As a child I always loved to explore the forests and I had a deep love for trails. It was all I ever wanted to do - play on the trails at the vacant lot or when we were camping. Heading out on a trail was an adventure and in my mind I was a great explorer going where no folks had gone before. Even as we drove down the highway I was always looking out the windows at the mountains and pretending I was hiking up the hill thinking there must be a way to make a trail up there.
So now in my adult life I have been so blessed to be able to hike and explore not only the local mountains of my valley but also mountains and trails in three different countries. I am thankful to have friends who also love to hike which allows me to explore places I could not do on my own. I have to give credit to my friend, Duncan, for teaching me about hiking and instilling in me the dream of climbing up to those "thin places" - explaining the need to always be prepared for whatever the mountain may give to you that day.
This past week I headed off to Strathcona Park with my friends and their daughter. This would be our second overnight camp out together - last year hiking to Cape Scott - a long but almost flat trail out to the west coast. This year our goal was Mount Albert Edward which is a short but steep hike with the summit sitting at 2091 meters. Higher than I have ever hiked before.
Our first day we hiked the 11 kms into Circlet Lake at 1200 meters, where we camped for the night. My pack was 38 pounds and a bit too heavy for me so the going in was very slow and what should have been a 3 hour hike became a 5 hour hike. I was exhausted and a little concerned about the next days climb. Throughout the afternoon and evening we met different groups that had hiked the mountain that day. They all said the same thing - the first hour and a half was straight up and a real grind but after that it wasn't too bad. Lots of rocks and slippery dirt coming back down also took time. With the summit only being 5.5 km's away most people had done it within 6 hours. I had to admit I was getting very nervous. I knew my teammate was a slow hiker and so was I going up and if it took people 6 hours, it would probably take us about 8 or more. I was also concerned about the weight of my pack. We were just going up with water and snacks but I knew I needed my pack to be light. My friends were just taking one pack between the the three of them and I didn't want to slow us all down.
The morning of the hike we woke to a few light clouds but we knew the sun was to shine in the afternoon so I did one of the most unskilled things I have ever done out hiking - I emptied my pack to lighten the load and only took water, snacks and my rain jacket. I was really nervous and had had very little sleep due to the very cold night and as I waited for my turn at the "toilet" I found myself sitting down on a log and praying. Over the past few years I have drifted off from time of prayer but I was scared and although I know God isn't a place for wish lists I needed to find strength. I sat there deep in prayer asking for guidance and strength and for God to watch over us and bring us safely down from the mountain. It helped me feel more centered and calm.
We set of at 8:30 am and within fifteen minutes we reached the base of the first climb and up we went - up and up and up. It was very steep but the terrain, although rocky and root covered was not as bad as I had feared BUT I was scared. I found we had cell coverage so I quickly texted Duncan telling him how scared I was and was thankful to receive his note of encouragement. Upward and onward we went for about two hours. Most do this in an hour or hour and a half but we were being very cautious plus having to stop to rest and breathe along the way.
There was a gap in between the two cliffs so we did get a short reprieve crossing a lovely plateau with small lakes and trees. It was very beautiful and would be a wonderful place to stop and spend some time but time was something we didn't really have a lot of. It was a tranquil and quiet place of reflection. The small ponds of water everywhere added to the beauty.
Halfway up the next steep climb we stopped to rest on a log. An elderly man caught up to us and chatted away about his past hikes and hiking partner. He had a huge blue overnight pack on. He told us about the mountain we were climbing and where we needed to turn and such and said he would follow us to pace himself.
At one point he was talking to me and telling me of the dangers of the fog coming and and how one could easily make a wrong turn on the way down if we weren't careful. I told him I had a GPS and he said that was good but that we needed to really look at the markings around us so that we could find our way back. He reminded me so much of my wise friend Duncan and it was comforting. Eventually he went ahead of us and we carried on following the small cairns and ribbons along the way. There were many different trails so we stuck with the ones that looked the most traveled. Eventually we came up into the open and could look ahead and see the summit far off in the distance. We still had a very long way to go.
After another hour we caught up to the elderly gentleman who was taking a break and so we chatted again. He suggested we could always hike the smaller mountain - Mount Jutland if we were running out of time. He said most importantly "Don't get cold and if that fog comes put on your rain pants. You've all got lights so you'll be okay." Well none of us had rain pants, I was the only one with a light, we had not brought our toques, I had no mitts and I was now getting scared about the length of time it was taking us. I kept picturing all the gear I had brought but left behind in my tent. I knew better than to climb up a mountain into the snow level without enough layers to keep myself warm. He pointed out the storm back where we had come and said "If there is a storm on this side of the mountain there very well could be one on the other side". We couldn't actually see the summit as it was in the clouds. He headed on up the mountain and I waited nervously for the other two to catch up to us. I kept thinking back to last year when I had hiked up the Old Man Storr on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. The fog had come in quite quickly and was so thick you couldn't see more than a foot or two ahead of ourselves. I hoped that it wouldn't happen on this hike.
Once the four of us were together we agreed on a 2:30 pm turn around point and off we went. By this time I decided that if we reached the ridge I would be happy. I had no desire to stay up there too long. We passed a few people coming down and they said the view from the ridge was just as good as the view from the top and they had been at the summit in the fog so hadn't had a view at all. Most of them were young people full of energy, just wearing shorts and carrying light packs. One fellow we met was hiking all three mountain summits that day.
At this point there is no trail just rock after rock. We each picked our way through them trying to follow the cairns placed by others. Every now and then I would get a glimpse of the man way up ahead in the distance. He wasn't going to the summit but going around the summit and down to the other side but each time I saw him I felt comforted to know we were still on the right pathway.
The mountain was wonderful. There were patches of snow that we had to cross. There were lovely little flowers growing out among the rocks, mostly heather but other lovely plants as well. I kept thinking how strong they had to be to grow where there was such little soil and where the weather was so cold for most of the year.
I mostly hiked with my friends' thirteen year old daughter as we had a bit faster pace but we would wait and the other two would catch up so we never went too far ahead.
Just before we reached the ridge I found the older man sitting, leaning up against the rock having a break while staying out of the wind. I went up to him and sat down and told him that we were probably only going to the ridge and then turn around. He asked me "Why would you do that? You've made it now, you have time to get to the summit. Just keep an eye on the weather and you have your light, you will be okay". So when we reached the ridge cairn twenty minutes later at 12:30 Brenda said we should go to the summit and sign the log. So off we went. It was so cold and windy up on the ridge. We put on our rain coats and kept moving. My hands were very cold and I was so upset with myself for not bringing gloves.
Thankfully there was a distinct trail along the ridge that you could see far into the distance and we could travel at a much quicker pace. Every now and then I could still see the blue back pack way up ahead and as we approached the base of the summit I looked over and saw the man still hiking but way off to the left now, heading around the base of the summit. He was walking at a steady pace. It was quiet moment and it saddened me to see him go but I realized there was something very special about him. He as our "shepherd". He had waited for us along the way to make sure we were doing okay and led us where we needed to go. I hoped he would get to his destination before dark as I am sure we held him up a bit. I truly felt the care he had shown us.
By 1:50 we were at the summit. The clouds had parted, the sky was blue, the sun shone down upon us and we celebrated our climb by eating wine gums and finding the cache that was hidden up there on the ledge. The summit was marked by a cement block and wasn't all that huge of an area with a steep drop off on the other side.
It felt so good to be up there and the 360 degree view was just amazing. I could have stayed up there in the sunshine all day however we could see another cloudy storm coming in the distance so by 2:10 we began our descent.
We moved at a quick pace as we saw the fog coming around the base of the summit. I found myself constantly looking back to see where the fog was. Eventually the fog was in front of us. I felt bad as each time my friends caught up we headed off again giving them no rest but I knew I had to keep us moving. It had taken us 5.5 hours to reach the summit and it took us another five hours to get back to our campsite.
We were so lucky as although the fog did catch up to us it was never heavy enough that we couldn't see the markers along the way. For the first three hours down though I was very scared and couldn't stop thinking how careless I had been to not pack extra layers in my pack and extra food. I kept thinking about Duncan and what he would say to me if I got stuck up there over night but thankfully we made it back to the lovely plateau before dark and were able to slowly climb down the steep steep cliffs to the campsite, arriving at 7 pm, only an hour before sunset.
The next morning as I waited for my buddies to wake up I had a quiet breakfast with a small guest. I was still in a bit of shock from what we had accomplished yesterday and was reflecting on our "shepherd". In many ways it was a very spiritual hike that filled me with a sense of awe.
That day we only hiked 4.5 kms to Kwai Lake where we set up camp and had a day of relaxation in the sun. We had planned to hike out to Cruishank canyon but none of us were interested in moving our bodies 4 km's down another trail. We rested our weary bodies and reflected back on our amazing hike up Mount Albert Edward.
Kwai Lake is a beautiful small lake and it was so peaceful there. We took an evening stroll around the lake and tucked in early. It was nice to be able to sit and watch the birds and enjoy the sounds of nature.
The following day we hiked the 7 km's back to our vehicle and looked back to the mountain in the far distance. All of us still surprised that we had actually been up there on the summit. It was an amazing experience for sure. For most folks it is an easy short day hike but for us it was a challenge and I believe the challenge of the day, of overcoming my fears, helped me to grow spiritually and reawaken in me a deeper sense of creation and our Creator.
This was the most difficult hike I have ever been on and I think all four of us learned a lot about hiking up into places where the snow lays on the ground twelve months of the year. It was such a meaningful hike and experience and I will be ever thankful to our "shepherd" for watching over us and making sure we were safe. Looking through all of my pictures, I can't find the kind gentleman yet I will never forget his lovely smile and face and his wise words to us. I believe he was the answer to my morning prayer and I won't ever forget the way he looked as he slowly walked over the mountain and disappeared over the edge below the summit.
