Hiking has been the one interest I have maintained my entire life. I was raised on the flat prairies of Southern Saskatchewan and Alberta, not exactly hiking destinations. During university, I read The Complete Walker by Colin Fletcher. I thought it was the “Bible”. On graduation, I went to a hiking store and purchased much ill-advised equipment including a monstrous pair of hiking boots.
My first walk ever was the 50 km cross-country hike between Medicine Hat Alberta and Elkwater in the Cypress Hills. This had probably never been done before nor since. I left the boots at a ranch and never wore them again – they were stiff, heavy and guaranteed blisters.
Because of time and work commitments, I didn’t start until I was 23 when I graduated with a medical degree. Unlike today’s youth who expect a vacation after a hard year at university, I started summer jobs the day the term was finished and worked until the day I returned to school.
My wife’s family had a lovely cabin in Waterton Lakes National Park (an International park with Glacier National Park in Montana). I hiked there for 17 summers, climbed every mountain and developed a series of unusual adventures connecting ridges and destinations.
When I interned on Vancouver Island I took my first backpacking trips – the West Coast Trail and canoed/backpacked to Della Falls, the highest waterfall in Canada.
I was hooked. This started a life in the mountains that has lasted 50 years. I am not a spiritual person and am not sure what ‘spiritual” means but spending time in forests, mountains and on the ocean has been my spiritual haven.
Just as the best travel is experienced alone, I have done most of my hiking alone.
ONLY WHERE YOU HAVE WALKED HAVE YOU BEEN
HAWAII
NEW ZEALAND
SOUTH AMERICA
Iceland
Rockies – Lake Ohara, Moraine Lake,
Wesr Kootenay: Devils Range, Silverspray
Utah – Havasu, Grand Canyon, Grand Gulch, Road, Maze, Needles, Coyote Buttes, Subway
Mexico – Mission Impossible Baia Los Angeles , Sierra San Francisco
FAVOURITE BACKPACKING TRIPS
1. Havasu Falls, Grand Canyon, Arizona
2. Rockies Panorama Traverse, Kootenay/Yoho/Banff NPs, BC and Alberta
3. Berg Lake, Mt Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia
4. North Fork of the Virgin River, Zion National Park, Utah
5. Milford Sound, South Island, New Zealand
6. Camino de Santiago, Le Puy en Velay, France to Santiago Spain (1600 kms)
7. Chilkoot Trail, Alaska/Yukon
8. Kalalau Valley, Na Pali Coast, Kauai
9. Paria Canyon, Paria/Vermillion Cliffs Primitive Area, Utah
10. West Coast Trail, Pacific Rim National Park, Vancouver Island, BC
11. Grand Gulch, Utah. Bullet Canyon to Kane Gulch, Bullet Canyon to Collins Spring
12. Wapta Traverse, Banff/Yoho National Parks, Alberta and BC
13. Rockwall Trail, Kootenay National Park, BC
14. Grand Canyon, Arizona. (S. Kaibab Trail/Bright Angel Trail)
15. Santa Cruz Trek, Cordilla Blanca, Peru
16. Inca Trail→Machu Picchu , Peru
17. Valhalla Traverse, Valhalla Provincial Park, BC, Drinnon TH→Beatrice Lake→Evans Creek.
18. Devils Range Traverse, Valhalla Provincial Park, BC. Drinnon TH→Coven Lakes,
19. Mona Loa, Big Island of Hawaii
20. Sierra de San Francisco, Baja, Mexico
21. Mt Whitney, Sierras, California
22. Kepler Trek, South Island, New Zealand
23. Logan Pass→Garden Wall→Many Glacier, Glacier National Park, Montana
24. Goat Haunt→Boulder Pass→Mt Forum, Glacier/Waterton NPs, Montana, Alberta
25. Routeburn Trek, South Island, New Zealand
26. Coyote Buttes Traverse, Paw Hole→Wire Pass, Paria/Vermillion Cliffs, Utah
27. Langavegar Trek, Iceland. Landmannalauger to Thorsmonk
FAVOURITE DAY HIKES
1. Torres del Paine, W Trek, Patagonia, Chili
2. Traverse Bugaboo Provincial Park, Cobalt Lake→Conrad Kain Hut, BC
3. Coyote Gulch, Grand Staircase National Monument, Utah
4. Coyote Buttes, Vermillion Cliffs, (Wave→Top Rock→Upper Wave), Utah
5. Highline Trail, Lake O’Hara, Yoho National Park, BC
6. Vernal Falls→Nevada Falls→Half Dome, Yosemite National Park
7. Silverspray, Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park, BC
8. Subway, Zion National Park, Utah
9. NW corner, Easter Island, Chili
10. Tongariro Crossing, North Island, New Zealand
11. Robberg Peninsula, South Africa.
12. Gigantes Cares, Picos de Europa, Spain
13. Mt Tympanogis, Utah
14. Haleakua through Kaupo Gap to Kaupo Ranch, Mauai
15. Chesler Park, Virginia Park, Needles District, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
16. Rim to Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
17. Gimli Peak, Valhalla Provincial Park, BC
18. Avalanche Peak, South Island, New Zealand
19. Iceberg Lake and Peak, Glacier National Park, Montana
20. Keyhole, Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park, BC
21. West Rim (Lava Point→West Rim to Angels Landing, Zion National Park, Utah
22. Neon Canyon, Grand Staircase National Monument, Utah
23. Spooky, Peekaboo, Brimstone slot canyons, Grand Staircase NM, Utah
24. Arches National Park, Utah
25. Coast Trail, Sooke Regional Park, Vancouver Island, BC
26. Mount Forum, Waterton Lakes National Park
27. The Maze (Pictograph Fork, Chocolate Drops), Canyonlands National Park, Utah
28. Moon House Ruin, Cedar Mesa, Utah
29. Mount Crandell, Waterton Lakes National Park
30. Citadel Ruin, Cedar Mesa, Utah