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The top of Gray’s Peak

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Nine Reasons to Hike the Sunshine Coast Trail in November

I have had a ten year tradition of backpacking in November; one of the coldest, wettest, darkest months of the year. Picking this time of year guarantees many things you and your listens may gravitate towards; complete solitude, epic adventures, picturesque frozen water sources, unforgettable moments of wet/cold feet, and putting gear to the ultimate test of subzero temperatures.

These Thanksgiving hikes have had an unsaid tradition. One person finds the most remote park, the least marked trail, in the most unusual place and that is where we go. Each year the trips go deeper into the wilderness, are longer, wetter, and colder. However, we are getting older, each year one person plans a trip, and the other person agrees to go, remembering only the good meals and endless laughter. Last yea’s trip was our tenth anniversary and the Trail and journey were noteworthy and I highly recommend The Sunshine Coast Trail in British Columbia, Canada, specifically in November. Here is why:  1. You will not see anyone! No one is crazy enough to hike in November, the conditions are too unpredictable. You’ll have the trail to yourself, so if you get ill, injured, or frozen in place; no one will find you until summer when the trail thaws out.

2.The Huts - This trail is Canada’s longest Hut-to Hut System (side note I could not find any other hut-to-Hut Hike in Canada). There are beautiful huts equipped with complex pellet stove; that you need a PhD in engineering degree use. With three different Masters Degrees, we figured it out on the very last night just before going to bed.

3. You do not need to check the forecast, as it will rain, 100% probability. The 10-day forecast is rain, light rain, rain, heavy rain. Not being from Canada, we still struggle with the actual difference between the types of rain. 

4. There will be snow! Tin Hat Hut is a remarkable Hut and one of the higher peaks, with 360-degree views (although we would not know). Its high elevation makes for early season snow, even if the rest of the trail is clear. If night hiking, the trail markers to the hut will be hidden for the last mile. We felt like we were climbing Everest, except our summit had an empty dry hut at the top. For Guinness Lovers: Someone left a spare tent at the hut with a note “Sorry you have to use this tent, Here is a beer.”

5. There is no sunshine on this trail, do not be fooled by its name. You’ll get some amazing views due to the strategic clear cutting and roads.

6. Surprise reroutes, some on logging roads, where you will have to dodge active logging trucks. (Ninja skills are helpful in these situations, so you can move quickly, I suggest practicing before you leave for your hike.) These detours are mostly insignificant lengths, such as a short 10 km. In 2017, we had three detours, one was directly up a waterfall.

7. You can eat in your underwear. The only restaurant on the trail will hold a food drop, for no charge. If you arrive soaking wet, they will let have lunch in your underwear. And the waitress on staff will put everything but you in the drier for you, while you stuff your face. Note: When you ask for your check, make sure you ask for your clothes back to brave the elements.

8. Free Rides offered all the time

If and when you pass a road; everyone will offer you a ride back to your car. The Canada hospitality is noteworthy. However, most people simply think there is something wrong with you for volunteering to hike, so they offer their ride in pity.

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I never thought I would hike the Camino twice, that is only a quarter journey of 200 km, not 800. I packed and repackaged yet I always have a few unnecessary items and wish I had other items. Hiking today I discovered the journey of the re journey. I have mixed feeling about visiting a place twice. The first time everything is new and the discover is exciting. The second time you experience a place you know with different people. The benefit of knowing, is it worth the lost of discovery? The eternal debate about travel, I sit the place or the people who create the experience

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Norway Adventures - Manafossen & Gloppedalsura Scree

Ever adventure in Norway starts with packing the car; bathsuit, towels, rain jacket, sweaters, wool hat watermelon, bbq grill, sunblock, and anything else on might need for a full day away from the house in any typebof weather.

The windy one lane two way roads brought us to the trail head to Manafossen. After this car sicken ride of turns we all ran up to see the 92 meter falls. The steep stairs had chains for you to hold or pull yourself up the mountain. The view was spectacular, rocky glacial mountains in the backdrop, hints of green and vegatation where it could grow and valleys carved out hundreds of thousands of years ago.

After a hike up and down the mountain, we sat by the river and had grilled sausages cooked on a flat glacial boulder that was a natural park bench and table.

The day was still full, with another 18 hours of sunlight, so we meadered on the roads to the candle factory in Byrkjedal. We all took part in the tourist activity of making a colored candle. By dipping a white candel into different colored wax one could create their own personalized colored candle to take home.

Before we left Byrkjedal we all sampled the ice cream. Sarah had the most unique flavor licorish ice cream with licorice sprinkles, everyone else had chocolate, almond or tutti frutti. Everyone exchanged tastes, and the licorice ice cream was a once in a life time oppurtunity, that I could have lived without.

Since we were traveling with three children, we started our return trip home, although we would stop many more times and only just started our adventures.

We drive out of town and started to see the avalache of boulders known as Gloppedalsura. Everyone exited the car and proceeded to climb, scramble, and get lost or stuck in the maze of rocks. Orion and I got trapped in a dead end of climbing boulders, we turned around and found everyone else back at the car ready to go swimming.

Miles later, we found a new swimming hole on a lake to explore. This crispy lake concluded our days adventures and home for a pizza dinner a local friday tradition.

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Manafossen Waterfall

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Horses to Heaven

The high mountain of O Ceberio tour above the Camino. Lower on the trail is a small stable where Victor and his 7 horses live. Gearing up to ride the horses required 3 trips to the bathroom due to nerves. Would the horse kick me off, would I ever make it up the mountain, what if i have to pee when i am riding the horse. The horse offered a new perspective, I could see the mountain, yellow flowers, ridge lines, and more. The mountain was amazing! We were rewarded with great views. We hiked into the heat of the day. It was so hot we could not stop for food, water, or ice cream. Our hostel had three star bunks. They were wood, stable, and clean.

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Sky Diving or Cabella Riding?

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Villafranca to Ruitelan

You know when you walk out of the bathroom and everyone is looking at you and you wonder if there is toilet paper stuck tobyour shoe or if you forgot to zipper your pants. Well thatvwas the look I got when walking in Pradela. It was a side trail with yellow arrows, in both guide books, plus there was a cafe/bar sign, yet everyone stoppes what they were doing to look at the 6 pilgrams. The high route was amazing and worth the climb, we were rewarded with our daily dose of local cherries. The heat of the spanish day made the kilometers go by slowly. We arrives at our reservation on time, instead of 2 hours late like the day before. Carlos checked us in to the alburgue, and showed us to our bunk room. The bunk beds were so saggy that I was nervous sleeping on the top, what if i fell through. Sarah slept below and she had to be careful to not catch her hair on the springs of the top bunk. Dinner was the highlight of the hostel with carrot soup, salad with more than one tomatoe, and Carlos giving Sarah, Paul, and I back massages. Apparrently there was a reason for assigned seating. Surprisingly no one got a good night kiss.

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Morning Summit.

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20 miles by 5 pm

It was a semi cascual day, leaving Molinseca at 6:30 am we watched the sun rise behind the town. Thinking we could bang out this 20 mile day by 2 pm, we stopped for first breakfast in Ponferrada. A few towns later we found amazing sandwhiches, which we had to stop and enjoy. But who put a winery at the end of town. A few less euros where in our pocket, bellies were full and the sun was in full force. Deirdra had pushed ahead and we slowed down. Somewhere between towns the miles.grew and the heat got hotter. Our final push to our Albergue was on a hilly track through cberry orchards and grapds for wine. We raided the trees, stuffed our faces and rolled down the mountain to town. And there 20 miles later at 5 pm we arrived at our reserved albergue. We made it exhausted!

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Molinesca to Villafrances de Bierzo

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"You lied, I thought it was suppose to be easy." words from my father today. The pyrenees was easy compared to hiking up to mitzpa hut, easy compared to the lake distrct, easy compared to the sinking bogs of the Pennine Way. It was a slow and steady up hill with a bitter breeze, so crisp that I put on my puffy, rain jacket, warm hat and buff. It was so cold I could not stop hiking I might have frozen in place and have to be buried there. Half way through the day I saw in the mist and fog a food truck, with eggs, bananas, and more which were totally worth the one euro i paid. Afraid that the183 person hostel would be full I ran ahead to see if Icould reserve a lower bunk for my elderly parents. Knowing the answer was no, I used this oppurtunity to jog the flat sections and solo hike. Around 1 pm i arrived unable to purchase a room for more than one person. At 1:55 pm my mother and father arrived, they had made it over the Pyrnees and into Spain. Impressesd they made it, nervous they would be mad at the easy/hard hike, and excited they got a bunk for the night. The evening ended with wine, olives, and a good nights rest.

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How do you teach your 70 year old mother and 72 year old father how to pack for an ultra light backpacking trip; when they have never backpacked. They think camping is having no TV, cold showers, and buying food from a grocery store. They have never carried thier own clothes, water, and food over mountain passes; yet tomorrow they will be hiking 7.7 km in the Pyernees in France. I have given them a packing list, showed them my pack, demoed how to pack. Yet, my father has a tube of tooth paste that is 6 oz and my mother has three books; all that she is planning to read really fast while hiking really slow. I forsee tomorrow as an epic day, perhaps of tears and maybe temper tantrums. My mother will be fine hiking but her verbal contimplation will be complimented by my fathers strong will of staying nothing, even though it will be physcially challenging. I have secretly put many of my fathers heavy items into my bag, and will need to carry extra water even though they claim they are never thirsty. Tomorrow is the start of probably the coolest journey with my parents. Not many people in the world hike 800km with thier old fart parents.

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The AT, The Dingle Way, The Coast to Coast, every trail has its honeymoon phase. The first week of every trail is what gear did you bring, which guide book did you bring, how many days did you plan for the trip, and why are you hiking. Markus, a gay fashion designer hiking with Jasmine, a co depended women hoping to have babies. Deana who lost her partner to cancer who is hiking with Bobbie another women who will not snuggle with her for warmth, Chris and Heather thru hikers on the AT who have been married for 4 years. Hundreds of people, with hundreds of problems all walking the path but each person is on thier own journeg. It is cool to hike with my parents, but we have different goals. Why is my dad hiking the trail? Ahy is my mom hiking the trail? Why am i hiking the trail?

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Day 1 - Traveling with your parents is no easy task. For the summer, I decided to sign up for a sucide hike of 800 km with my mother and father. I thought at 36, It was time to see if my parents were cool. I tried to prepared them for hiking and traveling, but i guess like all good lesson; some are better figured out first hand. Photo: Only the company of family that allow laugter and smiles while being caught in a rain storm of Paris, with our expensive rain jackets left at the hotel.

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The coldest day on the AT, Memorial Day 2013. It was so cold I snuggled by a south bounded.

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The most miserable night on the Appalachian Trail.

Pierce Pond was suppose to be this utopia, a mecca for AT hikers. It was a beautiful 1,650 square acres Pond  in the middle of a remote Maine forest. Cold and crisp this lake was a blessing for hot hikers on the sweltering summer days.

Arriving at camp, starving like any distance hiker I tried to eat my weight in food, but there were no stores in the 100 mile wilderness, so I could only eat my allotted food for the day. The evening of an AT hiker is filled with daily chores, although this night I hiked another half mile to the Hunting Lodge to make breakfast reservations for eight hikers. I meandered down the blue blazes, got lost a few times. I thought finding a house in the middle of the woods would be a bit easier, soon I heard the sound of the generator. I put my waitress skills to use and brought Tim, the owner our groups order of pancakes, egg, and hot beverages. An hour later my tasks of making a dinner reservation on the AT was accomplished, dinner was devoured, and it was time to snuggle under my quilt for the evening.

Except the Pierce Pond Mosquitoes were out in full force. The Shelter was full of 6 people, a few of us wore our bug nets to bed. Like the nursery rhyme about monkey's jumping on the bed and falling off. One by One, we each left the shelter to set up our tent to hide from the blood thirsty insects.

The problem was my shelter was floor less and mosquitoes could still find me. There were only a few options, die from being eaten alive by mosquitoes (I think this was really possible), ask a fellow hiker to share tier one person tent (not the worse idea), or put on all my rain gear and hide face down in the dirt. I went with option three, and those eight hours of darkness lasted forever. Waking up I sweated away a few pounds in my rain gear, my face was swollen from either bites or being smothered in dirt. And I burned so many extra calories that night I was ready for my ten pancake breakfast!