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Outdoor Tips, Tricks, Inspiration and Activities | MEC Blog

Ah, the Great White North. Not just a hilarious 80s SCTV skit featuring everyone’s favourite hosers (Bob and Doug McKenzie), but also a land of endless snow. Our vast Canadian landscape is home to over 40 resorts, all dedicated to fulfilling the downhill desires of generations of ski bums. With many hills now open for the winter season, what better time to reminisce about the roots of our riding addictions? We’ve rounded up a sweet collection of vintage photos from some local resorts. Take off, eh!

##### Blue Mountain Resort, Ontario


## More ski articles
- [The evolution of ski style](/en)
- [MEC favourites: the ubiquitous Uplink](/en)
- [Why wool is great for your active wardrobe](/en/explore/wool-garments-for-the-outdoors)



23 vintage Canadian ski photos | MEC Blog

23 vintage Canadian ski photos

MEC works with a group of athletes who inspire people, strive to innovate, and set benchmarks within their field. As a member of the [Ambassador program](/en/explore/mec-ambassadors), Jim embodies these values and in 2014, completed an incredible achievement by setting the record for running the entire length of the Bruce Trail. While doing it, he raised nearly $2500 for [Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society](http://www.cpaws.org/) (CPAWS).

It took him 10 days, 13 hours and 57 minutes to run all 855 km of the trail, shattering the previous record by nearly 2 full days.

Here are some excerpts from the captain’s log he kept and posted along the way:

### Captain’s log, Bruce Trail run, 3.5 days in
I’m stopping to take a little break so I thought I’d share a few thoughts and points about the first three and a half days on the trail.

- The terrain on the first day was so challenging that I was actually cursing the earth for forging such awe inspiring geological landscapes. The earth and I have since come to peace.
- Yesterday, along a muddy section of trail, I was literally running in the fresh footprints of a bear.
- No matter how tired I feel, I’m still pretty fast with the right motivation.
- Three small vertical lines on the Bruce Trail maps basically mean: hey dumbass, that’s a sheer cliff, please don’t plummet to your death.
- When tripping over rocks and roots and such, try and find a soft part of the world to land on.
- I found an enchanted forest, and I think there may have been trolls and Pixies and things in there.
- I’ve been singing to myself a lot… I’ve realized I don’t actually know the full lyrics to many songs, so I’ve been making up my own.
- I think I can I think I can I think I can.



### Captain’s log, Bruce Trail Run day 10.5 (mission complete)
- That was *!@#%$* hard.
- I strained my Achilles tendon with 75km to go, and I averaged about 14 swear words a minute afterwards trying to run on it… you do the math.
- With a piercing war cry, and a mighty punch at the air, I was only a few short kilometres from the finish… *insert screeching tire sound here*… but then my light went out, I got lost in the woods, had to scrabble down a cliff and my crew had to pick me up.
- Reset.
- New light, back on track; with a war whisper, a half-hearted swipe at the air, I shuffled off to the finish.
- Thank you to every single one of you who supported me in any way!
- This was never about just breaking the record; this was about doing something that scared me.



Congratulations on your achievements, Jim! The amount of training and hard work you put in to complete your goal is incredibly inspiring. By making it a DIY MEC Big Wild Challenge, you have enriched MEC’s long-standing partnership with CPAWS, where both organizations constantly look for ways to conserve the wild places where we adventure.

Learn more about Jim’s successful Big Wild Challenge and new Bruce Trail record:

- Canadian Running Magazine Article: [Cancer Survivor Jim Willet Breaks Bruce Trail Record](http://runningmagazine.ca/cancer-jim-willett-survivor-breaks-bruce-trail-record/)

Follow Jim on social media:

- Instagram: [@TheOptimismRevolution](https://www.instagram.com/optimismninja/)
- Twitter: [@OptimismNinja](https://twitter.com/OptimismNinja)
- Facebook: [The Optimism Revolution](https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Optimism-Revolution/155904444501553)
- Blog: [Run Jimmi Run ](http://runjimmirun.blogspot.ca/)



Jim Willett's record run of the Bruce Trail | MEC Blog

Jim Willett's record run of the Bruce Trail

Jim is a runner, an optimism ninja, a cancer warrior, and an adventurist. Essentially, he is a man who understands the nature of a challenge.

His 2014 challenge – a Big Wild Challenge – was running the Bruce Trail end to end, all 885 kilometres of it, in a single push, setting a speed record on the way and raising $4 per kilometre to support wilderness conservation.

We asked him to help break it down so we could wrap our minds around the scale of this project.

##### As an ultra-distance racer, have you done anything comparable to this run?
I have done week-long races, but nothing quite as large as this. To run this kind of distance for this many days in a row … well, there aren’t many people around who have. That makes me feel both excited and a little freaked out.



##### Does the Bruce Trail have any particular challenges or hazards?
The trail runs along the Niagara Escarpment so there’ll be a lot of short steep climbs and descents, which are not only tough on the legs, but can be worse on the feet – in terms of blisters. And it’s fairly technical and rocky in spots, particularly towards the north end. Even just hiking some of these sections can be tough, so running them could be insane.

There’s also something to be said for the motivation you can get from being in a race. In ultras, the field of competitors is usually pretty small so you do spend a lot of time on your own. And I’m used to doing the majority of my training alone as well. So the solo aspect doesn’t faze me. But, I’ll miss having competitors on the trail.

##### Do you have a specific training plan in place for this run?
I’ve never been one to follow a structured training routine. Probably not the best approach for an ultra runner, but it’s what works for me. And there is progression in my training, but it’s more of a guideline than a plan. I’ve really just learned to listen to my body and base my training on that.



##### Can you share some optimism ninja wisdom with us?
I’ve come to the realization that this journey isn’t about becoming anything … I think it’s more about “un-becoming” the things I’m not. Stripping away the preconceived notions and labels of the person I thought I was so I can become the person I was meant to be.

What I’ve learned about being positive is that the more you do it the better you get at it. Just like most things in life. That doesn’t mean it’s always easy, but it’s necessary if you want to complete any kind of goal.



##### Why is wilderness conservation important to you?
I could go on all day about this one. I could talk about our responsibilities, both as a society and individuals. Or, about how grateful we should be to live in a place like Canada, with so much to offer us. But aside from that it’s freaking amazing. When I went through the cancer stuff; surgeries and chemotherapy, it was the doctors and nurses who helped to heal my body, but it was running and nature that helped to heal my soul. That’s the kind of power it has on us.

##### Does anything kick your ass?
I have no doubt the Bruce Trail will kick my ass … over and over again. As have most of the races I’ve done. As did the surgeries and chemo. But without the adversity and struggles we wouldn’t get the opportunity to grow. Or, be given the choice to get back up when life knocks us down. And we wouldn’t know how strong we really were or what we’re capable of achieving. Personally, I know I can take an ass kicking, pick myself up, and keep moving forward.

*A Big Wild Challenge is about pushing your own limits and doing something that matters to you. They all happen outside and they support wilderness conservation in Canada.*



An ultra Big Wild Challenge: running 100k a day | MEC Blog

An ultra Big Wild Challenge

When Arc’teryx challenged MEC to a trail building competition, we jumped at the chance to get dirty… plus we couldn’t resist a little friendly competition. Last November, dozens of MEC staff and supporters met up with the [NSMBA](http://nsmba.ca/) to dig, grub and mine for gold on the North Shore.

Mobilizing a group of 87 people at 9:30am is never easy. At the trailhead, getting people organized was a bit like herding cats – if the cats you were herding had fire rakes and were hunting down coffee. Undaunted, MEC [Trail Adoption Plan](http://nsmba.ca/trail-adoption-plan-0) coordinator Sebastian (in orange, below) got us moving and caffeinated, then asked us to grab a tool from the jumbled pile and head up the trail.



Walking through the woods, we form a long snake of red and blue GORE-TEX, orange and green coveralls, plaid flannel and fleece with a heavy concentration of moustaches (it’s Movember, after all). Along with the 10am mist, bits of conversations float through the trees: plans to ride Expresso, Tuesday night trail runs, hiking up Fromme in search of a view. Further up and behind, words are muffled by the sounds of boots scuffing rocks and the cloak of hemlock, cedar and salal.



From an up-slope vantage point at our build site, Mark Wood, the Program Manager for the NSMBA, starts the day talking safety. He takes us through the types of tools and how to use them so that we – and the tools we’re holding – stay in one piece. It’s a message he’s probably delivered dozens of times before, and that some in our group have likely heard dozens of times before. Nevertheless, everyone pipes down and listens. By the end of the safety talk, even first-time trail builders know their fire rakes from pulaskis and their McLeods from mattocks.



“Alright, let’s get eight people with fire rakes, eight people with McLeods, a couple with shovels and pulaskis, and follow Terry,” Mark begins divvying our crew into more manageable groups of about 20, each one headed up by a build leader and designated their own section. It takes a few minutes to sort ourselves out, and the tool you’re holding pretty much dictates your role for next hour or so.



MEC Trail Building Challenge With Arc'teryx



Small pink squares flag our route, marking the switchbacks of what will become the Skid Road re-route. When the re-route is done, it’ll be a multi-purpose trail and a sustainable solution to the old Skid Road, an eroded trail leftover from forestry days. Back then, things like water diversion and long-term use weren’t part of trail building – not the case on the Shore anymore. Now trails are made to last, while keeping the forest experience and treading as lightly as possible. Attention to environmental care and sustainable trail building practices are key to the NSMBA.



Crew with fire rakes start clearing a 2.5ft. corridor of logs, salal and branches, sticking to Mark’s “keep it tight, keep it right” philosophy. Following behind are people with McLeods, pulling back more duff to expose what we’re hunting for: North Shore gold. This golden-coloured mineral soil sheds water and packs down hard, so it’s prime trail material. In some spots, we uncover platinum-coloured soil, evidence of ashy deposits from a forest fire. In other spots, the duff doesn’t reveal anything but more duff. We grub and scrounge for rocks to fill these spaces so that the trail can support hikers, bikers, dog walkers and trail runners without dissolving into mud.



Soon, groups start splitting into other duties. Some are scooping shovelfuls of gold from a nearby “gold mine” into five-gallon buckets. Others are ferrying buckets from the mine to the trail, a short distance that seems longer when your bucket is full to the brim. Like real gold, this stuff is heavy. When break-time bananas appear, the shovels go down. (If you ever want to boost your ego, volunteer to be a snack runner on trail day.)



A small stereo gets plunked down at one of the switchbacks, and “Keep me searching for a heart of gold…” starts playing. Seriously? It’s like Neil Young has our backs as we shovel, carry, pour and shape gold soil. Soon the trail transforms in front of us, becoming a thin rich-coloured ribbon.

Shaping the trail is one of the last phases, and a favourite step for some experienced builders and accomplished rider. Stephen Matthews says this is what he likes best on trail days, as he gets to visualize what the trail’s going to look like and what it’s going to feel like to ride.



After a final 15-minute flurry of bucket assembly lines, we’re done for the day. But before grabbing tools and heading down to the post-build barbeque, a few of us walk the whole new, fern-lined section. It’s kind of astonishing to see what other people have been working on and just how much got done in a few hours. That’s one of the cool parts of trail building – you’re so focussed on your own section that you’re oblivious to what’s happening up or down from you until the day’s done.



Keeping everyone fed is a big part of many trail days, and the people that weren’t digging were supporting the builders by dishing out snacks, firing up the barbeque, and having lunch ready to go as soon as we arrive back at the trailhead. The crew demolishes potato salad and sausages, oranges and brownies. Even though everyone’s coated in dirt and we’re huddled under tents in heavy rain, there’s a good vibe. “I’ve never been to a trail day where there’s a negative atmosphere,” Stephen Matthews says before he leaves. “Everyone’s just here to help.”



And as for the trail building competition? The NSMBA judges walked the two new sections to look at factors like drainage, naturalization, quality, length, and the overall finished product… and we’re proud to announce that MEC won top trail building honours in this competition.

In the end, though, it was really a win-win event for the trail system on the North Shore. We hope you have as much fun riding, hiking, and running it as we did building it.**
**



Getting our hands dirty | MEC Blog

Getting our hands dirty

*Boris Issaev fills us in on the story behind [Parkbus](https://www.parkbus.ca/), a bus service in Ontario that gets people from the city to the great outdoors. He co-founded Parkbus with Alex Berlyand in 2010.*

Hard to believe, but it was less than four years ago when I clicked “send,” and fired off an email to MEC with our idea for a bus that would run between Toronto and Algonquin Provincial Park. That email snowballed into a bus network that’s now used by thousands of passengers in Toronto and Ottawa, and is run by dozens of volunteers in collaboration with Ontario Parks and Parks Canada.

##### Campfire idea
My family and I moved to Toronto when I was 12. Our first years in the city were car-free, so I had to spend hot and smoggy summers in the city. It was only when I turned 18 and started driving that Ontario truly became “Mine to Discover.” Later on, I experienced France’s excellent rural transit system, and used shuttle buses inside US national parks. These experiences helped me conceptualize a city-to-park bus network, connecting urban Ontarians to the key parks in the province.

Alex Berlyand, my classmate and backpacking partner, was also all too familiar with the challenges of car-free existence. He’d visited dozens of parks in Ontario and out west, and often resorted to hitchhiking by the side of the road. He had travelled extensively around the world, and it seemed like North America was the only place where not having a car was a real obstacle to getting to the great outdoors.



In November 2009, Alex and I were drinking tea in front of a campfire on Algonquin’s Highland Backpacking Trail. We shared our frustrations and ideas around transportation, and decided to persuade a local bus company to run a few trips to the park. We needed something to back up our vision, though, so we approached MEC to ask if we could spend a day or two in their Toronto store to survey the shoppers and figure out if the demand for city-to park transit was there.

### From campfires to boardrooms
MEC’s initial help with the project, along with the enthusiastic support from Ontario Parks, led Alex and I to a whirlwind of meetings across Ontario, all while working our 9–5 jobs. A pivotal moment was when we met with the founder of the Ontario Biketrain program, Justin Lafontaine, who guided us into the world of tourism and non-profits.

In July 2010, we ran the first ever Parkbus – a 9-passenger white van driven by us and rented at a premium as we were both under 25 at the time. We didn’t charge our first passengers either, as it was just a proof of concept at a time when we had no idea that Parkbus could also become our job.



There have been many milestones for Parkbus since then, including joining Transportation Options, a non-profit specializing in sustainable tourism and transportation; receiving funding both from the Ontario Ministry of Tourism Culture and Sport, and the Ontario Trillium Foundation; and having Parks Canada join the program. Our destinations have grown to five parks, and Ottawa is our new hub in 2013. MEC’s support has grown as Parkbus became its collaborative partner in Toronto and Ottawa, offering passengers affordable equipment rentals and quality gear for sale, and providing marketing support.



### Finding our next campsite
Looking back at how it all started, it’s hard to believe we’ve made it this far. Time and again, it proves that pursuing a good idea is never a waste, and challenges can become opportunities with the right mindset. Four years ago we never would have thought Parkbus could get to where it is now, with all its partners, media coverage, passengers and destinations. More than ever, we see how necessary a service like this is to so many people who live in the city.



Our focus remains the same: to have a sustainable transportation network between cities and outdoor destinations in our backyard. We’d like to think that Parkbus is part of the solution to today’s disconnect from nature, and a step towards offering the kind of access that other places have. We work hard to make it more than just a bus service too, with on-board programming, an informational website, and volunteers that know and love the great outdoors. The project continues to evolve each year, as we look for new parks and cities to expand to.



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MEC Blog

23 vintage Canadian ski photos

Jim Willett's record run of the Bruce Trail

An ultra Big Wild Challenge

Getting our hands dirty

The making of Parkbus