WILDWILDWILDWILDWILDWILD ISLEISLEISLEISLEISLEISLE Issue #4 Fall 1998 Free W ild Isle #4 Fall 1998 Nine Peaks Trip Back to the Roots Kayaking on the Central Coast CELEBRATING 22 YEARS ON VANCOUVER ISLAND Stretch Your Horizons 15 WEEK LAND & WATER BASED For a brochure and application package contact: SEMESTER PROGRAMMES COLT DIRECTOR IN ASSOCIATION WITH Box 2160, Campbell River, B.C. V9W 5C5 STRATHCONA PARK LODGE Tel: 250-286-3122 Fax: 250-286-6010 NAVIGATE YOUR WAY TO CANADA’S OUTDOOR GEAR HEADQUARTERS Simply the best biking gear around For our latest free catalogue call 286-6340 1-800-663-2667 [email protected] and give the following 151 Dogwood St Campbell River reference code 010 Visit our Vancouver Store at 130 W. Broadway Strathcona or visit our website Wilderness Institute @www.mec.ca Working in partnership with BC Parks, A lifetime share ’SWI’ inspires awareness, appreciation, in MEC is only $5.00. and stewardship of the natural world through education and participation. To learn more about programs and volunteering opportunities MOUNTAIN Mountain Equipment Co-op Call (250) 337-1871 EQUIPMENT is your outdoor source. CO-OP From sea to sky - come join us in the adventure 2 WILD ISLE CONTENTSCONTENTS The Islands' Adventure Magazine #4 Fall 1998 View Point p.5 Managing Editor ○○○○○○○ Philip Stone ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Art Director Sheahan Wilson Associate Editor Tanya Storr ○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○ Arrowsmith Update Contributors Robyn Irvine, Tanya Storr p.6 Andrew Smith, Dan Clements, Randy Jones, Brent Henry ○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Photography Philip Stone, Brent Henry, Randy Jones ○○○○ Wild Isle is published four times a year by Hyacinthe Bay Publishing and is Nine Peaks p.8 distributed free of charge across Vancouver Island. ○○○○○ Advertising Inquiries and Submissions ○○○○○○○○○○○ Beyond Our Isle Hyacinthe Bay Publishing PO Box 482, Heriot Bay, BC V0P 1H0 p.10 Tel: 250 285-2234 Fax: 250 285-2236 Cover: Jody Simmons, Robyn Irvine, Alice Weber, Kris Maddox & email: [email protected] Buffy Lundine paddling through Nootka Sound to the final Web site: www.island.net/~wildisle resupply point on their 2,000 km kayak expedition down the outside coast of British Columbia. Contents: Bedwell Sound and Tofino from Mariner Mountain Opinions expressed herein are those Photos: Philip Stone/API of the writers and in no way reflect the views of the publishers, editorial staff or distributors. Alpine Pacific The sports featured in Wild Isle are inherently dangerous with real risk of Images and Design injury or death. In no way should this magazine be taken to advocate Stock and Custom participation in any activity Photography whatsoever. Wild Isle is for reading specialists in adventure action & enjoyment only. If you choose to coastal B.C. scenic images engage in any activity you do so entirely at your own risk. Graphic Design for Web Sites Printed on Quadra Island, Canada Brochures • Catalogues ISSN 1480-4026 All rights reserved. Copyright 1998 Display Ads high quality, affordable marketing tools Next Deadline, from marketing plan to final proofs for Winter Issue, 250 285-2234 13th November 1998 A1 [email protected] www.island.net/~alpine 3 LETTERSLETTERS WILD ISLE The Islands' Adventure Magazine Dear Editor: Just a quick note to say how much I am enjoying your magazine. While toying with getting into the ecotourism Its hard to believe this summer is still business, being born on Vancouver Is., I have had many going but yet another fine weekend questions and your 'zine seems to answer them all in a timely approaches in what has been an epic run fashion. It improves with every issue. of sunshine. Here at Wild Isle Central we are We have such unique and great natural assets here, it is hanging on the edge with anticipation for nice to see them formally recognized enmass in the private the many stories and pictures that are surely sector. going to come flooding in once the rain starts. Keep up the good work. This issue marks our first full year as Vancouver (and surrounding) Island’s very own adventure magazine. It Melanie Perkins has been an exciting 12 months that has seen some inspiring images and tales fill these pages. As we look Letters can be sent to: PO Box 482, Heriot Bay, BC V0P 1H0 forward to our second winter issue preparations are Fax: 250 285-2236 or email: [email protected] underway to introduce subscriptions, conduct a reader’s survey and generally up the ante. Wild Isle needs your support; tell our advertisers you New Route saw their ad here and if there is a business you know would benefit from exposure in Wild Isle get them to on Mt. Tom Taylor give us a call. We are itching to move into full colour printing and hope that will happen in the next 12 months. Have a great fall and let’s hope for an early winter!!! Philip Stone DON’T FORGET Advertising and Submissions Deadline for the Winter Issue is On 5 August '98 Jan Neuspiel and Andrew Findlay opened up the long rumoured granite walls of Mt Tom Taylor with a new route, Finnagan’s Buttress. The pair climbed a 300 m long line November 13th at about 5.9. Finnagan’s Buttress follows the crest of a prominent buttress, taking a series of chimneys and corners on spectacular granite. The line leaves the crest briefly in the midsection before returning to finish. Access is from the standard route to the summit from Bedwell Lake. From the col immediately east of the summit, descend snow on the south side of the mountain to the base of a long wall (see above photo). Hike, bike, canoe or relax on beautiful Quadra Island ot Bay eri In n Kayaks from 1998 Rental Fleet Now For Sale H Your island basecamp Over 100 Models by Current Designs, for outdoor adventure Nimbus and Seaward Kayaks & Marina Contact us for a price list. 2020 Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2L3 email: [email protected] • B&B Inn, Cabins & Campground homepage: http://www.island.net/~seakayak • Restaurant, Pub, Showers & Laundry • Kayak Rentals, Lessons & Trips Ph- (250) 285-3322 Fx- (250) 285-2708 [email protected] 4 View Point Andrew Smith The view is not always clear Mountain bikes should be banned from Provincial Parks! That’s quite a bold statement but one that is voiced by a number of park users. This view point comes from those who may have been forced to the side of a trail by individuals speeding along with little regard for other users. The same opinion is supported by those who have seen some of the impacts caused by bikers such as chewed up trails, erosion, exposed tree roots, destroyed vegetation, scarred trees and rock faces denuded of mosses and seedlings. If the above is true, is the use of mountain bikes an appropriate activity for our provincial parks? For some, the answer is a decisive NO! However, there is more to this issue than what has been noted so far and that is the reason for this month’s article. BC Parks’ Mission is to protect and present as a public trust, representative and special natural places for conservation, outdoor recreation and scientific study. The key words here are conservation and outdoor recreation. Both aspects have been identified, and mountain biking aside, the fact that parks are managed for both often raises some controversial issues. Mountain biking is a fast growing sport and unfortunately did not exist when the Park Act was established. Had it existed, there may have been some better guidance offered. However, mountain biking is an outdoor recreational activity and therefore cannot be simply excluded from consideration. Riding the Beaver Lake trail, However, this activity does impact on important park resources, Quadra Island, not within a park! and the safety of all park users and potential conflicts between Photo: © API activities must be taken into consideration. BC Parks is currently trying to deal with this growing issue and in doing so must consider many things. One of the first A good example of this is a recent agreement signed things to review when considering the approval of mountain between BC Parks and the Sprocket Rocket Cycling Club of bike use in a protected area, is why the area was protected Campbell River. BC Parks has authorized the use of a portion and what is its designation. If the area is an Ecological Reserve of Elk Falls Park for mountain biking while the club has agreed rather than a Park, its intent is to protect unique natural to maintain the trails, refrain from constructing new trails values and that generally excludes recreational use. If the without authorization, restrict use to designated trails through area is a park, it may have been established to protect a self policing and work together with BC Parks to promote safe special natural feature, a type of ecosystem as a whole, and friendly riding practices. recreational values or a combination of all of the above. If Whether mountain biking in BC Parks becomes a recreational values were identified as significant (this could common activity will depend much on mountain bikers in fact include mountain biking in new parks), then mountain themselves who must consider the impacts of their sport on biking should be considered along with all other activities. resources and other users. Proper biking ethics, showing This consideration is given today when Management respect for other users and the forest’s natural resources, will Direction Statements or Management Plans are developed garner public support and help when the issue arises at with public input. For older parks, Park staff are guided by management planning meetings. what was agreed on during a public Master Planning process For those readers who do enjoy mountain biking, please and this could restrict any approval until the plan is publicly try to assist BC Parks by learning more about the areas you reviewed and amended.