Ali’s Trans Canada Trail: Winter Wanderings on Extension Ridge Trail
Written by Ali Becker
The most reliable way I’ve found to motivate myself outside in the cold, grey, moody winter months is through the promise of exploring a new trail.
There’s something about the novelty of a place I’ve never been — the anticipation of what’s around the next corner — that makes it easier to convince myself to layer up, lace up and get moving. Because, if I’m being honest, winter motivation doesn’t always come naturally. When the days are short, the skies are dull and the air has that damp chill that seeps right through your jacket and into your bones. It can be very tempting to sink deeper into the cozy cave of a couch with a coffee in one hand and a phone in the other.
The joy of exploring somewhere new
But the thought of exploring somewhere new feels like a mini expedition. A micro adventure. And once I have a reason to get outside (and some snacks), everything else gets easier.
Luckily for me, I’ve set my life up in a way that makes this kind of exploration accessible. Since I’m constantly bouncing around Canada, there’s always a new pocket of forest, coastline or backroad nearby that I haven’t checked out yet.
No matter where I end up, one thing stays consistent: the Trans Canada Trail is never far away.
Over the years, the Trans Canada Trail has become a quiet thread in my life, a system of routes and connectors that almost feels like Canada’s cheat code for getting outside. Whether I’m looking to hike, trail run, bike or just wander, all I have to do is open the map and see what’s nearby.
Photo credit: Ali Becker
A visit to Extension Ridge
I recently found myself on Vancouver Island in Nanaimo, British Columbia, and almost immediately locals started telling me the same thing: “You have to go check out Extension Ridge.”
At first, I assumed it was just another viewpoint hike. But the more people brought it up, the more curious I became. And curiosity is a powerful thing. It cuts through my excuses to hole up inside in winter.
Extension Ridge can be found along a section of the City of Nanaimo Trail, part of the Trans Canada Trail, that traverses a long sandstone conglomerate ridge lined with arbutus trees, the kind with orange trunks that seem to glow even on the darkest days. It’s also home to a few unique landmarks: petroglyphs, a labyrinth and something ominously referred to as the Abyss. That word alone was enough to pull me outside.
Photo credit: Ali Becker
Exploring the Abyss
The morning I went, the weather was classic coastal winter: grey skies, mist hanging in the trees and the distant suggestion that the sun might come out later. It felt like the kind of day people usually stay in, and the empty parking lot reflected that.
At the trailhead, a quick glance at the signage confirmed it would be a straightforward mission, and it wasn’t long before I spotted the familiar blue-and-white Trans Canada Trail markers guiding the way forward.
The forest here is lush in that uniquely West Coast way. Thick moss. Vibrant lichen. The soft, forgiving footsteps of damp earth. Everything feels alive, even in winter.
The trail climbs through a set of switchbacks, and as the elevation increases, the landscape starts to shift. The trees thin out, the ground becomes rockier, and then suddenly you’re standing on the ridge itself, a long, narrow spine of stone stretching out ahead like something out of a fantasy movie.
Caution signs warning of an open rock crevice confirmed I was heading in the right direction.
As I moved along the smooth rock surface, my pace slowed, not because the terrain was difficult, but because the place demanded attention. Twisted arbutus trees clung to the ridge in strange shapes, sculpted by wind and weather over decades. Their branches reached in every direction, each one its own, unique piece of art.
The Abyss revealed itself
Winter has a way of shrinking life if you let it. But being out here, breathing cool air, feeling mist drift across the ridge, watching the forest glow green beneath a grey sky – it expanded everything again.
I saw a long crack in the ridge. A deep fissure with a dark opening that drops down into who-knows-what. You can’t see the bottom. And when you look into it, it’s moss, moss, moss and then darkness.
Standing near the edge, I felt a mix of curiosity and respect. How deep does it go? How did it form? Should I drop a rock in to see if I can hear it hit? Or should I just stand here and enjoy the mystery? In the end, I did what any good winter wanderer would do: I ate a snack and stared into the unknown. The trail was so inviting that I kept going, following the ridge farther, soaking in ocean glimpses through the trees, and letting the quiet do what winter quiet always does: slow everything down in the best way.
By the time I made my way back to the trailhead, my cheeks were rosy, my legs were warm, and my mind felt clear in a way that only happens after you’ve spent a few hours outside.
Photo credit: Ali Becker
The magic of winter exploration
And for me, that’s the real magic of exploring somewhere new in winter. It’s not only exercise; not just “getting my steps in.” It’s not even about the views (although the views definitely help). It’s about giving myself a reason to show up – a reason to move. And the more I do this, the more I realize motivation isn’t something to wait for. It’s something I can build, something I can create. And sometimes all it takes is a new trail, a little curiosity and the promise of something mysterious hidden out in the forest.
Ali Becker is an outdoor enthusiast and adventure storyteller who loves exploring new places. She can be found sharing stories from life on the road over at @trip.longer & @thisisalibecker.
Find more trails on Vancouver Island on our interactive map, and activity suggestions and much more at tctrail.ca/stories/.
Stretching nearly 30,000 kilometres across every province and territory, the Trans Canada Trail is cared for locally by trail and community groups. As a charity, Trans Canada Trail advocates for and stewards this nationwide system, helping ensure people can keep finding moments in nature that support their wellbeing.
We help sustain trails on Vancouver Island and across Canada through the Trail Catalyst Fund.
Main photo credit: Ali Becker
