Monday, September 10th: Tom and I were woken up to the sound of Ruthie's sweet giggles and Brian asking if she could come in. We said that of course she could, followed by her darting to the edge of our bed to be lifted up. She squealed and squirmed as we wrestled and played with her until the fun expired and she wanted us out of bed. We all got up and made breakfast, during which, Havi and I made plans to go for a run. After eating, Brizz, Havi and I took the truck and headed for Canmore. During our run along the river, the sky was cloudy, but the temperature was perfect. There was only a slight drizzle, which was why passing a couple in full hiking gear and open umbrellas, made us both laugh. After our run, we met up with the rest of the family, and headed for the Banff Gondola. We had hoped that the weather would clear up for a scenic ride, but because it didn't, we decided to go to a hot springs instead. This was the perfect activity for the kids and a nice way to still be outside. That night we stayed at the river campsite in British Columbia that Tom and I had scouted out. It wasn't long after a heavy pasta dinner that we were all asleep.
Tuesday started in a similar way as the day before had. Ruthie opened all the drawers and cupboards in our camper to retrieve the necessary supplies for pretend, cupcake baking. We had no plans for the day, so we debated possible options while Brizz and Mogli played in the frigid river water. We eventually agreed on making the drive to visit Blaebury Glacier, a suggestion given to Tom and I by a park ranger. We drove down the forest service road that led to the glacier for some time before realizing that it would require more car time that what seemed reasonable. The bus couldn't go very fast, making each km feel longer than the last. We stumbled upon a gorgeous campsite that sat on the bright turquoise river, backdropped by the mountains. We first, played with the kids on the beach next to water, soaking up the recently hidden sun. I knew that Tom really wanted to see the glacier, so I suggested that we finish the drive before it became too late. Brian agreed to stay with the kids, while Havi, Tom and I went to see the glacier. Even on rough, erratic roads, the truck kept speed without much trouble. We reached the valley that held the glacier in disbelief of the majestic landscape that lay before us. The low clouds partially obscured the mountains, but still allowed us to appreciate their beauty. Our photos weren't able to capture the moment, so we took time to soak it all in. We started the drive back and stopped at 8 miles to go. From there, Havi and I jumped out of the car to run the rest of the way, while Tom returned in the truck. That night, we sat with Brian and Havi around the campfire, feeling so lucky to have them with us and to be where we were.
Havi and I woke up Wednesday morning with plans to start the day with a run. We left Brian and Tom to get camp packed up while we took off in the direction that we were all headed. We jumped into the bus when they caught up to us and rode toward town to get service. Sherah was driving to meet us from Seattle and we wanted to check in to see where she was at. She was still a few hours out, but we decided on Canyon Hot Springs as a meeting spot. Since we arrived before her, we went to visit a nearby national park attraction, the Ancient Cedar Tree Boardwalk. It was only a short distance, but displayed tall, beautiful trees that gave off a potently, rich cedar smell. The humidity felt thick from the sponge-like earth, still saturated from the last rainfall. When Sherah first arrived, we swam at the hot springs, then left to set up camp. We collectively made fajitas for dinner, then spent the rest of the night cracking jokes, laughing until our stomachs hurt and unsubtly drinking too much. If having too much fun is a thing, we accomplished it.
Thursday started slow due grey weather mixed with fogged heads. I went to the bus in the morning to allow Tom and Sherah to keep sleeping and snuggled in bed with Havi and Ruthie. Ruthie was irritable that morning, so Havi asked her: "Did you have too many glasses of wine last night?", to which Ruthie replied: "No! I'm not a grown up!". After breakfast, we all drove to Revelstoke where we sat in a coffee shop and researched options for that night and the next day. After quite a bit of back and forth, we decided to camp at Wapta Falls that evening and hike to Agnes Lake Teahouse from Lake Louise the next day. After a long drive, we made it to the falls where Havi, Sherah and I went for a run. We returned as the sun was starting to set, providing us with a picturesque outlook of the falls and mountains. After resisting the few photos that we tried to take, Ruthie went over to sit by the fire. In an instant, and seemingly out of nowhere, her chair tipped forward, nearly throwing her into the burning logs. Fortunately, she missed them altogether and we were able to roll her away from the heat quick enough to avoid any serious injuries. It took a moment for our adrenaline to settle, grateful for the favorable outcome. That night, we made enough chili for a small village and ate it while expressing our appreciation for our priceless time spent together.
We had expected our 2 mile hike on Friday to be fairly effortless, which proved false. We hadn't realized how much snow had fallen in the area, and after being trampled by other hikers, had turned into a combination of ice and slush situated on the path. Not only that, but the trail was steep and the kids were crabby. We made it to the top, and as we did, both kids were at their wits end. We had envisioned a relaxing teahouse experience but accepted that this may have been wishful thinking. After quickly drinking our tea and giving the kids some food, we headed back. The end of the walk was bittersweet, we were glad to be done with it but didn't want to say goodbye to Havi, Brian and the kids. They had agreed to bring Mogli back to Minnesota with them in order to spent the hunting season with John and Jennifer. We began packing up Mogli's belongings and food to send with them while holding back tears. Our family leaving along with being without our dog for the next few months almost felt like too much to swallow. With everything packed and ready for them to get on the road, we started the individual goodbyes that we had been dreading. We took as many hugs as we could, trying to preserve every second that we still had them with us. Although watching them drive away was genuinely difficult, I was immensely grateful to have had them for as long as we did. As we wiped the last of our tears, Tom, Sherah and I left; first visiting Lake Morraine and next hiking to Wapta Falls.
On Saturday, Tom, Sherah and I drove to Canada's Glacier National Park. The day started out with plenty of sunshine and we wanted to take advantage of it by going for a hike. We decided on Glacier Crest due to it's low mileage and high payout. We were aware before we started, that snow had accumulated at the top, but weren't entirely sure what we were getting ourselves into. After about an hour of hiking on mostly easy terrain, we passed a few other hikers that informed us that they were turning back early due to the snow. They said that the coverage made it difficult to continue following the trail. Wanting to make our own judgement call, we continued up. We reached the top to find a white boulder field. It didn't look promising, but we carried on nonetheless. After some time of extensive cairn spotting and careful steps, snow began to fall. Eventually, we admitted our defeat, surrendering to the lack of visibility and unpredictable footing. After turning around, we endured multiple, mild wipeouts due to the slippery rocks underneath us. Although each of us were cold and wet, the company made the experience a fun adventure. We laughed at every opportunity and enjoyed the falling snow around us.
After waking up slowly and enjoying the sunny Sunday morning, we got up and began our drive. Our goal was to make it to Kelowna before it started storming, but our timing was less than ideal. Ominous clouds began rolling into town simultaneously, limiting our ability to take advantage of it's extensive trail system. We decided to carry on to Pentiction, but first ran a few errands. After filling our cooler with food and ice, we drove around looking for a water spigot. Our pump sink had been emptied for a few days, making us appreciate the convenience of it more that we had realized. As we scouted behind a row of businesses, Sherah suggested that we pick up some discarded pallets to break up for firewood. She had only been with us for 5 days and was already thinking like a thrifty traveler. Not only was she the mastermind behind our wood supply for the next couple of nights, but also found a hose outside of a retirement home to use for our tank. I couldn't have been more proud. We drove just out of Penticton to a recreational site with free camping. The road that led to the sites was steep and rough. Sherah stopped for a moment at the base of it, then hit the gas without stopping or looking back. My body was tensed as she crawled over large rocks and blew through pot holes, convinced that her car would suffer damages. I pointed out that even Tom was taking it slow, to which she replied; "He's probably back there picking up my tires". I finally relaxed as the road plateaued and we pulled into a site. After collectively dismantling and splitting the pallets, we were rewarded with a robust fire.
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