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[out-and-aboot-eh]

Day 16 - Vancouver to Home and Closing Thoughts

Once again I was very thankful to be waking up in a bed, especially as I felt a little bit bruised following the great bike crash of August 31st! I’d set an alarm for 08:30, but by the time we’d rolled out of bed, showered and packed our time for brunch was quite squeezed! Packing after travelling always takes longer than you think! Our heading was a place by the name of ‘The Templeton’ which does pancakes as that’s what G was feeling! As we made our way there I went rogue to a clothes shop for a t-shirt as I’d worn all mine and couldn’t be bothered with the faff of another wash and dry! Prior to leaving a quick Google suggested a place called Old Navy, which happened to be en route. Within 5 minutes of entering the shop, I found what I needed, tried it on, paid and left. Success! The same could not be said for G was who said the road she walked down was very sketchy and lined with homeless people, one of which ended up in the back of an ambulance. Only to reach our hopeful brunch spot and be informed that there was a queue and if she was in a rush, not to bother! And to top it off she stepped in a dog turd, well she said poo, but I’m going to assume (hope!) it was a dog turd!

Sometimes these things just aren’t meant to be, on the plus side our checkout wasn’t until 12pm, so we were able to walk back to the hotel and dig out the muffins we’d chucked in the bin! They were only a bit squished and were both in plastic bags. We also had some left over scone, beef jerky, pretzels and mini peanut butter cups, truly the breakfast of kings or ‘iffits’ as we called them at Middle Road. As in, if it’s in the fridge/freezer it’s getting eaten! After our random assortment of snacks for breakfast, we finished up our final packing. I managed to squeeze both our hiking boots into my bag, along with my thick Canadian fleece hoodie! I did however leave my old sleeping bag there with a note saying to do what they will with it. More disappointing than leaving the sleeping bag there was a couple tinnies of cider and the remainder of our box of wine, but some things just don’t travel well!

After checking out, an Uber arrived within minutes and whisked us off to Vancouver airport for our first flight to Calgary. Turns out it’s a pretty big airport, so after traipsing around and finally shifting our bags we went for a stroll around the gift shops to pick up a few bits before having our last poutine of the trip! I’m currently typing this up at 22:30 on our flight from Calgary to Heathrow having just had the vegetarian option (again!) for dinner. I fully intend on watching at least one movie before trying to get a bit of kip, if I don’t snore myself awake! G is next to me, scribbling away in her journal and occasionally cracking out the glue-stick or stickers.

So what can I say aboot Canada? We’ve only seen a small portion of it, but all that we saw was beautiful! You almost forget to take it in because you’re constantly surrounded by the beauty. From the evergreen forests, to the blue lakes and the looming mountains. We woke up to many a rising sun, where the mornings were sometimes soggy, but the air was always cool and crisp and fresh. We didn’t see as much wildlife as I thought we would and hoped to see, but it was pretty magical seeing some of the inhabitants here. The people were generally very friendly, helpful and the service was top notch, from the restaurants to the tour guides. You can tell they’re all proud of the place they live and want to maintain a happy and healthy country by looking after it properly.

As mentioned before, we did consider doing a trip of Canada on our own, but within a couple of days travelling it was clear we picked the right way to do it as it meant we could relax and enjoy the journey more. We didn’t need to worry about car rental, fuel, directions, parking spots and charges. Plus being on a commercial vehicle meant we could go to areas we wouldn’t be able to go had we done it ourselves. There was no research needed for camp sites and accommodation as it had all been sorted. The fairies kept topping up the food shop, so all we needed to worry about was snacks and drinks.

Joining the tour made our lives so much easier and a big part of that was having a fantastic tour guide in Megan, aka Chief. Who is only 22, but already so knowledgeable about her homeland and oozed with passion about the places we visited. She was our driver, field expert, chef and planner from the first thing in the morning until the last thing at night. I have no doubt she’ll go on to do great things, whatever path she chooses. Most incredibly after spending two weeks with us animals, she’s got a 24 hour turn around before taking another group back the other way!

Of course the tour wouldn’t have been half as good had it not been for a lovely group of people. With a split of 9 girls and 3 guys and a variety of ages there was a potential risk for imbalance, but this wasn’t the case at all. We all got on really well and when there were tears of joy we laughed together and when there were tears of tiredness, we picked each other up. Georgie introduced us to the ‘Werewolf’ game, which became a group favourite in the evenings, I revelled in my role as a witch in the first couple of games! We shared so much time together from meals, hikes, excursions, time in the minibus and I don’t think there ever was a cross word (other than some of the dodgy music!) Speaking of which, every day started with Madagascar’s “I like to move it, move it” and it will forever remind me of Canada. Along with such classics like ‘Sneaky Snake and WAP’, we covered a huge spectrum of music, especially country!

There were all sorts of random sayings that creep up on a trip like this, some from classic clips on YouTube, others just organically based on what was happening at the time and many, no matter how many times I heard them would make me chuckle:

“What a day!” - Truer words were never spoken by Harvey Price and we had so many good days!

“Can I pet that dog?!” - Usually when we saw a dog or something bear related.

“Womp Womp or Wompedy Womp Womp Womp” - When something went wrong, usually for someone else!

“Full as a little egg” - A Daisy expression that no one else had ever heard, but will most definitely be using going forward!

“Give-em” - Get involved, usually with passing food around!

“Harry, it's you that has to go on, I know it. Not me, not Hermione, YOU.” - And various other Harry Potter quotes because we’re nerds!

“Ruh-Row” - Scooby style, when there was potential for trouble, usually on the roads!

“The Dank!!” - I can hear Iain saying this when opening up the trailer as the damp tea towels were making it whiff a fair bit!

“Not another one!” - Unwanted duplication, usually traffic related!

“You little liar” - Another Daisy classic after Chief tried to do her dirty in the werewolf game. Georgie actually nails this impression and it’s deffo her fave!

And speaking of Georgie, this was our second ‘big travel’ trip together with the added ‘bonus’ of it being a camping trip and we survived! She was a fantastic travelling companion and even when getting a bit socially overwhelmed, came out the other side even stronger. She’s also been a wonderful editor, as I haven’t re-read any blog once typed up, so if you spot a typo, please email her on G.Salmon… She was very much the driving force behind us joining this G adventure, so a big thank you to her for sorting us out before and during the trip and making those moments we had away from the group so special. I’m already looking forward to the next one, aka the Honeymoon!

So in summary, if you’ve made it this far! Kudos! I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying a trip to Canada and would highly recommend visiting this amazing country. However, if you’re not a fan of camping, don’t camp as the weather is the one thing that might dampen your spirits if you can’t get things dry! Treat yourself to something that won’t blow away, but I can guarantee you’ll be blown away, by the wonderful country that is Canada. Signing off this blog; Out-and-aboot, over and out!

[out-and-aboot-eh]

Day 15 - Grouse Mountain

It’s a strange sensation waking up on a marshmallow after two weeks of gravel and grass! I actually felt a bit jet lagged, but poor G had nightmares that my family had turned into a cult that she had to join and live with us in a big house! (I haven’t spoken to them for a while, so who knows!) And worse still, in the dream she then received a phone call to say her old dog had died. So in summary, don’t smash a small Dairy Queen before bed! Our troubles were soon forgotten as we headed off for some brunch in the form of poached eggs on waffles with maple syrup (me) and poached eggs with smoked salmon and avocado on sourdough toast (G) boujee! This was to be our fuel to get us up Grouse Mountain. Or at least to the bus stop, for the bus to get us up there!

We grabbed a scone from a smaller ‘Pure Bread’ as an emergency snack and headed to Canada place to catch a free shuttle that runs every 20 minutes. Turns out the most aggressive Canadians aren’t the ice hockey players, but the Vancouver coach drivers! I heard more honks in one return trip than I did from Megan the entire time! Once at Grouse Mountain with just a handful of cyclists stuck under the wheel arch, we picked up a map and took the 6 minute cable car up to the half way point(ish) where the main action takes place. One of the prime reasons for coming here was to see some bears as thus far the only grizzly thing we’d encounted was the weather! There was still no guarantee we’d see them as they had a spot inside for sleeping and lots of trees and bushes to hide away for snoozes in their habitat.

There are two bears here and this is their story: Grinder was orphaned on June 5th, 2001 in Invermere, British Columbia. His mother's disappearance remains a mystery; he was found wandering alone on a logging road, dehydrated, thin, weak and weighing only 4.5 kg. He was taken to a local veterinarian where he was given supportive care until he could be delivered to the Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife.

Coola was discovered June 29th, 2001 at the side of a highway near Bella Coola, British Columbia. His mother had been Killed by a car. Her three cubs stayed with her until a Conservation Officer arrived Unfortunately, one cub did not survive; the second escaped and was never found again but the third cub, Coola, was rescued and brought to the Grouse Mountain Refuge where he thrives in the company of Grinder (a quite unfortunate name if he’s not a gay bear!)

Luck was on our side as the bears were out a strolling towards the spot where we were stood near the water, and they went for a splash around. They were comical to watch, moving around slowly and blowing bubbles in the water out of every orifice! G was quite surprised by just how big they were and not too disappointed that we didn’t come across any whilst on one of our romps as a two! It was a real highlight for me personally to see them, even if we did have to pay $80 for the privilege!

But we were going to get more bang for our buck than just the bears, as next up was the ‘world renowned’ lumberjack show! It was a cheesy affair with many a dad joke, but entertaining nonetheless as they demonstrated various skills including chopping with axes, axe throwing, chainsaw ‘art’, log climbing and log rolling. I dare say the lumberjacks were cringing more than us following the script, but the crowd cheered along all the same! Next up was a ‘birds in motion’, which is always a winner in my book! The last time we were at one for was for my birthday a mere 7 weeks prior and it rained the whole day, but today couldn’t have been more different, as the sun pounded down on us, feeling even hotter than ever due to the altitude.

Before the show started we spotted a few familiar faces including Mikhaela and Little Fingers, who I did fear for slightly as the first bird out was a rather peckish looking golden eagle! He was a young male, who didn’t yet have the distinct white plumage on top. After a few swoops and loops he returned home, making way for a peregrine falcon (mixed with a bigger falcon) that gave us a show of speed! The company that puts on the show has a few birds like this that they use for pest control at places like airports and beaches to reduce the number of pigeons and sea gulls as the smaller birds think that there’s a predator in the area and move on, bird brains! Next up was a hawk that not only flies, but runs along the ground and covers its dead prey with their wings to hide it from other predators. And rounding off the show was a grey owl who can hear the heart beat of a mouse from far away and fly without making a sound. What was as impressive as watching the birds in motion, was the back drop behind them. From fields, to woodland to mountains, like something out of a painting!

As brunch had sunk to our boots, it was time for a snack, a Canadian classic that I thought we might have missed the chance to try, a Beaver Tail! It’s a chain of places, that aren’t as common as we first thought, but there was a little shack on Grouse Mountain that had a couple of spotty teenagers serving up the works! A beaver tail is pretty much a battered donut in the shape of a beaver tail topped with something naughty. I opted for a white chocolate and toffee tail (and made a right mess whilst eating it) and G went for Oreo and vanilla. They were good, but I must admit I was expecting more. It’s possible that the quality wasn’t the best, as it sounded like the slightly older teenager was advising the other on what to do, but it didn’t stop us from wolfing ‘em down!

We went for a little stroll around the rest of the mountain, including the lake, which compared to most we’ve seen wasn’t all that impressive, but we could imagine how pretty it would be in winter as there were lots of fairy lights and statues dotted around the paths through out the forest. After a quick drinks break and a sticker purchase, our final activity was also included in our ticket, a ski lift up to the top of the mountain, which on a clear day you can see up to 800km away (I think) it was either 80 or 800! On our way up we caught another glimpse of the bears, taking a stroll around their enclosure, which was lucky as by the time we returned they were snoozing in the bushes. As it was a clear day we could see for miles and miles, from the city and its tall buildings and bridges, to the surrounding mountains and forests. We really did feel on top of the world and spent a bit of time just looking out, after our efforts to try and capture the grandeur on camera were futile!

Our plan was to finish Grouse Mountain with a spot of early dinner, but alas they didn’t have half the things on offer, including the beer for happy hour (I’ve not seen G so perplexed this whole trip!) so instead we took the shuttle back (complete with an equally erratic driver) showered up and headed out to another Jen recommended spot, Steamworks in Gastown, about a 15 minute walk from our hotel. It didn’t disappoint! We both had a burger and fries and probably could have had another (they were that good!) washed down with a couple pints of lager/cider. Instead of looking completely gluttonous and ordering a second burger, I risked a stout and chocolate tiramisu type thing, which G helped me out with as it was bloody huge! A few members of our G Adventures group had gone to a bar not too far from us, which 10 years ago we’d have probably made it to, but in the words of Ian Beale, Georgie had nothing left, except enough in the tank to stroll home and get in to that lovely soft big old bed!

Georgie’s highlight of the day: The bears of course!

[out-and-aboot-eh]

Day 14 - Vancouver Island to Vancouver

I might have given our campsite a bit of stick for its more shabby than chic appearance but in its defence all our stuff was still there when we woke up and no one had been murdered by bears or other guests during the night, so it couldn’t have been too bad! As we’d had our final sleep in the tents, it was time to give them a clean for the next users, now you may recall when we first got out the tent it was soaking wet, so we endeavoured to leave it a bit dryer than we found it, which I think we managed… just! After 2 weeks of nearly every type of weather going, I don’t think I’ll miss the tent life too much, but it did serve us well and kept us dry which is more than I can say for some of the other tents I’ve slept in!

After a continental breakfast, including some big muffins, we packed everything up, but with the bags in a semi-arranged order based on the drop off locations. We made our way to the ferry terminal via a gas station (where I picked up some bbq beef jerky to keep me going!) and headed back to Vancouver. When G and I first talked about visiting Canada, one option (which I vetoed pretty quickly) was to hire a camper van and travel ourselves, one reason being the big city traffic. Up to this point I think we’d have been alright, but even Megan was hating on the traffic and drivers in and around Vancouver. I had flashes of Caleb from Clarkson’s Farm driving in London as she is a self confessed countyry bumpkin who’s only been to these parts a few times! After powering through it was time for our first drop off, as we all bundled out to say farewell to Iain and Mikela, although as most of us would be in Vancouver for a couple more days, there was every chance that it was more of a TTFN. The next drop off, was a mere 3 minute walk from our hotel and everyone got out except NZ Cat, who’d booked a hotel miles away! We were not a tactile group by any means, so it was a first and last hug goodbye, but always a chance that we may regroup later on.

Now I’m not saying we looked out of place when we got to the hotel lobby, huge bags on our backs, walking boots on and looking a big ragged for all our travels, but I think the receptionist may have puked in her mouth a little bit. Our room wasn’t ready (and even if it was they’d probably be running background checks) so we dumped out stuff in storage and borrowed a couple of the hotel’s bikes. One of the perks of going somewhere that has apples on the desk and two types of fruit infused water stations… Our plan, to cycle along the Stanley Park Sea Wall route. The bikes seemed okay, my brakes were a bit squeaky and not the best, but they were free! Our next challenge was to navigate through the traffic to the start of the route, which would involve a lot of traffic lights and pedestrian crossings, whilst avoiding the crazy drivers on the road. We also didn’t have a way of attaching Google Maps to the handle bars, so we had to stop and check directions a few times as there’s no signage for such a popular attraction! Georgie led the way and there was only one small snafu where we were going downhill and long story short, I slammed the brakes to avoid going in to the back of G and went flying arse over tit! Thankfully I’ve got plenty of poutine padding and didn’t come off too badly!

It turns out that half of Vancouver had a similar idea on this sunny afternoon, as it was very busy along the cycle/footpath. There were all modes of movement along the path, including; tandems, rollerblades, scooters, skateboards, a very chunky motorised unicycle and a guy on some springy stilts! There was signage everywhere saying ‘be respectful of others, go slowly’ at least that’s what it said in English. In Canadian I presume it said, welcome to the fast and furious route, pedestrians cross anywhere without looking and ignore the direction of travel ! At the beginning of our route we saw more totem poles and popped in to the gift shop for some more magnets and stickers! From here we stopped at several beaches and little bays, whilst taking in the sites and smells of Vancouver beyond the sea wall. It was an excellent way to see what Stanley Park had to offer in the space of a few hours, but as it was the hottest day in Vancouver that year, a shower was very much needed.

We returned our bikes to the hotel and thankfully there was no truth test about potential damage for crashes. As our room was ready, we hopped in the lift and eagerly made our way to No. 316. If the lobby was anything to go by, we were in for a treat. Although after two weeks of scrabbling around in tents, needing to lock snacks away from bears and trekking to toilets (as we never went for a wild wee 👀) just staying in a room that we could stand up in and wouldn’t blow away would be luxury. However in the words of Rowan Atkinson in Love Actually, “this is much more than just a”… room! We were struck by the cool air-con upon entrance, could smell the essential oil diffuser, see a huge bed with plush pillows and a soft mattress. In a nutshell it was the heaven that had got me through the hell of camping! I’m joking of course… it was the booze. It had one unique feature that I’d never seen before in a room, a shower between the bedroom and the bathroom, should you which to purvey the user! Thankfully there was also a blind to cover it so G didn’t have to see me in uncompromising positions scrubbing every nook and cranny before heading out for some dinner. I did wonder if G would make it back out, as by the time I’d showered, she was already snuggled on the bed in a dressing gown and slippers, with glass of wine in hand!

Jen had recommended a place called Tacofino, which as the name suggests is renowned for its tacos and other Mexican food! G opted for a fish taco, which was tasty but one of the smaller portions we’ve had out here, especially compared to my beef burrito which was as full as a little egg (as Daisy would say!) rounded off with a side of tater tots and washed down with a larger/cider. Vancouver has a huge number of places to eat and drink, but one we had to try as we’re a couple of basic bitches was Dairy Queen, which most fortuitously was only a 5 minute waddle away. The Dusanjhs (friends from back home) said we had to try a ‘Blizzard’ although I was more excited by the prospect of what looked like the old McDonald’s toffee sundae! G claimed my excitement made me look like a mad man, so she covered for me by saying we’re tourists and it was our first time here, at which point the confused lady said “well then you’ve got to try a blizzard, as that’s what we’re known for!” G was supposed to get a mini one, but accidentally ordered the small instead.. and even a small is similar to a Ben & Jerry’s tub! I opted for rolo, G went for cookie dough. Despite belly aching about how much there was and bellies aching after, we still both managed to finish them before heading back to our new digs.

Georgie’s highlight of the day: Getting to the hotel room, fresh shower, dressing gown and clean sheets!

[out-and-aboot-eh]

Day 13 - Tofino to Victoria

It wasn’t the best start to the day when I discovered there had been a suncream explosion in one of my bags, but after a quick clean up and some eggy bread coated in maple syrup (sorry heart) I was back on track. We had a fair amount of miles to cover before we reached Victoria, so off we went making a few stops along the way, but nothing major of note. Other than to ‘Old Town Bakery’ where I got a sarny for lunch and G opted for a cinnamon bun the size of her head. She did share a bit of it with me, but it was so tasty I have no doubt she could have forced it down on her own! We also went to a visitor centre and by the time we realised there was a more interesting discovery centre across the road it was almost time to go! Google Maps informed us there was a bit of traffic on our route, so we wouldn’t be getting to Victoria as early as planned.

But before we could head to Victoria, we had to go pitch up our tents. I didn’t catch the official name but I’d hazard a guess at Redneck Camp Site. Some of our party weren’t all that impressed with the facilities, but as a novice camper I was happy for somewhere to crash for the night! We were given half an hour to get our tents up and be back on the bus. There were several outfit changes and make up bags flying around and that was just me! By the time we arrived in Victoria it was too late to visit the museum, which G was most disappointed about, but we couldn’t have got here any quicker, so it’s more an issue with the itinerary and will be reported in the feedback I’m sure! There was a lot of activity around the fisherman’s wharf, including a live band and a bit of pow wow for the local ‘American’ football team, the British Columbia Lions.

Instead of wallowing in our grief at the lack of culture we had planned to absorb, we went for a walk around the park, which may not have been as informative, but had beauty and charm of its own. There were totem polls, patches of plush grass for chilling out, lakes and fountains, lots of vibrant flower beds and exotic plants, various sporting activities and even peacocks and black squirrels. We opted for a trail that took us as far as the beach front via the world’s tallest totem pole - wouldn’t have seen that in the museum! We headed back via some of the tackier souvenir shops we’ve seen out here until Mikaela mentioned one that contained items made from local businesses, in which Georgie picked up some stickers for her journal.

We rendezvoused at a restaurant by the name of Frankie’s Modern Diner, which had an excellent selection on offer as well as good Whitehouse size portions (like most of the places we’ve eaten at to be fair!) Their only downfall was the lack of apple cider! I opted for a bbq chicken burger and upgraded the sides to poutine (the best I’ve had so far I think, sorry Chief!) and G went for Parmesan chicken with a fettuccini in a cream sauce and vegetables (and very nice it was too she tells me!) As this was to be our final dinner we presented Megan with a thank you card and a combined tip from all of us, which should be enough for a new pair of crocs!

Despite it being our last night the spirits were high as we went for a little stroll around the wharf to take a few sunset photos and then a group picture over by the Canada sign, which wasn’t as easy as it sounds! Firstly lots of people are taking pictures so you have to wait for your chance to jump in, secondly the sign is lit up, meaning those stood around it or in front of it may be blurred out depending on the phone and who’s taking the photo! After a bit of trial and error we eventually got one that was half decent, but I think the crap ones are far better for comical effect!

Whilst waiting for Little Fingers to attend a little business (after some how demolishing a huge sea food linguine) we were approached by a gentleman from Guernsey no less as he recognised a couple of British accents coming from our direction. It turns out he was there for marine research and couldn’t recommend the BC museum enough (salt in the wound!) saying it was even much better than the Natural History museum! After pulling Georgie back from hearing any more about the museum that never was, we jumped back in the minibus and headed back to Redneck Campsite, for a final sleep in our tents!

Georgie’s highlight of the day: Cinnamon bun and the flowers in the park!

[out-and-aboot-eh]

Day 12 - Tofino

We woke up to glorious sun peeking through the trees around us, which boded well for today’s main activity, whale watching! After a bit of breakfast we boarded the minibus and headed for ‘Remote Passages’, the company that would be taking us out on the whale infested waters! We were advised to wrap up warm as it can get quite chilly out in the open water, but the sunshine was bouncing off of the harbour as we arrived.

After an introductory video about the wildlife and what we might see as it was filmed around the area, we were provided with thick red puffy boiler suits that would float if we fell out and fill up with water in certain areas to keep us warm. I don’t know the exact science behind it, but I wasn’t planning on falling so I didn’t worry too much! Once zipped up, all the layers I had on seemed quite unnecessary, so I left one behind and opted for a half zip down to stay cool whilst on land. We were introduced to our skipper Charlie, who would be guiding our rib, by the name of Night Eagle. The group all managed to board without dropping in the sea, and G and I sat at the back of the boat to give her the best chance of not feeding the fish with her breakfast.

We left the harbour at a steady speed, watching the land slowly sink into the distance before Charlie cranked it on the open ocean. The spray was a rainbow on the water as be bumped along on the look out for whales. On the way we saw a few sea otters looking very chipper floating in the sea as they’re not bothered by the boats. Sea otters will spend their lives in the sea without venturing onto land and can do so without feeling wet or cold because of their thick fur. There was a fair bit of activity over the radio that wasn’t easy to work out, but G heard the call of humpback whales and she must have been right as we turned around and went off in a new direction with some haste for a few minutes before slowing down where a couple of other boats were floating.

Charlie informed us that hump back whales are harder to track and predict where they’ll surface as their movement is random compared to other whales, so we sat patiently waiting to get a glimpse at some humpy goodness! After a couple of minutes Charlie shouted and pointed over yonder and we caught the first glimpse of a mother and calf. We spent a while in the area as the humpbacks surfaced every 2-3 minutes. I have a fair bit of footage to sift through to see if I’ve caught anything decent, but my gut feeling is probably not! We saw a couple of flukes, whereby the whale dives and the tip of the tail flicks in to the air on the way down. They’re respectful of the animals here and give them a wide berth, so we didn’t get too close and I was only filming on an iPhone.

From there we went closer to shore where en route we saw more sea otters including a pair together and then lots of seals chilling on the rocks. They looked very cute and smiley basking in the sun and at this time of year they can relax a bit more as the orcas aren’t lurking below. There were also a few small birds dotted around the ocean and gulls in the air, but our next stop was to see some grey whales. We stayed close to the shoreline as the grey whales congregate near to a part of the island that is only 30 ft deep, which is only 5ft deeper than some of them are long. These were easier to spot than the humpbacks as there were 4 of them around and their movement is more consistent and they popped up more frequently with bigger spouts of air. But due to their length in relatively shallow waters for their size, they don’t tend to ‘fluke’ as they end up bumping their noses on the sea bed! It was great to watch these magnificent creatures doing their thing, including one called ‘The Orange Crush’ or ‘OC’ who got her name due to some orange lice on the top of her head upon first visit and has been returning to this spot for over 70 years, a whale local celebrity! It was brilliant to watch these magnificent beasts in their natural habitat enjoying some cool Canadian water, which I myself have done on many occasions on this trip (not always through choice!)

On our way back to port Charlie spotted another humpback, which he was very excited about and with good reason. They believe this particular whale is a newbie to the area and he was the first one to spot it, so if it is indeed a new whale to the area based on the data they’re collecting, he’ll get to name it! As a fellow Brit, I’m sure he’ll go for the obvious name of Whaley McWhale Face! As time was against us, we didn’t stay for long, but did stop for another brazen sea otter who practically waved at us as we took a few snaps! After a fast and bouncy ride back, we stripped off our chunky red attire and headed into the town of Tofino.

We had a few hours to explore, so G and I popped in to a couple shops before heading for a little stroll around Tonquin Park, which included a boardwalk through the forest to a small beach, where there were dogs playing and one guy all in black fishing from the rocks below us. There was signage saying a known bear was in the area, but the closest thing I’ve seen to a bear is Iain’s bare arse! There were lots nooks and crannies that looked like they could be liveable for a furry friend and G recounted a tale that our zip-line guide told her. He had come across a tiny hole (by bear standards) that looked interesting and stuck his head in it to find himself nose to nose with a sleeping bear and as he backed away a rather dazed and confused bear head popped out! However the closest we came to a bear was whilst we were minding our own business looking at the sea and the fisherman came scrambling up the side of the rocks through the bushes huffing and puffing! He must have sensed our surprise as he asked whilst walking past “Did I scare ya?” Of course not, I always walk around with my fists clenched!

As we still had a bit of time on our side we returned to the minibus via a couple more shops and of course a bar, for a swift cider. Our next stop was Chesterman beach, which is award winning coming in at number 5 as a best spot for surfing. We ambled up the beach as far as we could go, with our toes dipped in the water. We eventually hit a patch that was a private beach which was our point to turn around and head back to where the majority of the group were chilling. Megan mysteriously disappeared before picking us up and but the mystery was soon uncovered when the waft of chips was a coming from the back of the minibus. We returned to our campsite via a quick ‘gas station break’ where I was hopeful for another ‘Big Gulp’ but alas all the huge drinks on offer were ice based and I can’t be getting brain freeze whilst trying to type the blog!

As this was to be our last night with Chief as chef, we were hopeful for a Canadian classic and our hopes were answered as soon as the chips were bought! We enjoyed them with cheese, gravy, bacon and for those in need of some vitamin c, tomatoes. As always there was a little something sweet for afters, in the form of a s’mores pie and other left over desserts, which we made short work of! It was an earlier dinner than usual as we had a final stop for the evening, Long Beach, where we could watch the sunset. We just caught the final glimpses of the full sun as it fell behind the row of trees along the beach. After taking a variety of snaps, we headed back to camp for a final few games of werewolf, before our last full day.

Georgie’s highlight of the day: Seeing the whales fluking and Tonquin Park walk.

[out-and-aboot-eh]

Day 11 - Whistler to Tofino

Despite having a charger that in theory should use the power of the sun to re-charge, this didn’t seem to be the case, possibly because it was only through the window. I may not be a seasoned camper, but I can be pretty shrewd when needs be and the need was great as my phone is my clock, type writer, camera the list goes on. So we seized the opportunity to use the various spare plugs in the launderette to charge the chargers over night and thanks to Canadian kindness all of our stuff was still there the following day!

Today was a bit of a travelling day as we were heading to Vancouver Island, our ship was due to depart at 10:40, so we wanted to be at the port at least half an hour before, so we left with plenty of time to spare. So much time in fact we even went for a little stop off at Shannon Falls, which was an enchanting spot surrounded by forest, with a cobbled winding river up to a waterfall and various trails if you had the time… which we did not! But even with the road re-route we arrived at the port with plenty of time to spare before officially boarding. Once on the ship we dispersed into various places, as G’s sea legs aren’t the strongest, we headed to top deck to breathe in all that fresh salty air. Once the ship hit full knots it was very windy at the front, so windy in fact that G daren’t go all the way up there for fear of being blown away! One guy said that they’d seen orcas on the reverse crossing that day, so I kept an eye out whilst up top, but didn’t see diddly squat! As crossings go it was very smooth with plenty of space to move around and sit, which we did for a bit whilst G had a little nap. Around 2 hours or so in we got the call to return to our vehicles, which we all managed to do without too much stress apart from poor Little Fingers, who got lost, which is easy to do when you only come up to tyre level and all cars look the same! Thankfully we were able to stick on the hazard lights until she snuck in through a crack in the window and away we went with Georgie riding shot gun to a unique lunch spot - Goats on the Roof!

We’ve seen a variety of weird and wonderful establishments on this trip, but none with goats on the roof, although they weren’t the easiest to spot! Inside was just as whacky, with an assortment of colourful lanterns dangling from the ceiling and random items for purchase. But the perusing of eclectic souvenirs would have to wait as we were heading to the cafe/bakery which had a selection of Canadian classics and tempting baked goods. As a group we went for a range from burgers, to sausage rolls, poutine and BLTs. I can certainly get on board with the menus out here, but it speaks volume that I’m only a medium when back home I’m at least a Large! We were given 10 minutes at the end to have a look around the shop and even I have to admit they had lots of cool stuff, so I may have purchased some learner chopsticks as G is always showing me up when eating oriental dishes!

From here we went on to Cathedral Forest, which is part of the MacMillan Provincial Park. Now we’ve seen our fair share of woods, forests, trees, call ‘em what you will, but this one had a mystical feel and an extremely tall 800 year old redwood. We did a short trail around this magical spot before jumping back on the minibus and heading for our final destination, Long Beach Campsite. First impressions, looked alright, not the most amount of toilets and showers we’d seen and we later learned that there was no hot water from the taps, but there was plenty of spots to pitch our tents, before heading off for dinner; spag bowl and home made garlic bread with Caesar salad, followed by maple tea cakes!

The camp site is on the edge of a golf course and air strip, so other than one bright light at the end of the runway, we were surrounded by darkness. And as we’d had a day of fantastic weather, the sky was extremely clear and starry, which is how we rounded off the day, gazing up at the stars above, before returning to our tent to sleep on the gravel below.

Georgie’s highlight of the day: Star gazing!

[out-and-aboot-eh]

Day 10 - Whistler

Turns out sleeping next to a river isn’t as calming as you might think, but the heavy rain helped drown it out a fair bit. The good news is, despite the threat of water coming from every angle, the tent thus far has kept us (and our stuff) dry! We have been especially careful to ensure all zips are closed, nothing is touching the sides and the outer layer is pulled away from the inside, but even so I’m surprised a tent that’s relatively easy to get up/down/pack away has been so good in the adverse conditions, wind aside! Today was a ‘free’ day after breakfast, meaning we could run riot around Whistler, but not before trying some of Megan’s doorstop pancakes, topped with the naughtiest sauce ever created; heaps of brown sugar mixed in with cream. My dentist would be screaming at me reading this blog, but he’s not got the link so, I may have also had a second drenched in Maple syrup. Once hyped up on sugar, G and I did a bit more washing and drying, because the tent may keep us dry when we’re in it, but we’ve spent a lot of time out in the rain and those clothes aren’t getting any cleaner or drier!

With our laundry smelling fresh and dry, we pinched a couple of bin bags from under the sink, dumped it in the tent and headed towards Whistler. We were going to take the bus, but it was running late and like most travels in these parts, the walk was scenic! As we approached the town of Whistler, we were both instantly charmed by its backdrop of misty mountains as we approached the arena that was once home to the Winter Olympics in 2010. It was easy to imagine the buzz that would have been around the area at that time as we made our way in to the town, where our first stop was a little bakery that goes by the name of ‘Purebread’. As this has been a guided tour we haven’t needed to refer to the travel bible aka the Lonely Planet, however this was one of their recommendations and it didn’t disappoint as the picture will attest! G got a couple of different flavoured scones and a coffee to wash them down, all of which is on par with Josie’s which for those that don’t know, is very high praise indeed! I also fancied a scone, but as a self confessed chocoholic also went for a thick cookie/blondie type thing and at last minute requested an ‘ultimate’ brownie, just to fact check that it lived up to the name (it did!)

Whistler has one Main Street that you can walk along with a few twists and turns off in to other parts. There’s a variety of sports shops, clothes shops, souvenir shops and bars, some of which had fire pits, that looked especially inviting as we plodded through the rain. But the pints would have to wait as we had a date with the zip lines. We were originally planning to do a hike, but were drawn in by the cool pictures on the website and suffered with a little bit of FOMO as the majority of the group were also doing it. We couldn’t book the 09:30 slot that they were on, but we did get on to the 12:30 slot, which meant we got to make some new friends, aka a German family and some Canadians, one or two which were local and hosting their friends. With harnesses and helmets fitted we made our way to the gondola led by Murray from Sydney and Jurge from Quebec, the latter was quite the character and responded to every thank you with “It’s a pleasure!”

This may be the first time I’ve been on a gondola, I vaguely recall going on something similar in Switzerland as part of the German exchange ‘06, but that was timid compared to this monster. We managed to squeeze 7 of us in one carriage as it cranked its way up through mist and cloud. In the winter months the mountain below would be covered in snow, with skiers and snowboarder tearing up the dust. But at this time of year it’s open to mountain and dirt bikers, some of which were very small but fearless! Murray said they do get bears on the tracks as he had one jump out in front of him last week. He then proceeded to show us a video of a mother and cub that had taken residence in his back garden earlier in the year for a few weeks. I’ve only had a glimpse of a black bear up a tree as we flashed past it early on in the trip. Thankfully Megan also saw it (as there was a car pulled over looking up) but had she not I don’t think anyone would believe me! Once we reached the top we trekked up to the zip line number one.

The Canadians stepped up first, including one which is afraid of heights, so kudos to him as we were bloody high up! As there were two zip lines we were able to pair up race against each other. The signage (that included a typo and hopefully wasn’t a reflection on their safety checks) suggested a cannonball shape = max speed. Being a fair bit heavier than G it wasn’t long down the line before those extra pancakes started to send me flying ahead. There was a downside to this however, as the rain was pretty heavy at this point and whipping me in the money maker before navigating a 180 so my back took the brunt. It was quite the adrenaline rush, although we peaked early doors as that was the longest/fastest of the zip lines that we’d be doing.

We made our way to 4 other zip lines dotted around the coastal rainforest, so we did end up doing a bit of hiking! It was a great way to explore the wilderness up high in Whistler, even with the waiting in between zips in the rain as the views were incredible and there was always a chance we might see something big and furry! At each platform our guides gave us a short spiel about the surroundings/atmosphere/nature, complete with a bit of show and tell, including a tree that had a huge bear claw scratch on it. The zip lines slowly took us back down to ground level where we could walk back to the start, get out of our gear and thank the guides for keeping us safe. As part of our package we received 20% off of the Irish pub across from the zip lining office, so off we tottered for a well earned pint and some grub.

The food was surprisingly good, as were the portions and it gave us a good chance to warm up and refuel before hitting the shops. On the way through Whistler village I clocked a classic Canadian piece of clothing that I quite fancied so off we went to check it out. I’d describe it as lumberjack meets thick warm fleece hoody. The first pleasant surprise was that it was on discount, the second is that over here I’m a Medium, so despite stuffing my face with the saltiest and sweetest of snacks, I’ve lost weight apparently. After much deliberation and after trying the various colours, including the red (which is the Canadian colour that I couldn’t quite pull off) I opted for a bluey type number. G was also tempted by one but didn’t want to get one that matched mine, so off we went to a few other shops. I was on the eye out for a white t-shirt to complete the look and G was on the hunt for a toque (beany hat) and browsing the stickers and magnets on offer. But there was a greater calling for G, a jacket like mine, so we went back again but she still wasn’t sure… until a third visit when she eventually picked one up in a men’s XS after trying various style and colours and has been wearing it ever since!!

After browsing the shops (some multiple times!) and having a final stroll along the Main Street we met up with some of the gang who were in a bar at the bottom of a very swanky hotel, but had a young clientele (except a few old boys playing pool!) we chilled for a bit, some of the girls played pool and I spent the time typing this same bloody blog entry! Our dinner destination was just next door, The Spaghetti Factory. It was a recommendation from the other G adventures tour group and to be fair it was alright, especially for the price! 3 courses for $25ish dollars! It was a lovely way to cap off the day before a walk back to camp in the rain. Standard!

Georgie’s highlight of the day: Should probably say zip lining, but the bangers and mash at lunch and Spaghetti Factory were pretty good!

[out-and-aboot-eh]

Day 9 - The Ranch to Whistler

Despite all the rain we’ve had since starting this little adventure, we’ve been pretty fortunate when it comes to putting up and packing down the tents and thankfully today was no different. The Ranch was a very scenic spot to stay and it was interesting to interact with a few members of the other group and consider what could have been had we gone from Vancouver to Calgary. Today is our longest travel day, totalling around 7 hours of time on the road, with a few rest breaks in between.

As we don’t quite fill the bus there’s always room up front and Megan encourages people to join her, so I called shot gun even though I should have been at the back doing my homework aka the blog! Ironically the days we’ve spent most time on the bus have been the sunniest, which G has been fuming about! So off we went, with our first stop a mere 17 minutes away, Spahats Creek Falls. It was a pleasant spot to grab a few snaps, take in the waterfall and then be on our way, our final destination around 450km away! But before we hit the open road, we took a quick pit stop at Tim Hortons for hot drinks, donuts and second breakfast. Where we ran into a familiar face, Asaf, our kayak guide from the previous day, who confirmed our suspicions that we are the superior G adventures group, as they were slow on the water and all over the place!

So off we went, with a feeling of well earned superiority and ane of the reasons I was keen to sit in the front on this part of the trip (other than the excellent views and extra leg room) was tapping in to the music and being Co-DJ. I resisted playing the whole Hamilton soundtrack even though some of our troop would have been all for it! We had a few Disney tracks related to the scenery from Pocahontas and the Bare Necessities. Some movie music in keeping with the scenery from Lord of the Rings (Canada has given me real New Zealand vibes) and Harry Potter! And then just a load of classics that everyone knows, from Fleetwood Mac to the Lighthouse Family. I was expecting to turn around and see everyone bopping to my carefully crafted playlist, but most of them were struggling to stay awake, but that’s travel days for ya!

We made a few stops along the way for more snacks, rest room breaks and fuel. Our lunch spot was Kamloops Lake, situated on the Thompson river. We were situated at the top munching away, whilst gazing at the vast stretch of water below, spanning as far as the eye could see off to the horizon. Our final stop before Whistler was Cayoose Creek, which according to the signage is rife with wildlife, but as usual the wildest thing we saw were the staff! As travel days go, it didn’t feel like 7-8 hours spent in a vehicle as the views are incredible, plus I got to chinwag with Megan and try to update some of the blog. That said, I think we were all glad to reach Whistler, stretch out and get our tents up.

Our designated area for camp was quite small, so G made the executive decision (as Megan said we could) to pitch our tent up a little way along the path on a small grassy patch by the river. Did it make us look unsociable, a bit. Would we be the first tent a bear would check if he crossed the river, probably! Which could happen at any point (allegedly!) but more so here as bears had been spotted in the area recently. The mood around camp was a little subdued as we didn’t have the buzz of fun activities and we’d gone from big open ranch space on grass to a small gravelly pitch. The facilities however, were very good! Lots of showers, plenty of washers and dryers, power sockets, helpful staff, so every cloud and all that! I don’t know whether chief anticipated that there might be a bit of a drop in spirits after a travel day, but she knew exactly what do cook to perk us all back up… burgers!! Followed by some butter tarts, which were as naughty as they sound! We just about had enough energy for a few games of Heads Up, before calling it a night, ahead of a day in Whistler.

Georgie’s highlight of the day: The views from the van all day and warming up!

[out-and-aboot-eh]

Day 8 - Clear Water Lake Canoeing

If we had to pick any one to share our tent with, picking someone who describes themselves as ‘fun sized’ is the way to go. Especially when they don’t snore, don’t move and are a heavy sleeper! Before going to bed someone said there would be 3cm of rain and it sounded like it throughout the night. One of the downsides of camping is trying to keep things dry/getting them dry once they’re wet if it’s not sunny. But we knew this before we signed up! There was some debate about what to wear, as we were already wet and only going to get wetter due to a forecast of rain all day, but there was also some hiking in between part of our first activity of the day, canoeing! We had breakfast, packed our lunches and snacks and away we went in the minibus aka the hotel for Cat and Megan the previous night!

Clear Water Lake was our heading, which was just a short drive down the road from the ranch. Our guide for the day was a local chap called Asaf, who provided us with life jackets and wet bags once we’d signed our lives away on yet another waiver where the company takes absolutely no responsibility for anything that happens to it’s customers. I can see why Canadians are so good at skiing with their damn slopey shoulders! He gave a bit of an overview about how the next few hours would go including a short health and safety speech, he seemed pretty chilled and not too concerned about things going wrong. After a 5 minute trip up the road in old trusty we reached our starting point, where the canoes were stored and we could get in to the water.

Asaf covered off the health and safety bits, followed by the best way to paddle, steer and most importantly, how to stay in the boat - keep the weight down that central line! Naturally Georgie and I went together, even though some of our previous aquatic adventures hadn’t been the smoothest! There were two roles to play once in the canoe, the front is the engine and the back the rudder aka the captain. As my captaincy with a paddle hasn’t always been the best, I suggested G give it a go on the way to the island that we would be heading to, however I did feel slightly better when Asaf confirmed my theory that canoes/kayaks etc will go off course every few strokes! We managed to hoof our canoe to the lake, drop it in and get in it with out any dramas, which was a strong start in my book! Once everyone had done the same we made our way to the island.

The lake was large, but smooth so paddling wasn’t too taxing and despite it being a first for some of our group, everyone kept up. There were woods either side of the water, but not a huge amount of wildlife to be seen other than a few birds and the water was warm compared to some of the other lakes we’ve taken a dip in. The island was about a 45 minute canoe away and we all kept up pretty well considering the size of our group. Eliza had to go full Pocahontas as captain, due to Daisy’s back being in a bad way. Georgie was an excellent captain as it turns out and expertly manoeuvred us to shore. Once we stepped foot on the island most of us cracked open our lunches. Maybe paddling was a bit more taxing than first thought as we don’t normally have lunch at 11:10am! Once refuelled we took a guided stroll in to the woods, guided by Asaf. Of all the places we’ve been so far, this definitely felt like one that was more in the wilderness. Even with the picnic benches and drop toilet! The island has a plethora of trees, plants and animals, including bears and porcupines, the closest of which we’ve seen to either of those was some porcupine poo! Asaf was a fountain of knowledge regarding the inhabitants on the island, in particular the plants, how they could be used and which ones to avoid. As we made our way deeper in to the forest, away from the lake, it was clear to see how easy it would be to get lost!

We made our way back to the canoes and set off on the return journey, only this time I was the captain. I was more Captain Jack Sparrow than Robin Crusoe with rum like charges off course, but we did manage to dock without falling out, so that’s a bonus! And better still we were able to leave most of the canoes there for the next group (the other G adventures guys) instead of hoofing them back up the hill. As it had been raining the entire time we were pretty wet and some of us, very cold. So the heat was cranked up as we made our way to a few locations before heading back to the ranch. The first was a real highlight of the trip thus far as it involved some wildlife (of which we’ve seen very little!) and it’s something you’d only see in certain locations. The salmon run. We went to see them in a little spot called Bailey Chute, which was a wide stretch of river with a heavy downstream flow and big rocks to overcome. We found ourselves cheering on the salmon that managed to leap over the worst of it and presumably carry on up stream (you couldn’t tell once they were back in the water) and letting out disappointed groans for those that were beaten back by the rapids.

From there we went onto Helmcklen Falls and Dawson Falls, our numbers dwindling with each stop due to the wet and cold. Every stop (usually with a waterfall) has been beautiful in its own way, but I’ll be damned if I remember the differences/names without checking the photos as a point of reference! As we made our way back to the ranch the hot topic was hot showers. Apparently the power at the ranch is sketchy at the best of times, let alone when there are storms, so we were delighted when the showers were running and hot, for most of us at least! Once warm and clean it was off to the rickety bench for some drinks and dinner. Turns out not only is it rickety, but also unbalanced as when Iain joined the side I was sat on we almost tipped it, even with some of the girls sat on the other side, Chief has been feeding us up too much!

Chilli was on the menu, which is just what was needed to warm the cockles after a day on the lake. As it was an early dinner, we were able to get our cowboy boots on and head to the saloon, as we didn’t quite make it the first time. It was a quaint spot, which looked shocked to see a dozen of us pile in at once. I clocked the juke box in the corner early doors and went over to it, only to be informed by our happy host that it didn’t work, but I could give him the money. I resisted suggesting if he gave me a smile I’d think about it. We had a good laugh as a group whilst sinking a few pints before heading back at 9pm as that’s when it closes! We finished off the evening with a couple of Werewolf games, where the villains clawed back a couple of points!

Georgie’s highlight of the day: Seeing the salmons swim up stream!

[out-and-aboot-eh]

Day 7 - Revelstoke to Wells Grey Guest Ranch

I am pleased to confirm that a new sleeping bag (or at least a bigger and warmer one!) goes a long way, as does waking up to beautiful sunshine! Where we’re constantly surrounded by beauty you don’t always take it in, but on my trip to the bathroom before many people were awake it was nice just to look back at our little travelling family all pitched up in a circle with the backdrop of the mountains and the rising sun. Although I cursed the group of crows that had been squawking since day break, they seem to have followed us round the last couple of campsites!

Today was one of our heavier travelling days, but not the heaviest! Our destination, Wells Grey Guest Ranch. I must admit despite having ample time to write this, I’m so very easily distracted by other conversations so I’m wracking my memory to remember what we did two days ago, luckily others are keeping travel journals and I’ve got photos to remind me. Other than the usual selection of breakfast options, we also had some left over pizza, fried! Welcome to Canada - where you’ll leave a stone heavier than you arrived!

Our first stop of the day was a little or rather a large, ice cream place by the name of Dutchmen Dairy. Megan had hyped up this place pretty early in to the trip and it did not disappoint, firstly it looked like something out of a movie or a kids toy, a big old red barn! Then the flavours on offer were top tier! They had your basic flavours, like strawberry, vanilla and chocolate, but they also had salted caramel, chocolate orange, cherry blossom, the list goes on as there were 60 in total! We all piled in and came out with various flavours and numbers of scoops in cones and cups before going to see the cute little cows in the paddocks next door. I don’t know if it was the black and white patterned shorts or just Daisy’s luck, but one of the cows gave them a yank down! If ice cream wasn’t your thing (I’m not sure anyone in our party falls into that category) there was also a Fruit and Veg shop across the road, which was an array of colour with stacks of stock in all shapes and sizes. Once we (everyone else) had stocked up on cherries and berries we were back in the minibus and on the road.

After another hour and a half or so we stopped for a break in a spot that had a ‘Shoppers’. A name that gives me and G a little chuckle every time we see one due to its mention in the musical ‘Come From Away’. When we stepped outside of the minibus we were hit by 34 degrees of sunny heat, which we haven’t had much of in the last few days, the weather here is crazily interchangeable! A couple of hours or so later we arrived at our final destination for the next two nights, Wells Grey Guest Ranch. It was hard not be charmed by its classic ranchy vibes, there were huge fields with horses and cattle in, the sound of chickens in the distance, a scruffy cat, a couple of old smelly dogs and a couple of rocking chairs on the porch. Our host however wasn’t quite as charming, I dare say he might have been German or Swiss, either way he gave us a long list of rules including how to flush the toilet due to the temperamental septic tank system.

Once we’d been shown exactly where to park, set up and cook, Megan got out another set of rules that the campsite had provided! We chuckled our way through the additional information, before bringing over the dinner gear to the designated area and heading off to set up our tents in the designated areas. However, we were one tent less as Markus and Christina (affectionately referred to as ‘The Germans’) had opted to upgrade to a cabin, they are on their honeymoon after all! One of the reasons we had to be so particular with our set up (other than to avoid the wrath of our host) was another G Adventures tour group would be joining the ranch for two days as they go the opposite way to us. There was a long creaky bench by the cooking station which soon filled up with the group cracking open cold beverages and passing around big bags of crisps. Cheese toasties and tomato soup were on the menu, followed by a bit more line dancing. I say line dancing, based on what followed it may well have been something a little stronger…

The sky was awash with pink and orange, but in the distance, billowing grey clouds were looming as the wind started to pick up. It wasn’t long before one of the rustling tents became our first casualty and snapped under the pressure of the draft. Megan moved the minibus in front of the line of tents to protect them (us) from any trees falling down, just as another tent went ping! I was already holding on our tent with a tinny in hand for extra weight! We may have been the first to pitch, but the other group’s tents didn’t seem to be in the wind tunnel, so we uprooted our remaining tents and moved them over to their patch. Our host didn’t seem too concerned with the pandemonium going on around his ranch and certainly didn’t feel inclined to offer up the empty lodges around us one of which was called ‘Jail’.

Due to three tents breaking, some of our group were left homeless, so I shotgunned Little Fingers as her name suggests, she doesn’t take up much space! Our chance to go to the saloon had passed, so instead we hit the bench and played some more Werewolf game, which has become a real camp favourite! We even took on a couple of new crew members from the other group who were envious of how much fun we are compared to theirs. We certainly are fun, fun and a little bit feral!

Georgie’s highlight of the day: Line dancing and the sunset (before the storm hit!)

[out-and-aboot-eh]

Day 6 - Revelstoke and Chill

But not in that order! We were granted a rare late start and staying at a camp site that had hot springs and a tepid swimming pool, so there was only one thing to do before breakfast…Put on some washing! All the buildings are locked with a PIN number, from the toilets to the launderette and they’re all different, so if you can’t remember them and don’t have your phone on you (which I didn’t!) you’ve gotta hope there’s someone in there to let you in! After getting some change from reception and letting our clothes enjoy some hot water, so did we! You’ll struggle to more scenic surroundings on a nicer morning, which is just what was needed after a long soggy day before. I spent most of my time in the pool as I can only handle hot springs for so long and made the mistake of challenging Eliza (who’s surname I can only imagine is Thorpe) to a race as she left me for dead! After a quick shower it was time to get the washing in the dryer, however the instructions were so faded I needed a return trip to reception for a demo as it wasn’t worth my salt shrinking G’s gym gear, or worse still her new Banff jumper! With a guarantee from the staff that the settings it was on would do no such thing, I popped it on, prayed to the tumbler gods and headed back to camp with G for breakfast.

As the last few days have been quite early starts, I was ravenous by the time 10:30 rolled round! But as ever there was a fantastic selection and I’ve been enjoying a crunchy nut type cereal with vanilla yoghurt and a bit of maple syrup, followed by the ever classic peanut butter on toast! By the time we’d finished it was a quick trip back to collect the dry washing and thankfully it didn’t look like baby clothes! As we jumped in the minibus spirits were high and away we went, driving a good 5km before we hit a big old traffic jam. It transpired a car had gone over a bridge and the estimated recovery was up to two days, so we tip-toed along for an hour or so before having to make a decision. Stick with it or turn off and go on a walk near by, either way we had to go to Revelstoke as part of the tour and for snacks and supplies. At the time, due to a lack of signal, we couldn’t see what the issue was, or how long it went on for.

It was unanimous decision as we voted and we opted to forego the walk (Brits love to queue!) and stick with it whilst playing a few travel games and doing a couple of crosswords! About another hour or so and we finally hit open road and it wasn’t long before we reached the quaint town of Revelstoke.

We were given about 2 hours to run riot and away we went. G and I had couple of things on our shopping list, at the top for her was a new bum bag/fanny pack depending on your geographic, a notebook and maybe a ‘Rab’ coat as we we’re due to travel to chillier lands, and for me a bigger (and warmer) sleeping bag! I’ve watched G all snug with room to spare for too many nights now! We struck gold in the first shop for G and she’s been ecstatic with her purchase ever since, after parting ways with a bum bag that had seen her through the last 15 years. We checked out a few more places and whilst none of them had the coat, I did manage to find a sleeping bag after talking to a very enthusiastic staff member who got me on the floor testing it! After a quick Google we knew a ‘Beaver Tail’ (type of dessert) wouldn’t be on the cards as they didn’t have one in Revelstoke, so we headed off to a Thrift Shop as G wanted to check out the local offers ... What a load of junk! After flicking through the lady’s jumpers and jackets (G that is) there was nothing to be found so we headed back via Nico’s pizza for some garlic cheese sticks (as when I popped my head in 20 minutes prior it was closed!) As time was against us we decided to divide and conquer, so whilst G went to the shop to get some snacks, I went to get some booze, but not before popping in to the 7-11 as it had just what I wanted as I was starting to flag, a big old cup of Coca Cola! I’m talking ludicrously big and for a mere $3!

With my ‘Gulp n go’ in one hand and pizza in the other, it was time to swing via the liquor store for a box of wine and another pack of ‘No Boats on Sunday’ cider, which is pretty damn good, but apparently no longer being made! The group reconvened at the Visitor Centre and made tracks to a few site seeing spots, including Meadows in the Sky Parkway and the Snow Forest, which as the names suggest were beautiful spots, which the photos won’t do justice, but will hopefully give a flavour of the sort of things we’ve seen on our trip so far. Most suspiciously Megan (or Chief as she’s now known) was on the phone to someone before we returned to camp. As we pulled up outside Nico’s (second time around for me!) our dinner for the night became apparent, pizza! Which we were all very excited about!

It made for a very easy set up once back at camp, chairs out and away we went! The slices of pizza were huge and I could only manage one! Although that’s possibly more due to the fact I’d scoffed a cheese garlic pizza and washed it down with a litre of coke less than 2 hours prior! With our tummies full of doughy goodness, Megan showed us a couple of line dances, ahead of our trip to Cowboy land, where rumour had it, the campsite had a Saloon! I did a few steps at the back and then moved around to the front to take on the role of videographer! Once the hootenanny was over Georgie introduced the group to the infamous ‘Werewolf game’ also known as Assassins or Mafia and is similar to the tv show ‘Traitors’. G has told me about Werewolf on many an occasion and it was great to witness the group fully invested as she narrated us through this game of deception. I would go in to the rules and tell you all about it, but life’s too short and if you’re reading this you can Google it! But we all had a tremendous amount of fun and the villagers won both games, where bizarrely I was the Witch both times and Daisy was Cupid, which caused all sorts of chaos! I’m sure we could have carried on all night, as we’d stocked up on booze, it wasn’t raining and spirits were high, but camp life dictates you start early and finish early. As I returned from brushing my teeth I took a few snaps of the night as it was super starry and our tent was a beacon of light calling me back.

Georgie’s highlight of the day: Hot springs in the morning, Werewolf in the evening.

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Just a quick update, we’re en route to Wells Gray which rumour has it doesn’t have any signal so we might be off grid for a couple days! TTFN!

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Day 5 - Emerald Lake & White Water Rafting Photos

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Day 5 - Emerald Lake & White Water Rafting

A slightly later start today as we set our alarms for 06:00 as that would give us enough time to thaw out, get packed up and get some breakfast at 07:15am before leaving at 08:00 sharp! Today’s breakfast was ‘mystery meat’, which tasted to me like those frankfurter sausages you get in jar, but these were flat and round, topped with a runny fried egg. A runny egg that G bit in to and it exploded all over her. Spirits in camp were high with many an egg pun flying around, but no sooner had we finished our ‘eggcelent’ baps then the rain decided to come out in full force. After a bit of a scramble to get everything under some sort of cover temporarily, it was time to load up the trailer and be on our way to our first stop of the day, Takkakaw Falls.

As transportation goes our minibus is pretty damn good; a decent sound system, some charging ports, cool air-con and for days when you’re left a bit soggy, very good heating. Too good some might say if you’re sat cooking in the back! As it was a jam packed day it was a swift visit to Takkakaw Falls, but as always it was a beautiful spot to take in before heading off to Emerald Lake. Georgie and I were both in agreement that if we were to return to Canada we’d stay somewhere like this for a few days, lovely lodges, a lovely lake and a lovely cup of hot chocolate… might be time to crack out the thesaurus!

We were given an hour and three quarters to explore and by the time G and I had jumped off the bus and nipped to the loo, everyone else was half way around the lake! Which is no bad thing as I know how important a bit of alone time is to G, so we got a hot chocolate and set off on the trail around the lake, which even we couldn’t get lost on… in theory! There was a gentle trickle of rain as we followed the path through the little village of lodges which looked extremely luxurious compared to the sodden tents we’d be setting up later that day! The lake was a smooth pool of flat emerald blue water surrounded by forest and mountains. We stopped to take a few photos, but had to hot step the final stretch to make sure we were on the bus in time (which we were with a few minutes to spare!)

Our next destination was the Kicking Horse River, for a spot of White Water Rafting, but before we gave that a go, it was time for a spot of lunch. A nice easy picky lunch of meats, dips, crisps, veg and mini naans. Once fuelled up, it was time for the group to split. Myself, Georgie, Iain, Michaela, Hannah, Daisy and Christine aka Little Fingers (the only person whose nickname has stuck on the trip so far!) were off to get our dinghy on after signing our lives away. We were given a comedic overview from the river manager Josh and headed off to get booted and suited, wet suited that is! Apparently there’s some weird fish lurgy in the river which can impact other fish which means you should wash your swimmers before going in any other water. And apparently the less clothes you wear in a wet suit, the warmer you’ll be. So this was a no brainer for Iain and I, birthday suit straight in to wet suit and away we went to get fleeces, life jackets and helmets. We boarded a yellow school bus and headed to the start of our watery trail whilst enjoying a bit of banter with one of the leaders who was Scottish.

Once there we were given the health and safety talk and divided into groups. As a group of 7 we had a whole raft to ourselves with the Captain of the establishment, Josh at the helm. As we took off down the river he told us what to do when he called out the various instructions, which must be global as they were the same in NZ! We started off with Georgie and Christine at the front, with the most important job on the boat, blocking the water from the guide! Behind them were Michaela and myself aka the front paddles, back paddles were Iain and Hannah with Daisy on chilling duty. We practiced a few commands before our first ‘get down’ which saw us well and truly introduced to the Kicking Horse River as we were submerged in to the rapids! It would have been worth bringing the Go-Pro just to capture G’s reaction of shock in that moment when we realised the water was 4 degrees!

Josh was a good craic and guided us down the river effortlessly, behind the other 7 or so boats ahead. The watery road was awash with rapids, rocks and drops, which meant we did have to pull our weight on occasion when instructed. Around the half way stage we swapped around so me and G were in the back and the other 5 in the front.

Daisy and Hannah were placed at the top of the boat like a couple of mermaids. As all the other groups were ahead of us we could see what was coming, but Josh decided to pull a move that none of the others had - ‘The Titanic’. He shouted at Daisy and Hannah to ‘get down’ at the front of the boat whilst Iain, Michaela and Christine bundled on top, essentially pinning them down! Aghast with shock, Daisy’s mouth was left gaping for the waves of water that crashed over the boat and subsequently down her gullet! A combination of raucous laughter and spluttering followed after being done so dirty by our captain, who I think at one point (after a fair amount of laughing or crying from Daisy it was hard to tell) was genuinely concerned that he might have gone too far! But it was all good and on our merry way we went, as thankfully no ice bergs were hit, just half a river swallowed! As we came towards the end of the river we were given the opportunity to see what it would be like had we fallen out, so Iain and I hopped off and dangled for a bit before being reeled back in like a couple of big ol’ white sturgeons. Aka grabbed by the life jacket and heaved, which for those on board was quite an effort! Iain had a possy to do the job, but Poor G had the gargantuan task of hoofing me into the boat on her own, which she managed! Go on muscles!

Once back to shore we loaded the boats onto a trailer and hopped back on the yellow buses, all buzzy from our trip down the river, although a few of us would have been keen for some more extreme rapids and drops, but it was still a lot of fun and better still no black eyes from rogue paddles! Once back at camp it was a quick strip and change before checking out the photos, which were a good selection and between the group, a reasonable purchase! We did our best to recount the Daisy waterboarding story, but for full effect you really did have to be there!

Onward we went to our final destination of the day, Canyon Springs Camp Ground in Revelstoke. This wasn’t on our original itinerary, but due to wildfires in Jasper (which is where we were supposed to go) that was our heading and home for two nights. It’s a beautiful location, with excellent facilities near to our spot, if you’re willing to part with your hard earned loonies and toonies! Including a hot spring pool, warm swimming pool and showers, shop and cafe. And some of the group were excited at the prospect of being on grass as it’s softer on the old bones (but wetter on the smelly feet!) As we were given a sizeable patch of turf to set up, it was a free for all, but we’ve pitched in quite close proximity to one another so G’s snoring (or possibly mine on occasion) can’t have offended anyone too much! I’d used all camp/hiking birthday presents by this point (thanks guys!) except the cutlery, which it turns out can double up as tent pegs (as there’s a shortage) to help keep it dry, thanks Cal!

It was a sausage couscous for dinner followed by little s’mores type dessert. As a self confessed chocoholic, I emphasised my appreciation to Megan at having something sweet after every dinner! We chatted for a bit after but didn’t stay up too long as it had been a long day and we all needed a good long sleep!!

G’s highlight of the day was: A walk around the Emerald lake with a hot chocolate in hand!

Photos to follow once the service picks up!!

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Day 4 - Bow Lake & the Glacier

I opted to make a few changes prior to sleeping and they paid off, turns out being warm, a DIY pillow (as the travel pillow isn’t quite up to snuff) and not being able to hear every sounds in the night really helps. As did no alarms going off at 4.30am! It was an early start as some of our party were heading off to walk along the Athabasca glacier, which meant we were up at 05:40 for breakfast at 06:15. I can hear the Dads scoffing at that being ‘early’ as that’s every day for them! Speaking of breakfast, it was a fantastic array of yoghurt, granola, berries, porridge, toast and a real highlight for G (but I’m guessing not quite of the day) cinnamon buns! With our bellies full of breakfasty goodness it was time to jump in old trusty (our 15 seater minibus complete with cheesy music and singing optional).

Our first stop along the way was Bow Lake, which G claimed at that moment in time, that it may have been her favourite so far as it was very calm and peaceful and no one else was there. It was a swift visit, but we would be returning later. G opted for a jump photo which provided a fantastic result, always zip your fanny pack pre-jump! We moved on to the Columbia Ice Field Centre, where some of us would be chilling for a bit, whilst Megan dropped off the others to hike up the glacier. We had a lovely time sitting on a roof terrace in the sun taking in the views on some wonderfully comfy chairs before heading off for a short walk down to a hidden gem of a waterfall that only those with local knowledge would know about. As we made our way down to the waterfall Megan pointed out that some of the trees along the path had a grey substance, but it wasn’t ash. As we got closer to the waterfall we could start to feel the mist, especially when the wind blew in our direction. We learnt that the substance on the trees is sediments and minerals from the pressure of the waterfall hitting the bottom and spraying across the forest. After taking in the view and a few snaps, we moseyed back up to our van and returned to the ice centre for a spot of lunch and more relaxation. This was the first time I cracked out one of my impromptu Amazon purchases, a pair of binoculars! I scanned the glacier and could just about make out our group, amongst the others doing the same thing. The temperature dropped as the sun was covered by clouds so we were glad to be on our way to warmer climates aka down, once the glacier group had returned.

We had a few stops on our way back to camp, the first being Mistaya Canyon, which had a waterfall crashing down on to the rocks and extremely fierce rapids. Even if Aquaman fell in, he wouldn’t be coming out! It’s fair to say by the time we got back in the minibus the group were starting to flag after such an early start, especially those that had been on a 3 hour glacier hike! So it was a snoozy ride on to the next location, Peytos lake (not potato lake!) A short hike took us up to a clearing and another expansive view of woodland, lake and mountains. The final destination of our day’s outing was back to Bow Lake, but this time some of us (Megan, Iain, Daisy, Eliza, G and I) stuck on our swimmers as we’re a glutton for punishment. Apparently the chilly water is actually good for the body and to be fair it does give you a buzz coming back out, if your idea of buzz is burning cold skin! A couple of minutes in the water was long enough to head back out, dry off and return back to camp via the gas station.

As our tents were already set up from the night before, the turn around from getting back to the communal area was pretty swift. G and Hannah stepped up to help with food prep for dinner which was Chicken pasta alfredo with a maple and siracha sauce, which as combos go was very good. With a drink in hand and dinner on the go, the spirit in camp was once again lifted as we finally got to that stage. You on Instagram? Go on then give us an add! The conversation took a funny turn at this point as the topic of ‘type’ came up. Apparently a tall hockey player with front tooth missing is considered ‘hot’ these days, at least from one member of our camp! The food was delicious and exactly what was needed after a long day out and about, especially when topped off with some key lime pie! As we finished our meal, Megan recounted a tale of her worst camp member, a lady from Florida who shouted at her whilst driving, moaned at every opportunity and had lots of unreasonable demands. Thankfully we’re an angelic group with no one even close to that! G and I capped the day off with a ‘hot’ shower before rejoining the group to hear about the following day’s activities. Alas the Grizzly Bear sanctuary is closed, so instead we’ve opted for White Water Rafting down the Kicking Horse river, Yee-haw!

Georgie’s highlight of the day: Bowlake first thing in the morning, closely followed by cinnamon buns!

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Day 3 - Lake Louise & Lake Moraine

I must admit I could probably count the number of times I’ve properly camped on one hand as my parents were good to me. So the concept of two weeks on a wafer thin mattress and a travel pillow wouldn’t be my first choice, but it’s all part of the experience. Apparently with that experience also comes the risk of a bear knocking on your door, trains honking their horns when passing by and some arsehole’s alarm going off from 04:30am for 15 minutes straight before briefly stopping and starting again! I can only presume the owner of said phone had died in the night!

I eventually gave up on the hope of any more sleep and hot (cold) stepped it across to the toilet block for a shower. I don’t mind minimal sleep, but smelling acceptable is a must! Followed closely by maintaining a good level of food in the belly, which is fortunate as breakfast was at 07:30am, providing your tent was packed down and in the trailer prior, which ours was… just! It was a lovely sunny morning for a breakfast bap courtesy of Megan. As we were out for the day we made wraps for lunch and G got a bit of a reputation for having a flair of folding the wrap. I did ask her to make me one but that was a stretch too far, but she did wrap it for me!

Our destination for the day was Lake Louise, 9.5km, 580m climbing 2,240m high. We were forewarned that this is a huge tourist attraction, however we were very fortunate as we could take photos without hoards of people in the way! The lake was a beautiful smooth pool of aqua-marine water, with a mountain backdrop, called the lake of little fishes by the indigenous people. There were kayakers on the water, but our first port of call was a little spot where we could go for a dip in the water. Despite it being summer here and the days on land being quite warm if the weather’s good, the same cannot be said for the lakes! Due to the rocky entry we couldn’t just jump, but slowly scramble down the rocks in to the icy cold waters. About half our group braved it, including me and G as we love a splash around at any opportunity!

Once semi dried off, we made our way to the start of our hike along the Lake Agnes Teahouse trail, with the option to extend to the Little Beehive if we had enough left in the tank. The mountain path winded up through a forest of trees expanding as far as the eye can see with the lake slowly fading into the distance, but always visible below. As we worked our way along the path, there were ample opportunities to take photos of the valley but even with a pano shot, there is simply no way to capture the beauty and magnitude of this place. Whilst the walking is doable, there was a fair amount of huffing and puffing (speaking on my own behalf!) due to the uphill nature of the trail. Thankfully there were plenty of snack breaks, including one by a lake with a very bold ground squirrel intent on trying to grab a sweet treat!

A couple of hours or so into the walk we reached the infamous Lake Agnes Teahouse, where we did not partake in their refreshments as the queue was long and more importantly we’d already made our wraps to enjoy at this stunning lunch spot, where another brazen ground squirrel was doing the rounds. Once refuelled we made our way to the Bee Hive via the long drop toilets, complete with a cockroach landing on my head! This was a much shorter stretch to cover, but started a steeper incline and more of a drop. Once again the views from the top were incredible and despite my best efforts, the camera simply doesn’t do it justice, the view just goes on and on.

The best thing about a hike going up, is that the return journey is coming down! Where once again the scenes were spectacular, but you have to keep an eye on your footing due to loose stones and roots. By the time we reached the bottom, the dip in the lake for our feet was most welcome! We took a bit of time to chill and take it all in before heading to the Lake Louise campground, our home for the next two nights. Once again this site was full of space to pitch up and lots of facilities, however our high 5’s were premature as the toilets closest to us were out of order and there was only one shower block on the other site of the site!

As this was our second time of tent set up we were a bit speedier and even put the washing line up to dry a few bits off. Dinner was on the go by the time we got over to the communal area so it was time to crack open a tequila cocktail, which, a risky purchase at the time, were very nice. I actually started this entry at dinner time and several others here are keeping journals/blogs of their travels, but as always the distraction of chatting was too enticing, so this is coming live from a cafe near a glacier whilst half our group are walking it… suckers! It was tacos for dinner followed by cheesecake and a trip to a secret location, which G already knew about due to asking if we’d be visiting there the day before. So as the sun was slowly descending we jumped in the van and made tracks to… Lake Moraine!

This was a place G was very excited about, as Natalie & Kon had hyped it up a lot and said it was a must see and to be fair, they were not wrong. It was a much calmer, quieter spot but equally as beautiful (if not more so) than the other lakes we’d seen that day. (FYI come to Canada, see a lot of lakes!) it a wonderful way to cap off the day, seeing the colours change across the horizon as day turned to night before heading back to do the biggest wash up of the trip so far - you can’t win ‘em all!

Georgie’s highlight of the day: Surprise trip to Lake Moraine.

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Day 2 Calgary to Banff snaps - Text below!