"A short drive west of the breathtaking but crowded Canadian Rockies are the magnificent Purcell Mountains of British Columbia. Just getting to the trail is an adventure in itself..."
A short drive west of the breathtaking but crowded Canadian Rockies are the magnificent Purcell Mountains of British Columbia. Just getting to the trail is an adventure in itself as all of the hikes in this area are accessed via forest service roads. I was taking a look one evening on Google Earth when I noticed a pair of lakes I hadn’t heard of yet that caught my eye! After a bit of research and chatting with friends from the area I was on the road with directions in hand and my backpack ready for a two night adventure. Once at the lakes, we noticed a peak that would look out over some of the other areas we had hiked in seasons prior, and the next morning we set out to scramble to the top. The day was cool and clear and once we reached the summit, we had to throw on our down jackets (welcome to summer in Canada!). With endless views in every direction, including a birds eye view of our campsite below, we enjoyed lunch and a thermos of hot coffee. Upon arriving back to camp, we built fire and watched the sunset over the lake with warm homemade smoked tofu wraps and a good book. We spend the next little while reading until last light before packing it in for the night. The next morning brought a beautiful sunrise and before long we were back at our truck ready for a dusty and bumpy ride back to the highway to close out the adventure with a few cold beers!
Check out some shots from the trip below!
Bio: Viktoria is a professional photographer (B Fa., B Des., Photography) + the designer behind North Birch Grove, a fine art + home decor brand based in Canmore Alberta in the Rocky Mountains of Canada. She founded Hike365, an outdoor + wellness community for women in 2014, follow along via hike365.org! Look for her in winter on the skin track with her skis + in summer on the road with her vintage Boler trailer + blue heeler Metsä by her side! She's adventured to 16 countries and counting along with 9 provinces, embarking season after season to breathtakingly rugged landscapes all over the world. The experiences she's had within protected + unprotected areas while traveling have inspired her to give back through environmental stewardship opportunities with organizations focusing on conservation, sustainable community initiatives and environmental education.