The Adventure

Canadian Adventure Racer finds new Adventures at CMH Bugaboo Lodge

By Lianne Marquis

I had the pleasure to spend some time with Katrina Rosen in the Bugaboo Lodge this past July.  Katrina is the Shop Manager for the Heli-Hiking season in "The Bugs", and she was one of the few new staff that we hired this summer season.

I was curious “What’s it like to be one of the newbie’s?”  It’s been a long time since I was in her shoes!

LM: How did Katrina, a flat-lander from Manitoba find her way into the Bugaboo lodge this summer?

KR: The mountains have been calling my husband and I for a long time. I love Manitoba and the Canadian Shield near by. The paddling is extraordinary and I doubt you can find such amazing backcountry lakes anywhere else. But it was time for a new playground, a new area to explore and discover.

LM:  Did you know that between the Bobbie Burns and Bugaboo lodges, we only hired 5 new staff this summer?  What is your background in retail that qualified you to be the Bugaboo Shop Manager?

KR: I was very lucky that there was an opening at the Bugaboo lodge and I think about that every morning when I look up at the spires on my walk to work.

I have been working in outdoor retail for 14 years now and absolutely love it. If I can just be a small part of the excitement that goes into someone’s preparation of a great trip or adventure, I am very happy. I am very passionate about the outdoors and my enthusiasm and love of gear has definitely helped me to be a test rat so that I can pass on my knowledge of what works and what does not onto the guest.

There is nothing I love more than hearing the guests stories after they have come back from an amazing day.

LM:  What has impressed you the most since arriving in the Bugaboos and working for CMH?

KR: I was absolutely impressed with the organization of this company. I did my research before I applied for the job since I don’t think that I can ever work for a company that does not care about our environment, but I was blown away how amazing of a job CMH does in this regard. Everything is thought of from recycling, composting, energy, waste treatment and fuel consumption.

LM:  Have you had the opportunity to get out heli hiking so far?

KR: OH Yes! It is a huge perk to working here! The Bugaboo area is huge and I haven’t even skimmed the surface. I want to go beyond the next ridge, over the pass or further down the valley.  The helicopter allows you to see so much in one day but I always want more. There is no such thing as a bad day at the Bugaboos.

LM: I’m sure you must feel like you have the BEST JOB with CMH. Don’t we all!  What’s the best part of being the shop manager?

KR: I do, I love my job! The best part is being able to talk so much with the guests and getting to know them. If I don’t get out in the helicopter, then I still have amazing day mountain biking or hiking around the lodge. There is so much to do here!

LM: What are you selling in the shop this summer?

KR: I sell lots of maps of the area, plenty of T-shirts and technical clothes that help to keep the moisture moving. We have not been selling too many rain jackets because the weather has just been too amazing!

I sell lots of batteries and memory cards for guests cameras because they are in over use.

LM: Katrina the adventure racer… I’m sure you have so many incredible stories during your racing days! Are there any that you’d like to share?

KR: Adventure Racing has given me an opportunity to travel the world and see parts of it that is rarely seen by the common tourist. My team and I photographed a waterfall so deep into Patagonia Chili that it is believed that no other human has ever seen it.  I think CMH gives something similar to the guests here as well. It is a special moment to go into the helicopter and explore a new area. Just yesterday we came stumbling across a huge rock that sparkled like diamonds. The guides had not seen it before!!

The world is here, let us play in it.

What a perfect position for Katrina, it has her name written all over it! Welcome to the team and I hope to see you working for us this winter season!!!

Do you have a CMH employee you would like us to profile? Let us know here and we'll feature him or her in an upcoming blog post.

Heli-Hiking: Never Stop Learning

by Sarah Pearson, Marketing & Media Relations, Canadian Mountain Holidays.

Never stop learning – this was the message conveyed over and over by Dr. Roberta Bondar, our guest speaker at the Bugaboo Lodge on the August 17 – 20^th CMH Summer Adventure. And that is exactly what we did for three superb days out in the mountains. We learned and absorbed information about geology, wild flowers, glaciations, plate tectonics, animal behaviour and countless other fascinating facts, ideas and theories.  Under the leadership of our CMH Guides, we didn’t just hear about it…..we walked through it, touched it, smelled it, tasted it, and truly experienced the full vastness of our mountain landscape. 

 

Following these days of fresh air and exercise we returned to the lodge to the excited chatter about our daily adventures, laughter, and individual stories from guests from around the world.  One of our guests at the lodge was Dr. Roberta Bondar, Canada’s first woman in space, the world’s first neurologist in space, and head of space medicine research at NASA for eleven years.  Dr. Bondar (or Roberta as we came to know her) regaled us with stories from vast life experience; about the physical and emotional challenges leaving this earth presents; experiencing and seeing earth from above; the value of space research; what it takes to become an astronaut; and how returning to earth has changed her perspective on the world.  She has said, “To fly in space is to see the reality of earth alone. To touch it after is to see beauty for the first time.”

Captured by both her words and images during her evening presentation, I went to bed that night inspired and optimistic about the future.  Her message was - yes, the world is changing, but if we continue to ask questions and seek out answers to scientific mysteries; to listen to each other and embrace life-long learning; and to challenge ourselves both mentally and physically, then we will be able to actively and positively participate as our future unfolds in ways that we can’t even imagine today. 

 

What struck me most poignantly was her message that when people are passionate about our world and the environment around them – then we will work to protect it. When it’s personal - when it makes a difference to us as individuals - then we have the drive and ability to protect and make change. Seeing our world in new ways makes it personal – whether this is through photography, reading, education, or experiencing places first hand. For me, after spending those glorious days amongst those magnificent Bugaboo Spires - it is now and forever, personal.

The Roberta Bondar Foundation http://www.therobertabondarfoundation.org/

What You See Isn't Always What You Get- Landscape Photography Secrets Unveiled

Guest Post by John E. Marriott

I was sitting in the dining room at the Bugaboo Lodge last month when a guest came up and told me that he had attempted to photograph the "signature shot" from the lodge that morning -- a view of Snowpatch Spire and the surrounding mountains reflected in the small pond on the lodge grounds. 

"To be honest, it was a lot harder than I thought it would be," he chuckled, "the photos didn't do it justice and couldn't capture it the way I saw it."

He then looked at me seriously and asked, " So how DO you pros do it? What's the secret to getting great shots?"

How do you turn this (left) into this (right)? The shot on the left was taken with automatic settings, the one on the right with all the secrets of landscape photography deployed!

So what are the secrets to getting great shots in a place as stunning, yet challenging, as the Bugaboo Range of the Canadian Rockies? How do you make the alpenglow glow and not have the foreground shadows turn to a black blob? Or vice versa, how do you keep the shadows balanced without blowing out the brilliant blues of the sky and the golden hues of the alpenglow?  And what other tricks can a photographer use to make their photos look as stunning as the scenes in front of them?

Join me in the Bugaboos from September 7th-10th this fall for an in-depth photography workshop that will uncover these secrets and leave you with breath-taking photographs that will wow your friends and family alike.  Learn how to use filters, how to adjust your exposures to maximize colour brilliance, and how to compose the perfect shot. 

Best of all?  Learn these secrets while Heli-Hiking in fall colors in some of the most spectacular wilderness in North America!  To reserve your spot, call CMH Reservations today at 1.800.661.0252

Bugaboo Via Ferrata - What an Adventure!

I reached up to wipe the sweat out of my eye as I scanned the rock infront of me for a handhold. "I can't figure out where to put my foot", Alysha called out below me. "You're doing great.  There's a spot to your right," replied Rob Rohn, Director of Mountain Operations for CMH Summer Adventures.

This morning we were part of a group trying out the yet-unnamed via ferrata route the guides have built on a ridge northwest of the Bugaboo lodge. 

"We have seen a decline in the desire for traditional mountaineering routes," said Peter Macpherson, Assistant Area Manager at the Bugaboo Lodge.  "But at the same time, there's been an increased interest in doing 'something thrilling'".  Back in 2007, in response to that increase the guides at the Bobbie Burns constructed the Mt. Nimbus via ferrata route which thrills visitors to the lodge on a weekly basis. This summer guests to the Bugaboos will also get a taste of that same thrill.

After crossing a snow-slope where you could literally feel the sun melting the snow beneath your feet, our group of 10 gathered at the base of the route.  ACMG certified mountain guide Bob Sawyer helped us don our harnesses and via ferrata gear then lead us through a safety briefing of how to stay connected to the permananetly fixed cables that make up the route.

A combination of steel cables and rebar rungs line the route up Trundle mountain.  The Bugaboo guides installed the route last week once enough snow had cleared to safely access the route.  In places along the route I found myself searching, seemingly in vain, for the next place to put my foot or hand to raise myself up, up, up the mountain.  I'd find myself thinking "They need to put another rebar step in here. I'm stranded."  Then with a little more focus and shifting my body against the rock I'd find a way up.  The feeling of accomplishment was intense everytime I overcame one of these challenges.  And the encouragement from the guides and the other members of our climbing party kept us all in high spirits.  In amidst conversations about siblings, wildflowers and handholds, we shared jokes, sang songs and lived in the moment.  Other cares left behind for the day.

Our group this morning consisted of myself and the Bugaboo Lodge staff and guides who are already at the lodge preparing for the first guests of the Summer Adventures' season who will arrive on Friday. I asked Tanya, one of the lodge staff members who celebrated her 25th birthday today on Trundle Mountain, how she felt about the experience.  There was no disguising the trepidation in her voice at the start of the day where she described her fear of heights.  "There's just an amazing sense of accomplishment.  I can't believe I did it!"

After two and a half hours on the rock we completed the route, removed our harnesses and thanked our guides before sitting on the summit to enjoy lunch and bask in the sun.  As we got up to leave and continue hiking along the glorious Black Forest Ridge I commented to Alysha "Hmm, all that and I never even broke a nail."

If you'd like try your hand on one of CMH Summer Adventures' via ferrata routes this summer, or if something more horizontal is what your after, contact CMH Reservations at 1.800.661.0252 or visit us online at www.cmhsummer.com.

Heli-Hiking: Too Easy? Too Hard?

The most common myth around heli-hiking, CMH Summer Adventure's core activity, is that it is either too easy or too hard.  The term conjures up...well, nothing consistent in the minds of travellers.

In reality, heli-hiking is just as hard, or just as easy, as you want it to be.  Here's why:

1. Our guests, not our guides, set the gait.

We're not kidding when we say this.  At the Bobbie Burns lodge, for example, we accommodate a maximum of 44 guests and we have 7 guides available.  That means we can have 7 different levels of walking, hiking, and trekking groups.  We've been working on this formula for over 30 years now and rarely do we have a guest leave without getting exactly the hiking experience they are after. 

2.  We cater to non-hikers.

Whether it's a hike, walk or amble, each heli-hiking day is tailored to each guests' fitness, experience and wishes.  Frankly, we'd be crazy to drag you out on a hike that's way too ambitious and send you home feeling battered and miserable.  After all this is your hard-earned vacation, not boot camp.  If you want to cover very little ground, but really take the time to appreciate the magnificent, awesome scenery, we've got a guide for that.

3. We challenge experienced hikers.

Last summer I hiked in the Bugaboos with a couple from Toronto in their mid-40's.  At the start of our hike on day one, Karen looked our guide Kevin in the eye and said 'I want to hike until I cry.'  She wasn't kidding. Kevin wasn't quite sure what to make of her but he and his mile long legs set off and she was right on his heels.  They hiked all day, stopping only for water and snacks and lunch along the way.  I dropped back to join a less-ambitious group! At the end of the day I asked Karen how her day was.  "I had the best day of my life."   Funny thing, two other people in the lodge told me the same thing that night at dinner - a Grandmother in her 70's, and a 17-yr old travelling with his Mom and sister.

4.  We have a helicopter.

The glory of using the helicopter to access the remote ranges of the Canadian Rockies is that we eliminate days of bushwacking (because there are no trails where we hike, and few other people have been here) to get you to the kind of hiking you want to do.  If you aren't keen on uphill, then you and your guide and group will fly to a high mountain ridge that you can meander along, or to an alpine meadow where you can wander through the brilliant colours of our wildflowers.  If uphill gain is your thing, then start in the valley bottom and climb, climb, climb to your heart's content.  We've got a guide for that, too.

Whatever kind of outdoor, walking experience it is that you desire, we guarantee that you will find it on a CMH Summer Adventure.  You can choose your adventure - mountaineering, adventure trails, zip lines, via ferrata, yoga, painting retreats and Girlfriend Getaways.  All of it as hard, or as easy, as you would like.

Educational Travel: A Part of the Everyday at CMH Summer Adventures

by Paul Lazarski

Decades ago hikers would typically be guided with little focus on the long term issues of sustainable use. Exposing guests to Nature's beauty was enough to help protect these areas. Today, with an increased use of 'wild' places and a greater understanding of human impacts, a guide needs to do more. Education is the cornerstone of sustainability! More and more adventure travellers are expecting to be educated and looking for positive ways to protect the environment.
 
Education is the tool that a guide uses to 'give back' to the environment. Looking forward to the future, and educating guests of what that future can be, is the secret to long term success.  Education can take many forms. As guides, a large part of our day is spent telling stories, joking, pointing out interesting geology and wildflowers. More often than not, its being 'real', telling guests what we genuinely feel about what we do and sharing our personal passions. Not until the last few years, however, has the need for education taken on a new meaning.

By far, the hottest topic today is that of climate change. This is one of the more difficult topics for guides to deal with and many opt out from giving an opinion for fear of jeopardizing their credibility. People tend to trust people who believe what they do, and tend to expect those they respect to repeat what they believe in. Confidence is the cornerstone of guiding, it enforces safety, creates trust, and encourages personal growth. Educating about climate change caries a real risk of damaging a guide's credibility by downgrading a guest's confidence. 
 
I discovered this a year ago, when I was asked about global warming. I began by saying that I've been seeing glaciers recede far more quickly in the last five years. I also mentioned that I had been marking the margins of one particular glacier with cairns and photographing them through the years. I went on to talk about the big picture, looking at glaciers through the lens of deep geological time. I remember, however, being told once not to talk about religion or politics in public for fear of offending someone.  I deliberately didn't talk about present day climate issues for that reason. One of the guests seemed agitated and he wasn't as friendly for the rest of the day. Later I read his comment card criticizing me for not believing in climate change, stating that he expected little more since I lived in Alberta, a conservative, oil rich province and obviously didn't care about the environment. It was at that moment that I realized that nothing I said had made a difference and that the beliefs he had arrived with were the ones he 'expected' to hear from me. I had lost credibility by not repeating what he believed in. The fact that I lived on Vancouver Island, had never seen an oil-field and was once a young idealistic member of Greenpeace didn't fit his required stereotype. Since then, I educate about climate change in a different way. Initially, by listening to the way in which a question is asked helps give a clue to the language the guest is expecting to hear. Secondly, by being honest and open, framing my answer based upon what issues the guest values the most. Communication is my goal and encouraging discussion is how real learning takes place.

Education is important for the guide as well. Investing in the guiding team by providing them with the tools to communicate on environmental issues is a major part of CMH's sustainability effort. Every year, a guide's training session is held. Often special educators are brought in to cover such topics as grizzly bears, learning styles, wildflower pigments, geology etc. 
 
There are many special issues that a guide needs to be aware of in order to guide sustainably. We need to be educated in helicopter noise reduction techniques, flight paths as well as landform considerations in order to protect the public and wildlife from undue noise. Knowing wildlife behaviour better allows a guide to avoid wildlife and if encountered, how to ethically retire without causing undue stress. A resource book, detailing all of the hiking areas alerts guides to environmental concerns and is reviewed prior to the day. Record keeping of weather, wildlife, number of guests, and hiking areas is a required part of the job and adds to the long term knowledge base of the guiding team. Ongoing educational projects including, specific wildlife counts, trampling plot evaluations, and wildflower blooming times help provide the guide with valued information to further educate the guest. In addition, helicopter fuel efficiency is one of the most important sustainability issues and is stressed daily.

To guide sustainably and ethically is probably the single most important part of our job and our being able to give back to the environment, our guests and ourselves through education is our greatest gift and responsibility.

 

Attached photo

Cairn from 1980. The Vowell Glacier(in the distance) has receded over a kilometer in the last 30 years. As one of 11 such cairns, this one is the starting point from which all others are measured, providing an invaluable learning tool for both guides and guests.
 

Why I Guide: An Interview with a CMH Summer Adventures Guide

I love being in the mountains.  It puts my life into perspective, and truly makes me appreciate this amazing place in which I live and play.  But do I love the mountains enough to be a guide?  Tempting, but I'm not sure I've got it in me.  Becoming a certified mountain guide through the International Federation of Mountain Guides (IFMGA) is a long haul. On average, the time and money invested in becoming a mountain guide is comparable to attaining any university degree.

Erich Unterberger, Area Manager of CMH Adamants, is made of much sterner stuff than me.  A long-time CMH guide, Erich truly loves these mountains and draws his energy from them.

We asked Erich why he loves to guide and were lucky enough to get his response on video.  Take a look - his passion will move you.

 

At Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH), safety is our number one priority.  To that end, all of the guides that lead our guests on mountaineering routes and hiking trails on a CMH Summer Adventure are fully certified mountain professionals.  All have some level of certification through the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) or the IFMGA.

You can join Erich on a CMH Summer Adventure this July, August and September while he makes some guest appearances at the Bobbie Burns and Bugaboos.  Alternatively, he'd love to take you for a few turns this winter if you come heliskiing at the Adamants!

5 Secrets to Great Wilderness Pics from a Photography Workshop Pro

Guest post by John E. Marriott, Professional Photographer and host of CMH's Bugaboo Photography Workshop September 7-10, 2010.

1. Bring a camera along.  As ridiculous as it sounds, it's a key piece of advice for anyone wanting to capture great wilderness images.  Roadside attractions are a dime a dozen, but what really separates a great landscape photographer from the pack is the need to get off the beaten track and get stunning images of hard-to-get-to locations.  And while camera gear is heavy, I make sure I pack all the important photo equipment first on my backpacking excursions (Canon EOS 5D II body, 17-40mm lens, 70-200mm lens, and an assortment of filters) and skimp on other less critical stuff (like food, shelter and clothing).
2. And don't forget a tripod.  Twenty years ago bringing a tripod along was a serious addition to your backpacking gear, adding up to ten torturous pounds to your pack.  Today, however, new carbon fibre tripods and ballheads mean that adding a tripod to your backpack can cost you less than 3 extra pounds (my backpacking tripod, a Velbon Sherpa Pro with an Acratech ballhead, is up to 5 feet tall, yet weighs in at a paltry 3.1 pounds).  A tripod is key to allowing you to use all that camera gear you carted in with you, taking advantage of the golden hours at sunrise and sunset and using filters if you choose to, something that is much harder to do without a tripod being handy.
3. Scout it out.  If you arrive at a backcountry campground before sunset, quickly scout out the locations that may work for a great sunset image or for the next morning's sunrise shoot.  Try to avoid scrambling around at the last second ‘chasing the light'.  Watch for interesting foregrounds that may add to your images of those ‘trophy' landscapes.
4. Ignore the weather forecast.  Many of my most dramatic backcountry images are from freak snowstorms or giant storm clouds.  So while I don't recommend you venture out when the Storm of '52 blows in, I do recommend you still get out there when it looks like a few of your days may be spotty for weather.  Blue sky days are often the most dull in terms of photography and lighting.
5. Take a polarizer along.  A polarizing filter can be your best friend in the backcountry, particularly a warming polarizer which can not only cut the glare of reflections and intensify your colours, but also add an overall vibrancy to your images.  Yes, you'll need to haul out your tripod (see #2), but the effects of using a polarizer in some of your wilderness scenes will give you that extra bit of pizzazz in the finished product, wowing your friends and family alike.

What tips do you have and what equipment do you never leave home without?

John E. Marriott is a professional nature photographer based in Canmore, Alberta, Canada.  If you'd like to learn more from John, join CMH Summer Adventures in the Bugaboos from September 7-10th this year.

Photos by John E. Marriott:

1. Badger Pass, Banff National Park

2. Ramparts, Amethyst Lake, Jasper National Park

3. Glacier Lillies at Jumbo Pass, Purcell Mountains

A Bugaboo Painting Retreat with Mountain Artist, Liz Wiltzen

CMH's heli-hiking guides come to us from all walks of life and each have a common passion of sharing the mountains with guests.  In addition, many of our guests have specific interests that make them ‘requested guides' by many of our repeat Heli-Hikers.  One such guide is Liz Wiltzen who has  stepped back from guiding to focus on her painting career but still remains an important member of the CMH family.  A long-time lover of watercolours, Liz has recently made the switch to oil paintings and has truly found her groove.  Liz has been teaching painting workshops for artists of all levels and will be doing so again this coming August on a Painting Retreat in the Bugaboos for CMH Summer Adventures guests.

I finally caught up with Liz last week, after she returned from a trip to Arizona where she was taking a workshop, and working on her own personal challenge of 100 plein air paintings in 100 days.

Here's where our conversation lead:

JC: Liz, you travel quite a bit to immerse yourself in new landscapes for your work.  Where have you been lately?

LW: My latest painting trip was in Scottsdale, Arizona. Last September I was on the West Coast for two weeks painting on Gabriola, Denman and Hornby Islands. I also spent a month in Peru last year, mostly gathering photo reference for paintings.

JC: Do you have a favourite place in the world to paint?

LW: Wherever the light is interesting. So pretty much everywhere!

JC: That's pretty broad! Does your approach, technique or style changes depending on where and what you paint?

LW: My style and approach change depending on if I am studio painting or plein air painting. I use a much faster, looser approach in the field as time is very limited before the light has created an entirely different scene in front of me.

JC: Liz, how are you furthering your career as an artist?

LW: I am doing a lot more working from life, either setting up still life in the studio, painting live models or getting out painting plein air. I am currently into a self-created project to do 100 plein air paintings in 100 days. This is about working on discipline, and skill building, and also is motivated by curiosity to see what I will have learned by the end of it. The concentrated time period requires greater focus than just doing it when the mood strikes, and causes me to do things like pull the car over on the side of the highway spontaneously to do a quick sketch of something interesting rather than just noticing it and driving on by.

JC: And how do you approach your teaching?

LW: In painting as an instructor, I am not trying to do a completed painting with all the problems worked out, but rather a quick sketch that gives students an idea of all the basic elements of applying paint and what to think about as you approach a painting. Often in demo-ing I will speak about what I am thinking about as I apply paint, which is always curious because with a studio painting that process is deeper in my consciousness, not verbalized out loud.

JC: You've described this upcoming workshop in the Bugaboos as a very special treat.  What makes the Bugaboos so special to you?

The Bugaboos has a very special energy that I have experienced only very occasionally in the natural world. I think this energy is everywhere, but it is turned up to full volume in the Bugaboos. It is simply a magical place to spend time in.

JC:  Is the workshop open to artists of all levels?

LW: Students should have some painting experience, and if they are new to plein air, they should try to do 2 or 3 outdoor paintings prior to the workshop (even just in their backyard) to get used to their outdoor gear and sort out any kinks.

To learn more about the Bugaboo Painting Retreat, contact CMH Reservations at 1.800.661.0252 or e-mail Liz. Space is limited.

Keeping the wild 'wild' with CMH Summer Adventures & NCC

by Dave Butler, CMH Director of Sustainability

Three years ago, Nature Conservancy of Canada signed a new partnership agreement with Canadian Mountain Holidays Inc., their first partnership with a tourism business. The partnership is meant to build on the strengths and common values of the two organizations, and it involves direct and in-kind contributions from CMH to the land conservation work of NCC. An exciting project to come out of this partnership is a unique NCC – CMH trip at CMH Bugaboo Lodge this July. Guests on the trip will not only have an opportunity to explore the world-famous Bugaboos, but will support NCC’s conservation efforts at the same time.

Recently,I sat down with wildlife biologist Michael Proctor to talk about this trip. Proctor, who specializes in grizzly bears, will be a special guest on the trip and will share his stories and work along the trail and back at the lodge.

DB: Michael, please tell us a bit about your background? How did you get involved with grizzly bears, and why is that species of interest to you?

MP: I have always been interested in keeping our natural systems intact and functioning. As a young man I lived in the wilderness for many years, no roads, boat access, no electricity or phones. It was there that I got interested in becoming a wildlife biologist. I got involved with grizzly bears because the are one of the best umbrella species, that is, what affects them also affects many other species. And for being one of the biggest grumpiest carnivores around,they are rather sensitive to human impacts. When you combine those two factors, they are an excellent single species conservation icon. From a biological perspective, if we can keep them on the landscape, we can keep a suite of other species out there as well, they represent “keeping the wild wild.”

DB: What are of some of the biggest challenges we face in South Eastern BC in the context of grizzly bear conservation?

MP: Southern Canada is where most Canadians live. SE BC is one of the prettiest and attractive places in southern Canada. Therefore, I think we will see a growing human population in many areas of SE BC over the coming decades. Our biggest challenge in grizzly bear conservation is to accommodate those people in a way that also allows grizzly bears to survive in the region. Grizzly bear conservation is all about managing for peaceful coexistence. We need to leave some backcountry for their habitat security, some front-country for them to move through human settled valleys to get to adjacent mountain ranges, and we need to not attract them into our home-sites and farms where they often end up getting killed. The good news is that we can very likely accomplish these goals, if we understand them and apply ourselves.

DB: In your work with bears, what’s the most interesting or unusual thing you’ve seen?

MP: One day last summer I had just finished putting a radio collar on an adult female. Her two yearlings were walking around behind us watching with great curiosity and nervousness the whole time, about an hour. After we moved away and the mother started to wake up from the immobilization drug, the yearlings were slowly coming in to investigate what had happened to their mom. They were so affectionate, they just wanted to touch her and be in contact with her. Then one of them noticed the new white radio collar around her neck. He / or she reached out with those big long claws and very delicately touched the new gawdy necklace, you could just see that young bear thinking, what the hell is this they did to my mom, it is a big world out there beyond our safe life wandering these hills.

DB: What’s your connection with NCC, and why are you a supporter?

MP: I learned about the Nature Conservancy of Canada about 25 years ago before I was a wildlife biologist. I was very impressed that they were in the business of quietly buying important conservation land. No table pounding, no yelling at politicians. Just getting the job done, for good. Now I find myself in the conservation biology world and realized they can be a powerful ally. I work on understanding conservation solutions for the wide-ranging grizzly bear. One of the most important things I do is understand large scale fragmentation of grizzly bear populations, and what might be done to reverse those trends that threaten their long term persistence here in SE BC. It turns out, one of our most important tools is to buy a few strategic private lands in areas that allow bears to move between mountain ranges without getting into trouble. The Nature Conservancy helps us (and the bears) do just that.

DB: Tell us why you’re looking forward to the joint NCC-CMH trip in July?

MP: One of my favorite places here in the Kootenays is high up in the alpine. Besides being my favorite habitat, it is also one of the favorite habitats of the grizzly bear. There is no better place to spend a few days hiking and relaxing with others who are truly interested in the conservation of nature. And to boot, I don't have to carry all my gear on my back to get there, I get to fly.

Learn more about the CMH / NCC adventure at CMH Bugaboo Lodge July 18 – 21, 2010 by visiting our website.  To secure your spot and take advantage of this opportunity to spend time and learn from Michael Proctor, contact CMH Summer Adventures at 1.800.661.0252. In continued support for the NCC and their mission here in Canada, CMH will contribute 10% of the trip cost to the NCC for every guest on this Short Escape.