Overlanding in Alberta Canada with Tyson Fehr

Question #2. What keeps you in Overlanding/offroading?

So many things! The chance to explore new areas and see new things is the biggest thing but just being able to get outside and go camping is always a treat. On top of that accessing new fishing, hiking and backcountry ski spots is a must.

Question #3. Any good offroading stories?

Oh man, this one time I was headed back from a hiking trip with a friend of mine and I decided to show him this one trail up a mountain near Grande Cache AB I had done the previous year. It was fall but it had snowed already and the summer had brought a ton of rain in that area which had left a huge rut on the side of one section of trail. Low and behold I fell off the trail into the runoff ditch with the nearest anchor tree being way out of reach of my come-along and tow straps. Luckily I knew some folks in the area and they were able to get about a kilometer behind me on the trail to bring me some extra tow ropes. I ended up using the come-along and about 80ft of tow rope to slowly get out of the rut and to a decent spot to turn around. The moral of the story, snow is slippery, and don't offroad alone!

Question #4. What is your favorite trail and why? What is your dream trail and why? 

So far my favorite trail I've done is the forestry trunk road in Alberta which runs from Grande Prairie AB all the way down to Crowsnest pass. It totals something like 1100 km from end to end with about 800 kms of gravel backroads. It's an amazing way to camp in crown land and explores the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies. The driving is pretty easy and super scenic, the camping is super accessible yet not busy at all and the fishing was pretty good too!

My favorite recent trail though would have to be the Trans-Alta trail in the ghost river wilderness area in Alberta. Although I've been there in the summer the government opens up more trails in the winter and it was neat to see the rest of the area and get to a nice set of frozen waterfalls that you can drive right to the base of!

As far as dream trails go I'd love to get up to Alaska but I think the next bigger trip is the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route (WABDR) which runs through all of Washington from North to South. I think the variety of scenery would be amazing to see and would be a fun way to access some good hiking in the Cascades.

Question #5 Out of all the trucks on the market, why Tacoma?

I'd say at the time I bought the Tacoma for me it was the most proven light-duty truck on the market not only for offroading but in longevity and toughness as well. That being said I'm so glad to see other manufacturers come out with more off-road focused light-duty trucks since I bought my Tacoma and love asking questions about them when I see them in the trail.

Question #6 What makes the terrain difficult where you adventure locally?

Alberta has a wide variety of terrain all with its own challenges. Northern Alberta where I grew up Is either marshy or heavily treed which can make summer access super difficult but makes for very fun winter wheeling on logging roads. Where I live now in Lake Louise AB is in a national park so there's no trails Immediately available but a short drive any which way lands you in some amazing mountainous trails where the terrain can get pretty technical and rocky and without the right protection you can do some serious damage.

Question #7 What's your next mod?

Obviously, like any person with an offroad vehicle, the list is long! That being said I'm very happy with how I'm set up now as my Tacoma is my daily and my rig. I think next for me is a nice batwing awning for summer camping.

Question#8 If you start over again what would you do differently about your build?

Really hard to say but mostly just small tweaks. A more permanent air compressor setup and maybe some sort of bed organizing system would be two things for sure.

Question #9 Tell us a little about yourself and your hobbies.

I grew up in a small rural community in Northern Alberta but have since moved to Lake Louise Alberta which is nestled right in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. I came out here to take a job at the local ski resort and be able to spend more time in the mountains doing the things I love to do which include offroading, hiking, fishing, camping, snowboarding, and backcountry skiing tours.

Question #9 How often are you able to get out and explore?

In general, every week. It's amazing being able to live and work in the mountains where adventure is so accessible. This Winter has involved a lot of backcountry ski touring and getting out to visit the other resorts that are relatively close. My Tacoma is my main means of accessing any of my adventures and is great at getting through snowed in backcountry parking lots, hauling gear to the ski hill, and reliably driving through snowstorms. As far as specific offroading/Overlanding adventures go this winter has been slower but the few times I have gone out it's been amazing.

Question #10 Tell our community a little about Canada and the Overlanding scene.

The offroading/Overlanding scene where I'm in Canada is growing rapidly and it's super nice to see! Obviously, the last few years have forced people to explore different avenues of vacationing and traveling which I think led a lot of people to camp and inevitably offroading as well. There's been such an influx of traffic in some areas that there have been discussions within the government and the local off-roading community on trail expansions which would be really neat to see. This summer will be my first in the Canadian Rockies and I'm looking forward to making some good trail friends and exploring more of this beautiful place I call home.