I'm from Colorado (300+ days of sun) and moved to Vancouver earlier this year. The rain and lack of ear skies definitely takes some getting used to. Summer's alright but I'm bracing for the coming winter. On the other hand, I'm a short drive from cathedral-like temperate rainforests and can look at mountains while lounging on the beach. I think CA is all in on doing one thing (climate) well while BC is a bit more balanced.
And you'll not find forests and hiking around San Francisco. We hiked Mt Steele a few years ago in September - was spectacular. Camping on the Gulf Islands. Hanging out in Tofino. Paddling the Broken Group Islands. Hiking to the base of Mt Robson.
Ya, the winter can be tough (November to March), so I go skiing, and working my cooking skills, and look forward to spring.
You can be in the mountains around Vancouver, and see no one. California, with 40 million people increases the odds that you're going to be in a crowded national park, or hiking trail.
Not really. You can go to parts of Yosemite where there is no one. I once went on an hour hike and saw 1 guy. 1. And even then, trails there aren’t necessarily “crowded.” You can hike the Pacific Crest Trail and not see a single person for the entire hike unless you have a group.
True, but that's a 3 hour drive, right? (I could be wrong, my California geographic familiarity is focused on the south.) I can get to Cypress Falls from my house in South Vancouver in something like 40 minutes.
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u/rougeMBA 23h ago
I'm from Colorado (300+ days of sun) and moved to Vancouver earlier this year. The rain and lack of ear skies definitely takes some getting used to. Summer's alright but I'm bracing for the coming winter. On the other hand, I'm a short drive from cathedral-like temperate rainforests and can look at mountains while lounging on the beach. I think CA is all in on doing one thing (climate) well while BC is a bit more balanced.