august 23/09
its amazing to me how time has flown since ive arrived at mike and kathys home a few days ago. ive had my massage and reflexology taken care of. my dad has come baring gifts of "normal" clothes. ive been thrilled at being able to rid myself of the clothes ive sweated in the past 2 months. ive shopped for all the things i needed to get to continue on my journey. i ended up buying a new camera to replace my broken one as the logistics of trying to get it fixed were simply too complicated. ive started up running again in the mornings. tonight i even got to hang out with don and leslie (my grandmas brother and wife). overall the last few days have been nothing short of fabulous. to top everything off, i even hooked up with my friend kelly who was out visiting her sister. we spent some tie chilling in stanley park, taking pictures of the raccoons running around rampid and free.
back to my visit with don and leslie - i have never met them before today - or at least if i have i would have been too young to be capable of remembering. its saddening to know that as they are a really lovely couple and i am proud to call them family. i especially found it so inspiring to talk to leslie who has done an extensive amount of travelling in her time. as she told me story after story of some of the adventures shes had, all i could do was sit there in awe and fascination. i find it surprising to think of how few young (or older) women feel comfortable travelling relatively on their own in this day and age. but tonight i sat listening to the stories of a fearless woman who has gone out and explored the world and did it during times of which womens travel really and truely was rare.
i can only hope my adventures throughout the world will inspire other women - other people - to go after those dreams they never fathomed possible to achieve. the world is at our fingertips. anything is possible so dream big.
august 24/09
i have chosen today to be my day to figure out what i want to do and where i want to go from here. i feel so incredibly overwhelmed by the emmense variety of possibilities that i dont even know where to begin. i thought that looking at books at chapters here may inspire me to some direction. it didnt. i ended up wandering aimlessly for an hour, picking up books, turning the pages, skimming paragraphs and putting them down. i have never felt so lost at the thought that i can do whatever i wish - i am free.
now, dont get me wrong. i am thrilled with where i am and the fact that i AM so free to do as i wish. its just wierd when people continuously ask me where i plan to go next or when i plan on going. i not have an answer - for them or me.
generally speaking, i "plan" on going to australia next. it seems like the obvious choice. i DO have my work visa after all. but who says i HAVE to leave from vancouver? sure, it is the closest available airport and would get me a direct flight to sydney, but theres a few other ways i could go too:
1) head down to seattle or some other close USA city. theres a good chance i could get a cheaper flight if i head right out of the states rather than canada (i hate that)
2) i could travel by bus or train down the west coast, beach bumming my way to LA. yeah, its getting cooler this time of year, but its still warm enough to make a trip like that fun. plus, my cousins live in oregon so i could spend some time hanging out with them
3) if i go down to LA - why not do mexico while im at it?
4) with all these places to fly out of to australia, i dont necessarily have to go to sydney. i could do melbourne, brisbane - what about starting in new zealand? the options are endless
5) what about other options other than flying? go work on a cruise, take a freighter overseas....
6) to top it all off - there is no rush for me to leave vancouver. i still havent been to the islan, tofino or a lot of other cool places that are nearby
*sigh* so not i just got to figure out how to go about his. being cost effective is my #1 priority and in pricing stuff out i hopefully will figure out what to do next....
DONE
august 16/09 (DAY #47)
"whats 2% of 700?" that - apparently - was the question of the day. of the morning. 6:30 am to be more precise. i was busy getting my groove on as i made my way out of mission. crossing the street from my motel it was then that i spotted her.
she strutted her way towards me. like a duck. no joke. she took up the entire sidewalk which left me with the though that she would soon be a pancake under my feet as i had nowhere to go but forward.
fortunately ms. duck moved over just in time as we passed each other. i smiled at her. she responded by popping the question.
"whats 2% of 700?" huh? my brain had trouble just registering WHAT this lady had just said, let alone what it meant. my mouth took over and automatically responded with "i have no idea." i DO have "an idea" - the answer is 14, but come on! who expects to have a math quiz at 6:30 in the morning when walking across BC? i was lucky i was even walking in the right direction at that point.
i was about to fire back a question of my own to appease my curiousity and figure out why this lady needed to know when she did something that took the words right out of my mouth.
she scoffed at me.
then she proceeded to say, "yeah - i thought so" in such a condensending way i immediately thought my hair must be blonde as i was definitely the brunt of this joke.
as i walked away, the answer to her question came to me. 14. i was tempted to go back to tell the chick, but my tired feet and heavy bag reminded me of my bigger purpose of the day.
most of the morning i spent walking through fog, but it did finally clear up and i found it wierd to actually be walking under the sun again. warm. bright. happy. i loved it.
i made it to maple ridge today - a name that makes me want a piece of fudge and checked into a motel. i settled in then walked to the nearest phone to call my dad and check in. i sighed to myself as i had, yet again, foud a phone where the connection sucked. it didnt help that traffic buzzed behind me. i pressed the phone tightly against my ear and plugged the other just so i could hear what my dad had to say. at the end of our conversation i went to hang up the phone but it was stuck to my ear and hair. i peeled it away and it was then i noticed it - someone had thought of the brilliant idea to put gum on the earpiece. i immediately went back to my motel room to wash my ear. gotta love urban life.
that being said, ear gum incident aside - i have been having a slight case of culture shock since i got to mission yesterday. the cars. the roads. the streetlights. everything. i have not been in a large city environment since i left calgary over 6 weeks ago. everythings bigger, busier and louder now. i even put away my bear bell for good now. i figured if i cant hear it then the bears probably wouldnt either.
after being away from the big urban cities for so long i am not sure i ever want to be back for good. i already miss the fresh air of the wilderness.
august 17/09 (DAY #48)
i have officially, OFFICIALLY entered the land of cement. there is no going back. the smog creeps into my lungs as i feel as though i am suffocating. it is not as though the pollution here is that insane - this is all more a side effect to my bad case of culture shock. the noise level is up. the traffic volume is up. the amount of horrendous looking buildings that block my view of anything worthwhile is WAY up. i am left to choose which type of cement id prefer to walk on as there is no longer the option of a dirt trail.
there is also no longer the option of dropping my pants whenever i feel the urge to go. i not have to be a "respectable" citizen and wait until i bypass a place with a washroom. one might think i should be thrilled at the prospect of being able to use a real bathroom - not even an outhouse, but the truth is, it just reminds me that i have lost my freedom. i am no reconfined to the box of society - one that i just dont quite fit in as i march down streets in my well-worn clothes, my walking poles clicking on the pavement with each step i take, my backpack giving me an awkward gate. gone are the days when i could cheerfully exchange a few words with fellow pedestrians, or even people in their cars at stop lights.
instead i am left with those that are in such a hurry they dont have time to chat or those that have panic written all ove rtheir face as though im going to pull out my bear spray and have at them. there have been those who avoid eye contact at all costs, even if it means looking at a concrete wall, those who pretend i didnt just smile and say hello to them and there are even those people who have glared at me as they pass. finally, there are the "gawkers" - bu those have been with me all along so ive become fairly accostomed to the craning necks with faces staring in wide-eyed wonder.
sure, there are still the "cool" people around, but they are few and far between and most of them start off as though theyre going to be chill, then it all fades away. i actually had a guy stop me and say, " hey, youre the chick that i saw earlier today. you walked a long way." i grinned in reply and opened my mouth to say something in return, but he was already moving on as though he was running away. is this what conversation has come to? a bunch of one-liners compatable to what we share through text messaging and twitter? next thing you know were going to start shortening our words into coded grunting noises as it will be too much work to enounciate each syllable. its a pathetic and saddening thought.
that all said, i have made it to burnaby and actually found a campground here. its a little saddening as this will be the last time i set up my tent for the night. tomorrow i will be in vanvcouver. crazy.
today couldnt have ended more perfectly though. sore, blistered feet aside i have actually found a campground worth the nearly $40 they charged me for the night. it has showers. it has a pool (WITH a hot tub) and a bunch of other stuff i dont really care about as i wont use it. this afternoon, after i set up tent, i went straight to the pool and had it all to myself for almost an hour. the hot tub jets worked wonders on my sore feet and i only wish i could have soaked longer, but i needed to dry up my feet to help the blisters heal.
i can hardly believe its my last night before i make it to vancouver. i hardly know what to do with myself.
august 18/09 (DAY #49)
i am done. finished. its over. complete. 48 days, 2 hours and 15 min from when i first stepped onto the trail. i have made it to vancouver. i can hardly believe it.
as i sit here in my plush hotel room (i splurged to celebrate) i find myself reflecting over the last 7 weeks. ive been over mountains, through valleys and across rivers. ive walked in sun, clouds, rain and in snow. i have had sunburn, scratches, cuts, blisters and chaffing. i have seen countless wildlife including 3 bears, 1 bobcat, deer, antelope, rabbits, frogs, birds, fish, butterflies, snails, snakes and caterpillers. i fought daily against the mosquitoes, black flies, horse flies, wasps and spiders.
of my 48 nights i ahve been on my journey i have slept in my tent for 35, 11 of them being in non-designated camping sites. i spent 3 of my nights in cabins and 10 in a variety of motels. i have accepted rides on 7 different occassions - all but 1 being under 40 km totalled in distance. i have crossed 26 rivers, hundreds of creaks and have fallen on my butt 4 times (once being in the river). i have walked on trails, sidewalks, logging roads, forestry roads and highways. pavement, gravel, sand, water, rocks and dirt - i have done it wall. ive read over a dozen books and updated my blog on the internet about the same amount - total spending for access = $54 for my 7 week journey.
****
i feel as though this journey has taken me to so many places and looking back i cant even begin to describe how it has changed me. but it has. my walking has given me time to think. it has given me time to become stronger in who i am. i do not think i have changed in WHO i am as much as i have changed in becoming more of who i am.
and the journey is not over yet. it can never be. my journey is my life.
august 19/09 (DAY #50)
i am no officially back in port coquitlam. after spending the night at a hotel in vancouver i spent today transporting myself along the sky rail to meet up with my dads cousins family. they have graciously opened up their home for me to come and stay for a few days.
that being said, last night i splurged in order to celebrate my arrival into the city that took me exactly 7 weeks to get to. and splurg i did. as it turns out, holiday inn is only affordable for those who are rich. i swear half the money i put down for the night went towards the companys commercials that attempt to convince people otherwise. i couldnt complain much. i managed to convince them to give me a free breakfast out of my stay (would have cost me $12 ON TOP of what i was paying for the night) in order to celebrate my arrival.
i find it disorienting now that im here and its difficult to change my focus from moving forward to being able to sit back, relax and re-organize myself for what i feel like doing next. the world is at my fingertips and i am super excited at the prospect of being able to continue to explore it at my free will. that being said, the plan at this point is to enjoy having made it to the west coast and continue to explore and area of canada i have never experienced before.
"whats 2% of 700?" that - apparently - was the question of the day. of the morning. 6:30 am to be more precise. i was busy getting my groove on as i made my way out of mission. crossing the street from my motel it was then that i spotted her.
she strutted her way towards me. like a duck. no joke. she took up the entire sidewalk which left me with the though that she would soon be a pancake under my feet as i had nowhere to go but forward.
fortunately ms. duck moved over just in time as we passed each other. i smiled at her. she responded by popping the question.
"whats 2% of 700?" huh? my brain had trouble just registering WHAT this lady had just said, let alone what it meant. my mouth took over and automatically responded with "i have no idea." i DO have "an idea" - the answer is 14, but come on! who expects to have a math quiz at 6:30 in the morning when walking across BC? i was lucky i was even walking in the right direction at that point.
i was about to fire back a question of my own to appease my curiousity and figure out why this lady needed to know when she did something that took the words right out of my mouth.
she scoffed at me.
then she proceeded to say, "yeah - i thought so" in such a condensending way i immediately thought my hair must be blonde as i was definitely the brunt of this joke.
as i walked away, the answer to her question came to me. 14. i was tempted to go back to tell the chick, but my tired feet and heavy bag reminded me of my bigger purpose of the day.
most of the morning i spent walking through fog, but it did finally clear up and i found it wierd to actually be walking under the sun again. warm. bright. happy. i loved it.
i made it to maple ridge today - a name that makes me want a piece of fudge and checked into a motel. i settled in then walked to the nearest phone to call my dad and check in. i sighed to myself as i had, yet again, foud a phone where the connection sucked. it didnt help that traffic buzzed behind me. i pressed the phone tightly against my ear and plugged the other just so i could hear what my dad had to say. at the end of our conversation i went to hang up the phone but it was stuck to my ear and hair. i peeled it away and it was then i noticed it - someone had thought of the brilliant idea to put gum on the earpiece. i immediately went back to my motel room to wash my ear. gotta love urban life.
that being said, ear gum incident aside - i have been having a slight case of culture shock since i got to mission yesterday. the cars. the roads. the streetlights. everything. i have not been in a large city environment since i left calgary over 6 weeks ago. everythings bigger, busier and louder now. i even put away my bear bell for good now. i figured if i cant hear it then the bears probably wouldnt either.
after being away from the big urban cities for so long i am not sure i ever want to be back for good. i already miss the fresh air of the wilderness.
august 17/09 (DAY #48)
i have officially, OFFICIALLY entered the land of cement. there is no going back. the smog creeps into my lungs as i feel as though i am suffocating. it is not as though the pollution here is that insane - this is all more a side effect to my bad case of culture shock. the noise level is up. the traffic volume is up. the amount of horrendous looking buildings that block my view of anything worthwhile is WAY up. i am left to choose which type of cement id prefer to walk on as there is no longer the option of a dirt trail.
there is also no longer the option of dropping my pants whenever i feel the urge to go. i not have to be a "respectable" citizen and wait until i bypass a place with a washroom. one might think i should be thrilled at the prospect of being able to use a real bathroom - not even an outhouse, but the truth is, it just reminds me that i have lost my freedom. i am no reconfined to the box of society - one that i just dont quite fit in as i march down streets in my well-worn clothes, my walking poles clicking on the pavement with each step i take, my backpack giving me an awkward gate. gone are the days when i could cheerfully exchange a few words with fellow pedestrians, or even people in their cars at stop lights.
instead i am left with those that are in such a hurry they dont have time to chat or those that have panic written all ove rtheir face as though im going to pull out my bear spray and have at them. there have been those who avoid eye contact at all costs, even if it means looking at a concrete wall, those who pretend i didnt just smile and say hello to them and there are even those people who have glared at me as they pass. finally, there are the "gawkers" - bu those have been with me all along so ive become fairly accostomed to the craning necks with faces staring in wide-eyed wonder.
sure, there are still the "cool" people around, but they are few and far between and most of them start off as though theyre going to be chill, then it all fades away. i actually had a guy stop me and say, " hey, youre the chick that i saw earlier today. you walked a long way." i grinned in reply and opened my mouth to say something in return, but he was already moving on as though he was running away. is this what conversation has come to? a bunch of one-liners compatable to what we share through text messaging and twitter? next thing you know were going to start shortening our words into coded grunting noises as it will be too much work to enounciate each syllable. its a pathetic and saddening thought.
that all said, i have made it to burnaby and actually found a campground here. its a little saddening as this will be the last time i set up my tent for the night. tomorrow i will be in vanvcouver. crazy.
today couldnt have ended more perfectly though. sore, blistered feet aside i have actually found a campground worth the nearly $40 they charged me for the night. it has showers. it has a pool (WITH a hot tub) and a bunch of other stuff i dont really care about as i wont use it. this afternoon, after i set up tent, i went straight to the pool and had it all to myself for almost an hour. the hot tub jets worked wonders on my sore feet and i only wish i could have soaked longer, but i needed to dry up my feet to help the blisters heal.
i can hardly believe its my last night before i make it to vancouver. i hardly know what to do with myself.
august 18/09 (DAY #49)
i am done. finished. its over. complete. 48 days, 2 hours and 15 min from when i first stepped onto the trail. i have made it to vancouver. i can hardly believe it.
as i sit here in my plush hotel room (i splurged to celebrate) i find myself reflecting over the last 7 weeks. ive been over mountains, through valleys and across rivers. ive walked in sun, clouds, rain and in snow. i have had sunburn, scratches, cuts, blisters and chaffing. i have seen countless wildlife including 3 bears, 1 bobcat, deer, antelope, rabbits, frogs, birds, fish, butterflies, snails, snakes and caterpillers. i fought daily against the mosquitoes, black flies, horse flies, wasps and spiders.
of my 48 nights i ahve been on my journey i have slept in my tent for 35, 11 of them being in non-designated camping sites. i spent 3 of my nights in cabins and 10 in a variety of motels. i have accepted rides on 7 different occassions - all but 1 being under 40 km totalled in distance. i have crossed 26 rivers, hundreds of creaks and have fallen on my butt 4 times (once being in the river). i have walked on trails, sidewalks, logging roads, forestry roads and highways. pavement, gravel, sand, water, rocks and dirt - i have done it wall. ive read over a dozen books and updated my blog on the internet about the same amount - total spending for access = $54 for my 7 week journey.
****
i feel as though this journey has taken me to so many places and looking back i cant even begin to describe how it has changed me. but it has. my walking has given me time to think. it has given me time to become stronger in who i am. i do not think i have changed in WHO i am as much as i have changed in becoming more of who i am.
and the journey is not over yet. it can never be. my journey is my life.
august 19/09 (DAY #50)
i am no officially back in port coquitlam. after spending the night at a hotel in vancouver i spent today transporting myself along the sky rail to meet up with my dads cousins family. they have graciously opened up their home for me to come and stay for a few days.
that being said, last night i splurged in order to celebrate my arrival into the city that took me exactly 7 weeks to get to. and splurg i did. as it turns out, holiday inn is only affordable for those who are rich. i swear half the money i put down for the night went towards the companys commercials that attempt to convince people otherwise. i couldnt complain much. i managed to convince them to give me a free breakfast out of my stay (would have cost me $12 ON TOP of what i was paying for the night) in order to celebrate my arrival.
i find it disorienting now that im here and its difficult to change my focus from moving forward to being able to sit back, relax and re-organize myself for what i feel like doing next. the world is at my fingertips and i am super excited at the prospect of being able to continue to explore it at my free will. that being said, the plan at this point is to enjoy having made it to the west coast and continue to explore and area of canada i have never experienced before.
i hate the clouds
august 12/09 (DAY #43)
its too windy here and i cant breathe. the panic and anxiety rise in my soul like bile in my throat. i can handle the bears. the mountains. the blisters. i have learned to deal with the lonliness and ever-changing weather. but not this.
my camera broke. everything had been going so smoothly today. the weather is getting better. my blisters and tired legs are better. i spent most of the day just relaxing in my tent in one of hopes campsites reading through my stash of books.
it was when i spent some time down by the river taking pictures of the gorgeous view that it happened. i turned on my camera and it started making a sound as though a crank was being turned than needed oil. i cringed as i heared the metal scrape against metal in my tiny machine. i tentatively tried the zoom. the camera immediately jammed and shut down. i restarted the camera and cycled through the same process again and again with no change.
i busted my but through town to find someone, ANYONE who may be able to help me out. the only place was this small hole-in-the-wall photography shop called "romanos." the guy there summed up his investigation of my cameras malfunction in saying there was ntohing he could do and that i would have to wait to get to vancouver until i could get it fixed. he added that i could still take pictures but i just couldnt zoom. that didnt make me feel any better.
i wanted to cry. i am still DAYS away from vancouver and my camera is the ONE thing i cant live without on this trip. okay - thats a BIT of an exaggeration, but still. its a big deal to me. i CAN still take pictures, but for how long until it breaks down further? what are my chances of making it ALL the way to vancouver without total destruction of the one piece of equipment i need to help capture my journey? sure - i have pen and paper, but thats just not the same as a picture.
after i let the news sink in i needed to find something to make me feel better. but what is that when im by myself and anything i purchase i have to consider how i would carry that for the rest of my journey? i cant ALWAYS turn to food when emotionally distraught. i wandered the local drug store for a long time before i found it - a small rock with the inukshuk carved into it.
the inukshuk was used by the inuit to mark trails, indicate caches of food and to mark good places to hunt or fish. inukshuks embody the spirit and persistence of the inuit who live and flourish in northern canada. they represent strength, leadership and motivation.
as i hold the small, smooth stone in my hand, i feel the sense of peace and calm wash over me. all is not lost. i am thankful my camera CAN still take pictures at this time. there is hope.
august 13/09 (DAY #44)
i walked. it rained. it rained and i walked - ALL DAY. at first it was all good. i walked highway #7 happily eating wild blackberries. then the bush attacked me. its long arm of thorns wrapped around my leg and left me with long bloody lines on my calf. i bandaged it up just in time for the heavens to open and pour down. and poured it did. i slowly became soaked - even my feet in my waterproof shoes were sloshing in their confines.
eventually i made it to agassiz and found myself a motel. i was chilled to the bone, soaked to the skin and tired as hell. theres something about fighting the spray off all the semis that takes it out of ya. it was STILL pouring rain (8 hours later) and there was no way i felt like putting up a tent. a hot shower and warm bed was in order. i took it.
august 14/09 (DAY #45)
everythings wet. i woke up to find that nothing of mine had dried overnight. my socks. my shoes. my clothes. i looked out the window and its still raining. i dred the walk ahead of me. there is a REALLY good chance i wont be able to make it all the way to mission today, which means i will have to pull out the tent for the night. i just hope tht it stops raining.
****
i now have spider guts smeared on the ceiling of my tent. i hat to kill it and unfortunately my sock happened to be the only weapon around. i had just set up my tent on dry ground (it stopped raining right before i left the motel and hasnt rained since) and got everything put inside. i went ot open the vent on one of my tent doors (i have just recently learned that by doing this i eliminate the daily issue of packing up a dew-wet tent) and as i pulled the zipper upwards, i caught movement out of the corner of my eye.
here, on one of my socks i have hanging up to dry was a spider scurrying around - its irridescent color gave me the heebie-jeebies just looking at it. i attempted to just take the sock off my indoor clothesline to disgard the 8-legged creature outside, but the spider had other plans. he moved to another sock. i had to implement "plan b" in order to avoid the malodramatics that would follow and episode of the spider exploring other realms of my tent. yes - i have been backpacing for 45 days but having a spider crawl around me and through my things still freaks me out a little.
so i took my sock, pushed it up and squished the spider. now i have a brown smear both on my tent ceiling and on my sock. let the good times roll.
other than that my day has gone pretty smoothly. it is starting to drizzle off and on now but considering i was expecting it to pour all day - its not too bad. that being said - because of my expectations i dressed prepared. rain pants. rain jacket. rain cover for my pack. i was a walking garbage bag. everything stuck to me as i walked. the exercise making me sweat and the sweat having nowhere to go. i didnt pay it any attention. i was in the zone.
the thing i DID notice today was the amount of road kill. there was a large bird, fox and a cat - of all things. the thought that i could just as easily be next crossed my mind as i marched my way along the narrow highway shoulder.
august 15/09 (DAY #46)
today started off with a bang... or i guess i could say yesterday ENDED with a bang. either way - it sucked to have to open my eyes this morning. last night people in the campground i stayed at decided to party obnoxiously as though it was 1999. there was fireworks. there was idiots doing doughnuts with their truck right outside my tent. there was the revving of countless engines. and then there was the drunk people - those who never sleep... and those who thought it was a brilliant idea to growl at my tent like a bear at 4:30 in the morning - the effects of alcohol never cease to amaze me.
so. tired as hell i packed up my tent and opened the door to find that, yet again, it looked as though it was going to rain. the sky has looked the same way for the past 8 days, save for one day in hope in which i spotted the sun for a few hours. for nearly 8 days now i have not seen the sun. the sky has simply been grey. thats it. as far as the eye can see there are grey clouds and one cant even tell if they are moving in any set direction or not. it is like my world has become a constant state of dawn/dusk as it never REALLY becomes daylight as i walk. its depressing. its painful. it makes me want to curl up and go to sleep for a really long time.
but i refuse. i am soooooooooooo close to the end i can taste it and i hardly know what to do with myself. i know that "the end" for me will be when i can take a picture of the "welcome to vancouver" sign. but what then? what do i do after that? i know my #1 priority is to get a pedicure and foot massage - but its not like i can go waltzing (as if my feet are capable of waltzing at this point) into a spa all stinky and sweaty with my pack on. lets just say there are a few kinks to work out in my plan.
and speaking of which, with the weather not changing and me on a mission to get to vancouver - i have been wearing the same clothes for the past 4 days. no joke. the same thing, day AND night. i dont care too much about it anymore because i am almost done. i only have 3 more days of walking, but depending on where i go to get my camera fixed it might be stretched out a bit longer. we'll see how it goes.......
its too windy here and i cant breathe. the panic and anxiety rise in my soul like bile in my throat. i can handle the bears. the mountains. the blisters. i have learned to deal with the lonliness and ever-changing weather. but not this.
my camera broke. everything had been going so smoothly today. the weather is getting better. my blisters and tired legs are better. i spent most of the day just relaxing in my tent in one of hopes campsites reading through my stash of books.
it was when i spent some time down by the river taking pictures of the gorgeous view that it happened. i turned on my camera and it started making a sound as though a crank was being turned than needed oil. i cringed as i heared the metal scrape against metal in my tiny machine. i tentatively tried the zoom. the camera immediately jammed and shut down. i restarted the camera and cycled through the same process again and again with no change.
i busted my but through town to find someone, ANYONE who may be able to help me out. the only place was this small hole-in-the-wall photography shop called "romanos." the guy there summed up his investigation of my cameras malfunction in saying there was ntohing he could do and that i would have to wait to get to vancouver until i could get it fixed. he added that i could still take pictures but i just couldnt zoom. that didnt make me feel any better.
i wanted to cry. i am still DAYS away from vancouver and my camera is the ONE thing i cant live without on this trip. okay - thats a BIT of an exaggeration, but still. its a big deal to me. i CAN still take pictures, but for how long until it breaks down further? what are my chances of making it ALL the way to vancouver without total destruction of the one piece of equipment i need to help capture my journey? sure - i have pen and paper, but thats just not the same as a picture.
after i let the news sink in i needed to find something to make me feel better. but what is that when im by myself and anything i purchase i have to consider how i would carry that for the rest of my journey? i cant ALWAYS turn to food when emotionally distraught. i wandered the local drug store for a long time before i found it - a small rock with the inukshuk carved into it.
the inukshuk was used by the inuit to mark trails, indicate caches of food and to mark good places to hunt or fish. inukshuks embody the spirit and persistence of the inuit who live and flourish in northern canada. they represent strength, leadership and motivation.
as i hold the small, smooth stone in my hand, i feel the sense of peace and calm wash over me. all is not lost. i am thankful my camera CAN still take pictures at this time. there is hope.
august 13/09 (DAY #44)
i walked. it rained. it rained and i walked - ALL DAY. at first it was all good. i walked highway #7 happily eating wild blackberries. then the bush attacked me. its long arm of thorns wrapped around my leg and left me with long bloody lines on my calf. i bandaged it up just in time for the heavens to open and pour down. and poured it did. i slowly became soaked - even my feet in my waterproof shoes were sloshing in their confines.
eventually i made it to agassiz and found myself a motel. i was chilled to the bone, soaked to the skin and tired as hell. theres something about fighting the spray off all the semis that takes it out of ya. it was STILL pouring rain (8 hours later) and there was no way i felt like putting up a tent. a hot shower and warm bed was in order. i took it.
august 14/09 (DAY #45)
everythings wet. i woke up to find that nothing of mine had dried overnight. my socks. my shoes. my clothes. i looked out the window and its still raining. i dred the walk ahead of me. there is a REALLY good chance i wont be able to make it all the way to mission today, which means i will have to pull out the tent for the night. i just hope tht it stops raining.
****
i now have spider guts smeared on the ceiling of my tent. i hat to kill it and unfortunately my sock happened to be the only weapon around. i had just set up my tent on dry ground (it stopped raining right before i left the motel and hasnt rained since) and got everything put inside. i went ot open the vent on one of my tent doors (i have just recently learned that by doing this i eliminate the daily issue of packing up a dew-wet tent) and as i pulled the zipper upwards, i caught movement out of the corner of my eye.
here, on one of my socks i have hanging up to dry was a spider scurrying around - its irridescent color gave me the heebie-jeebies just looking at it. i attempted to just take the sock off my indoor clothesline to disgard the 8-legged creature outside, but the spider had other plans. he moved to another sock. i had to implement "plan b" in order to avoid the malodramatics that would follow and episode of the spider exploring other realms of my tent. yes - i have been backpacing for 45 days but having a spider crawl around me and through my things still freaks me out a little.
so i took my sock, pushed it up and squished the spider. now i have a brown smear both on my tent ceiling and on my sock. let the good times roll.
other than that my day has gone pretty smoothly. it is starting to drizzle off and on now but considering i was expecting it to pour all day - its not too bad. that being said - because of my expectations i dressed prepared. rain pants. rain jacket. rain cover for my pack. i was a walking garbage bag. everything stuck to me as i walked. the exercise making me sweat and the sweat having nowhere to go. i didnt pay it any attention. i was in the zone.
the thing i DID notice today was the amount of road kill. there was a large bird, fox and a cat - of all things. the thought that i could just as easily be next crossed my mind as i marched my way along the narrow highway shoulder.
august 15/09 (DAY #46)
today started off with a bang... or i guess i could say yesterday ENDED with a bang. either way - it sucked to have to open my eyes this morning. last night people in the campground i stayed at decided to party obnoxiously as though it was 1999. there was fireworks. there was idiots doing doughnuts with their truck right outside my tent. there was the revving of countless engines. and then there was the drunk people - those who never sleep... and those who thought it was a brilliant idea to growl at my tent like a bear at 4:30 in the morning - the effects of alcohol never cease to amaze me.
so. tired as hell i packed up my tent and opened the door to find that, yet again, it looked as though it was going to rain. the sky has looked the same way for the past 8 days, save for one day in hope in which i spotted the sun for a few hours. for nearly 8 days now i have not seen the sun. the sky has simply been grey. thats it. as far as the eye can see there are grey clouds and one cant even tell if they are moving in any set direction or not. it is like my world has become a constant state of dawn/dusk as it never REALLY becomes daylight as i walk. its depressing. its painful. it makes me want to curl up and go to sleep for a really long time.
but i refuse. i am soooooooooooo close to the end i can taste it and i hardly know what to do with myself. i know that "the end" for me will be when i can take a picture of the "welcome to vancouver" sign. but what then? what do i do after that? i know my #1 priority is to get a pedicure and foot massage - but its not like i can go waltzing (as if my feet are capable of waltzing at this point) into a spa all stinky and sweaty with my pack on. lets just say there are a few kinks to work out in my plan.
and speaking of which, with the weather not changing and me on a mission to get to vancouver - i have been wearing the same clothes for the past 4 days. no joke. the same thing, day AND night. i dont care too much about it anymore because i am almost done. i only have 3 more days of walking, but depending on where i go to get my camera fixed it might be stretched out a bit longer. we'll see how it goes.......
rain, rain - go away...
okay - first things first - i have to clear up some confusion regarding the pictures. there have been a few comments made that some are finding it difficult to access the picture updates. as i have it currently, all my pictures have been posted on my facebook account. as each photo album holds up to 200 pictures, it does take a while for it to fill up so sometimes you will have to go back to same photo album in order to see the new pictures. so - if you are one of my facebook friends, you will be able to access the pictures without having to come to my blog for the link. for those of you who do not have facebook or wish to access the pictures from my blog, the links will always be posted for each photo album to the right of my blog entries ON MY ORIGINAL BLOG SITE. this means that if you have subscribed to my blog and receive each entry via your email, the link to the photos WILL NOT show up unless i specifically include it in my blog entry (which i only plan to do each time i create a new photo album - not when i add pictures to a current one). as such, for those who received my blog via email, you will have to return to my original blogsite to access the link to the photo albums. at this time there are only two, named "backpacking bc" and "backpacking bc 2" - more will be added later as i travel abroad to australia and carry on from there. please note that this blog is also automatically forward to my facebook account and will show up through my notes. again, the map of my travels will NOT show up on my facebook account OR through email if you subscribe. i hope that this all makes sense and if not, please email me at: shalane.hopkins@hotmail.com and in a final sidenote - EVERY time i update my blog entries i will be posting new photos so know that with one comes the other!
and now for my update! :)
august 5/09 (DAY #36)
my dad and i managed to find kennedy lake - just barely. there was a sign hardly visible from the highway - faded and upsidedown - indicating that a campground lay ahead. we drove down a dirt road and quickly had to change to 4 wheel drive to get along. we passed countless makeshift cabins, most consisting of a trailor with a half-attempt to build an add-on using spare lumber that happened to be lying around. eventually we made it to a set of "spots" (hard to determine if they should be called properties) that had a fire pit and picnic table each. the faded numbers nailed to posts along the road confirmed they were campsites - "were" being the key word.
my dad and i eventually had to ask someone if we had made it to the campground as it wasnt clear. we had made it - it just was no longer an active campground. it had been turned into an area for summer properties. even still, the man directed us to speak with "marie." so we did and she told us we could use the park area to set up our tents free of charge.
so here we are - set up in the middle of a grassy park, complete with picnic tables, horse shoe and an old building that looks like it used to be a pretty fun rec centre. we got the lake nearby and the breeze in the trees. its and odd place, but its still its own version of paradise.
august 6/09 (DAY #37)
what a relaxing day - i ended up spending it stretched out in the sun on my towel by my tent reading a book. i have forgotten how much i love to read. to get lost in a book and its story. this journey has brought me back the opportunity for me to devulge in my long-lost passion with my only concern being that i cant seem to find enough space in my bag to transport all the books id like to read. at the pace i read i could have a book for each day i have been going - but thats just physically not possible for me to carry. hence why i am attempting to force myself into enjoying the habit of re-reading the book(s) i DO have. fortunately with my dad hanging out with me i have been able to buy new books and dump the old ones on him. i was in my glory to be able to pick up a new story today.
that being said, all this book-worming didnt start until after lunch as i spent most of the morning trying to warm up. it was a mere 10 degrees last night and given i seem to have climatized to the upper 30 degree days that have been a regular of central bc summers - i was COLD. it didnt help that i had awoken at 3 am with the sudden urge to pee and the stubborn refusal to exit my barely warm sleeping bag. i figured if i was already cold in my sleeping bag, things would only feel more frozen should i venture out. not to mention the horrid thought of having to face a cold toilet seat. NOT my idea of a good time. so i forced myself back to sleep, ignoring my bladders protests until about 7:30 am when i had to bolt out of my tent on a mission to the porcelin throne as my body threatened to be the second thing to make my tent wet that morning (we had woken to a bad case of dew on our tents).
anyway, the rest of the day was fairly uneventful though part of me kept expecting somethng to happen. our campsite could almost be a real life version of one of those thriller movies like "the village" or "texas chainsaw massacre" or some other film focused around horrible things that happen to strangers in a run-down, off the grid community. not to say that it FEELS that way. the people in this community are extraordinarly nice. its just the look with the run down buildings, empty playgrounds and the sense of mystery around why this place no longer functions as a campground. meh.
that all said, its hard to believe that tomorrow i start moving forward in my journey again. my dad will drop me off and i will set off into the bush with the hope that maybe THIS time my trail will be clearly marked all the way. i wont hold my breath. even still, i feel in better spirits than a few days ago. i feel as though i can take on my journey with full force. i only hope i have worked through my issues because there will be no stopping until i reach the finish line. vancouver - here i come! :)
august 7/09 (DAY #38)
i was surprised at how relaxed i felt today during my first 24 km stint since a week ago. i was slightly worried that it would be hard to get back in the swing of things. last time i walked was on july 31 - i dont count the 1st because that was only about 2-4 km. as it were - i was quite pleased that i knocked off about 24 km by noon today. all to end up at a cabin where i will spend the night. that being said, some idiot before me had left the door and windows wide open and when i arrived there was trash and garbage strewn all over the place. i checked inside and though there was no current animal activity, you could tell there had been. things were all over - a deck of cards looked as though they had exploded on the floor. the dish soap left a pile of sticky dirt by the sink. then there was the mouse droppings. EVERYWHERE.
i nominated myself as the cleanup crew and spent the next 2.5 hours cleaning everything which was a lot considering its only a one-room building. when i was done i had to lock all the garbage in the nearby barn - i didnt want the animals - no matter how big or small - to come back while i slept.
the rest of the afternoon was simply spent in chill mode - resting, reading and pictures. tomorrow i hope to reach nicomen lake!
august 8/09 (DAY #39)
so pretty. so cold. i have made it here to nicomen lake and the only thing i wish for is the sun. the sky has been clouded over ever since i started walking today and the wind hasnt let up. i seem to be in a pattern of wearing pants and long sleeves and i only hope that im just hitting bad weather and that this isnt normal for this time of year. hell - its not even the middle of august yet! i am damn sure not ready to give up my shorts so quickly.
that being said - i spotted a note written, or rather - scratched on the the door of the outhouse where someone stated they had snow on august 17 of some year. ive decided that i will be leaving here tomorrow morning. i dont want to spen anymore time than i have to risking to see if that weather comes around this year.
as such, ever since i got here at about 9:30 am (it was a short walk today), i have sat in my tent trying to stay warm. most of the time the breeze is cut off from my tent fly, but theres still enough to keep me huddled in my sleeping bag. the only time ive gotten out was to go to the bathroom or grab food. even still - my watch claims its 18 degrees in my tent. some chill factor.
cold or not cold, i can hardly believe its going to be 40 days into my journey tomorrow. the end is in sight and it feels awesome. i cant wait to see something, ANYTHING, that tells me ive made it to vancouver. that will be an AWESOME day. :)
august 9/09 (DAY #40)
its day #40 and i feel as though im trapped here at the lake. i decided to stay for the day as i figured itd be nicer than packing up a wet tent and trying to walk 30 km in this dreary weather. plus i managed to set up a clothesline in the lean-too shelter thats here so at least i can further justify my stay by cleaning some of my clothes. im crossing my fingers theyll dry in this weather.
the clouds hang low today and the whole campsite has been caught in a constant state of fog and drizzle since i woke up at 5 am. its now 8:20 am. last night was pretty cold and i had to layer up all my clothes, including toque and mitts, completely zip up my mummy bag and attempt to sleep. i am not looking forward to another night of that, but id rather fight the cold here where at least theres an outhouse and bear bins for food than to try to find a makeshift site at the side of the road in all the wetness.
i wonder if helen and liz will decide to stay another day - part of me hopes they do. they showed up later yesterday and i had a blast hanging out with them and just chatting it up. i know it would be nice to have some company on this cloudy day.
****
well, helen and liz left around 10 am. i immediately grew antsy with the idea of chilling in my tent all day (literally) so i packed up and left camp by 10:30. i figured my freshly washed clothes would just have to wait to dry.
i managed to crank out about 30 km of walking today without too many issues. it helped that it was so cloudy otherwise id probably of had to call it quits by 1 pm due to the heat. i was also pleased that the trail for today (a continuation of yesterdays) had been really well marked and maintained. i pretty much was able to put my feet on cruise control and just go. it was nice for once. it allowed me time to let my thoughts wander.
i found myself to be thinking a lot about my experience with helen and liz. not in a wierd stalker sort of way, just more a reflection on how refreshing it was to meet 2 other women backpackers. most times i see any woman backpacking she is generally either with her family or just her husband/boyfriend. i find it rare to meet women who are traveling with other women and even more rare to find them going solo. i am not saying that theres anything WRONG with going with a male companion, its just nice to see that there are other women out there slowly helping to break societys expectation that women need men to keep them safe.
anyway, back to my walk today. i was glad i went. i was even more glad to see the sign along the highway that said vancouver was a mere 195 km away - im stoked. the end is in sight. i quickly calculated that i could be in vancouver in as little as a week - though give i dont want to rush (part of me REALLY does) it will probably be more like 10-14 days. YAY!
on another note - right when i saw the sign, a black bear decided to cross the highway to my side (i was walking against the traffic). i pretty much just stood there and watched him as talking calmly to show "im human" was useless at this point. plus - i would have looked ridiculous to drivers as i would have to be yelling at the bear in order to be heard over the traffic. instead, i opted to cross the highway for a photo opp with the sign.
august 10/09 (DAY #41)
i woke up today, packed up and set to go. i figured i would push for a long day today and then do a short walk to get to hope for tomorrow. i made my way back onto the highway and within a few minutes spotted a glimpse of a bear walking way up high on the opposite side of the highway. could have been the same bear as yesterday, may have been different - but i figured at this rate i should keep going as my bear sightings seem to be increasing.
within an hour the dark clouds started to rain and as i walked i found it more difficult to try to figure out how i would spend the night. i started to contemplate the idea of pushing myself to get to hope for tonight. it would "only" be 38 km - but thats still about 8 km longer than any distance ive done on my journey. i decided to just take it an hour at a time.
a while down the highway, i came face to face with a cyclist who was coming the other direction. as we were on the same side of the highway and i was the one going against traffic, i figured i would stop off to the side to avoid me knocking the cyclist into the rushing traffic with my pack or something equally as dangerous. anyway, he stopped when he got to me (im busy thinking he was crazy to do so as he was the one going UP the long hill) and we got to talking. his name was adam and as it turned out, he was on day #46 of his journey - cycling from alaska to argentina to raise money for autism. super cool. (look below for more information on AFA an links to the website on how to get involved).
further on i met up with a guy who was running. we stopped and chatted and i learned that he was running from victoria to penticton in order to raise money and awareness to help women get out of the sex trade. he informed me he decided to do this because he was "bored of doing the iron man." RIGHT. as i left him and contemplated what both he and adam had shared with me i felt as though maybe i should be doing my walk for something. a cause. a cure. money. whatever. i dont know. maybe one day - but i concluded that for today, doing this walk just for me - because i wanted to - was plenty enough for me as it were.
hours later and completely exhausted from doing a little over 30 km, i met up with the freeway. a nice 6-lane divided highway where traffic zipped along with barely no regard for anything else that may be trying to move along the side at a slower pace. there was no other accessible way for me to get into hope at this point. i had to walk along it. i only had a few more km to go and there was no other choice to press on. my feet said otherwise.
walking in the rain i began to contemplate what i must look like with my pack covered with its black waterproof cover. paired with my bright orange jacket and black shorts i got laugh out of my hunched-back of halloween look. geez louise - i wished i could get off the freeway soon. i needed a distraction. i took hold of the first thing that popped into my head - dori from finding nemo.
within a few seconds i found myself singing outloud my own version of doris song "just keep swimming." mine went more like: "just keep walking, just keep walking, just keep walking, walking, walking.... what do we do? we walk... walk... walk..." when that got too repetitive id switch it up, but keep with the finding nemo theme and found myself attempting to speak whale. keep in mind this was not a silent, in-my-head event... i was practically yelling everything that came out of my mouth as it was difficult to be heard above the traffic and rain. i was just glad that no one else would be able to hear me.....
fortunately i eventually made it to hope. 38 km later. i checked out a few motels and found the prices to be too much. at one this guy asked me what price i WAS looking for (he asked for $70) - i told him $50. we bardered. he wanted $60 and i told him that was too much and i had no issues going to the next motel as there was PLENTY around. he hemmed and hawed and offered to give me the room for $55. i took it. my feet were too tired to go on any further.
a fresh shower, dry clothes and a delivered pizza and i was set for the night. now if only the weather would let up in the next couple days - im all antsy to keep going to vancouver now that its in my sights....
---------------------------------
for those who are interested in more information on adventures for autism, check out adam biel's site at: http://www.adventuresforautism.com/ -- adventure for autism (AfA) is a 25,000 mile cycling journey promoting and raising funds for autism. it started with just two UNC-CH graduates (adam biel and tim blaisdell), now its just adam, but more riders will join the trip as it travels through 19 countries! the journeymen will be posting videos and journals online on the website! follow the their epic adventure through 19 countries and over 12 climate zones over the next 24-28 months! -- for those who have facebook there is also a facebook group by the name of "adventures for autism"
and now for my update! :)
august 5/09 (DAY #36)
my dad and i managed to find kennedy lake - just barely. there was a sign hardly visible from the highway - faded and upsidedown - indicating that a campground lay ahead. we drove down a dirt road and quickly had to change to 4 wheel drive to get along. we passed countless makeshift cabins, most consisting of a trailor with a half-attempt to build an add-on using spare lumber that happened to be lying around. eventually we made it to a set of "spots" (hard to determine if they should be called properties) that had a fire pit and picnic table each. the faded numbers nailed to posts along the road confirmed they were campsites - "were" being the key word.
my dad and i eventually had to ask someone if we had made it to the campground as it wasnt clear. we had made it - it just was no longer an active campground. it had been turned into an area for summer properties. even still, the man directed us to speak with "marie." so we did and she told us we could use the park area to set up our tents free of charge.
so here we are - set up in the middle of a grassy park, complete with picnic tables, horse shoe and an old building that looks like it used to be a pretty fun rec centre. we got the lake nearby and the breeze in the trees. its and odd place, but its still its own version of paradise.
august 6/09 (DAY #37)
what a relaxing day - i ended up spending it stretched out in the sun on my towel by my tent reading a book. i have forgotten how much i love to read. to get lost in a book and its story. this journey has brought me back the opportunity for me to devulge in my long-lost passion with my only concern being that i cant seem to find enough space in my bag to transport all the books id like to read. at the pace i read i could have a book for each day i have been going - but thats just physically not possible for me to carry. hence why i am attempting to force myself into enjoying the habit of re-reading the book(s) i DO have. fortunately with my dad hanging out with me i have been able to buy new books and dump the old ones on him. i was in my glory to be able to pick up a new story today.
that being said, all this book-worming didnt start until after lunch as i spent most of the morning trying to warm up. it was a mere 10 degrees last night and given i seem to have climatized to the upper 30 degree days that have been a regular of central bc summers - i was COLD. it didnt help that i had awoken at 3 am with the sudden urge to pee and the stubborn refusal to exit my barely warm sleeping bag. i figured if i was already cold in my sleeping bag, things would only feel more frozen should i venture out. not to mention the horrid thought of having to face a cold toilet seat. NOT my idea of a good time. so i forced myself back to sleep, ignoring my bladders protests until about 7:30 am when i had to bolt out of my tent on a mission to the porcelin throne as my body threatened to be the second thing to make my tent wet that morning (we had woken to a bad case of dew on our tents).
anyway, the rest of the day was fairly uneventful though part of me kept expecting somethng to happen. our campsite could almost be a real life version of one of those thriller movies like "the village" or "texas chainsaw massacre" or some other film focused around horrible things that happen to strangers in a run-down, off the grid community. not to say that it FEELS that way. the people in this community are extraordinarly nice. its just the look with the run down buildings, empty playgrounds and the sense of mystery around why this place no longer functions as a campground. meh.
that all said, its hard to believe that tomorrow i start moving forward in my journey again. my dad will drop me off and i will set off into the bush with the hope that maybe THIS time my trail will be clearly marked all the way. i wont hold my breath. even still, i feel in better spirits than a few days ago. i feel as though i can take on my journey with full force. i only hope i have worked through my issues because there will be no stopping until i reach the finish line. vancouver - here i come! :)
august 7/09 (DAY #38)
i was surprised at how relaxed i felt today during my first 24 km stint since a week ago. i was slightly worried that it would be hard to get back in the swing of things. last time i walked was on july 31 - i dont count the 1st because that was only about 2-4 km. as it were - i was quite pleased that i knocked off about 24 km by noon today. all to end up at a cabin where i will spend the night. that being said, some idiot before me had left the door and windows wide open and when i arrived there was trash and garbage strewn all over the place. i checked inside and though there was no current animal activity, you could tell there had been. things were all over - a deck of cards looked as though they had exploded on the floor. the dish soap left a pile of sticky dirt by the sink. then there was the mouse droppings. EVERYWHERE.
i nominated myself as the cleanup crew and spent the next 2.5 hours cleaning everything which was a lot considering its only a one-room building. when i was done i had to lock all the garbage in the nearby barn - i didnt want the animals - no matter how big or small - to come back while i slept.
the rest of the afternoon was simply spent in chill mode - resting, reading and pictures. tomorrow i hope to reach nicomen lake!
august 8/09 (DAY #39)
so pretty. so cold. i have made it here to nicomen lake and the only thing i wish for is the sun. the sky has been clouded over ever since i started walking today and the wind hasnt let up. i seem to be in a pattern of wearing pants and long sleeves and i only hope that im just hitting bad weather and that this isnt normal for this time of year. hell - its not even the middle of august yet! i am damn sure not ready to give up my shorts so quickly.
that being said - i spotted a note written, or rather - scratched on the the door of the outhouse where someone stated they had snow on august 17 of some year. ive decided that i will be leaving here tomorrow morning. i dont want to spen anymore time than i have to risking to see if that weather comes around this year.
as such, ever since i got here at about 9:30 am (it was a short walk today), i have sat in my tent trying to stay warm. most of the time the breeze is cut off from my tent fly, but theres still enough to keep me huddled in my sleeping bag. the only time ive gotten out was to go to the bathroom or grab food. even still - my watch claims its 18 degrees in my tent. some chill factor.
cold or not cold, i can hardly believe its going to be 40 days into my journey tomorrow. the end is in sight and it feels awesome. i cant wait to see something, ANYTHING, that tells me ive made it to vancouver. that will be an AWESOME day. :)
august 9/09 (DAY #40)
its day #40 and i feel as though im trapped here at the lake. i decided to stay for the day as i figured itd be nicer than packing up a wet tent and trying to walk 30 km in this dreary weather. plus i managed to set up a clothesline in the lean-too shelter thats here so at least i can further justify my stay by cleaning some of my clothes. im crossing my fingers theyll dry in this weather.
the clouds hang low today and the whole campsite has been caught in a constant state of fog and drizzle since i woke up at 5 am. its now 8:20 am. last night was pretty cold and i had to layer up all my clothes, including toque and mitts, completely zip up my mummy bag and attempt to sleep. i am not looking forward to another night of that, but id rather fight the cold here where at least theres an outhouse and bear bins for food than to try to find a makeshift site at the side of the road in all the wetness.
i wonder if helen and liz will decide to stay another day - part of me hopes they do. they showed up later yesterday and i had a blast hanging out with them and just chatting it up. i know it would be nice to have some company on this cloudy day.
****
well, helen and liz left around 10 am. i immediately grew antsy with the idea of chilling in my tent all day (literally) so i packed up and left camp by 10:30. i figured my freshly washed clothes would just have to wait to dry.
i managed to crank out about 30 km of walking today without too many issues. it helped that it was so cloudy otherwise id probably of had to call it quits by 1 pm due to the heat. i was also pleased that the trail for today (a continuation of yesterdays) had been really well marked and maintained. i pretty much was able to put my feet on cruise control and just go. it was nice for once. it allowed me time to let my thoughts wander.
i found myself to be thinking a lot about my experience with helen and liz. not in a wierd stalker sort of way, just more a reflection on how refreshing it was to meet 2 other women backpackers. most times i see any woman backpacking she is generally either with her family or just her husband/boyfriend. i find it rare to meet women who are traveling with other women and even more rare to find them going solo. i am not saying that theres anything WRONG with going with a male companion, its just nice to see that there are other women out there slowly helping to break societys expectation that women need men to keep them safe.
anyway, back to my walk today. i was glad i went. i was even more glad to see the sign along the highway that said vancouver was a mere 195 km away - im stoked. the end is in sight. i quickly calculated that i could be in vancouver in as little as a week - though give i dont want to rush (part of me REALLY does) it will probably be more like 10-14 days. YAY!
on another note - right when i saw the sign, a black bear decided to cross the highway to my side (i was walking against the traffic). i pretty much just stood there and watched him as talking calmly to show "im human" was useless at this point. plus - i would have looked ridiculous to drivers as i would have to be yelling at the bear in order to be heard over the traffic. instead, i opted to cross the highway for a photo opp with the sign.
august 10/09 (DAY #41)
i woke up today, packed up and set to go. i figured i would push for a long day today and then do a short walk to get to hope for tomorrow. i made my way back onto the highway and within a few minutes spotted a glimpse of a bear walking way up high on the opposite side of the highway. could have been the same bear as yesterday, may have been different - but i figured at this rate i should keep going as my bear sightings seem to be increasing.
within an hour the dark clouds started to rain and as i walked i found it more difficult to try to figure out how i would spend the night. i started to contemplate the idea of pushing myself to get to hope for tonight. it would "only" be 38 km - but thats still about 8 km longer than any distance ive done on my journey. i decided to just take it an hour at a time.
a while down the highway, i came face to face with a cyclist who was coming the other direction. as we were on the same side of the highway and i was the one going against traffic, i figured i would stop off to the side to avoid me knocking the cyclist into the rushing traffic with my pack or something equally as dangerous. anyway, he stopped when he got to me (im busy thinking he was crazy to do so as he was the one going UP the long hill) and we got to talking. his name was adam and as it turned out, he was on day #46 of his journey - cycling from alaska to argentina to raise money for autism. super cool. (look below for more information on AFA an links to the website on how to get involved).
further on i met up with a guy who was running. we stopped and chatted and i learned that he was running from victoria to penticton in order to raise money and awareness to help women get out of the sex trade. he informed me he decided to do this because he was "bored of doing the iron man." RIGHT. as i left him and contemplated what both he and adam had shared with me i felt as though maybe i should be doing my walk for something. a cause. a cure. money. whatever. i dont know. maybe one day - but i concluded that for today, doing this walk just for me - because i wanted to - was plenty enough for me as it were.
hours later and completely exhausted from doing a little over 30 km, i met up with the freeway. a nice 6-lane divided highway where traffic zipped along with barely no regard for anything else that may be trying to move along the side at a slower pace. there was no other accessible way for me to get into hope at this point. i had to walk along it. i only had a few more km to go and there was no other choice to press on. my feet said otherwise.
walking in the rain i began to contemplate what i must look like with my pack covered with its black waterproof cover. paired with my bright orange jacket and black shorts i got laugh out of my hunched-back of halloween look. geez louise - i wished i could get off the freeway soon. i needed a distraction. i took hold of the first thing that popped into my head - dori from finding nemo.
within a few seconds i found myself singing outloud my own version of doris song "just keep swimming." mine went more like: "just keep walking, just keep walking, just keep walking, walking, walking.... what do we do? we walk... walk... walk..." when that got too repetitive id switch it up, but keep with the finding nemo theme and found myself attempting to speak whale. keep in mind this was not a silent, in-my-head event... i was practically yelling everything that came out of my mouth as it was difficult to be heard above the traffic and rain. i was just glad that no one else would be able to hear me.....
fortunately i eventually made it to hope. 38 km later. i checked out a few motels and found the prices to be too much. at one this guy asked me what price i WAS looking for (he asked for $70) - i told him $50. we bardered. he wanted $60 and i told him that was too much and i had no issues going to the next motel as there was PLENTY around. he hemmed and hawed and offered to give me the room for $55. i took it. my feet were too tired to go on any further.
a fresh shower, dry clothes and a delivered pizza and i was set for the night. now if only the weather would let up in the next couple days - im all antsy to keep going to vancouver now that its in my sights....
---------------------------------
for those who are interested in more information on adventures for autism, check out adam biel's site at: http://www.adventuresforautism.com/ -- adventure for autism (AfA) is a 25,000 mile cycling journey promoting and raising funds for autism. it started with just two UNC-CH graduates (adam biel and tim blaisdell), now its just adam, but more riders will join the trip as it travels through 19 countries! the journeymen will be posting videos and journals online on the website! follow the their epic adventure through 19 countries and over 12 climate zones over the next 24-28 months! -- for those who have facebook there is also a facebook group by the name of "adventures for autism"
the flames are burning
august 3/09 (DAY 34)
my dad and i have made it past our second night at xenon lake here. a name of which makes me think we are resideing in some ancient warrior's outdoor palace. that being said, we might as well be thought of as warriors given the insane 2 km stretch of "road" we had to drive up on to get here.
august 1 had been a day of random activities as i waited for my dad to meet me in the 37 degree heat at christina lake. apparently i had become something of a celebrity at this point (my 3rd day at the lake) as when i went to the ice cream shop to do a solo celebration of my 1 month walking across bc (though who am i kiddin - i would have been there regardless of which day it was), a man there was like, "so YOURE the one going across bc - i heard about you on the golf course." well, fancy that. i was tempted to ask if the guy wanted my autograph.
by 3 pm i had made my way to the visitors centre and just as i relieved my back of the weight of my pack i spotted my dads truck. it was so nice to see a familiar face - it had been a long time. its a wierd sensation to have gone an entire month and not KNOW anyone. anyway, we packed my things in the truck and we were off - all the way to xenon lake.
it wasnt until we spotted the sign indicating that the campsite at xenon lake was 2 km away that things started to get a little rocky - literally. the sign was nice enough to indicate that only vehicles with 4 wheel drive would be able to survive the steep incline, yet they failed to mention that wed be encountering a "road" so narrow you feel like sucking in your gut just in hopes that it would shave off an inch or two of your vehicles width.
my dads hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as i gritted my teeth - driving up that road we bounced over the bumps that made me feel as though at any moment i would be catapulted through the roof. i had gotten my break. i was no longer in control of my journey and could only hope wed make it through the 2 km to set up camp and not be stressed with how we would fix a broken axel.
fortunately we made it. we came up over the last hill and i spotted the lake. it was gorgeous. the glassy surface was lined with countless lily pads as the giant trees stood around the edge, attempting to protect the water of the suns harsh rays. we managed to find a secluded campsite away from the others that were full of fellow long weekend campers. a quick dip in the lake to cool off and rinse off the grime, supper and then we were ready for sleep.
yesterday we woke up to sun shining brightly and after breakfast we decided to go for a short 5 km hike to check out a nearby cabin. true to bc's trail system, the path was so overgrown in many areas that my dad and i had to rely on the surveyors tape a previous hiker had thoughfully tied to trees as markers. within about 1.5 hours we made it to the top of the mountain only to completely lose the trail all together. after about 45 min of exploring the peak for signs of a trail, surveyors tape or SOMETHING to indicate which direction we were to go, we decided to turn back. disappointed about not reaching the cabin we arrived back at camp with our limbs scratched up from the bushes and our lungs burning with the desire of some h2o remedy. we were spent and ended up sticking by the campsite the rest of the day relaxing and chatting it up.
it was about mid-afternoon when i pulled out the mapbook to see if i could figure out why we never found the cabin. as soon as i flipped it open to the right page, there it was staring back at me. as it turned out, the trail i had thought led to the cabin was actually just the boundary line for the provincial park. the trail we were on ended at the top of the mountain where we had gone. both sets of lines looked the same on my black and white photocopied map and it wasnt until i opened the colored book that i could see the difference. good times.
today has been a quiet day as all the long weekend campers have gone. the entire campsite appears to be ours for the taking and we intend to enjoy every minute of it.
****
the day is done and we are spent. it was so relaxing being able to just "be" by the lake, in the lake, around the lake. with steak and corn on the cob for dinner - who could complain?!
that being said - what really struck me today was how incredibly frustrating it is to think that ive only made it half the distance across bc and i still got over a month to go if i were to even been dropped off in penticton by my dad. its not the physical strain of having to walk that much further that really gets to me - its the emotional strain of being alone. i do not regret doing this journey alone and i realized when i planned this that one of my main hardships i would face would be dealing with the very fact that i am alone.
as i have said before - the last week has been hard. dont get me wrong - i still love the fact that i have chosen to take on this adventure and i am proud at how far i have come, bu tthere is a part of me that is ready to be done. its the part that enjoys building relationships and seeing familiar faces every so often - not like now where everyday i am thrusting myself into a whirlwind of introductory interactions. it is difficult to meet so many incredible people in my travels and try to get to know them as much as possible within the next 24 hours or less and feel as though id be able to maintain a relationship once we parted. and thats the thing - all these people i have met will most likely go on their way as i have on mine and we will forget about each other - never even reaching that point of comfort to which i could take a picture of us for memories sake.
as such, part of me longs for when i can slow my pace enough that i have time to actually make friends, get past the intros and build on a relationship. i long to be able to wear the clothes i want because i feel like it and not out of necessity because of hiking 30 km a day. i long to wake up and know ill be able to get a shower with REAL shampoo - not this biodegradeable stuff used for camping. id really love to have a room thats bigger than a space only 2 people can lay down in side by side. and id REALLY love to sleep in a bed.
all in all, i am tired of the emotional strain this slow journey has placed on me, but i know one thing for sure - i wont give up. this is my journey, my adventure and no one can take that away from me. no one can tell me if i am doing it right or wrong because no one is even telling me i have to do this in the first place. i want to be able to get to vancouver and know that i made it. ME. no one else - i did it.
as such, i have decided that after me and my dad camp this week that i will let him drop me off at princeton. sure, thats a ways from where i last stopped walking at christina lake, but a tthe same time i could have just as easily given up and had my dad take me all the way to the finish line. no way - i want to be able to say "i walked to vancouver." and i will. no giving up. no stopping me. i will do it.
august 5/09 (DAY 36)
yesterday was a whirlwind of activity. as usual. we decided to pack up and mover our camping location closer to princeton as that was where i would be dropped off to continue on my journey. so we did, only to find that the 2 km road we had stressed about coming to xenon lake was really not that bad. apparently the scare factor is only for first timers. who knows. either way, we made it down and headed along highway 3 towards princeton.
it was really different to be in a vehicle for once and it left me with mixed feelings. i was super glad that i got to skip the dry, waterless environment with scattered sage bush that grand forks brought and i was even happy to zip past osoyoos where the smokey haze of the bc fires blocked the view of what im sure is a gorgeous lake. but it was also hard to take everything in. the vineyards. the fruit stands. the unique building structures that only told of a long history of people before us. i tried to absorb it all. feel it. remember it. but theres only so much you can do when going 100 km/hr.
we did stop off in hedley for some lunch before hitting up the campsite and i found myself chomping down on one of the best hamburgers ive ever had. gotta love small town restaurants. full of greasey food and ice cream we made our way to where our map indicated a campsite and found it. right along the highway, barely a tree to give shade with a rocky surface to set up tent. we both vetoed it.
the next one was more of the same. then we found one that paralleled the river but was way higher than it - i can only imagine trying to get water only to end up sliding down the side of the steep drop. not fun. we skipped it. the next 2 were more of the same. our journey started to become almost a game of "wheres waldo" as the campsites were never really matched up to where they were on the map. and some on the map were nameless so we spent the drive scanning through the trees (what little of them there were) to see if we could find picnic tables hidden there. we drove up roads with no names, certain we'd find the site, only to discover we had driven way to far and were on the wrong side of the river. eventually we just ended up in princeton and booked into a motel.
i couldnt complain since this meant a shower and a real bed to lie in.
the rest of the afternoon and evening we spent checking in with the info centre and scouring the town for some last minute supplies - most of the store clerks looked at me as though i had 3 heads when i inquired whether or not they had what are called "sport beans" (a type of jelly bean made to get you nutrients fast when doing exercise) - no one had them. too bad. the info centre had a person who was ACTUALLY very informative when it came to trails - a majority of the visitor centres ive been to have people who do not even hike and are generally useless to me when it comes to questions about which route is better to take. she also talked about the fires and confirmed that coming to princeton was a good idea - had i not taken the extra ride with my dad i was risking that the forest fires would cross over into my intended route of travel - something of which i really do not want to experience in my lifetime.
today has been rather lazy, with the plan to catch up on internet then leave to find a campsite by a lake. i only hope that we will have better luck than yesterday. time will tell.
*** I HAVE UPDATED MY PHOTO ALBUM AGAIN - FEEL FREE TO CHECK IT OUT - I HAVE ALSO UPDATED MY MAP (POSTED ABOVE MY BLOG) TO SHOW WHERE I HAVE GONE ACROSS BC SO FAR. ENJOY! **
my dad and i have made it past our second night at xenon lake here. a name of which makes me think we are resideing in some ancient warrior's outdoor palace. that being said, we might as well be thought of as warriors given the insane 2 km stretch of "road" we had to drive up on to get here.
august 1 had been a day of random activities as i waited for my dad to meet me in the 37 degree heat at christina lake. apparently i had become something of a celebrity at this point (my 3rd day at the lake) as when i went to the ice cream shop to do a solo celebration of my 1 month walking across bc (though who am i kiddin - i would have been there regardless of which day it was), a man there was like, "so YOURE the one going across bc - i heard about you on the golf course." well, fancy that. i was tempted to ask if the guy wanted my autograph.
by 3 pm i had made my way to the visitors centre and just as i relieved my back of the weight of my pack i spotted my dads truck. it was so nice to see a familiar face - it had been a long time. its a wierd sensation to have gone an entire month and not KNOW anyone. anyway, we packed my things in the truck and we were off - all the way to xenon lake.
it wasnt until we spotted the sign indicating that the campsite at xenon lake was 2 km away that things started to get a little rocky - literally. the sign was nice enough to indicate that only vehicles with 4 wheel drive would be able to survive the steep incline, yet they failed to mention that wed be encountering a "road" so narrow you feel like sucking in your gut just in hopes that it would shave off an inch or two of your vehicles width.
my dads hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as i gritted my teeth - driving up that road we bounced over the bumps that made me feel as though at any moment i would be catapulted through the roof. i had gotten my break. i was no longer in control of my journey and could only hope wed make it through the 2 km to set up camp and not be stressed with how we would fix a broken axel.
fortunately we made it. we came up over the last hill and i spotted the lake. it was gorgeous. the glassy surface was lined with countless lily pads as the giant trees stood around the edge, attempting to protect the water of the suns harsh rays. we managed to find a secluded campsite away from the others that were full of fellow long weekend campers. a quick dip in the lake to cool off and rinse off the grime, supper and then we were ready for sleep.
yesterday we woke up to sun shining brightly and after breakfast we decided to go for a short 5 km hike to check out a nearby cabin. true to bc's trail system, the path was so overgrown in many areas that my dad and i had to rely on the surveyors tape a previous hiker had thoughfully tied to trees as markers. within about 1.5 hours we made it to the top of the mountain only to completely lose the trail all together. after about 45 min of exploring the peak for signs of a trail, surveyors tape or SOMETHING to indicate which direction we were to go, we decided to turn back. disappointed about not reaching the cabin we arrived back at camp with our limbs scratched up from the bushes and our lungs burning with the desire of some h2o remedy. we were spent and ended up sticking by the campsite the rest of the day relaxing and chatting it up.
it was about mid-afternoon when i pulled out the mapbook to see if i could figure out why we never found the cabin. as soon as i flipped it open to the right page, there it was staring back at me. as it turned out, the trail i had thought led to the cabin was actually just the boundary line for the provincial park. the trail we were on ended at the top of the mountain where we had gone. both sets of lines looked the same on my black and white photocopied map and it wasnt until i opened the colored book that i could see the difference. good times.
today has been a quiet day as all the long weekend campers have gone. the entire campsite appears to be ours for the taking and we intend to enjoy every minute of it.
****
the day is done and we are spent. it was so relaxing being able to just "be" by the lake, in the lake, around the lake. with steak and corn on the cob for dinner - who could complain?!
that being said - what really struck me today was how incredibly frustrating it is to think that ive only made it half the distance across bc and i still got over a month to go if i were to even been dropped off in penticton by my dad. its not the physical strain of having to walk that much further that really gets to me - its the emotional strain of being alone. i do not regret doing this journey alone and i realized when i planned this that one of my main hardships i would face would be dealing with the very fact that i am alone.
as i have said before - the last week has been hard. dont get me wrong - i still love the fact that i have chosen to take on this adventure and i am proud at how far i have come, bu tthere is a part of me that is ready to be done. its the part that enjoys building relationships and seeing familiar faces every so often - not like now where everyday i am thrusting myself into a whirlwind of introductory interactions. it is difficult to meet so many incredible people in my travels and try to get to know them as much as possible within the next 24 hours or less and feel as though id be able to maintain a relationship once we parted. and thats the thing - all these people i have met will most likely go on their way as i have on mine and we will forget about each other - never even reaching that point of comfort to which i could take a picture of us for memories sake.
as such, part of me longs for when i can slow my pace enough that i have time to actually make friends, get past the intros and build on a relationship. i long to be able to wear the clothes i want because i feel like it and not out of necessity because of hiking 30 km a day. i long to wake up and know ill be able to get a shower with REAL shampoo - not this biodegradeable stuff used for camping. id really love to have a room thats bigger than a space only 2 people can lay down in side by side. and id REALLY love to sleep in a bed.
all in all, i am tired of the emotional strain this slow journey has placed on me, but i know one thing for sure - i wont give up. this is my journey, my adventure and no one can take that away from me. no one can tell me if i am doing it right or wrong because no one is even telling me i have to do this in the first place. i want to be able to get to vancouver and know that i made it. ME. no one else - i did it.
as such, i have decided that after me and my dad camp this week that i will let him drop me off at princeton. sure, thats a ways from where i last stopped walking at christina lake, but a tthe same time i could have just as easily given up and had my dad take me all the way to the finish line. no way - i want to be able to say "i walked to vancouver." and i will. no giving up. no stopping me. i will do it.
august 5/09 (DAY 36)
yesterday was a whirlwind of activity. as usual. we decided to pack up and mover our camping location closer to princeton as that was where i would be dropped off to continue on my journey. so we did, only to find that the 2 km road we had stressed about coming to xenon lake was really not that bad. apparently the scare factor is only for first timers. who knows. either way, we made it down and headed along highway 3 towards princeton.
it was really different to be in a vehicle for once and it left me with mixed feelings. i was super glad that i got to skip the dry, waterless environment with scattered sage bush that grand forks brought and i was even happy to zip past osoyoos where the smokey haze of the bc fires blocked the view of what im sure is a gorgeous lake. but it was also hard to take everything in. the vineyards. the fruit stands. the unique building structures that only told of a long history of people before us. i tried to absorb it all. feel it. remember it. but theres only so much you can do when going 100 km/hr.
we did stop off in hedley for some lunch before hitting up the campsite and i found myself chomping down on one of the best hamburgers ive ever had. gotta love small town restaurants. full of greasey food and ice cream we made our way to where our map indicated a campsite and found it. right along the highway, barely a tree to give shade with a rocky surface to set up tent. we both vetoed it.
the next one was more of the same. then we found one that paralleled the river but was way higher than it - i can only imagine trying to get water only to end up sliding down the side of the steep drop. not fun. we skipped it. the next 2 were more of the same. our journey started to become almost a game of "wheres waldo" as the campsites were never really matched up to where they were on the map. and some on the map were nameless so we spent the drive scanning through the trees (what little of them there were) to see if we could find picnic tables hidden there. we drove up roads with no names, certain we'd find the site, only to discover we had driven way to far and were on the wrong side of the river. eventually we just ended up in princeton and booked into a motel.
i couldnt complain since this meant a shower and a real bed to lie in.
the rest of the afternoon and evening we spent checking in with the info centre and scouring the town for some last minute supplies - most of the store clerks looked at me as though i had 3 heads when i inquired whether or not they had what are called "sport beans" (a type of jelly bean made to get you nutrients fast when doing exercise) - no one had them. too bad. the info centre had a person who was ACTUALLY very informative when it came to trails - a majority of the visitor centres ive been to have people who do not even hike and are generally useless to me when it comes to questions about which route is better to take. she also talked about the fires and confirmed that coming to princeton was a good idea - had i not taken the extra ride with my dad i was risking that the forest fires would cross over into my intended route of travel - something of which i really do not want to experience in my lifetime.
today has been rather lazy, with the plan to catch up on internet then leave to find a campsite by a lake. i only hope that we will have better luck than yesterday. time will tell.
*** I HAVE UPDATED MY PHOTO ALBUM AGAIN - FEEL FREE TO CHECK IT OUT - I HAVE ALSO UPDATED MY MAP (POSTED ABOVE MY BLOG) TO SHOW WHERE I HAVE GONE ACROSS BC SO FAR. ENJOY! **
hitting the half-way mark
july 26/09 (DAY 26)
this is the first time in my entire journey to which i am completely and utterly bored. i dont know what to do and i havent a clue if all it is is simply lack of sleep or what. here i am at this gorgeous lakeside campsite and i am dumbfounded. i have found the wasps here to be incredibly horrible and given my antsy state of mind i would rather pack up and leave, but my clothes (that i washed 2 days ago) are STILL damp. so then i figure i should stay. but then theres the wasps. SIGH.
last night i think was the worst nights sleep ive had since i started this journey. between the drunk guys testing to see who has more testosterone in them by having a yelling match across the lake and then the squirrel and owl deciding to do a duet all night beside my tent - well, what little sleep i DID get was filled with a mishmash of dreams.
ahh - screw it. im packing up. i cant sit still here.
****
what a messed up day today has been. starting with a lack of sleep last night due to a hooting owl, squirrel running around, a cayote or wolf (i havent a clue which) howling at the moon and my dreams.... well to sum it up - it sucked. oh - and there was also a tree that fell over. i couldnt tell where it was so all i could do was hold my breath and cross my fingers that it wouldnt hit my tent as the unmistakeable sound of wood breaking filled my ears. i survived. to top it all off - the boys across the lake might as well have been yelling out their measurements as they got into a very classic drunken yelling match over who was better than who.
5 am rolled around pretty quickly and though i had no intention of getting up at that time as i planned on taking the day to chill, i was up. that was when i started to have problems. i was antsy, tired and a little cranky right off the bat yet couldnt seem to go bak to sleep. i also couldnt seem to get a fire going and couldnt seem to get away from the wasps. by 10 am i decided to pack up and leave. at least THAT gave me something productive to do.
productive as it was, in my tired state of mind i failed to think that because i was leaving camp so late id be walking during the hottest part of the day. and it was a hot one at 32 degrees celcius. i pressed on, figuring i could make it to a nearby deserted village by 1 pm and set up camp. it was a bonus that id be by the lakeshore again, hopefully this time with no wasps.
i found the road leading to the lakeshore shortly after 1 pm. i had to bypass a gate, but thought nothing of it as gates such as that have been a normal obstacle for uninhabitated areas. i found out quickly that the road did a steep decline to get to the shore, one of which i found myself dreading to have to come up the next day. that thought was immediately crushed when i reached the bottom.
as it turns out, this "deserted" village has recently been turned into an array of summer cabins, one of which even had the sign posted, "private property. no trespassing. violators will be shot. survivors will be shot again." a REAL friendly neighborhood by the looks of it. i reluctantly turned around to make my way back up the 1 km/150 m incline.
about halfway up, all sticky with sweat, i met up with a family all packed in their bright new shiny vehicle. the mom asked me if i had walked all the way down. i said i had in hopes that id be able to find somewhere to camp for the night. she smiled knowingly and then who i could only assume was HER mom piped up and said, "you know, theres a gat up top - USUALLY that meaks there's people around." she said it in that condensending way to indicate that she thought i was dumb to have walked all the way down the hill when apparently it was so obvious i was entering private property. i just replied that in my experience the opposite was true if there are no signs on the gate indicating otherwise. i could only wonder if the sole private property sign i DID see happened to be this ladys. i could definitely see her as someone that would shoot any trespassers on her property.
that lady pissed me off SO badly, it made the rest of my climb back up the hill miserable. i had wanted so badly to talke back to her and throw in her face that ive been walking for the past month across bc - what the hell has SHE been doing that she has any right to judge me?! i bit my tongue.
eventually i found a spot 3 km later aside a creek. thank goodness.
july 28/09 (DAY 28)
i have officially set up camp for today and, as usual, the big black cloud has followed me here. i actually got confirmation from a couple of locals that the weatherman has reported a circular pattern with these rain clouds. i feel so privileged that they chose to be in sync with my route. on the positive side at least theres some routine to it all. wake up to a damp tent and bright blue sky. pack up and head out, enjoying the few hours of cool air before the heat strikes (it was 30 degrees by 9 am today). as time ticks on, i am consumed with the hope, excitement and possibility of the "perfect camping spot" to dry my tent, wash clothes and enjoy the heat without a pack strapped to my back. id find the spot, set up tent and feel in heaven as a breeze comes by and cools me off. id look up to face the sun thats been beating down on me only to find that theres a big black cloud rolling in. within 30 min itd start to rain. this has been my daily routine for the past week. everyday is the same thing. except maybe today - knock on wood. the clouds are here but they appear to be passing by rather quickly. there is hope still.
july 29/09 (DAY 29)
there was no rain yesterday, but waking up this morning my tent was still damp from the humidity there might as well have been a rainstorm.
i have made it to christina lake today and all of my lower extremities are exhausted from my 30 km hike. some could argue that i had it easy as it was all downhill from paulson, but when you walk like that for hours, deliberately putting one foot in front of the other and placing each hiking pole appropriately so as not to trip forward and end up rolling down the hill like a loose hubcap - it's hard. not to mention the added stress of vehicles zipping past an arms length away and trying tno to get caught up in the pull of the wind that results as the vehicles fly by. like i said - i am sore.
and tired. this last leg of my journey has felt slightly harder than others - not so much physically, but emotionally. i feel as though my heart and soul have been put to the test this past week. it has rained almost everyday - no - EVERY day save for yesterday. since i have left nelson i have met some incredibly obnoxious people, such as the lady on the 26th. then there was the guy the following day on the 27th.
i had just made it to the main highway and found my next campground that was along the short of this gorgeous lake. it was one of those self registration campsites which means you stick a payment in an envelope marked with your site # and the ranger comes by at some point to make sure everythins in order.
all the designated sites i immediately determined were crap. it was pretty much set up to drive in, park your car and right in front of your car was the "site." all had a view of the cement block that separates the cars from the "camping area." so i headed over to the day picnic area and set up my tent by a picnic table so that i had a perfect view of the lake without being in the way of all the lack/beach/picnic table users. i had just set up my tent when another camper (man) came over after doing a quick row with his canoe. he immediately stated that i could not camp where i was. i told him i couldnt resist the view and i had no issues paying the $10 for the night to see it. it wasnt as though id be "ruining" the spot by building a fire - theres currently a fire ban on due to the heat. he then proceeded to warn me the ranger may ask me to move. "i spose ill just have to talk to them when they (or IF they) get here" was my reply. he then left me alone, but from the other side of the beach i noticed him eyeing me down all day as though i was going to cause a riot.
i dont know what HE was all freaked about. it wasnt as though HE was the ranger. after it was all said and done i ended up camping for free that night as the ranger never showed. the view was worth the trouble - made up for the fact that i had broken my sunglasses (2nd pair of the trip) earlier that day when i was packing up my tent and forgot they were still inside.
the 28th held much of the same frustration as the previous few days. it was all okay until i went to go find a place for the night. there were 2 cabins indicated on my map that are available for public use, but the grainy photocopy wasnt much help in deciphering how to get to them. i completely bypassed the first one, only because there never was a path leading in that general direction.
the 2nd one i figured would be easier to access as it appeared to be sitting in the corner of where 2 logging roads met. i followed the one logging road, searching for a path that led to the cabin. 1 km later and completely out of breath from hiking straight up a hill, i turned around. i tried the second road and had better luck. sort of.
i found the faintest indentation in the ground that followed a line in the general direction of where i figured the cabin should be. i followed it. my history of watching "mantracker" marathons on tv and being in the woods for almost a month now, i figured it wouldnt be too bad to stick to the overgrown trail. it wasnt. what WAS hard was going straight up the side of the mountain in hopes that the obviously unused trail would lead me to a cabin uninhabitated by humans or wildlife and was still intact. i weighed my options (keep going or turn around) and decided it was better (and safer) to find somewhere else for the night. apparently "safe" wasnt in my books untill i was actually off the trail.
with the road in sight, i was almost at the end, but then it happened and in the painful form of slowmotion (is there any OTHER speed in these situations?) - my foot slipped on a rock. i attempted to put my hiking pole in front of me to brace myself, but the sudden shift of weight caused my backpack to shift to the side. all i could to was watch helplessly and cross my fingers i would still be in one piece at the end as i became a dirtball (the summers version of a snowball) of bag, poles, limbs and plantlife rolling to the base of the trail. i slowly untangled myself to find that all the dirt i had bypassed now clung to my sweaty body like a gritty blanket. i sighed, picked myself up and started to walk again.
fortunately the place i found that night was by a creek that had its own swimming hole. i got cleaned up, ate dinner, watched the black clouds roll by and then wrote in my journal. then my pen ran out of ink. after an attempt to write with my emergency pencil (similar to writing with a toothpick) i decided to try sleep.
like i said earlier - i made it to christina lake. i am hoping a much needed break will refresh me mentally and emotionally for the next part of my journey. the campsite hosts (carol and nick) here are awesome. i have been able to charge up my camera batteries (the one died shortly after leaving neslon - the second was due to go any minute here) and they gave me a pen. it was all good until 5:30 pm rolled around and i got a spontaneous nose bleed. when it didnt clear up immediately my mind ran wild thinking that this event would end my trip entirely (any nose bleed gushing after 10 minutes is not a good sign) - maybe i had something like leukemia. as i sat pinching my nostrils together with the last of my toilet paper all i could think was that i hope someone writes the book i wanted to of my journey.
geez.
it cleared by 6 pm. i figured the whole event was due to the heat. that and my exaggerated thinking was due to being alone for so much of the last week. good thing im coming up to the long weekend when there will be hoards of people around to annoy me back into my regular thinking patterns.
july 31/09 (DAY 31)
as i sit here waiting for the sun to rise and heat up my little private beach cove, my thoughts wander to what id be doing if i were still in calgary. id probably be working i spose, not that theres anything wrong with that, but its amazing to think of how different my life has become since i left. and thats just it - what i am doing now IS my life. its not a vacation or a "break." i have no job, no home, no things to "go back" to. this is it and wherever it takes me is wherever i go.
****
this beach is probably the most unique ive been to so far. first off, christina lake is one of the warmest lakes of bc - its warmer than most swimming pools. secondly, the beach for the campsite is divided into separate private coves - awesome for privace, sucky when trying to find one with the best sun access as they are all lined with trees and bushes. as it turns out, i seem to have picked a late sun spot as its now 11:45 am and the sun is just starting to hit "my" beach. meh - what can you do when in paradise?
****
well, its 4 pm and i am officially beat from all that beach time. a day of swimming and sitting in the sun has taken it out of me. now i just got to figure out where im staying for tomorrow night as the day after my dad is coming to meet me to do a week of camping (YAY!).
july 31/09
last page of my journal - only seems fitting that its the last day of the month. its also the last night before my dad comes to meet me and im so stoked for it because ironically enough it will be a break for me. a break of continuously moving forward. a break of constantly putting a smile on for strangers. a break of being the only one to make decisions and the only one to blame when theyre wrong. to top it all off i get to see my dad - what could be bad about that?
i managed to find a camping spot here by the kettle valley trail (aka: trans canada trail) that is so idealic i wish i could stay more than one night. my tent sits in the shade so its not so stiffling hot from the 30+ degrees weather and it sits on the beach - yup - a REAL beach with sand and everything - along the river. i simply spent today swimming and lounging to my hearts content. i chatted it up with some guys from kellowna who are camping further down the river and tried to maintain my invisible status when a large group of drunken tubers overtook the beach for a bit. but all in all, its been another great day in paradise! :)
NOTE: I HAVE UPDATED MORE OF MY PICTURES IN THE 2ND ALBUM OF BACKPACKING BC - CHECK IT OUT! :D
this is the first time in my entire journey to which i am completely and utterly bored. i dont know what to do and i havent a clue if all it is is simply lack of sleep or what. here i am at this gorgeous lakeside campsite and i am dumbfounded. i have found the wasps here to be incredibly horrible and given my antsy state of mind i would rather pack up and leave, but my clothes (that i washed 2 days ago) are STILL damp. so then i figure i should stay. but then theres the wasps. SIGH.
last night i think was the worst nights sleep ive had since i started this journey. between the drunk guys testing to see who has more testosterone in them by having a yelling match across the lake and then the squirrel and owl deciding to do a duet all night beside my tent - well, what little sleep i DID get was filled with a mishmash of dreams.
ahh - screw it. im packing up. i cant sit still here.
****
what a messed up day today has been. starting with a lack of sleep last night due to a hooting owl, squirrel running around, a cayote or wolf (i havent a clue which) howling at the moon and my dreams.... well to sum it up - it sucked. oh - and there was also a tree that fell over. i couldnt tell where it was so all i could do was hold my breath and cross my fingers that it wouldnt hit my tent as the unmistakeable sound of wood breaking filled my ears. i survived. to top it all off - the boys across the lake might as well have been yelling out their measurements as they got into a very classic drunken yelling match over who was better than who.
5 am rolled around pretty quickly and though i had no intention of getting up at that time as i planned on taking the day to chill, i was up. that was when i started to have problems. i was antsy, tired and a little cranky right off the bat yet couldnt seem to go bak to sleep. i also couldnt seem to get a fire going and couldnt seem to get away from the wasps. by 10 am i decided to pack up and leave. at least THAT gave me something productive to do.
productive as it was, in my tired state of mind i failed to think that because i was leaving camp so late id be walking during the hottest part of the day. and it was a hot one at 32 degrees celcius. i pressed on, figuring i could make it to a nearby deserted village by 1 pm and set up camp. it was a bonus that id be by the lakeshore again, hopefully this time with no wasps.
i found the road leading to the lakeshore shortly after 1 pm. i had to bypass a gate, but thought nothing of it as gates such as that have been a normal obstacle for uninhabitated areas. i found out quickly that the road did a steep decline to get to the shore, one of which i found myself dreading to have to come up the next day. that thought was immediately crushed when i reached the bottom.
as it turns out, this "deserted" village has recently been turned into an array of summer cabins, one of which even had the sign posted, "private property. no trespassing. violators will be shot. survivors will be shot again." a REAL friendly neighborhood by the looks of it. i reluctantly turned around to make my way back up the 1 km/150 m incline.
about halfway up, all sticky with sweat, i met up with a family all packed in their bright new shiny vehicle. the mom asked me if i had walked all the way down. i said i had in hopes that id be able to find somewhere to camp for the night. she smiled knowingly and then who i could only assume was HER mom piped up and said, "you know, theres a gat up top - USUALLY that meaks there's people around." she said it in that condensending way to indicate that she thought i was dumb to have walked all the way down the hill when apparently it was so obvious i was entering private property. i just replied that in my experience the opposite was true if there are no signs on the gate indicating otherwise. i could only wonder if the sole private property sign i DID see happened to be this ladys. i could definitely see her as someone that would shoot any trespassers on her property.
that lady pissed me off SO badly, it made the rest of my climb back up the hill miserable. i had wanted so badly to talke back to her and throw in her face that ive been walking for the past month across bc - what the hell has SHE been doing that she has any right to judge me?! i bit my tongue.
eventually i found a spot 3 km later aside a creek. thank goodness.
july 28/09 (DAY 28)
i have officially set up camp for today and, as usual, the big black cloud has followed me here. i actually got confirmation from a couple of locals that the weatherman has reported a circular pattern with these rain clouds. i feel so privileged that they chose to be in sync with my route. on the positive side at least theres some routine to it all. wake up to a damp tent and bright blue sky. pack up and head out, enjoying the few hours of cool air before the heat strikes (it was 30 degrees by 9 am today). as time ticks on, i am consumed with the hope, excitement and possibility of the "perfect camping spot" to dry my tent, wash clothes and enjoy the heat without a pack strapped to my back. id find the spot, set up tent and feel in heaven as a breeze comes by and cools me off. id look up to face the sun thats been beating down on me only to find that theres a big black cloud rolling in. within 30 min itd start to rain. this has been my daily routine for the past week. everyday is the same thing. except maybe today - knock on wood. the clouds are here but they appear to be passing by rather quickly. there is hope still.
july 29/09 (DAY 29)
there was no rain yesterday, but waking up this morning my tent was still damp from the humidity there might as well have been a rainstorm.
i have made it to christina lake today and all of my lower extremities are exhausted from my 30 km hike. some could argue that i had it easy as it was all downhill from paulson, but when you walk like that for hours, deliberately putting one foot in front of the other and placing each hiking pole appropriately so as not to trip forward and end up rolling down the hill like a loose hubcap - it's hard. not to mention the added stress of vehicles zipping past an arms length away and trying tno to get caught up in the pull of the wind that results as the vehicles fly by. like i said - i am sore.
and tired. this last leg of my journey has felt slightly harder than others - not so much physically, but emotionally. i feel as though my heart and soul have been put to the test this past week. it has rained almost everyday - no - EVERY day save for yesterday. since i have left nelson i have met some incredibly obnoxious people, such as the lady on the 26th. then there was the guy the following day on the 27th.
i had just made it to the main highway and found my next campground that was along the short of this gorgeous lake. it was one of those self registration campsites which means you stick a payment in an envelope marked with your site # and the ranger comes by at some point to make sure everythins in order.
all the designated sites i immediately determined were crap. it was pretty much set up to drive in, park your car and right in front of your car was the "site." all had a view of the cement block that separates the cars from the "camping area." so i headed over to the day picnic area and set up my tent by a picnic table so that i had a perfect view of the lake without being in the way of all the lack/beach/picnic table users. i had just set up my tent when another camper (man) came over after doing a quick row with his canoe. he immediately stated that i could not camp where i was. i told him i couldnt resist the view and i had no issues paying the $10 for the night to see it. it wasnt as though id be "ruining" the spot by building a fire - theres currently a fire ban on due to the heat. he then proceeded to warn me the ranger may ask me to move. "i spose ill just have to talk to them when they (or IF they) get here" was my reply. he then left me alone, but from the other side of the beach i noticed him eyeing me down all day as though i was going to cause a riot.
i dont know what HE was all freaked about. it wasnt as though HE was the ranger. after it was all said and done i ended up camping for free that night as the ranger never showed. the view was worth the trouble - made up for the fact that i had broken my sunglasses (2nd pair of the trip) earlier that day when i was packing up my tent and forgot they were still inside.
the 28th held much of the same frustration as the previous few days. it was all okay until i went to go find a place for the night. there were 2 cabins indicated on my map that are available for public use, but the grainy photocopy wasnt much help in deciphering how to get to them. i completely bypassed the first one, only because there never was a path leading in that general direction.
the 2nd one i figured would be easier to access as it appeared to be sitting in the corner of where 2 logging roads met. i followed the one logging road, searching for a path that led to the cabin. 1 km later and completely out of breath from hiking straight up a hill, i turned around. i tried the second road and had better luck. sort of.
i found the faintest indentation in the ground that followed a line in the general direction of where i figured the cabin should be. i followed it. my history of watching "mantracker" marathons on tv and being in the woods for almost a month now, i figured it wouldnt be too bad to stick to the overgrown trail. it wasnt. what WAS hard was going straight up the side of the mountain in hopes that the obviously unused trail would lead me to a cabin uninhabitated by humans or wildlife and was still intact. i weighed my options (keep going or turn around) and decided it was better (and safer) to find somewhere else for the night. apparently "safe" wasnt in my books untill i was actually off the trail.
with the road in sight, i was almost at the end, but then it happened and in the painful form of slowmotion (is there any OTHER speed in these situations?) - my foot slipped on a rock. i attempted to put my hiking pole in front of me to brace myself, but the sudden shift of weight caused my backpack to shift to the side. all i could to was watch helplessly and cross my fingers i would still be in one piece at the end as i became a dirtball (the summers version of a snowball) of bag, poles, limbs and plantlife rolling to the base of the trail. i slowly untangled myself to find that all the dirt i had bypassed now clung to my sweaty body like a gritty blanket. i sighed, picked myself up and started to walk again.
fortunately the place i found that night was by a creek that had its own swimming hole. i got cleaned up, ate dinner, watched the black clouds roll by and then wrote in my journal. then my pen ran out of ink. after an attempt to write with my emergency pencil (similar to writing with a toothpick) i decided to try sleep.
like i said earlier - i made it to christina lake. i am hoping a much needed break will refresh me mentally and emotionally for the next part of my journey. the campsite hosts (carol and nick) here are awesome. i have been able to charge up my camera batteries (the one died shortly after leaving neslon - the second was due to go any minute here) and they gave me a pen. it was all good until 5:30 pm rolled around and i got a spontaneous nose bleed. when it didnt clear up immediately my mind ran wild thinking that this event would end my trip entirely (any nose bleed gushing after 10 minutes is not a good sign) - maybe i had something like leukemia. as i sat pinching my nostrils together with the last of my toilet paper all i could think was that i hope someone writes the book i wanted to of my journey.
geez.
it cleared by 6 pm. i figured the whole event was due to the heat. that and my exaggerated thinking was due to being alone for so much of the last week. good thing im coming up to the long weekend when there will be hoards of people around to annoy me back into my regular thinking patterns.
july 31/09 (DAY 31)
as i sit here waiting for the sun to rise and heat up my little private beach cove, my thoughts wander to what id be doing if i were still in calgary. id probably be working i spose, not that theres anything wrong with that, but its amazing to think of how different my life has become since i left. and thats just it - what i am doing now IS my life. its not a vacation or a "break." i have no job, no home, no things to "go back" to. this is it and wherever it takes me is wherever i go.
****
this beach is probably the most unique ive been to so far. first off, christina lake is one of the warmest lakes of bc - its warmer than most swimming pools. secondly, the beach for the campsite is divided into separate private coves - awesome for privace, sucky when trying to find one with the best sun access as they are all lined with trees and bushes. as it turns out, i seem to have picked a late sun spot as its now 11:45 am and the sun is just starting to hit "my" beach. meh - what can you do when in paradise?
****
well, its 4 pm and i am officially beat from all that beach time. a day of swimming and sitting in the sun has taken it out of me. now i just got to figure out where im staying for tomorrow night as the day after my dad is coming to meet me to do a week of camping (YAY!).
july 31/09
last page of my journal - only seems fitting that its the last day of the month. its also the last night before my dad comes to meet me and im so stoked for it because ironically enough it will be a break for me. a break of continuously moving forward. a break of constantly putting a smile on for strangers. a break of being the only one to make decisions and the only one to blame when theyre wrong. to top it all off i get to see my dad - what could be bad about that?
i managed to find a camping spot here by the kettle valley trail (aka: trans canada trail) that is so idealic i wish i could stay more than one night. my tent sits in the shade so its not so stiffling hot from the 30+ degrees weather and it sits on the beach - yup - a REAL beach with sand and everything - along the river. i simply spent today swimming and lounging to my hearts content. i chatted it up with some guys from kellowna who are camping further down the river and tried to maintain my invisible status when a large group of drunken tubers overtook the beach for a bit. but all in all, its been another great day in paradise! :)
NOTE: I HAVE UPDATED MORE OF MY PICTURES IN THE 2ND ALBUM OF BACKPACKING BC - CHECK IT OUT! :D
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
