Brandon Hoogstra had hiked Burke Mountain, near his home in Coquitlam, B.C., once before. He knew the route to the summit and an abandoned ski lodge.
But he and his wife, Claire, objected when their two eldest, six-year-old Ezri and seven-year-old Oliver, begged to join him for another hike in May 2019. The route was too long— at least 11 kilometres. Even if the weather was nice, they’d surely get tired. And while she loved her husband dearly, Claire worried about him—Brandon is on the autism spectrum, socially awkward at times, highly sensitive and prone to choices that might seem erratic.
The Hoogstras were new to town. Thirty-five-year-old Claire and 34-year-old Brandon had both grown up in the Atlanta area. Wanting to experience life outside the U.S., they’d lived for a couple of years in Chiapas, Mexico, where Brandon worked at a water treatment plant. In 2018, they decided to give Canada a try, and rented a basement suite in Coquitlam for themselves and their four kids (Gabriel was 22 months, Holly six months).
Ezri and Oliver were so keen to climb the mountain that the parents finally relented. Just after 8 a.m. on a beautiful Sunday morning, they set off. Brandon’s backpack held his phone, Clif bars, packets of apple sauce, apples, water bottles and fishing gear. They’d refill the bottles in the clear streams up the mountain.
Brandon had planned a varied route up the mountain. The winding ascent was fun and uneventful. Near the top, thick snow blanketed the trail. Excitedly, the kids raced across the crusted surface.
At the summit, Oliver and Ezri shared the second-last Clif bar while Brandon looked around. His phone showed 1:30 p.m. and no reception. They’d rest for an hour, he decided, then head back to Claire and the babies.
This story is from the October 2020 edition of Reader's Digest Canada.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 2020 edition of Reader's Digest Canada.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
THE DEMOCRACY BOMB
A day ahead of the third anniversary of January 6, President Joe Biden traveled to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania-where George Washington encamped during the Revolutionary War-before delivering what he described as a \"deadly serious\" speech framing the stakes of the 2024 election.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT - CRIME OF THE CROP
Will GMOs harm my kids? Your pediatrician's response might not be grounded in science.
ECONUNDRUMS - CHATBOT QUACKS
AI was supposed to fix online health misinformation. Instead, it's making it worse.
BLOODSHARK
BLAKE WILKEY'S SOLIDAXLE SWAPPED '92 FORD BRONCO STORY
FAST FIXES FOR YOUR MAC
Is your Mac giving you trouble? These problem-solving procedures might just get it up and running again
Create your dream smart home
How to equip your house with the best smart home tech and upgrade your security, entertainment, and comfort
The Dreamlife of Zendaya
Up in fame's stratosphere, she considers what's next: more adult roles, like her new one in Challengers; a turn in the director's chair; a family one day.... Zendaya looks to the horizon with Marley Marius.
home is where you make it
On a road trip through Oman with her toddler son, Ashlea Halpern ponders what it means to be a parent in the wake of her father's death
lost in time
On an epic, sun-soaked journey across southern Greece's Peloponnese, Antonia Quirke revels in her connection to the history and myths that swirl around its rugged shores
EL JEFE
Meet the Classic YJ Turned TREAD Cover Model
LIQUID LUNACY: ADVANCED PC COOLING IN 2024
Is it worth liquid-cooling your PC in this age of nonoverclockable chips?
Nvidia's AI Superchip
The company Is no longer about gaming
Genetic Pleiotropy and the Risks in Breeding Recessive Mutations
Nearly everyone loves what’s rare and unique. A slight defect in the minting process of a coin can create a demand and a value well beyond the face value of the coin. The coin is functionally no different than its perfectly minted counterpart, but its scarcity and uniqueness alone make it more desirable than the rest.
Preparing Kittens For the Show Hall
Socializing kittens and making sure they are confident for their new family is only a part of the job description for a show breeder.
RUNWAY TO SANTA FE
Indigenous designer Orlando Dugi shares his favorite art, culture, and cocktails in his adopted hometown
THE COMFORTS OF EXARING
Ryno's Purpose-Built '98 Land Rover Discovery
2024 WINTER 4X4 JAMBOREE
Off-Road Adventures and Beyond
A Sense of Occasion
The Costume Institute's revelatory new exhibition, \"Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,\" employs sight, touch, smell, sound, and technology to bring rarely seen pieces to life, Nathan Heller gets the full picture.
PAINT THE TOWN
In residential South Kolkata, enterprising young locals are turning brightly colored old estates, once doomed for demolition, into the city's latest hot spots
BLUUD MONEY
Tommy Alba could be a pain in the ass.
Building a Better Ford-with GM Components
While some stick to their guns when it comes to remaining true to truck branding and badging, others see no division or boundaries when it comes to piecing a project together.
FORGED FILIPINO BOLOS
EXPLORING KNIFE STYLES FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM?
Breaking Down the Third-Gen Toyota Tundra
Intel's crazy plan for 1nm silicon
FIVE NEW CHIP PRODUCTION NODES in four years. That was Intel’s plan to get back to technology leadership. It has now added a new 1nm lithography node to its roadmap, due in 2027. But here's the thing: in terms of products to buy, Intel has achieved little of its original plan. So, what’s going on?
Dragon's Dogma 2
A cult classic in the making
NZXT H6 Flow
Possibly the best budget chassis out there
THE BUILDS
IT FINALLY LOOKS like prices are stabilizing somewhat, certainly compared to last issue.
word of mouth
THE PEOPLE, PLACES & IDEAS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW
Not Black and White
At just 27, Anna Park has made a major impression on the art world. Dodie Kazanjian visits her studio.
States of WONDER
John Galliano's recent Maison Margiela triumph was an haute couture tour de force. Yet, as Hamish Bowles recalls, it's but the latest in the designer's long history of era-defining shows.