I had promised to share my adventures of these last months, so here is an article that summarizes what I did in April and May! Yes I know, it's been a while...
To recap my story with in Caribooland, all the following adventures took place just after I finished working at the ski resort. We were lucky because April and May were rather mild in terms of temperature and weather. This allowed us to start the camping, hiking and road trip season in the best possible way!
3 ADVENTURES IN APRIL
FIRST CAMPING TRIP AT BANNOCK POINT
Adventure number one : first camping of the year, at the beginning of April, with night temperatures around -3°C... I must admit that I was the only one really motivated to go sleeping outside in this weather. But it doesn't take much to change the mind of a small group and to go celebrate Easter by the Slocan lake ! Annika, Liam, John and I went an hour's drive from Nelson, in the Slocan Valley, to discover Bannock Point, a wilderness campsite just by the lake.
As it was only the beginning of April, the place was deserted! The turquoise of the water was incredible and we had the whole park to ourselves. We had to bring a lot of warm clothes, given the negative temperatures by night, which gave us a good laugh when trying to access to the site. Things were a bit more complex than we had hoped. Indeed, there had been several wind storms that had blown down some trees here and there, embellishing the path with all kinds of obstacles. Laughter and memories that will probably remain engraved in our minds for a long time...
The place itself was magical and I have to admit that after the winter, which seemed quite long in the region, I was more than ready to start the summer activities. Not that I was ready to jump into the water yet, as the lake temperatures in April are still very cold...
SMALL WOOD BIG WOOD - AGAIN
With the snow melting around Nelson, we were keen to venture back to the peaks we discovered earlier this year. So, mid-April we set off to re-discover Small Wood Big Wood hike, only 25 minutes from home. We enjoyed the view of the river from Nelson to Castlegar and had a great time with Jo, Rob and Meg.
THIRD ADVENTURE & SECOND NIGHT CAMPING - FLETCHER FALLS
At the end of April, we decided to improvise a little camping trip to Fletcher Falls campsite, which you had seen in my pictures this winter. This time, we were 6 brave people, ready to camp in temperatures close to 5°C. Better than the beginning of April he! ;)
It was my second night of camping in this country, and this time, alone in my tent. I must admit that I was a little bit afraid of bears and cougars. But in the end, you quickly learn the right reflexes and get used to the Canadian wild life. In fact, as long as we have hung our food from a tree, several hundred meters away from our tents, the risk of running into a big hairy teddy bear is quite low.
I was very happy to be able to spend some time away from Nelson, and moreover with our little group of friends from the ski resort. And even if I had already discovered this place during the winter, the waterfall looked different under the green colours of the spring. Not to mention the magnificent sunset we were treated to, which lulled us into a thousand colours before having sweet dreams. It was just perfect.
In the morning, we headed for Kaslo to get some exercise and to climb up to a magnificent viewpoint of this small village on the lake before rewarding our stomachs with a good lunch in the local café.
AFTER APRIL COMES MAY =)
SYRINGA NATIONAL PARK
For Liam's birthday, we went for a walk in Syringa National Park, which is an hour's drive from Nelson towards Castlegar. I had been there a few weeks earlier on a quick road trip with John and loved it, so I was delighted to go back and explore the area again, this time on foot. During one of our trail exploration, Liam discovered a huge boulder which we promptly decided to climb. The highlight of this day was definitely the view on the turquoise blue lake that once again surrounded us. Another good day to capture the moment with a few photos and enjoy the beautiful landscapes of British Columbia.
LITTLE HOLIDAYS IN GOLDEN
May was a bit slower and less adventurous than the rest of April so the idea of a 5 day trip felt like a holiday to me. Initially, it was John who was going to get his motorbike licence in Golden (5 hours drive from Nelson). He was planning to stay for a few days and asked me if I'd like to go with him. As he had friends there who could accommodate us, it was an opportunity to go on an adventure with locals in a region that I had only glimpsed very quickly last October without really exploring it.
And who says May, says spring and who says spring, says bear season... I think even John had never seen so many bears in his life... It was so crazy! I remember being like a kid in the car, all excited to spot them on the side of the road. It was almost like a game to me! Between brown bears and grizzli bears, we can say that in 5 days we were served!
Once the Kootenays region was behind us, the roads gave way to wonderful mountain landscapes. A real treat for the eyes and for my camera which quickly ran out of memory space...
Once we arrived, we continued to explore the surrounding logging roads, lakes and the small town of Golden. We also went to discover CANYON CREEK by following the trail that overlook the canyon for several kilometres and enjoyed some relaxing time at Dave & Jane's house, John's friends who hosted us. It was nice to be surrounded by a completely different landscape than Nelson. The peaks are much steeper and the mountains much higher. There was still a lot of snow there and the temperatures were a bit colder than in the Kootenays.
Luckily, Dave was working for his neighbour and friend who owns a canoe company that they use in the Columbia River wetlands, just below their homes. They needed "testers" for a concept they wanted to launch this summer, so we were happy to be the guinea pigs. A good day full of fun and a different way of discovering this region which is definitely full of surprises. I must admit that if Golden were a little more attractive, I would certainly consider living there for a while. But Nelson stays that precious gem, that gave me more than one reason to return...
On the way back we stopped for the night in Revelstoke and drove back to Nelson in the early morning with a detour to the WILSON CREEK waterfall. I had heard about it several times but I don't think I was prepared enough for the experience it would be. Initially we stayed below where I am standing to take the first photo below. But after a few minutes of exploration and the discovery of a path to access the rock in the middle of the waterfall, we set off on an adventure to get as close as possible to the water.
And there, the slap.
Once on the other side of the wall it was like being in the middle of the waterfall. The incessant noise of the water, echoing on both sides, the wind created by the speed of the water falling, the cool of the droplets on my face, the sound creating vibrations in my chest... Suddenly my whole body was arroused.
It was so powerful that I had to retreat to the other side of the wall for a few moments, so I could give my body a new breathe before being able to go back to it. I felt so fragile, so vulnerable, yet so alive. It was too intense for me and yet I would have liked to stand there for hours. I don't think I've felt like that for a long, long time, and I can't hide the fact that it took me several days to recover from it because it was such a magical experience...
LIFE IN NELSON IN APRIL AND MAY
April was therefore a rather positive month, full of surprises. After a few days of intense sunshine, the snow was back, just for a day. This gave me a good taste of spring in the Kootenays. I have to admit that at that time I remember looking forward to seeing all these landscapes, beaches and lakes from a summer perspective. I couldn't wait to get out there and discover or rediscover the area. At work, it was still early days so I must admit that I was very focused on trying to absorb as much as possible all the techniques I was learning.
The month of May was a bit more complex. Adventures were a bit rarer and I had to face a lot of loneliness. My roommate had left and being alone in the apartment forced me to confront some of my old demons. In the end, I think, with hindsight, that I had a hard time dealing with the end of the ski resort atmosphere and the fact that I no longer saw and worked with my friends, at least two days a week. The integration into my new job also took a little time, which had a lot to do with my state of mind. I had put a lot of energy into building or maintaining friendships, trying to create new ones, and it wasn't always easy. And Covid was back again with some new restrictions making life more complicated...
I know that many of you have said to me: "but it's incredible, you seem to be always on the move, it seems like you don't even work. I would never have believed that you were going through waves not all as positive as this". And yes, that's what we call the magic of social media, I think. This wonderful filter that only shows you the best of what people are going through. So, rest assured, despite the ups and downs, I'm fine and I'm still loving my Canadian experience! I just think that the transition to my thirties and my strong desire to find a "home sweet home" led me into spirals of questions that didn't really let me breathe, especially in May and June. Since then, I have rebuilt my daily life, I continue my quest for meaning and I have resumed my journey. I can't wait to share with you my June and July adventures, which should be coming soon, as I already have many photos that will make you want to travel or visit me ;)
Take care,
Lots of love,
Co.
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