Power Pack Backpack by Outdoor Products

Wayne and I do quite a bit of traveling, and every where we go (for better or worse), our computers go. We carry all kinds of stuff, so backpacks with lots pockets help us stay organized. When we were in Eugene, we walked to REI. While browsing the aisles, I found the world's best backpack! It's the Power Pack by Outdoor Products.

What first caught my eye was the pockets. Next came the quality construction, and the added bonus was the laptop compartment. The Power Pack comes in two colours. I chose the black, and Wayne took the brick and black combo. There's a small zipper pouch on the lower front, a padded zipper pouch for glasses near the top, two side zipper pockets covered with mesh pouches and a large "quick stash" pouch with clips and a velcro closure.

Unzip the first compartment and there are numerous slots and zipper pouches to stow your digital gear and other small items. Right now a lot of my things are in ziploc baggies hiding in the bottom of my current pack's main pouch. Trying to find them is a challenge. I'm really looking forward to having all of these organizational tools.

Unzip the next compartment and there's a section they call the media organizer. The media folders at the bottom keep books, papers and magazine in order. The folders can be compressed to make this center section into a main compartment to carry things like a change of clothes for overnight trips. Often, Wayne and I will only take a backpack so that we can easily walk to our destination.

Unzip the last compartment and there's a padded section for a laptop computer. It can handle both large and small laptops because of a removable padded cradle. Because of the placement at the back of the pack, the computer is easy to remove for those trips through airport security.

But that's not all. Tucked up against your back are two security pockets. The top one includes a retractable identification holder for tickets, passports, etc. The bottom one is a zippered storage pocket for other valuables. The comfortable padded straps include a mesh cell phone pouch (actually too small for my old style phone) and several accessory loops.

Next week I'll get to give my new backpack a full test when I use the Quick Shuttle and Pacific Coastal Airlines to head back to Powell River. It probably won't be any lighter, but at least I'll be able to find my things a whole lot easier. - Margy

Bridges by the BOMB Squad

In Powell River, BC, there's a famous group of men who give freely of themselves for the hiking community. They're called the BOMB Squad, short for Bloody Old Men's Brigade. Throughout the backcountry you will find countless trails, boardwalks and bridges they have constructed.

According to their website, the squad began in 1987 with three retirees working to clear some of the older trails around Powell River. The group soon grew to seven men all in their sixties and seventies. As of last year, the number has increased to twenty-seven and the age range up to eighty. Thanks to consistent Thursday work day efforts, they have over 180 kilometres of trails and 60 structures to their credit. So if you go hiking in and around my town of Powell River, you will find lots of evidence of their handywork.

For more about trails in the Powell River area check out these links:

Sunshine Coast Trail
Powell River: Coastal by Nature
Trailpeak

I invite you to come to Powell River and try some of our wonderful trails and bridges. -- Margy

Now Available Online: "Up the Winter Trail"

A Great Book
for the Outdoor Enthusiast

Up the Winter Trail

Coastal BC Stories

Your winter plans won't be complete without a visit to Powell River and its uncrowded winter vacation opportunities. Hike, snowshoe, cross country ski - we have it all and more. Want a preview? Read Up the Winter Trail by Wayne Lutz and start your adventure. Available in print and e-book versions at Amazon and most online booksellers.

Go to PowellRiverBooks.com for more information.

Winter on the Sunshine Coast Trail

The Sunshine Coast Trail (SCT) runs from Sarah Point near Lund all the way to Saltary Bay, spanning the entire length of the northern Sunshine Coast. You can enter and exit at several points along the way. On a recent trip, we started our hike at the northern Wilde Road entrance to the Appleton Creek Trail. This section isn't actually part of the SCT, but links with it in about a kilometre.

I forgot my cap, so I wore my quad helmet to keep my head dry, but it looked pretty stupid. After leaving the road, we hiked down to a small stream and one of the bridges built by the BOMB Squad (Bloody Old Men's Brigade). We all owe them a huge debt of gratitute. THANK YOU!! Then we climbed up through the hills along the quiet forest trail until the trail finally dropped down to Appleton Creek.

We stopped for a rest at the picnic area before reversing course to return to our quads. It was a good decision. From the picnic area, it is a 2.2 km hike along the Appleton Canyon Trail to its junction farther down Wilde Road. From there it would have been another 2 km (all uphill) to the waiting bikes. On our next hike, we plan to pre-position one quad at the lower trailhead. Then we enjoy the full hike, but have a ride uphill to our starting point.

There are several websites where you can get hiking information:

Powell River Parks and Wilderness Society
Sunshine Coast Trail by PRPAWS
Sunshine Coast Trail by REI
Sunshine Coast Trail by Happiest Outdoors
What to Know Before You Go by Hike Bike Travel

The best information can be found in a book written by Eagle Walz (the trail's founder) called The Sunchine Coast Trail: Hut to Hut Hiking. You can get it at Powell River Tourism on Joyce Avenue.

To get to many of the SCT trailheads you need to use forest or logging roads. Extreme care needs to be taken because of active logging. The Western Forest Products 24/7 Hotline is a good resource at 604-485-3132.

Up the Winter Trail has lots of stories about winter hiking, quadding and snowshoeing. It's available at Coles, Breakwater Books or online at Amazon and most online booksellers in print and e-book format. -- Margy

Texada Island Airplane Camping

Wayne and I like to camp by airplane. We travel frequently to Canada and have found Texada/Gillies Bay Airport (CYGB) to be an excellent place to stop for overnight or longer. After you clear immigration and customs (we like Boundary Bay or Nanaimo), Texada Island is only a short distance away, about 50 miles north of Vancouver.

Final approach at Gillies Bay Airport.

The island is about 32 miles long and 6 miles wide. The airport is 3000’ of asphalt along a flat ridge in the northern portion of the island.

Parked near the small terminal.

The current airport manager is Valerie. She has a wealth of information about the area. Day parking is free, but there is a fee for overnight. The camping area is grassy with picnic tables and a fire ring. Public transportation is limited.

The camping area with picnic tables.

There used to be are several bikes you can take to Gillies Bay. Check with Valerie, but beware, the hills are steep. There are trails to the village and beach, so walking/hiking is an option. If you call ahead, some of the restaurants and lodging facilities will provide pick-up services. Two you might try are Ravenous Raven in Gillies Bay.

The beach below the airport.

We went to Texada this spring for a day trip and hiked the trail to the beach. You can either take the dirt road north of the runway or a trail just past the windsock. We used both to make the trip into a loop. Both are easy to walk. If you take the road, bear to the right at each junction and follow it downhill to the beach.

A lush understory along the trail to the beach.

There are several ways to reach the water. We like the one at the end of the road. Bring a picnic. It’s likely you will have the whole beach to yourself. To take the trail back, retrace your steps and then take the first dirt road to the right and exit at the windsock. Years ago, this was a fir and hemlock forest, but it has since been logged. One caution, say on the trails. The forest floor is covered with bright green stinging nettles. On our spring walk we saw deer, robins, lots of Horsetail Fern and flowers just starting to bloom.

Parked near the camping area.

There are no aircraft services at Texada Airport, but you can get fuel, if needed, at nearby Courtenay Airpark on Vancouver Island.

Each summer in July there is a Texada Island Fly-In. The weekend is filled with events for pilots and aviation enthusiasts alike.

I hope you get to enjoy Texada Airport and the beauty the island has to offer. -- Margy

Sunshine Coast Trail

In a small town like Powell River it's guaranteed you'll see someone you know everywhere you go. I'd been trying to catch a Pacific Coastal Airlines flight to Vancouver, but had no luck due to persistent fog.

On the second day at the airport, we ran into Don, an acquaintance of Wayne's from the Chamber of Commerce.


During our wait, we learned that Don and two of his friends were founders of the Sunshine Coast Trail. This long distance hiking trail runs from Sarah Point (near Lund) to Saltery Bay, a total of 180 km.

The Sunshine Coast Trail was built and is maintained by dedicated volunteers in the community including the non-profit Powell River Parks and Wilderness Society (PRPAWS). Wayne and I have hiked portions of the trail in all seasons, but have yet to travel its entire length.

The Trail is well documented at the Sunshine Coast Trail website. The Sunshine Coast Trail Guidebook (recently updated) by Eagle Walz (another founder) is excellent. It's available for purchase at the Visitor's Centre.

Winter is a good time to hike portions of the Sunshine Coast Trail. Forest roads take you to excellent entry and exit spots. The woods are quiet and often shrouded in snow. Under the trees, hiking boots are fine, no snowshoes are necessary.

Read about some of our hiking adventures in Up the Winter Trail. In the chapter "Truck Got Stuck" you can read about hiking the Appleton Creek section of the trail. In "Winch It" you can read about a quad ride that took us near a southern portion of the trail along Suicide Creek. And then there's a hike we took just to see Old Gnarly in "Little-Big Storm."

You can purchase Up the Winter Trail in print and Kindle formats at Amazon or other online booksellers, locally in Powell River at Coles or Breakwater Books.  For more information we invite you to visit PowellRiverBooks.com. -- Margy

Up the Winter Trail

Powell River is a wonderful place to be any time of year. When snow comes down, we spend most of our time up the lake at our cabin cozied up to our woodstove. All of the wood gathering and spitting during summer and fall really pays off.

This is a picture of "The Notch" on Goat Island. We can see it from the front porch of our cabin. In winter, it remains in perpetual shadow from top to bottom. You can go on a hike "Up the Notch" with Wayne in Up the Winter Trail now available by clicking here.

One of our favorite winter activities is quad riding to snow in the back country. From there, snowshoes allow us to explore quiet and pristine snow covered trails.


On many such trips we travel with our friend John and his dog Bro.

Include Powell River in your winter vacation plans so you too can enjoy our beautiful land.

Discover some other winter adventures in Wayne's Coastal BC Stories book Up the Winter Trail. It includes adventures by quad, hiking, snowshoeing, and of course, stories about float cabin living. -- Margy