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A Journey Inspired.

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Every Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend (mid Oct)

Every Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend (mid Oct), Geoff and I make a point to visit someplace new that still has fall colours.

You’d think that most of them will have faded by then but when we had limited vacation time, we turned it into a challenge 😏

So, we wanted to share some of our favourite places in case you haven’t made plans yet or haven’t had the chance to hike for the fall colours 💛

📌Save this post for your fall trip inspiration!

Here are some tips and hike locations ⬇️DM me if you want any of the specific hike locations in the carousel.

🍁North Cascades, Washington
- Some tips: colour in higher elevations (ie. Washington Pass, Maple Pass Loop) usually peak in late September but Lower valleys (Diablo Lake, Newhalem area) extend into early October.
- The larches are usually the the highlight of this area and they might come late this year due to the unseasonably warm start of fall we’ve gotten!

🍁 Killarney, Ontario (Georgian Bay area)
- Ontario is famous for its maples/birches. There is an online colour tracker!
- make sure you hike The Crack trail and see the old La Cloche Mountains (did you know Ontario has mountains?! 😱)
- also make sure you spend some time in Muskoka and Alogonquin areas. Ontario falls hold such a special place in my heart

🍁 Chéticamp, Nova Scotia (Cape Breton Highlands)
- The Cabot Trail is famous for its rolling red/orange hills.
- Oct 5-15 is usually the peak window. Colours come later than Ontario because the Atlantic Ocean moderates the climate

🍁 Canadian Rockies (Banff, Jasper, Yoho)
- ok I snuck this one in but the Rockies might have just hit their peak in mid to late September. They don’t get huge displays of maples but the larches are really special. We even got to see them at Berg Lake!
- Sept 15-25 is usually prime in Banff and Lake Louise (Larch Valley, Sentinel Pass). If you missed these higher elevation areas, visit lower valleys

🍁 Adirondacks, New York
- High Peaks Wilderness (Lake Placid, Keene Valley) peaks earlier but lower areas (Lake George, Saranac Lake) hold colour into Oct.

➡️Let me know if you have any questions and follow @ajourneyinspired for more outdoor inspo!!🤗

This might be the best larch hike I’ve ever done

This might be the best larch hike I’ve ever done… and you’ve likely never heard of it before.

You’ve probably seen those instagram posts showing insane traffic jams and parking situations, and that we were not going to let that ruin the magic of fall for us 🙅‍♀️🙅🐶

So we read maps and scoured the internet and found this gem! We nearly got the entire valley of larches to ourselves and it was one of the most magical experiences we’ve ever had 🥹

Here are some tips if you want to find your own hidden gems:

1️⃣ Skip the hype. See which trails are trending online and then look for nearby alternatives that no one’s talking about.

2️⃣ Take the side trails. Most popular trailheads have smaller loops or connectors that are quiet, and often just as stunning.

3️⃣ Go off peak like weekdays or just before/after peak season, and you’ll almost always get them to yourself. (These pictures were actually taken on Canadian thanksgiving weekend last year so it is possible to avoid crowds during peak season!)

4️⃣ Check the maps. Topo maps show passes, valleys, and ridges that photos don’t capture.

5️⃣ Ask locals. Hiking groups and local guides usually know the secret spots that don’t show up online.

If you want the location of this hike which was not far from Vancouver BC, Follow and comment/DM me, and I’ll send you the AllTrails link!

Happy adventuring 💛

#bestfallhikes #pnwhikers #adventurepeople #hikemoreworryless

Tips for packing your backpacking bag, using our W

Tips for packing your backpacking bag, using our West Coast Trail packing list for 4 days in late August!

1)Line your pack with a contractor bag (even the best packs soak through after a day of rain).
2)Bring 4 pairs of wool socks, this is one thing you won’t regret doubling up on.
3)choose synthetic over down for insulation because the WCT is damp and humid.
4)we used permethrin and treated all our clothes to eliminate the need for bug spray and worrying about ticks
5)Don’t carry too much water. 1.5L was plenty, with sources almost everywhere.
6)Use what you already have. You don’t need new gear to enjoy the WCT. :)

PACKING LIST: Save this post for reference!
Bags
- @durstongear Kakwa 55
- Dry bags: 10L for food, 5L for clothes
- Backpack liner

Tops
- Sunshirt
- @icebreakernz Hiking shirt
- Sleep shirt
- @lululemon sports bras

Bottoms
- @arcteryxbc Gamma tapered pants
- shorts
- sleep leggings

Accessories
- @outdoorresearch gaiters
- @matadorequipment lightweight towel
- @smartwool_canada socks
- Lightweight breathable hat
- Sunglasses

Jackets
- Atom synthetic jacket
- Beta Gore-Tex rain jacket

Sleep System
- @marmot Trestles Elite sleeping bag, rated to –1°C
- @thermarest NeoAir Xherm sleep pad
- @naturehike.canada tent (first backpacking tent we ever bought and still works fine!)

Essentials
- Water system: 1L SmartWater bottle + @hydrapak filter bag (TIP: water sources are plentiful. Don’t overpack, but note some are brackish near the ocean.)
- 20,000 mAh battery pack
- First aid + emergency kit
- @blackdiamond headlamp
- Bear spray
- Trekking pole
- UL camera + lens
- Inflatable pillow + silk pillowcase
- Tarp + paracord (backup shelter)
- Toiletries

Food
- we pre-packed per day in individual bags, then stuffed it all in a dry bag. Bears bins can be rough so your food should survive tossing around, or be hangable if bins are full
- Cook set
- Spork
- Lighter/ matches
**Refer to my detailed WCT food packing list

Footwear
- @keencanada boots
- @birkenstock Eva sandals

Optional
- gardening gloves
- sit pad

What’s one thing you’d never go backpacking without?

Follow @ajourneyinspired for more hiking and backpacking tips!

If you’ve ever wondered what backpacking food ac

If you’ve ever wondered what backpacking food actually looks like daily, here’s how I fueled 5 days on the West Coast Trail without carrying a crazy heavy pack!

This carousel is so value packed I had couldn’t fit it all and wrote a long caption with more tips 🤭⬇️

Here are some things that we’ve learned over the years from trial + error on the trail.

📌Save this if you want a food guide you can actually use later!

Note:
• We used to make our own backpacking food, but lately we’ve been jamming in trips and don’t have time 😅
• Backpacking meals are pricey so don’t feel pressured to buy $20 dried meals if it’s not in your budget.
• We’re not fancy or picky people...we eat on the go and keep things simple
• We don’t count calories in real life, but for backpacking we do track because every ounce matters when you’re carrying it for 75km+ (Strava said 86km!). I tried my best to finish my food but I’m not perfect 🙃

⸻
Tips & what works for us:
✅ Pre-portion food by days so you don’t under/overeat
✅ 3,000–4,000 cals/day is a good baseline for intense trips like the WCT
✅ UL backpackers often aim for 1.5–2 lbs of food per day. Our total was ~8 lbs
✅ Always pack according to your needs (another reason calorie counts help)
✅ Have a daily treat to look forward to (ours was candy and pub mix)
✅ Electrolytes with real sugar are a game changer like @liquidiv
✅ Expect to have food leftover on the last day and continue to snack on those
✅ Cold + quick breakfasts make mornings easier (RX bars ftw)
✅ Keep your day’s food in an outside pocket so you’re not digging in your pack
✅ Use a dry bag for all food to go into the bear bin/hang
✅ Check every pocket of your bag + clothes at night for scraps before bear bin time
⸻

Food ideas we love
🥯 Bagged tuna in pita
🧀 Hard cheese for the first few days (parm + pecorino hold up well)
🥩 Good quality meat sticks (skip the overly salty ones)
🍜Chinese egg noodles are lighter than ramen
⸻
What didn’t work for us
🚫 warm breakfasts bc we don’t have time
🚫 Forgetting to hydrate. water is fuel too!
⸻

Lmk if this was helpful and ask if you have any questions!

👉What’s your go to backpacking food?

#backpackingtips #hikemore

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