HD Video of the North Coast Trail

Here is a fantastic HD video of The North Coast Trail in Cape Scott Provincial Park:

21st Century Backcountry

Is nothing sacred?

I recently returned from a trip to South America. I spent most of my 2 months in Bolivia, the poorest and most remote country on the continent. I was fortunate enough to go on a hike that took me over 75 kilometers in the Cordillera Real, one of Bolivia's most impressive Andean mountain ranges. I passed through a handful of traditional villages, where people tend llamas and pigs and practice subsistence living. The area has no road access, no power lines and very few facilities of any kind. I had no guide, no GPS, and only a basic grasp of the language.

On the second day of the hike, after seeing a couple of farmers and a handful of simple dwellings, I passed by an isolated homestead perched on a steep cliff.  To my surprise, a man walked out of the house with a cell phone in his hand. He explained that he had bought it from a fellow during his last trip to La Paz, a few weeks back. But now, he couldn't figure out how to activate it. He wondered if I could provide a solution. I couldn't.

This experience solidified the fact that no matter how far off the beaten track you go, technology will find you.

What's next?

How about Street View Trekker, Google's newest expansion of the Google Earth empire. Now, you will be able to navigate through some of the worlds most remote backcountry areas online by viewing photos that have been taken from specially designed equipment attached to hikers' backpacks.


So, what to make of this apparent conflict between modern technology and remote wilderness? 


I love it. 


I think its great that a man living in one of the most remote regions of the world can phone his family on a Sunday afternoon (if he can find a sim card that works). Can you imagine how exciting that would be for him? 


I love the idea that a doctor in London can open Google Earth and "trek" the North Coast Trail from his desktop. This might remind him about a nearly forgotten love of the outdoors and maybe even cause him to take his children on a local hike. And that could create a whole new generation of trekkers and nature lovers. In fact, this is the reason that we developed a Virtual Hike of Cape Scott Park and the North Coast Trail.

What are your thoughts? How does technology affect backcountry recreation and how will it change your next hike?


Cheers
CSP 


   

Hiking Gear Reviews

This year your friendly Cape Scott Park Facility Operators will be reviewing the gear we use while on the job. We've been working and living in coastal British Columbia's backcountry parks for nearly a decade. We spend hundreds of collective days and hike thousands of collective kilometers in Cape Scott Park and on the North Coast Trail every year. So who better to field test backcountry hiking gear than us? 

Stay tuned for our gear reviews on tents, hiking boots, water purification systems, backpacks, stoves, rain jackets and just about everything else. We might even review a few chainsaws for you trailbuilders out there...

"Primitive Living Skills Expert" hikes and kayaks the North Coast Trail

Check out the 4 part interview on YouTube!

Great video trip report from the North Coast Trail