Adios Alberta

It's been quite a bit since I've last blogged, but a bit has been going on in the last 10 days or so. I've since left Canada and am now in California for a month or two. However, I stopped and had a few adventures along the way down south and I'll be putting up a couple of blog posts to highlight some of those stops. So we begin from the start...

On July 16th I loaded up my car and planned to make it to Edmonton, a three hour drive from the tower, where I would be staying with France's sister. However, the weather, namely the rain, had other plans and I wasn't able to get out of the dirt road, which was a rather muddy and pool ridden road at that point. So, I gave it another go 24 hours later and my little Marjorie made it through the somewhat diminished mud puddles and we both breathed a sigh of relief when the tires finally hit asphalt again. The simple joys in life. Saying adios to northern Alberta.



After an enjoyable evening of eating a delicious elk roast in Edmonton, I was off to Nelson to pick up some of my stuff from storage and see some buddies. I drove through the most hellacious hail storm I've ever witnessed while driving just outside of Calgary. The road was covered in 2 inches of hail. Not fun driving. However, the clouds soon parted to reveal the unique and breathtaking majesty of the Canadian Rockies. My soul breathed deeply in the topography. The bastions of rock and ice welcomed me back from the flat land of the boreal.

The subtlety of the mountains increased as I drove west. Unlike the Canadian Rockies, the Selkirks, which surround Nelson, are a bit more secret. Granite massifs abound, but they are secretly guarded by thick forests and the long, deep glacial lakes that make this area so beautiful. The high peaks poke their heads out just enough to draw you in, but the secrets of these mountains require honest effort from the beholder. For me, these mountains feel like home.

In Nelson, I stayed with my good friends Jean-Francois and Suzie, from Quebec. They are, without a doubt, two of the greatest, happiest people that I have ever met. I also met up with my buddies Tim and Katie for some rock climbing. We had a blast sport climbing next to Slocan Lake.

Here I am getting back on the rock for the first time in over two months.





Beautiful Slocan Lake.



Katie getting ready for her first climb on real rock.



Timmy sending his nemesis.



Me approaching the crux.



Me, Katie, and Timmy.



I had a fantastic couple of days in Nelson and it made me sad to know that I was leaving it for some time. Nelson, like the Selkirk Mountains, certainly feels like home to me.