Only two people have ever turned back on the Via Ferrata at Mt. Norquay, my guide for the afternoon, John Thornton tells me. But then he goes on to explain that the people who come to hike and climb the Banff Via Ferrata basically self-select – and those that are deathly afraid of heights don’t even consider the outing. The first route on the Banff Via Ferrata at Mt. Norquay opened in June 2014. Fast forward 10 years and there are now five options – Explorer, Ridgewalker, Alpinist, Skyline, and Summiteer. In summer 2024, John and I tried the five-hour Via Ferrata Skyline route which I’ll descr ..read more

If you love a workout with a great view, try the less well-known Mount Kidd Lookout hike in Kananaskis Country. Once you’ve found the unofficial trail, the crux of the outing, be prepared for a take-your-breath-away steep hike. The good news – it delivers superlative mountain views of Kananaskis Valley, Mount Allan, Centennial Ridge, Wedge Peak and Mount Baldy. In summer, there are abundant wildflowers too. The parking for the Mount Kidd Lookout hike is by the hotels in Kananaskis Village off Highway 40. From Calgary you can be in the parking lot in an hour. It’s a great hike to do if you’re t ..read more

John and I finally got around to doing the Southfork Lakes hike. It’s been on my wish list since our son did it about four years ago. Two summers ago, we were thwarted by smoke, but I have no other excuses on why it took us so long. On the day we hiked in late June, we enjoyed fine weather with no wind. The hike to Southfork Lakes can be done as an overnight trip – not that you need to, as it’s only 10 km return and very doable as a day hike. However, if you want to hike to the Amoeba or Barnaby Ridge, or you just want to hang out and fish, then it’s a great destination as a one-or-two-night t ..read more

How do you protect wild places if you’ve never spent time in them? Without being exposed to nature, how do you foster a love for it? Those are two of my big concerns with the population at large as I get older. Backpacking with kids – specifically my two granddaughters that are 3 and 4 years old, is a way to show the next generation the magic in nature-filled wild places that most people will never see. Going forward, I plan to do an annual trip with them. My granddaughters know me well from numerous sleepovers, sometimes for days at a time, and plenty of trips to neighbourhood parks. Now that ..read more

Locals already know what a fabulous hike the North Head Trail is, one that’s likely been in use since the 1500’s. The trail takes you from the Battery neighbourhood within the city of St. John’s up to the Signal Hill National Historic Site, officially a distance of 1.7 kilometres one way. If you’re staying downtown, you can hike to the trailhead. Otherwise, order an Uber and get dropped off in the colourful Narrows neighbourhood overlooking St. John’s Harbour. The trailhead is a short walk away. In my opinion the North Head trail hike is one of the premiere things to do in St. John’s. Not only ..read more

Kelowna, British Columbia is a popular city to visit year-round – on account of its stunning location and the sheer number and variety of activities available. Its justly famous for its food, wine and great weather – particularly in spring and fall when it’s the pits in other parts of Canada. You can count on quick access to nature and outdoor activities. Over three days in spring I enjoyed a raft of unique activities in Kelowna from birdwatching to biking at a couple of beautiful locations, wine tastings, a coffee tasting, a fabulous traditional syilx plant use walking tour and an evening nat ..read more

It’s spring again and time for my annual outdoor lover’s spring gear guide. I write one every year to showcase new products that have hit the market just in time for summer. I’m lucky to have individuals and companies reach out to me to try and test their latest gear. In 2024 my spring gear guide includes some rugged pieces for the bikepacker that will keep your gear dry, a super lightweight sleeping pad that collapses into nothing and a down sleeping bag that keeps you warm but comes in at just 700 grams. I love The Remedy Pack – over the counter drugs packaged in small doses for common alime ..read more

I’ve done a lot of hikes in the Highway 66 corridor near Bragg Creek, Alberta but never had I done a backpacking trip. There is an excellent family friendly option that takes you to the Romulus Campground via the Little Elbow hike. It’s part of a larger loop hike you can do that takes in the Tombstone Lakes and Big Elbow Campsites but that will have to wait for another day. I booked the Mount Romulus Campground in late March thinking the weather would be warm and the snow would be gone by the time the May long weekend rolled around. That wasn’t the case. The forecast was dreadful – snow, rain ..read more

One of the best cycling trails in the western US is the 73-mile-long Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes in northern Idaho. It’s a fully paved, mostly flat trail located in the Idaho panhandle between Plummer and Mullan. The Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes takes you over the cool-looking Chatcolet Bridge, along Coeur d’Alene Lake and Coeur D’Alene river, past numerous lakes, through wetlands, and through the historic Silver Valley. The birding is fantastic, and you might get lucky like we did and see a moose. The eastern section is often close to I-90, so it’s noisier than some of you will like. You can c ..read more

The Lofoten Islands were on my radar for decades – long before drool-worthy Instagram photos made an appearance. It all started with a slide show (remember those?) put on by a kayaking company in Boulder, Colorado. While we never did kayak, I think you’ll find this 7-day Lofoten Islands itinerary with a hiking focus has wide appeal. We had planned and booked a trip to the Lofoten Islands for August 2020. You know the rest of the story. It took us another three years to get here – and fortunately our seven-day itinerary in the Lofoten Islands lived up to our high expectations. Our three week tr ..read more