Are you a fan of cozy layers, hot chocolate and cozying up by the fire after a trek outdoors?

Same here! We find embracing the chilly temps and simply getting outside is just so refreshing.

Wintertime exploring has it’s perks including your choice of accommodations, smaller crowds and plenty of creative adventures. If you get just as excited about wearing rainproof boots and bright jackets, you’re in good company here.

2020 started with some awesome local travel, hitting up the mountains every two weeks.

To give ourselves a boost of confidence in the backcountry, we signed up for The Great Escape in Squamish while we visited with our talented friend and published author, Cait Flanders.

Having embarked on a few snowshoe adventures over the last few years on Mt. Washington, Whistler and Nederland, Colorado, there are some of our top choices that make for an fun experience.

On one of these treks, we stumbled upon Frozen Dead Guy days after snowshoeing around El Dorado in Colorado a few winters back. Imagine Rifflandia meets an ice skating rink filled with Food carts, and this sums up the festival pretty well.

Last February, we joined in on a backcountry survival class where we learned 5 ways to get an injured person out of the wilderness with only the gear on your back. We learned the value of having a trip plan (including how to use webbing to pull someone out of the bush if they were injured + 4 other ways to carry someone out of the backcountry if needed).

It was fascinating! I now look at my Gore-tex jacket and MEC pack with an entirely new affinity. We were taught how to fashion a makeshift stretcher using 3-4 inch branches and a ski jacket.

Knowing winter weather can change quickly we feel much more equipped to handle ourselves in the event of trouble on the mountain with the insight learned from this 2 hour course.

Leaders of the workshop requested brave volunteers who could demo the validity of the setup. One brave soul even allowed another participant to drag him on the floor using only nylon webbing as a pulley.

We couldn’t help but be reminded of the overarching theme of experience over stuff. How being in a position to help your fellow trekker with the key items to have on your person can mean the difference of a casual adventure day and a much more intense rescue scenario.

Discovering the multi-use advantages of ski poles, the versatility of the straps on your pack and making use of warming blankets has heightened our awareness of venturing into the backcountry confidently and safely.

We can’t speak highly enough of the people who shared their first-hand knowledge along with the appreciation we felt afterwards. Trusting we could be capable of rescuing someone in the backcountry adds another layer of competence and excitement into the trip plan.

Amazing BC Winter Destinations

• Mt. Washington Alpine Resort

• Whistler and Squamish

• Mt Cain, Vancouver Island

• Strathcona Park, Campbell River BC

• The Cowichan Valley

• Golden BC, especially Kicking Horse Resort

When it comes to making the most of winter adventuring, a little extra trip prep makes a world of difference.

If you’re new to winter sports, start with groomed, well laid out trails at local mountain resorts like Mount Washington or Whistler.

Ahead of embarking on any backcountry exploring, we recommend exploring paper maps or referring to an app like AllTrails to get a sense for the topography and orient yourself to the area before you head out.

After snowboarding for many years and feeling the thrill, we’re all about strapping on our snowshoes to experience the beauty of the wild.

The adventure brand, MSR has a detailed breakdown and Winter Pack List here along with a summary of snowshoeing safely. We are not experts, but here are a few items we’ve found to be valuable to have on hand for a winter snowshoe.

Winter is incredible for colourful skies and remarkable sunsets, which makes it a beautiful time of year to get married for these reasons:

1. Snowy landscapes offer beautiful scenery and lighting for better photo and video captures

2. You can layer with beautiful blankets and scarves — no need to freeze your buns!

3. Enjoying snow-centred activities like snowshoeing, skiing and boarding

4. Helicoptering to a glacier atop a mountain

5. Snowshoeing to a warming hut like Elfin Lakes (once it’s open again!)

If you are thinking of getting married in the mountains, we believe you can create a once-in-a-lifetime memory. How amazing would it be to snowshoe to a viewpoint, share your vows and wrap up the day with a fondue by the fire?

When designing your plans, consider inviting a few snow-loving friends or family members who can double as day-of helpers. Aside from helping make your day memorable, they can help by making sure you are hydrated and have everything you need.

As photo/videographers we’re happy to port your bouquet, bring some extra goodies and help with direction along with location scouting beforehand. carry rings, vows, set up champagne or snacks for a post-ceremony treat in front of the fire at your Airbnb.)

Local hiking blogs are an amazing resource for sharing insight on snowy trails and suggestions for finding routes that match with your skill level.

Winter Snowshoe Pack List:

• waterproof jacket/pants

• toque/ear warmers/buff

• gloves and pocket hand warmers

• wicking base layers

• extra warm clothing/socks

• hiking boots/snowboarding boots

• warm, synthetic or wool blend socks. We love our Darn Toughs!

• headlamp

• whistle

• avalanche beacon

• emergency blanket

• 2L of water per person

• hot chocolate packs

• energy bars, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and Noble Jerky (the teriyaki flavour is YUMMY)

• our favourite addition - a snow-happy dog (like Raven, the VHS foster dog featured we had in 2020)

It’s important to recognize we all play a part in taking care of these breathtaking locations by following Leave No Trace principles and planning ahead to minimize our impact. We are so lucky to have nature so wildly available and the onus is on us to ensure it’s available to explore for years to come.

We’d love to hear about your favourite winter activities and places to visit in B.C. And, if you’re thinking of infusing more adventure into your elopement plans we’ve got plenty of ideas to share for making your dream day a reality!

You can read about how to plan an elopement and explore more of our films here. Happy Adventuring!

— Bre & Grady

Early last Fall, as we tackled our mountain of editing we decided to embark on a creative recharge by heading down to Seattle for the weekend.

Sure, we would have been happy simply strolling the market, exploring the city or sampling enough chocolate to keep us going till the new year. But we don’t roll like that. We weren’t looking for a relaxing getaway, we crossed the border in search of a launch pad.

CreativeLive is our go-to for learning new skills, keeping our talents sharp and our creative reserves topped up. Chase Jarvis, founder and creator of the online learning platform, was hosting a live workshop about continuing your creative calling. This paired with the release of his new book, Creative Calling, designed to inspire and hold you accountable to your own creative ambitions.

Originally this trip was going to be a solo mission, but luckily Bre decided to join me knowing this would put us on the same page to finish the year strong.

Leaving room for spontaneity, we got creative with our accommodations, sleeping in our trusty Nissan Xterra along a nice quiet stretch outside of the city. Waking up to the sound of joggers passing by, waves stirring Alki Beach for the day and no parking tickets, we knew we were in for a treat. Especially knowing that later in the day we’d be staying at the Ace Hotel Seattle.

As we pulled into downtown and were greeted by the friendly front desk staff, something came to mind I’d heard (from none other than Chase say on his podcast) about the Ace being both the lowest and highest in a deck of cards. Turns out we were living their motto.

The workshop took place downtown Seattle with an in-person audience of 100 other creative minds and 10,000’s more watching live from around the world. Aka zero pressure when you ask a question during the class!

I can’t say enough good things about this workshop and the book so here are 2 key takeaways. This isn’t a book just for ‘creative types’. It’s for everyone – including you. Want to live a more fulfilled life and bring those big ideas to into reality?

Get this book and “make it till you make it.”

A few days in the big city were plenty enough to get ideas flowing on what projects to tackle next. But what to do with an overflowing amount of new ideas, connections and opportunities coming in from the workshop?

Fresh off a creativity high from the class at CreativeLive in Seattle, we knew we first needed to answer the call of the mountains.

Now it was time to let those ideas percolate over a couple days of mountaineering in Northern Washington. In particular, we were after a glimpse of the legendary Golden Larches. The trees and alpine would be the perfect medicine to get focused on what’s most important.

For our values, creative work and impact we can make in the world.

Fresh waffles,

fresh moves

+ fresh views.

Before heading east, we made a pitstop in REI’s flagship store in Seattle for some last-minute gear checks. Did you know they have a Park Ranger in-house?

We were delighted at the idea because let’s be honest, our route was planned over an evening or 2 spent going down the rabbit hole on Google. Here was a real live Ranger who walked the talk. Enter Ranger Dave.

Luckily, Dave had spent a few seasons in the exact area we were headed. He gave us a map and highlighted a couple of lesser-known hikes and a prime campsite to spend the night.

Note, our Ranger Dave not pictured.

Why am I focusing in on talking about some guy in a sporting goods store? Because Ranger Dave was our guide.

And when setting out on a quest, not unlike Harry & Lloyd setting out to Aspen, it always pays off to get advice from someone who’s done what you’re about attempt for the first time.

With map in hand and more confidence than we had started with that morning, we set out in our trusty Xterra, Bonnie, to find the Golden Larches.

Entering the North Cascade Mountains at night, we wound our way up, and up and down and up to our destination for the evening – Lone Fir Campsite – shortly after Washington Pass.

With the summer camping season having just wrapped up, we were in for a chilly night so decided to car-camp at our site, pulling in around midnight.

We didn’t know what was in store for us the next day on the trails, but were more than happy to have a safe, quiet space to spend the night and dream of our hike to come.