Exploring Western Canada with Eagle Creek and Bound For Nowhere
We love a good adventure. So do MAK and Owen, our friends at Bound For Nowhere. They’re no strangers to bold, extended, and out-there undertakings, and their most recent expedition was no exception.
Embarking on a bucket-list road trip, sponsored by yours truly, MAK and Owen explore not just the beauty, but also some of the harsh realities, of the Western Canada wilderness. Follow along below as we recap their 6-part series: Meant To Be.
- Packing for the Road
- Part 1: Yellowstone National Park & The Beartooth Highway
- Part 2: The Canadian Rockies & Icefields Parkway
- Part 3: Tsilos Provincial Park & Vancouver Island
- Part 4: Malcolm Island & Alert Bay
- Recap
Packing for the Road
With tens of thousands of road miles under their belts, MAK and Owen know what it takes to pack for the long haul. And honestly, it’s not all that complicated. A few packing cubes, a reliable duffel bag, and a good quality backpack cover most of the bases. On this trip, the gear list kept it pretty simple.
“I like [Pack-It] because I can toss it into a backpack to take it with me anywhere, and I know I have it all!”
The Itinerary
With future trip scheduling already in the works and planning coming at them fast, MAK and Owen felt it was finally time to check off some North American bucket list items
“We’re just not fans of unfinished business,” says MAK.
So, Meant To Be was born. Their main itinerary:
- Yellowstone National Park
- The Beartooth Highway
- Canadian Rockies
- Icefields Parkway
- Vancouver Island
- Washington and North Cascades
With this being a bucket list adventure, it only seemed right that this outing would also be the longest road trip they’ve taken in their rig. Let the journey begin!
Part 1: Yellowstone National Park & The Beartooth Highway
MAK and Owen can’t seem to stay away from Yellowstone.
“We have been to Yellowstone so many times, but we still keep visiting. Maybe it’s the otherworldly geothermal features, or maybe it’s the chance to see bison, bears, and wolves. Whatever the reason, this place captivates in a way few places do.”
The first leg of the trip, they spent about a week exploring the northern side of the park (with a few close encounters of the bison kind) before heading to the real bucket list item: The Beartooth Highway.
On their to-do list for nearly 10 years, the time had finally come to make this drive atop the world.
“What we found on the Beartooth was a road that feels like you’re driving on top of the world. This tiny ribbon of pavement winding through enormous alpine terrain is something you don’t see very often.”
Certainly worth the wait.
Part 2: The Canadian Rockies & Icefields Parkway
For the Bound For Nowhere crew, a mountainous road trip is nothing without a little (or a lot) of hiking. In fact, they didn’t even make it a full 24 hours in Canada without completing their first big hike, and that set the tone for the rest of their time in the area.
“The hiking was incredible and the scenery was outrageously beautiful. The mountains in this part of Canada are as good as we’ve seen anywhere. They’re dramatic and textural. The water is an outrageous color of blue. It’s truly the Rockies at their best.”
While they could have spent the entire summer hiking around the Canadian Rockies, reality came in hot. A wildfire forced them to relocate closer to the Icefields Parkway, ironically an area they’d been previously unable to see due to, you guessed it, wildfires.
After a few days regrouping, they made the choice to alter their plans and head for the coast.
Part 3: Tsilos Provincial Park & Vancouver Island
A surprise stop not on the initial itinerary, Tsilos Provincial Park proved to be the reset MAK and Owen needed after leaving the Alberta wildfires behind. With rest, packrafting, and rock skipping to pass the time, the days seemed to disappear.
“Days blended together and eventually we had run out of time and food. It’s amazing what can happen when you follow a spontaneous whim. This place we won’t soon forget.”
Rest and reset complete; the ferry to Vancouver Island called.
“This trip would take us 10 hours and 185 miles to the northern end of Vancouver Island. From what we understand, this is an incredibly scenic ride through the fjords of this region. Unfortunately for us, we were socked in and primarily had to use our imagination.”
Part 4: Malcolm Island & Alert Bay
This leg of the trip was all about ferries (any excuse for island hopping, right?). Hiking ensued, followed by conversations with the locals – all directing them to two locations.
“First, we head off to Malcolm Island in search of Orcas... Then we catch the ferry over to Alert Bay where we admire the artwork of the First Nations community there. The whole time we are floored by the kindness and hospitality of everyone.”
MAK and Owen loved Malcolm so much, they ended up staying longer than planned just so they could experience some local recs - like Salmon Days and the Big Lake Triathlon. Yes, the BLT.
New friends and new victories acquired, MAK and Owen set out for Alert Bay to take in local First Nations artwork and make even more local friends.
The time in Alert Bay saw cultural museum visits, witnessing a totem pole carving, and a deeper appreciation not just for the art, but also for the people who create it.
“Although it’s beautiful, that is not what makes that area special. It’s the people.”
Recap
There’s still two episodes to go on this Meant To Be journey, but we’re already reminded why we love adventure travel.
“We travel because... it brings us joy. But sometimes the things we love cause us to cross paths with really difficult things along the way. As heavy and complicated as those encounters can be, exposure to other people's realities helps us see the world outside of our own perspective.”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves, MAK.
Stay tuned for more Bound For Nowhere travels as new Meant To Be episodes are released. Watch on YouTube.
