My 3 am alarm rings, I am late for my United Airlines flight to SF. Barely awake I got my bags in an Evo and raced to the YVR airport.
On my way down Marine Drive, I thought of how I had managed to pull off this incredible feat few days ago. It just didn’t make sense, well so I thought let’s try tracing back the steps.
It’s the first week of August, I was preparing to leave the country. Until I got convinced into Issac’s paddling trip in Wells Gray, being on a trip like this was long overdue. Incredible accomplishments happen on this man’s trips, I missed out on his trips in my first year at VOC, can’t let this opportunity go by in my final year.
There was this pre-trip, off which I don’t recall much since I zoned out, until the sheet where I quickly typed my name next to the lightest watercraft I would have to carry with someone until the lake.
So that must be it, to have a predetermined notion to travel light and fast. I looked up with an accomplished smile towards the United Airlines representative who said my bags were overweight but she will let me pass as I won’t have time to board if I start reshuffling the weights.
However traveling light and fast can’t be it, there are ample of them in the VOC but none of them ever achieved this, 9 kms is long way to paddle to the campsite and inflatable kayaks are notoriously slow.
Issac’s truck is incredible, I did sleep most of the journey from Vancouver to Wells Gray to give my body ample of rest before the 9km haul I was going to push it through.
When we arrived at Murtle Lake parking lot, I filled all my water bottles with electrolytes ( thanks to a hard lesson I learnt on a trip to Exodus ). Josh and I portaged the inflatable kayak until the lake and soon realized that it didn’t hold in air that well and that we both can’t fit in it with our backpacks. Traveling with the lightest watercraft did help me 2.5 kms to the lake, but we still had distance to cover till the camp.
*Announcement* The boarding for the flight Q has begun, we will now be accepting …
Could it be the wine, I had bought blueberry wine for the trip since it would be my final goodbye. It wasn’t an expensive bottle but one of exquisite flavor that would be perfect for the first night.
But then there are other great events with Wine Bags, like Glacier School, Rock Party and so on. Nothing remotely as calm has happened there.
*Announcement* This is the final call for Miss Yu …
It has to be this group of fantastic individuals Hannah, Sophia, Rhys, Simon, Josh and Issac, who I met through this small club at a large university.
Who else would volunteer to carry a 200 lbs sleeping human 9kms across the lake through the smoke using kayaks/canoes. I have heard of people doing the Phelix traverse and some other ridiculous stuff but have you ever heard of a man floating 9kms to Strait Creek Campsite.
Unbelievable.
*Announcement* This is the final boarding call for Mr.Meghlani.
miss yu is here