july 20/09 (DAY 20)
i find it sad to contemplate that this is my last day in nelson - my last night - my last few moments. i have decided that this could be a place i could definitely stay at more indefinitely - i love everything about it. the mountains. the beach. the history and architecture. most of all i love the people and culture. nelson has everything to offer and still maintains a small town feels that makes it "home" - even if i am living in a glorified parking lot for the moment.
sure - i COULD just book in here for an extra couple of nights, but i fear those extra few nights would turn into indefinitely. i have had to reassure myself that nelson will ALWAYS be here - my opportunity to fulfill my dreams may not. i have to keep pressing forward, moving on - there is so much more for me to see, do and experience - not just of bc, but of this world and i cant wait!
the last few days here in nelson has been filled with bright blue skies and hot summer afternoons. i wandered the streets of downtown, checked out local art, spent time on the beach and met some really cool locals. i tried a backpacker's version of strawberry cheescake that made me feel as though i was eating sweetened pink puke. i read, took pictures and just spent time being. i dont want it to be over. it seems too soon, yet it is not due to me not getting to do all that i wanted to do - its cuz the atmosphere is so addicting and im hooked.
july 23/09 (DAY 23)
well ive reluctantly left nelson to make my way towards castlegar. i managed to find this treed area that is by the river that just so happens to be lined with a beach (my kind of territory). i was amazed (yet again) that i managed to set up my tent only minutes before the rain came. i have been very fortunate with the weather in that respect. i also managed to find a camping spot so well hidden from the main pathway that i almost couldnt find it again after i did a walk to explore the area.
my body is almost in shock from the walk today, although it also feels so good to be out there pushing myself again. i think ever since i got to kaslo my average walking distance has been about 10 km a day - and sometimes less when i didnt go anywhere. thats a big change from my 25-30 km/day. today was one of those days. lucky for me mother nature decided to put a few clouds in the sky which helped minimize the heat.
even still, by 9 am i was dripping head to toe with my own sweat. id wipe my forehead and nothing would happen as it was like trying to mop up a river using one sheet of "bounty - the quicker picker upper." it doesnt work very well. so i thought maybe i could be like one of those hardcore athletes and take off my shirt, going with the sports bra and short combo. i was on a side road - not much traffic so i didnt think much of it until 5 seconds later a car pulled over and asked if i wanted a ride. i politely declined and then put my shirt back on. granted, it was a middle-aged couple that had offered me a ride and they probably didnt pull over due to my lack of upper body coverage, but i figured i shouldnt take any chances.
once i set up my tent and got settled in - i assessed my injuries. this is something that has become a daily ritual for me - whether or not i walk anywhere. as it happened, i was able to gleefully take off another dried up blister off one of my toes - only to find a fresh one underneath. it reminded me of those little painted wooded dolls that are in the shape of an egg and each time you open it up, theres a smaller doll inside. same thing - only mine arent as pretty and sure as heck are a lot more painful.
other than blisters, today i got a nice heat rash, but the worst was the chaffing. its back in full force and in the worst imaginable place a person could have a skin irritation. lets just say its forced me to go commando for the remainder of the day. haha.
****
ive decided to take all my supplies to the river and have my supper on the beach. the breeze is really cool here - its the first time ive put on my jacket in weeks.
i always find it humorous when people ask me where my "home" is as i automatically answer "calgary." but the truth of the matter is - i dont really have a home. the closest ive got is my tent - 3*6ft of space i can call mine. its my sanctuary and retreat. its my only place of familiarity amongst the unfamiliar... and i love it! :)
july 24/09 (DAY 24)
its 1:06 pm and i am sitting here crossing my fingers that the rain will stop. i think the big black cloud from last night (it poured most of the night) decided to flip a u-turn and head my direction today.
fortunately - at one of my gas station pit stops a few km from the highway 6/3A junction i ran into a guy from the bc forestry (adam) who gave me directions to get off the hwy and get on a path that would lead me to castlegar. it was the same path i had originally wanted to take but the lady at the nelson info centre told me that it just "cut off." what she SHOULD have said was that at the little place of glade it stops and then starts again right after.
i took adams directions (i was stoked that the esso station was right by the turnoff to glade) and followed the road down to take the ferry to get to glade. eventually i made it to the path and it struck me that not only have i not been doing long days of walking since jumbo pass, but i havent even been walking ON a path since then. i felt somewhat hypocritical of my journey and then i remembered that its MY journey. there is no one that can tell me how i should go. i quickly refocused to enjoying my surroundings. the tall trees, the bright green bushes, the sweet juicy raspberries. i was glad i had chosen the path instead of the highway.
****
its now 1:45 pm. im still waiting for the rain to stop - there is hope as the sun is trying to come out.
as it were - shortly along the path i saw a sign indicating that there was a "primitive" campsite (no facilities or services whatsoever save for a log tied way up in the trees as a crossbar to hang food) ahead. i went for it and good thing i did because, as usual, the thundering cloud rolled in shortly after i set up my tent.
thats all great, but due to the excessive rain from last night i had packed up my tent while it was still wet. my sleeping bag got wet as a result (i figured i had separated the 2 good enough - i thought wrong). so now, in my tent i got a sleeping bag as well as the clothes i wore on my hike that i am trying to dry. given the confined quarters, the fact i cant hang anything outside because of rain and the humidity in the air - well the results arent looking too good.
on a brighter note, the campsite im at is quite pretty. its tucked off the path and is lined by a creek that feeds the kootenay river i overlook. if the rain would quit maybe ill actually get to enjoy it and even be able to wash my hair! :)
****
2:02 pm. the rain has stopped! (for now)
****
4:18 pm. another bout of rain clouds have rolled in, threatening to dump their waters as they rumble with thunder. i fear this could be another wet night and what makes it worse is the fact that i took advantage of the sun the past few hours and washed the clothes ive been drenching in sweat the last couple of days. instead of hanging them on my makeshift "clothesline" ive had to lay them on top of my tent, but under the fly (inbetween the 2 tent layers) - ill cross my fingers that within the next 12 hours theyll be dry. im not going to lie - i have my doubts. on another note - at least i got time to wash my hair while the sun was out! that and my sleeping bag appears to have dried nicely. yay for synthetics! :)
now that thats all said and done, it appears that the rain clouds may have moved on. i wont hold my breath - im just glad im as "rain prepared" as can be considering the unpredictability of the weather today. im all set and even ready for supper! (i know 4 pm is super early, but as ive been up since 5 am - hunger comes quicker)
****
5:17 pm. its started to rain again. im already in my sleeping bag listening to the pitter patter of drops....
july 25/09 (DAY 25)
my clothes didnt dry at all last night. i might as well have washed them this morning as they were still that wet. i packed up my tent as it were and headed out by 6:15. at 6:20 i was soaking wet as the humidity in the air was so high and i was pretty much walking straight up the hill. that would be the downside to walking on a path. at least with a highway you can pretty well garantee there are no straight ups and downs... it is all very gradual and more often than not the roads are fairly straight. no roots and logs to climb over there!
within about an hour or so i caught up with the fork in the road that indicated a shorter route to getting back onto the highway. i figured id take that as it was easier to hook up with castlegar - the other way id have to backtrack a couple km and that is never something im interested it. so i took it - and ended up going pretty well straight down, following countless signs indicating that this was a "dangerous" trail and to walk at my "own risk." eventually i made it to the bottom to connect with the bridge that would cross the kootenay river to the highway. one problem - the bridge was all closed off due to an excessive amount of rotting happening to the structure. this would be a prime example of how bc appears to fail to update their signs. there was NO indication along the way that i was heading blindly into a dead end. a little hint like, "bridge is out," or "dont go this way," or "dead end" may have helped a little - but NOPE. nadda.
so i was left with 3 choices. 1) attempt to cross the bridge and risk falling into the river (not to mention i would have to scale 2 fences, one on either end of the bridge that closed it off). 2) backtrack my way back UP the hill to the fork and take the longer path to the other exit. 3) take out my imaginary inflatable raft and attempt to cross the river... though - as it were i figured my pack would probably end up sinking the raft given how heavy it were. good thing all i had was an "imaginary" raft.
i ended up choosing a secret option 4 -- explore the overgrown road nearby and see where it went. so i did just that and came face to face with a chain-linked fence that separated me from the highway. there was no way i could walk way from that without at least attempting to climb it. the highway was so close i could taste the fear that would come to me should a logging truck zip on past. so i took off my bag and squeezed it underneath the fence and then found an opportune place for me to climb. again - this is something of which i have not done since i was a kid and all i could think was that i was going to end up with my pants split and all the cars on the highway coming to a screeching halt to see what the hell i was doing.
i managed to gingerly get over the fence with only a few scrapes to show on my arms. all sweaty and dirty i picked up my pack and made it into castlegar. a quick pit stop to subway (breakfast #2) and the visitor centre and i was off to the library for internet access. along the way a guy with a camera stopped me and asked if id be in his movie as i apparently had the right "look" to promote castlegar. i shrugged my shoulders and agreed. 5 min later i was signing a waiver so that he could show me walking down the streets of castlegar in his promotional movie that will be airing in the vancouver airport during the olympics of 2010. haha. i wonder what kind of "look" that will be...
anyway - as it is - i have again updated my pictures and have started a new photo album that can be found at: BACKPACKING BC (2) as stated previously, this link and all other photo album links can be found to the right of my blog should you need to check it out there...
the adventure continues
k. first things first. for those who are wondering i am NOT near the fires that have started in the kelowna area and i intend to keep it that way. now that that's out of the way, i figure i should update you on the going ons of whats being "going on" the past few days.
july 15/09 (DAY 15)
well - its been a whirlwind of nothingness the last few days. i cant believe that ive past the 2 week mark already. in one sense the time has flown by, but in another sense - i feel as though i am at a standstill.
at this point in time i am lying on the beach, overlooking mirror lake from the shoreline of the campground here. aside from the fact that there are a million kids staying at this campground - i cant complain.
on july 13, gerod and gail drove me to kaslo. i checked into the kaslo motel and caught up on my blog and then figured out my route to nelson. i spent the rest of the day wondering around the town, picking up groceries and watching tv/napping in my motel room. yesterday was much of the same.
this morning i checked out and walked about 5 km to get to this campground. im enjoying the slow pace my life has now become. its so chill. so peaceful. so whatever i want it to be. and today i just want to bake on the beach and get a tan. can life get much better than this? :)
****
well - i unfortunately decided to leave the beach and go back to my campsite. between the family that decided to set up their chairs directly in front of my towel (thereby blocking my entire view of the lake), the kid that threw a tantrum for 20 min and the 8 year old boy that decided to kick and throw sand right near my head - well - i figured some solitary time chilling on the grass by my tent was just as good, if not better of an experience. at least now i can grab whatever i need from my tent without worrying about someone taking my spot.
that being said, some dude just pulled up with his 2 large dogs and decided to park his camper practically right on top of a tree. well see how long it is until this guy starts to piss me off...
****
it is so peaceful here now that its quietened down a bit. it rained for a while (i napped) and after that it was as though a calm had come over the campground. children quietly play in the setting sun. adults get busy starting fires to cook their dinners and keep them warm after the sun disappears behind the western mountain range. all the while some elderly people play their accordions softly in the background. i feel as though i am a part of some picture on a postcard or in one of those 1950s commercials that show everyone so cheesily happy. only this isnt cheesy - its purely blissful.
****
i need to wash my clothes. ive been doing my best in washing them (twice) with the multipurpose/biodegradable soap - but its not the same. between my sweat, the heat and the fact that i have to compact my clothes into a compression dry sac everyday - well - they smell stale. i only hope no one else has noticed yet. maybe in neslon i can get them cleaned... maybe. :S
july 16/09 (DAY 16)
this morning i leisurely packed up my gear and made my way from mirror lake shortly before 8 am (the latest ive gotten started so far on my trip - save for the initial day at sunshine village) - but not before one of the ladies i had been talking to yesterday gave me a handful of fresh fruit, an energy drink and a new book to read (i traded her my womens travel book as ive read it 3 times already).
i set off and walked my way down the highway until i reached fletcher falls. i had found my next campsite only about 5 km away from mirror lake - and ITS SO MUCH BETTER.
the campground, for one, is free. secondly, it sits on the shore of kootenay lake with its own private beach and only the sounds that can be heard are that of the rushing creek nearby that feeds the lake. no kids crying. no sounds of families arguing. no large RVs that block the very view i set out to see.
all there is (knock on wood) is me, dyce and simone. dyce and simone are a couple from the netherlands who came to canada for their summer vacation and will eventually meet up with simones sister in vancouver. theyre about my age and freaking chill people. i love it. :)
july 17/09 (DAY 17)
well - i officially have my first rip in my tent. i feel as though this indicates that i have become a "hardcore" backpacker of sorts. i dont even know how the rip got there - i woke up this morning, sat up and there it was, staring back at me in wide-eyed wonder. at first i thought it might be made from a mouse, or some equally small and hungry animal attempting to get at my food stash - but the hole was too high. not that a mouse wouldnt be able to get up there - but why go to all that trouble when theres plenty of screen to chew through near the ground? my second guess was that maybe it was an insect like an ant - but the hole is too big and it wasnt as though there was an army of 6-legged creatures marching single file across my living quarters. so i am at a loss. at least now i get to make use of my duct tape!
****
simone and dyce ended up driving me to where the ferry crosses the lake. i hoofed it west a couple of km until i found a campground. i hated it on arrival, but decided to stay just for the experience. i then changed into my "chill wear" (they are now starting to smell as much as my hiking clothes) and went back into town - balfour. my purpose was 2-fold - figure out if the sign seen while on the drive that indicated hot springs were near was true and pick up a few food items for the next few days.
the sign turned out to be wrong and i wasnt even surprised. ive learned quickly through my travels in bc that many of the signs (even those representing the governments interests) are wrong. i dont know why this is, but it is and has created many adventures for me in the wilderness as i decide which way to go at each fork in the road.
i went to the grocery store and went overboard (as usual). i went there intending to only buy supplies to get me to nelson (2 more days away) and i ended up buying food for the next week.
anyway - back to the campground. i hate it. my only saving grace is that there is a small beach that lines the shore of the lake. at least i can attempt to tune everything else out. more and more, as i travel my way across bc, i am amazed at what people pay for in order to "get away," "be one with the wilderness" or "camp." this particular campground is barely tucked off the side of the highway that is constantly humming with vehicles driving by. once "in" the grounds it is completely open - barely a tree in sight. its more like trying to camp on a field only without as much grass. the, crossing to the lakeside, the peaceful "view" (a boating dock sits right in front of the beach) is ruined by the endless hum of nearby lawnmowers, dogs that wont quit yapping and boats that have nothing better to do but zip back and forth as though theyre in a fashion show. oh yeah - did i mention my neighbors prefer to yell at their animals and kids any chance they get? right. and people PAY for this experience. it sux that i am one of them.
in comparison, last night was free. last nights campsite was quiet, lush and peaceful. the lake and mountains was the only view as far as the eye could see. i would GLADLY pay for the experience i had there - but thats the thing - i didnt have to.
july 18/09 (DAY 18)
i can hardly believe its only 10 am and already so much has happened. first off - i woke up all ready to go at 5 am. ive developed this nice little routine as ive gone along on my travels - one that actually started prior when id get up at 6 am to go running in calgary. im now only an hour earlier than that, but people always seem to find it surprising when they discover this is what i WANT to do.
when i first started walking i found that the coldest part of the night was between 4-5 am (right now im lucky if theres a cold part of the day/night at all). id usually wake at 4 am and have to warm myself up, but thatd only last until 5 am. since the sun was coming up anyway, i figured i might as well get a move on.
secondly, when a person thinks of walking 30 km a day, im looking at about 8 hours of walking without stopping. that is intimidating enough without having to calculate the heat factor that rises as the day carries on. id much prefer to cut out all those logistics and simply knock off a majority of my distance while the sun is still trying to rise.
finally, my third reason for me to want to wake up at the crack of dawn (literally) is for the "extras." i dont want to have to worry about a setting sun if im having fun chatting it up with fellow hikers, want a break to take in the view or take the wrong path and have to backtrack. the only thing worse than being tired, hungry and still not at my destination is having to get there by flashlight.
so i headed out early this morning and though i didnt have far to go i was soon bitter at the fact that i had to walk along the highway. i miss the dirt paths, the sweet smell of the bush and yes, i even miss having to swing my walking sticks extra hard in a windmill fashion every 2 seconds to rid my body of any landing mosquitoes. i was just beginning to get deep into my negative contemplation when i saw it. WAY up high in a tree on the other side of the highway a bald eagle was perched. i was thrilled to be able to be in the presence of such a fierce and wild animal. i took off my pack and as cars zipped on past in their hurried fashion i stood there and took pictures. the eagle appeared to be posing just for me as when i felt i had enough pictures he gracefully took off and flew away. i was on cloud nine. THAT was exactly why i wanted to tough it out and walk instead of thumbing for a ride. not many people get to experience such things and i wanted to experience it ALL.
anyway - i made it to the kokanee provincial park campsite. if i was into beer i would have one in my hand to celebrate the moment with a bit of cheesiness. no one was at the registration office yet so i put my bag down at an empty site and walked around a bit. finally, they were open and i got the attention of one of the rangers. i told him id like to register for a site and had just put my stuff down in an empty one. he looked at me as though my head had just fallen off and immediately said, "YOU CANT DO THAT." as calmly as i could i replied, "i realize that, but i had arrived early and no one was hear (at the registration office) and my pack was heavy." his tone changed and he was suddenly warm to me, "you walked here?" i confirmed with a nod. he promptly gave me a map of the grounds and sent me to an area that was free for hikers and cyclists. i was in my glory.
next up - im beaching it by my very own cherry tree (if i can find it).
****
well - i DID find the cherry tree. only problem was that 2 women were setting the stage to have a wedding for 4 pm - right in front of the damn tree. i figured id play it cool tanning on my beach towel and laughing at the lame jokes the women kept trying to include me in. but with my feet in the sand, sun on my skin and a breathtaking view of the lake (all while camping for free) i could not be frustrated for long. i figured id come back to the tree later.
a couple hours later it was lunch. so i headed back to my lovely campsite and thats when it hit me - the munchies. it wasnt as though i was hungry or the food was even what i wanted, but 4 granola bars, 2 quesadillas and a handful of candy later i realized what i was doing. i was eating to comfort myself for being lonely and THAT realization hit me completely unexpectantly. i had CHOSEN to do what i am doing ALONE. there is not time for me to be moping in self pity on how i wished i could have someone else with me so i could at the very least be frustrated that i have to compromise what i want in order to do what they want. right then and there i made the decision: I REFUSE TO BE LONELY. this is MY time and i am going to make the most of it and do whatever the hell i want to do.
today i wanted to kayak. so i walked to the rental shop and for the price of one night at a cheap motel i got my kayak for 4 hours.
prior to getting the kayak i had to ask for directions and dragged my sorry butt to the visitors information centre. a i walked up to the doors, my reflection in the windows looked how i felt and i dreaded talking to another human being. i was sweaty, sunburned, mosquito bites covered my body, my hair clung to my forehead in a greasy mop-like fashion and then was pulled back into a frizzy ball uptop my head. my tank top was stretched out and had stains on the front. my choice of shorts left little to the imagination and my thighs apparently decided to jiggle with cottage-cheese proudness. i felt weak, tired, depressed and ugly. heaven knows i smelled as though i had just come from a garbage dump.
i reminded myself that my purpose was to go kayaking and that what i saw in the window was only an exaggeration of my imagination. i gritted my teeth, walked in and got directions.
once i got my kayak and pulled out onto the lake - i immediately felt at peace with myself. i paddled hard to gain as much distance as possible between me and the dock. my arms moved as though they had been kayaking everyday for years. my paddle and kayak glided effortlessly through the liquid glass surface. i felt the sun beat down on my back and i stopped paddling. i sat there, in the middle of the lake just taking it in, feeling it. i took off my enormous life jacket and stashed it behind me. then i dipped my feet into the cool waters. all around boats and seadoos zipped by me, creating waves that rocked my orange vessel, but i barely noticed. i was in my zone and it felt damn good to be back.
it had been too many nights sleeping with the loud and obnoxious tourists and too many days walking on hard pavement as vehicles zipped by. i needed to reconnect with what i intended to do all along - be with nature and experience bc in all that it is. kayaking was my ticket.
it felt fabulous to be doing something with my arms again. too many days i have been pushing my lower body to the max and i grew excited to think tomorrow i might be sore in different places - i might even have blisters on my hands.
i paddled my way all over the lake. well, not ALL over as that would take take days, but enough for my small time restraint. when it got too hot to just be dipping my hands and feet in the water i paddled over to an unused, hidden beach and went for a swim - i then paddled some more.
at the end of it all i was dehydrated and dead tired. i turned in my kayak and promptly bough some ice cream to celebrate - ME.
i never did get any cherries from the cherry tree. when i got back to my campsite and went to the beach another person was using the table right in front of the tree. too bad.
july 19/09 (DAY 19)
today i happened to wake up with a bad case of determination and stubbornness. i was head set that i just HAD to get some cherries from the cherry tree. so after i crawled from my tent and chowed down on some oatmeal i marched down to the beach and found the tree. i grabbed at some of the lower-branched cherries and popped one in my mouth. it was BY-FAR the best tasting cherry ive ever had. i had to get more, but there were none left on the bottom branches - apparently i was not the first to have this brilliant idea. i got closer and eyed the tree branches above. the only way i could get more would be to climb the tree. how hard could THAT be?
i used to climb trees all the time when growing up. i loved to see how high i could get and i distinctly remember once climbing a weeping willow to the very top and feeling as free as a bird as the thin branches that held me swayed in the wind. it was all a good time until my babysitter came out and freaked at me for doing something so "dangerous." i wasnt allowed to climb that tree again.
thankfully i managed to scrambled up the base of the cherry tree without being TOO clumsy - though i thanked the heavens no one was around to watch my first 2 failed attempts. once up there i sat on a limb and pulled branches closer to me to grasp the fruit on the ends. i was in my glory. without being too greedy i filled my mesh bag i brought with me with a good handful and then refocused to find a good way to climb down. this did not fare so well with me as my attempt at being graceful failed and i landed on the ground with a big thud. my injuries were minor, the worst being a nice chunk taken out of my thumb. all in the name of fresh fruit.
anyway, i eventually made it to neslon and the campground here. it came as an awesome surprise that they have laundry facilities right at the campsite. its been nearly 3 weeks and i havent washed my clothes save for the 2 times with the camping soap (the fresh smell lasts about 2 minutes). ive been do for a cleaning overhaul. sure, i probably have more clothes than the average long distance backpacker, but when you add it up - it really isnt much when deciding to chill in the city like nelson for a few days.
now - beings that its been warmer climate (30+ each day) - i have been reduced to very limited options and those options continue to reduce when i can smell my own stench. i have never been so happy to have access to laundry faciliites. that being said, it has taken some rather unique skills in figuring out how to do ALL my laundry (including that of which i am wearing).
that being said, i think i will like it here in nelson. ive booked 4 nights at the campground here (for about the same price as one night in a motel) which will give me a chance to really take my time to see what neslon has to offer.
****
so the "hardcore" campers have pulled up beside me. i get the joyful experience of being their neighbors tonight (and who knows of the nights to come). they seem like nice enough people, but they definitely thought of EVERYTHING - they brought CARPET to put outside their trailors and under their picnic tables. oh, no, wait - make that ONE picnic table as the other couple (theres 2 couples) brought a full patio set with them. i overheard them state theyre having steaks tonight. and i thought i was living it up with my can of beef ravioli from chef boyarde (which i discovered they only put cheese FLAVOR in - theres no actual cheese). haha... good times...
anyway, back to the EXTREME campers - it really makes me question what it means to "camp" anymore. really. if you got a table cloth so you dont "gasp" accidentally touch the picnic table - what does that mean? now days you can get RVs with TVs, DVD players, hookups for ipods, fully functioning bathroom and kitchen amenities and the works. so does it matter if you have technology? one could argue that camping means to "get away" and experience the "great outdoors" but does that include driving to a pre-determined location in order to claim a firepit squeezed between hundreds of other "campers" and have no view either because all the RVs are too high to see over or theres no tree in sight as they were all cut down to accommodate all the "campers"?
i suppose camping is different for everyone - it just depends on why the person wants to go. the bottom line that annoys me about fellow campers is those who camp with complete disregard for the precious environment around them and those that appear to do everything in their power to get AWAY from it..... other than that i suppose i can't really judge now can i?
july 15/09 (DAY 15)
well - its been a whirlwind of nothingness the last few days. i cant believe that ive past the 2 week mark already. in one sense the time has flown by, but in another sense - i feel as though i am at a standstill.
at this point in time i am lying on the beach, overlooking mirror lake from the shoreline of the campground here. aside from the fact that there are a million kids staying at this campground - i cant complain.
on july 13, gerod and gail drove me to kaslo. i checked into the kaslo motel and caught up on my blog and then figured out my route to nelson. i spent the rest of the day wondering around the town, picking up groceries and watching tv/napping in my motel room. yesterday was much of the same.
this morning i checked out and walked about 5 km to get to this campground. im enjoying the slow pace my life has now become. its so chill. so peaceful. so whatever i want it to be. and today i just want to bake on the beach and get a tan. can life get much better than this? :)
****
well - i unfortunately decided to leave the beach and go back to my campsite. between the family that decided to set up their chairs directly in front of my towel (thereby blocking my entire view of the lake), the kid that threw a tantrum for 20 min and the 8 year old boy that decided to kick and throw sand right near my head - well - i figured some solitary time chilling on the grass by my tent was just as good, if not better of an experience. at least now i can grab whatever i need from my tent without worrying about someone taking my spot.
that being said, some dude just pulled up with his 2 large dogs and decided to park his camper practically right on top of a tree. well see how long it is until this guy starts to piss me off...
****
it is so peaceful here now that its quietened down a bit. it rained for a while (i napped) and after that it was as though a calm had come over the campground. children quietly play in the setting sun. adults get busy starting fires to cook their dinners and keep them warm after the sun disappears behind the western mountain range. all the while some elderly people play their accordions softly in the background. i feel as though i am a part of some picture on a postcard or in one of those 1950s commercials that show everyone so cheesily happy. only this isnt cheesy - its purely blissful.
****
i need to wash my clothes. ive been doing my best in washing them (twice) with the multipurpose/biodegradable soap - but its not the same. between my sweat, the heat and the fact that i have to compact my clothes into a compression dry sac everyday - well - they smell stale. i only hope no one else has noticed yet. maybe in neslon i can get them cleaned... maybe. :S
july 16/09 (DAY 16)
this morning i leisurely packed up my gear and made my way from mirror lake shortly before 8 am (the latest ive gotten started so far on my trip - save for the initial day at sunshine village) - but not before one of the ladies i had been talking to yesterday gave me a handful of fresh fruit, an energy drink and a new book to read (i traded her my womens travel book as ive read it 3 times already).
i set off and walked my way down the highway until i reached fletcher falls. i had found my next campsite only about 5 km away from mirror lake - and ITS SO MUCH BETTER.
the campground, for one, is free. secondly, it sits on the shore of kootenay lake with its own private beach and only the sounds that can be heard are that of the rushing creek nearby that feeds the lake. no kids crying. no sounds of families arguing. no large RVs that block the very view i set out to see.
all there is (knock on wood) is me, dyce and simone. dyce and simone are a couple from the netherlands who came to canada for their summer vacation and will eventually meet up with simones sister in vancouver. theyre about my age and freaking chill people. i love it. :)
july 17/09 (DAY 17)
well - i officially have my first rip in my tent. i feel as though this indicates that i have become a "hardcore" backpacker of sorts. i dont even know how the rip got there - i woke up this morning, sat up and there it was, staring back at me in wide-eyed wonder. at first i thought it might be made from a mouse, or some equally small and hungry animal attempting to get at my food stash - but the hole was too high. not that a mouse wouldnt be able to get up there - but why go to all that trouble when theres plenty of screen to chew through near the ground? my second guess was that maybe it was an insect like an ant - but the hole is too big and it wasnt as though there was an army of 6-legged creatures marching single file across my living quarters. so i am at a loss. at least now i get to make use of my duct tape!
****
simone and dyce ended up driving me to where the ferry crosses the lake. i hoofed it west a couple of km until i found a campground. i hated it on arrival, but decided to stay just for the experience. i then changed into my "chill wear" (they are now starting to smell as much as my hiking clothes) and went back into town - balfour. my purpose was 2-fold - figure out if the sign seen while on the drive that indicated hot springs were near was true and pick up a few food items for the next few days.
the sign turned out to be wrong and i wasnt even surprised. ive learned quickly through my travels in bc that many of the signs (even those representing the governments interests) are wrong. i dont know why this is, but it is and has created many adventures for me in the wilderness as i decide which way to go at each fork in the road.
i went to the grocery store and went overboard (as usual). i went there intending to only buy supplies to get me to nelson (2 more days away) and i ended up buying food for the next week.
anyway - back to the campground. i hate it. my only saving grace is that there is a small beach that lines the shore of the lake. at least i can attempt to tune everything else out. more and more, as i travel my way across bc, i am amazed at what people pay for in order to "get away," "be one with the wilderness" or "camp." this particular campground is barely tucked off the side of the highway that is constantly humming with vehicles driving by. once "in" the grounds it is completely open - barely a tree in sight. its more like trying to camp on a field only without as much grass. the, crossing to the lakeside, the peaceful "view" (a boating dock sits right in front of the beach) is ruined by the endless hum of nearby lawnmowers, dogs that wont quit yapping and boats that have nothing better to do but zip back and forth as though theyre in a fashion show. oh yeah - did i mention my neighbors prefer to yell at their animals and kids any chance they get? right. and people PAY for this experience. it sux that i am one of them.
in comparison, last night was free. last nights campsite was quiet, lush and peaceful. the lake and mountains was the only view as far as the eye could see. i would GLADLY pay for the experience i had there - but thats the thing - i didnt have to.
july 18/09 (DAY 18)
i can hardly believe its only 10 am and already so much has happened. first off - i woke up all ready to go at 5 am. ive developed this nice little routine as ive gone along on my travels - one that actually started prior when id get up at 6 am to go running in calgary. im now only an hour earlier than that, but people always seem to find it surprising when they discover this is what i WANT to do.
when i first started walking i found that the coldest part of the night was between 4-5 am (right now im lucky if theres a cold part of the day/night at all). id usually wake at 4 am and have to warm myself up, but thatd only last until 5 am. since the sun was coming up anyway, i figured i might as well get a move on.
secondly, when a person thinks of walking 30 km a day, im looking at about 8 hours of walking without stopping. that is intimidating enough without having to calculate the heat factor that rises as the day carries on. id much prefer to cut out all those logistics and simply knock off a majority of my distance while the sun is still trying to rise.
finally, my third reason for me to want to wake up at the crack of dawn (literally) is for the "extras." i dont want to have to worry about a setting sun if im having fun chatting it up with fellow hikers, want a break to take in the view or take the wrong path and have to backtrack. the only thing worse than being tired, hungry and still not at my destination is having to get there by flashlight.
so i headed out early this morning and though i didnt have far to go i was soon bitter at the fact that i had to walk along the highway. i miss the dirt paths, the sweet smell of the bush and yes, i even miss having to swing my walking sticks extra hard in a windmill fashion every 2 seconds to rid my body of any landing mosquitoes. i was just beginning to get deep into my negative contemplation when i saw it. WAY up high in a tree on the other side of the highway a bald eagle was perched. i was thrilled to be able to be in the presence of such a fierce and wild animal. i took off my pack and as cars zipped on past in their hurried fashion i stood there and took pictures. the eagle appeared to be posing just for me as when i felt i had enough pictures he gracefully took off and flew away. i was on cloud nine. THAT was exactly why i wanted to tough it out and walk instead of thumbing for a ride. not many people get to experience such things and i wanted to experience it ALL.
anyway - i made it to the kokanee provincial park campsite. if i was into beer i would have one in my hand to celebrate the moment with a bit of cheesiness. no one was at the registration office yet so i put my bag down at an empty site and walked around a bit. finally, they were open and i got the attention of one of the rangers. i told him id like to register for a site and had just put my stuff down in an empty one. he looked at me as though my head had just fallen off and immediately said, "YOU CANT DO THAT." as calmly as i could i replied, "i realize that, but i had arrived early and no one was hear (at the registration office) and my pack was heavy." his tone changed and he was suddenly warm to me, "you walked here?" i confirmed with a nod. he promptly gave me a map of the grounds and sent me to an area that was free for hikers and cyclists. i was in my glory.
next up - im beaching it by my very own cherry tree (if i can find it).
****
well - i DID find the cherry tree. only problem was that 2 women were setting the stage to have a wedding for 4 pm - right in front of the damn tree. i figured id play it cool tanning on my beach towel and laughing at the lame jokes the women kept trying to include me in. but with my feet in the sand, sun on my skin and a breathtaking view of the lake (all while camping for free) i could not be frustrated for long. i figured id come back to the tree later.
a couple hours later it was lunch. so i headed back to my lovely campsite and thats when it hit me - the munchies. it wasnt as though i was hungry or the food was even what i wanted, but 4 granola bars, 2 quesadillas and a handful of candy later i realized what i was doing. i was eating to comfort myself for being lonely and THAT realization hit me completely unexpectantly. i had CHOSEN to do what i am doing ALONE. there is not time for me to be moping in self pity on how i wished i could have someone else with me so i could at the very least be frustrated that i have to compromise what i want in order to do what they want. right then and there i made the decision: I REFUSE TO BE LONELY. this is MY time and i am going to make the most of it and do whatever the hell i want to do.
today i wanted to kayak. so i walked to the rental shop and for the price of one night at a cheap motel i got my kayak for 4 hours.
prior to getting the kayak i had to ask for directions and dragged my sorry butt to the visitors information centre. a i walked up to the doors, my reflection in the windows looked how i felt and i dreaded talking to another human being. i was sweaty, sunburned, mosquito bites covered my body, my hair clung to my forehead in a greasy mop-like fashion and then was pulled back into a frizzy ball uptop my head. my tank top was stretched out and had stains on the front. my choice of shorts left little to the imagination and my thighs apparently decided to jiggle with cottage-cheese proudness. i felt weak, tired, depressed and ugly. heaven knows i smelled as though i had just come from a garbage dump.
i reminded myself that my purpose was to go kayaking and that what i saw in the window was only an exaggeration of my imagination. i gritted my teeth, walked in and got directions.
once i got my kayak and pulled out onto the lake - i immediately felt at peace with myself. i paddled hard to gain as much distance as possible between me and the dock. my arms moved as though they had been kayaking everyday for years. my paddle and kayak glided effortlessly through the liquid glass surface. i felt the sun beat down on my back and i stopped paddling. i sat there, in the middle of the lake just taking it in, feeling it. i took off my enormous life jacket and stashed it behind me. then i dipped my feet into the cool waters. all around boats and seadoos zipped by me, creating waves that rocked my orange vessel, but i barely noticed. i was in my zone and it felt damn good to be back.
it had been too many nights sleeping with the loud and obnoxious tourists and too many days walking on hard pavement as vehicles zipped by. i needed to reconnect with what i intended to do all along - be with nature and experience bc in all that it is. kayaking was my ticket.
it felt fabulous to be doing something with my arms again. too many days i have been pushing my lower body to the max and i grew excited to think tomorrow i might be sore in different places - i might even have blisters on my hands.
i paddled my way all over the lake. well, not ALL over as that would take take days, but enough for my small time restraint. when it got too hot to just be dipping my hands and feet in the water i paddled over to an unused, hidden beach and went for a swim - i then paddled some more.
at the end of it all i was dehydrated and dead tired. i turned in my kayak and promptly bough some ice cream to celebrate - ME.
i never did get any cherries from the cherry tree. when i got back to my campsite and went to the beach another person was using the table right in front of the tree. too bad.
july 19/09 (DAY 19)
today i happened to wake up with a bad case of determination and stubbornness. i was head set that i just HAD to get some cherries from the cherry tree. so after i crawled from my tent and chowed down on some oatmeal i marched down to the beach and found the tree. i grabbed at some of the lower-branched cherries and popped one in my mouth. it was BY-FAR the best tasting cherry ive ever had. i had to get more, but there were none left on the bottom branches - apparently i was not the first to have this brilliant idea. i got closer and eyed the tree branches above. the only way i could get more would be to climb the tree. how hard could THAT be?
i used to climb trees all the time when growing up. i loved to see how high i could get and i distinctly remember once climbing a weeping willow to the very top and feeling as free as a bird as the thin branches that held me swayed in the wind. it was all a good time until my babysitter came out and freaked at me for doing something so "dangerous." i wasnt allowed to climb that tree again.
thankfully i managed to scrambled up the base of the cherry tree without being TOO clumsy - though i thanked the heavens no one was around to watch my first 2 failed attempts. once up there i sat on a limb and pulled branches closer to me to grasp the fruit on the ends. i was in my glory. without being too greedy i filled my mesh bag i brought with me with a good handful and then refocused to find a good way to climb down. this did not fare so well with me as my attempt at being graceful failed and i landed on the ground with a big thud. my injuries were minor, the worst being a nice chunk taken out of my thumb. all in the name of fresh fruit.
anyway, i eventually made it to neslon and the campground here. it came as an awesome surprise that they have laundry facilities right at the campsite. its been nearly 3 weeks and i havent washed my clothes save for the 2 times with the camping soap (the fresh smell lasts about 2 minutes). ive been do for a cleaning overhaul. sure, i probably have more clothes than the average long distance backpacker, but when you add it up - it really isnt much when deciding to chill in the city like nelson for a few days.
now - beings that its been warmer climate (30+ each day) - i have been reduced to very limited options and those options continue to reduce when i can smell my own stench. i have never been so happy to have access to laundry faciliites. that being said, it has taken some rather unique skills in figuring out how to do ALL my laundry (including that of which i am wearing).
that being said, i think i will like it here in nelson. ive booked 4 nights at the campground here (for about the same price as one night in a motel) which will give me a chance to really take my time to see what neslon has to offer.
****
so the "hardcore" campers have pulled up beside me. i get the joyful experience of being their neighbors tonight (and who knows of the nights to come). they seem like nice enough people, but they definitely thought of EVERYTHING - they brought CARPET to put outside their trailors and under their picnic tables. oh, no, wait - make that ONE picnic table as the other couple (theres 2 couples) brought a full patio set with them. i overheard them state theyre having steaks tonight. and i thought i was living it up with my can of beef ravioli from chef boyarde (which i discovered they only put cheese FLAVOR in - theres no actual cheese). haha... good times...
anyway, back to the EXTREME campers - it really makes me question what it means to "camp" anymore. really. if you got a table cloth so you dont "gasp" accidentally touch the picnic table - what does that mean? now days you can get RVs with TVs, DVD players, hookups for ipods, fully functioning bathroom and kitchen amenities and the works. so does it matter if you have technology? one could argue that camping means to "get away" and experience the "great outdoors" but does that include driving to a pre-determined location in order to claim a firepit squeezed between hundreds of other "campers" and have no view either because all the RVs are too high to see over or theres no tree in sight as they were all cut down to accommodate all the "campers"?
i suppose camping is different for everyone - it just depends on why the person wants to go. the bottom line that annoys me about fellow campers is those who camp with complete disregard for the precious environment around them and those that appear to do everything in their power to get AWAY from it..... other than that i suppose i can't really judge now can i?
smile - the pictures are here
so. its official. i have uploaded all my pictures to date. its exciting. its thrilling. its practically like christmas morning. u know u love it.anyway - like i said - i will, from this point on, be posting links to my travel photo albums to the side of my blog entries. as it stands, the first photo album can be viewed at: BACKPACKING BC
i can hardly believe i have made it here to kaslo - its like paradise and i fear that i will never leave should i make my way to nelson. this adventure just keeps getting better and better, i do not want it to stop and i am so thankful that it doesnt have to. i feel so free. so alive. so able to take on the world.
when i tell people of what i am doing, it is always a fascinating thing to see the reaction. some are so surprised that i am going by myself across bc - they peg me as being "brave" or "courageous." i never really thought of myself as either. i just thought of this journey as being something ive always wanted to do. sure its tough. sure there are ups and downs. sure, sometimes i am scared that i will never make it to vancouver or that i will be eaten by an animal. but i love every minute of it and that is what keeps me pressing forward.
as i hang out here in kaslo - i find it so chill. it is this quaint little town that is built of all these remaining oldskool buildings. picture heritage park on a lake in bc and thats about it - well, minus the fact that everyone living here isnt living in oldskool clothing or anything. its got the beach. its got the heat. its got the amazing lake that makes me want to jump right in and go for a swim. im loving it.
so - enjoy the pictures... there will be more to come... :D
almost 2 weeks!
july 9/09 (DAY 9)
well - i made it - and just in time too. it's been another long day. but more from my choice than anything else. as it stands - i set up my tent in record time and who knows - maybe nothing more than a little thunder, spit and wind will come of this storm, but i am glad my tent is up just the same.
yesterday i made it to invermere. i did the internet thing, stocked up on supplies and still had energy to burn. so i walked. i got a few kilometers away from panorama when i found it - the perfect camping spot. there was no way i was going to push myself all the way to panorama village when they would only charge me an arm and a leg to stay there overnight.
so - like i said - i found it. tucked off the side of the road, away from the view of cars there was a cleared area among the tall trees. a perfect size for my tent. so i set it up as quickly as i could - i was dying to go wash myself off in the river nearby (toby creek to be specific). so i changed into my bathing suit and tip-toed my way down the path (yup - there was even a path) to the river's shoreline. IT WAS FREEZING!! i was super glad no rafting crew happened by me as i was doing this as i am sure i looked ridiculous all hunched over tried to scrub the grease and grim out of my hair. haha!
anyay - after that i promptly laid in my tent until i fell asleep.
today i got up and figured id make the short walk up to the next campsite. but when i got there i didn't feel like stopping so i continued on - to a lodge/cabin on this long lodging road. i didnt make it. it had been a segment off the main path - one of which only seemed to go up with no end in sight. i figured id backtrack today what id have to do tomorrow and here i am - back at the fork in the path. i set up my tent just as the black clouds rolled in. its now almost 4 pm and im beat.
july 10/09 (DAY 10)
i made it to jumbo pass cabin. one problem - people had already booked it. fortunately it wasnt just me who came up unexpectantly to spend the night. there is a couple here who have come as well and weve all been getting along super.
back to my hike here - i saw my first black bear today. it started with the viewing of some VERY fresh scat. that of which immediately boosted my singing volume a level or 2. i rounded a corner and there he was - playing in the rivers edge. i immediately thought that i should shrug my way out of my pack and grab my camera to capture the moment - then my survival instinct kicked in and i figured ideas like that would be how people get attacked by wild animals in the first place. so i talked calmly to the bear and slowly backed away. he noticed me and bounded into the bush.
by this point i managed to be armed with my bear spray, knife and hiking poles. i was ready for anything.
i waited about 10 minutes, singing loudly so the bear still knew i was around and then very slowly made my way along the trail. oh - and fyi: the song of the day was "she'll be coming around the mountain."
july 11/09 (DAY 11)
well - i survived the night. it was a little sketchy there as this (jumbo creek pass) is the highest elevation (1700 ft) i have been to so far in my journey and i aint exactly packing winter gear right now. as it happens theres mounds of snow all around me up on top of this mountain - but the view is worth it.
fortunately, i also got to hang out with that couple all last evening and today - paul and his wife (i am sorry but i completely forget what your name is) are freaking awesome and id love to be able to see them again.
then theres the death family. the family that kills all the fun associated iwth a backcountry adventure. theyre unsociable. competitive (how do you make backcountry camping competitive?). whining. showing off and pretending to have clue what theyre doing when they obviously do not. a royal pain in the ass without actually being royal - and theyre the ones that booked the cabin here. joy.
our meeting of them starting off rough as me, paul and his wife greeted them and they bearly even looked at us. we got a grunt in reply. then came the comments. them bragging of how theyve been up to this hut every year for 4 years now and if WE happen to have any questions, to ask them. thing is - they didnt know where the trail was to the ridge. they had only scrambled up. WE had found the trail as soon as we got to the mountain. today they made a competition out of going to that ridge - scoffing at me who decided not to join (i HAD just walked 30 km the day before and wanted to enjoy the solitude), commenting that id "rather watch my laundry dry." they were no help when paul and his wife lost track of their dog pepper on the ridge. in the morning they asked how we slept and we said "fine." we returned the question and all they could reply was that "it's WARMER in the cabin than outside." DUH.
the worst was the night time. as we were in our tents (uninvited to the bonfire they had going nearby) the daughter of the family spent hours WHINING. whining about cutting logs. whining about wanting to cut logs. whining about how good she could cut logs. whining about how cutting logs sucks. whining. whining. whining.
all the while im crossing my fingers that these mosquitoes leave me alone. yeah right.
***
i find it fascinating to think of the wilderness in all that it does and doesnt do for the people who explore it. above all, it will forever remain a place of non-judgment. the wild does not car if you are fit or unfit. it doesnt care if you have the namebrand gear or the best haircut. it doesnt care if you came to it find or lose yourself. it wont care if you break down crying before you reach a summit or if you laugh out loud at the knowledge that you "made it." the wilderness does not treat you differently besed on gender, race or how many (if any) people travel with you. it doesnt care how much money you make or what grades you get on the last exam. it is just there. use it, abuse it. love it, hate it. be in it or avoid it. the wild has been, is here and forever will be - long after weve all died to become part of it.
***
3 pants, 3 pairs of socks, 5 shirts, 1 jacket, i foot-warming towel, gloves and a toque and im ready for bed uptop this mountain. its 5:37 pm.
july 12/09 (DAY 12)
well i made it. all the way to the top portion of kootenay lake. its actually duncan lake which is realistically a dam... but it looks like a lake all the same. boy, it sure is windy out here. wasnt bad until about 30 min ago - in fact - its quite serene here. theres a beach, a lake and camping is FREE! :)
my day started out slightly rough when 2 deer decided to play outside my tent at 4 am. i kept hearing their footsteps and was worried it was a bear. i finally opened my tent door to have 2 pairs of eyes stare at me before they ran off to the bush. i figured i might as well get up. okay - i actually laid awak in my sleeping bag until 5:10 am rolled around, but it's all the same.
i made my way down the mountain pass fairly easily and was met with a swarm of mosquitoes to congratulate me with itchy red bumps on my bare skin. lovely.
down the long stretch of dirt road i went, confidently passing each KM marker as i walked. i met some lovely people along the way. one family going up for a day hike offered to give me a ride should they spot me on their way back down (they didnt). i also met this guy doug who is a professional photographer and environmentalist. he gave me this speech regarding how the bc government is currently trying to re-route a major kootenay river (the one i walked along side all day today) in order to use it as power and then sell it to the states. HORRIBLE. he offered to pick me up later to come to a shindig/rally against this motion. i agreed.
finally, when i made it to the campground here i met this other lovely couple who chatted with me a bit and then even gave me some of their fresh food. it didnt matter to me that i hated cottage cheese, plain yogurt and cauliflower. i ate it all quite happily!
july 13/09 (DAY 13)
here i am - in kaslo - this quaint little town along the coast of the kootenay lake. the couple from the campground last night (gail and gerod) gave me a ride here. as it turns out, everyone that ive been talking to highly suggested that i switch my route to go south towards neslon rather than north to revolstoke. made sense to me for 2 reasons. 1 - it cuts down on the distance im walking and 2 - nelson is WAY more my style in what i want to do and see than the route i was going to go (revolstoke, vernon, kelowna, penticton, etc). so here i am. i get to chill at the beach in this cool little town in the middle of bc. i aint complaining one bit.
as it turns out - last night was a blast. i got to meet all these really interested people at the rally-slash-water blessing. doug picked me up with this lady named eloise who just happened to have walked from victoria to ottawa some odd years ago for her fight for water. me and her connected instantly as we began advidly talking about feet with regards to long distance walking. i was impressed to know she had walked a majority of her distance wearing flipflops along highway 1. crazy.
so i met all these people - most of them were people who lived within the area. we blessed the water - did a smudge (in which sweetgrass is burned and the smoke is directed at the people in a type of blessing - or at least thats how i understand it - its a native american custom i believe). we sent out our prayers and best wishes over the river and then we ate. everyone was awesome and i found it really inspiring to meet eloise and know that she has walked SOOOO much farther than i have and has lived to tell about it. she walked for a reason. a purpose. a dream. i realized so am i. by the end of the night - me and her referred to ourselves as the "water-walkers."
--> for those who are interested - the following is information links that will take you to find out more about the topic at hand that i participated in:
. FLOW myspace: http://www.myspace.com/485098931
. water on the table (the film crew that was present): http://wateronthetable.com
. doug pyper (photographer): http://www.dougpyperphoto.com
also - i must say that i apologize to everyone for the photographs that are lacking. i know some of you are really hoping that i will post pictures asap - but the ONE thing i forgot to bring with me was the cord that connects my camera to the computer, and as it stands - i have yet to find a computer that is compatable with plugging the memory card directly into the computer. soon - very soon. and when that happens, i will post the pictures through facebook and then put links to the photo albums here on my blog to the right of the entries.
well - i made it - and just in time too. it's been another long day. but more from my choice than anything else. as it stands - i set up my tent in record time and who knows - maybe nothing more than a little thunder, spit and wind will come of this storm, but i am glad my tent is up just the same.
yesterday i made it to invermere. i did the internet thing, stocked up on supplies and still had energy to burn. so i walked. i got a few kilometers away from panorama when i found it - the perfect camping spot. there was no way i was going to push myself all the way to panorama village when they would only charge me an arm and a leg to stay there overnight.
so - like i said - i found it. tucked off the side of the road, away from the view of cars there was a cleared area among the tall trees. a perfect size for my tent. so i set it up as quickly as i could - i was dying to go wash myself off in the river nearby (toby creek to be specific). so i changed into my bathing suit and tip-toed my way down the path (yup - there was even a path) to the river's shoreline. IT WAS FREEZING!! i was super glad no rafting crew happened by me as i was doing this as i am sure i looked ridiculous all hunched over tried to scrub the grease and grim out of my hair. haha!
anyay - after that i promptly laid in my tent until i fell asleep.
today i got up and figured id make the short walk up to the next campsite. but when i got there i didn't feel like stopping so i continued on - to a lodge/cabin on this long lodging road. i didnt make it. it had been a segment off the main path - one of which only seemed to go up with no end in sight. i figured id backtrack today what id have to do tomorrow and here i am - back at the fork in the path. i set up my tent just as the black clouds rolled in. its now almost 4 pm and im beat.
july 10/09 (DAY 10)
i made it to jumbo pass cabin. one problem - people had already booked it. fortunately it wasnt just me who came up unexpectantly to spend the night. there is a couple here who have come as well and weve all been getting along super.
back to my hike here - i saw my first black bear today. it started with the viewing of some VERY fresh scat. that of which immediately boosted my singing volume a level or 2. i rounded a corner and there he was - playing in the rivers edge. i immediately thought that i should shrug my way out of my pack and grab my camera to capture the moment - then my survival instinct kicked in and i figured ideas like that would be how people get attacked by wild animals in the first place. so i talked calmly to the bear and slowly backed away. he noticed me and bounded into the bush.
by this point i managed to be armed with my bear spray, knife and hiking poles. i was ready for anything.
i waited about 10 minutes, singing loudly so the bear still knew i was around and then very slowly made my way along the trail. oh - and fyi: the song of the day was "she'll be coming around the mountain."
july 11/09 (DAY 11)
well - i survived the night. it was a little sketchy there as this (jumbo creek pass) is the highest elevation (1700 ft) i have been to so far in my journey and i aint exactly packing winter gear right now. as it happens theres mounds of snow all around me up on top of this mountain - but the view is worth it.
fortunately, i also got to hang out with that couple all last evening and today - paul and his wife (i am sorry but i completely forget what your name is) are freaking awesome and id love to be able to see them again.
then theres the death family. the family that kills all the fun associated iwth a backcountry adventure. theyre unsociable. competitive (how do you make backcountry camping competitive?). whining. showing off and pretending to have clue what theyre doing when they obviously do not. a royal pain in the ass without actually being royal - and theyre the ones that booked the cabin here. joy.
our meeting of them starting off rough as me, paul and his wife greeted them and they bearly even looked at us. we got a grunt in reply. then came the comments. them bragging of how theyve been up to this hut every year for 4 years now and if WE happen to have any questions, to ask them. thing is - they didnt know where the trail was to the ridge. they had only scrambled up. WE had found the trail as soon as we got to the mountain. today they made a competition out of going to that ridge - scoffing at me who decided not to join (i HAD just walked 30 km the day before and wanted to enjoy the solitude), commenting that id "rather watch my laundry dry." they were no help when paul and his wife lost track of their dog pepper on the ridge. in the morning they asked how we slept and we said "fine." we returned the question and all they could reply was that "it's WARMER in the cabin than outside." DUH.
the worst was the night time. as we were in our tents (uninvited to the bonfire they had going nearby) the daughter of the family spent hours WHINING. whining about cutting logs. whining about wanting to cut logs. whining about how good she could cut logs. whining about how cutting logs sucks. whining. whining. whining.
all the while im crossing my fingers that these mosquitoes leave me alone. yeah right.
***
i find it fascinating to think of the wilderness in all that it does and doesnt do for the people who explore it. above all, it will forever remain a place of non-judgment. the wild does not car if you are fit or unfit. it doesnt care if you have the namebrand gear or the best haircut. it doesnt care if you came to it find or lose yourself. it wont care if you break down crying before you reach a summit or if you laugh out loud at the knowledge that you "made it." the wilderness does not treat you differently besed on gender, race or how many (if any) people travel with you. it doesnt care how much money you make or what grades you get on the last exam. it is just there. use it, abuse it. love it, hate it. be in it or avoid it. the wild has been, is here and forever will be - long after weve all died to become part of it.
***
3 pants, 3 pairs of socks, 5 shirts, 1 jacket, i foot-warming towel, gloves and a toque and im ready for bed uptop this mountain. its 5:37 pm.
july 12/09 (DAY 12)
well i made it. all the way to the top portion of kootenay lake. its actually duncan lake which is realistically a dam... but it looks like a lake all the same. boy, it sure is windy out here. wasnt bad until about 30 min ago - in fact - its quite serene here. theres a beach, a lake and camping is FREE! :)
my day started out slightly rough when 2 deer decided to play outside my tent at 4 am. i kept hearing their footsteps and was worried it was a bear. i finally opened my tent door to have 2 pairs of eyes stare at me before they ran off to the bush. i figured i might as well get up. okay - i actually laid awak in my sleeping bag until 5:10 am rolled around, but it's all the same.
i made my way down the mountain pass fairly easily and was met with a swarm of mosquitoes to congratulate me with itchy red bumps on my bare skin. lovely.
down the long stretch of dirt road i went, confidently passing each KM marker as i walked. i met some lovely people along the way. one family going up for a day hike offered to give me a ride should they spot me on their way back down (they didnt). i also met this guy doug who is a professional photographer and environmentalist. he gave me this speech regarding how the bc government is currently trying to re-route a major kootenay river (the one i walked along side all day today) in order to use it as power and then sell it to the states. HORRIBLE. he offered to pick me up later to come to a shindig/rally against this motion. i agreed.
finally, when i made it to the campground here i met this other lovely couple who chatted with me a bit and then even gave me some of their fresh food. it didnt matter to me that i hated cottage cheese, plain yogurt and cauliflower. i ate it all quite happily!
july 13/09 (DAY 13)
here i am - in kaslo - this quaint little town along the coast of the kootenay lake. the couple from the campground last night (gail and gerod) gave me a ride here. as it turns out, everyone that ive been talking to highly suggested that i switch my route to go south towards neslon rather than north to revolstoke. made sense to me for 2 reasons. 1 - it cuts down on the distance im walking and 2 - nelson is WAY more my style in what i want to do and see than the route i was going to go (revolstoke, vernon, kelowna, penticton, etc). so here i am. i get to chill at the beach in this cool little town in the middle of bc. i aint complaining one bit.
as it turns out - last night was a blast. i got to meet all these really interested people at the rally-slash-water blessing. doug picked me up with this lady named eloise who just happened to have walked from victoria to ottawa some odd years ago for her fight for water. me and her connected instantly as we began advidly talking about feet with regards to long distance walking. i was impressed to know she had walked a majority of her distance wearing flipflops along highway 1. crazy.
so i met all these people - most of them were people who lived within the area. we blessed the water - did a smudge (in which sweetgrass is burned and the smoke is directed at the people in a type of blessing - or at least thats how i understand it - its a native american custom i believe). we sent out our prayers and best wishes over the river and then we ate. everyone was awesome and i found it really inspiring to meet eloise and know that she has walked SOOOO much farther than i have and has lived to tell about it. she walked for a reason. a purpose. a dream. i realized so am i. by the end of the night - me and her referred to ourselves as the "water-walkers."
------------------------------------------
--> for those who are interested - the following is information links that will take you to find out more about the topic at hand that i participated in:
. FLOW myspace: http://www.myspace.com/485098931
. water on the table (the film crew that was present): http://wateronthetable.com
. doug pyper (photographer): http://www.dougpyperphoto.com
------------------------------------------
also - i must say that i apologize to everyone for the photographs that are lacking. i know some of you are really hoping that i will post pictures asap - but the ONE thing i forgot to bring with me was the cord that connects my camera to the computer, and as it stands - i have yet to find a computer that is compatable with plugging the memory card directly into the computer. soon - very soon. and when that happens, i will post the pictures through facebook and then put links to the photo albums here on my blog to the right of the entries.
and the adventure continues
DAY 4
... well - continuing on from my last post, i made it through the wild rugid forest of the overgrown horse trail. i promptly changed into dry clothes, aried out my soaked feet and ate some lunch. i was stoked to be done and excitedly continued my journey down the endless logging road. past an empty field. past the mining area. past so many trees i lost count. and then i began to lose hope - the km markers along the road were not helping to motivate me in continuing on. i stopped for a rest. every 2 minutes. by 4 pm i was still trudging along the road with about 15km still to go. that translates to another 4 hours of walking. i now had blisters on top of my blisters.
so i did what i said i wouldnt do. i flagged over the next driver. turns out he is a rancher and had just been busy in organizing his horses for the stampede parade show. both his kids who are about my age are into travelling to. we had so much to talk about that we completely missed the point of which my campground was at. i had to hop out and backtrack to find it.
the next driver that pulled up next to me was heather. she was about my age and asked if i needed a ride. i gladly accepted, my feet satisfied to have the rest. she had been preparing to go kayaking today but had lost track of her friends. she tried to help me instead, but given both our days we could not for the life of us find the campground. so she dropped me off in a daisy field.
i quickly fell asleep shortly after setting up my tent in the field of flowers.
DAY 5
i walked another 7km along the logging road to get to the main highway. i was moving onto plan B. it made more sense to get to radium to rest for a day or 2 rather than trying to push onward to invermere. eventually i made it - and just in time. the rain had come but i was safe inside of my quaint motel room.
DAY 6
i rested. i watched tv. i pigged out on junk food. it was a good day.
DAY 7
i walked my way along the highway (vowing to skip hitchhiking for the rest of the trip) to the next campground. got there aroun 10am, set up tent and spent the day hibernating with my book and journal. pure bliss.
DAY 8
made it to invermere!
... well - continuing on from my last post, i made it through the wild rugid forest of the overgrown horse trail. i promptly changed into dry clothes, aried out my soaked feet and ate some lunch. i was stoked to be done and excitedly continued my journey down the endless logging road. past an empty field. past the mining area. past so many trees i lost count. and then i began to lose hope - the km markers along the road were not helping to motivate me in continuing on. i stopped for a rest. every 2 minutes. by 4 pm i was still trudging along the road with about 15km still to go. that translates to another 4 hours of walking. i now had blisters on top of my blisters.
so i did what i said i wouldnt do. i flagged over the next driver. turns out he is a rancher and had just been busy in organizing his horses for the stampede parade show. both his kids who are about my age are into travelling to. we had so much to talk about that we completely missed the point of which my campground was at. i had to hop out and backtrack to find it.
the next driver that pulled up next to me was heather. she was about my age and asked if i needed a ride. i gladly accepted, my feet satisfied to have the rest. she had been preparing to go kayaking today but had lost track of her friends. she tried to help me instead, but given both our days we could not for the life of us find the campground. so she dropped me off in a daisy field.
i quickly fell asleep shortly after setting up my tent in the field of flowers.
DAY 5
i walked another 7km along the logging road to get to the main highway. i was moving onto plan B. it made more sense to get to radium to rest for a day or 2 rather than trying to push onward to invermere. eventually i made it - and just in time. the rain had come but i was safe inside of my quaint motel room.
DAY 6
i rested. i watched tv. i pigged out on junk food. it was a good day.
DAY 7
i walked my way along the highway (vowing to skip hitchhiking for the rest of the trip) to the next campground. got there aroun 10am, set up tent and spent the day hibernating with my book and journal. pure bliss.
DAY 8
made it to invermere!
into the wild
i can hardly believe it's day #6. time has simply flown by and i havent a clue even where to begin on how wild my adventure has been so far. between foot blisters, rain, endless walking, bushes, climbing logs, crossing rivers and seeing bear tracks. well - i am glad to finally have a moment to sit down and process what has happened so far.
just to recap - since i last wrote - my car DID sell. the last possible moment someone pulled through and gave me the long-awaited call to state they were interested in the car. it was what i had been waiting to hear for over a month. rid of my car the night of june 30 - i was set. set to go see the world.
as far as my adventure - i spose where i should start is where i am now. i have officially made it to radium - the famous little town by the hot springs just north of invermere. i started bright and early july 1 at sunshine village ski resort and it seems like ages before that i was busting my butt up to where my initial trailhead begain. that initial 5km was grueling as the dirt road wound its way higher and higher up the side of the mountain. by the time i finished that first portion, i was hot, sweaty, completely out of breath and wishing i had trained just a bit more for my lengthy trek. but i was also estatic beyond belief. the view was breathless and to know that i was leaving everything behind to start an adventure i will surely never forget made me grin ear to ear.
once i started to hike into the vaste wilderness, i couldnt get over the complete feeling of freedom i had. everything i owned (save for a few items i have in storage) was officially strapped to my back - heavy as hell - but that was it. i was surprised to find myself a little afraid of what would come of my next days in the wilderness... it's difficult to process the notion that i would be literally alone in the wild for days on end. there was no turning back.
that first day was awesome, but also incredibly tiring. the sun continuously beat down on my back and it wasn't until i had climbed a snow-capped mountain, and down the otherside to eat my lunch at a gorgeous lake that i realized i had taken the wrong route. i was going on the path that travelled east along the mountains. i wanted to go south. i was going the wrong way.
there was no turning back.
i managed to find a way that the paths reconnected, but that would mean that i would have to push my body harder than what i had initially been planning on in order to make up for lost time. it meant that my 7-8 hour day had automatically turned into at least 10 hours.
this pissed me off that i could be so foolish as to think i had been going the right way. my nice, new $295 digital compass watch had indicated i was going the right way. when i compared it to my manual compass, i discovered my digital one needed to be re-calibrated. so much for technology.
hours later - completely exhausted - i began contemplating if i should shot for the night at the next campsite or push through to the further one. it was then i met up with some guys who were going to the further one. i figured if they could do it, then so could i - as i had seen them earlier on the trail and knew they had been walking the same distance that day. one problem: i failed to remember that i had already hiked 5km more than them as they had taken the shuttle bus to sunshine village.
to backtrack here - for those who havent been to sunshine - there is a base parking lot in which people park there. in the winter, the gondola takes everyone up to the actual village area where as in the summer, a shuttle bus (at the cost of $25) takes people up to the village. i chose to save my cash and hike up the 5km windy road instead.
back to day #1 - i eventually made it to lake og - 12 hours after my initial start time at the base parking lot of sunshine. i was exhausted. i promptly set up tent and fell asleep.
on day #2 i had another long day ahead of me. i had to make up for my lost time and cut back west across the mountains to get onto my initial hiking route for 2 reasons. one - at this point in time NO ONE knew where i was as i was not on the route i said id be - and two, i had told people i would be in invermere in 4-5 days. if i didnt make it there in that time, people would worry.
i found it ironic to think that the very trip in which i was so stoked to be rid of my hectic, stressful and scheduled life had turned into just that. i officially had a deadline and my blistered feet were in a bitter protest already.
so i made it out from lake og and headed in the direction of mitchell river. i had no idea what was in store for me. i checked in with a lodge about half way along to see on any warnings (animals, weather or otherwise) that could be headed my way on my route - it was at this point that a lovely elderly lady did her best to discourage me from taking my route. she wanted me to hook up with a "nice german girl" who was staying at the local campsite and go northwest to which she "might" be able to give me a ride south to invermere. i asked why and all she could say was that she had done the mitchell river route and didn't like it. she refused to say why.
so - me being me - took the mitchell route. i needed to stay on track and i wasnt going to let someone discourage me just because they didnt like the route. i set out and a couple hours later and a few hundred feet down the mountain i found out why this route wasn't ideal. it was a horsetrail that was overgrown and not kept up in any way. i began the difficult struggle in trying to stay on the trail, at times ending up in the middle of a marshy field spinning in circles because i couldnt find where the trail continued. i backtracked. i compared my topographical map to the mountains around me. i explored, leaving my insanely heavy bag behind and tying strips of surveyors tape to trees to find my way back to my gear. at one point i had to cross a raging river by making a makeshift bridge using logs along the shoreline. that resulted in wetpants, socks, shoes and my spirit.
i pressed on.
there was no turning back.
past the river, the spiders came on attack. should anyone have seen me i would have looked ridiculous - stumbling over logs, rocks, up and down hills all the while cramped over by the weight of my back and wildly swinging my hiking pulls to clear the path of any potential creepy-crawly web-makers.
9 hours from my start time i made it to the campsite. only it wasnt exactly a campsite, persay. it was a hunters cabin. it was my haven. it was beautiful.
i stumbled inside and found the shelter to be fully stocked - 4 bunks, 1 extra-thick foam pad, a table, stove, cooking supplies, cooking gear, propane tank and even a mirror. i was estatic and decided right then that i had to spend the full next day in recuperation there. so i did.
my third day was spent in absolute bliss. the river passed by the hunters cabin and i was in a valley deep within the mountains. i layed my towel out on the grass and suntanned. i washed the grim off my body and cleaned my clothes. i ate in luxury and rested my aching feet. it totally beat paying thousands of dollars for a week or two at a beach resort. i wished i could stay there forever, but knew that there was so much more ahead of me to see and do.
so day #4 i woke up bright and early to get ready to press on. 5am i was up and packing my things. i wolfed down a bowl of oatmeal and heaved on my pack before i set out. i knew it was to be a long day. i had about 8km of horse trail to cover before i hit up a logging road and went another 20km (approx) to my next campsite.
i was full of gusto until i got to my first river crossing. i had thought the day before was bad, but this was 100 times worse. the river had grown in size from the part i had crossed the day before as i was now a few km downstream from it. it was about 3 times as wide and there were no rocks to hop on or logs to balance-beam my way across. i sat there for a few minutes crossing my fingers that black beauty was going to come waltzing out of the bush and help me cross the river. no such luck.
so the shoes, socks and pants came off. i gingerly stepped into the glacier-cold water and carefully made my way across. one wrong step and i knew there was no one to help me up should i get washed away.
fortunately i made it across and to the other side. i put my clothes back on and continued down my overgrown horse trail.
the thing was, that was just the first river crossing - as i continued down the path, i continued having to criss-cross my way over the river - each time taking off my bottom half of my clothing to save me from freezing clothes. it was not a day to be wearing white underwear and i was glad that only the birds appeared to be watching me.
at times the river crossings were so confusing as they were either not river crossings because the river had washed away the river bed and i simply had to find my way further down the same side to reconnect with the trail. other times the trail on the other side of the river was so far away that it was difficult to determine where i was to actually cross to. fortunately many of the crossings were marked by someone else's surveyor's tape to make it easier to spot where i was to go.
as the day moved on, i was still making my way down my 8km of trail. the river was getting worse and worse as i was continuing it downstream (for those who do not know, the further down a river you go, the rougher, bigger, deeper and faster it generally gets). at one point i knew there was a good chance that taking off my pants would not be enough to keep me dry in the river. it was too deep. i was worried the undercurrent would wisk me away like a little leaf that had been gently placed on the surface of the water and i would never be seen again. so i took my luck on a few trees that had fallen over to bridge the gap across the river.
because the trees still had small branches poking off of them, they were too difficult to crawl across with my big bag hanging off my back. i tried to extend my hiking pole lengths to see if i could brace myself with the poles touching the bottom of the river on either side of the tree. the river was too deep. i was forced to have to walk my way across the trees by pure balance. this is the reason i did 3 years of gymnastics back in my earlier years as a preteen.
i did some deep breathing and calmed down my heartrate. there was only one shot at this. one chance to do it. no going back.
i took it step by step and slowly made my way across. there was a few times my backpack would shift to a side and cause me to have to catch my balance, but eventually i made it.
by the time i had done about 7 km of my initial hike it was already about 11am. i had been going for hours and i still couldnt see the end. i was stuck in the bush and had lost the trail completely. i was pushing my way through the bush, climbing over logs and even yelling out to the unknown people in hopes that someone, somewhere would give me direction. the only thing that kept me sane was that i knew i had to be closely following the river. that was it. at some point i would get to a brige or SOMETHING to indicate civilization. i took a deep breath and pressed on. and then i made the mistake of slipping and falling up to my waist in the river. so much for taking off my pants the rest of the morning. i got wet anyway.
i made my last river crossing without doing the timeconsuming taking off of clothing articles. it was the toughest one and i almost slipped for good. but i made it. the rest of the way i had to do the challenging chore of climbing over fallen trees that loggers had failed to remove from the trail. its one thing to do that when you are just doing it - but to do it with a 60lbs pack, hiking poles, wet clothes, tired muscles and blisters --- well its practically near impossible.
my first glimpse of the bridge in the distance brought a cry of relief from my lips. i was done. well - sort of. i was done the first 8km of my day. i still had to continue on the logging road to my next campsite.
......
LESSONS LEARNED TO DATE:
1. spiders are overtaking the world
2. BC parks do not label hiking trails clearly
3. when the anxiety over the though of being lost kicks in - hunger and physical pain are no longer noticed
4. blisters do not go away with positive thinking
hope all is well with everyone! i will surely update you on the rest of my journey to date asap.
lots of love!
shalane
just to recap - since i last wrote - my car DID sell. the last possible moment someone pulled through and gave me the long-awaited call to state they were interested in the car. it was what i had been waiting to hear for over a month. rid of my car the night of june 30 - i was set. set to go see the world.
as far as my adventure - i spose where i should start is where i am now. i have officially made it to radium - the famous little town by the hot springs just north of invermere. i started bright and early july 1 at sunshine village ski resort and it seems like ages before that i was busting my butt up to where my initial trailhead begain. that initial 5km was grueling as the dirt road wound its way higher and higher up the side of the mountain. by the time i finished that first portion, i was hot, sweaty, completely out of breath and wishing i had trained just a bit more for my lengthy trek. but i was also estatic beyond belief. the view was breathless and to know that i was leaving everything behind to start an adventure i will surely never forget made me grin ear to ear.
once i started to hike into the vaste wilderness, i couldnt get over the complete feeling of freedom i had. everything i owned (save for a few items i have in storage) was officially strapped to my back - heavy as hell - but that was it. i was surprised to find myself a little afraid of what would come of my next days in the wilderness... it's difficult to process the notion that i would be literally alone in the wild for days on end. there was no turning back.
that first day was awesome, but also incredibly tiring. the sun continuously beat down on my back and it wasn't until i had climbed a snow-capped mountain, and down the otherside to eat my lunch at a gorgeous lake that i realized i had taken the wrong route. i was going on the path that travelled east along the mountains. i wanted to go south. i was going the wrong way.
there was no turning back.
i managed to find a way that the paths reconnected, but that would mean that i would have to push my body harder than what i had initially been planning on in order to make up for lost time. it meant that my 7-8 hour day had automatically turned into at least 10 hours.
this pissed me off that i could be so foolish as to think i had been going the right way. my nice, new $295 digital compass watch had indicated i was going the right way. when i compared it to my manual compass, i discovered my digital one needed to be re-calibrated. so much for technology.
hours later - completely exhausted - i began contemplating if i should shot for the night at the next campsite or push through to the further one. it was then i met up with some guys who were going to the further one. i figured if they could do it, then so could i - as i had seen them earlier on the trail and knew they had been walking the same distance that day. one problem: i failed to remember that i had already hiked 5km more than them as they had taken the shuttle bus to sunshine village.
to backtrack here - for those who havent been to sunshine - there is a base parking lot in which people park there. in the winter, the gondola takes everyone up to the actual village area where as in the summer, a shuttle bus (at the cost of $25) takes people up to the village. i chose to save my cash and hike up the 5km windy road instead.
back to day #1 - i eventually made it to lake og - 12 hours after my initial start time at the base parking lot of sunshine. i was exhausted. i promptly set up tent and fell asleep.
on day #2 i had another long day ahead of me. i had to make up for my lost time and cut back west across the mountains to get onto my initial hiking route for 2 reasons. one - at this point in time NO ONE knew where i was as i was not on the route i said id be - and two, i had told people i would be in invermere in 4-5 days. if i didnt make it there in that time, people would worry.
i found it ironic to think that the very trip in which i was so stoked to be rid of my hectic, stressful and scheduled life had turned into just that. i officially had a deadline and my blistered feet were in a bitter protest already.
so i made it out from lake og and headed in the direction of mitchell river. i had no idea what was in store for me. i checked in with a lodge about half way along to see on any warnings (animals, weather or otherwise) that could be headed my way on my route - it was at this point that a lovely elderly lady did her best to discourage me from taking my route. she wanted me to hook up with a "nice german girl" who was staying at the local campsite and go northwest to which she "might" be able to give me a ride south to invermere. i asked why and all she could say was that she had done the mitchell river route and didn't like it. she refused to say why.
so - me being me - took the mitchell route. i needed to stay on track and i wasnt going to let someone discourage me just because they didnt like the route. i set out and a couple hours later and a few hundred feet down the mountain i found out why this route wasn't ideal. it was a horsetrail that was overgrown and not kept up in any way. i began the difficult struggle in trying to stay on the trail, at times ending up in the middle of a marshy field spinning in circles because i couldnt find where the trail continued. i backtracked. i compared my topographical map to the mountains around me. i explored, leaving my insanely heavy bag behind and tying strips of surveyors tape to trees to find my way back to my gear. at one point i had to cross a raging river by making a makeshift bridge using logs along the shoreline. that resulted in wetpants, socks, shoes and my spirit.
i pressed on.
there was no turning back.
past the river, the spiders came on attack. should anyone have seen me i would have looked ridiculous - stumbling over logs, rocks, up and down hills all the while cramped over by the weight of my back and wildly swinging my hiking pulls to clear the path of any potential creepy-crawly web-makers.
9 hours from my start time i made it to the campsite. only it wasnt exactly a campsite, persay. it was a hunters cabin. it was my haven. it was beautiful.
i stumbled inside and found the shelter to be fully stocked - 4 bunks, 1 extra-thick foam pad, a table, stove, cooking supplies, cooking gear, propane tank and even a mirror. i was estatic and decided right then that i had to spend the full next day in recuperation there. so i did.
my third day was spent in absolute bliss. the river passed by the hunters cabin and i was in a valley deep within the mountains. i layed my towel out on the grass and suntanned. i washed the grim off my body and cleaned my clothes. i ate in luxury and rested my aching feet. it totally beat paying thousands of dollars for a week or two at a beach resort. i wished i could stay there forever, but knew that there was so much more ahead of me to see and do.
so day #4 i woke up bright and early to get ready to press on. 5am i was up and packing my things. i wolfed down a bowl of oatmeal and heaved on my pack before i set out. i knew it was to be a long day. i had about 8km of horse trail to cover before i hit up a logging road and went another 20km (approx) to my next campsite.
i was full of gusto until i got to my first river crossing. i had thought the day before was bad, but this was 100 times worse. the river had grown in size from the part i had crossed the day before as i was now a few km downstream from it. it was about 3 times as wide and there were no rocks to hop on or logs to balance-beam my way across. i sat there for a few minutes crossing my fingers that black beauty was going to come waltzing out of the bush and help me cross the river. no such luck.
so the shoes, socks and pants came off. i gingerly stepped into the glacier-cold water and carefully made my way across. one wrong step and i knew there was no one to help me up should i get washed away.
fortunately i made it across and to the other side. i put my clothes back on and continued down my overgrown horse trail.
the thing was, that was just the first river crossing - as i continued down the path, i continued having to criss-cross my way over the river - each time taking off my bottom half of my clothing to save me from freezing clothes. it was not a day to be wearing white underwear and i was glad that only the birds appeared to be watching me.
at times the river crossings were so confusing as they were either not river crossings because the river had washed away the river bed and i simply had to find my way further down the same side to reconnect with the trail. other times the trail on the other side of the river was so far away that it was difficult to determine where i was to actually cross to. fortunately many of the crossings were marked by someone else's surveyor's tape to make it easier to spot where i was to go.
as the day moved on, i was still making my way down my 8km of trail. the river was getting worse and worse as i was continuing it downstream (for those who do not know, the further down a river you go, the rougher, bigger, deeper and faster it generally gets). at one point i knew there was a good chance that taking off my pants would not be enough to keep me dry in the river. it was too deep. i was worried the undercurrent would wisk me away like a little leaf that had been gently placed on the surface of the water and i would never be seen again. so i took my luck on a few trees that had fallen over to bridge the gap across the river.
because the trees still had small branches poking off of them, they were too difficult to crawl across with my big bag hanging off my back. i tried to extend my hiking pole lengths to see if i could brace myself with the poles touching the bottom of the river on either side of the tree. the river was too deep. i was forced to have to walk my way across the trees by pure balance. this is the reason i did 3 years of gymnastics back in my earlier years as a preteen.
i did some deep breathing and calmed down my heartrate. there was only one shot at this. one chance to do it. no going back.
i took it step by step and slowly made my way across. there was a few times my backpack would shift to a side and cause me to have to catch my balance, but eventually i made it.
by the time i had done about 7 km of my initial hike it was already about 11am. i had been going for hours and i still couldnt see the end. i was stuck in the bush and had lost the trail completely. i was pushing my way through the bush, climbing over logs and even yelling out to the unknown people in hopes that someone, somewhere would give me direction. the only thing that kept me sane was that i knew i had to be closely following the river. that was it. at some point i would get to a brige or SOMETHING to indicate civilization. i took a deep breath and pressed on. and then i made the mistake of slipping and falling up to my waist in the river. so much for taking off my pants the rest of the morning. i got wet anyway.
i made my last river crossing without doing the timeconsuming taking off of clothing articles. it was the toughest one and i almost slipped for good. but i made it. the rest of the way i had to do the challenging chore of climbing over fallen trees that loggers had failed to remove from the trail. its one thing to do that when you are just doing it - but to do it with a 60lbs pack, hiking poles, wet clothes, tired muscles and blisters --- well its practically near impossible.
my first glimpse of the bridge in the distance brought a cry of relief from my lips. i was done. well - sort of. i was done the first 8km of my day. i still had to continue on the logging road to my next campsite.
......
LESSONS LEARNED TO DATE:
1. spiders are overtaking the world
2. BC parks do not label hiking trails clearly
3. when the anxiety over the though of being lost kicks in - hunger and physical pain are no longer noticed
4. blisters do not go away with positive thinking
hope all is well with everyone! i will surely update you on the rest of my journey to date asap.
lots of love!
shalane
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