Expedition Canada

Just as the crampons are due to arrive! Thu Jan 13th Dakota Ridge After nearly four weeks of snow and ice, temperatures have climbed above freezing and storms together with heavy rain Tuesday and overnight Wednesday, have cleared most of the ice and snow except where it's ploughed up at the edge of the road.  Having both gone over on the icy roads we, along with nearly everybody else on the Coast who didn't already have them, have ordered crampons to reduce falls and slips.  Inevitably they will arrive after we need them unless new snow arrives.  That said we'll have them for next winter!  They are, we have decided, an essential accessory. The heavy rain and wind caused quite a bit of damage around the southern coast of BC as it coincided with King (Spring) tides.   Low lying areas around Vancouver were flooded and logs washed up on the beaches. The sea wall around Stanley Park, a circular walk and cycle route that goes under the spectacular Lion's Gate Bri...

Cold Jack on the Dakota Ridge snow shoe trail going grey with ice and snow Tue Dec 28th  The weather predictions were pretty accurate and the snow and cold temperatures have continued through the Christmas weekend.  It has been a very 'white Christmas'. Nick and Lizzie arrived mid afternoon Christmas Eve and stayed through to Monday afternoon. Hopkins Landing Wharf just after dawn Sadly the NZ branch could not make it because of work demands, (their summer of course) covid restrictions and expensive returning quarantine requirements, nor Fred's sister from London.  We had a great few days and though we could not meet in person, Zoom kept us in touch with distant relations.   The local walks and weather made Christmas rather special and it was mainly blue skies in between the snow showers.  Day time it's been around -5c and -16c at night. The road up to Sprockids Trails Boxing day (it's called that in Canada as well) we headed down to Cliff Gilker ...