are the two wettest months in coastal British Columbia, while May and September—when the weather is at its best and there are fewer travelers—are two of the most enjoyable months for exploration.
Campground Reservations: Travelers can reserve campsites in three provincial campgrounds in the Sea to Sky region up to three months in advance of a visit and can stay as long as fourteen days. The BC Parks reservation line—1-800 -689-9025 throughout Canada and the United States, or 604-689-9025 in Greater Vancouver—operates daily between March 1 and September 15; for detailed information, call between 7 AM and 7 PM Pacific time Monday to Friday, and between 9 AM and 5 PM Pacific time on Saturdays and Sundays. If you are reserving on one of the three long weekends in summer, there is a minimum three-day charge. Long weekends during reservation season occur on Victoria Day (the Monday nearest May 24), B.C. Day (the first Monday in August), and Labor Day (the first Monday in September). At present, a surcharge of $7 per night is added to the regular camping fee of about $20 per night, with a maximum surcharge of three nights even if you are reserving for a longer stay.
No-Trace Camping: According to ancient Chinese philosophy, a good walker leaves no tracks. The same could be said about camping. A good camper leaves no trace. There are six basic principles of limited-impact camping:
> Plan ahead and prepare
> Camp and travel on durable surfaces
> Pack it in, pack it out
> Properly dispose of what you can’t pack out
> Leave the landscape undisturbed
> Don’t light a campfire unless you have to
This may seem like a lot to remember—and something of a bother. After all, camping is supposedly an escape from the regimentation of daily life. Who needs a lot of rules? Well, Nature does. One easy remedy is to use recyclable containers. Try mixing up a drink with fruit crystals in your thermos before you set out. That way there are no pesky cans or bottles to lug around in your pack or dispose of once emptied. Try to take as much precooked food as possible. If you have to heat food, use a lightweight camp stove. These days, too many campgrounds have no underbrush. Years of campfires have left their mark.
So have the footsteps of campers who venture beyond their tent pads. Limited impact also means being wary of where you walk. Don’t go off the beaten path: trails, boardwalks, bridges, portages, even game routes. If you know it’s going to be wet and muddy, wear gaiters and sturdy boots. This will make it easier to stay on the trail in even the most extreme conditions. Take responsibility for your actions. As they preach in golf, replace your divots. It takes decades for a rutted landscape to repair itself.
Bear Advisory: Consult a guide such as Backcountry Bear Basics by David Smith. Subtitled The Definitive Guide to Avoiding Unpleasant Encounters, Smith’s book is an easy read that anyone preparing for a backcountry journey should refer to before setting out. The information contained in it is well researched and helps separate factual evidence from half-baked research and uninformed opinion. For example, the speed with which bears move means that even track stars should never flee from a bear or attempt to scale a tree. That’s one race you’ll never win.
If a bear spots you in the backcountry, stand your ground. Even better, if you spot a bear first, quietly slip away. Only when a bear enters your campground should you make as much noise as possible in an attempt to drive it away. The rarity of bear predation on humans is a sign that we don’t often fit their prey image like marmots, mice, and salmon do. Still, most knowledgeable wildlife biologists, such as David Smith, are unwilling to dismiss predation as an unnatural act or the desperate deed of a starving or slightly crazed bear.
Food-conditioned bears pose the most dangerous threat to humans. Once a bear has tasted food prepared by humans, all else in its diet pales in comparison. Remember: A fed bear is a dead bear. Hundreds of black bears and grizzlies, so-called “nuisance bears,” are shot each year in B.C. For their well-being and your own, only use trash barrels that are bear-proofed. Most refuse containers in Squamish and Whistler as well as in provincial parks are sturdily designed.
Mountain Biking: The difference between cycling and mountain biking is often subjective. For some, mountain biking means riding on a road that isn’t paved. For others, mountain biking is just not a challenge if the path doesn’t go straight down a mountain and involve hopping the bike over rocks, boulders, fallen trees, and hand-built ramps and bridges. For the purposes of this book, mountain bike trails usually involve at least the possibility of single track, a trail that’s only wide enough to accommodate one bike at a time.
Snow Trekking: Backcountry winter adventuring is a league apart from skiing on patrolled runs. Before you head out, prepare yourself for any eventuality. Learn to handle demanding winter camping conditions and discover how to anticipate and avoid avalanche hazards. The Canada West Mountain School (47 West Broadway, Vancouver; 604-878 -7007 or 1-888 -892-2266; www.themountainschool.com) has been offering mountain safety instruction since 1982. It has expanded considerably in the past several years to include introductory backcountry courses for snowboarders and ice climbers as well as skiers. Weekend ski treks for novices begin in early January and continue through March. As well, avalanche safety programs for skiers and snowboarders begin in early December and continue through March.
Once you’re comfortable with backcountry winter conditions, consider making an extended foray in March and April. Spring snow conditions are generally the most favorable of the year, which is why many skiers and snowboarders plan backcountry expeditions as the sun strengthens and provides longer daylight hours.
The Alpine Club of Canada’s Vancouver section posts information about trip schedules plus a variety of other useful listings and links, including weather reports, avalanche advisories, and road conditions, at their website: www.accvancouver.ca.
Hiking: When planning a hike, consider carefully what to take in your pack. Conditions can change quickly in this mountainous region, and it pays to be prepared for any eventuality. Here’s a list of the most critical items to bring with you:
> Minimum of 1 liter (roughly 1 quart) of water
> Plenty of high-energy foods such as nuts and raisins
> Sunscreen (minimum SPF 15)
> Sunglasses and a hat
> Extra-warm clothing (not cotton)
> Emergency equipment including a whistle, knife, headlamp, lighter,
candle, and large plastic bag or space blanket
> Maps or a guidebook
> Emergency first-aid kit
> Insect repellent
Finally, file a trip plan with someone who loves you as to your exact destination, the time you plan to return, and the license plate number of your vehicle. An informative, pack-sized guide to have handy is Outdoor Safety and Survival, by Judi Lees.
Freshwater Fishing: a good source to consult before you set out is the BC Fishing Directory and Atlas. Few anglers can resist supplying advice and information to anyone asking for helpful tips. It’s a given that local store operators will know about the lakes and streams in their areas and will be able to recommend what flies or lures to try according to the season. Catch-and-release with a single barbless hook has become the
