"A Million Mosquitos to the Top" | Flower Ridge Hike in Strathcona Park, BC

"A Million Mosquitos to the Top" | Flower Ridge Hike in Strathcona Park, BC Welcome back to Onwards & Upwards--in this episode we go on a 2 day hike up Flower Ridge Trail in Strathcona Park on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, and of course, in North America. We initially planned to do a 3 day/2 night hike but a lack of water and uneasiness among the crew led to the decision to send it down the mountain only 1 night after arriving on the ridge. Earlier on in this trip, we camped on Ralph River for a night, also on the Buttle Lake campground, yet unfortunately after. After this hike ended we could not find a place to stay in the park overnight, so we ended up booking a hotel in Comox unfortunately. The hotel in Comox felt like a betrayal of the hiking trip, a waste of money, but it did give us a comfortable night's sleep, to look at the bright side. Some other places to hike in Strathcona Park include Lake Helen Mackenzie and Battleship Lake Loop Hike, Landslide Lake Via Elk River Trail, Crest Mountain, Mount Albert Edward Trail, Mount Becher Trail, Kwai Lake and Forbidden Plateau Loop, Kings Peak, and Old Cabin Loop. Add me on Instagram:   / rupertmackie   Add me on TikTok:   / rupertmac   More information: In good weather, hikers on Flower Ridge enjoy outstanding views of Mount Septimus, Mount Rousseau, Nine Peaks, the Golden Hinde, the Red Pillar, and Mount Myra. The Flower Ridge Trail may be experienced as either a day-hike or as a multi-day backpacking trip. As the name suggests, colourful wildflowers are abundant in late spring and summer. The hiking terrain at the south end of Flower Ridge evolves into more technical routes, leading deeper into the mountains. There are no fees associated with this area and no facilities are provided. There are no pit toilets. All hikers and backpackers must practice. The Flower Ridge Trail is accessed from Westmin Road. Ralph River Campground is about 3 km from the Flower Ridge Trailhead and makes an excellent staging area. The trailhead parking area is just north of the road bridge over Henshaw Creek. Flower Ridge Trail: The trailhead for this trail is located immediately South of Henshaw Creek near the Southeast side of Buttle Lake. There is significant parking and an info board just North of the creek. The trail rises 1200m during its six kilometers. It is easy to follow without large switch-backs. It took a group of hikers with moderate experience about 5 hours to the edge of the ridge and 2.5 hours down. Along the Flower Ridge Trail there are isolated pads in the wooded area at the edge of the ridge, but about an hour farther on there is a barren area with approximately five pads on the edge of a cliff with an impressive panoramic view. Some large rocks have been collected near the pads to hold down tent corners as the dirt is not deep enough for stakes and there is no shelter from wind (so please don't throw them off the cliff). The sparse trees are very stunted so animals might be deterred by hanging food off the cliff. Fires are not allowed in the backcountry. Strathcona Provincial Park is the oldest provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, and the largest on Vancouver Island. Founded in 1911, the park was named for Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal, a wealthy philanthropist and railway pioneer. It lies within the Strathcona Regional District. The Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve, established in 2000, includes three watersheds in the western area of the park. The park is 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) east of Gold River and 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Campbell River. At 2,458 km2 (949 sq mi), it contains the highest peaks of the Vancouver Island Ranges. Some notable mountains located within the park boundaries include: Golden Hinde - 2,198 m (7,211 ft) Elkhorn Mountain - 2,166 m (7,106 ft) Mount Colonel Foster - 2,129 m (6,985 ft) Mount Albert Edward - 2,093 m (6,867 ft) Strathcona Park is also known for its lakes, waterfalls, and glaciers. Buttle Lake is a popular destination for swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. Also located in the park is Della Falls which, at 440 m (1,440 ft) in height, is among the highest waterfalls in Canada. The 6,500 m (21,000 ft) thick Karmutsen Formation is the most abundant rock unit in the park. It is a pile of tholeiitic pillow basalts and breccias. It is also the oldest, thickest and most widespread formation on Vancouver Island found on Triple Peak, Cat's Ears Peak and the Mackenzie Range. Onwards & Upwards is a channel dedicated to documenting travels, explorations, photography, humanity, and the natural world.