The Islands’ Adventure Magazine 5th Anniversary Issue FREE take one Island Backcountry #23 Winter 2003 Stashes You Should Know �������� The Great Mountain Treasure ����������������� Hunt at Shames Mountain ������������ �������������� ���������������������� ������������������������������ ������������������ Ski any time in 2003* and you could win! It’s simple, fi nd a “Shamey” hidden in the snow and automatically win a prize and the chance to win $5000. Sno-phone: 1-877-898-4754 Web: www.shamesmountain.com Email: [email protected] www.wildisle.ca Location: Shames Mountain, Terrace, BC Packages: Ski, Fly & Stay *Jan - April 2003 ���������� west coast adventure • Forbidden Plateau Mar 8-9 Mar 15-16 Wild Isle � � � � � Mar 22-23 Girls Camp � � � � � � � Mar 29-30 � � � � � Apr 5-6 � � � � 9am to 3:30pm � � � � � � Cost $275 � � � � � � � � � � Ph: 250-338-8128 [email protected] www.jumpcamp.com www.wildisle.ca 3 CONTENTS Coast to Coast: News and Views p.5 Campbell River’s Underground p.10 Backcountry Stashes p.11 www.wildisle.ca west coast adventure • Take to the hills! Above- Sweet turns on Mt Arrowsmith. Jeni Christi photo. Hidden among the high peaks and deep valleys of Cover- Ryan Stuart sliding some silky powder in the Abel Creek valley, Schoen Lake Park. Philip Stone photo. Vancouver Island waits a world of backcountry skiing Wild Isle and snowboarding, find out more about these gems ... see page 11 Horrne LLake Caves PrroviinciiallParrk We specialize in Kayaks, rentals, sales, lessons & gear. Our on-the-water facility makes it easy for you to demo Seaward, Discover and the Nigel Foster Series of kayaks. We offer many different courses to get WILD you out on the water safely and we are GO CAVING! See ancient fossils now a facility for Wilderness First Aid courses. CAVING and amazing crystal formations! - Easy 1.5 hr. "Family Tours" 610 Oyster Bay Dr. Ladysmith BC www.hornelake.com - 3 hr. "Triple Cave Adventure" - 5 and 7 hr. "Extreme" caving trips 250 -245-7887 (250) 757-TOUR (8687) climbing underground waterfalls [email protected] www.wildisle.ca 3 Jump like a champ WildWild IsleIsle EDITORIAL at Forbidden Plateau Magazine ell as Speaking of long hauls... this they say Jump Camp #23 Winter 2003 issue of Wild Isle is our fifth Wb e t t e r anniversary issue! It has been a late than never, fun and adventure packed journey The slopes of Forbidden Plateau Publisher/Managing Editor finally our winter with Wild Isle since we first put Ski area are empty most of the Philip Stone issue is in print. Not ink to paper in the name of Island winter. But on 5 weekends this Assitant Editor that we’ve been outdoor adventure in January winter the snowboarders will Ryan Stuart slacking here at Wild 1998. It’s neat to look back and see be flying, sliding, flipping and Isle HQ, on the contrary in fact. We’ve landing all over the mountain. Associate Editor what we thought could pass for a been hard at work compiling a long For the third straight winter Ken Reese magazine back then! promised and long overdue guidebook Over the years there have been Patrick Kitto will be hosting Jump to the mountains of Vancouver Island some great stories, many with Camp, an instructional freestyle - ‘Island Alpine’. As I write the final invaluable information on trips and snowboarding camp on the slopes Contributors & proofing stage is underway and we areas. To make this storehouse of of Forbidden Plateau. Photography hope to have this great book in stores beta more readily available we’re Kitto and his co-instructors Jeni Christie, by sometime in March. contemplating making the entire are former professional freestyle Paul Lachapelle, ‘Island Alpine’ is just the first of catalogue of Wild Isle back issues snowboarders who teach tricks in a friendly and positive way. Ryan Stuart, Philip Stone. a series of books we have planned available on CD-ROM. Does this covering outdoor adventure on grab you? Let us know by dropping “We want to give the students a Vancouver Island and the adjacent us a line at [email protected] better feel for freestyle boarding, mainland coast. Watch out later or give us a call at 250 285-2234. wherever they are at,” Kitto said. Wild Isle is published 5 times this year for ‘Island Whitewater’ In the meantime you can always “For some that means grabbing a year by Wild Isle Media and ‘Island Turns & Tours’. The their board in the air; for others it and is distributed free of charge across access Wild Isle backissues in Vancouver Island, the Sunshine guidebooks will draw on many of the various forms on our web site: means 540s and backflips.” Coast, Queen Charlotte Islands and themes we have been publishing in www.wildisle.ca Everything from railslides to big B.C. Mainland Coastal Communities. www.wildisle.ca Wild Isle Magazine over the years Enjoy the winter snows, enjoy table tops are set up all over the Editorial & Advertising and we hope they will help make the this read and watchout for the mountain for “campers” to test Inquiries to: magazine a more viable proposition guidebooks later this year! their new skills. Snowmobiles whisk jumpers from one area to Wild Isle Magazine over the long haul. Philip Stone P.O. Box 482, Heriot Bay, B.C. another and at the end of the camp Canada V0P 1H0 tons of prizes are given away. Tel: 250 285-2234 Kitto says campers have ranged Fax: 250 285-2236 in age from 39 to 11 and in ability eMail: [email protected] HAPPENINGS from beginner to expert. Jan 26 Jerry Kobalenko -‘Horizontal Everest’ Sid Williams theatre Courtenay 7pm “Everyone has a great time and Opinions expressed herein are Feb 8 Island Farms Slopestyle Competition Mt. Washington learn lots,” Kitto said. those of the writers & in no way Feb 15-17 Vancouver Outdoor Adventure Show GM Place Jump Camp’s will be held Mar 8- reflect the views of the publishers, March 6 VIMFF ‘Best of the Fest’ Tour Victoria, (250) 380-3829 9, Mar 15-16, Mar 22-23 Girls Camp, west coast adventure • staff, distributors or advertisers. March 7 VIMFF ‘Best of the Fest’ Tour Nanaimo, (250) 753 3245 Mar 29-30, Apr 5-6 all at Forbidden The sports featured in Wild March 8 VIMFF ‘Best of the Fest’ Tour Campbell River, (250) 287-4611 Plateau, starting at 9:00 am Isle are inherently dangerous with Cost $275. Contact Jump Camp March 9 VIMFF ‘Best of the Fest’ Tour Powell River, (604) 487-0487 real risk of serious injury or death. for more info at 250-338-8128 or In no way whatsoever should this March 10 VIMFF ‘Best of the Fest’ Tour Sid Williams Courtenay, (250) 338-2420 online at www.jumpcamp.com magazine be taken to advocate March 15 Cain Cup ski and snowboard race Mt. Cain Wild Isle participation in any activity April 5 Gutbuster mountain run at Mt. Tzouhalem in Duncan portrayed. Wild Isle is provided for April 18-21 White Water Association Social - Gold River Allan Polk, (250)923-9361 reading enjoyment only. April 27 Snow to Surf Race www.snowtosurf.com If you choose to engage in any activity featured in Wild Isle you do If you want to have your event in HAPPENINGS, send us a fax at (250) 285-2236 or so at your own risk. email at [email protected] with all the dirt. Printed on Quadra Island by Castle Printing 250 285-2679 VIMFF On Tour outdoor communities of the Pacific Cover- Key Graphics 250 334-4594 North-West, and to offer them films All rights reserved. © 2002 After the main event, at various and slide presentations dealing with ISSN 1480-4026 venues in Vancouver between February mountain culture and mountain sports. Canada Post Agreement 14-22, the Vancouver International The Festival will also create a platform number – 40030406 Mountain Film Festival is coming to for the exchange of ideas between Vancouver Island in Victoria March filmmakers, outdoor activists, and the Next Deadline for 6 (250-38--3829), Nanaimo March 7 public, while at the same time it will Ads & Editorial (250-753-3245, Courtenay March 10 support the most artistic and effective at Sid Williams Theatre & Campbell th ways of communicating outdoor related March 15 , 2003 for River March 8 at Timberline. The issues. For more information log on at Issue 24 - Spring, 2003 Festival’s goal is to approach the www.vimff.org Patrick Kitto, Jump Camp 2002 4 www.wildisle.ca www.wildisle.ca 5 COAST to COAST The inaugral Adopt-a-Crag event a sweeping success Lake Names Honour War Heroes The Squamish Rockclimbers’ Association Over the years, B.C.’s climbing and and the Climbers’ Access Society of B.C.’s first mountaineering community has done a great annual Adopt-a-Crag event went very well, deal of volunteer work to look after our cliffs and Two lakes in Strathcona Provincial Park thanks to a lot of help from volunteers and mountains, going back to the Mountain Access were named this past Remembrance Day in supporters. 52 climbers and friends helped with Committee in the 1960s. memory of Canada’s war dead. Jack Owen, our ongoing stewardship of Squamish’s Little In the Little Smoke Bluffs, this has included of Comox, and Allan Hutton, from Cumberland Smoke Bluffs. many trail building and trail maintenance died defending Canada during World War II. The event included: -a thorough clean-up of projects, clean-up work, toilet building, and In their honour the BC government named all public land in the Bluffs - cliff bottoms, cliff even purchasing land. Not to mention lots of two previously unnamed lakes, south west tops, trails and parking lots.