Anniversary at Harrison Hotsprings

46 years together!

View from our room at Harrison Lake

An afternoon hike

Sandy Lake Cove hike

Rocky path

The sun sets on the lake

Dinner at the Copper Room listening to the Jones Boys

Camping at Alice Lake-August 2017

Our yearly family camping trip was at Alice Lake, south of Whistler.

Four Lakes Trail hike with all

Our youngest member took the picture

Camping at Lightning Lake, Manning Park

Coming from the West on Highway #1, after Hope take Highway 3 and drive 50 kms until you reach Manning Park Resort. Turn right and follow the directions to reach Lightning Lake.

Driving distance from Vancouver: 240 km (150 mi)
Driving time from Vancouver: Approx. 3 hours

We took our annual family camping trip to Manning Park and stayed at Lightning Lakes Campground.

Truck, trailer and kayak ready to roll

We took the grandkid/dogs

Basie helped out with the talk on trees in the amphitheatre 

Jen and Dante enjoying the show

Jen, Basie and I took the free alpine interpretive walk

Beautiful view up here

Having a snack after the hike

Jen, Basie and Bonnie enjoying the view

View of Manning Lodge

Basie and Doe

Bridge on Lightning Lake

Family hike around the lake

Jen, Dante and Aggie

Enjoyed the hiking

A couple of days in Whistler

We stayed at the Pan Pacific Mountainside for 2 nights in July.

This is a view from our window. In the winter this would be covered with snow but now it is covered with mountain mountainbikers.

We took the peak2peak gondola ride and the weather in July on the top of Whistler wasn't summerlike like.

We waited for the silver gondola to view the valley floor through the glass floor.

This is the view of the valley floor through the glass floor.

The regular gondolas are red. We didn't stand in line for the glass bottom gondola on the return.

There is good food at a good price in Whistler Village

New Year's Day walk 2016

Walking with the family

Grouse Mountain

A view of Vancouver from the gondola

Grouse Mountain towers 4,000 ft (1,200 m) over Vancouver and offers winter and summer activities.
On this trip we had a 4 year old photographer.

Waiting to take the gondola up the mountain

Lunch at the top. The view is amazing!

He took a lot of pictures of the trees

Passing another gondola car

The photographer resting in an owl carving

Fawn, with her spots, and mother

Grinder or Coola?

Grizzlies, Grinder and Coola, were found orphaned in 2001 and relocated to the Wildlife Refuge at the top of the mountain. At the bottom of the mountain we saw Alpha, the timber wolf. 

Sunshine Coast Camping

We left Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal at the end to August, bound for Langdale terminal on the Sunshine Coast. We were over height and over the standard 7 ft length, so we reserved our spot on the ferry. The reservation cost $15.00 and the ferry fee was $254.50 payable at the terminal. Sounds like a lot, but the return ferry is free.

Loaded up and ready to go

We stayed at Porpoise Bay Provincial Park on two sites to accommodate the whole family.

Having booked this months in advance and with the high temperatures the province had been experiencing, we expected a warm and sunny week away. What we got was rain and cold temperatures. I definitely didn't pack for the weather we got.

We got out for 2 hikes;

• Smuggler Cove Provincial Park Trail accessed from Hwy 101. Heading north, turn left onto Brooks Rd, 1.4km north of Half-moon Bay. The trailhead is 3.3km from Hwy 101.

The trail is 1.5km and takes about 20 min each way, if you don't stop to play along the way. The forested trail leads to the secluded anchorage of Smugglers Cove and then to a spot with views across to South Thormanby Island and north to Texada Island.

Boardwalk over the beaver ponds

Smugglers Cove

• Skookumchuck in Egmont

The hike takes one hour each way and you need to plan on being there at the best viewing times which depends on the tides. 

Skookumchuck means "Strong Water". Tidewater is forced through Skookumchuck Narrows and forms the Sechelt Rapids. The difference in water levels between one side of the rapid and the other can exceed 2 metres (6.5 ft) in height. 

The hike is 4 km with some elevation change. Our "best viewing time" was 6:25pm so we had to hike back in the fading light.

Extreme kayaker

We got out in the kayak once and saw jellyfish, an eagle, seals, and spawning salmon.

Jellyfish under the kayak