Don't Waste Your Time in the B.C. Mountains

A tight and unmarked copy-" Towering peaks, alpine meadows, majestic old-growth forest, turquoise lakes, and glacial-fed streams: British Columbia's Coast Range has it all. And if you take advantage of a gondola at a ski area such as Whistler, you'll be jettisoned above the tree line before you can belt out a bar of "The Sound of Music." But be forewarned: self-propelled ascents in this spectacular wilderness are often excruciatingly steep, and the trails may be poorly routed and rarely groomed. For that reason, Copeland's premise is simple and straightforward: if you're going to bother strapping on a pack and trudging up a relentless trail--braving ever-changing elements and the ubiquitous black fly--you deserve the best. With this reasoning in mind, outings are arranged in three categories (day hikes, backpacking, shoulder season) and rated (premier, outstanding, worthwhile, don't do). A "premier" hike offers the ultimate outdoor experience, while hikers shouldn't bother with anything less than "worthwhile"--or so the author opines. With this line of thinking, one wonders why the latter hikes weren't simply omitted. However, if you're ever tempted to choose one of these scorned trails, at least you've been warned. Highly opinionated, yes. But with so many superb excursions to choose from, Don't Waste Your Time in the BC Coast Mountains will certainly save you the bother of sweating your way up one of British Columbia's many viewless logging roads to a less-than-splendid destination."