hiking

West Coast Hospitality!

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There is so much to love about the West Coast of Canada and as wonderful as the sights (and beer) have been, the best part for me is the people. Friends, family and family of friends, it didn’t matter. Whether it was planned or, like most of the trip, spur of the moment, we were welcomed with open arms to each place we visited. Everyone knew we were coming out but not exactly when. A day or two before arriving I would message to let them know we were going to be in their area soon.


YAHK

Our first stop was, Yahk (pronounced Yack), a tiny town close to the US border. Coming from the states it was a natural initial destination. Here we stayed at my long lost cousin and her husband’s place. Though their handsome German shepherd-husky, Remi, and Harley did not hit it off as well as hoped we had an absolutely great time.

We enjoyed a show by the Northern Lights (sorry, no pictures) while sitting around the fire on a Saturday night. We went, unsuccessfully, panning for gold and learned a great deal about the BC claims. We also took a hike out to Perry Creek. It swung by an old mining shaft, rich with history. The real sight, however, was the waterfall at the end of the trail. My cousin and I, always adventurers, wanted a view from the top. The incline was steep, the branches were dead, the rocks were loose and the rope was worn. After reaching the top, (as far as we decided to go) with absolutely no view whatsoever, we quickly realized that getting up was the easy part. The decline ended in a mini-rock slide, initiated by a poor footing choice on my part, resulting in a boulder launching itself towards Matt. His lightning fast reflexes allowed him to lift up his foot with precision as the rock rolled under and into the river. I will add this to my list of poor life decisions.

 

SQUAMISH

Next stop… Squamish! For a couple of nights we lived the dream! One of my best friend’s Aunt and Uncle have the most beautiful home and property on a hill overlooking the mountains. There were spectacular walking trails, literally, in their backyard. We were absolutely grateful for our stay with them and even hit up some suggested day trips while we were there. We checked out the Wonderland Hiking/Mountain Biking Trail and Anderson Beach on the Squamish River. Just a small sample of what the area has to offer. Their sweetheart of a dog, Maggie, kept the cougars and bears away while we all had a campfire. Harley pretended that he was being useful by following her lead. We were able to make it out to our first puppy free dinner and even dropped $10 at the casino. I know… I know… big spenders! The star lit hot tub topped it of. Life goals! Definitely could have just spent the rest of our trip here but, alas, we needed to move on. Our trailer stayed in the driveway and we headed over to Vancouver Island where we were greeted with more outstanding hospitality.

 

COWICHAN BAY

Our next host was the daughter of a good family friend. Her paintings graced the walls of a B&B that is very close to my heart. Having seen many photos and hearing warming stories of her personality it was as if we had already met. I was excited for the chance to finally do so. We visited her and her husband at their organic farm on Vancouver Island. As an artist and activist she and her partner have been creating an environment and gallery display to encourage native bee conservation. Their acreage was a habitat blooming with flowers, herbs, and trees with a greater purpose to bring the bees back to the island. They are truly talking the talk and walking the walk. It was absolutely inspiring. Not to mention the amazing woodworking projects on the go! Dinner out at Craig Street Brewing Co. in Duncan had the best burger. Red Hot and Blue for the win! (Matt’s meal… but I had a bite, and it really was fantastic.) We spent the night in a two-bedroom trailer with pull-outs! – A nice upgrade from our bachelor. Spoiled with a patio-top pancake breakfast, garden grown strawberries included, we were sad to leave so soon and have promised to be back again!

 

COMOX VALLEY

Our last stop before heading out to Tofino was in the Comox Valley. And old friend from Sea Cadets has found himself in Courtney. We were grateful to have someone share all the local places with us on our short visit. It’s hard to say what the best was. We strolled through Stotan Falls and had delicious pizza at a local brew-pub. Enjoyed the Ripple Rock trail in Campbell River and desperately found lunch at the only place open on a Sunday. With great food and drinks, the White Whale did not disappoint. The patio weather was spot on and I even found a pearl in my raw oyster. Three cheers to a tasty, thirst-quenching, wheat beer, Forest Fog, by Cumberland Brewing Co. On our way back through (from Tofino) he met us for a stroll though Cathedral Grove and a visit to Goats on Roof, market in Coombs. There was a goat… however… he was not on the roof.

 

A huge, heartfelt, thank you to those who helped make our trip amazing!

West Coast Hospitality!

Yellowstone, Yellowstone, Yellowstone…

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So, funny story… I thought “Old Faithful” was a dog… Apparently I was thinking of “Old Yeller” and somehow got things super mixed up. Honest mistake. Turns out there are no dogs here at all and Old Faithful is actually a hole in the ground that frequently erupts boiling water. An old geyser you might say.

We decided that we would set up our home base in West Yellowstone, Montana at the Rustic Wagon RV Campground. It had everything we could ever dream of… hot showers and electricity! Turns out the West Gate was an excellent, uneducated decision on our part. Many of the roads from other access points were still closed for the winter. It seems as though we came out a bit too soon. PRO: There weren’t as many people as there are in the summer. CON: Some of the trails were not open for us to enjoy because it was still early in the season.

A fun fact… everything in West Yellowstone is at the same intersection according to Google Maps (the RV Park, the pet store, the Veterinarian’s office etc.). Eventually we were able to find most places. The vet is only open on Monday and Wednesday from 8 – 12 but we fit the window and were able to get the much needed tick medication for our pup.

The drive into the park was quite spectacular! Buffalo everywhere! Just walking along-side the car, stopping traffic. No big deal! Headed south toward Old Faithful on the first day, we quickly discovered that dogs are not very welcome. A sad day for our four-legged travelling companion. Luckily for every trail Harley wasn’t allowed on, there was a group of foreign travelers that wanted a photo op with him. Paparazzi! Tons of attention! Matt and Har will be gracing the pages of many photos albums that I tried desperately to stay out of.

After finding out that dogs are actually seen as predators in the US National Parks and can disturb migration patterns of elk and other animals we took turns on the short trails. I did a couple longer ones with the camera so Matt could see what he missed. Not an ideal way to see explore but ah well. It was pretty scenic either way. We saw tons of Buffalo, the geothermal areas, Old Faithful’s eruption, Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon and a massive swarm of photographers with camouflage zoom lenses. It turns out there was a mama grizzly bear with THREE cubs. Very rare indeed! (Also not many kilometres away from an earlier solo hiking spot of mine… Eeee! Terrifying!)

As cool as the wildlife traffic jams were the best drive was between the Norris and Mammoth Hot Springs junctions. The variety of terrain and views were golden. Anyways… instead of telling you, I might as well just show you the colours of Yellowstone. Three categories… The Classics, The Critters and The Colours. In closing before the photo show begins, and in case anyone was wondering, we found Harley a place to stretch his legs in the form of an old grassy airfield around the corner from our temporary home. All in all, I would consider this stop a success. Enjoy!

The Classics!

Buffalo Roaming!
Harley with the Old Faithful Sign.
Old Faithful Erupting!
Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon
Mammoth Hot Springs

 

The Critters!

Harley’s Nemesis

 

The Colours!

 

Bonus! An alternate take on “HAM” Adventures!

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Yellowstone, Yellowstone, Yellowstone…

TICKed Off!

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What an amazing (yet exhausting) trek across the country!

Before getting into the dirty details, here are some some stats from the journey across America. We have arrived at our extended destination, Yellowstone National Park.

  • 3,170 kilometres
  • 46 hours (including gas and rest-stops)
  • 5 days
  • Average of over 9 hour per day
  • 13 hours were driven on Day Three

But don’t worry… We still got in a little exercise.

  • Nearly 60,000 steps over the 5 days
  • Almost 60 kilometers walked
  • Close to 150 floors climbed
  • Averaging over 11,800 steps per day
  • 17,300 steps were taken on Day Three (coincidently the same day we made it to a ‘real’ Wal-Mart)

However, rules WERE broken

  • Don’t set an alarm (unless catching a plain/train)
  • No bread or pasta in the camper
  • Never arrive to a campsite after dark
  • No more than 8 hours of driving
  • Never feed after midnight
  • Stick to the designated trails

Our journey in photos…

Our first night across the border was spent at Tahquamenon Falls State Park in Michigan. We did not get too much exploring in before the sun set but were up bright and early in the morning to catch the sunrise before hitting the road. It was amazing! A couple of downed trees on the way to the Lower Falls but the larger Upper Falls trail was very well maintained. A few stairs, but totally worth it!

We drove through Christmas and were thoroughly entertained by the podcast Grownups Read Things They Wrote As Kids.

We couldn’t help but notice the clever names of hotels on the way through Wisconsin and area. The favorites were “AmericINN” and “C’mon Inn”. Super cheesy! Right up my alley!

Upon nightfall, we found ourselves at Crow Wing State Park. During our early morning stroll Harley just HAD to take a dip in the Mississippi River. Who were we to deny him? We couldn’t quite tell was going on at our next scheduled pit stop, Buffalo River State Park, so decided to pass. I hope it is okay.

Matt had officially declared North Dakota the most boring state ever so we decided to have a little fun in Jamestown. We swept through the Frontier Village, home to the World’s Largest Buffalo! Super tacky tourism at it’s best AND Harley’s reaction was priceless! Unfortunately the GoPro battery kicked it a few minutes before and due to my terrible video skills I managed to botch the one I tried to get with the camera. Just take my word for it! It was awesome!

The sun set over Theadore Roosevelt National Park which absolutely changed our minds about this state. It was stunning. We did not have a chance to stop for photos during our race against time but would have liked to see more. We woke up the next morning in Makoshika State Park, Montana.

Makoshika = totally cool! We loved the short hike we took on Cap Rock Trail. (Yes, Matt is wearing a toque… Eh)

Even our alternate mascot, HAM left the truck to check it out. We drove through as much of the park as we could but some of the roads were closed. Too early in the season, I suppose. But seriously… the weather we have had! Thumbs up!

Back on the road again we noticed that we had picked up a hitchhiker! A TICK! I found it on my neck and it had indeed bit me but was not embedded! Dfgjjngyfsaerykljngt! Naturally, I spent the next 4 hours in the truck scraping what information I could of the Internet using an ever fading cell signal. So here goes my important TICK INFORMATION plug for anyone who loves to spend time outdoors. Our tick count is up to 8, all three of us involved in the catastrophe. We have now heightened our prevention protocols and are on alert for any serious symptoms. And of course, Harley’s pricey meds were on that lovely list of things we left at home…

When we arrived at our destination, hot showers and laundry facilities were overly welcome. But… the most exiting thing… “we don’t HAVE to drive in the morning!”

Be sure to check out the instaham.adventures Instagram account for regularly updated photos. (You do not need an account to view them.)

I assure you there will be a video posted this week! Sorry for my monstrosity of a blog. A long post for a long drive!

AS

TICKed Off!

Our Last Adventure In Lego – NZ

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Facebook Memories is a truly wonderful thing. For the last couple of weeks I have been reminded of that time we took a trip to New Zealand two years ago. Generally I take photos (almost exclusively) of landscapes but on this particular trip our Lego avatars were the stars of the journey. (This took the place of having to actually be in the photos!)

We started in Queenstown and worked our way up to the North Island via camper van. The first thing we did while in the South Island, before picking up our smelly camper, was one of New Zealand’s Great Walks, Routeburn Track. In this case, we most certainly did not save the best for last. When people ask me what our favourite part was, this is it. Wow, just wow! It was three and a half days of hiking and the trifecta of terrible sleeps, but I will forever remember it as the most amazing experience (until the next one if course). Fantastic scenery galore! Never again will I complain of walking in the rain as it always brings back memories of our breathtaking trek through the Mount Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks. To top it off we hit up Milford Sound on the loop to Q-Town.

Of course while were back in the “Adventure Capital of the World” we had to do something extraordinarily adventurous. (Sorry, no skydiving for this gal.) Our wonderful hosts at Pounamu Apartments suggested we try the Skipper’s Canyon Jet boat. It was a little out of the way (there is one closer to town) but when they say “GETTING TO THE BOAT IS HALF THE ADVENTURE” they mean it! Tons of fun! A truly terrifying bus ride and so worth it.

From there we went gold digging in Arrowtown, saw what I am pretty sure will be the most amazing sunset of my life from the Otago Peninsula in Dunedin, checked out NZ’s only castle, drove through Arthur’s Pass, hit up the West Coast and the pancake rocks (Punakaiki)!, caught the sunrise in Abel Tasman National Park and missed the ferry in Picton.

After being put on the waiting list for the following day we just squeaked on the boat to Wellington. If we did get a do over for the whole trip, we would have book this ahead of time. We would have also looked into dropping the van off and getting a new one on the other side. It is a lot cheaper to just take the ferry without a vehicle.

Though we did not have quite as much time for the North Island, we did make some great stops. We stayed in Taupo (Lake Taupo) on the first night, and hit up a small hot spring in a local park early in the morning. From there we stopped at Wai-O-Tapu. Arriving just before they set of the geyser, we decided to skip out and head straight into the park. (We had already seen a natural one in Iceland.) What a great idea! We literally had the place to ourselves. So cool! And the colours were amazing! The mud pools are a must! Thoroughly entatained.

We ended our stay in Auckland after stopping by Redoubt – Bar and Eatery in Te Awamutu. (A favourite spot of a friend of ours.) New Zealand’s largest city brought walks on the waterfront, fresh oysters, souvenirs and, of course, our very first rugby game! It also brought the end of our trip that we were so very sad to say goodbye to.

However, our Lego characters live on in Facebook Memories and a Canadian Living blog post by Jamie Anderson.

Cheers to enjoying life in the moment and creating memories that will last a lifetime!

Everything is Awesome!

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We Put The ‘HA’ In HAM

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Today we visited The Tree Museum with some very good friends. It was a bit wet and snowy (which is probably why it is “closed” from November to April), but we had a wonderful hike anyway! We will definitely try again in the fall.

Earlier this week we invested in a new iPad Mini to control all of our social accounts and blog while we are on the move. The first thing on the list was to set up our Instagram account! You can access it at the top of our page using the Instagram button (the little camera circle). A quick view of our most recent photos can be found in our menu on the top right hand side. I love photos, so Instagram is so my thing. Our username is instaham.adventures if you are interested in following us. I am excited to share the best of our travels with you. Hope you enjoy!

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