Today we reunite with my family, probably our blog readership, hello! 😉 after a final lazy morning, our journey back over to the mainland is relatively smooth, and by chance we arrive at the same time as my brother Ben, his wife Emma, and their two kids, Matti and Eddie. My mum and her partner (Diana and Gordon) arrived to Vancouver yesterday, so they’re already at the hotel. We reunite in the lobby at check-in. Having not seen the kids, who are now 4 and 6, in a year, there’s a huge difference. They’re definitely boys now! Mum has kindly upgraded our rooms and so we head upstairs to walk into amazing waterfront rooms. For now, the view of the hills over in North Vancouver are under a blanket of cloud, but we get to look out onto the water and the many sea-planes carting tourists and travellers into the sky.
My brother’s family have come straight from the UK, so the lot of them are pretty exhausted with it now being 1:30am their time. James and I are significantly less bushed and jetlagged from our 1 hour 40 distance from the island. Nevertheless, everyone pushes through to have a happy hour cocktail/wine and bite to eat before they call it a night. James fits in a quick gym session making the most of having free access to one again.
Lagging and Flagging
The non-backpacking Brits are up at the crack of dawn, or maybe even before it, as their bodies refuse to adjust. The weather is unseasonably grey and cloudy still, so there’s no urge to get out and do much other than make the most of the hotel’s facilities and brilliant location next to the water. They all go on a “Flyover” of Canada experience, where they are strapped into some seats and via big-screen display are ‘flown’ across the vast Canadian landscapes and waters. James and I decide we’ve seen a good enough portion of it from land, and enjoy our time going to the one and only laundromat a km away. The backpacking life never leaves you.
When we return, it’s a game of “find ways to expel the kids’ energy” as they seem to have more than all of ours combined! They’re understandably super excited to be here and be on holiday, and that excitement is bursting at the seams. It’s really cute to see this total lack of abandon and joy at every small thing. The Duracell bunny has nothing on kids on holiday! Some energy expelled at the gym, Matti shows some incredible rowing technique, and we show him some gym exercises. We suspect we’ll get the DOMS way more than he will!
The next day is much the same, and when we finally reach bedtime for the kids (and the adults too to be fair!), James and I drag Ben and Emma out for a quick pub visit and an escape room. They have their first taste of the Canadian classic poutine (chips, gravy and cheese curds), and we rush off to escape our space-ship that is Lost in Space, with a potential stowaway on board. We spend the experience in darkness except for two portable bulbs that are to be used as torches. Teamwork and smarts gets us out of the room in almost record time, but it doesn’t get us on the leaderboard. Almost though. Not bad for a group of amateurs.
Cycling Stanley
Our next day starts as early as the others (except for James and I, hehe) as the others battle the jetlag once more. Some naps later, we hire some bikes to cycle around Stanley Park. Little Eddie is on a bike extension thing, whilst Matti is on his own flourescent bike. I am humourously given a baby pink helmet, and then a matching baby pink bike. I suspect our jokes of how they must have known my favourite colour went straight over the attendant’s head. James gets given an all black set. Classic.
Thankfully, Emma falls for my claims that the huge pink bike is too big for me, and we swap over. It actually is a better fit for the taller Emma, and I can stop having to pretend to be Barbie on wheels.
We have a lovely biking bimble around Stanley park, stopping at playgrounds, beaches, and picnic spots on the way.
It really is a beautiful ride and route, the park seems to have everything, even a beach! We enjoy said beach with an ice cream and the boys (and Emma) running and jumping into the sand.
It’s a beautiful day and route and the weather has even cleared up just in time for us to enjoy a happy hour cocktail by the harbourfront.
‘Cause I’m Leaving… On a Sea Plane… Be Back in 20 Minutes, eh
Mum and Gordon have generously invited us all for a spin around Vancouver on one of the many sea planes we’ve been watching take-off and land from the fantastic view from our windows. The journey is spectacular, giving glorious views of Vancouver mainland, north Vancouver, and beyond.
We only have one pilot, which makes for a fun experience of feeling like we’re in a self-driving sea-plane from my angle. We’ve seen self-driving cars, will we get self-driving sea-planes?
It’s an amazing experience and I’d highly recommend it.
Sadly, that’s our lot for our time together in Vancouver. Mum and Gordon are staying behind to enjoy a trip to Vancouver Island, and experience more of the city and its surrounds, whilst the rest of us go on a road-trip around and down to Seattle, reuniting Ben and Emma with a couple they haven’t seen since pre-Matti days.
*******************
Adventure – Exploring Vancouver by air and bicycle
Excitement – Seeing everyone again for the first time in almost a year, our first sea-plane experience. Smashing it out of the escape room
Trauma – being yelled at by someone clearly delusional as we waited for laundry
Today our journey starts on a ferry, connecting Vancouver on the mainland of Canada to Vancouver Island. We spend the ride looking out of the window trying to spot whales. According to the children at the front of the boat, there are dozens of them flopping about all over… We don’t see whatever is most likely in their imagination. Our ferry docks at Nanaimo where we take a taxi across town to hire another car. We’re given another “free upgrade” to an SUV even though we just booked the “intermediate” package. This time we have a Mitsubishi 4×4, a bit older than the awesome BMW we had in Vegas but it will do.
We set off to the ‘Mountain House of Wonder’ a lovely accomodation we’ve chosen on Booking.com. On our way there we stop at a supermarket for some supplies. I’ve had a message from the saying to ignore Google Maps directions and stay on Meadowood Way. I don’t think much of it and we get back in the car. Around an hour later we pull off the highway and follow the Sat Nav up the hill. After 15 mins it suggests we turn onto a non-paved road, mostly dust and loose rocks (which are technically out of bounds with any car rental)… we’re in a 4×4 it shouldn’t be a problem. It’s very slow progress and there are a few skids and clunks. We get around one quarter of the way up and decide it’s a bad idea to carry on up this narrow rocky path. Somehow Alex manages to turn the car around and we head back the way we came. I then realise that’s the road they told us to avoid, whoops. Oh well, no harm done… Or so we think.
Tight squeeze
About three minutes later Alex says a warning light has illuminated on the dashboard. Then the car starts to shake and shudder. Hmm. We turn the engine off to give it a breather. Trying to drive again and the same thing happens, even when driving slowly the car shakes violently. A quick Google indicates this is not good at all and to stop driving immediately. A few curse words are said and we make a plan (mostly Alex as I’m very enraged at this point) and decide to walk the rest of the way and call Enterprise before they shut in 30 minutes (our phone package is data only). I make this even more difficult by taking us the wrong way (with our heavy bags on) and more curse words are said. Alex remains calm and focused. I now wait at the car with the bags while Alex literally runs up the mountain to the accom to be a (somewhat sweaty) damsel in distress. I await further instructions and before long a black BMW with an inquisitive looking man pulls up behind me. I assume I’m about to be mugged/car jacked to make this day even better, but it is infact our accomodation host! As we are at least one hour from any Enterprise, and they all close before we could arrive, we decide to delay the tow trouble until the next day. We’re lucky we broke down walking distance away from our night’s stay!
Before we know it, we’re checked in, shown to our lovely room, take in the incredible view and relax on the bed while looking longingly at the hot tub that awaits our presence. We soon get in it and forget all about our woes. Alex also informs me that Enterprise told her on the phone that the car had just come back from the garage for the exact same issue. So perhaps we didn’t destroy it and it won’t cost thousands of dollars to fix. Phew. From Hell to Heaven in just under an hour.
We have a quiet night in, enjoying a giant bed, spacious room and not being roasting hot while trying to sleep. It’s just what we needed.
Two Peas in a Pod
The next morning, after several frustrating calls to Enterprise that always cut off after 12 minutes (and they really waffle on so progress is super slow). We wait by our marooned car for a tow truck to arrive. We don’t have to wait long and we’re soon setting off in a cramped cabin of the tow truck heading back to Nanaimo. The truck can only take us so far as the repair garage at the other end of town so we must take a taxi back to Enterprise. The garage calls a cab and a man in a neon yellow shirt and matching hat screeches onto the carpark. You know when it just takes one look at someone to know this is going to be a character. It takes him no time at all to start ranting about how boring car colours are, why aren’t more cars neon pink or rainbow colours. No one shows their individualism and everyone is a victim of conformity. Without us getting a word in, he’s then onto why marketing is the devil’s work, how he used to work in mining but the accountants and bureaucracy drove him to quit, after threatening to blow some accountants up with dynamite no less. Then how all political slogans are boiled down for the “little people/village idiots” to understand but “he’s just a taxi driver so has no valid opinion”. All somewhat valid points (sorry accountants) but my god the guy did not pause for breath once. Thank the Lord it was only a short journey. He drops us off and after giving us a lecture on how to drive safely in Canada, finds his next victim waiting in the car park. Enterprise then give us a 2024 VW SUV that’s barely clocked 8,000,km which is nothing in Canadian distances.
Back on the road we head straight to a pub serving poutine, hoping to give our ears and minds a rest. Typically there is another loon in the pub loudly shouting his opinion on everything at the top of his voice and finding himself particularly hilarious too. At least the poutine and wings were very nice.
With a bit of time on our hands we head to a “Trestle”, no I’d never heard of one either. It’s basically a giant bridge made of timber, here are some pictures to help.
In need of some sugar to keep us going we make a stop at a wonderful place called “Ice cream mountain” and devour some delicious sweet treats.
Our plan this evening is to meet up with Andrew and Jacqueline, who you might remember we met on the Lost City trek back in Colombia just before Xmas. Andrew welcomes us to their flat (wearing an England shirt no less) and we drop our bags off before heading out to meet Jacqueline on her way home from work. Andrew teases a surprise and sure enough Jacqueline provides it, she is happily expecting twins!
We’re treated to a lovely meal and great hospitality while we catch up on what we’ve been doing for the last 8 months or so.
Serene Victoria
Thanks to the hospitality of Andrew and Jac, we take the opportunity to relax in flat while they are at work. Andrew has been baking while we slept and has kindly left us some homemade muffins for us to wake up to. We spend all morning and some of the afternoon lazing around and catching up on various things.
As usual, after laying around for too long, we both get a bit restless and decide we need a walk. We’ve been recommended the Galloping Goose trail (what a great name) and pick it up from just outside the flat.
We walk over to the main part of Victoria and just as we are deciding where to go next we bump into Jac on her way back from work. Despite being heavily pregnant and probably wanting nothing more than to put her feet up at the end of the working week, she takes us on a guided tour of Chinatown Victoria. It’s the oldest Chinatown in Canada and the second oldest in North America, the oldest being in San Fran (which we did not end up seeing). We walk down various tiny alleyways before ending up in a bubble tea shop. Alex has never had bubble tea before and it’s about time she tried it. Alex goes for the … And I try the Twisted Nipple (not sure who named these). They’re both very tasty but they’ve got far too many “bubbles” in them, which are basically like slimy balls of sugar that often get stuck in the straw.
Buzzing from all of the sweetness we continue our walk around the bay seeing sea planes, helicopters and water taxis all bobbing around the place.
We reach Fisherman’s Wharf before turning around and heading back to see Andrew and Jac for dinner.
We’re lucky enough to be treated to homemade poutine, our favourite Canadian dish. I must try making this myself when we get home! We have another lovely evening with our friends and enjoy a bottle of wine, one of which is from British Colombia, who knew you could make wine so far North!
Running Out of Time
Well it’s another Saturday morning and there’s a Park Run nearby, need I say any more! It’s an undulating route with great views out over the Pacific Ocean. The run director informs us it was possible to see whales here two weeks ago. He also tells us that Park Run first hit Canada in 2017 and has been growing ever since (with a slight pause due to you know what). We both have an enjoyable run and would love it if our local Park Run had such amazing views to distract us from the panting.
We return to the flat for a filling brunch, Andrew and Jac have kindly cooked every meal for us and have barely let us lift a finger to help. We really appreciate their hosting and boundless generosity that has helped us rebalance the budget in this most expensive country of our trip. We haul our bags down to the car, say our goodbyes and head over to a nearby castle called Hatley Castle.
Some of the X-Men movies were filmed here, hence the odd pose
After leaving the castle, we set off to the final accomodation of our travels as just the two of us 😢 and what brilliant accomodation it is too. We’re greeted by John who owns the magnificent house overlooking the bay from the Pacific Ocean. As he’s showing us around, a humongous dog appears and trots up to our bedroom door. “Do you mind if he goes in?” John asks, I’m not going to argue with this 80kg beast so we let him in. He hops straight up onto the bench by the window, “it’s his favourite spot” John informs us. We can see why, what a view.
We relax for a bit in the room before heading out to the 17 mile pub (only one mile away from our hotel). We have some yummy pub grub before heading back in the near darkness, once more jumping at any slight noise coming from the bushes!
Champagne Supernova
Our final full day of travelling as just a twosome! Now I have not had a haircut from a barber since the day after getting engaged in Belize, way back in mid-February. Since then, I’ve shaved it all off in the Philippines and tried to keep it somewhat tidy along the way. But as we’re meeting Alex’s family tomorrow, I feel like I need a professional to make me look presentable again. Having developed a slight phobia of going to the barbers during this trip, I’m delighted to have a friendly chap from Colombia chop my mop in Sooke town. Luckily he speaks fluent English so there is no awkward exchange in broken Spanish this time around. Funnily enough he’s also done a trip around the world and is thinking of doing another one before settling down for the long run.
Andrew and Jac recommended a nearby hiking trail, the full route is nearly 50 kilometers and requires camping overnight along the route. We will not be doing the full route. Instead we park up and walk a mile or so through the dense woods until we emerge on Mystic Beach. Here we spot seals popping their heads out of the sea while we enjoy lunch sitting atop one of the logs washed ashore.
On our way back from the walk we make a brief stop at a lighthouse. On the short walk down to it I realize that our trip started with a picture of a lighthouse way back in Lima when we went for a run with Romina. It seems somewhat poetic that our year long adventure has been bookended by lighthouses both overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
We celebrate our last night of couple travels with a delicious bottle of champagne generously gifted to us by Clive and Alex. Of course being seasoned travellers, we enjoy high quality champagne accompanied by supermarket chicken, microwave rice and salad! We take the bottle down with us to the hot tub and have a good hot soak while we finish off the bubbles. Not a bad way to mark the end of the trip 🍾🥂
*******************
Adventure – First ride in a tow truck (Alex). Lunch while seal spotting. Exploring the sights of Victoria.
Excitement – First bubble tea (Alex). Amazing accomodation for our final stay. Catching up with Andrew and Jac, and finding out their big news!
Having been unable to go to Emerald Lake the other day due to a traffic accident, we decide to stop off on our way up to our next stop. The route takes us back to the east-side of the Rockies, up along the Icefields Parkway to Jasper, then back through the Rockies to Valemount, nestled on the west-side once more. Alex does an amazing job of ferrying us around once more.
Emerald Lake
First stop is the amazing Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park. There’s a lodge that sits right in the forest on one edge, but the rest of the perimeter is all path, and we enjoy the flat walk taking in the views from all angles.
Check out that reflection
The boys brave a quick dip in the once more ice-cold snow-melt. The rocky terrain under bare feet and wind make for a difficult game of Wilson-ball.
Once more, the traditional red canoes for hire make this beautiful lake even more picture-postcard.
To Valemount
Our route towards Valemount provides some even more stunning views, of many a retreating glacier and glorious lake.
We aim for Hector Lake for lunch, but alas Hector is elusive, and we have to resort to Bow Lake, which has an incredible blue colour compared to the green of Emerald Lake. Once more, the water is crystal clear.
After a quick re-fuel in the small town of Jasper, we make it across and into Valemount. It’s been a long day of driving for Alex whilst James and I largely snoozed in the back. Our next stay is a glorious chalet with views overlooking the mountains out west, surrounded by trees on all sides, giving the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere.
Thankfully, we’re actually only a kilometre or two from town, so the reward for the long drive is some burger van food and testing out some local beers from the next-door brewery. Up in the sky, the sun glows red, hazed out by the smoke of the wildfires further west in BC.
Little Lac Lost
The next morning we are welcomed to the property by the manager, rather unaptly called Bobo! An unassuming Hong-Kongese lady (and not the Santa Clause bearded old man James was expecting), gives us the bad news that we can’t use the sauna or jacuzzi, even with cold water, due to the fire ban and low water levels. We’re told there are ways to get to the river nearby though to cool off if we like. Bobo tells us that there are bears in these parts, and she’s even seen a moose! At my excitement to hearing we may get to see a moose in the wild, she seems shocked, “moose run very, very fast!”. Apparently she was trapped in the house once because of one outside. We can only hope! We say farewell to Bobo and enjoy breakfast looking out at the incredible views. Today’s plan is to check out a lake a bit nearer by this time to give Alex a bit of a break from lengthy drives. Today’s lake is called Little Lost Lake, which has a pretty intense start to the trail of heading straight up.
Thankfully the path flattens out and its just the four of us in the woods once more.
We arrive to Little Lost Lake looking forward to a bit of a cool-off in the water. Upon closer inspection, it seems it may be damsel-fly mating season, as they all scoot around the surface nearby. An even closer look into the water reveals a certain wavy, brown creature, that looks to have a sucker on the end…
Deciding this may not be the lake for a swim after all, we take a pit-stop on the picnic benches, whilst Clive has a bit of a wander around the corner. He returns to tell us that there’s a kayak just around the bend, and unsure whether to believe our luck (or Clive’s jokes), we all retrace his steps and find a neon green kayak with an oar just left on the side. There’s not a single soul around, and we’ve walked a hefty route uphill to get here, so we decide that someone must just leave it here to save them lugging it up here each time they visit. Alex and Clive have a pootle about on the kayak across the lake whilst James and I continue the walk of the perimeter of the lake. It’s not really worth it. So we both have a quick spin on the kayak when we get back, before returning on the trail.
Can It Ever Be Too Hot for a BBQ?
We return back to the chalet and decide today is the day for a BBQ. With the sauna and jacuzzi out of bounds, the BBQ is the only thing we can really use as it’s gas powered, and use it we will. It doesn’t matter that it’s in the high 30s and there’s no shade, Brits can BBQ in the rain and we can BBQ in the sun. Alex and Clive make a valient effort to try and fashion a shade for chef James. Their efforts are somewhat in vain.
A for effort
Giving in, leaving the one born north of the wall to embrace the sun, the rest of us hide inside as we cook and assemble in the shade and floor fans of the chalet. James bravely but happily swelters in the blazing sun and scorching grill with just Alex’s hat for relief.
Suits you sir
We feast on amazing salads and perfectly grilled food. Needing a serious cooling off, we brave the river at the end of the property, hoping we can create some kind of rock pool a la Yosemite. The water is freezing cold once more, but it does a good job of countering the still blazing heat from the sun.
Despite everyone’s best efforts once more, the water here is just so powerful it easily finds its path through any gap in our defenses. We need the kids from Yosemite to come and do their magic.
Lake Kinney and Mount Robson
Our last day in Valemount is checking out Lake Kinney that sits below the highest mountain in the Rockies, Mount Robson.
There’s a roaring river alongside us for the whole trail, as we see many a dead tree pile-up where the river narrows, and huge boulders that somehow withstand the incessant water flow crashing against it. We even see a rock that somehow has small holes running through it!
Soon enough, Mount Robson appears above the trees, and we’ve made it to Lake Kinney. It’s water nowhere near as green as Emerald, or blue as Louise, but a light grey/green, thick with minerals (and hopefully not leaches!).
We find an accessible spot to the lake shore, and admire the stunning view before us, reflected back in the almost still water. This is probably our last chance to swim in a glacial lake, so we brave our way in in varying approaches and speeds. Clive gliding in like a dolphin born in the freezing water, I squeeling and shrieking before counting James and I down to dip in, and James refusing my countdown and almost having to be pushed in. Alex is on camera duty and takes some fantastic shots of the experience.
The lake has a pretty strong current where we are as it flows into the powerful river we’ve walked past, so this is definitely more of a quick dip kind of lake. We warm up and head on back to the car.
So warm
Emergency
Tonight we’re treating ourselves to dinner at the only restaurant in town. Our server Andrew is a character who clearly loves his job, and does it brilliantly in convincing James to try a traditional “paralizer” cocktail which is a mix of a white and black russian. It tastes better than it sounds. As we’re about to pay up and leave, Andrew tells us that the road to Jasper is shut due to a wildfire. Thinking not a huge amount of it, we head back to the chalet to look a bit more into it.
Once back, we get online and receive a message from Bobo informing us of the full situation. Bobo seems panicked as her husband is in Jasper and is evacuating. We have no clue what to really do in this situation. We trawl the internet to try and figure out what this means to us. Clive and Alex are meant to be driving the hire car back to Jasper tomorrow morning, and then getting on the train east over to Winnepeg. We’re meant to be staying one more night in Valemount before getting the train west to Vancouver. There’s been wildfires ablaze through British Colombia since we arrived, but the train kept running, so maybe it will this time too? Surprisingly or not, the rail company nor car rentals have an FAQ of “what happens if the town I’m meant to drop my car to/board my train from is evacuated?”. We gather that the one and only road that connects east and west in this region is shut in the eastbound direction, to allow all evacuating vehicles to get out of town ASAP, and allow emergency services to get into town ASAP. How long it takes to evacuate a town, we have no idea. Maybe it’ll reopen in the morning once this all blows over? Will it all blow over?
Alex makes a call to the rental company who says that they can keep the car for two more days, and drive it 2,265km away from the original rental location to Winnipeg, for free. He won’t put it in writing though. Sus. Unsure if the train will run, if the road will reopen, if the fire will get under control, if the incoming storm will ignite a fire near us, if the fire near Jasper can travel to us, we have no choice but to sit and wait. Bobo informs us she has packed an emergency bag, and that her husband is now on his way on a 12 hour detour around the top of the rockies to make it back to her. Yeesh! We’re unsure if all these people will be forced to drive through the night, or sleep in their cars.
Thankfully we have a lot of booze to get through, and so we start cracking on with drinking it down, playing Papelitos that regularly puts us in stitches. Soon enough though, the sky outside starts lighting up, and we can’t pretend anymore that the wrong lightning crash couldn’t bring the emergency closer to home. We pack our bags, and then sit out on the deck watching the sky light up, and up, and up. Mostly sheet lightning, the odd fork crashes down to the ground over the vast view in front of us. We hold our breaths each time and check for updates on the situation. Unfortunately, the storms here seem to bring more lightning than rain, and this storm won’t be doing any natural extinguishing. We feel for all the people who may be hiking without a clue what’s going on, for the people at a standstill on the highway trying to escape to get to where we are, seemingly safe and sound, and the fire crews trying to halt its progress. We turn in as the storm heads to Jasper, and we hope it doesn’t cause more issues than everyone already has.
The next day I awake early to see the view the clearest it has ever been. The smokey haze that hung over the mountains beyond from all the westerly wildfires has gone. Maybe everything is okay?
But then I check my phone and see Bobo’s update that everything is still shut. Actually, things have gotten worse. We both recieve emails that our trains have been cancelled. The next bus out of Valemount isn’t for two more days. The only way for Clive and Alex to continue East is driving a similarly huge detour as Bobo’s husband, but going south-west away from the rockies, before turning back east and heading through to Calgary. They make another call to the car hire trying to explain the situation but of course the service agents reading their script don’t really have this situation to mindlessly read through. Eventually they get them to agree to the terms of last night, it’s a long road ahead! Luckily for us, that road goes through Kamloops, the nearest big town that has a regular bus to Vancouver. We’re able to cancel our accommodation for that evening in Valemount, and hopefully open it up for an evacuee. We book the bus and last minute Vancouver accommodation, and Clive and Alex manage to secure a night with a friend back over near Calgary.
On the road, we receive some well wishes from Bobo telling us to drive safe and let her know when we’re at our respective destinations, alongside her message is a photo of a destroyed BMW, as she elaborates that her husband hit a deer! Just when you think things can’t get any worse, you’re evacuated, you have a 12 hour drive over night ahead of you, and then you hit a deer and total your car in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully no-one was hurt. Although when James asks about the deer, we recieve the unintentionally comical response “deer die!!!”. We can’t help but laugh.
We leave our chalet hoping for the best for everyone, but fire updates show a worsening situation. It will not, it seem, all blow over. The closure of the park is already set until August 6th. We expect the worst is yet to come, and we’ve been unbelievably lucky to be on the other side of the Rockies and able to make our respective ways onwards. Even on our route out, we see a fire burning the trees in the distance, a river thankfully dividing us.
Eventually, we make it to Kamloops, and part ways, as Alex and Clive start the long stint back East, and we await our bus to take us West. For the most part, the road across to Vancouver is dry and desolate, but as the pines start reappearing and our ears start popping, life and safety from fires comes into view. We make it to Vancouver without delay, and head straight to a bar for some poutine, celebrating surviving our first real disaster.
A fat cat even escorts us to our next accommodation
It was certainly a memorable end to a wonderful stint with Alex and Clive. We had such a great time sharing this leg with them both, and it was extra great for me to get to know two more of James’s friends. We were certainly treated and spoilt once more by their brilliant research and planning, amazing meals, endless drives, and hilarious games. I’m so glad it managed to work out.
Update
Sadly, the wildfire did make it to the town of Jasper, and destroyed or damaged between 30-50% of buildings. Firefighters worked on protecting crucial infrastructure such as hospitals and water treatment plants. Seeing just how much water is needed to put out a small campfire, and how much heat it retains even after the flames are gone, we can’t imagine the conditions faced in trying to manage wildfires. Hotels, homes, businesses, cars, and the like were completely destroyed indiscriminately in the path of the fire, others spared by random chance. Thankfully, due to the quick action of authorities and people to eaise the alert and evacuation of some 25,000 people, there were no casualties (of course except the deer).
Alex and Clive make it to Winnepeg where the car hire company has no notice of their troubles and agreement to waves fines and fees. They are given a 7000 CAD (£3000) fine. It seems the customer service desk notes are not accessible to the actual rental locations. Eventually, they manage to convince the office that it would have been impossible to return their car to a location that almost certainly been burned down, and the fine is waved. Phew!
*******************
Adventure – testing our cold resilience in many a glacial lake, exploring leach-damselfly-mosquito-lake by free kayak
Excitement – Baking BBQs, breathtaking scenery, some more bear spotting, including a rather big grizzly
Trauma – tracking the devastation of the wildfire. Deer die!!!
A few months ago, I had a catch-up call with our friends Clive and Alex back home. At the time they were in the midst of planning their civil partnership and honeymoon plans. As fate would have it, they had plans to come to Canada around the same time we would be there. Fast forward a few months and they are now happily partnershipped and are on their way to meet us in the town of Banff!
Alex and I have had an early start (taking a 7am bus from Calgary) so we’re on the hunt for breakfast. I spot a menu that contains “breakfast poutine” and we’re through the door before you can say Banff. We enjoy a hearty breakfast and lots of coffee and before long Clive and Alex walk in to join us for some extra caffeine.
Following brekky, we head across the small town of Banff to visit a local market. We are drawn in by a cider stall, and after a tasting session we figure why not, and buy a few cans to take away. A drink we have not had for a long time, and on this sunny Summer day, it’s impossible to resist.
After we’ve seen a few streets of Banff, we hop in the hire car and Alex Scott drives us up a winding mountain road to a viewpoint that can only be reached by chairlift! Surprisingly, this is the first time Clive and Alex S have ever been on a chairlift, and they mostly enjoy the short and steep ride to the top.
We take in the stunning views and then, after we realise there are no hiking trails up here, decide it’s probably time for lunch. There is a bistro up here (again, only accessible from the chairlift) so we head in to the beautiful restaurant with incredible panoramic views of the area.
Another hearty meal in our bellies means it’s time for an afternoon hike to walk it off. We take the chairlift back down and find a nearby hike with a looping trail.
It’s quite a sweaty hike in the afternoon heat, but we enjoy catching up while walking through a haunting forest trail. Once again nervous about bears eating us for lunch we all keep one eye on any rustling in the undergrowth and once again we avoid a grisly fate.
Ok, next up is a visit to a nearby lake, it’s called Minnewanka (pronounce that how you will). We have a wander around the perimeter and decide to take a dip in the freezing waters to cool off. Well, the boys go all in, the girls sensibly relax on the beach after a quick toe dip.
Time is ticking on and the day is getting late, which is just perfect for us. There is another grand lake nearby called Lake Louise. It’s so popular that parking there is a staggering $38. However, Clive has found an excellent hack. Parking is free after 7pm. We get there just before 7 and faff around near the car pretending to look busy until parking is free (don’t raise your eyebrows, we are poor travellers!). With the car sorted and swimmers on it’s time to see what all of the fuss is about. Although we don’t need to cool off any more it’s too tempting to resist getting in to the glacier meltwater. Alex S bravely leads the charge and in my panicked haste I dive in behind her, soaking her with ice cold lake water (sorry Alex!) Clive and Alex W get in too and we all enjoy epic views of the mountains, trees and turquoise waters.
Alex W and I head back to the car while the other two get changed. As we’re waiting by the car, a young chap asks if we can give him a lift back down the hill as it’s dusk and he’s scared of being attacked by a bear. Of course with all of our recent fears and more importantly recent sighting of a huge bear and her cubs (from the safety of the car) we are more than happy to oblige. He is a very nice lad from Belgium of all places and is super grateful to us for dropping him off near his campsite.
After all of this fun it’s a long drive to the town of Golden where our Airbnb awaits. Alex S drives us the almost two hour journey home, gets us settled into our accomodation and almost immediately gets to work in the kitchen. We feel incredibly spoiled once more. We have a tasty meal of pesto pasta with broccoli and cheese and of course a few cold beers/ciders too. It’s really nice to be amongst good friends again after a long time of just the two of us.
Ok, time for plan B(rewery)
Call us mad but we plan to go and see even more lakes! Today we’ll go and see the majestic sounding Emerald Lakes where Clive and Alex hope to hire a kayak and enjoy the views from on the water. We set off on the one hour drive to the lake. Not far from the turning we get a ping warning on Google Maps that there has been a crash. A few minutes later we join a queue of traffic. We wait a few minutes more and haven’t moved an inch. People get out of their cars to try and figure out what’s going on. An ambulance passes down the empty side of the road where oncoming traffic would usually be. Hmm. After waiting another twenty minutes, Alex W and I get out of the car and walk down the road to get an idea of what’s going on. There are various rumours going around but whatever has happened it’s likely to take a few hours(!) to clear. We abandon our lake idea and have an impromptu picnic at a nice roadside spot.
How you eat when you forget the disposable cutlery
We have no other choice but to return to the town of Golden. We figure that as we’re practically passing by it anyway that we might as well try out the local brewery, Wolftooth. Named after a nearby mountain. We all try different beers and decide to head back up the mountain for the next round in our apartment.
As amazing as Alex S is in the kitchen, it’s not fair that she should do all of the cooking. Therefore it’s up to the boys to recreate their famous chilli recipe first created in Cornwall on holidays several years earlier.
After a pretty amazing dinner, it’s time to use the hot tub out on the terrace. What other way is there to make a hot tub even better than to drink a scotch whisky or two and chat away until the early hours.
Holding on, in more ways than one
With the whisky still running through my system it’s an early start for a gruelling 5km run with Clive. He expertly guides us up the mountain, under the gondola and chairlift by the giant hotel and round the shed where the piste-bashers are resting for the summer then all the way home again. For some people, running seems to clear their system of a hangover but for me it has the opposite effect and accelerates the suffering!
There’s no time to wallow though as we are off to see the Golden Skybridge. No it’s sadly not a bridge made of gold but it is still very impressive! The first bridge is 130 metres high and 150 metres long, while the second bridge is 80 metres high and 140 metres long! Thanks to Alex S knowing a local here we can even get in for free! Result.
One look at the 140m high bridge dangling across the canyon is enough to put off Alex S who has an intolerance of heights. So it’s up to the three of us to brave the bouncing bridge and cross to the other side. Even for those not afraid of heights it’s quite a daring experience.
We read a few facts about the bridge construction, the canyon and even local folklore before heading back over to rejoin Alex. Here we all embrace our inner child and enjoy a four person see-saw and try our balance on the tightrope walk. It’s fair to say non of us will be joining Cirque de Soleil anytime soon.
After a quick bite to eat back at the flat, it’s time for another first for Clive and Alex S… White water rafting! The aptly named Kicking Horse river that flows through Golden offers grade 3 & 4 rafting experiences and I’m keen for more rafting after Costa Rica. Alex W is going to wait until we do it on the cruise in a few weeks so sits this one out.
The rest of us gather at the meeting point and are given the usual safety briefing, it’s slightly less intense than the YOU WILL DROWN lecture we got in Costa Rica. Before long, we’re boarding an American style school bus and Dakota who works for the company (A Jason Momoa lookalike with “raft daddy” tattoo’d on his chest no less) makes himself known. After we’ve all introduced ourselves, named our spirit animal (wolf for me, owl for Clive, sea lion for Alex) and where we’ve rafted before, we’re at the edge of the river. Another safety brief over with and it’s time to board. In the raft with us are two Aussies and a Kiwi and as chance would have it, the booming voice of Dakota announces he will be our guide.
It’s a short but exhilarating ride down the river, the first splash of water is absolutely freezing but we get used to it and it’s cooling us down as we paddle for our lives. Although at times the rapid’s waves are so high that we end up paddling nothing but air! We make a brief stop to drink water from a fresh glacier-fed waterfall then it’s back in the raft to finish the course. I think it’s fair to say Alex and Clive loved it and will no doubt be back for more somewhere else in the world.
Onto the next one
Alex W is keen to show off our new Ghibli themed pancake pan, so the two of us make breakfast for the group while also packing in a bit of a hurry! There’s just enough time to enjoy some blueberry pancakes with a breakfast spread before checking out laden with bags. Thank God we have a car.
Over to Alex to cover our time in Valemount…
*******************
Adventure – Swimming in many a cold lake. Crossing the skybridge.
Excitement – Being able to visit lake Louise. Alex Scott’s wonderful cooking 👩🏻🍳 rafting thrills. Eating poutine in Canada for the first time.
Trauma – Damn mosquitos. Getting stuck in the traffic queue (as far as we know nobody was seriously hurt in the crash 🙏🏻).
Our first activity in San Francisco is… parkrun! Yaaaaay. Only one of us is cheering. It’s actually not really in San Francisco, but it’s near enough the jeep rental to make it work. I’m not sure if the experience of Stan scamming us is entirely worth it, but it sure makes me happy to tick another country off the parkrun list. Unlike in Japan it’s less obvious who the tourists are here, also because it seems there are many a local expat. Apparently, the parkrun was further in the centre of San Fran, but during COVID they moved it out to Palo Alto (where many tech companies are). I wonder if the people that started it left the city and took parkrun with them. As always, we feel very grateful to the volunteers who make this achievement possible.
Before
It’s a pretty flat and unassuming course through a wetland. Everyone is very friendly and there are even snacks for afters. This is the only parkrun in all of California, so there’s many a dedicated (bonkers) foreigner here too.
After
We have our final breakfast out of the back of the jeep, chat to some fellow parkrunners, drive over to the garage, and hand back our home for the last eleven nights. Back to lugging our gear on our backs and fronts and lengthy journeys on public transport.
Prisoning
We’re eventually welcomed to San Francisco proper by a rough looking man yelling at the sky, and a gent sitting eating a banana outside a cafe who greets us with “my son’s called Kingsley”. Okay… It’s a stark contrast to the blissful peace and safety of the National Parks, and it takes us aback once more. Thankfully we are able to check-in to our hotel in San Francisco early, and so head off for some clam chowder lunch.
Our next stop today is by way of ferry to Alcatraz. We’ve opted for an evening trip for extra night-time spookiness (or so the reviews suggest). Crossing a picket line demanding a living wage, we join the international masses onto the ferry that will take us to The Rock!
Also check out this blanket of cloud that heavily hangs above, making us actually cold for the first time in a long time! The layer of cloud is like a blanket sitting above us and the city, it’s pretty impressive, and reminds me a bit of Lima. Although this is very much more a blanket of cloud compared to the moving mist of Lima the grey. We also learn of Karl the Fog (Google it, weird).
By way of audio-tour we learn about the prison and some of its inmates. Expecting this to house the worst of the worst with some pretty horrendous stories, we actually learn that most prisoners here were pretty cordial. I guess when you’re at the top of your game criminal wise there’s less of an obvious pecking order. There were also just your average criminals here too, and a good few with pretty horrendous mental health problems, terribly sad backgrounds, and even a conscientious objector! Alongside the inmates you had the guards who lived on island with their families. What a place to grow up. There was one successful escape method (although people suspect they drowned in the freezing sea), one attempted takeover that sadly ended lives rather than sentences, and one invasion by indigenous communities after it closed to try and get their native land back. The prison was closed in 1964 after 30 years.
On our way out, we learn about the infamous Al Capone, one of Alcatraz’s most famous inmates. What we learn is that crime certainly didn’t pay in his story. Capone was only in this thirties when he died of syphilis, after the disease had ravaged his mind to the point of deteriorating his mental capacity to that of a teenager. Not so tough as the legendary reputation.
Cheering and Touristing
Our first full day in San Fran is spent having a bit of a wander and explore, ticking off some suggested boxes by ex-San Fran resident Jen (thanks Jen!).
We start off with a heavenly brunch that is a welcome break from our porridge staple the last 300 days, treating ourselves to some variants of the classic mimosa but with grapefruit and cranberry.
Next up, there’s a match to watch. England have made it to the final of the World Cup, and we join many a foreign fan (for both teams) in a packed out Irish pub cheering, jeering, and commiserating.
After the (somewhat expected) disappointment, it’s time to get touristing. Much to my delight, one to-do is to have some chocolate or ice-cream from Ghirardelli, a San Franciscan staple that goes back to 1852. We gorge so much sugar even I start to feel a bit unwell.
We then checkout Lombard Street, known for its flowering switch-backs, that celebrates the rolling hills of the city. After which, we have a chill night in watching The Rock, a film set on Alcatraz.
Biking
Our second full day in San Fran is spent exploring by bike this time, allowing us to go a bit further afield, including cycling over the Golden Gate Bridge. This is one part fantastic, another part infuriating, as at points you share the narrow pathway with dawdlers and teenagers insistent on walking arm in arm, and speed cyclists seemingly trying to get a PB across the bridge, often at the same time. I’m not sure which were worse.
Surviving the dodge-course that is the bridge, we continue to follow the coast around and down to the Golden Gate Park, and through to the beach, featuring windmills!
The beaches here are as vast as the ones in LA, and if it weren’t for the markedly different weather that is reminiscent of Cornwall, it would have been the perfect bathing spot. It’s pretty remarkable having this cosmopolitan city right next to this vast beach.
No time for that anyway, we set off back towards the east side and towards the growing rolling hills. Despite my protestations, James insists that Google knows we’re on bikes and wouldn’t send us on a route we couldn’t cycle…
It may not look like it but this was a 12% incline
You can see how that went. Nevertheless, the cycle through these northern boroughs is glorious. The architecture reminds me of London, with each house being unique in design, colour and/or style. Terraces meet mansions meet apartments. Streets are closed off for “quiet zones” akin to our LTNs that make them tranquil and safe to cycle down. I could easily get lost just wandering the many beautifully distinct areas of just this one part of the city, admiring the designs all around. Loved it.
After an exhausting finish to the bike drop off, we get changed for a special evening out at a recommended Italian seafood restaurant nearby.
We sit at the bar watching the perfectly oiled machine of the kitchen prep their refined menu with ease and precision. It’s fascinating, and huge respect to all kitchen staff who toil away in the heat and cramped quarters of all restaurants. We thoroughly enjoy our salmon with greens, and clam pasta, with a lovely fresh white wine for good measure.
Killing Time
Our flight out of the US isn’t until the afternoon, so we have one more day to kill. We decide to try out some crab (although not the Dungeness kind, if anyone can tell me why Kent crabs are in San Fran I’d be grateful!), and another clam chowder. Note for anyone going to eat at the Fisherman’s Wharf, the prices are to eat outside, go inside and you have a different menu, sneaky!
We meander along the seafront to see the resident and protected sea-lions basking in the sun.
And continue down to the Ferry Terminal and get a bit of an experience of down-town San Fran.
One thing missing from this post so far is the ever-present Waymo self-driving car that has just been released onto the streets of this part of San Fran only two weeks prior. There are 800 of them cruising the streets, and you honestly can’t go a block without seeing one:
They largely drive pretty well, but certainly get as confused and flustered as humans do in the pedestrian packed walkways of Fisherman’s Wharf, where its need to be overly cautious causes it to hop and stagnate as meandering tourists wander all around it confusing it’s sensors. A human would no doubt just start edging into the pedestrians, Waymo of course cannot. Otherwise it handles the four way crossings with more ease than we do, and provides ample entertainment to see them driving around with no-one in the front seats. We’ll have to give them a try next time, as for now, it’s off to Canada-eh.
*******************
Adventure – exploring by foot and bike. Going back in time in our hotel that maintains its Victorian-esque features and style.
Excitement – seeing Waymo at almost every corner. Watching the kitchen at work. Cycling over the most famous bridge in the world (sorry Tower Bridge). Calorific treats.
Trauma – more experience of the mentally unwell, Golden Gate gawmless.
Our time in the wonderful Yosemite is coming to an end, we leave the Crane Flat campsite and set off along the highway. We pass by Cloud’s Rest and admire our hiking effort from yesterday and the cold lake we swam in too. A tinge of sadness hits as we proceed through the park exit, leaving behind this incredible national park.
Carpets of Lupine flowers reminiscent of the bluebells in the UK
Having done quite a bit of driving in the park we’re getting quite low on fuel. As expected the fuel prices in the park are pretty expensive and the same is true just outside it too, as they know people will be desperate to refuel. At an extortionate $7.60 a gallon we see how far we can last on fumes and attempt to make it another 70km for fuel at half the price. Thanks to Alex’s efficient driving we make it with fumes to spare. From here we continue on to Lake Tahoe, highly recommended by Californians as a very nice place to relax by a magnificent, mile deep lake. It’s strange to be back in civilization again surrounded by busy multi-lane roads, fast food chains everywhere and concrete towers blocking out the sunshine.
We make a much needed stop at a laundromat, scoff a big bag of fries and continue on to check-in at our final campsite, Fallen Leaf.
The endless joy of bear boxes
We setup camp, transfer any scented items we have to the bear box and have a wander around the grounds. We check out the nearby Fallen Leaf Lake and have a brief look at the giant Lake Tahoe, promising ourselves we’ll return later for dinner overlooking the lake while the sun sets.
We freshen up (in a coin-operated campsite shower full of flying beasties as we wash against the clock), don our ‘formal’ gear and head back towards the lake. Sadly the only lakeside restaurant within walking distance has decided to stop serving food an hour earlier than expected, so we have to settle for drinks only. The $14 cocktails served in a plastic cup are pretty much thrown at us and we suspect they’ve had a very busy day. We enjoy the strong drinks watching the sunset over the lake.
Returning to camp, which is now in complete darkness as there are no lights, we have no choice but to settle for instant noodles cooked on our portable hob. While cooking we can hear other campers shouting at a bear to leave them alone! We cook with one eye looking out for any uninvited dinner guests. Scared the smell of delicious instant noodles will attract the furry beasts we seek refuge in the front seats of our Jeep. Not quite the evening meal we had in mind!
Strokes and S(a)tan
The next morning we take a dip in the cool waters of the Fallen Leaf lake.
Afterwards we check out of camp and head for a game of minigolf at a fantastic local attraction.
James had a genuine fear of this spider that was attached to a mechanism causing it to bop around the hole
After minigolf (which I won) we fill up on grub at a BBQ joint.
Now we have one night left before we need to drop the car off outside of San Francisco, we have to drop it back before 10am so we want to stay nearby so we don’t need to do a long drive first thing in the morning. So, up to this point we have no reservation of where to stay tonight. Motels are around $80 at the cheapest and as we can still sleep in our roof tent we want to try and find an RV park to spend one last night on top of a Jeep. For some reason, RV park websites have not been updated since they were made in the 1990s and all of them insist you call them to book, it is not possible to book them online. Unable to call them, we figure we’ll just rock up and see what rate they can offer us for one night.
We drive all the way to Palo Alto, a stone’s throw away from the car drop (and also a Park Run). We find an RV Park and the owner isn’t around. A friendly restaurant worker says he’ll give him a call and as we wait a resident in the RV park tells us the owner, called Stan will probably give us a good rate for a one night stay. After a short wait, Stan turns up. He must be in his eighties and does not seem to be in a great mood. We ask if he has any spaces for one night and he enquires what facilities we’ll need “just access to a toilet and some water if there is any”. He grunts. “$65”. To park on a 6ft piece of tarmac for barely 12 hours. We ask if he can do it any cheaper. He grunts again. “How much did you pay at the campsites?” He asks. Between $20-40 we answer truthfully. He clearly doesn’t believe us and gives us a take it or leave it offer of $50. Lacking options we have no choice but to give in. Of course after we pay the agreed money we are then told it’s an extra $10 deposit for the toilet access key. We’re then told his assistant won’t be here until 10am tomorrow to pay back said deposit, throwing our Park Run plans into ruin. After a lot of pleading and compromise we agree to waive the key deposit and he’ll leave us a key to the men’s toilet only (God knows why). I get that he’ll likely need to deal with some pretty difficult people, but he really makes us feel like we’re hard work and he’s doing us a massive favour here. “You can always park on the street, but someone might climb into your tent” he offers as a crude dig. To add insult to injury he then says “oh you’ve been traveling for a year huh? Another $10 is nothing to you then” and scoffs. He never believed we’d return the toilet key through his office letterbox. Writing this up now I think I should have dropped it down the sewer drain on the way out after his stinking attitude. But we’re better people than that.
Running off the rage
After a pretty difficult night of sleep we depart the parking space and head on to Byxbee Parkrun… Over to Alex for coverage on that and beyond.
*******************
Adventure – Swimming in Fallen Leaf Lake.
Excitement – An excellent round of minigolf.
Trauma – Stan. Having to bite my tongue and be nice to someone clearly taking us for a ride (Alex).
Visiting Yosemite National Park was always a definite on the travel list. Many more national parks were also on the list, but various people from the US told us that some could come off it, but Yosemite had to stay. It was also important we stay in the park to make the most of it, apparently. With this in mind, it was with a good amount of dismay that when I started looking into it back in the Philippines (!), I found out that not only had the National Parks Service decided to continue a permit system from 2023 that limited access during when we would be there, but that accommodation within the park sells out instantly. It seemed the Yosemite plan would be more difficult to come to fruition than trying to get tickets to Glastonbury. So, five months prior, amidst studying for our PADI in SE Asia, I was logging on to get us permits for a date we hoped we might be there. The permit allowed us to enter the park, but not sleep in it. A bridge we’d have to come to later down the line.
Fast forward to trying to figure out the whole USA road trip, whilst in the USA (thanks WWOOFing), and all accommodation in and outside Yosemite was fully booked or ridiculously expensive (the same could be said for Sequoia and King’s Canyon actually!). It seemed that first come first served camping is a thing of the past in these parts. So much for the freedom of living wild and free in our jeep on the roads, pulling up where we found ourselves. Our only hope was a second release of campspots a couple of weeks prior to when we thought we might be there, to try and secure some spots, in a hope it would fit in with a future route we hadn’t yet decided. Fun.
Eventually, through a lot of effort, and regularly checking the website for last minute cancellations, when I probably should have been enjoying the moment, we had some pitches booked. They meant moving campground and/or pitch almost everyday, but needs must. Thankfully, the pitches in the National Parks are actually pretty reasonably priced, far cheaper than anywhere outside the park.
Getting the following to all come together took a lot of effort and planning to make happen. Something that’s not so bad when you’re planning your holiday, sitting at your desk pretending to work, but a big headache when you’re still trying to plan tomorrow. But, it was totally worth it, and I’d do it all again tomorrow if we could. Just, if you want to go to Yosemite, plan waaaay in advance! Because everyone else will be.
So, to the stint itself…
Flea and Cricket
Unable to sleep in the heat bowl that is the Codorniz Campground, we give up tossing and turning and decide to head off at the crack of dawn. It makes for an impressive sight though, seeing the ball of heat rise over the gold all around us.
The road out was once more, other-worldy, but in a totally different way. A few cows stare at us, chewing the cud, as we turn up a farm-track. Little did we understand that this was going to be another Google classic and the cows were rightly bemused to see anyone other than their owner go up this road. It’s a slow slog along the bumpy dirt track.
Much of the journey out of this part is ferrying a bunch of unsuspecting crickets who jump out of the way of our jeep and end up clinging on for dear life up the road. Some manage to hang on for so long it would be like moving to a different continent, we wonder if they have homes to somehow get back to! Eventually, the rolling fields of flowing golden grasses abate and civilisation returns. I won’t miss the heat but those views were something else.
Yosemite
Soon enough, the temperature starts dropping, and the road starts being lined with evergreens once more. Phew!
First up in actual Yosemite was Glacier Point, somewhere we drove to ‘on the way’ to the valley. Our jaws literally dropped as we came through the pine forest and the sky opened up to show Half Dome up ahead. It was epic.
Spot the falls to James’s right, that’s where we’re heading tomorrow. To his left is the valley, and where we’ll be staying tonight
Time to head into the valley itself. We only managed to get one night camping in the valley, so I was determined we make the most of it. It doesn’t disappoint! The views here are breath-taking, with the green of the Meadows in the valley floor, against the grey granite walls surrounding us, and the perfectly blue sky, I can’t believe we’re here.
James has spotted many a bather at the river that runs through the valley, and suggests we cool off and clean off the sweat from Codorniz. As always, it’s a great idea. The water sure is cold, but there’s also ample entertainment from other visitors playing around in the freezing water around us.
A bit exhausted from the heat of Codorniz and a lot of drivingRefreshed and ready to go again!
Another one of James’s brilliant ideas is to treat ourselves to a special campfire dinner to celebrate being in Yosemite at last. We celebrate with bubbles (out of our Patagonia Brewery cups of course), sausages and mushrooms! Makes a change from our usual fare.
Despite a few clamourings of pots and pans and people calmly yelling “not here bears”, we see none and seem safe and sound in the middle of the campground. One benefit to sleeping on top of your car in bear country!
A Climb and Three Falls
We’re up early the next morning (thank you raven alarms) to pack up, park up, and head up to see some waterfalls. The main Mist Trail is shut at the moment, so we’re ‘forced’ to do the more challenging route going up and around to Nevada Falls, following the John Muir Trail (which gives us bragging rights according to the volunteer directing woeful Mist Trail wanabees). We find this a challenging, but not as bad as we thought, jaunt up some steep switchbacks. Thankfully we’re in the shade for all of it, and even get a bit rained on by some snow-melt water dripping overhead.
Can’t get much better parking spots than thisWe beginUp we goA bit of cooling off
We’re surprised we make it to the top in such good time, and I’m once more taken aback by how picture-postcard beautiful this place is.
Nevada Falls
There’s even an overlook where you can see the water rolling down the rock face below, with all its might.
We already seem on top of the world here that we can’t fathom where this endless supply of rushing water is coming from. We skiddadle on down the other side of the Falls and enjoy the views as we descend below them, and on to Vernal Falls, where we can catch the top end of the Mist Trail, and have a water refill and paddle.
It’s steep and rocky down on the other side. Counter clockwise is definitely the way for this loop!Nevada Falls from belowThe biggest sugar cone everVernal Falls from aboveVernal Falls from belowMist Falls, can you spot the ant-people at the lookout for scale!
After a brief slog back up to Clark’s Point in the blazing sun now, we return back down, desperate for water. Thankfully, Yosemite is good at putting toilets and water refill points where it can, so we’re able to replenish on the return leg. We see many a hot and gasping intrepid hiker trying to start in the now midday heat and wonder how well they’ll fair now there’s little shade. As one of the campground hosts told us, “you can never start too early”. We’re so lucky we got to camp here and do just that.
On our return we ask another volunteer for some tips of hikes to do in the valley. “I don’t want to be a hike snob, but your best hikes are out of the valley“. He recommends Cloud’s Rest, which we’ve actually read about on another blog. We’re proud that he identifies us as fit, able and prepared hikers, but I’m also dubious he hasn’t maybe over estimated our abilities!
On our way back to the car, I hear a crack and crunch from the foliage to our left. “Probably just a big bird”, I dismiss, but James’s curiosity is piqued and he goes back to check. Lo and behold, there’s a bear with her cubs chomping their way through just next to us. Of course by the time I can get the camera out to try and get evidence, they’ve already moved on.
We’ve sadly got to leave the valley as our next campground is out towards the entrance, but first we make a stop at The Dawn Wall of El Capitan, made famous by a couple of climbing documentaries.
We cannot fathom how anyone could climb up this huge sheer wall of stone in one day without any ropes.
The opposite side of the valley from the meadow is equally beautiful
Day one done!
A beautiful sight of the moon among the pines
Valley Bimbles
We head back into the valley the next day as I still don’t think I’ve had enough of it. Today we’re taking it easy though to keep our strength for the next day, so we explore the villages and check out the view of Yosemite Falls from below.
Can you spot which pixels are climbers to the left of the Fall?Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls in view
We bimble about and get lost a bit around the valley, then head back to our now favourite river paddling spot to cool down and clean off.
I can’t get over the valley’s beauty
James even braves the rapids down (after a couple of beers), which we’d seen people going down the days before with an “oooh” and “ouch” as their bums hit the rocks underneath.
We’ve decided to treat ourselves to an evening meal in the valley today, and not worry about fires, or gas, or washing up. It’s a lovely treat!
Clouding Around
Our final day in Yosemite is doing a hike out of the valley. The one we’d read about and was then recommended by the volunteer. We head off ready for another scorching day, not prepared for the onslaught of flies and mosquitos that follow us the whole way along the trial. It’s a beautiful walk, if only we could enjoy it, but every stop for a photo or snack or drink means the bugs catch us up. It means we make it up in record time though!
We somewhat dread the return back into bugville, but it seems the sun has burnt them all away, so we can see the route in an entirely new light, able to take it in a bit more. It is, however, pretty darn hot again now, we only pause for so long before running to the next spot of shady relief.
Spot the momma and baby marmots
No longer in the valley and able to access our favourite cool-down spot, we try out a nearby lake that has attracted many a vacationer. It’s a perfect spot to wash away the grime and sweat of the day.
And that’s our lot for Yosemite National Park. A valley formed by a glacier long, long ago, that became the inspiration for the National Parks system, we can see why.
*******************
Adventure – exploring Yosemite’s valleys and surrounding areas
Excitement – some rock exfoliating from the cliff by our campsite as soon as we arrived. Spotting our first bears. Being in Yosemite at long last
Trauma – the incredibly loud dude in Upper Pines who seemed to be shouting to his friend standing right next to him. Thankfully they went to bed early and got up late. Bear boxes, the never-ending back and foreward of bear boxes.
We leave Las Vegas in our new machine, a large but comfortable Jeep Wrangler. There are none of the fancy features or gizmos of the modern BMW but we are well equipped with camping, cooking and sleeping supplies (or so we think). There is a roof nest fixed to the top of the roof-racks where we shall sleep for the next eleven nights.
It’s a seven hour, 645km journey from Vegas to our campground in the Sequoia national park. We share the driving and I take the reins for the first half. It’s a challenging drive having to choose between a 55mph slow lane full of articulated lorries or a 90mph fast lane with pickups aggressively driving up behind you even when you’re 25mph over the speed limit. After some time I notice the miles per gallon on our new vehicle is a devastating 18mpg and wonder how much gas this beast is going to guzzle over the next twelve days. Luckily after we escape Nevada (and the 115°F/46°C Death Valley area) things calm down a bit and I hand the driving over to Alex.
We stop for some dinner at Denny’s and even though we left Indie Campers two hours earlier than anticipated, we are driving up hairpin bends, at 20mph, under the pitch black nightsky. Eventually we arrive at the campsite just before midnight, long after all of the other campers have gone to sleep. We have to figure out how a bear box (a large metal cube designed to protect food/toiletries from bears) works in the dark and very tired. We also raise our roof nest for the first time, luckily it rises up in a few seconds and we do not have to faff around with tent poles in the dark.
Starry starry night
The Bigger They Are…
After a much needed lie-in, it’s time to go and see some huge trees called sequoias. These magnificent pillars of nature may not be as tall as their redwood cousins but they are wider. In fact they are the widest trees in the world.
Sequoia national park is the only place on earth where these trees grow naturally. Why is that? Well they require very specific conditions to grow, a certain altitude, a low but not dry water table and most strangely of all, fire. Yes these lumbering giants rely on natural wildfires to clear the ground of rival trees so their acorns can sprout and then they can thrive. Their bark is fire resistant so once they are established they have a natural shield to protect against the frequent wildfires in the area. On occasion the most sacred trees will have their bases wrapped in aluminum foil to add further protection from extreme fires.
A meadow that contains too much water for sequoias to be able to support their weight
We start with a walk around the pathway of giants and guess how many Alex’s (with her arms stretched wide) it would take to fit around these massive trees. We actually measure it out at one point and it takes fourteen Alex’s to hug one average sized sequoia!
The next stop on the tour is Moro Rock with brilliant views across the park. In the distance we can even spot some snow that is still resisting the heat of the summer sun.
We follow the path back down Moro Rock and board the shuttle bus to the pleasantly named Crescent Meadow. Here we pose with some more giant trees, spot a marmot posing on a fallen log and enjoy the peace and quiet of being immersed in nature. The trees obviously look massive from any angle but once they fall it’s astounding how indescribably huge they are.
This fallen tree can be walked through, another in the park can actually be driven through!An old cabin built into the hollow of a fallen tree
Returning back towards the shuttle bus we make a visit to General Sherman, one of the biggest sequoia trees in the world. There are taller and wider trees, but the General Sherman Tree contains more volume in its trunk than any other tree on Earth. It is estimated to be around 2200 years old! A handy sign informs us how many people (or Alex’s) it would take to fit holding hands around this tree… 23!
Amusingly it was originally named the Karl Marx tree by a local socialist community living in the area. After they were *ahem* removed, the tree was renamed Sherman after the American Generals who fought in the Civil War. How predictable.
We are in there somewhere
Back at Camp Lodgepole we take advantage of the natural facilities and bathe in the freezing cold stream flowing through the campsite. We rinse some clothes and our dusty limbs, immersing ourselves in this off-grid lifestyle. At our camp spot, we gather firewood and cook our first meal on a campside fire pit. We rush our beers and race across camp to make it to the ranger talk at 8.30pm. He talks about the wildlife in the park and the number of resident bears in the SEKI area… 800 black bears!
Happy Fourth!
The next morning we set off on yet another hike to some nearby falls. There’s not much to report on the hike except looking out for bear activity (we see none) and being wished a “Happy Fourth” by Americans. They clearly didn’t notice my Ha Giang Loop t-shirt from Vietnam 😂
Afterwards it’s time for a short drive along the Generals Highway towards our next camp site, Stony Creek. It’s a nice location but we are immediately set upon by dozens of flies buzzing around us as we try to enjoy some lunch…
Fly protection suit
After exploring the campsite, cooling our feet in the nearby creek and collecting far too much firewood, we celebrate the fourth of July! Indulging in some strong beers and a bottle of Apothic Red I bought from the store. With the promise of a day off tomorrow, I indulge a bit too much and struggle to remember how the night ended or how I managed to make it up the ladder to bed in such a forlorn state. Don’t drink kids.
Kings Canyon (hungover)
Waking up in a somewhat groggy state I’m… instructed that we will not be having a day off at camp but instead there is a hike that Alex has picked out over in Kings Canyon. In fairness, it would have been quite an unpleasant stay in camp with all of the annoying bugs and the rising heat, but I’m certainly in no fit state to drive so Alex takes the wheel and I feel very sorry for myself.
What better cure is there for a hangover than a four hour hike in the midday sun? Well, if there is one, it’s not available here, on a hiking we must go.
On our way back we stop for a much needed ice cream, handily advertised by this bear
On the return to camp we make a stop at General Grant, another General standing out in this army of sequoia trees. Some facts stolen from Wikipedia as I was too hungover to write any notes: President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed it the “Nation’s Christmas Tree” on April 28, 1926. Due in large part to its huge base, the General Grant tree was thought to be the largest tree in the world prior to 1931, when the first precise measurements indicated that the General Sherman was slightly larger. On March 29, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower declared the tree a “National Shrine”, a memorial to those who died in war. It is the only living object to be so declared. Back when these giants were first found, some of them were chopped down to prove to the world they existed, but people thought it was a hoax with parts of trees put together to make the giants. Essentially the trees were killed to prove they lived… and even then they didn’t believe them.
Back at Camp Flyville we cool off in the creek running parallel to the campsite and make an evening meal praying that the flies, gnats and mosquitos might leave us in peace (they don’t).
California Cruisin
Our journey must continue on, we will travel Northbound to Yosemite. We depart the relative cool air of the mountains to the hazy heat of the Californian desert. We make a stop in Fresno to use a laundromat and make an important stop at Chili’s to refuel and recharge our electronic devices. It’s a brief return to civilization as we then venture back into the wilderness. We drive through bone-dry lands where the grass has turned to a soft yellow colour, completely deprived of water. We setup camp in Codorniz where the evening temperature is still in the 40 degrees which according to the Park Ranger here is “too damn hot, even the rattlesnakes don’t come out in this heat”. We get some reprieve from the dreaded bearboxes, instead warned of raccoons. We’ll take that. After evening meal we call our friends Alex and Clive and arrange to meet them in Canada in a couple of weeks time. But before that we must visit Yosemite National Park, over to Alex for that one…
*******************
Adventure – Wandering in the shadows of giants. Sleeping on top of a car. Epic long drives in the sunshine and some night-time slaloms. Trying to wash my hair in a camp chair using a 5L bottle of freezing water
Excitement – Seeing some spectacular waterfalls and being sprayed with mist to cool us off. Watching out for bears 🐻 Cooking meals by campfire.
Trauma – Sleepless night in Codorniz thanks to the heat and a loud family nearby. The army of bugs in Camp Stony Creek. The hassle of bear boxes.
Today is a sad day. We must return our beloved BMW that has smoothly carried us over hundreds of miles across Nevada, Utah and Arizona. Through baking hot deserts, parking nightmares, beautiful landscapes and horrendous storms, we’re sad to hand the keys back of the car that’s provided so many memories. On the return drive to Las Vegas we pass by the Hoover Dam but there isn’t time to stop so we just get a glimpse. Worried that our car is covered in layers of orange dirt and dust from Monument Valley we stop at a self-serve car wash on the outskirts of Vegas. There are around sixteen options from four different hoses and as two dollars only buys us four minutes, it’s a race against the clock to clean the car. Of course we can’t clean a big SUV in that time so we restart and do it properly this time.
I drop Alex off at the Luxor hotel with approximately fourteen bags of belongings we’ve accumulated and race across Vegas to refuel and return the car before 2pm. All goes to plan and I meet Alex back at the pyramid shaped hotel, ready to check in. I’ve wanted to stay in this hotel since my Auntie and Uncle stayed here pre-millenium and filled my mind with the curious wonder of Las Vegas. I’m sure it’s changed a bit since then but the ridiculous feat of architecture still stands out, even when surrounded by other over-the-top hotels.
We barely have time to inhale our lunch before heading out into the 45 degrees heat to cross the strip to the MGM Grand. Alex has always wanted to see a Cirque De Soleil show in Vegas and has chosen the “Ka” show out of several options. We take our seats in the huge arena, surrounded by giant towers and gangways unsure if they are just for show or part of the show. We soon have the answer as fifteen minutes before the show is due to begin, performers start swinging from the rafters. I won’t go into details on the show but it was fantastic, there were many “how did they do that?” gasps as well as plenty of heart in mouth moments as the dare devils do their thing.
After the performance we wander the strip and stumble upon a Stranger Things experience/store…
We take a break in the huge room within the pyramid. How they keep this behemoth of a building with over 500 rooms (all with pitch black windows) cool in the searing desert heat is beyond me.
$0.10 winnings
For our evening sustenance we take a short walk up the strip, past the giant fairytale castle that is Excalibur and into New York New York, a hotel that even has its own rollercoaster. Vegas is nothing if not excessive, over-the-top, totally unnecessary but why the hell not, and we’re all here for it.
From the Pyramids Egypt to the Canals of Venice
We finally have a full day to properly explore this crazy city and so after a much needed lie-in, we head out onto the strip. We see as many of the weird and wonderful hotels as we can, here are some pictures to try and piece it together.
Balloons made of flowers
We take lunch at one of the only ‘cheap eats’ places on the Strip, for some reason even fast food in Vegas is three times the price as usual. Afterwards we decide to be one of the only people to try out the gym at the Luxor hotel. While most guests gamble away, enjoying the excess or wallowing around in the swimming pool with a beer bucket in hand, we want to pump some iron. There’s only a handful of dedicated souls in the gym which works out just fine for us.
Now that we’ve pretended to be healthy it’s time for a night out on the town and of course, try our hand at gambling. We have a wonderful meal at Brewdog (yes they do exist out here) and decide we’ll try our luck at the Excalibur casino.
We’ve already wasted a few small dollars on little flutters, I watched in horror as my $10 disappeared in a matter of seconds on one of the new ‘digital’ slot machines. $5 on Blackjack goes a similar way. Alex tries her hand at roulette and while she does well to stay in the game for quite a while, we end up with $2 change from another $10. So it seems we’re just bleeding money and we’re not cut out for this gambling lark. We decide to pop the last $2 into a relic of a slot machine from way back when. We earn a few extra credits and have no real idea what’s happening until “FANTASTIC WIN” glows in big letters on the screen. The credits tick up and up and I figure we’ve probably won a few dollars. From $2 we jump to $61!
The win track went on so long we could even film it! We had no idea how much we’d won, just the credits ticking up
Not a huge win, we won’t be buying a yacht, but still it’s a great feeling to get one back on the house. The next hour or so is a blur as we carefully plot which slot machine might be lucky next. Somehow it works as we end up winning another $51 then $32 in quick succession. Of course our luck runs out eventually and we call it a night around 2am but what a fun night it has been. The maths is blurry but all in I think we came out around $100 up overall. Not bad at all.
Fear and Leaving in Las Vegas
It’s been a whirlwind couple of days in this mad place. While at first we did not understand the hype, we were eventually swept up in the ridiculousness of it all. There is nowhere on earth like Sin City and I dare say that whatever you do here you’re likely to have a good time and never forget it (unlesa you try and recreate The Hangover film of course!). But for us, it’s time to move on. We have a long, long drive ahead of us from Vegas, Nevada to Lodgepole campground in Sequoia National Park. Technically our allocated collection time is 14:30 and it’s at least a seven hour drive plus time to stock up at Walmart and eat along the way. Worried we won’t get to tonight’s camp until 2am, we chance getting there early and luckily they let us pick it up at noon. Time to hit the road again, this time in an entirely new beast…
*******************
Adventure – Exploring the insane hotels of Las Vegas.
Excitement – Winning the jackpot (or so it felt to us paupers). Cirque De Soleil magic.
Trauma – The food options in Vegas are pretty terrible but I suppose that’s to be expected unless you pay big dollars. Not having a fridge or kettle so having to spend $10 on coffee when we’ve learnt every trick in the book to save the pennies on the basics, yeesh.
