Evan Martin Archives - Island Mountain Ramblers

March 28, 2026March 27, 2026

Mount Arrowsmith via Brugger’s Gully

March 21, 2026

~ submitted by Evan Martin

This was suppose to be a report on a ski trip of the Forbidden Plateau Traverse. However, after a week of heavy rain and cooling temperatures nobody was excited about the potential for boot packing, icy ski conditions, and washed out stream beds. So what could I get people excited about? Sunny weather; low-low-low avalanche conditions; sounds like a day for gully climbing. I had been curious about Brugger’s Gully on Arrowsmith ever since we accidentally started it instead of the Main Gully a few years ago. So the plans switched and off we went.

March 13, 2026March 13, 2026

Green Mountain — On Being That Guy

March 7, 2026

~ submitted by Matthew Lettington

I was lucky enough to join the fun on the club’s March 7 ski tour to Green Mountain. While this winter has fizzled more than it has popped, the lack of snow has given us unusually good opportunities to drive high into the mountains and start our recreation much farther up than we typically can. Earlier this year we attempted the same trip but had to start skiing around 400 m. This time we were able to drive to nearly 800 m before stepping out of the vehicles.

But I don’t want to start this story on the mountain. This is really a story about how I dropped the ball.

March 11, 2026March 11, 2026

Winter Ski Series – Overnight Ski Tour

February 21, 2026

~ submitted by Evan Martin

This was the second trip in the ski series that I’m organized this year. In preparation for upcoming overnight tours, the intention of this trip was to test out our winter camping setups and learn what it feels like to ski with a heavy pack. This trip definitely served both purposes! With over 30cm of snow leading up to this trip and a heavy snowfall warning the conditions were ideal.

March 6, 2026March 6, 2026

Green Mountain

February 15, 2026

~ submitted by Evan Martin

Four of us headed up Green Mountain for a look. We arrived at the first gate just as it was being opened and proceeded to the mountain. We drove to the snowline at the bend just before the parking area. The road is in great shape up to the first trail, and littered with drainage ditches after that. There’s also a washout that is navigable with a higher clearance 4×4.

February 13, 2026February 12, 2026

Winter Ski Series – Intro to Ski Touring, Mount Elma

January 18, 2026

~ submitted by Evan Martin

Six dedicated ski tourers showed up at Raven Lodge with the hope of finding something to ski on. The conditions the past week were both wet and warm. The little snow pack that we had had taken a beating and looking at the rocks and mud on the ski hill was all but depressing. Despite this, we were looking forward to a sunny day in the backcountry.

January 10, 2026January 9, 2026

Sooke Hills – Black Bear & Trafalgar Mountains

November 29, 2025

~ submitted by Evan Martin

Winter is coming, which for me means ski trips and gulley climbs. However, after coming off the summer high and dipping into the fall low, I needed to start getting out again to build the necessary fitness. The Sooke Hills are a convenient place to train and keep up the fitness for those of us on the South Island. I had spent a lot of time exploring the area a few years ago, but the North West corner of the park was closed due to the Old Man Lake fire of 2024. Hence, this trip gave me an opportunity to get out into one of the last parts of the park that I haven’t yet explored.

I was joined by three other Ramblers and a special guest from UVic. It was a good mix of participants – some seeking fitness, others checking off the Sooke Hills challenge. Our guest was gathering data on risk in outdoor activities as part of an Anthropology course, which led to some interesting discussions during the trip.

July 18, 2025July 18, 2025

Klitsa Mountain

July 13, 2025

~ submitted by Evan Martin

My wife and son left Saturday to visit their family, so I was looking to get out of the house for the weekend. With so many mountains on the island, I sometimes run into decision paralysis in trying to decide where to go. This is when I often turn to lists like the Lifetime Climbing Objectives for inspiration. Although most of these objectives are larger objectives that take a bit of planning, Klitsa Mountain seemed like a bit of an outlier and a low hanging fruit. Noting that there were no other day hikes happening, I made a last minute decision to add it to the schedule.

July 10, 2025July 10, 2025

Mount Joan, Squarehead Mountain, Mount Curran Loop

June 29, 2025

~ submitted by Evan Martin

I was a little disappointed when I failed to bag Mount Joan this winter. My first attempt was in March this year. We turned around after 5 hours prior to making the ridge. I was expecting this to be a big day, and was waiting for an opportunity to give it another attempt. So when a free weekend came up early this summer, it became an obvious objective.

I posted the trip with little expectations. Although not officially a long weekend, I figured many people would be taking the Monday off and taking summer trips. However, I ended up with two Ramblers joining me.

May 9, 2025May 9, 2025

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.

April 1, 2025April 3, 2025

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.