Backyard Issue
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THE BACKYARD ISSUE SUMMER 2021 MOUNTAINLIFEMEDIA . CA FREE SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE Whether you’re a weekend walker or a seasoned hiker, our recycled Downpour Eco Jacket is the trail-friendly choice. Soft, lightweight, comfortable and practical, it is tailor-made for challenging treks and rainy days in the hills. WWW.RAB.EQUIPMENT The Escape Route donated over $50,000 to local groups in the last five years. Our loyal local customers – and homegrown brands like ARC’TERYX – made it happen. THANK YOU. LET’S ADVENTURE LOCALLY! escaperoute.ca Your backyard getaway REVIVE YOUR SENSES Escape from the everyday in your own backyard. Give yourself permission to unplug, embrace silence and experience complete relaxation. Hydrotherapy in the heart of nature to soothe mind, SCANDINAVE.COM | 1 888 935 2423 body and soul. Mons Road, Whistler BC V8E 1K7 THE ALL-NEW CROSSROADS® COLLECTION WITH TUFFSKIN NYLON MLCM_POC_Seamless_Fit_01F.pdfMLCM_POC_Seamless_Fit_01F.pdf 11 6/23/206/23/20 1:361:36 PMPM PPOOCC SSEEAAMMLLEESSSS FFIITT PPEERRFFOORRMAMANNCCEE ZACH MILLER CCOORROONN A AIRIR S SPPININ && O ORRAA C CLLAARRITITYY CC MM YY CMCM MYMY THE CROSSWAY CYCY CMYCMY KK TTHHEE FFUUSSIIOONN OOFF SSCCIIEENNCCEE AANNDD SASAFFEETTYY TToo crcreeatatee aann aaddvvaanncceedd ppeerrffoorrmmaannccee aanndd pprrootteecctitioonn ppaacckkaaggee aalll oouurr hheellmmeettss,, ssuunnglglaasssseess aanndd ggooggglgleess aarree ddeessiiggnneedd ttoo woworrkk sseeaammllesesssllyy ttoogegettheherr,, ttoo eennhhaannccee rriiddeerr ppeerrffoorrmmaannccee,, vviissiioonn aanndd ssafafeettyy.. RREEAADD MMOORREE AATT PPOOCSCSPPOORRTTSS..CCOOMM MCCOOSMCCOOS WHISTLERWHISTLER MCOOSWHISTLER.CAMCOOSWHISTLER.CA 42934293 MOUNTAINMOUNTAIN SQUARESQUARE +1-604-932-2842+1-604-932-2842 WHISTLER,WHISTLER, BCBC V0N1B4V0N1B4 GET THE GEAR. GET THE GUIDE. Daniel O'Keefe Sea to Sky’s Backcountry Specialists in mountain Gear Source Since 1990. adventure since 1991. escaperoute.ca mountainskillsacademy.com KISKA.COM Photo: R. Schedl adventure more Fuel your restless spirit with a new adventure every day. Discover KTM’s sporty attitude and proven performance credentials aboard this new, compact single-cylinder adventure machine – the KTM 390 ADVENTURE. Versatile ergonomics, smooth power delivery, and innovative technology all come together in a controllable lightweight package – created for those who want to fit more adventure into their daily lives. FIND OUT MORE AT WWW.KTM.COM Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations! The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost. European model shown for illustration only. KTM_21_0138 2021 390 Adventure Ad Resize Print Mountain Life CAN ENG_final.indd 1 5/19/21 2:58 PM TABLE OF CONTENTS The Backyard Issue UPFRONTS FEATURES EDITOR’S MESSAGE WHAT’SUP GARIBALDI Feet First Two Lakes, Six Mountains, Heavy Packs p. 17 p. 28 JUST THE TIP EPIC TRIP Brett Tippie’s Home Sweet Home The Summer of Heights—Baffin Island p. 18 p. 54 HEROES OF THE DEEP VALLEY OF REDISCOVERED DREAMS Cleaning The Lakes, Again Back in the Saddle in the Squamish Valley p. 21 p. 64 SEARCH & RESCUE Shifting Culture Or Numbers Game? p. 22 12 DEPARTMENTS BACKYARD BEYOND Grip It & Rip It Leave No Trace… p. 37 p. 49 CULTURE ARTIST First Journey Trails Levi Nelson p. 43 p. 73 ON THIS PAGE Stu Smith on 'Pool of Death' 12+(FA), Mamquam Canyon. KIERAN BROWNIE ON THE COVER Mia Noblet, Stawamus Chief 3rd Peak. JEREMY ALLEN 13 PUBLISHERS JON BURAK [email protected] TODD LAWSON [email protected] GLEN HARRIS [email protected] EDITOR FEET BANKS [email protected] CREATIVE & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR, DESIGNER AMÉLIE LÉGARÉ [email protected] WEB DEVELOPER KEVIN CRAWFORD [email protected] MANAGING EDITOR SUSAN BUTLER [email protected] 1066 Millar Creek Road, Function WEB EDITOR www.camplifestyle.ca NED MORGAN [email protected] DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA SARAH BULFORD [email protected] FINANCIAL CONTROLLER KRISTA CURRIE [email protected] CONTRIBUTORS Jeremy Allen, Dave Barnes, Kieran Brownie, Chris Christie, Jim Martinello, Clint Trahan, Jon Turk, Justa Jeskova, Taylor Godber, Mason Mashon, Dan Ashton, Erik Boomer, Sarah Bulford, Tim Emmett, Mason Mashon, Anne Price, Andre McCurdy, Pierre Melion, Ben Haggar, Andrea Huberdeau, Josh McGareal, Sarah McNair-Landry, Pearce Mundy, Neve Petersen, Mack Rankin, Levi Nelson, Matthew Sylvestre, Brett Tippie, Anatole Tuzlak, Shawn Watson. SALES & MARKETING JON BURAK [email protected] 604 815 1900 TODD LAWSON [email protected] 604 907 1074 GLEN HARRIS [email protected] 705 441 6334 Published by Mountain Life Media, Copyright ©2021. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Publications Mail Agreement Number 40026703. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Mountain Life Magazine, PO Box 2433 Garibaldi Highlands BC, V0N 1T0. Tel: 604 815 1900. To send feedback or for contributors guidelines email [email protected]. Mountain Life Coast Mountains is published every February, June and November by Mountain Life Media Inc. and circulated throughout Whistler and the Sea to Sky corridor from Pemberton to Vancouver. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. Views expressed herein are those of the author exclusively. To learn more about Mountain Life, visit mountainlifemedia.ca. To distribute Mountain Life in your store please call 604 815 1900. OUR COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT Mountain Life is printed on paper that is Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified. FSC® is an international, membership-based, non-profit organization that supports environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests. By printing on post-consumer waste paper instead of virgin fibre, this issue of Mountain Life preserves 2.3 tons of wood for the future, saves 3,000 gallons of wastewater flow, and conserves 6,000,000 BTUs of energy. Environmental impact estimates were made using the Environmental Paper Network Paper Calculator Version 3.2. For more information visit www.papercalculator.org. POC KORTAL_DEVOUR NEW NEW KORTAL & DEVOUR_ TAKE THE EDGE TO INFINITY What we can see is not all that exists, beyond the horizon are new experiences that have yet to reveal themselves. A place where gravity is always on your side. The award-winning KORTAL and DEVOUR will open up the world, and let you take it all in. Infinity may feel like a long way away, but you won’t know until you get there. MCCOOS WHISTLER 4293 MOUNTAIN SQUARE, WHISTLER, BC V0N1B4 READ MORE AT POCSPORTS.COM MCCOOSWHISTLER.CA, +1-604-932-2842 lly m loca a , d . un e e -r c r d l u o t te n i t e im h v L in ad g r f e or mm every su Buy online and pick up at our Whistler location in under 24-hours. EDITOR'S MESSAGE FEET FIRST Let's keep the backyard fresh and clean. Watersprite Lake. ANATOLE TUZLAK Let’s not kid ourselves, pretty much every issue of Mountain Life is “The breed in BC. This region is also home to 67% of the province’s fish species, and Backyard Issue,” that’s kind of the point of it all—we love the Coast Mountains 69% of the reptiles (nice). Don’t even get me started on lichens, mosses, fungi, and the people who live, work, play, and adventure here. It’s not always easy to and old growth forest (or the current provincial government’s keen desire to create a sustainable life in this part of the country, but the chaos of the past year destroy them). Pound for pound, the forests in our backyard are among the most has definitely driven home just how lucky we are to be able to escape into these (if not the most) ecologically diverse places on the planet. mountains, drift away on the waterways, get lost in these incredible forests, and And yet, for all the hive knowledge/community building of the internet soak in that fresh air and pure mountain freedom. and the proliferation of eco-conscious everything, our backyard is seeing more But let’s get one thing straight—freedom isn’t free. It comes with a abandoned campfires, more tire tracks in riparian zones, more beer cans in the responsibility to the places we love. Because the Coast Mountains are not local lakes, and more garbage piled at the trailhead than any other time in the my backyard nor are they your backyard—if anything, they’re a communal history of life itself. Are we collectively “funning” our favourite place to death place that have been here long before us and will be here long after. Take under a faux “unplug-to-reconnect” ideology that’s really just an ego-driven Skwxwu7mesh (you know that word from the highway signs in Squamish), Instagram photo op? as my friend (and ML contributor) Keiran Brownie recently pointed out to me, It certainly seems that way. So this summer, as we delve even deeper Skwxwu7mesh is the name of a people, not a place. More than that, it’s a name into “our” backyard, let’s pledge to leave it in better shape than we found it given to a people BY a place—specifically by the river that provides the people (which may require picking up after others, some volunteer work, or donations with the water they depend on. As human beings, we belong to these lands, not to organizations fighting the good fight), and vow not to sit idly by while the other way around. someone else disrespects the land. If we leave any trace this summer, let’s Let’s also remember, we not only share this ridiculously amazing part of make it the shared understanding that these Coast Mountains, our backyard, the planet with each other, but with the future as well. Which means it’s on all are an incredible paradise of beauty and adventure, but also a complex and of us to take the best possible care of it, and as more people begin realizing the interconnected matrix of life.