I’m going to be honest: I know absolutely nothing about hiking and I haven’t been hiking in years. Picking up the thick paperback that is SFU alum Stephen Hui’s 105 Hikes In and Around Southwestern British Columbia was a bit intimidating, to say the least. However, as you turn the pages, you’ll come to realize that 105 Hikes is not only accessible but also welcoming.
Inspired by the 1973 book 103 Hikes in Southwestern British Columbia by Mary and David Macaree, this guidebook begins with a powerful foreword by T’uy’t’tanat, a Coast Salish writer, weaver, and ethnobotanist. She reminds us to take care as we travel through the wild, and respect the places and trails we visit. From there, 105 Hikes delves into safety precautions, hiking ethics, and preparedness. Hui crafts a chart of all the hikes he describes, detailing their difficulty, elevations, and locations.
Each of the book’s 105 hikes gets two pages which feature a gorgeous photograph taken by Hui, a map of the trail, and a few paragraphs on the route itself. The descriptions are informative, but as most guidebooks go, they’re fairly dry. Hui makes sure not to miss a detail, though, capturing everything from the Indigenous names of places to plant life to the history of the trails. I believe this book would be a must-have for an avid hiker, but I don’t think a couch potato like me would ever tackle the bigger hikes that make up most of the book. Nevertheless, I might bookmark a few of the easier hikes, and see if I can catch the same incredible views that Hui did.
Want to learn more about Stephen Hui? See our feature on him.
Want to borrow this book? Stop by the Peak office!
