April 30, 2025
~ submitted by Mary Hof
Five of us went up to Hammer Hill off the Heavenly Trail, in the Sooke Hills. Yup, there is a hammer up there.
Sooke Wilderness Hike
Maple Mountain, Blue and Yellow Trail
April 15, 2025
~ submitted by Mary Hof
I love this hike on Maple Mountain, starting on the Blue trail going down and along the Yellow trail along the ocean. I decided to lead this hike today for the OCV and Island Mountain Ramblers. Instead of following the Yellow till the end and then up to the Blue, I have found a way up through the ridges and forest to the Blue Trail.
Continue reading “Maple Mountain, Blue and Yellow Trail”Bald Mountain
April 5, 2025
~ submitted by Mary Hof
I was suppose to lead a hike to Bald Mountain in Youbou on Sunday, but looking at the weather forecast I switched to Saturday and I am glad we did.
We hiked up to the tower and beyond to that beautiful view with Heather Mountain under a lot of snow. 8 hikers we were, and we all had the same speed for a wonderful hike.
We met a few people on the trail, but not many. 13 km 600m of elevation gain was a good days worth. Thanks for joining me.
Mount Arrowsmith via Lost Gully
April 27, 2025
~ submitted by Evan Martin
The group met in Nanaimo before driving to the Cameron Main gate. The drive gave us a chance to get to know each other, review group safety gear, and align expectations before hitting the trailhead. We arrived at the gate at 8:20 a.m. and found two other cars waiting. From a past trip, I knew the gate is “unlocked” rather than “opened” at 8:00, so we pulled around and Evan hopped out to open it — earning some surprised looks from the other drivers.
Continue reading “Mount Arrowsmith via Lost Gully”Ball Lake Snowshoe
March 29, 2025
~ submitted by Matthew Lettington
Throughout Paradise Meadows, signs of winter’s slow demise are everywhere. Though over two meters of snow still blankets much of the landscape, evidence of the coming summer is undeniable. Patches of open water are appearing along the edges of the lakes, and in some places, we could see water nearly twelve inches below the snow’s surface.
This was my first time tackling this route in winter. Typically, snowshoers take a direct path across the frozen lakes, but with the increasing melt, we opted to follow the shoreline instead. It was the safer choice.
Westwood Ridges Ridge Ramble
March 30, 2025
~ submitted by Matthew Lettington
It’s been many years since I last visited the Westwood Ridges—probably before COVID-19. This time, I had the pleasure of hosting a relaxed ramble and brought my family along for the adventure. The day could not have been more perfect: cool, crisp air with just the lightest breeze, making for an ideal hiking atmosphere.
Continue reading “Westwood Ridges Ridge Ramble”Mount Cokely Winter Mountaineering
March 15, 2025
~ submitted by Matthew Lettington
Well, at the very least, we can say it was a day in the mountains.
One common issue when planning a day of learning is that the weather doesn’t really care about your plans. While we had hoped for a multiday steep-angle adventure, the forecast had us adjusting our expectations, turning the trip into a single-day learning experience.
Continue reading “Mount Cokely Winter Mountaineering”Mount Becher Novice Ski Trip
March 30, 2025
~ submitted by Evan Martin
This winter, Evan W is stepping into the world of backcountry skiing with big ambitions—he’s eager to take on longer ski tours as his skills grow. While I’ve done my fair share of backcountry skiing, my experience has been limited to the mainland, making this my first year exploring the island’s terrain. Motivated by the opportunity to ski with Evan, I brought my gear over and planned a trip to Mount Becher, hoping to invite other Ramblers and share the experience while rebuilding the backcountry ski culture within the Ramblers. After our previous attempt to organize a trip to Mount Cokely fell flat, we were pleasantly surprised by the high level of interest this time. In the end, we had six people in the group, with a range of experience from first-timers to seasoned skiers, which made for an exciting and diverse adventure.
Mount Provost
March 30, 2025
~ submitted by Mary Hof
Today I led hikers from three different groups on Mt. Prevost, some never having been there. Outdoor Club of Victoria, the Ramblers and Cowichan Hikers. 10 strong hikers. I even took them to a hidden waterfall, none had been there.
Good hiking weather, wind a little strong at times, but a beautiful day to enjoy the beauty around us, visit with friends, and learn all about what these awesome hikers are up too.
Mt. Tzouhalem – from a different way
March 2, 2025
~ submitted by Mary Hof
It was a beautiful day to do a hike, meeting new Ramblers. The group kept a good pace. Parts of this hike are seldom used so it was nice to show people the huge rocks that are along the trail.
The hike was 4.5 hours with an elevation gain of 650m. Thanks for the opportunity to lead.