The ‘Keep It Simple’ issue of ML Coast Mountains has dropped.
Feet First
“How we spend our days,” author Annie Dillard once famously said, “is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing.”
So yeah, every day is a golden opportunity to get out and do something awesome that will culminate into the lives we’ve been looking for. But there seems to be a tendency—especially for those of us living through the smokescreen of social media—to focus on the grand gestures and big moments. The fruits of much labour and effort. The spectacle.
We know we’re supposed to live “in the moment” but there’s a pressure to “live large” in that moment as well.
Which is fine. Every day is a gift, so go ahead and make hay when the sun shines. “Live it up” is even the slogan for this very magazine. But there is also value in aiming the other direction, in trimming some days down to good, simple pleasures: a long walk with no hydration gels, no destination and a good dog; a solo campfire with no Bluetooth speaker (obey the fire bans!); patching an old pair of hiking pants instead of coveting the latest trending ones; or even an overnight hike where the rest breaks are for soaking in the views or dipping your head in a stream, not capturing photos for the followers.
This isn’t to say an absolute simple life is the greatest path for everyone—lofty goals create great stories, so why not go big sometimes (and a heated toilet seat/bidet is more than just a luxury, it’s an enlightenment). So rather than a simple life, how about a simpler one?
Because in an economy of attention, with six-word headlines designed to trigger our fears and anxieties without context or nuance; with devices that can beam almost the entire scope of civilization, past and present, into our eyeballs every time we stop moving; with algorithms feeding us never-ending marketing and visual reminders of all the grand things everyone else is up to and the super places they’re visiting that we are not, maybe it’s time to embrace the old idea that less is actually more.
So, take your foot off the gas for a moment this summer. Take a breather. Take five. Then take five more. Rather than looking at what you can add to the days of your life, look at what to take away.
–Feet Banks
ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS
Slabland
Following up on hushed local rumours mixed with intensive Google-map detective-ing, Ian Middleton bushwacks his way into the mountain bike playground of his dreams—rolling granite ridgelines and a bowl of slab descents reaching 2000 metres to the forest below.
Sunset Sessions
Who loves sunsets more—vampires or photographers? Probably vampires but since they don’t show up on film and are lousy at interviews, we asked a few top photographers to talk about the joys of last-light mountain bike photography.
Picture This
Did you know Canada is the second most prolific country on earth for wildlife photography? Animal-image-obsessed Maxime Légaré-Vézina talks about the joys, trials, and tricks of shooting Canadian wildlife from Coast to Coast to Coast.
Special Ops: Rugged Coast Research Project
With military precision, helicopters and a landing craft boat reminiscent of G.I. Joe, volunteer adventurers, biologists, pilots and Coast Guard SCUBA divers band together to collect and remove plastic from remote Pacific beaches and surf breaks.
How To: Sit Still
In a mountain culture overflowing with “Type-A” fun, columnist Carmen Kuntz finds (and shares) the joy and benefit of doing absolutely nothing.
An Excluded Sort of Place
From the foggy shores of Haida Gwaii, celebrated author, poet and hermitical sea witch, Susan Musgrave understands the value of seclusion, as well as the nuances of living in a community that feels the same.
Island Grizzlies
As BC bears push into new territory province-wide, is it only a matter of time until a female decides to lean into “island time,” crack a couple of Lucky Lagers, and establish a full-time population on Vancouver Island? Possible or probable?
Plus: Jon Turk’s Chuck-It List, another hefty paddle from Frank Wolf, artist April Matheson, dogs, bikes, waterfalls, an obligatory aurora shot, and more!
