Whitefish, MT Here We Come!

After visiting so many amazing places in the western US and Canada, we have decided to move to Whitefish, MT. We liked the small feel it and the surrounding areas had. There is an accessible airport in Kalispell, making it an easy place for family and friends to visit. We are looking forward to moving and restarting our lives in a new location! We are spending the summer with our families and still continuing the adventures, so continue to follow us for travel hints and ideas!

Sunshine Coast Trail Backpacking Trip, BC

My brother was visiting (Jared) for a week and we wanted to spend a good amount backpacking. We heard great recommendations for the Sunshine Coast Trail, which is 2 ferry rides, and about 100 miles north of Vancouver. There are 13 huts/shelters along this 180km trail. It takes about 2 weeks to complete the entire trail, so we decided to complete a part of it! The trail was snow free in May, but we were a little shocked by the steepness! We enjoyed meeting various people along the trail and spending time exploring the bush, mountain tops, and lakes.

Desolation Sound Sea Kayaking Expedition, BC

We enjoyed an 8 day paddle in the Desolation Sound near Powell River in British Colombia. We had a tandem boat, two paddlers, and a puppy! The area was beautiful, lots of land and sea to explore. The wildlife was plentiful! We rented boats in Okeover Arm, which gave us a good place to park our car and our put-in/put-out location. We went in May, making it a great time to avoid crowds, see the whales, and have beautiful weather. See our route below for an idea of where we went.

Here was our route (distances are estimates):

Day 1: Okeover Arm to Feather Cove camp area, 10 nm

Day 2 and 3: Tenedos Bay Camp area, 12 nm

Day 4 and 5: Roscoe’s Bay, 13 nm, biggest crossing

Day 6: Curmes’ Island Camp Area , 7 nm

Day 7: Grace’s Harbor Camp Area, 10 nm

Day 8: Travel back to Okeover Arm, 7 nm

Strathcona Provincial Park, Vancouver Island, BC

We spent some time exploring Vancouver Island and ended up near Strathcona Provincial Park near Cumberland. There was still A LOT of snow in the mountains in May! We found out when we got there our backpacking trip had become a winter camping ski trip! About 3 miles from our car, which was parked at the Alpine Resort Lodge Trail Head, was a frozen over lake which made for a beautiful camping spot. We camped overnight and did some skiing in the morning. Winter Camping requires some special tips to keep yourself comfortable! These include:

• Change base layers after hiking/skiing travling is done for the day

• Bring a tent base, as your warmth will melt the snow beneath you

• Sleep with ski boots or hiking shoes underneath your sleeping bag or pad to help keep them warm(er)

• Fill a water bottle with hot water to use as a small, personal heater

• Food= fuel for the furnace, be sure to bring enough food to keep yourself fed and warm

We enjoyed the local resort for a skin up in the spring conditions. It was very windy at the top, but beautiful views.

Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC

While we were a little shocked at the size of Victoria, the cosmopolitan area was beautiful and kept us busy! We explored the city at sunset, and enjoyed looking at all of the lights after the sun went down. The snow covered mountains of the Olympic Peninsula created a stunning backdrop to the Salish Sea. About a month earlier, we enjoyed a sunset on the US side of the Salish Sea.

We spent a long morning walking at Beacon Hill Park. The trails through forested areas, in combination with the open ocean views and fields of flowers made this a key spot in Victoria. In the park we learned there is a barred owl nest, and we were lucky enough to see one of them perching in a tree! At the park, there was a donation based kids petting zoo, that Bradley and I thoroughly enjoyed. There was a pen of about 50 goats, lots of babies too, all wanting to be pet! It was adorable! There were peacocks roaming free and other various farm animals to be seen.

The Butchart Gardens, Vancouver Island, BC

After spending the morning in Victoria, on our way north up the island, we spent an afternoon wandering around The Butchart Gardens. In the early 1900s, the location was a limestone quarry for cement, but by 1912. the resource was depleted and the transformation into a garden started. These gardens are world renowned for their perfection, artistry, and variety. We were lucky to get to go in spring and see the plentiful blossoms (and enjoy all of the pollen). From the second you drove into the park, everything was immaculate. We enjoyed an ice cream cone among the roses after we walked the garden. Enjoy the beautiful photos!