Two weeks in Squamish

The first of our adventures in the Mog. With only two weeks to spare before the annual Pig Roast at Ken’s Calgary house, we decided Squamish would be the perfect destination. We could test the Mog out, get some climbing in and see some long time friends.

Driving the Mog on Highway 1 to Vancouver was stressful at times, especially for Jules who hadn’t mastered the art of gear shifting. Since the truck can only manage a top speed of 90km/h on the flat and an average of 60km/h on hills, there was also a constant need to pull off the highway to let the Mog parade of trucks and cars past.

For anyone that’s ever driven a Mog, it is a unique experience. Strangers are constantly approaching to chat about the truck (if they know what it is), to ask, “What is that?” or to ask if we are ‘end of worlders’ needing some badass truck to live dark and deep. We also got lots of thumbs up, stares or laughs from passing motorists.

Two days later we reached Squamish. The only casualty being part of the exhaust system that finally decided to fall off half way through our trip! Our first stop was The Howe Sound Inn and Brew Pub where we met longtime friend Kiser, who had rode his bike up from Washington State. We spent the next 10 days climbing and bouldering, hanging out with friends Nathan and Shaylyn from Calgary, and Terry and Selena from Edmonton.

For the trip back, we decided to head east along southern B.C. While the scenery was spectacular and the towns beautiful, it took us an extra day due to the epic mountain passes where the Mog could only manage a top speed up to 60km/h. Back in Calgary we prepped for the Annual Pig Roast. Every year in the Fall we roast a 100+lb pig on a spit and invite everyone we know. It’s always a great party and this year was no exception.