Six Places on Saturday

 

It seems that the longer I go without blogging, the harder it is to get back into the rhythm. But finally, here I am. 

1. We took a trip that began with a family camping trip on the Island. There was some swimming, a little walking, and a whole lot of sitting around the campfire (the fire ban had been lifted - it's now in effect again), and eating. One day we made doughnuts. It's become tradition and our grandson says it's the only reason to go camping. I prepare and cut out the dough, the guys get the fryer going to cook the doughnuts, and the grandchildren glaze and decorate them with lots of guidance from Auntie Katie. My favourite are always the ones with the red raspberry glaze made vibrant by just natural juice and so tart and flavourful. 

After a few days we all packed up. The majority of our crew of 13 returned home while Tim and I caught a ferry and began driving. Once through the Fraser Valley (Vancouver area) with all its busy traffic, we went up and across the Coastal Mountain range into the interior plateau and then wound our way north following the North Thompson River. It's a beautiful drive with scenery that changes frequently. 

2. My heart is always gladdened by the sight of Mount Robson, above. We arrived in the evening as the light was fading, but the mountain rose up in front of us on the highway against a clear sky. We stopped and camped there in the park.

The only bear seen on our trip was feeding alongside the road and headed off into the forest as we approached. 

When Tim and I were much younger, and before we went to Ecuador, we sponsored our church youth group. Twice we took the group to Mount Robson for a multi-day hike up to Berg Lake at the foot of the glacier. It was a lot of fun with gorgeous scenery along the way. 

3. While we were certainly not prepared for a multi-day hike, we decided to go as far as Kinney Lake, about 4.5 kilometres. The lake is glacier fed, hence the beautiful milky green colour. And it's COLD! No swimming for us. I think this lake is equally as lovely as the more famed Lake Louise. And the benefit of this lake is that it is not crowded with tourists. 

After descending the 4.5 km return, we hopped into our SUV and pulled our little camping trailer through the Icefields Parkway (glaciers and mountains and waterfalls) to the prairie lands of Alberta. Canola fields are in bloom and make a lovely sight undulating across the landscape. 

4. We spent five days at Tim's brother's place, attending a wedding and catching up with family. And oh the mosquitoes! They were TERRIBLE! Add those pesky critters to the intense heat and humidity - I was thinking with longing about my island home with its cool breezes. The last day or two the heat broke and made things much more pleasant. 

5. Heading south once more we stopped at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. There is an excellent interpretive site explaining how the indigenous peoples used to hunt and preserve buffalo for survival. 

6. We looped back into the mountains for a few days of camping at Fort Steele. Swimming, kayaking, and exploring some of our province's history filled our days. 

The Fort Steele heritage site contains an old print shop with a very enthusiastic and informed interpreter. I was taken by the words on the above mini-poster printed in the shop. Books are a great way to travel back in time, or to the future, or indeed anywhere. I read 8 books during our vacation. Ah, bliss!

Finally, it was time to return home. Up again through the Rocky Mountains, across the plateau, and through the coastal range. Wildfire smoke was intermittent throughout our trip and dulled the landscape. The layered landscape still drew my eye and filled my heart and mind. I do love mountains. 

We stopped overnight for dinner with my parents before catching a very early morning ferry home. After pulling into the driveway, I filled my arms with stuff to go inside and dropped it on the kitchen countertop before immediately heading to the garden. It was a jungle! Later in the day I clipped a few bouquets for the house. 

And that was July! I have a few more stories to share from our trip later, including meeting up with one very special fellow blogger. That will have to wait! 

I look forward to catching up with your blogs in the next few days.