Once Upon A Trail

A chance mountainside encounter forms an unlikely bond

- Lacy Kemp

Bruno Long’s imagery has graced the cover and pages of Bike Magazine an astounding number of times. The Revelstoke-based photographer is known for his abstract style, and his photographs are a curious blend of eye candy and mind-bending perspectives. A key component of his success as a photographer stems from his superb fitness; summer or winter, he can go deep into the backcountry to places other photographers simply can’t. Aside from mountain biking, Long is an avid trail runner and skier, and in all these pursuits he often creates physical challenges for himself that seem a bit outlandish to most people. But type two fun is a thing, and it was on one of those grueling outdoor missions where he would encounter a different kind of death march.

Mt. Cartier stands tall above the Revelstoke Valley floor below. At almost 8,280 feet, it is known for incredible alpine views accessed by a hiking trail, as well as its popularity as a heli-biking destination in the summer. Long found himself on a rare fall day without an assignment, no need for his camera bag, and a desire to ride his bike, so he opted for that type two route: pushing his bike to the top of Cartier. 17 kilometers in length, the trail is a steep and unforgiving ascent. “Pushing up Cartier is not an everyday thing,” Long recalled, “but it’s kind of an in-town rite of passage. Lots of people do it once and then never do it again. I wanted to see how fast I could do it.”