The Grouse Grind is one of Vancouver's most popular trails as it is often compared to the "outdoor stair-master". The trail climbs the North Shore mountain quickly, gaining 853 meters in just 2.9km!

Note: While the Grouse Grind is opening, do not expect the nearby BCMC Trail to be accessible at this time of year until more snow melts.

There will be interactive displays, opportunities to see the equipment used in search and rescue, and a chance to win a helicopter ride for 4!

North Shore Rescue is located at: 61 Bewicke Ave, North Vancouver

For more information, visit the North Shore Rescue website.

Capilano Canyon - A great hiking loop for the family as it passes through some of the area's most lush forests, scenic canyon views, the Capilano Salmon Hatchery, and across Cleveland Dam.

Boundary Bay Regional Park - Located in Delta, the easy walking trails offer scenic views of the bay, great bird-watching opportunities, and fun exploring along the beach and among the nature reserve.

Deer Lake - An easy walk that wraps around the lake and passes the beach area, the large grass area by the Shadbolt Center, and the open fields on the west side of the lake.

Iona Beach Regional Park - Located on the northwest side of the airport, the walk follows the beach along a jetty out towards the Strait of Georgia.

Lighthouse Park - The park is located near Horseshoe Bay and has a variety of trails and sights for everyone, including the scenic view of the Lighthouse and the picturesque Starboat Cove.

Although summer is a few months away, it's important to plan and make your reservations soon as the more popular camping destinations become fully booked quickly during long weekends and weekends through July and August. Fees vary for campsites depending on whether you are booking spots in the Front Country, Back Country, accommodations in Yurts, or more. Details and reservations are available online at the Discover Camping website.

For those who would prefer to call to make reservations, the Discover Camping Call Centre is available from 7:00am to 7:00pm PST Monday to Friday or 9:00am to 5:00pm on Saturday, Sunday and holidays at 1-800-689-9025.

This years themed zones include the Yukon Adventure Travel Zone, the Camping Showcase, Canoe & Kayak Zone, the Running & Triathlon Pavilion, and much more! There is also a guest appearance by Adam van Koeverden, 4-time Olympic Medalist in kayaking.

The details are:

Location:
Vancouver Convention Centre
West Building
1055 Canada Place

Dates:
Saturday, March 2: 10am - 6pm
Sunday, March 3: 10am - 5pm

Admission:
General: $12
Youths 12 - 17: $10
Seniors 60+ : $10
Children under 12: Free

cash only accepted at the door

Here is a video preview of the festival:

Tickets for evening shows are $19 advance / $21 door, matinees are $15, and children 12 and under are $9. There are also 2-day or 3-day passes available for less. Advanced ticket purchases can be made online at the VIMFF website.

A list of "can't miss" mountain adventure films at this year's festival include:

• Wideboyz - The "big climbing story of 2012." A short version was shown during VIMFF's Reel Rock tour in November; this is the North American premiere of the feature length cut.
• Down The Line - A well shot local movie on canyoneering near Squamish. Makes its world premiere on one of our special matinee days on Monday, February 11.
• Crossing The Ice - An Australian movie about making the first modern day unassisted traverse of Antarctica and back again. Winner: Winner of the Grand Prize and People's Choice Award at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival 2012.
• Sandstone - A really well-filmed climbing movie that highlights a rarely seen area in the Czech Republic. North American premiere.
• Where The Trail Ends - "Real eye candy." Where the Trail Ends is a blockbuster mountain bike action movie featuring Red Bull athletes from around the world.
• Karakoram Highway - "Features stunning scenery of paragliding across one of the most rugged mountain ranges in the world." A North American premiere.
• The Dream Factory - A feature length blockbuster by Teton Gravity Research in Jackson Hole, USA, Dream Factory details two decades of big mountain skiing, Alaska style.
• Himalayan Gold Rush - Very popular movie at the Banff Mountain Film Festival, this film documents a remote part of Nepal, where tens of thousands of residents make the hazardous trek to collect Yarsagumbu -a mysterious transmutation between plant and insect. Wednesday February 13th, Pacific Cinemateque.

Complete information about the entire festival program schedule, guest speaker schedule, and locations can be found at the festival's website: www.vimff.org

The choices have been made and the winners are:

Grand Prize Winner

Howe Sound Crest Trail

Photo by: Jeff Petite
Location: Howe Sound Crest Trail

View more info about this photo

Runner-Up Winners

Helm Lake

Photo by: Akiko Sugita
Location: Helm Lake

View more info about this photo.

Mount Cheam

Photo by: Robyn Grant
Location: Mount Cheam

View more info about this photo.

Elfin Lakes

Photo by: Marius Grigore
Location: Elfin Lakes

View more info about this photo.

Lighthouse Park

Photo by: Pete Jones
Location: Lighthouse Park

View more info about this photo.

Congratulations to this year's winners and thank you to everyone who entered. A special thank you to the 2012 Vancouver Trails Photo Contest Sponsors:

Looking forward to seeing your photos in 2013!

There has been lots of great photos submitted this year, all of which can be viewed in the contest photo gallery.

This year's grand prize package includes:

• Osprey Talon 33, Indigo Blue (M / L) Read more >>
• Lowepro Photo Sport 100 (Orange) Read more >>
• 2 x $100 Petro Canada Gas Cards courtesy of Travel British Columbia Read more >>
• JOBY GorillaPod Hybrid Read more >>
• Women's 150 SS Atlas (medium) Read more >>
• Icebreaker Men's Anatomica Boxer (XL) Read more >>
• 2 x Icebreaker GT Merino Wool Socks (men's small, women's medium)

Four runner-up prizes of $25 Mountain Equipment Co-op gift certificates will also be awarded.

2012 Contest Sponsors include:

Enter today and good luck!

Work off some of that Thanksgiving food and spend time with family outdoors by doing one of these trails:

Workouts

Grouse Grind - The classic Vancouver hiking workout, don't forget money for the gondola ride down.

BCMC Trail - Runs parallel to the Grouse Grind but is much quieter with less people doing this trail. Still need to remember to take money for the gondola.

Quarry Rock - A popular, quick hike in Deep Cove that starts along the Baden Powell and ends at a large rock overlooking Indian Arm.

Burnaby Lake - A 10km, flat trail that loops around the lake and is popular for joggers.

Full Day Hikes

Garibaldi Lake - A scenic lake with a glacier in the background. Make sure to leave early as it's a full-day hike and there's less daylight.

The Chief - Squamish's version of the Grouse Grind, the only difference is the incredible views of Howe Sound and you have to hike back down!

Elk Mountain - A steep trail in Chilliwack with a view at the top that overlooks the Fraser Valley.

Petgill Lake - Located at Murrin Lake along the Sea To Sky Highway, this trail climbs into the mountains to a lake but make sure to continue past the lake to the incredible view of Howe Sound.

Family Hikes

Bridal Veil Falls - Located east of Chilliwack, Bridal Falls is a spectacular waterfall that's just a short walk from the parking lot.

Capilano Canyon - Check out the Salmon Hatchery as all the salmon are returning and jumping this time of year. Added bonus, this can be combined with a short hike through the beautiful forest.

Iona Beach - Located near the airport in Richmond, the walk along the beach is great for kids to explore.

Maplewood Flats - A series of short trails in North Vancouver with lots of birds and views of Burrard Inlet.

Make sure to leave early to give yourself enough time to complete the longer trails as daylight hours are much shorter. Also, dress warmly as the temperatures are much cooler even with the sun shining.

The best part about hiking this time of year is all trails are open, snow-free, and generally clear of debris that accumulates during the winter. Also, temperatures are a little cooler and nicer compared to some blazing hot summer days.

Things to be aware of include shorter daylight hours, so make sure to leave early for those longer hikes or risk being caught in darkness on your return in the evening.

Also, there have been several reports of bears on or near hiking trails, so use caution. This time of year, bears are out eating berries and other food as they prepare for the upcoming winter.

Lastly, don't forget to enter your photos in the 2012 Vancouver Trails Photo Contest. The contest closes October 15, 2012 and with the great weather, there's still lots of time to submit your photos.

A couple of things to remember, if you are camping, there are restrictions on campfires in all regions of British Columbia, so make sure to check out the Ministry of Forests website for more information. Also, daylight hours are becoming noticeably shorter to ensure you leave early in the morning for the longer hikes to give yourself enough time to return and not get stuck in the dark.

Below are some of the suggested bigger hikes that are accessible. These are all Intermediate to Difficult, so make sure to prepare appropriately by bringing lots of water, food, and other safety supplies and also ensure you are in good physical shape.

Garibaldi Lake - One of the most scenic, turquoise coloured lakes in the region.

Black Tusk - The sharp shale rock makes this hike challenging but the views are worth it.

Panorama Lake - A perfect 360 degree view of Garibaldi Provincial Park as you stand above Garibaldi Lake.

Wedgemount Lake - Don't let the short distance deceive you, this hike is really steep but the scenery at the top is like no other.

Joffre Lakes - Less difficult then some of the other Garibaldi hikes and you get to pass 3 lakes.

Mount Cheam - Incredible views of the Fraser Valley but it's the drive up the old logging road that is scary. Make sure you have a rugged 4x4.

Enjoy the long weekend and stay safe.

Vancouver Trails

However, there is still snow on many of the local mountains and, in some cases, lots. For example, the Garibaldi Lake area, which is normally snow-free this time of year, still has several feet of snow in the area and it starts at the 6km mark of the trail. For this reason, it's important to check sources, comments on the website from other hikers, and forums before planning your hike so you don't put yourself in danger.

Here are some hiking trails that are known to be snow-free:

Grouse Grind in North Vancouver
Baden Powell Deep Cove to Lynn Canyon in North Vancouver
Baden Powell Lynn Canyon to Grouse in North Vancouver
Cheakamus Lake in Whistler
Joffre Lakes north of Pemberton
High Falls Creek in Squamish
The Chief in Squamish
Mount Gardner on Bowen Island
Petgill Lake along the Sea To Sky Highway
Upper Shannon Falls near Squamish
Diez Vistas in Port Moody

Enjoy the sunshine and don't forget to submit your hiking photos to the Vancouver Trails Photo Contest to win great prizes.

This year's grand prize package includes:

• Osprey Talon 33, Indigo Blue (M / L) Read more >>
• Lowepro Photo Sport 100 (Orange) Read more >>
• 2 x $100 Petro Canada Gas Cards courtesy of Travel British Columbia Read more >>
• JOBY GorillaPod Hybrid Read more >>
• Women's 150 SS Atlas (medium) Read more >>
• Icebreaker Men's Anatomica Boxer (XL) Read more >>
• 2 x Icebreaker GT Merino Wool Socks (men's small, women's medium)

Four runner-up prizes of $25 Mountain Equipment Co-op gift certificates will also be awarded.

All entries must be submitted through the Vancouver Trails website by Monday, October 15, 2012 at 6pm PST. Photos must be hiking or camping related and have been taken in British Columbia. Preference will be given to photos taken in Vancouver or the Southwestern Region of British Columbia.

More than 1000 submissions have been made in the past 2-years and choosing the 2011 winners and 2010 winners was a difficult task. All photos from both years can be viewed in the 2011 contest gallery and the 2010 contest gallery.

This year's sponsors include:

To enter the 2012 Vancouver Trails Photo Contest, visit www.vancouvertrails.com/contest/

Happy Hiking from your Vancouver Trails Team

While we've been experiencing great weather, the higher elevations are still under a considerable amount of snow and the warmer temperature is creating dangerous situations, such as large sinkholes and rivers running under the melting snow pack. Hike trails that are accessible this time of year and use common sense to avoid putting yourself in danger.

Here are a some suggested day hikes for this May Long Weekend:

• Diez Vistas Trail in Port Moody is a 6 hour hike around Buntzen Lake with several views of Indian Arm.
• Mount Gardner on Bowen Island is a short ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay and a full day's hike up to scenic views of Howe Sound, the Sunshine Coast, and West Vancouver.
• The Chief in Squamish is a popular "warm up" hike for the season and has incredible views of Howe Sound on a clear, sunny day.
• Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver has a network of easy hiking trails and family picnic areas located along the scenic shoreline.
• Jug Island Beach in Belcarra is a short hike that leads to a beach along the shores of Indian Arm situated directly in front of the tiny island.

New trails added include:

Burnaby Mountain, Burnaby
Campbell Valley Regional Park, Langley
Crystal Falls, Coquitlam
Tynehead Regional Park, Surrey

The team at Vancouver Trails is looking forward to adding more hiking trails this year throughout southwestern BC.