A relatively unknown hidden gem called Mt. Becher lies about 12km SE of Mt. Washington.  It falls within the extreme western edge of a small offshoot of Strathcona Provincial Park and features plenty of snow, skiable terrain and grand 360 degree vistas of Strathcona peaks, the Comox Glacier and the mainland coastal mountains.The route to the top of Mt. Becher is about 6km (one way) with an elevation gain of 600m.  Except for some steeper sections (which get your heart pumping) the terrain is pretty easy to travel.  There are no sharp drop offs or rock scrambling required on the main route up (but if you want you can find these off to the sides of the trail if you walk a short ways).  Depending on your fitness level, trail conditions, weight of your pack and how distracted you get taking photos of the marvellous scenery, travel time to the top ranges from 2 to 4 hours and about 1.5-2 hours back down.  The route is fairly popular but if you are one of the first up after a snowfall and have to break trail be prepared to spend more time on the ascent.

The trailhead is located at the parking lot of the old Forbidden Ski hill.   From there head straight up the hill following the old ski lift.  This part of the route has some of the steeper sections you will encounter on the trail.

Once you get to the top of the old ski hill the walking is easier as you traverse a gently up sloping plateau through majestic trees.As you gain altitude you start to encounter views of Mt. Becher.

Continuing up the trail brings you to a very spectacular bowl housing Boston Falls and Boston Lake.  Local ice climbers use Boston Falls so there is a trail down to the lake. There is a very good viewpoint here so spend some time and enjoy the view.

Past Boston Lake the trail becomes steeper again as you approach the summit.

The final approach to the summit is largely open with scattered clumps of trees.If the conditions are right the trees may be covered in wind-swept snow making the whole area a winter wonderland.

The summit itself is dome shaped without a clearly defined top.  Walk around the summit and take advantage of the views.

To the North-East you will see Georgia Strait (Salish Sea) and the Coastal Mountains.To the South-East is Comox Lake.

To the South-West is the Comox Glacier and other spectacular peaks in Strathcona Park.

To the North-West you should be able to see the ski runs on Mt. Washington.

The route is popular with both snowshoers and skiers (and hikers in the warmer months). Some of the steeper sections can be a little tricky on skis so consider your level of expertise before heading up.  The summit sections and the old ski hill sections are favored by the skiers to get some turns in.  In the early part of the season when the snow pack is low the old ski hill sections can be challenging due to the growth of Alder trees on the old runs but with enough snow these become covered.

Getting There

Travel North on Highway 19 (Island Highway) from Nanaimo until you pass the first exit to Courtenay/Comox (don’t turn into Courtenay, stay on the highway).  Turn right at the lights at Piercy Road and after a few hundred meters take another right on Forbidden Plateau Road.  Follow this road all the way to where it ends in the parking lot of the old Forbidden Ski Area.  Although the road turns into gravel it is very well maintained and passable by any 2wd car.  The lower slopes of the old Forbidden Ski hill are very popular with families and they seem to keep the road well cleared in winter.

You can download a GPS track of the route here:

GPS Track

More details on the route up can be found here:

Detailed Route

Warnings

Although this location is relatively easy to get to and many families play on the lower slopes of the old ski runs, keep in mind that Mt. Becher is a backcountry location and subject to all the usual perils.  Take appropriate precautions by bring the right gear, letting someone know of your planned route and assessing the avalanche danger.  Although I have no personal experience, I have heard from others that you can get cell phone coverage from the tower on Mt. Washington.  Most of the photos I’ve posted here are of lovely sunny days but it can also be cold, blowing, foggy and offer white-out conditions (see photo below).  Check the weather forecast before you go and always be prepared for inclement weather.

Equipment

Suggested equipment will depend on time of year, local conditions and your mode of travel but some common equipment will be useful no mater how you travel.  A GPS is a very good thing to carry (with the track available above loaded).  In good weather the route up is fairly obvious but if the weather closes in landmarks can disappear making navigation difficult.  Hiking poles are useful as there is a lot of up hill travel.  I consider a camera as essential but that may just be my bias as a photographer.  It’s an excellent idea to carry some sort of communication device as well should you get into trouble (Cell phone, radio, Spot Messenger). Take clothing appropriate to the conditions.

The post Mt. Becher – Hidden Gem first appeared on Pack & Trail.

All trucked up and ready to go, the drive in was the same old. Up the Green road and through the washout, we hit the snow quite a bit further down the mountain than we had on our trip a few weeks previous. The snow was slushy and gross and the trucks were definitely not going anywhere near the trail head parking lot. Not to be discouraged though, snowshoes on and boards on our backs we headed on up the hill. Hez and I were stuck trudging through with snowshoes on our feet and our board on our backs. Jerrett on the other hand was happily gliding along on his splitboard. Breaking trail for him was no problem but we sunk above our ankles and carried the heavy snow up and over with every step. Did I mention there was 10 new inches of thick, wet snow on the ground.

By the time we reached the creek below the fern meadow, I was nearly pooched and ready to pack it in. The lure of one run through the thick powder was enough to keep me going though and we made it up around the fern meadow without any issues. Being one of the steeper places on the mountain, we skirted around the meadow to play it safe in case something slid.

Stopping to catch our breaths multiple times on the way up, we finally made to within site of the summit. From just below we could even see the top and elected to save it for a nicer day to see the view from the summer. This trip would have been white, white and more white.After lunch and some hydration we were ready to hit the slopes. My Dad hurried down just below where we were starting to set up with his camera. The idea was to fly  down through the powder, big grins on faces, mere feet from the tail of the guy before. Umm, right. Between getting our snowboarding legs, finding our way through the trees and wrestling our bodies out of the powder after bails, we looked like a band of snowy misfits coming out of the bush.

Not to let looks deter me though, we headed as far down the hill as we could, stopping only at the bottom of the main run just above the fern meadow. I couldn’t stop grinning. Despite the incredible amount of work to get to the top and the 2 minutes it took to get down, I was as happy as a clam. Or maybe a yeti in the snow?

I had no idea before the trip how many runs we’d be able to get in. I wasn’t sure what the snow was going to be like, the weather, everyones energy levels and the runs. Gliding over everything strapped to a snowboard gives a very different perspective than hiking with boots on dirt.

Giddy with excitement, I headed back up for 2 more runs. One about half way up and another to about the same level where we had lunch the first time. We could go anywhere, we had first tracks on the whole thing, but we only had the energy for one more. Time to make it good. Unfortunately the snow was so wet and sticky we had to stick in our previous tracks to make it through some sections. The steeper sections offered a little more freedom to play in the deep white stuff and in doing so I almost took out Hez on the way down our third time.

Hez had decided that the 5 days of climbing previous were catching up to him and he was going to sit out the last run. Jerrett headed up one more time while Hez took pictures from below. I’m not sure if I was too focused on staying upright and not flailing headfirst into the snow or Hez’s beard made him blend into the foliage, I didn’t see him until I was almost on top of him coming down. Luckily I hit our previous track near the bottom and was able to get over the flat section.

Almost falling into numerous tree wells across the access road, I accidentally launched myself out of the woods and onto the fern meadow. Taking it safe we cruised down the side near where we ascended and through the stream. Near the bottom of the fern meadow, though, I tried to be cool and do a couple turns. Apparently this was a bad idea as my board got stuck and I ended up flying backwards through the air and getting stuck in the deep snow. It felt like someone had taken a bucket of snow and shoved it down my pants and jacket. Not a great feeling.

I’m hoping that mother nature will make the access road back to the truck a little more angled. Near the stream it’s quite flat and trying to descend that on a snowboard doesn’t work very well. Hez and I kept ours on hoping to catch a little bit of a hill and slide right back to the truck. I felt like I was paddling a little boat along with my one hiking pole and moving about 1 k an hour strapped into my board. Once through the flat section it does angle down a bit more and we got a bit of a break. Don’t ride all way to the rocks though! Snowboards don’t like that.

All in all, an awesome trip and hopefully one I can repeat again very soon, hopefully with some beautiful blue sky above us.

The post Snowboarding on Green Mountain first appeared on Pack & Trail.

One of the best so far has to be Green Mountain. An old ski hill abandoned before I was even born, its gentle slopes and wide open terrain make it a beautiful place to be any time of the year. Since my first attempt I’ve been up 3 times since and the trips have been very worth it.

A few weeks ago during our week of beautiful warm sunny weather, some friends and I made the trip out. The snow had started to recede and from all the melting and freezing, had packed down considerably. We all had snowshoes just in case but didn’t even pull them off our packs for the hour and a half hike to the summit. The snow was more than hard enough for us to cruise right over all of the terrain and straight up the wide open ski hill.

The hike starts with a gentle climb up the old access road. We were forced to park the truck a couple minutes hike down the hill from where we usually depart because of the snow. It was hard enough to drive to where we did but without chains, I wasn’t getting any further around the last steep corner. The road is typically very good aside from the snow that can get quite low in the winter. There is one washout about half way up the mountain that definitely requires a 4×4 of some sort. You could walk from here but it would probably add another hour to the hike.

Near where we usually leave the access road and turn up onto the open meadows there is a deep stream that melts all the snow above it. From the stream to the top of the snow it was about 10 feet but that includes a drop in the dirt below the snow as well. 4×4’s might be able to get past where we normally park but they would definitely not make it past this ditch.

Slightly wet from hopping into the stream at the bottom of the ditch, we headed up the open meadows and into the trees. During the summer the meadows are covered with bright green ferns. It is an incredible sight. We popped through the trees, over the access road that has curled around and is winding it’s way up the mountain and onto one of the main ski hill runs. The lodge is around this area but with all the snow that covers during the winter the burn rubble and foundation were nowhere to be seen.

The rest of the hike to the summit went quickly thanks to the great company, hard snow and beautiful blue sky and sun above us.

With 200 meters left to go to the summit there are some steep craggy bits that need to be negotiated. Heading right you can pick your way up and over the rocks and on to the summit plateau at the top. If that isn’t your thing you can head left to the west side and up a steeper but snow-covered section. We decided the rocks looked like fun this time and ascended those with no problems. There was ice on the odd rock so care had to be taken no to slip down to the bottom on the pointy rocks.

With the only difficult section behind us, we winded our way through the last few trees at the top before hitting the actual summit and were greeted with a heavenly view off into the rest of the snow-covered mountains with the sun shining brightly in the sky. Summit beers were out  and everyone was contemplating digging a snow cave at that very spot and spending the night, or the week!

The post Green Mountain on a Blue Bird Day first appeared on Pack & Trail.

You see, Stephanie doesn’t train for races or sporting events.  Ever.

I don’t know how she pulls it off, but she walks into every race totally unprepared and kicks ass. Last month some friends and I decided to enter the upcoming Yeti Snowshoe Race as a team and of course Stephanie imposed the no training rule.  To my knowledge, everyone has adhered until yesterday when I broke the rule and drove up to Mount Washington for an afternoon on the trails.  I have many good reasons for doing so but still secretly hope that Stephanie never reads this.

If you know her, please don’t tell her…I’ve lived in Courtenay for a week and a half and hadn’t been to the mountain yet.  It seems like everyone around has lift tickets hanging off their jackets, ski racks on their car and sore legs.  Seeing these guys every day for 10 days was too much for me.  I knew that I had to get up there doing something.  The upcoming Yeti and the dusty snowshoes in my garage seemed like a pretty good excuse.

I left school and headed directly to the mountain; I went the back route to scope out some potential riding routes and was amazed by the beautiful farmland surrounding the Comox Valley; I was seriously tempted to turn around and get on my road bike instead.  The thick rays of sunlight streaming between the pines lining the roadside were heating the pavement and sending steam drifting off into the beautiful bluebird sky.  Tidy cedar fences ran for hundreds of meters along the road and silently grazing cows looked up carelessly as I drove past.  At one point I pulled over to admire one particularly beautiful scene.

Unfortunately I didn’t have my camera with me but noted the time and exact location so I can try and get a shot if the weather ever cooperates with me.

Once I got to the Raven Lodge at Mt Washington, I quickly got my snazzy running suit on and got out onto the trails.  I had heard reports of fresh powder this morning and was hoping to find a trail that had been used so I could avoid breaking trail.  It has been a full year since I’d been on my Atlas Snow Race’s and the bright yellow decking brought back memories of the last Yeti I raced.  It was one of those perfect alpine days: bright blue, the sun high above and no wind.  The event truly is a race everyone can and should do – participants ranged from the hardcores wearing their bright XT Wings and sponsor jerseys to first time snowshoe-ers in thick heavy winter clothing to the snow queens, all dressed up in their Sunday best (you have to see them yourself, words don’t do them justice).  There was several inches of fresh snow that race day and running through it sticks in my mind as one of the hardest things I’ve ever done – surpassed only by the Squamish MOMAR.

There’s something cool about running through the snow that makes me enjoy it more than any other running surface.  Road running to me is bland and unexciting.  Trail running is much better – twisty trails and mud puddles get me excited.  Finally, running on the snow gives off this almost romantic je ne sais pas.

I remember one particularly steep hill about 45 minutes in when everything just seemed to fall together perfectly.  Clearly defined sunbeams were flowing out of the trees beside the trail but a cold wind was biting at my cheeks, reminding me that it’s still winter.  Loose snow flung up by my snowshoes was flying all around my head; every few seconds a piece would land on my neck and send a chilling rivulet of ice water down my back.  My iPod had once again picked the perfect song to run to and I kept pace with the strong beat with my feet and my man-dance head bobs.  My heart rate was high and I could almost feel each individual heart beat throughout my body but I was breathing regularly, focusing energy to my legs and screaming calves.  A perfect mix of hot and cold, pain and calm; total sensory awareness yet total removal as well.  Sports psychologists call this moment ‘flow’ and if you’ve ever been there, you know how amazing it feels.

After two laps of one of the snowshoe specific trails and one last sprint up the final hill of Raven’s Revenge all I could think of was the sauna waiting for me in the lodge.  I jogged back up to the lodge, confident of what to expect from myself in next weekend’s Yeti.

I can’t promise that you’ll achieve this same level of consciousness if you participate in The Yeti but I do promise that you’ll enjoy it immensely and have loads of fun.

The post Training for the Yeti first appeared on Pack & Trail.

Mount Washington has just opened so we decided to check out the snow but it would be in a different way than most. A group of friends decided to hike to Kwai Lake can camp for the night.

Unfortunately, I’ve not got the required gear for being toasty warm while camping in the snow.  My girlfriend and I would make the trip out there with them, then after some warm food and shelter building, we’d head back to a warm car and dry clothes.

We met at the Raven Lodge, Mount Washington for a later start than I had hoped.The weather report bordered on snow but we didn’t see any. The sun was trying to push its way through the greyness above but just couldn’t do it. The grey stayed dry though and I was thankful for that. I was ecstatic to be out roaming around in the snow with friends but I know some of our pack was going to be less than pleased with the conditions after several kilometers through heavy snow. Rain would definitely have put a heavy damper on the mood already made tense by anxious conversations regarding the actual whereabouts of the campsite.

Off to a great start. Loping down the valley trail, err, road, I’m suddenly veering off into the bush attempting to keep up with the rest of the pack. It doesn’t even look like they know where we’re going. After 100 meters of bushwacking we landed on a beautiful snowshoe trail, then headed off into Paradise Meadows.Our first big decision. Straight to the easier but longer way, or left and up the hill, a shorter but tougher shoe. After some deliberation, eating and layer-changing, we head left, up the bank. Little did I know we’d be in for a rough ride.

Up and down, up and down, up and down. That’s all I could feel for the next hour. Instead of taking the nice, fluffy, flat, route that was slightly longer, we took the gnarly, steep, crazy hill. Ok, it wasn’t that bad but it felt hard at the time. I’m sure those that were with me that spent half the time hauling their snowshoes out of large holes can attest to the effort that was required to get all the way through those side hills.

After some celebration, we arrive out onto a flatter area and our, ahem, guide takes half us back into the woods for some more side-hilling instead of following the first group across the flat, fluffy snow. Like a lost dog, I follow.

The clock is ticking, and by this time the sun is getting lower and my girlfriend and I need to find our way back to our car. I was a little anxious about finding our way out by a different route. The snow makes everything look completely different. Never mind that, I had never been there before! My GPS was working flawlessly and tracked us back to the lodge with no problems.

After a short break in the snow on the way back for some warm food and hot chocolate, we collapsed into the car and started the long foggy roll down the mountain.

It was terribly disappoint to go to so much effort and turn around before we got to Kwai Lake and the campsite but it was still a great time marching around in the snow. We’ll have to get out there again and actually achieve our goal of Kwai Lake. Who’s coming!?

The post Snowshoeing to Kwai Lake first appeared on Pack & Trail.