Twelve sets of photos from 2019
As we near the end of the year, I am reflecting on how grateful I am to call British Columbia home and to be able to share this home with such amazing family, friends, and community.
In previous years (2016, 2018) I’ve assembled twelve of my favourite individual photos from the year. This year, I decided to cheat a little and assemble twelve of my favourite sets of photos.
The first set is from a ski trip to the Zupjok-Llama Ridge which is accessed near the summit of the Coquihalla Highway. We were fortunate to have amazing light and a great view of Steinbok and Ibex Peaks (bottom right).
The second set is from a ski trip to the Fat Dog Trail in E.C. Manning Provincial Park. This is a great destination when avalanche conditions are elevated and you want a good long walk on skis or snowshoes. We timed this trip to see the lunar eclipse.
The third set is close to home in Cypress Provincial Park. It’s hard to believe this is only a 30 minute drive from downtown.
The fourth set is from a spring ski trip to the west ridge of Vantage Peak in the Nlháxten/Cerise Creek Conservancy. Less than a month after our trip a huge part of Joffre Peak slid down the mountain and wiped out the trail. The location where the bottom left photo was taken is now covered in many meters of rock and mud and all of those trees have been knocked over and buried. We are very fortunate that no one was on the trail when the slide happened.
The fifth set is from a late spring ski trip to an area near Dipper Creek that doesn’t see a lot of traffic but provides spectacular views. It’s a bit of a drive to get back there but I won’t hesitate to visit the area again.
The sixth set contains photos from three different trips following the Joffre Peak rock slide. The slide decimated everything in its path. The face remained active with many smaller pieces falling off in the weeks and months that followed. We had the chance to see and hear some of the action firsthand from across the valley.
The seventh set is from a backpacking trip on the Nootka Trail. It was challenging to narrow this down to three photos because the scenery was non-stop for days. We had fixed travel dates and lucked out with excellent weather.
The eighth set of photos is from an overnight trip to Vantage Peak accessed from the logging roads to the south. The glacial lake offered a cold swim and there was an interesting ice cave at the toe of the glacier.
The logging roads along the Duffey Lake highway are the starting point for many adventures. This ninth set of photos captures an overnight trip to Midian Peak.
We’ve been yearning to go north for years and finally made it happen this summer with a trip to the Yukon. This tenth set of photos shows why we’re already making plans to return.
Back in British Columbia, early September is my favourite season for scrambling because it’s the best time to see the glaciers with minimal snow cover and the bugs have started to die off. The pictures from this eleventh set are from two back-to-back weekends in September.
And before you know it, the snow is back. The twelfth and final set of photos is from three trips to the Round Mountain area which is a favourite early-season destination for skiing and snowshoeing.
Wishing you and your family all the best for 2020,
Happy Hiking
Steve Jones
stevejoneshikes@gmail.com
