Top of the World: Hiking Dog Mountain with Natural Trekking

Credit: Courtesy Natural Trekking

Blair Kaplan (in red) with the Natural Trekking hiking group on Dog Mountain

Exploring the North Shore Mountains with Natural Trekking is a great way for groups and beginners to experience BC hiking trails

I felt like I was on top of the world when I completed my very first hike in BC.

Lois Tomlinson of Natural Trekking agreed to let me come on one of her Tuesday afternoon guided hikes and I was so excited for my first chance to explore the North Shore mountains with Lois and her guests, Margaret and Anita.

Hiking Dog Mountain

The four of us met in the parking lot before our two-hour hike up Dog Mountain with lunches and water in tow. This trail was great for me because there weren’t too many inclines, but it was still challenging enough that I broke a sweat.

As we climbed, we could hear the rumblings of thunder, which is not often heard in Vancouver. It made the hike that much more exciting – were we going to get stuck in a storm?

Top of the World

We reached the top within an hour and sat down to peer at the city through the thick haze, thunder still rumbling in the background as the clouds rolled in. I really felt on top of the world, but we decided to head back to try and beat the rain. We failed.

The rain was refreshing, though, and kept me from overheating. Lois was prepared with a waterproof pack for my phone, which I always have in hand, and ponchos. We carefully hiked back over the wet trails, rocks and bridges.

Upon reaching the end I felt a sense of accomplishment and knew this wouldn’t be my last hike – and hopefully not my last with Lois.

Lois’ passion and experience for hiking is perfect for beginners. She knows the trails and is prepared for anything, plus she’s safety certified with an 80-hour advanced back-country First Aid certificate and a 40-hour advanced medicine certificate, both through Wilderness Alert.

Since 2007 she has offered local hikes and guided tours in Vancouver and around the world.

Want to try a hike with Natural Trekking? Download an elite coupon and learn more about Natural Trekking.

Blair Kaplan is the owner and CEO of Living Free Canada, Canada’s online health and wellness community which features elite coupons from companies that reflect a fun and healthy lifestyle. She began writing at an early age with a column in the Winnipeg Parent Newsmagazine and has been published in various publications around North America. She fell in love with blogging in May 2009. E-mail Blair.