MOUNTAIN LIFE - Coast Mountains | Fall Winter 2018

94 MLCM FALL/WINTER 2018 “The best thing about bringing Ride Whistler clients to the lodge is that we can ride to and from the front door,” says Brown, explaining how most of their business happens over the winter months. “We can shred multiple zones from the lodge and come back for an amazing meal, hot tub, cold pool, and sauna. It’s a unique experience for the coast.” With a growing client list of those seeking rustic weddings, fishing getaways or stag parties, things can get a little crazy in a town with no mayor. “We hosted a skier’s stag,” Brown recalls, “and one of the dudes put on a business suit, a mask and snorkel and rollerblades and dove head first into a 60-foot-long culvert that was full of raging water from the creek. He came out the other end unhurt.” Jorgenson admits that while things can get a little wild in ‘The ‘Lorne,’ most of their clients are simply looking for a unique and secluded private cabin in the woods. “It’s the Canadian dream,” he says, “or the beer commercial from hell.” For Jorgenson, the mix of stellar terrain and easy access sees him bringing numerous ski and snowboard film crews to the lodge. “Bralorne offers the opportunity to be out every day filming and having fun regardless of the weather,” he explains. “Many locations that are fair weather only can have you sitting around going stir crazy. Bralorne has an endless list of things to do in all types of weather.” Bralorne used have a “keep-this-place-a-secret-or-I-will-burn-your-house- down” kind of vibe. To keep peace with the locals, Jorgenson would label his photos to different locations. But then the town went through two bad winters in a row. The pub shut down, and even the crustiest local began to realize Bralorne needed some life breathed into her or she would die. In 2007, Jorgenson did his first heli trip to Bralorne, skiing and shooting with Matchstick Productions. They rented what is now their Adventure Lodge and promoted Bralorne in the film, photos, and articles on the trip. The townsfolk were stoked. The locals finally had something to be proud of, and when the bar reopened that film played on repeat. That’s when Jorgenson realized it was important to promote Bralorne in a positive and sustainable way. “There was a fear of the secret getting out and a big wave of people coming here,” he says. “But that has never actually happened. Bralorne is not everybody’s cup of tea, but to me that’s part of its unique charm for people who identify with it. If we don’t have new energy here and people using the area and the backcountry, everything literally grows over and disappears. We can’t have that. In my opinion, Bralorne is struggling to stay alive and needs more people participating. With the lodge, we are contributing a small amount to keep Bralorne and the Bridge River Valley just the way it is, rather than have it disappear from lack of users and neglect.” bralorneadventurelodge.com “We hosted a skier’s stag, and one of the dudes put on a business suit, a mask and snorkel and rollerblades and dove head first into a 60-foot-long culvert that was full of raging water from the creek. He came out the other end unhurt.” TOP Good, clean fun. MID: Home where the hearth is. BOTTOM A Bralorne traffic jam.