Island Adventurer

I was heading down to Shawnigan Lake for Easter this weekend and thought it would be a fantastic time to test out the dirt roads on my 4runner that I just picked up. There are a ton of dirt roads and places to play near Shawnigan and if we found one nice enough, we could [...]

Not wanting to let our last epic sunny adventure up Green be our last for this winter, some friends and I decided it was time to actually hit the slopes with our snowboards. This time would be much different though, and much more difficult. All trucked up and ready to go, the drive in was [...]

When I first looked for adventures in the Nanaimo Lakes area, I was only after some easy hikes I could peruse during the summer months. After discovering there is an wealth of fantastic places to climb, hike, mountain bike and kayak in the area, I’ve jumped headfirst into finding all the best spots. One of [...]

I went on a short jaunt up Mount Benson today from Nanaimo and, as usual, there was an amazing view from the top. One thing struck me though. Most people that live on the island don’t ever get out to see the amazing scenery that we’ve got so much of here. And a few shots [...]

Ahh, the elusive Mount De Cosmos. A couple weeks ago fellow adventurer Ryan and I headed out to the Nanaimo Lakes area to attempt to stuff the peak that is Mount De Cosmos in our growing bag of summits. I was very apprehensive about this trip for a few reasons. First we’d be heading out [...]

I have a friend named Stephanie who is incredibly athletic.  She is one of the fittest women I know and never shies away from a race, challenge, event or ass kicking moksha yoga session.  We raced the Squamish MOMAR together – check it out over at PureOutside.com.  I am a fan of everything she does [...]

Last year when the MEC winter catalogue arrived, my girlfriend Kirsten was awed by the cover photo.  A group of friends camped out in the snow on a bluebird day surrounded by all the amenities one would have at home.  “That looks like a great idea for my birthday party!” she exclaimed excitedly in a [...]

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 [...]

Ryan, Allan and I ventured up Mount Benson again this Sunday with the expectation of a little bit more snow on the top. There wasn’t a little bit more snow on the top. There was a lot more snow on the top. Erik and I, powered through what was there last weekend to reach the [...]

For us here in Nanaimo, Mount Benson is right in our backyard. It’s a solid hike up, provides interesting views along the way and, if the weather cooperates, a stellar view of Nanaimo at the top. If you haven’t been to the top yet, I highly recommend it. Best to go with someone that’s been [...]