So I am back! I type this as I sit in the very large, empty house I am housesitting in for the next month. It just so happens that, at the time I showed up at home--smelly, dirty, unemployed and homeless--a relative was leaving the county for a month and needed someone to look after her house and cat! Wicked!
The only drawback is that the house is WAY far from downtown. The area is a postcard: houses with manicured lawns and porches with potted flowers and decorative garden furniture (that isnt chained down!). You might be able to guess I feel just slighty out of place, having lived the past few months in a garage. But it sure is nice sleeping in a real bed again. And being able to hang some of my close in a closet.
It is sort of creepy here alone...I actually cant remember the last time I lived in a place by myself... have I ever? Hm. Im used to sharing small spaces with multiple people in a house with interesting smells with questionable things in the fridge and funny noises from the basement. This big-house-one-person (plus cat) thing is definitely a new experience that Im not sure I like that much.
Okay. Here is my plan:
First step: find job.
Second step: find cheap apartment downtown.
Third step: pay off debt.
Fourth step: buy new kayak
Fifth step: travel.
So really, im only five steps away from getting back on the road! Yes, they ARE pretty big steps, but it gives something for my now firmly grounded spirit to look forward too...
Can anyone tell me why the cat meows at me? I dont think it likes me.
Oct 19, 2009
Oct 5, 2009
On the road again
Got back a couple days ago from my last multi-day trip of the season!
The Babine was beautiful, but definitely chilly---the temperature usually hovered around 6-7 degrees and it rained every day (usually at night). The river was full of salmon and steelback...it was crazy to look down and see these HUGE fish swimming under my boat. They were jumping all along the shore and you could even see thier fins cutting through the top of the water like sharks. The shores of the flatwater sections were lined with fly fishermen...most said they werent having very much luck. 
There were so many bald eagles you stopped paying attention to them after awhile LOL. Most people run the river in five days, but we wanted to get onto another river after so we did it in four: The first day was an easy float, then came some whitewater day 2 that peaked day 3 with "grizzly drop", "sphincter" and an intensely beautiful canyon (that also happened to be super narrow=raft pile up!).
The Babine was beautiful, but definitely chilly---the temperature usually hovered around 6-7 degrees and it rained every day (usually at night). The river was full of salmon and steelback...it was crazy to look down and see these HUGE fish swimming under my boat. They were jumping all along the shore and you could even see thier fins cutting through the top of the water like sharks. The shores of the flatwater sections were lined with fly fishermen...most said they werent having very much luck.
There were so many bald eagles you stopped paying attention to them after awhile LOL. Most people run the river in five days, but we wanted to get onto another river after so we did it in four: The first day was an easy float, then came some whitewater day 2 that peaked day 3 with "grizzly drop", "sphincter" and an intensely beautiful canyon (that also happened to be super narrow=raft pile up!). Unpacking the car and getting ready for the trip...
The Babine river
The Babine is known for grizzly bears, but unfortunately/fortunately(?) we didnt see any...just one black bear on the shore the last day (and after my North Coast trail bear experiences Im totally okay with that!).
After the Babine, the plan was to head to the Chilco river, but the access road to the river was closed due to forest fires in the area. We re-grouped and tossed around a few ideas over $10 specials at the Boston Pizza in Smithers, BC. Running the Nas river was the front-running possibility...until the temperature dropped the last couple days on the Babine: one day it actually started to hail! It was getting so cold that if there was a flip while running the class 4 rapids it would be pretty miserable. Everyone was looking to have a good time, have a few beers on the river and not have to worry about hypothermia, so, in the end, the group settled on the Quenelle River in Likely, BC. Al was nice enough to let us all camp on his lawn that night and the next morning we headed out for our next river!
After a day's drive, we set up a basecamp at a very empty Cedar Point campground in Likely, BC (overseen by a wonderful volunteer named Virginia who helped me bake a dutch oven apple pie). A local in the area described the Quenelle river as being pretty intense at high water, but now that it was low water the river was more of a ripple that "you could practically walk". The group decided that it would be a good time to give some of the new guides some more river-running experience and so only one oar boat went out, with the other two paddle guided (plus the boss in the cat raft).
After the Babine, the plan was to head to the Chilco river, but the access road to the river was closed due to forest fires in the area. We re-grouped and tossed around a few ideas over $10 specials at the Boston Pizza in Smithers, BC. Running the Nas river was the front-running possibility...until the temperature dropped the last couple days on the Babine: one day it actually started to hail! It was getting so cold that if there was a flip while running the class 4 rapids it would be pretty miserable. Everyone was looking to have a good time, have a few beers on the river and not have to worry about hypothermia, so, in the end, the group settled on the Quenelle River in Likely, BC. Al was nice enough to let us all camp on his lawn that night and the next morning we headed out for our next river!
After a day's drive, we set up a basecamp at a very empty Cedar Point campground in Likely, BC (overseen by a wonderful volunteer named Virginia who helped me bake a dutch oven apple pie). A local in the area described the Quenelle river as being pretty intense at high water, but now that it was low water the river was more of a ripple that "you could practically walk". The group decided that it would be a good time to give some of the new guides some more river-running experience and so only one oar boat went out, with the other two paddle guided (plus the boss in the cat raft).
The day started off pretty sweet and slow, some class 2/2+ stuff...then it canyoned out, got narrow and winding, the rapids became more continuous with pin rocks, etc! (The gear in some of the rafts wasnt even tied down...) One of the boats flipped at the last stretch of continuous rapids and 2 of the 4 non-river staff on the trip ended up in the water. Everyone was okay in the end, but there was definintely a heated discussion around the fire that night about what could have been changed about that run....phew!
After the Quenell, there was talk of extending the trip by a few days and finding another river to run. A few people were keen, but some needed to be back for the pre-planned return date so staying was a no-go. BUT...The day we were meant to head back to Canmore, the boss super geneously decided to lend his wicked Ford truck to the handfull of us to continue on our paddling roadtrip! Two aussies, two kiwis and I said goodbye to the rest of the staff, and after the boys paddled the Caribou (a creeky river in the area), we piled into the truck with our kayaks hanging out the back and were off!
After the Quenell, there was talk of extending the trip by a few days and finding another river to run. A few people were keen, but some needed to be back for the pre-planned return date so staying was a no-go. BUT...The day we were meant to head back to Canmore, the boss super geneously decided to lend his wicked Ford truck to the handfull of us to continue on our paddling roadtrip! Two aussies, two kiwis and I said goodbye to the rest of the staff, and after the boys paddled the Caribou (a creeky river in the area), we piled into the truck with our kayaks hanging out the back and were off!
We arrived in the town of Clearwater after dark and camped on a pebble beach beside the river (a hard rain that night...we had the river wing, but it wasnt much use on the sliding pebbles with no real anchors). The next morning was cool and misty and we paddled the river in a light drizzle. What a difference: the high volume river with wicked play feature we paddled in August now was so low it was almost like the Kananaskis River! A huge hole to be avoided in August was now a bump and grind rock slide. That night we crashed out on our friends couch and watched a movie, then skipped setting up the tents by sleeping in her shed. Couches were such a luxury after almost 10 days on the road! The next morning we did a final pack up and started the drive back to Canmore through scenic Jasper.
So...something suprising on the way back from BC to AB: SNOW! The lush, green mount robson we passed on the way to the Babine was now completely white! Jasper had snow on the ground and the trees were bowing under it. We stopped on the side of the road for a pee stop and I was hopping into the bushes thru ankle deep snow in sandals. On the way back I dodged a fist full of snow: snowball fight!!! What a scene: the five of us plus our kidnapped friend from clearwater in shorts and sandals throwing snowballs across the highway :)
Eight hours later we were back in Canmore....6 unemployed, homeless, unshowered raft guides looking for a place to crash. The super generous boss that lent us his truck offered us the basement of his home to sleep in that night and his wife even made us dinner...such special people. The next day was spent unpacking and cleaning the truck and, after good-bye pints at the bar, the remainder of our crew crashed on the floor of one of our friends new, unfurnished condos.
This morning I said goodbye to the NZ boys...they are heading to vancouver island before they fly back home. I would have liked to leave today as well but I need to tie up some loose ends in Canmore..... its really sad to be here now without them. Ive said goodbye to a lot of people this last year travelling but saying this goodbye was the hardest...Ive been teary all day and weighed down with a heavy heart. Maybe a stop to New Zealand is in the near future?
Im on my way now to Banff to ship my boat to its new owner in QC, then crashing on my friends couch and waking up early to do a big push: saw the scenery on the way up, now just want to get home. I have downloaded an audio Harry Potter book to keep me company....38 hours worth!
But the question: where is home? After thanksgiving what will I do? Stay in ON? Back out West? Overseas? Im blessed with options but feeling incredibly lost....
Gotta run...On the road again.
So...something suprising on the way back from BC to AB: SNOW! The lush, green mount robson we passed on the way to the Babine was now completely white! Jasper had snow on the ground and the trees were bowing under it. We stopped on the side of the road for a pee stop and I was hopping into the bushes thru ankle deep snow in sandals. On the way back I dodged a fist full of snow: snowball fight!!! What a scene: the five of us plus our kidnapped friend from clearwater in shorts and sandals throwing snowballs across the highway :)
Eight hours later we were back in Canmore....6 unemployed, homeless, unshowered raft guides looking for a place to crash. The super generous boss that lent us his truck offered us the basement of his home to sleep in that night and his wife even made us dinner...such special people. The next day was spent unpacking and cleaning the truck and, after good-bye pints at the bar, the remainder of our crew crashed on the floor of one of our friends new, unfurnished condos.
This morning I said goodbye to the NZ boys...they are heading to vancouver island before they fly back home. I would have liked to leave today as well but I need to tie up some loose ends in Canmore..... its really sad to be here now without them. Ive said goodbye to a lot of people this last year travelling but saying this goodbye was the hardest...Ive been teary all day and weighed down with a heavy heart. Maybe a stop to New Zealand is in the near future?
Im on my way now to Banff to ship my boat to its new owner in QC, then crashing on my friends couch and waking up early to do a big push: saw the scenery on the way up, now just want to get home. I have downloaded an audio Harry Potter book to keep me company....38 hours worth!
But the question: where is home? After thanksgiving what will I do? Stay in ON? Back out West? Overseas? Im blessed with options but feeling incredibly lost....
Gotta run...On the road again.
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