Meet the Brubachers: Doug Brubacher

We were curious to see which passholders had been on the gondola the most, and how high that number actually was. When we looked up the top visitors, one surname kept coming up: Brubacher. We got in contact with husband and wife Doug and Sue - whose son, daughter-in-law and grandchild all have season passes, even though they live in Maple Ridge - and we asked them why they enjoy visiting the gondola so much.

As of Monday, October 27th, Doug had been on the gondola 226 times since our opening in May 2014. That's 113 round-trips. We had to know more about the Brubachers. Here is what Doug had to say.

Name? Doug Brubacher
Age? 65 (but don’t tell anyone:)
Where do you live? Garibaldi Highlands (Squamish)

What motivated you to buy a pass?

We wanted to show our support for the Gondola and figured purchasing passes when they first came available... was a good way to do so. We knew we’d make good use of them although we had no idea just how often we’d go up. We purchased the annual passes, which was even better. Currently, I’m at 113 times up and Sue is at 100 times up.

Why did you want to support the Sea to Sky Gondola?

Squamish is often its own worst enemy when it comes to new ideas and new ways of going forward. What the Gondola offers to Squamish, and the world, is a world-class attraction that is incredibly well-done, well-managed, and shows what can be done without damming rivers, clear cutting trees and so on. The Gondola makes it possible for people like my wife and I to access and enjoy the mountains in a way we could no longer do. We are mid-60s and backcountry hiking or dirt-biking is no longer an option. It was (and still is) very important to us that the Gondola be successful, and be an example to Squamish, and the world, as to how business and industry can be done.

We both experience a feeling of freedom and wonder every time we ride up and every time we walk one of the trails. We try to not go up during peak tourist visiting time :) It's not something we could put a price on, or set a value for. We will continue to support the Gondola in every way we can because we believe in it and believe in what it has done and can do for this area.

What are your favourite trails?

Panorama Ridge is our favourite as we can come up and do this trail regularly, even if we only have an hour to spare.

Favourite viewpoints?

You probably think it would be the Chief Overlook, but its the Mamquam Valley Lookout (on Panorama Trail which) looks out over the Mamquam Valley and back toward Sky Pilot.

Favourite thing to do at the gondola area?

We enjoy a relaxing coffee and pastry from the coffee shop while sitting on the deck, before they started opening later in the mornings. (We) also enjoy ‘unofficially’ answering tourists' questions and pointing them toward the trails and lookouts. Best thing is just going for a nice walk in the sub-alpine.

What are you looking forward to in the winter season?

Looking forward to ‘winter’ with snow-covered trees etc, and snowshoeing the easier trails. Also looking forward to being up there when it is stormy with snow blowing around the lodge as we enjoy a coffee inside.

Any gondola goals?

Some goals have been met,(such as) bringing up out-of-province family members, and going up as often as possible. Exploring the trail system is an on-going goal.

Most memorable moment at the gondola?

This is going to sound funny… Because we’ve been up so often, the most memorable moments are not the "usual" kind of moments. I’d have to say the most memorable, and fun  times have been when the Gondola stops and leaves us hanging in space. Once we hung in total darkness for a few minutes, very relaxing, very fun. 

I’d like to point out that our favourite time to be up there is on cloudy days, even rainy days. The scenery and weather become 3-dimensional, the clouds moving through the trees and mountains are magical.

Any additional comments?

The gondola lets us go into the mountains again. We are too old to hike the Chief or go dirt-biking (so) it has given us a freedom. Being up there also (inspires) my creativity and hobby: writing and recording my own original music. (It's) something I get great enjoyment in doing. I’ve written several songs that are not specifically ABOUT the Gondola, but were inspired by being there. My music (often) includes multiple harmonies and tends to be quite laid back. It can be accessed at the link below.

Listen to Doug's music

We were thrilled to learn more about Doug, and he certainly made us blush a few times through the process. We feel greatly honoured to have such enthusiastic and supportive locals so early in our existence. Stay tuned for more profiles on our top visitors. Up next: meet Doug's wife, Sue Brubacher.

Written by Caitlin Mooney-Fu.