Chapter Forty One - "My Canadian Adventure Continues"

Day 6 – Wednesday, 11^th September (‘By the Lake’)

Today we’d be canoeing up Clearwater Lake, spending a night under the stars. In the canoe, paired with Tom, I employed muscles I hadn’t used for a long time – certainly not in the pursuit of watersports, since doing windsurfing a few years ago. I was rather glad to have the company, as previous experiences of solo canoeing (rather, kayaking) had always ended up with me in the water – not something I particularly wanted to repeat. Thankfully, I didn’t get wet this time. We were rowing towards a secluded beach with a good prospect of morning sun. Such beautiful surroundings, and the lake was certainly worthy of its name. After dinner, we all lay on the beach for a spot of stargazing. My inner-astronomer not being as sharp as in my schooldays, I admired the scene from a simple point of view, enjoying the wonder of creation and letting my thoughts wander.

 

Day 7 – Thursday, 12^th September (‘Back to the Ranch’)

After making our return canoe trip to the mainland (which I found much easier), we headed back to our accommodation – the Ranch – via a couple of waterfalls, the first one being Helmcken Falls, at 141m, the fourth or fifth highest in British Columbia. A demonstration of just how much power water can exhibit!

With no more formal activities planned for the day, we relaxed before dinner. Not needing to put tents up tonight helped, as we would be staying in wooden cabins instead. It felt nice to be able to stand up by my bed; ah, the little things we take for granted!

We were dining at the Ranch’s own ‘Black Horse Saloon’ tonight, a typical Wild West atmosphere, where it was commonplace for people to wear Stetsons (not fancy dress). For food, I ordered a big ol’ 8oz steak, despite it being the most expensive thing on the menu. When we attended the grill for serving, the man dropped the steak on my plate with a hearty thud. “I hope you’re hungry”, he said. Indeed I was. Melt in the mouth, and worth every dollar. Even with tax.

 

Day 8 – Friday, 13^th September (‘Arriving at Jasper’)

Today, as we made for our next stop in Jasper National Park, we visited Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Plenty of opportunity for great photos, contrasting the mountains with the water. Thankfully, Tom captured the scene on his camera, mine being somewhat uneffective.

As we entered Jasper National Park we spotted some elk feeding by the roadside; my first sighting of such creatures, rather like big deer. At our site, it really felt like wilderness camping, with trees and woodland directly outside the tent. Thankfully, there were still the usual facilities. The evening was rounded off with a delicious Thai red curry, certainly a first for a camping trip!

 

Day 9 – Saturday, 14^th September (‘Visiting Edith and Jasper’)

After moving our tent (no more than two tents per plot – a strange rule), we had breakfast and embarked on another hike, up Mount Edith Cavell, named after the nurse in the first World War. From the walking path we were able to see the spectacular Angel Glacier, a ridge of snow on the side of the mountain. From our epic trek up Whistler on Day 4, I was certainly feeling more able on this hike, though it may have been due in part to my enthusiasm of wearing my new boots again.

Later, we stopped by the Athabasca Falls, not too far from where we would be doing our Glacier Walk later in the trip. Stunning in itself, but by now all the waterfalls were blending together in my mind.

We spent a couple of hours in town – relaxing and doing our own thing, like going for a Tim Horton’s – before Tom and I cooked dinner back at camp. After our typically British-style bangers and mash, we got ready to enjoy the Hot Springs. However, James had misjudged the closing time, so after an hour’s drive we arrived with only fifteen minutes left. Pleading with the lady at reception, we were allowed to go in for free (minus the $1 locker charge), for a very relaxing, but very short soak. A strange end to the day. There would be another chance for Hot Springs later in our holiday – I guess we would just have to have another go!

 

Day 10 – Sunday, 15^th September (‘The Icefield’)

This morning was extremely cold – for the first time since coming to Canada, I could see my breath. I put on all the layers I could, and braved the chill for a very quick breakfast. Today we would be leaving Jasper.

On our way to the Athabasca Glacier, where we would do our Glacier Walk, we travelled along the Icefields Highway, one of the most beautiful drives in the world. The glacier itself was running off the Columbia Icefield, the largest permanent expanse of ice in North America, south of the Arctic Circle.

As our tourguide showed us, it was sobering to see how fast the glaciers were receding – signposts marked its position in 1992, 1982, 1948 and so on. So much so, that our grandchildren won’t see it. A scary thought. On the ice walk, there wasn’t much to seen, except a large expanse of white. There were some crevices, and the ground shone an icy blue colour; pretty impressive to see, but not somewhere I particularly wanted to take a tumble.

Arriving at our next site in Banff National Park, we set up camp and then thought about what to do tomorrow – another free day. I fancied going for a hike, and Tom seemed to agree. However, when Sabrina showed up with leaflets about trail riding on horseback, I began to have other ideas.

(To be continued…)