A brand new verb, lots of snow and the Jeep has the last laugh...

Me in Manning

Canada lagged a week behind the UK in its last public holiday over the summer with the 'Labour day' long weekend just over.  Superb sunny weather, making up for the crappy early summer so:


Saturday: shortish 17km hike in EC Manning Provincial Park just above the US border with the Vancouver Natural History Society where I 'botanised' for the first time (discovered that lichen is in fact a mix of funghi and algae, who knew?  Thanks Olivia, UBC botanist extraordinaire)

View from the top of Black Tusk

Sunday was a longer 30km hike and around 1750m elevation at Garibaldi Provincial Park about a 70 minute drive away.  Dan and Cazz climbed the final 30m 'Black Tusk' but the flying rocks put me and Mark off.  Some pretty stunning views, slid down snow instead of scree at the top and pleased that my hypothermic experience in Loch Torridon last May taught me not to stay in the glacier fed lake too long; Mark's hands took an hour to thaw out! 

Mark about to get very cold

Monday bit more chilled out; Lighthouse park in West Vancouver.  Some huge trees, which makes you realise that everything else you see is post-logged second growth forest, and a trip to the beach.  But on the way home the Jeep may have got a bit tired of fish stink jokes.  Refused to start at the off licence; called out the BC AA: embarrassed faces all round when it turned out Mark hadn't tightened the cable to the battery enough... but good to know she isn't too bust! 


Off to Squamish this weekend and then a rescue course to further our kayaking adventures...