 900 meters (2,952 feet)
Estimated time to complete: depending on trail, can range from two to four hours (one way)

As you drive north from Vancouver, you pass into Sea to Sky country. Just outside the town of Squamish, Garibaldi Provincial Park holds some of the province’s most dramatic scenery; there are dozens of great trails in the
Garibaldi area, but serious hikers will want to head for the Taylor Meadows and Garibaldi Lakes campgrounds. Departing from there, you’ll be able to access Black Tusk, the jagged remnants of an ancient volcano (note:
taking on the Tusk can add, at minimum, four hours to your trek). There are also high trails like Panorama Ridge, where glaciers and striated ranges lead off to the far horizon. Garibaldi may prove a challenging place to
hike – but it is one rife with rewards.
www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/garibaldi

Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands

Schooner Cove
Length: one kilometer (one way)
Vertical: features long flights of stairs and some hills
Estimated time to complete: 45 minutes (round trip)

An easy boardwalk that winds through thick rainforest to the beaches of the Pacific, the Schooner Cove trail is one of the many treasures of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on Vancouver Island’s wild west coast. After a one-kilometer walk, the trail emerges to the north of Esowista, one of the traditional homes of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation. When the surf’s up, you’ll see huge waves rolling in from the west, each one trailing a mane of white in the wind. (Access to Schooner Cove may be non-existent during high tides.) There’s great tidepool exploring at low tide, and a walk along the beach to the north takes you into a beautifully secluded cove. It’s the west coast at its picturesque best.
www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/pacificrim/index_E.asp

Carmanah Walbran
Length: 3.9 kilometers (one way)
Vertical: easy to moderate hike
Estimated time to complete: one hour and 15 minutes (one way)

There are certain places where the natural scale of things is beyond compare. Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park, an area of untouched old growth forest on southwestern Vancouver Island, is one such place. The park’s trails
lead through lush stands of ancient cedar and Sitka spruce, with huge and magisterial trees reaching hundreds of feet in height. Walking the trails of Carmanah will give you a glimpse of the coast as it once was – a wondrously
rich ecosystem that still exists as an intact and living thing. The park can be accessed from Port Alberni, Port Renfrew or Lake Cowichan, and a trip here should include a stroll through the Randy Stoltmann Commemorative Grove, a stand of giant spruces dedicated to an iconic outdoorsman and conservationist.
www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/carmanah

The Heliwell Bluffs
Length: five kilometers
Vertical: an easy walk
Estimated time to complete: one hour to walk the trail; two to three hours to take in the scenery

The Gulf Islands lie to the west of British Columbia’s mainland, and their bohemian cultures are as rich as the waters that surround them. Heliwell Provincial Park on Hornby Island is one of the hidden gems of the coast, with a pastoral five-kilometer trail that winds through grassy fields and stands of Douglasfir and Garry oak. Just to the west is Tribune Bay, which harbors one of the province’s best beaches. As an added bonus, a stroll along the high sea bluffs of Heliwell will showcase fabulous views of the Coast Mountains and the Strait of Georgia. www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/helliwell

Thompson Okanagan

The Divide Lake North Trail
Length: eight kilometers (each way)
Vertical: an easy walk
Estimated time to complete: 3.5 hours

Renowned for its vineyards and farmlands, the Okanagan is also home to a multitude of opportunities for backcountry hiking. Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park showcases an extensive network of wilderness trails that provide access to the dry forests, canyons and grasslands that lie between Penticton and Kelowna. One of the park’s
frequented hikes is the Divide Lake North trail, a serious 16-kilometer round trip featuring views of Okanagan Lake and the Monashee Mountains. It’s also a unique chance to see forests that are coming back to life after fires
swept through the area in 2003.
www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/okana_mt

takeahike2

The Kettle Valley Rail Trail
Length: 525 kilometers
Vertical: no more than three per cent
Estimated time to complete: varies on choice of trail and mode of transport; you can hike and bike along this trail

Built in the early 1900s, the Kettle Valley Railway in B.C.’s lush Thompson Okanagan was the long and winding link that connected the southern interior to the coast. A century later, it’s been converted into one of the province’s loveliest hiking and cycling trails. Part of the Spirit of 2010 trail network, the Kettle Valley Rail Trail runs from Grand Forks to the Coquihalla. The section of trail that passes through Myra Canyon, with its deep gorges and high trestle bridges, is an essential trip. With views of Okanagan Lake and some of the area’s renowned orchards and wineries, the stretch of trail that leads into Naramata is wonderful as well. In short, the Kettle Valley Rail trail is a can’t-miss experience for foodies and fresh-air fiends alike.
www.spiritof2010trail.ca/RailTrail.aspx?id=kettle

Kootenay Rockies

The Iceline Trail
Length: via Little Yoho Valley, 20.8 kilometers; via Celeste Lake Trail, 17.5 kilometers
Vertical: 695 meters (2,280 feet)
Estimated time to complete: four to six hours, depending on route

The Rocky Mountains are justly famous as one of the world’s most scenic mountain ranges. But despite all the fame, there are still countless places where you can find the solitude that greeted the area’s first explorers. Yoho National Park near the town of Golden in the Kootenay Rockies has hundreds of kilometers of hiking trails that lead into
postcard-pretty landscapes. The Iceline Trail easily proves one of the park’s classics. Challenging as it may be for some, the trail offers close-up glacier views, crossings of streams and moraines, and unforgettable vistas of Daly Glacier. As part of the Waputik Icefield, the Daly Glacier feeds Canada’s second highest free falling waterfall, Takakkaw Falls, with its cascade totaling an impressive 380 meters (1,246 feet). For those looking for something a bit gentler, there’s a picturesque loop around the bright turquoise waters of Emerald Lake, with the first 1.6 kilometers being wheelchair-accessible.
www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/yoho/index_E.asp

Cariboo Chilcotin Coast

The Painted Chasm
Length: two kilometers (one way)
Vertical: varies; an easy to moderate hike
Estimated time to complete: two to four hours

The Cariboo is a wild and expansive area of central British Columbia – a place of big views, big horizons and even bigger skies. Among its many geologic marvels is the Painted Chasm, a dramatic gorge where glacial waters cut a jagged path through ancient lava flows at the closing of the last ice age. Eight kilometers in length and up to 300 meters (984 feet) in depth, the Chasm is one of the Cariboo’s most remarkable natural attractions. A number of informal trails in Chasm Provincial Park, 20 kilometers north of Clinton, offer great vantage points of the brilliantly colored canyon walls and their surrounding forests of ponderosa pine.
www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/chasm/

Northern British Columbia

The Crater Lake Trail
Length: two kilometers (one way); varies on route chosen
Vertical: 250 meter (820 foot) gain; steep incline at beginning, levels out to an easy hike
Estimated time to complete: four hours

The town of Smithers is home to a dedicated outdoor community – which isn’t surprising, considering the access
it offers to some of Northern British Columbia’s best mountain terrain. The Crater Lake trail is a well-known hike that serves as an inspired introduction to the area’s alpine environment. Leaving from the base of Hudson Bay Mountain Resort, the trail ambles upward through open meadows to the small lake that gives the hike its name. The views here are the real draw, with gracious vistas over the Bulkley Valley and its surrounding peaks. Remember that this is high country, and cold temperatures can be a factor at any time of year. www.tourismsmithers.com Whichever path you choose, British Columbia offers an ideal backdrop to hike it out. For more information on hiking in BC, visit www.HelloBC.com/hiking. For more on British Columbia’s destinations and travel information, call 1-800 HELLO BC (North America) or visit www.HelloBC.com.

If You Go…
Here are just a few of the many upscale resorts that are great stepping-off points for hikes or any other outdoors activity this fall:

Whistler is a spectacular two-hour drive from beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia along the Sea to Sky highway. While best known for skiing, Whistler is the quintessential mountain experience – along with shopping, elegant dining, pubs and nightlife. Club Intrawest – Whistler is where rustic elegance meets ski lodge chic. Wake up to the scent of western red cedar and Douglas fir when you visit the club in Whistler. Mountain and fairway adventures may bring sightings of other local wildlife such as marmots, deer, coyotes and wolves. Relax in a soaker tub or sip brandy by the fireplace on a cool evening. www.clubintrawest.com

A visually stunning three-hour drive from Calgary, Alberta – in the heart of the Canadian Rockies -Panorama is an untouched mountain hideaway for all-season adventurers. Panorama blends the charm of the Old West with contemporary ski culture, in evidence year ‘round. Club Intrawest – Panorama is a secluded mountain refuge that is perfect for nature enthusiasts. Enjoy a family barbecue on the patio as you look out across the chalky blue waters of Toby Creek. And Radium Hot Springs is open year ‘round to rejuvenate tired muscles after a day of nature adventure. www.clubintrawest.com

In the heart of Okanagan wine country, Osoyoos is only five minutes from the Canada/US Border and is a scenic twohour drive from Kelowna International Airport. Rich with lakes, mountains and stunning desert landscapes, Osoyoos is a great starting point for Okanagan vacation and recreational experience from the cultural and historical to the adventurous and athletic. Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort & Spa places you in the heart of south Okanagan’s rich cultural landscape and Okanagan wine county in an area known as “Napa of the North.” The resort is surrounded by dramatic sun-drenched landscapes, miles of vineyards and views to Lake Osoyoos’ warm, blue waters. www.spiritridge.ca

Also in Osoyoos, Walnut Beach Resort is an all-suite waterfront resort nestled on the shores of the warmest lake in Canada, Lake Osoyoos, and surrounded by breath-taking mountain views. The resort features a private sandy beach, and its three-story building is set on a meticulously landscaped property that wraps around a half-acre courtyard featuring hot tubs and a pool. The resort’s Promenade Wine Bar offers mouthwatering tapas and a wide selection of wines from the many local vineyards. Enjoy hiking, biking, river rafting, kayaking and more and then unwind with a massage and a steam or a sauna.www.walnutbeachosoyoos.com

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