Crystal's Epic Adventures

  I have never been very good at staying in regular contact with long-distance friends. Cindy and I met through a self-employment program nearly 20 years ago in Abbotsford when both our daughters were just wee ones and we were starting up our individual small businesses. At one point we got quite close helping each other through some really tough times, like girlfriends usually do.  We understood each other, we validated each other, we gave marriage and breakup advice to each other, we shared some of the deepest darkest secrets with each other, we got annoyed with each other's quirks, we shared the honest truth with each other, we shared business ideas with each other, we shared intimate family details with each other, we told each other when we have food in our teeth or when our shirt was on backward, and now we have a shared lasting list of memories with each other. Over the years, life moves us in all sorts of directions that often puts a lot of physical distance betwe...

This forgotten trail to the top of the three summits of Wells Peak is one of Hope's lost gems - a challenging but not extreme hike with alpine meadows and incredible views. If you're interested in an alpine hike relatively close to Vancouver with little to no people at all, this is the trail for you! The trailhead parking is the same spot to hike the more popular  Hope Mountain , which Klaus and I did almost to the day, two years ago. Although much cooler than it has been this past week, it was going to be a very hot day in the Fraser Valley, so being on the top of a mountain peak is the best place to be.  Often when Klaus suggests a hike, I will do some research on it before going, reading some trip reports that others have written just to get an idea of what I am in for. So I was prepared for the fact that this was going to be a steep hike over a short distance.  At the start, the tight forest wasn't all that beautiful to look at, but the density kept it nice and c...