Outdoor Adventures Presented by Explore Magazine Written by David Webb
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CANADA’S 150 MOST AMAZING OUTDOOR ADVENTURES PRESENTED BY EXPLORE MAGAZINE WRITTEN BY DAVID WEBB BEN BLANKENBURG/ADOBE STOCK BY DAVID WEBB @DAVIDEBWEBB I’ve travelled to every province and territory in Canada. I’ve seen mountain ranges from the Rockies, to the Tombstones, to the Torngats. I’ve swum in the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans. I’ve worn-out bootleather in rainforests, on Canadian Shield and across the remote tundra. Yet I still feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of what our magnificent country has to offer. Canada is the greatest outdoor adventure destination on Earth. Massive, diverse and wild—if you can dream it, you can do it here. There is so much to do, in fact, it’s intimidating just to get started. So I’m here to lend a helping hand. From my travels throughout Canada, I’ve personally selected 150 of Canada’s most amazing outdoor adventures. Why 150? Because on July 1, 2017, Canada officially marks its 150th birthday. This is the year to start checking off these experiences. Take your time. Enjoy the adventure. Marvel at the natural beauty of Canada. And begin your bucket list now, starting in the West: Click START HERE to uncover more about each adventure! DIFFICULTY RATINGS * You’ll barely break a sweat. **** Experts only beyond this point. ** You’ll sweat, but no experience is required. ***** If you have to ask… *** Experience required; fitness matters. BRITISH COLUMBIA Tofino is Canada’s quintessential surf town—reliable waves, sandy beaches, waterfront cabins and a famously laidback vibe. All of this comes with a hippie-dippy West Coast twist, of course. With eight surf schools in-town, it’s the best place in the country to learn to ride a wave. Chesterman and Long beaches are good bets for beginners. More advanced folks might head to Cox Bay. And real DAVID WEBB rippers can follow locals to remote breaks in the 1. SURF A WEST COAST WAVE north where winter swells can reach six metres or more. (But don’t worry, you can surf knee-high waves DIFFICULTY: ** all summer long too.) START HERE It’s 75 kilometres of mud, sweat and maybe even some tears. It’s also 75 kilometres of vast sand beaches, towering old-growth evergreens, raging rivers, fairy-tale-esque waterfalls and whale and wolf sightings. Welcome to the West Coast Trail—running through Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on Vancouver Island’s remote west coast, this is one of Canada’s most iconic PARKS CANADA backpacking trips. Expect to take five to 2. TREK THE COAST seven days to complete this challenge— or half that via the new midway entry/exit DIFFICULTY: **** point at Nitinat. START HERE Located on the northeastern side of Vancouver Island, Johnstone Strait isn’t just an easily accessible, scenic place to paddle. It is likely to be one of the world’s first Whale Heritage Sites—a new program that honours areas that implement and celebrate sustainable whale and dolphin watching. It’s not easy to qualify—but this region’s eight species of cetacean, global trendsetting for whale research and viewing and historic First Nations connections to these DESTINATION BC/TOM RYAN marine mammals are key elements. See for yourself by 3. KAYAK WITH WHALES paddling the waters near Telegraph Cove or Port McNeill; various outfitters can lead you through a day (or several DIFFICULTY: days) of active natural exploration. ** PAGE START HERE 1 BRITISH COLUMBIA Known to the Haida people as Xhaaidlagha Gwaayaai— the “Islands at the Edge of the World”—the archipelago of Haida Gwaii feels every bit that. And perhaps nowhere embodies this misty, moody, remote feeling more than Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area and Haida Heritage Site. Located at the southern tip of Haida Gwaii, this area is usually powerboat or plane-access (though you can DESTINATION BC/BRANDON HARTWIG paddle in if you’re an experienced tripper). Meet the 4. GET LOST IN GWAII HAANAS Haida Watchmen and learn their stories. Marvel at the mortuary poles as they return to the Earth. Kayak in the DIFFICULTY: ** realm of salmon, whales and sea lions. The magic will START HERE remain with you long after you return. The one-star-rating of difficulty is a bit misleading. It’s an easy experience because the majority of Spirit Bear watching around Princess Royal Island, on British Columbia’s northwest coast, is done via powerboat or perhaps kayak daytrip from a luxury lodge. However, actually finding a Spirit Bear could be a once- in-a-lifetime experience. Why? Well, the odds aren’t in your favour. For starters, the subspecies of black bear known as the Kermode Bear only exists in a remote corner of northwestern BC, near Prince Rupert and particularly on Princess Royal DESTINATION BC/CLARE LEVY Island. And only about 10 per cent of Kermode bears carry the 5. SPOT THE SPIRIT BEAR gene that makes these typically obsidian bruins cream-white— which are known as “Spirit Bears.” Like spotting a ghost in the DIFFICULTY: * rainforest, one sighting will captivate you for years to come. START HERE Interested in pedalling the birthplace of freeride mountain biking? Welcome to North Vancouver, British Columbia—freeride mecca. With user- operated trails clustered on Mount Fromme and Mount Seymour, MTB’ers could find a lifetime of entertainment in these misty woods. Word to the wise—and to use the bikers’ own parlance—this is gnarly stuff. It’s generally not for the beginner. Some DESTINATION CANADA trails don’t look walkable, let alone rideable. But if 6. FREE-RIDE THE NORTH SHORE you have the skills, there is no place on Earth better to bike than Vancouver’s North Shore. DIFFICULTY: **** PAGE START HERE 2 BRITISH COLUMBIA Squamish has everything the outdoors- person could want—hiking, skiing, birdwatching, mountain biking… there are very good reasons it’s dubbed “The Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada.” But these are generally seasonal activities. There is one thing it has all the time, however—wind. Reliable breezes blow down Howe Sound IAN ROBERTSON PHOTOGRAPHY and over the Squamish Spit, making it one of 7. KITEBOARD AT SQUAMISH SPIT the best windsports locales on Earth. While it’s suitable for the seasoned pro, several DIFFICULTY: ** operators in-town will turn you from nervous START HERE newbie to kite-surfer in just one weekend. Of all the Coast Range ski tours, the Spearhead Traverse is the most iconic: a three-day, 35-kilometre horseshoe-shaped tour that meanders through the gorgeous alpine of Garibaldi Provincial Park. And the accessibility can’t be beat—skiers actually start from Blackcomb Glacier, meaning you’ll ride the Blackcomb chairlift to get a push into the alpine. Along the way, you’ll hit a high point ACC VANCOUVER of 2,600 metres, spot 13 glaciers, stay at a 8. SKI TOUR THE SPEARHEAD wonderful backcountry hut and generally enjoy some of the finest winter alpine DIFFICULTY: **** environments in the country. START HERE There are one-star-difficulty routes on Powell River’s Sunshine Coast Trail and there are four-star routes. But really, they’re all five-star—in that this is one of the best hiking trails in Canada. Officially, it is Canada’s lengthiest hut-to-hut hiking trail and also the only free one. It’s 180-kilometres long, but it’s almost always done in segments—some as short as an hour or two, some for several days with stout climbs into TOURISM SUNSHINE COAST the gorgeous alpine. For a primer, try the two-day 9. HIKE HUT-TO-HUT Mount Troubridge section, or maybe Sarah Point to Powell Lake. Even a day-walk to Rieveley’s Pond is DIFFICULTY: worthwhile. ** PAGE START HERE 3 BRITISH COLUMBIA Built as a rail line by the Canadian Pacific Railway more than 100 years ago, the Kettle Valley Rail Trail is now a multi-use recreational trail extending for a whopping 600 kilometres through BC’s Okanagan. It never exceeds a 2.2 per cent grade, so any bike capable of gravel-path riding will suffice. (Some people even use cruisers on shorter routes.) Lengths range from kid-friendly five-kilometre jaunts to multi- DAVID WEBB day epics passing over several of the 18 vertigo- 10. CYCLE A RAIL TRAIL inducing trestles and through two historic tunnels. For a paradisiacal day-trip, hire a shuttle to scoot you DIFFICULTY: ** to the plateau above Kelowna then cruise an amazing START HERE 80 kilometres (half flat, half downhill) to Penticton. In British Columbia, Squamish tends to garner all the press for rock climbing—one look at the imposing granite monolith looming over town and you’ll see why. But beginners may be better off to head for Skaha Bluffs, near Penticton. It’s drier, warmer and usually sunnier. While there are routes for pros, newbies can head to the classic climbs at “Day Care” and literally DAVID WEBB learn the ropes. Local guides will have 11. CLIMB AT SKAHA BLUFFS just about anyone climbing in a matter of minutes—the gateway drug to one of the DIFFICULTY: ** most addictive of all outdoor sports. START HERE Located north of Kamloops, Wells Gray Provincial Park is one of the province’s lesser-known gems. It’s wild and rugged, with more than half-a-million hectares of serene lakes, high alpine, flowery meadows, raging rivers and dense woods. And it’s a waterfall hunter’s dream. Most will head for impressive Helmcken Falls, a 141-metre-tall torrent that formed part of the basis for the park’s creation.