Introduction
This project is going to focus on past, present, and future outdoor adventures in Wells Gray Provincial Park. For years, Wells Gray Provincial Park has been an adventure hub for outdoor enthusiasts hosting activities such as hiking, backcountry and heli-skiing, climbing, white water rafting, kayaking, canoeing, and snowmobiling to name a few. By researching and telling stories of past adventurers, this website will document their adventures and share their stories with readers.
By focusing primarily on hiking, white water kayaking, and climbing this project will give a well-rounded summary of what adventures have been had and can be had in Wells Gray Provincial Park. By sitting down and talking about past adventures, and planning new ones for the future, the audience will get a deeper look at what goes into outdoor recreation in Wells Gray Provincial Park.
Discover the Possibilities
The audience of this website will be outdoor enthusiasts seeking new adventures, and potentially planning a trip in the future to Wells Gray Provincial Park. By recording and documenting information, our audience will learn about what to expect to be able to complete in the park, and how they can go about achieving it. Currently, the majority of information about past adventures available is either in books that are difficult to find or haven’t been shared. This project is going to work to bridge the gap between people wondering what is possible, and those who know what is possible.
What is Actually Being Investigated?
This project is aimed to answer the following questions:
1. What type of planning goes into an adventure in Wells Gray Provincial Park?
2. Who are a few notable pioneers of adventure in the park?
3. What has made Wells Gray Provincial Park a hub for adventure in British Columbia?
4. What is the most common type of adventure in the park?
5. What does BC Parks do to facilitate adventure in the park?
6. What are future endeavors outdoor enthusiasts are looking to take in the park?
7. How does sharing the knowledge and stories of the park benefit future adventures?
Some stories that will be explored are:
1. What the park is doing to facilitate adventure
2. The history of adventure in the park and creating the initial systems for adventure
3. Planning trips in the park
Project Outline
Informative Story
The informative story will be focused on what the park is doing to facilitate adventure. I will reach out to both BC Parks and other adventure outfitters in the park to discuss what has been done, what is happening, and what is going to happen in the future for the park. This part of the story will answer the following questions:
1. What has made Wells Gray Provincial Park a hub for adventure in British Columbia?
2. What does BC Parks do to facilitate adventure in the park?
3. What is the most common type of adventure in the park?
Interviewing BC Parks as the primary source, and hearing from the people that their answers are impacting, will allow the readers to hear about the decisions that are being made to facilitate adventure.
Writing this as an informative story with pictures will allow showing work that has been done to facilitate adventure, as well as areas that need improvement. By photographing what has been done and what is being done, readers will get a clear understanding of what is happening and what needs to be done in the future to continue to maintain Wells Gray as an adventure hub.
Audio Interviews
The audio interviews that will be conducted, will be about the exploration of the area behind Helmcken Falls. As one of the most notable and famous attractions in the park, not many people know that there is a trail behind the waterfall. By interviewing current and past guides who lead group tours behind the falls, they will be able to weigh in and give insightful information about what led to the exploration of this area. This portion will answer the following questions:
1. Who are a few notable pioneers of adventure in Wells Gray?
2. How does sharing the knowledge and stories of the park benefit future adventures?
This form of media will suit this topic because it is listening to stories and discussing the history that has led to where we are able to go today. By allowing a fluid conversation based on a few questions, listeners will be able to learn more and hear more stories about the area.
Investigative Video
The investigative video will document the planning and execution of a white water kayak trip down the Clearwater River. This portion will show what has to go into planning the adventure, and seeing what is possible. This portion will answer the following questions:
1. What type of planning goes into an adventure in the park?
2. What are future endeavors outdoor enthusiasts are looking to take in the park?
With showing the planning, talking-heads about why things were planned, and action shots of the group going down the river, an investigative video is the best way to show and answer the remainder of the questions this project looks to answer.