It’s Wednesday, August 31, and our annual blast of winter-preview weather has arrived. It’s 4°C at our house in Canmore. It’s been raining all day. The clouds are so low, the mountains ringing our town are obscured. Tonight, the rain will likely turn to sleet or snow. And when the clouds clear, the summits will be white. But the clouds will clear. The lashings of wet snow will melt off the peaks. Summer weather will return—soon. This is just the annoying-yet-motivating reminder notice we always receive this time of year from those capricious Weather Demons who lord it over the Canadian Rockies. “Take full advantage of optimal hiking weather,” they’re saying, “because those days—numbered to begin with—are now fiendishly few.”

Weather info sources that will help you plan the remainder of the 2011 hiking season:

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/

http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/canada_e.html

http://www.skibanff.com/conditions/cams

http://www.skilouise.com/conditions/mountain-cam.php

http://www.skimarmot.com/conditions_webcams.html

When traveling outside Canada, we often say “Banff” when someone asks us where we’re from. It’s just easier, because most people have at least heard of Banff National Park, while relatively few are familiar with Canmore. But we wince when we do it, because we love Canmore and feel proud and fortunate to reside here. There are dozens of reasons for that. Among them… Friendships, of course. Our “pit crew” of healthcare professionals, including our chiropractor, massage therapist, and Chinese medicine practitioner, all of whom are superb. The setting. Where else can you step out of the bank, or the grocery store, or the hardware store, and find yourself staring up (literally up) at a massive wall of peaks? A small commercial centre, clustered around an authentic Main Street, that is — in our opinion — among the two or three most atmospherically pleasing in Canada. An energetic, adventurous, athletically-charged, core population. … But the primary reason we’re enthralled with Canmore is that our backyard affords some of the best hiking in North America. We were reminded of that yet again when we recently left our house after a late lunch, drove only a short distance, and began hiking—at 3 p.m.—into the headwater basins of James Walker Creek. Our article about it will appear in the Calgary Herald in August. Meanwhile, here are a few photos from that hike. They articulate precisely why, for us, Canmore will always be home.

Parks Canada is Off Route

Visitation to Canada’s Rocky Mountain National Parks has been declining. In an effort to reverse that trend, Parks Canada has announced it will allow the construction of a via ferrata in Banff National Park, at Mt. Norquay Ski Area, above Banff townsite.

Parks Canada does not construct new hiking trails in the Rockies. They don’t even adequately maintain existing hiking trails. (See photos below.) Yet they support what will essentially be an amusement-park attraction? We think this is ridiculous.

While hiking throughout the Canadian Rockies national parks, we’re constantly noticing areas where, if a new trail were constructed, it would soon become famous, because hiking it would be thrilling. Does anyone at Parks Canada recognize these opportunities?

A via ferrata focuses climbers’ attention on the immediate challenges it poses. A hiking trail opens hikers’ eyes, minds and hearts to the environment it traverses. Is anyone at Parks Canada aware of this difference?

Last year, we climbed some of the original via ferrata in the Italian Dolomiti. The routes were constructed during WWI to enable military troops to travel through the mountains. Re-purposing these via ferrata for peacetime recreation made sense.

Constructing a new via ferrata route where there is no such history, however, is nonsense, especially given that the Canadian Rockies’ hiking-trail potential remains largely untapped.

Yes, largely untapped. For every Sentinel Pass trail, Lake O’Hara Alpine Circuit, Rockwall trail, or Skyline trail, there are dozens of prospective trails in the Canadian Rockies that would be equally engaging.

Any of them, if constructed, would boost park visitation more effectively than would a via ferrata, because they would enhance the Canadian Rockies’ long-established reputation as one of the world’s premier hiking destinations.

Any of these as-yet unrealized trails would also better serve Parks Canada than would a via ferrata, because they would direct visitors’ attention differently: not toward a manmade contrivance (safety cables strung across a cliff, which could just as easily be located in New York State), but instead toward the unique, vast grandeur of the Canadian Rockies.

That’s our opinion. What’s yours?

Put more mileage on your boots this summer. Become a more efficient hiker.

Our friends at Explore Magazine recently asked us for suggestions on “how to hike more efficiently.” They published several of our tips in the most recent issue of the magazine. But we thought you might want to read the entire list. Here you go:

efficient hiking = actually going hiking

The more you hike, the more efficient a hiker you’ll become.

Many people don’t go hiking because preparation for a hike seems like a pain. So reduce prep time. Keep your daypack packed at home. Have a drawer full of hiking food, so you can just grab and go. After a trip, once you’ve washed your clothes, re-pack your pack, so you’re always ready in advance.

Think “fuel” not “meal.” Rely on nutritional science when you’re out there. Honey Stinger Bars, Clif Builders Bars, Larabars, Genisoy bars, Power Bars, etc. You don’t need to make sandwiches or cook meals. Make your hiking-trip prep simpler, quicker. And don’t waste backpacking time cooking. You can eat great meals at home, before and after your backpack trips. When backpacking, we often hike until dark. In summer, in Canada, daylight is so long you can get nearly two hiking days in one.

Never plan a dinner party for the night you’ll return from a hike. Efficient hiking means seeing and doing as much out there as you can fit into a day. So make sure you—and your hiking compadres—have nothing planned for the evening after a hiking trip. You want to go as far and see as much as possible. A 6 p.m. obligation essentially cuts a dayhike down to a half dayhike

Look ahead into the summer. Warn friends and relatives that summer in Canada is short, hiking season is precious, and you won’t necessarily be available for weddings, family get-togethers, and holiday events, because you’ll be hiking.

Stay focused. Don’t sacrifice hiking opportunities for propriety. Lots of people who love hiking don’t hike nearly as much as they want because they submit to all kinds of frivolous, social obligations.

Men… Find a woman whose desire to hike matches yours. We know lots of men who are essentially emasculated because their partners don’t share their athleticism or adventurous spirit.

Don’t invite just anyone to hike with you. Find people whose fitness level matches yours. Sure, hiking can be social, but it can be social with people who won’t slow you down and limit your range of opportunity on the few precious days you go hiking

Fitness = efficiency in the backcountry. You want to comfortably cover a lot of ground out there, so you can have big, exciting experiences. So get fit, and stay fit.

Sell your older, heavier, less comfortable gear. Buy new gear that will help you hike farther, faster, in greater comfort. Don’t cling to the old stuff. The MEC.ca online Gear Swap offers an easy way to recycle gear.

Trekking poles. Use them. Not just one, but two. And not cheap ones. Certainly not old ski poles. Or a ridiculous Gandalf staff. Get a pair of high-quality trekking poles. They’ll help you hike faster, go farther, more comfortably, with a greater sense of security on rough terrain, and with far less chance of injury.

Carry only backpacking food that requires no cooking. Pack-It Gourmet (www.packitgourmet.com) makes excellent meals that will allow you to eliminate the weight of a backpacking stove, fuel, pots, etc.

No Teva sandals! Strapping them onto your backpack so you can use them as camp shoes is nuts. They’re insanely heavy. Try racing flats, which weigh only a couple ounces.

Don’t carry a heavy, bulky water filter. Use Pristine purification droplets, which are lighter and more compact.

Plan your hike in advance (not in the car, not at the trailhead). Get the right guidebook that doesn’t waste your time — an opinionated guidebook that ensures you enjoy the greatest possible scenic experience.

“Please take that hike out of your book. It’s a secret few people know about. I want to keep it that way.”

We rarely receive a request to excise a particular trip from one of our hiking guidebooks, but when we do, that’s the thrust of the argument: Someone wants to keep their “secret route” all to themselves.

We understand their desire for solitude, because we prize it too. And we recognize that publishing a description of a trail or route will likely increase the number of people who hike it.

We also believe hiking makes people better people: healthier, happier, calmer, saner. The more of us who go hiking, the better off we’ll all be. And one of the best ways to encourage more people to go hiking is to spread the word about trails and routes that are particularly rewarding.

So we’re comfortable spreading the word.

Still, the “secrets” we’ve “revealed” in our books are, in fact, not secrets. All were known before we published our descriptions of them. Granted, some were not widely known, but neither were they unknown. We’re simply giving a few more people the confidence to attempt them.

For every little-known hike described in one of our books, there are many we’ve chosen not to publicize. These truly are secrets. Some were suggested to us by our hiking buddies. Others we sussed out by trial and error.

If you want to covet genuine “hiking secrets,” you can. All you need is a topo map, a compass, the skill to use them, and the will to explore and discover. Be aware, of course, that you’ll occasionally expend a lot of energy to no avail.

Usually, what prompts us to study a topo map is a canyon, ridge, or peak that catches our attention while we’re driving. We glimpse a potential route leading to a compelling goal. By scrutinizing the map, we learn whether or not the route might “go.” If we think it’ll go, we agree to come back and try it someday.

That’s what we did last week, when we finally attempted ????????? Ridge. We noticed it years ago. It’s northeast of ???????? Ridge (Trip ??, page ??, Where Locals Hike in the Canadian Rockies). Trails briefly probe the canyons on both sides of ???????? Ridge. The ridge itself is trail-less, but the crest has always intrigued us.

Now that we’ve hiked ???????? Ridge, we can tell you our opinion of it and offer directions that will help you hike it. But we won’t. We’ll leave it a secret.*

But thousands more secrets await you in the Canadian Rockies. We hope you make time to ferret out a few this summer.

*Oh, alright. We’ll give you a visual hint. Here’s a photo revealing the crest of ???????? Ridge.

Wear Trekking Gloves

When you use trekking poles, your hands are constantly exposed. Wind, cold, sun, mosquitos, sandflies, midges… They used to torment my hands, until I began wearing trekking gloves.

That’s when I discovered gloves also make trekking poles more comfortable. Yes, even Leki trekking poles. Leki’s Aergon grips are excellent, but I find trekking gloves add a little cushioning, reduce friction, wick away sweat, give the poles a more secure feeling in my hands, and allow me to hold them with less effort.

“Trekking gloves,” however, don’t really exist. You’ll find them disguised as inexpensive cycling gloves. Look for cycling gloves that have minimal padding. The Pearl Izumi Select gloves are a good example. Men’s and women’s versions are available at MEC for $29, and at REI for $22.

I prefer fingerless trekking gloves, because they serve me in almost all conditions. I wear them when it’s hot or cool. Only when it’s cold or the wind is biting, do I swap my fingerless gloves for full-coverage gloves.

Try them. It won’t cost much. If you find you don’t like trekking gloves, you can use them for cycling. Kathy, by the way, who always uses trekking poles, never wears trekking gloves. When it’s warm, she’s gloveless. But her hands are easily chilled, so she usually wears full-fingered, lightweight wool or synthetic glove liners, and she often switches to insulated gloves.

Don’t Hike Empty-Handed

Hiking season is here. Got trekking poles? If not, buy them now. They’ll help ensure you cover more ground—more efficiently and comfortably—every precious day you spend hiking this summer. And they’ll add years to your hiking life by significantly reducing impact to your joints.

In 1994, when Kath and I began working on Don’t Waste Your Time in the North Cascades, The Opinionated Hiking Guide (now titled Hiking From Here to WOW: North Cascades), we hiked without poles every day for a month. We both developed knee pain. The next summer we used Leki trekking poles every day for three months and our knees were never strained. We felt like four-legged animals. We were more sure-footed. Our speed and endurance increased. Since then, we’ve considered trekking poles required equipment—nearly as important as our boots and packs.

The Benefits of Trekking Poles

Studies show that during a typical 8-hour hike you’ll transfer more than 250 tons of pressure to a pair of trekking poles. When going downhill, poles significantly reduce stress to your knees, as well as your lower back, heel and forefoot. They alleviate knee strain when you’re going uphill too, because you’re climbing with your arms and shoulders, not just your legs. Poles also improve your posture. They keep you more upright, which gives you greater lung capacity and allows more efficient breathing.

The heavier your pack, the more you’ll appreciate the support of trekking poles. You’ll find them especially helpful for crossing unbridged streams, traversing steep slopes, and negotiating snowfields or muddy, rooty, rough stretches of trail. Poles prevent ankle sprains—a common hiking injury. By making you more stable, they actually help you relax, boosting your sense of security and confidence.

Don’t carry one of those big, heavy, gnarled, wooden staffs, unless you’re going to a costume party dressed as Gandalf. They’re more burden than benefit. If you can’t afford trekking poles, make do with a pair of old ski poles. They’re not as effective or comfortable as poles designed specifically for trekking, but they’re better than hiking empty handed. If possible, invest in a pair of true trekking poles.

Even the best trekking poles are not expensive: under $140 per pair. The leading brands are Komperdell, Black Diamond, and Leki. We’ve never found Komperdell poles appealing, so we haven’t used them and cannot comment on them. But we know Leki trekking poles intimately. And we’ve tested Black Diamond’s newest trekking poles.

Black Diamond vs. Leki

Leki trekking poles (various models) have been our constant companions for 17 years. We can recommend them without hesitation. Their durability has been astonishing. And their Aergon grips are by far the most comfortable available. In particular, we suggest the Leki Thermolite Aergon Antishock for men, and the Leki Thermolite Shiva Aergon Antishock for women.

Our only complaint about Leki poles is that the twist-lock mechanisms require too much effort. To lengthen or shorten the poles in response to varying terrain, you must unlock, adjust, then re-lock the poles. It’s just difficult enough that we often don’t do it. We just continue hiking with the poles at a less-than-optimal length: either slightly too long or short.

All trekking poles made by Black Diamond have flick locks instead of twist locks. Leki, too, has begun offering flick-lock trekking poles. Many people prefer flick locks, because they’re very easy to operate, and they lock more securely. We don’t like flick locks because they give poles a heavier swing weight, making them more awkward and cumbersome. And flick locks are bulky. Most flick-lock trekking poles have two flick locks per pole, which makes them look like orthopedic devices.

We prefer the streamlined twist locks, even if they’re not as easy to operate. You swing your poles with every stride. You adjust your poles only occasionally. So it’s logical that “quick” trekking poles with an optimal swing weight would be preferable to poles that feel heavy and slow but are easy to adjust.

You now have another option, however: Black Diamond’s “Z Poles.” One model of Z Pole is the “Distance FL.” It has no locking mechanisms on the two lower sections of each pole. Instead, there’s just one flick lock located high on the shaft, just below the grip, where it has no effect on swing weight. The lower sections of the Distance FL engage and disengage much the same way as tent poles.

These new BD poles seemed like a significant improvement, so we purchased a pair for each of us. We’ve been testing them recently. Here are our conclusions:

• The BD poles feel as reliably sturdy as our Leki poles.

• On steep ascents and descents, we don’t hesitate to adjust the length of the BD poles, because the flick lock works quickly, easily and perfectly every time.

• The BD’s single flick lock (located high on the shaft, near the grip) has almost no affect on swing weight. The BDs feel nearly as light and quick as our Leki poles. Not quite, but nearly.

• The BD poles, however, are stiffer than the Leki poles. And the BD shafts do not taper as narrowly near the tip as the Leki shafts do. This means the BD poles transfer more shock and vibration up the shaft to our hands and wrists. With each pole plant, the BDs land with a jarring thud. This is annoying and uncomfortable, especially on sustained, steep descents. The Leki shafts flex slightly, so they absorb shock. Even Leki poles without shock absorbers are more forgiving and comfortable than the BDs.

• The grips on the Distance FL poles are not ergonomic. They’re cylindrical. They’re also very slender. And they’re virtually straight. This makes them far less comfortable than the sculpted, more substantial, positive-angle, Leki Aergon grips. You should rarely hold trekking poles tightly. You should hold them loosely, with your wrists cradled in the straps. Yet the size and shape of the grips significantly influence how comfortable your trekking poles are. Leki poles are supremely comfortable. BD poles are markedly less comfortable.

• The tops of the BD grips are small, about the size of a quarter. The tops of the Leki grips are elongated and bulbous. On extremely steep descents, it’s often helpful to place the palms of your hands on top of the grips. You can do this comfortably with the Leki grips. On the BD grips, it’s awkward and soon hurts.

• The BD straps are nearly as comfortable as the Leki straps. (Nearly, but not quite.) The BD straps, however, are attached to the grip with a small loop of thin nylon cord. To us, this appears to be a weak point in the design. How long will that cord last? We’re skeptical. But we know our Leki straps have never failed us.

• The tips of both the BD and Leki poles are carbide. But the BD tips screw into a plastic receiver. The Leki tips are permanently embedded in a plastic receiver. Carbide tips eventually wear out, but it takes a long time. When a Leki tip wears out, you simply replace the entire receiver/tip. The BD tips are intended to be installed and removed by hand, but you’ll likely need a pair of pliers. Even with pliers, it’s not possible to completely tighten the BD tips. They remain somewhat loose in the receiver. Perhaps that’s okay, but it appears the BD tips could loosen, unscrew, and fall out.

• One advantage of the BD poles is that they come with two pairs of interchangeable tips: one pair of carbide tips, one pair of hard plastic tips. Presumably the plastic tips would be ideal on canyon-country slickrock. Another advantage of the BD poles is that the tips, because they’re separate from the receivers, are less expensive than the Leki tips.

Final Analysis

The BD poles are much easier to adjust, and they lock more securely. We like the interchangeable tips for use on different terrain. For traveling, the BD poles are more convenient. When you break a BD pole down into three sections, the sections remain loosely linked together. Assembling the pole is as easy as connecting the bungee-cord-linked sections of a tent pole.

But the BD poles, despite their sophisticated innovations, do not compete with the sophisticated feel of the Leki poles. For us, feel is everything. Our trekking poles are not a mere accessory we use only occasionally. They’re essential equipment that we hold in our hands and use constantly, all day, every day we hike. After marveling at the ingenious design of the BD poles, we were soon frustrated with them on the trail, wishing we had our trusted Leki poles in hand.

The Black Diamond Distance FL “Z” poles are intriguing and impressive. They’re easier to assemble, adjust, and disassemble. They’re more convenient to transport. But the Leki Thermolite Aergon Antishock trekking poles are vastly superior where it counts: while you’re striding along the trail.

We’ll continue recommending Leki trekking poles. Meanwhile, we suspect Leki will introduce new poles with design improvements similar to, perhaps superior to, those now available on the BD poles. So check Leki.com occasionally.

Whichever brand of trekking pole you prefer, buy a pair soon so you’ll have them all summer. At the moment, you’ll find Leki Thermolite Aergon and Leki Luau Aergon trekking poles on sale at www.sierratradingpost.com for $86.37, which is 30% off the regular price of $124.78. These poles don’t have the anti-shock feature, but they’re otherwise excellent.

The Longer You Sit, the Shorter Your Life

The American Cancer Society studied the health of 123,216 people health for 14 years. They found that women who sit more than six hours a day were about 40% more likely to die during the course of the study than those who sat fewer than three hours per day. Men were about 20% more likely to die.

Other recent studies have corroborated the conclusion that extended periods of sitting increases risk of illness.

Earlier this year, the American Journal of Epidemiology published a study showing that those who are sedentary at the workplace have almost twice the risk of a specific type of colon cancer.

What’s startling about these studies, however, is the revelation that health damage resulting from extended sitting cannot be undone by exercising. Sitting for several hours a day is bad for you, period, just as smoking is bad for you—regardless how much you exercise or how nutritious your diet.

The American Cancer Society points out that current public health guidelines fail to urge people to sit less. Instead, they merely focus on increasing one’s activity level.

In 1995 and again in 2007, the American College of Sports Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention jointly issued national guidelines titled Physical Activity and Public Health. The U.S. government’s recommendation: “Moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes on five days each week or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 20 minutes on three days each week.”

Given what’s now known, public health guidelines should address physical inactivity as well as physical activity.

Concern about inactivity is now evident in offices, schools and homes. Astute people are becoming aware that a chair at a desk—if used to the extent previously considered normal—is a health risk.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends mixing noncomputer-related tasks into the workday, so you’re moving and using different muscle groups.

Occupational sitting time has actually been suspect for several decades. According to research presented in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, double-decker bus drivers in London in the 1950s were more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than the bus conductors, and government clerks were more likely to die than mail carriers.

In both cases, the more sedentary job posed  greater health risks than the more active job, even though they were in a similar line of work.

From then on, researchers and policy makers focused on the health benefits of exercise. But according to the latest research, even people who get significant, regular exercise face alarming health risks if they sit for long hours.

These findings are consistent with lifestyles in “Blue Zones,” places such as Okinawa, Japan, and Sardinia, Italy, where people live much longer on average than do people elsewhere. In addition to plant-based diets and strong communities, near-constant moderate physical activity is the Blue Zone norm.

So what should you do if you’re desk-bound in an office? Adjustable desks are now available. They allow you to raise the desk so you can comfortably stand at your computer.

As I write this, I’m standing.

In our home/office, the sunken living room adjoins the kitchen. By standing in the living room and facing into the kitchen, my laptop—perched on the kitchen counter—is exactly the right height for me. Sometimes I stand here, writing, all day.

I’ve been standing at work for years. I did it while I was a creative director at an advertising agency. I simply put a chair on top of my desk. I turned the chair so it faced me. I put my laptop in the chair. By resting my forearms on the arms of the chair, I could shift my weight to either leg and remain comfortable for hours.

What did my co-workers think? I didn’t care. Working in the creative department of an ad agency gave me license to behave in much stranger ways than simply standing while working. What I cared about was my comfort, and the fact that standing was much better for my spinal health. At the time, I had no idea that sitting at a desk would make me susceptible to disease.

Kathy, too, stands much of the day at her desktop computer. The legs of her standard-height desk sit on blocks, which her father made for her, raising the desk three inches. Her screen sits atop a wooden stand. Her keyboard sits atop a metal stand. Before she found these ideal accessories, she used stacks of books as risers. And during the brief times she sits at her desk, she does it on a “Swopper,” which allows her to avoid being completely stationery. Visit http://www.aviva.ca/shop/products.asp?itemid=1389&catid=62 to learn about this unique stool.

Regardless how traditional or conservative an environment you work in, find a way to stand rather than sit while you’re at your desk. Don’t let co-workers’ opinions of you erode your determination to stay healthy. Sitting will kill you. So stand. With a sense of humour, you can enjoy your co-workers’ quizzical looks and chiding comments.

In the November issue of the journal Diabetes, Dr. James Levine, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and a leading researcher in the field, explains that sitting has a biological function rooted in evolutionary need. Sitting is almost as energy efficient as lying down. But while seated, a person can be vigilant of his or her surroundings.

“Sitting is not bad for you in moderation, but in excess it is addictive and harmful,” Levine writes. “Of concern is that for most people in the developed world, chair-living is the norm.”

The Chelan Lakeshore Trail

On a recent trip to Washington State, we allowed a couple extra days for what we believe is one of the world’s premier backpack trips: the Chelan Lakeshore Trail. You’ll find a complete description of it in our book Hiking from Here to WOW: North Cascades. We hope the following field report will nudge you to pick up a copy.

Last winter left a deep snowpack in the mountain ranges of western North America. Trails that would typically be hikeable by late May remained snowbound this year. Lake Chelan, however, though wedged between lofty mountains, had been snow-free for several weeks prior to our arrival. And while unusually cool, rainy weather continued badgering western states and provinces, the conditions at Lake Chelan were ideal when we arrived: sunshine, blue sky, daytime highs of 25°C (82°F).

So Lake Chelan earns The Opinionated Hikers’ Seal of Approval for early-season availability. Yet there’s another, even more compelling reason to hike here: four-star scenery.

For the two or three days you’ll follow this trail—among stately pines, over exposed rock, past exuberant wildflowers*, in and out of lush drainages—the lake is constantly visible. So are the North Cascades rising abruptly from the far shore. Sometimes you’ll drop to lake level. Occasionally you’ll contour steep cliffs. Often you’ll rise over headlands granting a godly perspective of this 55-mi (88.5-km) long, inland fiord.

We’re continually surprised to discover Lake Chelan is not as well known as it deserves to be. On our way there, we stayed with friends in Kelowna, B.C., who’d never heard of it. After leaving Chelan, we stayed with friends in Seattle who’d never heard of it. “Where’s Lake Chelan?” they asked. It’s on the east side of the North Cascades, off Hwy 97, about 45 minutes north of Wenatchee.

The elevation of Lake Chelan is 1098 ft (335 m), which explains why it’s reliably snow free in early season. The peaks directly above rise to 5000 ft (1524 m). The water is 1486 ft (453 m) deep, plunging 388 ft (118 m) below sea level. Measured from the lake bottom to the height of land, it’s a deeper abyss than the Grand Canyon.

From the town of Chelan, drive to Fields Point Landing, on the lake’s west shore. Leave your vehicle in the spacious, secure (locked nightly) parking lot. Board the Lady of the Lake II, a tour boat that departs daily at 9:45 a.m. Disembark at Prince Creek, on the east shore. From there, follow the trail north 18 mi (29 km) to the hamlet of Stehekin (lodge, campground, store, cafe, bakery). Then catch the Lady at 2 p.m., returning down-lake to Fields Point. The round-trip boat fare is $40 per person.

On day one, we hiked 11.5 mi (18.5 km) to Moore Point. (That distance includes the 0.5 mi / 0.8 km spur down to the campground.) The total elevation gain on this undulating leg is about 1000 ft (305 m). It’s also possible to hike just 8 mi (12.9 km) and camp at Cascade Creek. From Moore Point, on the morning of day two, we hiked 0.5 mi (0.8 km) up to the lakeshore trail, then 7 mi (11.3 km) north to Stehekin.

It’s possible to catch the first boat, which departs Stehekin at noon. But why? We spent the morning doing lazy yoga on the old wharf at Moore Point. We reached Stehekin in time to slowly pick apart a locally baked cinnamon bun big as a frisbee. We caught the Lady at 2 p.m. We were back at Fields Point, loading our packs into our car, shortly after 5 p.m. A few minutes later, we pitched our tent and took hot showers at nearby Chelan State Park.

For more details about the Chelan Lakeshore trail (and other trails up-valley from Stehekin that afford several more days of fruitful exploration), purchase our book Hiking from Here to WOW: North Cascades. You’ll find it at Mountain Equipment Co-op, REI, Indigo/Chapters, Amazon.com, and right here at hikingcamping.com.

*The wildflowers we saw in early June, 2011, included lupine (purple), columbine (orange and yellow), penstemon (lavender), paintbrush (red), and Goat’s beard (yellow).

Did the universe send us a symbolic gift of encouragement? We were certain of it when, years ago, we received an Alberta license plate bearing the letters CFA. We recognized it as an acronym: Camp Free Always.

"B.C." stands for "Best Camping"

Camping free has long been our creed. We wrote a book about it: Camp Free in B.C. But sometimes camping free-of-charge isn’t feasible, as on our recent drive through British Columbia. It was late. We considered pushing deeper into the night. We knew of a free campground ahead in the foothills. But another long drive the next day was necessary for us to catch the boat on Lake Chelan, in Washington, where we intended to backpack. (We’ll describe that magnificent trail in our next post.) We didn’t want to be exhausted when we began hiking. So we caved to convenience and pulled into Okanagan Lake Provincial Park.

We’re ashamed to admit we spent $30 to pitch our tent there. The campground was meticulously maintained. The endlessly hot shower was soothing. But $30? Too much. Especially given the campground location: immediately below the highway. We couldn’t listen to the water lapping at the lakeshore. We had to wear earplugs to drown out the vehicle noise so we could get the sleep we’d invested in.

The experience reminded us that Camp Free in B.C. is an important, valuable resource. Yes, some provincial-park campgrounds (smaller ones in less desirable locations, with limited facilities and no showers) charge only about $22 per campsite per night. But many campgrounds in B.C. remain free of charge or truly cheap: just $12 per site, per night. And because these are mostly beyond paved roads, they feel wilder than provincial parks and are often much quieter. You want to find them? Pick up a copy of Camp Free in B.C.

Camp Free gives you detailed descriptions of, and complete driving directions to, 350 free-of-charge campgrounds (plus 80 low-fee ones) throughout southern and central British Columbia, including Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, the Okanagan, the Shuswap Highlands, the Rocky Mountain Trench, the Cariboo Mountains, and the Chilcotin Plateau.

You’ll find Camp Free for sale at all Indigo-Chapters bookstores, and in the book sections at Mountain Equipment Co-op stores. You can also purchase Camp Free directly off our website. Or from Amazon.com.

To jumpstart your free-camping adventures this summer, here are some of our favourite, free-of-charge, B.C. campgrounds. We rate each of these “destination,” meaning they’re worthy of a multi-day stay, not just a utilitarian, overnight stop.

Toquart Bay, page 53, SE of Tofino, on Vancouver Island

Nimpkish Lake, page 72, S of Port McNeil, N end of Vancouver Island  (ideal for kite-boarding & windsurfing)

Cal-Cheak, page 122, at the confluence of Callaghan Creek and Cheakamus River, SW of Whistler

Lillooet Lake and Duffey Lake, page 130, in the Coast Mountains, NE of Pemberton

Seton Dam, page 135, W of Lillooet, in the Coast Mountains

Ashnola River, page 168, near Keremeos, close to Cathedral Provicial Park

Harmon Lake, page 183, near Merritt

Wragge Beach, page 272, near New Denver, in the West Kootenay

Little Slocan Lake, page 280, NW of Nelson, near Valhalla Provincial Park, in the West Kootenay

Glacier Creek and Howser Glayco, page 292, N of Kaslo, in the West Kootenay

Mitten Lake, page 306, between Golden and Radium Hot Springs

Quesnel Lake, Crooked Lake (and 30 other free campgrounds in the vicinity), page 433, in the East Cariboo, W of Wells Gray Park

Owen Lake, page 474, SE of Smithers

Beaver River, page 495, NW of Robson Provincial Park