“Canada is the essence of not being. Not English, not American, it is the mathematic of not being. And a subtle flavour – we’re more like celery as a flavour.” ~ Mike Myers

Please allow me to start by saying I don’t agree with this quote, but what I do believe is Canadians as a whole generally have a much greater capacity to laugh at themselves than the average American does. In my last article (you might remember that I dislike the word “blog” as it sounds like something I used to do after a heavy night of drinking) I jumped into some seriously deep and personal issues. So, in an effort to interject some humor and a lighter tone, this entry of my travel journal will cover the second half of my Canadian adventure and the funny things that occur to me along the way, as well as poking a little fun at myself.

I find it curious and interesting that when I was actively destroying my physical and mental health as well as my relationships with my family, friends and co-workers I didn’t take it seriously. I’d remark “What the hell, I’m not hurting anyone with my alcohol and drug consumption, when in reality I was doing exactly that! While on the other hand I would be overly serious regarding mundane everyday things like the driver ahead of me going what I determined to be too slow or having to wait in line at the grocery store. My point being, now what I determine to be serious or not has completely changed. I see the destruction of people’s lives due to substance use disorders as extremely serious while I laugh at myself for still being directionally challenged during a trail run. I’m constantly taking wrong turns and having to backtrack and let’s not even touch the subject of how uncoordinated I am at backing Hobbes into some of my RV campsites! I found having a sense of humor and being able to laugh at myself to be a huge asset to me along the road of recovery from my substance use disorder. OK, I’ll shut up now about that stuff.

Stoked on Revelstoke! Thanks to the nice guy (Canadian!) I met in Lake Tahoe who informed me of this little town w/ big mountains! While I don’t recall his name I do remember that he, his wife and two daughters all with red hair have been traveling in their RV for over a year now and were in the process (pro-cess as they like to pro-nounce it in Canada) of starting a blog entitled “The Roving Reds”. Check em out eh? But back to Revelstoke. It is situated between the Selkirk Mountains and the Monashees

and the town itself feels much more community oriented and a lot less touristy than Whistler. For instance, just about every person in Whistler that worked in the shops around town were from Australia! Now, I’ll have to extend my trip “Down Under” and perhaps I’ll find out that’s where all the Canadians are working!

With regards to my campsite at Williamson Lake Campground let me begin with my site

Perhaps the positive way to describe it, would be “cozy”. Now please don’t get me wrong. It was a beautiful little (pun intended) spot and the location was secluded from passing highway and train traffic (more to come regarding those lovely trains). It also afforded me easy access to Revelstoke National Park and Revelstoke Mountain Resort, both offering a great selection of trail running options. I chose the Lindmark Trail in the National Park first and upon arriving at the Park entrance discovered that in celebration of Canada’s 150th Anniversary as a nation all Parks Canada entrance fees have been waived! Right on Canada! And as you might have guessed by now I did not reach the summit of this trail due to…you guessed it… SNOW!!!

This was also the first time I used “trekking poles” for assistance, now that I’m hiking (up) and running (down) more vertical trails and hitting higher altitudes. I found the poles awkward at first and they threw off my rhythm (what little I have as anyone who has seen me dance can attest to). But eventually I got a better feel for them and enjoyed the benefit of using them, although somehow it feels a little like cheating. Oh well! With no designated cause for this run the miles which at this point total 465 go towards my pledge of $1.00 per mile for the American Thoracic Society in honor of my Dad.

The following day I connected with some great folks in the recovery community and then headed to Revelstoke Mountain Resort for a 7.25 mile trek with a vertical gain of over 2,300′ and which mostly followed the “Cat tracks” used during the ski season. And while there were a few mountain bikers out, I mostly had the trails to myself. Again these miles will count towards my goal of running/hiking and walking 1,000 miles in my effort to support others suffering from pulmonary diseases like Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

The majesty of the Canadian Rockies is fully revealed to me as I arrive at Lake Louise Campground! While on average this part of the range is not as high as in the US, it definitely appears way more vertical with sheer snow-capped glacial mountain peaks in every direction. And the lakes! I’ve never seen a color so vibrant in nature. The waters surrounding my former island home on St. John and the remote bays I sailed into years ago in Papua New Guinea are the only other places I’ve witnessed such spectacular aquatic shades of blue.

My campsite is pristine! With the Bow River flowing a hundred yards away, cooling breezes blowing fresh mountain air and not another camper close by I consider myself the luckiest guy on the planet. But wait! What is that low rumbling noise in the distance? It is getting closer and closer when just as I realize what it is the train whistle blows so loud I can’t hear myself singing the praises of this wonderous location. The pessimist in me knew this was too good to be true. But my training in checking my initial response to a situation and looking for the positives in it allow me the ability to accept the trains going by, which turns out to be approximately four per night, and focus on all the natural beauty that surrounds me.

From what I’ve been told by the locals in all the various wilderness areas I’ve been trail running in since California I’m in “Bear country”. And while I respect their knowledge and believe them wholeheartedly, This is the first place I really feel the bear’s unseen presence. Just walking along the Bow River with little Friday I almost feel like I’m trolling for sharks with her on a leash strolling through these prestigious forests.

Deciding to rest my legs for another day Friday and I head out to drive along the Icefields Parkway. This has been referred to as one of the most scenic drives in the world. Running from Banff up to Jasper every bend in the road reveals another jaw dropping view!

Due to a lack of fuel I stop at the turnoff for the Icefields and Friday and I are rewarded with our first opportunity to view a glacier up close. Please note in the photo below the group of people walking on the glacier behind me (just above my head). This might help you appreciate the massive scale of this wonderous place.

The following two days are devoted to trail runs. The first is a fun jaunt along the Bow River/Tramline/Lake Louise trail systems for a 7.55 mile loop through beautiful forests and along fast-moving rivers.

Next the Plain to Six Glaciers Trail starts at the famous Chateau at Lake Louise. And while the crowds made it difficult for me to keep a steady pace the spectacular vistas were worth it. It should be noted as well that as with most of the more popular trails I’ve chosen during this adventure, the higher one pushes for the top, the less crowded it becomes. That in itself is a reward worth pursuing! Coming in at 9.81 miles and a respectable 1,845′ of vertical climbing left me feeling satisfied! Oh, and just so you know, I spoke to two nice Parks Canada Rangers who informed me that 17 Grizzlies have been spotted in the Lake Louise area. So while I’ve had no face to face encounters with them, it makes me feel a little less silly carrying the can of bear spray around my waist.

Before I move on from what so far has been one of the extreme highlights of my travels I am fortunate to meet my camping neighbors here in the Parks Canada campground at Lake Louise. Russ and Ron Lovell and their lovely wives invite me to share dinner with them. Russ has created an innovative business akin to VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner) but targeting the RV community. His business is called RVPlusYou.com and I encourage anyone interested in traveling by RV to check his operation out. Besides, he’s a really nice, cool guy! His brother Ron (also a really cool and nice guy!) is an innovator himself and wears several different hats. A professional chef, restaurateur, and culinary educator Ron also is involved with the non-profit organization Orcutt Trails. Similar to the Mackenzie River Trust in Oregon, this organization helps to protect, educate and preserve this natural treasure for future generations to enjoy. So in appreciation to the Lovell’s (their wives, Cheryl and Stacey, who are even nicer and cooler than their husbands) and their enthusiasm towards supporting the Orcutt Trails organization, I dedicate my trail runs here in Lake Louise, Alberta Canada to them!

As I depart from this magical place I drive along Highway 93 and encounter 5 Big Horn Sheep standing in the middle of the road looking like they are just daring the motorists in front of me to pass so they can ram them. I squeak by unscathed and continue down the road to Gray Creek located along Kootenay Lake. The manager is super friendly and apologetic as she informs me of the current construction going on in the campground. I have a choice of a site with an electrical outlet with no running water and located smack dab in the middle of the campground or a more secluded spot with no electric, but water. I chose the latter and this also provides me with my first opportunity to use my portable generator I’ve been hauling around for 3 months now!

Friday and I head out for a hike near Pilot Point at the south shore of Kootenay Lake and enjoy a secluded trail which comes to an equally secluded beach a few miles in. In fact, it’s so secluded that upon walking onto the rocky beach to take a break before returning to our starting point we unintentionally surprise an older gentleman and his wife nude sunbathing! YIKES!! No pictures taken, wanted or needed. I only wish I could erase the image in my head! Friday and I politely averted our eyes, ate a quick snack and jumped back on the trail home.

Later that evening as it stays light out until after 10pm, Friday and I walk up the road from the Cedar Grove Campground to a little cemetery. Filled with wildflowers and shade trees it is a lovely setting with very unique and creative headstones. This one in particular caught my eye and being a big fan of “Star Trek” growing up I appreciate his (or his loved ones) sense of humor.

The following day I decide to take on a section of the Trans Canada Trail. A dirt and gravel road running through hundreds of kilometers (I still can’t do the conversions to miles) of wilderness and used mostly by off-road vehicles, ATV’s and motorcycles. I might be the only person foolish enough to attempt running along it. Dry, dusty with little to no shade and equipped with only a 20oz. water bottle (thankfully the water in the river here is safe to drink) I start out to do a 6 mile jog up and run down the road. 1.5 miles in an enthusiastic young man in a tricked out off-road Tacoma stops and cheers me on. Alex informs me of a beautiful spot called Oliver Lake and says it’s just “aboot” another 2 miles farther up the road. Well, when you are driving in the comfort of a truck, with the tunes jammin’ and the A/C cranked eight and a half miles must feel like “aboot” two because that’s where I collapsed at Oliver Lake. And what was to be a six-mile “easy” run turned into a twenty-one miler!

Having survived and in hindsight I’m thankful to Alex for his enthusiasm and encouragement to push my limits and endurance to reach this pristine natural mountain lake. And in an effort to see the humorous aspect of what was a torturous run it should be noted that one can easily reach this beautiful spot in a vehicle (not even using 4-wheel drive) in “aboot” a half an hour.

From Gray Creek, BC my plan was to drive back across the US border into Montana. But my friend John in Memphis (who if you remember made a generous donation to the American Heart Association, which I dedicated my trail run in Sedona, AZ towards) suggested I reach out to his old ski buddy Rollie in Fernie. Having never met or spoken to Rollie, John contacted him and the next thing I know I’m having a wonderful conversation with this kind soul and am extended an open invitation to come stay on his property located in this quite and charming little ski town.

An accomplished extreme skier, retired dentist, major supporter of the Canadian National Ski Team, cancer survivor and all around great guy, Rollie is a most gracious host and introduces me to a gem of a community that I would have never experienced had I not been open to making sudden changes in my itinerary. I now have made another new friend along this magnificent journey! Thanks Rollie!

In conclusion, my Canadian experience has been nothing short of amazing and I am so grateful to all the wonderful people, places and things I’ve experienced in this beautiful country! I truly appreciate this nations natural wonders, their ability to not take themselves too seriously and their patience with dealing with a country just to the south that threatens to move here in mass every four years, as a US President is elected. I hope I can take this attribute with me and remember to see a little humor in the daily occurrences that sometimes tend to upset me and to take more seriously the importance of showing a genuine kindness, respect and courtesy to all creatures great and small.

HAPPY TRAILS!!