For year now, when I need an easy, no-fuss hike, I just walk out my door to a trailhead about 10-minutes away. The path immediately gets me into the deep forest above Horseshoe Bay. After 500 m of uphill grunting, there’s an intersection. I’ve always turned left. It’s like I’m on autopilot. Left is to Whyte Lake, a pretty, little lake that makes the perfect one hour, door-to-door outing—a reliable and predictable bit of fresh air and exercise. A few months ago, I bucked the routine and turned right.
I’d heard mentions of trails “on the right” but descriptions were vague, and these trails (thankfully) don’t have signage. It wasn’t hard to convince my hiking buddy Eva to come out and explore. Armed with my Gaia GPS hiking app, we discovered a large network of trails. Since that first right turn back in November, I’ve been piecing together all kinds of wonderful new (to me) loops. I’m like a kid in a candy story. I’ve been dragging out Mike and select friends—rain, snow and shine—to share in my right turn discoveries. The photos below were all taken over the last four months.
Overlooking Howe Sound and Bowen Island
The North Shore mountains are thickly forested. As much as I love the forest, it’s always a bonus to find trails with open views. I’m thrilled that portions of my right turn trails, as I now call them, travel along bluffs overlooking Howe Sound and the Burrard Inlet. The views take on completely different looks depending on the weather. I’m already excited about summer picnics.
Overlooking Eagle Harbour below and Vancouver in the distance
Almost the same view, just a little higher and with a winter coat
Another cool thing about the right turn trails is their abundance of Arbutus trees (also know as Madrona). These beautiful trees, found along the south coast of British Columbia are rather picky about their environment. They love the sun and hate wet feet. They are nowhere to be found on my usual Whyte Lake trail. But here, just adjacent, on the south-facing rocky bluffs with good drainage, they are thriving.
Arbutus tree
Arbutus trees have lovely orange-brown bark that peels away exposing a satiny-smooth trunk. Their distinctive colour and curvatures make them pop among other vegetation.
Arbutus shedding its bark 
Revealing silky-smooth skin underneath
Arbutus on the rocky bluffs
Away from the sunny bluffs, the trail has the usual Pacific Northwest delights of verdant moss, funghi and ferns.
The Whyte Lake trail has become very busy, especially on weekends. In contrast, I’ve rarely seen people on the right side trails during my numerous excursions over the last months. However, these trails are being used. Despite a few fallen tree obstacles and some areas of overgrowth, foot traffic has made the trails relatively easy to follow…. except when you’re the first one through after a snowfall.
First ones through after a snowfall
Snow covered ferns
Leading friends through the right side trails.
So why did I never turn right in all those years? Partly, it’s just being a creature of habit. But to be fair, my left turn routine was serving me well in my pre-pandemic life. It was an easy, no-thought activity that I could fit in when I wasn’t doing more “exciting” stuff. I wasn’t motivated to explore locally as I frequently, and freely, ventured to places further afield. Plus, travel and travel planning kept things fresh and interesting. But, like for most people, my world has shrunk. Turning right instead of left suddenly became a way of shaking things up. It’s crazy how much joy I found in this simple change of routine and in my discovery of an extensive trail network that has been right under my nose all this time. Had COVID-19 not hit, I may never have turned right.
Have you had one of these aha moments during the pandemic? Are you getting bored? Have you tried to change things up?
Writes of Passage 
Discovering all those right-side trails must have been like hitting the jackpot. What a wonderfully scenic hiking area!
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Hitting the jackpot is the perfect description of how I felt (still feel) about finding these trails. And, I’m loving that I still rarely meet others.
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Your nice pictures remind us of the years we lived in Canada. We hiked a lot in British Columbia and on the other side in Northern Quebec and Nunavut.
Thanks for sharing
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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I’m glad the post brought you good memories. You have hiked in some interesting places. Not too many Canadians have been to northern Quebec or Nunavut. Awesome!
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Well, I taught at the McGill University/Montreal and had the chance to accompany expeditions into Nunavut.
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Wonderful wonderful pictures. You are so lucky to have visited these places!
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Thanks so much for your comments. I’m glad you like the pics.
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Those are some nice little viewpoints you found, especially with all the arbutus trees – they look so good in the snow!
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It’s quite astounding how different the trail looks in the snow, and we were amazed by the number and health of the arbutus trees.
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That’s nice to find some healthy trees – there are a lot of dead ones along the highway 😦
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What lovely pictures. No, we’re definitely not bored, we work all the time and the day doesn’t have enough hours for us
love and greetings from Denmark
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Thank you. I can’t imagine being bored. I know a lot of people complain about this during the pandemic but my days just disappear.
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Your area is amazing. I’ve done a little hiking there but not enough. Thanks for sharing
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Thanks Kelly. There’s plenty to explore here and I’m loving it.
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Yes. Happy you are out seeing it
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My ‘turn right’ moment happened last October when I explored my hometown with James. I repeatedly thought, why didn’t I know this? Why hadn’t I met these people much earlier? If there’s one positive thing that comes out of the pandemic is that most of us are forced to look beyond the usual places, to venture deeper and take ‘right turns’ we had otherwise overlooked. I’m glad you decided to look the other way and give it a try, Caroline. Speaking of the vegetation, those Arbutus trees remind me a little bit of guava trees which also expose their trunks.
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I recall what an eye-opener it was for you to see Semarang in a different way and discover things about your hometown you’d never imagined. It gets me thinking about how much effort I put into planning and researching when I visit foreign cities, and how exciting this is. As the pandemic continues, I’ve started pouring some of that curiosity and excitement into close-to-home exploration, and, as in your case, it has been very rewarding. Given the sad news you just shared about your father, I’m sure you appreciate even more that you were able to spend time in Semarang last year.
I just googled guava tree, and they do share similarities.
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Like you we are discovering so much more close to home. It is one of the positives of the pandemic for us. It appears that you have had some quite extraordinary new turns and trails!
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Absolutely—a little silver lining of the pandemic. I hope you continue to enjoy your close to home explorations, Sue.
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beautiful nature, so refreshing and clean
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Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the post.
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What a great discovery! I love the variety of photos showing how different it can be up there, and the views are fabulous. I think we’re all exploring more close to home these days, though I must say Don and I haven’t really ventured far out of our routine. Maybe this summer we will.
Alison
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Thanks Alison. It’s the variety of what’s up there and the different things I see depending on the weather that really struck me too. It can be tough getting out if the routine, especially in winter. I’m also looking forward to summer and perhaps getting a little further afield.
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As always, gorgeous photos! It’s so wonderful you have access to these place so close to home. I love the arbutus trees as well, they’re my favorite type of tree.
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Thanks Diana. Do you have arbutus trees in Colorado? Or a cousin of the species?
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Not that I’ve ever seen here, but I saw them when I lived in Washington. I think it’s too dry here.
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I think habits make us feel safe, but it is wonderful to shake things things up a bit. So here is a big cheers to you turning right, and discovering joy and beauty on your doorstep. You live in a jaw droppingly beautiful place, Caroline. I’m sure you are grateful for that, but like so many of us, we tend to look for excitement further afield, as perhaps in an odd way we consider our immediate surroundings to be mundane. I, for one, remind myself daily to stop and acknowledge the beauty of my immediate surroundings – it keeps me grounded and happy, and stills that longing in my soul to wander far away from home. Your photos provided me with a wonderful mini break, so it feels like I just travelled somewhere really exquisite. Thank you.
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Hi Jolandi! Your comments resonate deeply and I have forwarded them to some of my close friends who live in the neighbourhood. Sometimes we need “outsiders” to remind us about how fortunate we are. It’s easy to fall into the trap of finding our local surroundings mundane, even if they are beautiful. Thank you so much. I love the fact that my photos brought you a mini break to “somewhere really exquisite”.
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So true, Caroline. Our ordinary is someone else’s idea of paradise. May you continue to find joy in the beauty of your backyard long after international travel opens up again.
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I can relate to the idea of a set hike (or run or walk or whatever). In my daily life, it’s the easy way to get in the time outside without too much thought. (Of course, my daily jaunts here in Houston are not nearly as gorgeous as yours, and they certainly have no elevation!) Our own right turn could be seen as our part-time move to Colorado these last six months, which has opened up lots of new outdoor options. Funny thing is that even with all the new possibilities, I find myself already turning to old standbys. Last fall, I realized that without really planning it, I was hiking Lookout Mountain every Monday morning (to escape the crowds), and it quickly became a new habit!
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Lexie, I’m happy for you that you had (have) a lovely change of scenery in Colorado. I’m sure that the outdoor options and being with your granddaughter are very therapeutic. How’s she doing? I know those hills are good for me, but I’m often cursing that everything around here is uphill. I can relate to forming new habits due to crowd avoidance. Like in other places, the strain on our parks and trails has been enormous with everyone looking for something to do that is allowed/open. That’s one of the reasons I was motivated to check out the other direction.
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What a nice surprise. Makes you wonder why you didn’t turn right sooner. It’s always nice to have new trails to explore and views to discover. I’m impressed that you were able to navigate along some of those trails, especially in the winter, as the path doesn’t always look clear.
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You guys are among the best at exploring new trails; I’m always impressed. I admit that in the snow, when we were the first through, I has to check with my navigation app a few times. It’s amazing how different things look and how easy it is to get off course. It was fun!
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Hi Caroline and Michael , Have a look at this https://www.facebook.com/groups/IndiaPakistanHeritageClub/permalink/874357349774957/ Warmly, Sorab
*Sorab Mistry*
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Those photos are stunning and really make me want to visit. Thank you for sharing this with us, Sorab. Hope you’re well. Caroline
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I like your tree pictures, especially with the snow. I found myself in a similar situation as my departure from Canada was approaching, I was trying in my urban walks around my home to find streets I hadn’t passed yet, and I found some!
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Thank you! Although we get some snow every year, it doesn’t stick around very long. It was a real treat doing these hikes with the snow covering. I think many of us are trying to shake things up, whether it’s new forest trails or unexplored streets. I’m glad you found some new streets on your urban walks. Are you living in France now?
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Yes, I am in Paris for some time. The duration will depend on where my job offers me opportunities, but for the moment, I’m savouring Paris 🙂
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A great city to savour!
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I can’t believe that this is all within an hour’s walk of your house! You’re so lucky to live where you do, escpecially this past year. I love the Arbutus trees growing on the rocky bluffs. It’s nice to see the same spots in different seasons too. The views of Howe Sound and Eagle Harbour are spectacular. We’ve taken a lot of right turns since we’re pretty new to Golden, it’s been nice to explore new wilderness and develop new habits. Hopefully by the fall we can all expereince new lands in foreign countries, or even provinces. Maggie
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Hi Maggie! As I mentioned to Neil below, it has taken the pandemic for me to fully appreciate what I have around here. I hope I can hang on to that once we’re finished with these restrictions. I can imagine moving to Golden has provided you with lots of newness and stimulation—good timing! I remember the excitement of moving to a new place and being really motivated to explore. It’s a great feeling. I guess that’s why I enjoy travelling so much. We’re not booking any foreign travel yet, but tomorrow I’m up bright and early when select B.C. provincial parks’ reservations open. I think it will be a zoo.
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Oh I heard about that. Good luck!
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Seek and ye (possibly) shall find! Again, I’m jealous of the great beauty that’s near your home. It’s really something.
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Well, it took me long enough to even start seeking. In the past, I’ve definitely taken the beauty of my area for granted. This covid thing has been a big eye opener in many ways.
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Hi Caroline, I’m looking forward to hiking with you guys again. I miss Vancouver and British Columbia. Cheers Pit
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I’m looking forward to that too. 2022 perhaps!? Fingers crossed. The vaccination program in Canada is proceeding very slowly so far.
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I guess I did make several “right turns” last year. I visited destinations that I had often overlooked. For example, the northern moutainous regions. I know they are beautiful, but travelling there is inconvenient. So in the pre-covid era, they were usually left out of the list.
Astonishing photos as usual, Caroline! I’m glad that you turned right 🙂
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Thank Len! Yes, I’ve enjoyed reading about some of your beautiful right turns. It’s interesting to hear that the inconvenience of traveling to the northern mountainous region was less of a barrier during covid—I get it. I’m glad you had the opportunity to visit these places.
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Great photos, lovely article. Thanks Caroline.
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Thanks John. I’m happy to be living in such close proximity to all this beautiful nature.
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Beautiful views and lovely pics Caroline!
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Thanks Jyothi!
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Gorgeous Caroline! I did find a new trail a couple of months ago. I’ve lived in Colorado nearly 20 years and just now found it. It’s my favorite go to these days!!
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Thanks Pam. It is amazing what we can discover about our local area even after living there for a long time. I’m happy to hear that you also found a new trail.
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Another good thing with COVID 😊
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how blessed to have such a place at your doorstep! So incredible. and great metaphor for living!
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Thanks Andy. I am feeling blessed, and the last 12 months have provided me with some interesting insights.
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Sounds great and there are certainly some very beautiful shots here!!
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Thank you. It had been fun taking photos in different weather conditions.
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You are most welcome! The colours looked so vivid but I think I liked that frozen puddle the best 😉
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Wow, what a wonderful post with amazing photos, especially the featured photo.
Also, the nature in horseshoe bay seems to be really really nice.
Thanks for sharing
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Thank you! The feature photo is my favourite too. It was really thrilling to “discover” this view so close to home. I’m lucky to be surrounded by this beautiful nature.
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you are very lucky indeed! Also, that you can also go and experience this beautiful nature during this “covid-time”.
Unfortunately, the last months I am not able to visit the mountains due to “covid-restrictions” here in Greece.
I hope, soon all restrictions will be lifted so I can visit again the mountains …and to keep you updated with new posts on the Olympus Mountaineering Blog.
Again, thanks for this nice post.
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That’s a shame that you are unable to get into nature. Thankfully, many of our parks were only closed last spring and have re-opened (with new rules). I hope you’ll be able to get back into the mountains soon.
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Thank you and I hope so too.
To tell you the truth, sometimes we “sneak out” and we go “illegally” for some climbing, otherwise we are gonna get nuts locked in our homes.
Anyway, looking forward to your next posts.
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Can’t wait to explore your new trails!! Beautiful. I live Arbutus trees too😊Sent from my Galaxy
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I’m looking forward to hiking there with you.
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