Ski & Trekking Pole
Get outdoors, connect with nature, be active and leave your leaf somewhere in our great country or abroad and share it with us.
#leavealeaf
Get outdoors, connect with nature, be active and leave your leaf somewhere in our great country or abroad and share it with us.
#leavealeaf
Baskets
Made in Canada
Inspired, developed, manufactured & packaged in Canada (by people that are passionate about being Canadian).
Our maple leaf ski and trekking pole baskets are more than just fun, they’re durable too! We are incredibly proud to have produced our baskets in Canada.
#leavealeaf
Canada’s 150th Anniversary
Ski & Trekking Pole
Baskets
Made in Canada
Inspired, developed, manufactured & packaged in Canada (by people that are passionate about being Canadian).
Our maple leaf ski and trekking pole baskets are more than just fun, they’re durable too! We are incredibly proud to have produced our baskets in Canada.
#leavealeaf
Tested in the Cascade Mountains
We have tested and tortured the baskets in all types of terrain and conditions and have refined the design to be both fun and functional.
Great Canadian keepsake or memento
Take a set of baskets home with you to remind you of your Canadian adventure or holiday. A practical and perfect gift for international friends.
Baskets leave a unique maple leaf impression
Natural looking maple leaf vein pattern is left on snow or soft ground.
Awaken your Canadian spirit
Celebrate your Canadian pride and love for our nation…get outside and appreciate the magnificence of our land.
Powder baskets clip together
For convenient transport we have designed a notch to hold the poles together.
Interchangeable twist on baskets that fit most poles
18mm (inside diameter) threaded centre hole make them easy to install. Great replacement baskets for all sorts of conditions and use.
Sold in pairs
Both the 6cm and 11cm baskets are sold in pairs and are the bright red colour of the Canadian flag.
Recyclable
Baskets are totally recyclable and are partially made from manufacturing waste pellets.
It started with an…
My partner Vic and I (and my dog Feral) were backcountry skiing one snowy morning in the Cascade Mountains near our home in Princeton, British Columbia.
I was skiing along enjoying the silence of the fresh powder snow and was totally absorbed in the incredible scenery that surrounded me. As I traversed along the trail I noticed the baskets on my ski poles were leaving snowflake patterns in the deep snow. They looked so crisp and beautiful and made me think of how lucky I was to live in such an incredible place. At that moment, I felt an overwhelming sense of appreciation and pride to be a Canadian.
Canada is such a young and diverse country and we are so fortunate we still have vast pristine natural areas like this to enjoy. It was at that moment a thought entered my mind…I envisioned leaving a trail of maple leaves, the most widely recognized and patriotic symbol of our nation. The idea consumed my thoughts for hours as I wondered through the forests on my skis and it never went away!
My love of the outdoors began when I was a child and it has carried on my entire life. My work has always involved being outside and more recently my forest recreation work has exposed me to some of the most historically significant trails in the province of British Columbia.
I was bitten by a history bug while searching for these ancient paths and reading the stories of their existence. Most of these trails were used by aboriginal peoples for thousands of years and then shown to the Europeans during the fur trade and gold rush eras. The Tikwalus, Hudson Bay Brigade, Dewdney, Hope Pass and other historically significant trails were referred to as the only “lines of communication” in what we now know as the province of British Columbia. There were no roads, railways or navigational rivers.
Researching and restoring these trails has enlightened me to the hardships that our forefathers endured in the creation of this great nation.
The two things that are near and dear to me: my love of the outdoors and passion for restoring historical trails, combined in my thoughts that day as I envisioned maple leaf imprints left across our great nation by people who feel like me, proud and privileged to live in Canada.
What a great way to leave something behind that shows our love of this land, but isn’t litter and eventually disappears. Leave no trace, take only photographs and memories is a huge part of recreating in the great outdoors.
“Leave a Leaf” was born and then like a child, the work began as we started to nurture my idea into reality. With the encouragement of my two sons, Clint & Cache, Vic and I forged ahead. We have worked with some great people to develop and market the baskets and have enjoyed the journey.
I hope my story will inspire you to get outdoors, be active, connect with and appreciate the natural world around you.
Leave a leaf on your favorite trail or a special place in Canada or around the world and share your story with us on the Stories page of this site or on Facebook & Instagram using #leavealeaf.
I look forward to reading and seeing which part of this great country inspires you.
Happy trails, Kelley Cook
It started with an…
My partner Vic and I (and my dog Feral) were backcountry skiing one snowy morning in the Cascade Mountains near our home in Princeton, British Columbia.
I was skiing along enjoying the silence of the fresh powder snow and was totally absorbed in the incredible scenery that surrounded me. As I traversed along the trail I noticed the baskets on my ski poles were leaving snowflake patterns in the deep snow. They looked so crisp and beautiful and made me think of how lucky I was to live in such an incredible place. At that moment, I felt an overwhelming sense of appreciation and pride to be a Canadian.
Canada is such a young and diverse country and we are so fortunate we still have vast pristine natural areas like this to enjoy. It was at that moment a thought entered my mind…I envisioned leaving a trail of maple leaves, the most widely recognized and patriotic symbol of our nation. The idea consumed my thoughts for hours as I wondered through the forests on my skis and it never went away!
My love of the outdoors began when I was a child and it has carried on my entire life. My work has always involved being outside and more recently my forest recreation work has exposed me to some of the most historically significant trails in the province of British Columbia.
I was bitten by a history bug while searching for these ancient paths and reading the stories of their existence. Most of these trails were used by aboriginal peoples for thousands of years and then shown to the Europeans during the fur trade and gold rush eras. The Tikwalus, Hudson Bay Brigade, Dewdney, Hope Pass and other historically significant trails were referred to as the only “lines of communication” in what we now know as the province of British Columbia. There were no roads, railways or navigational rivers.
Researching and restoring these trails has enlightened me to the hardships that our forefathers endured in the creation of this great nation. My goal since 2008 has been to re-open these ancient routes in time to help celebrate and commemorate Canada’s 150 the birthday in 2017.
The two things that are near and dear to me: my love of the outdoors and passion for restoring historical trails, combined in my thoughts that day as I envisioned maple leaf imprints left across our great nation by people who feel like me, proud and privileged to live in Canada.
What a great way to leave something behind that shows our love of this land, but isn’t litter and eventually disappears. Leave no trace, take only photographs and memories is a huge part of recreating in the great outdoors.
“Leave a Leaf” was born and then like a child, the work began as we started to nurture my idea into reality. With the encouragement of my two sons, Clint & Cache, Vic and I forged ahead. We have worked with some great people to develop and market the baskets and have enjoyed the journey.
I hope my story will inspire you to get outdoors, be active, connect with and appreciate the natural world around you.
Leave a leaf on your favorite trail or a special place in Canada or around the world and share your story with us on the Stories page of this site or on Facebook & Instagram using #leavealeaf.
Let’s get started on the trail to 2017 by showing where you left your maple leaf on our Map and together paint Canada RED! I look forward to reading and seeing which part of this great country inspires you.
Happy trails, Kelley Cook
(Swipe to read more)
Then it became…
After weeks of experimenting with homemade baskets at the kitchen table and then testing them out in the mountains, we finally developed a design that left the perfect maple leaf imprint I had imagined. It was now time to go shopping for a mold maker.
It was important to us to us to find a Canadian company to make the mold and who would manufacture the baskets in Canada. We were fortunate to find Conteco Mold and Plastics in Maple Ridge, British Columbia.
We were sold on the fact that Conteco has over thirty years of experience and a great reputation in producing high quality and durable plastic products. Chris and Kid basically held our hands and walked us through a whole new world learning about product design, engineering, injection molding and plastic manufacturing.
After weeks of experimenting with homemade baskets at the kitchen table and then testing them out in the mountains, we finally developed a design that left the perfect maple leaf imprint I had imagined. It was now time to go shopping for a mold maker.
It was important to us to us to find a Canadian company to make the mold and who would manufacture the baskets in Canada. We were fortunate to find Conteco Mold and Plastics in Maple Ridge, British Columbia.
We were sold on the fact that Conteco has over thirty years of experience and a great reputation in producing high quality and durable plastic products. Chris and Kid basically held our hands and walked us through a whole new world learning about product design, engineering, injection molding and plastic manufacturing.
After weeks of experimenting with homemade baskets at the kitchen table and then testing them out in the mountains, we finally developed a design that left the perfect maple leaf imprint I had imagined. It was now time to go shopping for a mold maker.
It was important to us to us to find a Canadian company to make the mold and who would manufacture the baskets in Canada. We were fortunate to find Conteco Mold and Plastics in Maple Ridge, British Columbia.
We were sold on the fact that Conteco has over thirty years of experience and a great reputation in producing high quality and durable plastic products. Chris and Kid basically held our hands and walked us through a whole new world learning about product design, engineering, injection molding and plastic manufacturing.
From Conteco’s engineers to its mold makers, their philosophy is “that quality comes from making their clients an integral part of the mold manufacturing process.”
We can definitely attest to this …we went back and forth many times from testing the baskets in the mountains and then working with them to tweak the design of the mold. All the effort and collaboration paid off as we have produced not only fun and funky maple leaf baskets but they are also durable and functional for many different recreational activities.
From Conteco’s engineers to its mold makers, their philosophy is “that quality comes from making their clients an integral part of the mold manufacturing process.”
We can definitely attest to this …we went back and forth many times from testing the baskets in the mountains and then working with them to tweak the design of the mold. All the effort and collaboration paid off as we have produced not only fun and funky maple leaf baskets but they are also durable and functional for many different recreational activities.
From Conteco’s engineers to its mold makers, their philosophy is “that quality comes from making their clients an integral part of the mold manufacturing process.”
We can definitely attest to this …we went back and forth many times from testing the baskets in the mountains and then working with them to tweak the design of the mold. All the effort and collaboration paid off as we have produced not only fun and funky maple leaf baskets but it is also durable and functional for many different recreational activities.
Where did you…
Get outdoors, connect with nature, be active and leave your leaf somewhere in our great country or abroad and share it with us.