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Well the title of this post is Elfin Lakes in fall, but really what I think I mean is Elfin Lakes in almost winter.  I was determined to get up to Elfin Lakes this autumn.  We had done an overnight trip up there in early October a few years ago and the fall colours in the meadows were amazing!  We planned a trip for (Canadian) Thanksgiving weekend but the forecast was for torrential downpours so we didn’t go.  Sad face. So of course I was excited when my friend S emailed to say he was visiting from Seattle and wanted to go hiking at Elfin!  We headed out early on a Saturday morning with a few other friends. The previous week had been unseasonably cold and clear in the city so we knew that we might not be hiking in fall; instead we might be hiking in winter! Once on the trail we found that it was a weird in-between season – it was bitterly cold and everything was frozen, but there wasn’t much snow around.  The first few kilometers of the trail are on an old road in the forest and ther...

It’s that time of year again: There isn’t enough snow to go skiing or snowshoeing, but there’s enough ice to make high elevation travel annoying or even dangerous.  Welcome to shoulder season, that grumpy time between summer and winter that is better known as Fall and Spring.  Many people find it a frustrating time to go hiking, but I’ve learned that with a bit of persistence you can find trails to hike that are very rewarding.  You won’t be attaining any major summits but there are still plenty forests, lakes, rivers and viewpoints to explore. When I was growing up my Dad often took us hiking on Remembrance Day if the weather wasn’t too terrible.  Half way up a mountain or along a forest trail he’d look at his watch and let us know it was time: it was the 11 th hour on the 11 th day of the 11 th month.  We’d stand still for two minutes and be silent while listening to the whistling of the wind or the babbling of a brook.  After our moment of silence we’d continue up the trail, and...