A-Life BC Travel Blog

By Michael McCarthy

The hikers stop to rest at a scenic lookout and the fog finally begins to break. At this elevation, with a few rays of sunlight reflecting off its surface, Ross Lake far below is no more than a slender blue thread. High above, Desolation Peak is still shrouded in drifting fog. The hikers commence their arduous slog, the swirling mists part for a brief moment and there it is: Jack Kerouac’s famous cabin. A Zen-like image in the fog, and then… poof… it's gone.

When aspiring novelist Jack Kerouac ventured this far into the wilderness in northern Washington State in 1956 to work as a summer fire lookout in the midst of these jagged peaks of thunder and lightning, he was a nobody, a drifter, a bum. It was a full year before his famous classic On the Road made Kerouac a star and changed American culture forever.

By Ross Collicutt

I often catch myself daydreaming about future trips into the mountains here on Vancouver Island. Thoughts of perfect snow, blue skies and views that go on forever pop into my head all the time. These daydreams remind me why I love the outdoors and why Vancouver Island is the perfect home for outdoor enthusiasts.

But as I learned from a recent adventure, it's not always sunshine and lollipops on multi-day hikes in the mountains.

When I think of all the effort that goes into preparing for each trip, it's a wonder that I ever get out there at all. You have to plan all the logistics concerning timing, distance, gear, food and so on before setting off. The biggest question of all is one you can't even truly answer until the trip is over: "Can I do it?"

So, how do you know if you can successfully complete a trip? Unfortunately, success relies on many different factors and some are out of our control. Weather, for instance, is a force for which you can prepare, but sometimes no degree of planning can totally prevent challenges and dangers. Good weather may come in too early or too late or just not arrive at all. Snow, ice and avalanches can be big factors when adventuring in the mountains. Warm weather? You may not be able to pass through terrain as easy as you thought as the snow melts.

By Jessica Woollard

Tea is trendy right now. Somehow in the last few years, the stuffy English staple has been wholly made-over into a hip libation, attracting a cult following of connoisseurs who can distinguish rooibos from oolong as quickly as a wine dilettante knows gris from grisio.

No doubt, walking around downtown Victoria, you’ve noticed there are more tea shops here than in most cities. All within a few blocks of each other, you’ll find smaller enterprises like century-old Murchie’s and Victoria’s own Silk Road and Special Teas, as well as one of three Victoria locations of the über trendy David’s Tea.

By Michael McCarthy

Jet travel allows the global tourist opportunities to see the world in a fashion not enjoyed by previous generations. In days of yore, only the idle rich could afford the Grand Tour, and it took them months of hard travel by boat, train and carriage to do so. However, supersonic speeds are not the best way to experience the world.

As I pedalled among the rice paddies and green fields of Guilan District of southern China, I realized that cycling is the perfect speed at which to see the world's intricacies, and, as a bonus, you work up a healthy appetite for lunch along the way.

Often tourist destinations turn out to be a disappointment, not because they aren’t as interesting as described in travel guides, but because they are indeed as good as touted so everybody else has already beaten you there.

By Ross Collicutt

The sun reflected off the snow and made it difficult to see without sunglasses as we drove into the parking lot at Mount Washington Raven Lodge. The Raven Lodge is usually home base for cross-country skiers and snowshoers looking to make their rounds on the groomed trails in Paradise Meadows.

But we weren't there to snowshoe or cross-country ski.

Our target for the day was Mount Elma. We were ready to scale her snowy slopes with our backcountry ski touring gear. Backcountry skis are a bit like cross-country skis in that they prevent you from sliding backwards when travelling uphill. The skis have sticky hair strips on the bottom to grip the snow, allowing you to walk up a hill with your heel free before removing the strips or skins, clipping in your heel and skiing down. These skis are the perfect mode of transportation for summiting and descending Mount Elma.

By Michael McCarthy

There is something about a 500-foot tall plastic rabbit with flashing eyes and strobe lights that makes you sit up and pay attention. You could travel the world and never see such a bizarre structure, but at the annual lantern festivals in the tropical island of Taiwan such gigantic creatures as electronic rabbits and high tech dragons are all the rage. Old traditions and new technology mix together well in Taiwan, but never better than during the annual lantern festivals.

Cities and towns all over Taiwan vie for the honour of hosting the annual lantern festivals to honour the New Year. Teams and companies spend months and much money to create enormous structures to match the craziness of the New Year celebrations. Given Taiwan’s position as a global leader in electronics, it’s no surprise that good old-fashioned lanterns have taken on a high tech look.

By Ross Collicutt

There are hidden secrets tucked between Nanaimo and Mount Benson. They are large and small and embedded in the rocks. They were also a mystery to me until I discovered them myself.

I'm talking about the fossilized hard shells of extinct molluscs that give Ammonite Falls its name.

The spiral-shelled creatures lived around the time of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago and died out along with the larger creatures of that era. The cause of the extinction is unknown but, of course, there are many theories.

The fossilized molluscs are closely related to squid, octopus and cuttle fish. The name "ammonite" comes from a Roman named Pliny the Eldar, who was a naturalist and author. He called them ammonis cornua ("horns of Ammon") because of their resemblance to the Egyptian god, who was often depicted wearing ram-like horns.

Ammonite fossils look like compact spirals with ridges all the way down. The outside end is open where the creature's tentacles would hang out. The fossils can be found all over the world, from Madagascar to Alberta, and right here in BC.

By Michael McCarthy

Vermilionville, Louisiana, is a replica of a French settlement dating from the 1800s and a popular tourist attraction located just outside of Lafayette, the “capital of Acadiana.”

You’ll find Lafayette about 190km west of the big city of New Orleans as the crow flies. This is pure “Cajun” country, comprised of swamps and backwater bayous. Many little towns in the region are, literally, swamped by dance music. The aroma of tasty Cajun cooking wafts through the air and old-fashioned French is often spoken.

By Ross Collicutt

With so many spectacular hiking areas on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, it's a wonder we all aren't out there every day. Regular commitments and daily routines often get in the way and make it difficult to get out there and hike.

Rain and cold temperatures can make even the most seasoned hiker want to retreat indoors. Sore legs and feet from ill-fitting shoes or boots can send you hobbling back to your car after what could have been a peaceful walk on an excessible forest trail. Like any other sport or activity, there are important things you should know about hiking to enhance your experience. Here are six tips to get you started.

1. Get stable shoes that fit

Easily the most important piece of gear for a hiker? Shoes! You can hike for an hour or you can do a four-month trek in Nepal, but if your shoes don't fit your feet properly you've got a problem. Make sure you take enough time in the store to walk around and gauge their feel. Try to buy your shoes from the most knowledgable salesperson you can find. The salesperson should be able to match your foot length and width with a brand of shoe that best matches your shape.

By Michael McCarthy

The fabulous Taj Mahal, located in Agra, central India, is a beautiful building, one of the most famous and recognizable in the entire world. But the nearby ghost town of Fatehpur Sikri is easily more fascinating.

Situated only 30km west of the Taj, out in the emptiness of the desert, Fatehpur Sikri blends both Islamic and Hindu elements into its fantastic architectural style. A brilliant variation of red sandstone only available locally was used for construction of most of the buildings, which provides the city with much of its fabulous red lustre.