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ESCARPMENTMAGAZINE
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CA
AUTUMN
/
EARLY WINTER
2015
Rather thandrivingdirectly toourold stompinggroundsof
Whistlerwe stopped inSquamish, and not only togas up
the rental car.Nowadestination in itsown right Squamish
is experiencing a boom reminiscent of the early days of
Whistler. Adventurers, climbers and outdoor enthusiasts
havemadeSquamish theOutdoorCapitalofCanadaand
with innovative infrastructure like thenewSea toSkyGon-
dola, it’seasy toseewhy. Thenearlyvertical10-minute ride
to the topbrought us 885mabove sea level to sweeping
views of Howe Sound.Once at the topwewere immedi-
atelydrawn to thebreathtakingSkyPilot suspensionbridge,
which led to the start one of the eight main hiking routes
(eachwith a varying range of difficulty). The Panorama
Loop, a green marked trail (perfect for our little family)
winds alonga high granite ridgelinewith views of Atwell
Peak,Mt.Mamquamanda viewingplatformoverlooking
the iconic Stawamus Chief.Wequite literally ran intoold
friendand legendarymountainbike trail builder, Ted (Big
Red Ted) Tempany,whose companyDreamWizards,we
discovered,was the trailarchitectbehind theGondolaproj-
ect. It’salwaysgreat tocatchupwithbuddies from thepast,
and todiscoverwhat everyone’sbeenup to in thedecade
or sosincewe lastmet.ClearlyTed isdoing just fine,having
solidified himself as thepremiere trail builder, not onlyon
thewest coast of Canada, but worldwide. The expansive
trail systemaccessedby theSea toSkyGondola is impres-
sive to say the least. I look forward to thedaymy kidsand
I can hike the7.5 kmSea toSummit Trail fromBasecamp
toTheSummit Lodgeand ride thegondolabackdown.
A short drive north, nestled near the confluence of the
Squamish River and theCheakamus River sits the sleepy
community of Brackendale. After a backyard barbeque
with friendswho relocated fromWhistler toBrackendale,
webooked into the Logger’sShackat Sunwolf. Thisbeau-
tifully restored cabin is known tobe the oldest building in
the region. Thekids lovedexploring the loftwhileDakand
I enjoyed yet a littlemorewine in front of thewood fire
stove.Noneofus tooknoticeof the lackofwifior television,
aswe fullyembraced thisoff thegridportionof our trip.
A raftingmecca,Sunwolf specializes inwhitewater, fishing
and eagle-watching tours. Starting inmidNovember and
continuing through February, Brackendale is host to the
largest populationofAmericanBaldEagleson theplanet.
Thesemagnificent birds feedon the salmon that spawn in
theglacial fedSquamish andCheakamus rivers. Sunwolf
provides theopportunity toview theeagles fromanextraor-
dinaryvantagepoint–the river. Jasperand Iwere fortunate
to experience a private float with Sunwolf owner, and
Britishex-pat Jake.We scoredaglorious springday, and
enjoyedhomemadehot chocolateon the riverwhile Jake
educated us on the life cycle of the bald eagle and the
salmon itdependsupon. Jakeeven let Jasper steer theboat
through a little patch of whitewater. A seedwas planted
that day…MeanwhileDakand littleNekoenjoyedanex-
tendedbreakfastat Fergie’s,Sunwolf’s legendarycafé run
by Jess, Jake’sother half.
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