From Mount Washington's Peaks to Cumberland's Trails

Coastal mountains meet temperate rainforest on Vancouver Island, creating a rare playground where winter refuses to follow conventional rules. As a local adventurer, I live for these multi-sport weekends that showcase our region's split personality. One day you're floating through snow ghosts on alpine slopes, the next you're threading snowy singletrack through ancient forests. It's a choose-your-own-adventure story that plays out every winter weekend.

This past weekend showcased the island's versatility perfectly. At Mount Washington, the Eagle Chair delivered us to a winter wonderland where snow ghosts - trees draped in coastal snow - stood sentinel against a bright sky. The mountain's unique coastal climate creates these spectacular formations throughout the winter season, making each run feel like skiing through a natural art gallery. Coverage was prime and visibility clear, offering perfect conditions for carving through the terrain.

But the weekend wasn't done with us yet. Swapping skis for bikes, we headed to Cumberland's trail network, where winter presented a different kind of challenge. The snow-covered trails offered an entirely new riding experience, though not without their surprises. Below Sykes Bridge, Short Guts and Missing Link provided some of the better riding conditions. However, Funky Vanilla's snow-covered berms tested our handling skills with their slippery surfaces. In deeper snow sections, the surface transformed into something akin to frozen concrete, occasionally forcing us to hoof it with our bikes.

Preparation was key for the biking portion. Winter riding gloves from Comox Bike Co proved to be a game-changer, and we put our ski thermals to double duty under our riding gear. Pro tip for anyone considering winter mountain biking: be prepared to push your bike through crusty snow sections - it's all part of the adventure.

The perfect finale to our two-sport weekend? A well-earned visit to a local pub, where we could warm up and recount the day's adventures.

This is what makes Vancouver Island special - the ability to stack multiple outdoor pursuits into a single weekend, each offering its own unique winter perspective. Whether you're carving through snow ghosts up high or navigating snowy berms down low, the island serves up year-round adventures for those willing to embrace them.