A Year in the Making

Does anyone remember Tumblr? The blogging, posting, re-sharing secret world for book lovers and poetry nerds and memes (before they were a viral phenomenon on Facebook.) On a whim, a few weeks ago I remembered that I used to be pretty active on the site and I happened to remember my password. I was scrolling through my old posts, accounts of memories of days long gone, but the one constant was intense longing to run wild and free, to have the wind in my hair and the sun on my face and mountains decorating my horizons. Looking at the dates being from more than 10 years ago, I could hardly believe that I have been imagining moments just like this one for that long.

Mom and Dad used to take us camping, I remember one time in particular as a kid, waking up to "thunking" noises on our tent in the morning and discovering that we had set up camp underneath an apple tree, gravity doing its part to get us out of bed that morning. I remember packing our van to the brim and setting off to camp our way out East, breakfasts on beaches in PEI, which is also where my love of road trips began, I'm sure of it. The baseball tournaments we decided it would be fun to camp instead of stay in hotels and only getting half as much sleep as anyone else on the other teams. Growing up on the escarpment and only minutes from multiple Bruce trail entrances, picnics on giant rocks in the woods and catching lightning bugs beside bonfires with my cousins. A love for (almost) everything outdoors is as much of a part of me as the blood running through my veins.

Dad was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces for a few years, in March of 1987, one week after he married my Mom, he was in Wainwright Alberta doing a training exercise. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time, he was in a boat that got blown up, was thrown into the air and landed on his knee in the water. This resulted in 7 knee surgeries, a lifetime of wearing a brace for as long as he was able to walk and severe chronic pain. For anyone following my journey, this is where Moms life of care-giving and unwavering support began. The first time seeing her husband 2 months after their wedding, was in the hospital in Ottawa just before his first knee surgery for what is known as the "Trifecta" or the "Unhappy Triad", which involves ACL and MCL tears and Meniscus damage all needing to be repaired.

Prior to the accident, from January to June in 1985, Dad was stationed in Chilliwack, British Columbia at the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering where he completed his training to be an engineer. We have many pictures in the keep sake boxes and photo albums of Dad in the mountains, repelling down them, standing in front of them and training on top of and around them. We heard stories from him, Mom and their old friends about the shenanigans the guys got up to as we were shown pictures of camouflage, mustaches and shorts that were way too short.

So a year ago, when I was an emotional wreck, my life having been uprooted in more ways than one and my mind a mess of chaotic thoughts and the overwhelming need to be free, the mountains were an easy choice. And right behind that, was the obvious choice to camp my way through a road trip, hitting as many hikes and adventurous mishaps as I could get myself into. I vividly remember sitting at work one day saying "I need to go." I need to change up this mundane routine of grieving and being stagnant and find joy where I know it will find me right back. So I hopped on the computer and didn't take long to have a route planned. Vancouver --> Squamish --> Whistler --> Chilliwack --> Golden Ears. I googled hikes, adventures, campsites, reviews, etc. I had papers scattered across every surface and note pads everywhere else. I had permits and parks passes and people sending me recommendations.

What I didn't have was the ability to foresee that the wild fires were going to get out of control. That BC was going to enter into a state of emergency and that the route I had planned crossed so many dangerous hot spots and parks being evacuated. So I allowed myself to be upset for a day and then I changed my plans. My camper-van rental through Karma (they're the best) was easily transferable to their depot in Calgary and .... well, you know the rest of that girl meets mountains love story (if you don't, find here: https://www.thebackwoodsblonde.com/post/where-it-begins)

Fast forward to November of 2021. I'm sitting in the airport waiting to board a flight to Germany when I get an email from Air Canada. 20% flights to Vancouver and 2x the Air Miles if you book a flight in the next 3 days...(something you should know about me is that I can convince myself of anything, very quickly) and obviously this email was a sign for me to finally make all of my BC dreams come true....15 minutes later and I had a round trip flight and round 2 of Karma Camper-van adventure waiting for me.

So mid June with my bags packed and my sites set on taller peaks, I arrived in Vancouver, hopped in a taxi to the camper-van depot and was literally shaking with excitement to get behind the wheel of my home on wheels for the next 7 days. I opened the doors and the familiar Karma scent hit me and I burst into unnecessary, but very Sarah-esque, tears of every possible emotion, the memories, the happiness, the freedom, the pure joy that came flooding back with that familiar scent and I had never been more ready to hit the road. With Squamish in my sites I hit the MEC for supplies and grabbed groceries and didn't waste any time driving straight for the mountains.

A gloomy and rainy afternoon, I was really excited to drive the Sea to Sky highway, so many things I read claiming it's one of the most beautiful drives in the world and to be honest I was a little disappointed. I know this is very spoiled of me to say but without a doubt the Columbia Ice fields Parkway in Alberta is a less terrifying and more scenic drive. However, I was still captivated by the beauty and the mountains rising up to meet me. Nearing my campground I noted that I was literally across the road from Shannon Falls Provincial Park, so I stopped in to check it out.

The trail is mostly paved, less than a km long and leads you to the base of a stunning waterfall. The power and the beauty are incredibly breathtaking and it is easy to get lost in a trance looking up, up, way up at the dramatic falls in front of you.

The rain started to get heavy and my neck started to hurt from looking up so long that I figured I should go check into my campsite at Kalhanie Campground. A charming little campground offering views of the waterfall or of the mountains opposite, spectacular service and all you need in facilities. There was a fairytale vibe to the grounds with old farm equipment, cabins and rustic signs to guide your way. My site backed onto a mountain view with plenty of room for exploring and even through it was raining throughout both meals, I enjoyed both dinner and a breakfast picnic on a rock overlooking the lake and the mountains.

Thursday morning I woke up with a pep in my step, eager to tackle the Stawamus Cheif (click here to read about the hike, my tips and tricks: https://www.thebackwoodsblonde.com/forum/british-columbia/stawamus-chief) I absolute recommend this hike to anyone that is passing through Squamish but if you are there for a few days, make it easier on yourself and pick a dry day to tackle it.

After I completed the hike, I hopped in my van, made a quick snack (van perks) and headed to my next campground in Whistler. I found this campground last year when I was going to visit the area and immediately knew I was going to stay there this year. Whistler RV park and Campground is a beautiful park on a mountain ridge that overlooks valleys and peaks on the horizon. You can check in online or in person, which is what I opted for and headed to my site. It is a basic, bare bones campground with no private sites, the sites right along the ridge offer unobstructed, breathtaking views and there isn't a bad choice of site. There are bathrooms and showers throughout the park that are kept very clean and well stocked, a rejoice after a grueling hike and long drive. I had the most incredible welcome from a rainbow over the valley while I made my dinner and read, appreciating the views, heading to bed early knowing a long day was ahead of me.

Early the next morning I woke up and enjoyed a slow breakfast before driving to check out Brandywine Falls, a nature walk through a wooded area leading to a stunning waterfall lookout that I suggest everyone make the effort to enjoy, try and get there early to beat the crowds and really be able to appreciate the lookout spots without fighting for a good view.

I didn't spend long here before heading to Garibaldi Lake. (Note: starting in 2022, to help with tourism control, you have to book a spot online to enter the park, free of charge. Go to the BC Parks website for more details and to reserve a day pass) If you are interested in reading more about this hike, the cougars and wolverines and the 6 feet of snow in mid June, click here: https://www.thebackwoodsblonde.com/forum/british-columbia/garibaldi-lake )

I finished this hike an hour or two later than anticipated and knew I still had a lengthy drive ahead of me. I phoned the Cayoosh campground I had pre-booked in Lilloet and ensured I could still check in well into the evening. And then one of the most terrifying drives of my life began. What should have been a 1.5 hour drive, took me almost 3 due to weather and road conditions. A "highway" paved into the side of a mountain with no cellular service for the majority of the drive, few guardrails to protect you from the very steep drop off, and rain. I was just getting colour in my hands again from clutching the steering wheel too tight when I came upon a sign that read "please wait for patrol car before continuing." So I parked behind a line of cars and waited. A patrol officer came along and explain that portions of the road were washed away in the flooding and mudslides the year before and to drive slow, not too close to anyone, and only one car at a time were allowed on the temporary bridges. And off we went. I don't know what I was expecting, but literal lanes of highway just completely crumbled away remains on the top of my list of things I never want to see again, barely room for a vehicle to pass on the lane that remains so guard rails are completely out of the question and temporary bridges connecting dead ends of road where the entire centre portion has disappeared. I definitely broke world records for holding my breath through these sections. In the interest of this blog getting too long and a few of the most adventurous days still to write about, I'm going to make a part two of "A Year in the Making." Subscribe to my blog notifications or follow me on instagram so you don't miss the tea pots in the woods, a wild water rafting adventure and a day of sun showers at the beach before my less than ideal flight home.