You will have to reply quickly as BC Parks is looking for feedback to be submitted by January 31, 2012. You can visit the URL below and fill out an online form or print and submit a PDF version of the form.

Link: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/planning/mgmtplns/lillooet/lillooet_mp.html

The choices have been made and the winners are:

Grand Prize Winner

Garibaldi Lake

Photo by: Jayme Lum
Location: Garibaldi Lake

View more info about this photo

Learn more about the hiking trail to Garibaldi Lake

Runner-Up Winners

Mount Cheam

Photo by: Jon Giesbrecht
Location: Mount Cheam

Baden Powell

Photo by: Lijuan Guo
Location: Baden Powell

Brothers Creek

Photo by: Lilice Boesen
Location: Brothers Creek

Elfin Lakes

Photo by: Cameron Frewin
Location: Elfin Lakes

Congratulations to this year's winners and thank you to everyone who entered. A special thank you to the 2011 Vancouver Trails Photo Contest Sponsors:

Looking forward to seeing your photos in 2012!

The Grand Prize includes a pair of Keen shoes, Lowe Pro 350 Backpack, an Icebreaker Men's Superfine Tech T Lite, and a Joby Gorillapod. There are also 4 runner-up prizes of Mountain Equipment Co-op gift cards.

To submit your photos, visit the photo contest page on Vancouver Trails. You can also view all the entries for 2011 by visiting the photo gallery page.

This is a great opportunity to extend your hiking season as all trails in south western British Columbia are accessible, with only a few having passible sections of snow remaining at the high elevations.

Plan for shorter days and less daylight by making sure you leave earlier enough and get back well before darkness. Trails in forested or mountainous areas can become darker earlier as the sun dips behind a mountain or is hidden by the trees. If you have a long drive to the trailhead, plan to leave earlier so you have don't get caught in the dark.

Some recommended alpine hikes for September:

Panorama Ridge
Black Tusk
Wedgemount Lake
The Lions
Mount Cheam
Brandywine Meadows

The trails on Vancouver Trails currently featuring Metro Vancouver's videos are:

Belcarra Regional Park (Jug Island Beach is also located in this park)

Boundary Bay Regional Park

Brae Island Regional Park

Burnaby Lake Regional Park

Capilano River Regional Park

Minnekhada Regional Park

The videos are located underneath the photos and comments on the right side of each page.

The grand prize package includes:

• Lowepro Fastpack 350
  
• A gift card good for a pair of shoes from Keen Footwear
• Men's Superfine Tech T Lite in Jungle
• Joby Gorillapod SLR Zoom

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 17, 2011 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.

Over 500 submissions to the contest were received in 2010 and it was difficult choosing from some incredible photographs. Check out last year's winning photos or check out the entire 2010 Photo Gallery of all the images.

To enter the 2011 Photo Contest, visit www.vancouvertrails.com/contest/

Happy Hiking from your Vancouver Trails Team

Here are some hiking recommendations to work off those Canucks blues:

Grouse Grind - Yes, Vancouver's Outdoor Stairmaster, the Grouse Grind, is open.

Lynn Peak - A comparable hike to the Grouse Grind but you also have to walk back down the hill.

The Chief - A steep hike with a great view in Squamish.

Jug Island Beach - Located in Belcarra, the trail to Jug Island has a few steep section followed by a scenic beach view.

Diez Vistas - Located near Buntzen Lake in Port Moody, the hike offers a solid workout with views of Indian Arm.

The trail underwent some changes to improve the drainage and erosion that has occurred on the lower section of the Grind. These changes have actually changed the route slightly, making the distance 21 meters longer but reducing the number of steps from 2,830 to 2,770.

The Grouse Grind will be open from 6:15am to 7:30pm daily for the rest of the summer, or at least until day light hours lessen. Don't forget to bring $10 to take the Gondola back down or to purchase a $99 Annual Membership Pass.

Currently, Parks Canada manages 42 national parks, 167 historical sites, four national marine conservation areas and even the grave sites of former prime ministers. Large expansion has taken place in the last couple of decades, particularly from the addition of the 19,000-square-kilometre Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island in Canada's north.

Parks Canada has grown dramatically since it's beginnings as the Dominion Parks Branch in 1911. "When we started, we only had 10 or 12 national parks, but now we are truly a national park system spread right across Canada" says Alan Latourelle, CEO of Parks Canada.

The organization was originally established to capture tourism dollars and showcase the natural beauty of areas like Banff to travellers. However, a shift in the 1960's towards protecting Canada's national parks system changed the mandate of Parks Canada. In 2000, legislation was introduced that made protecting the ecological integrity of Canada's parks their main priority.

Below is a list of the National Parks located in British Columbia:

Glacier National Park of Canada - British Columbia's lush interior rainforest and permanent glaciers

Gulf Islands National Park Reserve of Canada - An exceptional coastal island landscape in the southern Strait of Georgia

Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site - Haïda culture and coastal rainforest on Queen Charlotte Islands.

Kootenay National Park of Canada - UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring the famous Radium Hot Springs.

Mount Revelstoke National Park of Canada - Rainforest of 1,000-year-old cedars and spectacular mountains.

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Canada - Pacific Coast Mountains make up this marine and forest environment.

Yoho National Park of Canada - UNESCO World Heritage Site in Rockies.

"The parking meters are coming out and parking will be free, effective immediately, so that British Columbia's parks are even more welcoming for families.

Our parks not only contribute to a healthy lifestyle and protect our environment, they are important to our economy. More park visitors mean more tourism dollars and more jobs for rural British Columbians and we want to eliminate any barriers to using the parks."

If you have purchased an annual parking pass after September 1, 2011, you can complete a refund form and mail it with your Parks Pass to:

Visitor Services Branch
PO Box 9398 Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, BC V8W 9M9

There is still LOTS of snow on the local mountains and hiking trails, such as the Grouse Grind, are not accessible. However, this is still a great time of year to go Snowshoeing at either Mount Seymour along Dog Mountain or the more challenging route to Hollyburn Mountain at Cypress.

Some other great hiking trail recommendations for this weekend include:

Two Canyon Loop - A loop that passes along Lynn Creek and the Seymour River.

Lighthouse Park - A network of trails along the shores of West Vancouver.

Minnekhada Regional Park - A scenic route around the marsh area with several great views.

The Chief - Apparently the first couple of peaks of the Chief in Squamish are accessible but there is still snow on the third peak.

Please use extreme caution this weekend and avoid backcountry areas as the snow levels are very high for this time of year and there is still the potential for avalanches.

Experience the Travel & Vacation Destinations Pavillion, the Camping Showcase, the Canoe & and Kayak Zone, and much more. Plus, meet special guest Terry Grant (better known as Mantracker) Saturday at 1pm.

A 2-for-1 Coupon for the Vancouver Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show has been provided courtesy of OutdoorVancouver.ca. Print and bring the coupon to the show to save on the admission fee.

Hours:
Saturday, March 19, 2011 - 10am ? 6pm
Sunday, March 20, 2011 - 10am ? 5pm

Admission: $12
Youths 12 - 17: $10
Children under 12: Free

For more details, check out the Vancouver Outdoor Adventure Travel Show website.

Don't forget to print out the 2-for-1 coupon and bring it to the show!

To celebrate, BC Parks is holding a number of events throughout BC, including hiking, nature watching, snowshoeing, tree planting, and learning to cave. The events will take place during 2011 and more information can be found at BC Park's Calendar of Events on their website.

These great hikes are located in the Vancouver and Southwestern BC region and are managed by BC Parks:

Mount Seymour Provincial Park
Mount Seymour, Dog Mountain, Goldie Lake

Cypress Provincial Park
Hollyburn Mountain, Eagle Bluffs, St. Mark's Summit, Lower Hollyburn

Indian Arm Provincial Park
Diez Vistas

Golden Ears Provincial Park
Gold Creek Falls, Mike Lake

Pinecone-Burke Provincial Park
Widgeon Falls

Stawamus Chief Provincial Park
The Chief

Alice Lake Provincial Park
Alice Lake

Garibaldi Provincial Park
Garibaldi Lake, Black Tusk, Panorama Lake, Elfin Lakes, Cheakamus Lake, Wedgemount Lake

Brandywine Falls Provincial Park
Brandywine Falls

Nairn Falls Provincial Park
Nairn Falls

Joffre Lakes Provincial Park
Joffre Lakes

Rolley Lake Provincial Park
Rolley Lake

Cultus Lake Provincial Park
Teapot Hill

Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park
Lindeman Lake

For more information about BC Parks, visit their website.

Access to popular snowshoeing trails that are maintained by BC Parks are best done at Cypress or Seymour Mountains. Here are a few well marked trails that are great for beginners and intermediate snowshoers:

Dog Mountain – A relatively easy, well marked trail that starts from the Mount Seymour parking lot and takes you to a view overlooking Vancouver.

Mount Seymour – A more challenging snowshoe trail that takes you up over First and Second Pump offering numerous views along the route of the backcountry mountains, to the Fraser Valley.

Hollyburn Mountain – A solid, uphill workout that passes between the edge of the tree line and the cross-country ski area. The result is a breathtaking view of the city and backcountry mountain ranges.

Eagle Bluffs – The route to Eagle Bluffs starts from the Cypress Mountain downhill ski area and takes you up over Black Mountain before descending to a viewpoint along the Baden Powell.

For more information, read the Snowshoe Trails Near Vancouver article on Vancouver Trails.

Snowshoeing Safety

The snow conditions can be very dangerous and it is important to be prepared and obey all signage along the trails. Here are some tips:

• Stay on the marked trails and do not venture outside into the backcountry. The avalanche risk is very high and by not staying on marked routes, you are putting your life in danger.
• Bring the proper clothing and supplies. Make sure to dress warmly, bring food and water as the snow is not considered drinkable.
• Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back.
• Before leaving, do as much research on the area as you can so you are prepared Bring a map or GPS device.
• Bring a cell phone. There are no guarantees that cell phones work in backcountry areas but it’s better to have one on these routes closer to the ski areas, just in case!

Properly planning and preparing will ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable snowshoeing experience on the Vancouver local mountains.

The trails in Tofino are relatively short and easy but the scenery is some of the most spectacular in the world, with rugged Pacific Ocean beaches to lush coastal rainforests. Tofino is a popular destination for people seeking outdoor adventures as visitors can participate in other activities such as surfing, kayaking, storm watching, or simply relaxing in one of the many resorts.

A sister website to Vancouver Trails, information on Tofino Trails is presented in a similar format and includes trail distances, the number of stairs, a map, photos, and the ability for visitors to add their own comments and leave feedback.

You can visit Tofino Trails at www.tofinohiking.com and also connect through the Facebook Page and Follow on Twitter.