Camping at Medicine Lake

Earlier this summer I joined Adam and Ivan for a camping trip to Medicine Lake Provincial Park. It was decided that the trip would be a guys only weekend and I think that suited Chrissy just fine as she had been travelling for work and wanted to rest (She finds it hard to rest when I am around...weird).

We arrived at the our campsite and promptly set up our tents and went for a walk to get some wood.

Even before we got back to our site the rain started. We scrambled around through our gear and came up with a makeshift shelter using a tarp, extra tent pole, an empty beer can, a cooler, an axe and a bunch of rope (pictured in the back during dryer times).

Many nearby lightning strikes and multiple beers later the rain stopped and we got a small fire started with Adam`s kerosene drenched cotton balls. Unfortunately we used most of them that night and had issues with the wet wood the next morning. 

After way too long the fire eventually caught on and we set to work burning the giant log situated in our site.

Note the rotisserie ax innovation developed by Adam.

Adam and Ivan have camped together many times and are comfortable just vegging out and sitting around the fire for hours on end. Me, not so much, I get a little stir crazy just sitting around. Every once in a while, between rains, I would get up and take a walk to the lake and skip rocks.

This would be followed up with more waiting out the rain and more beer in which I may or may not have fallen asleep.

With the sun out again Ivan and I coaxed Adam away from whittling wood to go for a walk on a nature path. The trail was pretty overgrown and wet, but it offered up some nice scenery and a good harvest of old mans beard for future fire starting.

Like all good trails and hikes it ended at the waters edge. Medicine Lake itself isn`t very large, but with its small size it remains quite calm and serene.

It was a nice and easy weekend and I recommenced the campground for anyone looking to unwind. However, if you are like me and need some diversions I would not suggest you stay for any more than a couple of nights.

Thanks to Adam and Ivan for letting me tag along, and special thanks to Ivan who let me use a bunch of his pictures for this blog.

Trip to Maligne Lake

Final stop on the Jasper field trip (more here and here) was a visit to Maligne Lake.  I had never been there before but have of course seen the near iconic photo of  Spirit Island  many times. Chrissy had visited previously but couldn't quite remembered when she had last - needless to say, it had been a while.

The first thing that struck us was the high water levels. Even the Curly Phillips Boathouse, originally built in 1928, was temporarily out of service as it was flooded out. I wonder how many times its been flooded out like this and how much of the building has been replaced due to this type of wear and tear?

Funny enough the boathouse isn't even where the tour boats are docked. As we are both poor and or cheap, we declined taking the boats to Spirit Island. It will have to wait for another trip.

 Instead we decided to walk around and explore the trails and other buildings.

It is a good thing we decided to visit when we did as just a week or so after we left the road to the Lake was shut down with a mudslide. It's something I could definitely see after witnessing just how high the water was.

Bonus:
On the way back from Maligne Lake we stopped at Jasper Park Lodge for a quick drink and upon exiting the resort we witnessed a momma bear and a couple of cubs walking between the road and forest.

Also on the way back to William A Switzer Park we came across this monster along the side of the road.

Overall, it was a great camping trip and I am glad to say that Chrissy and I are still together after the trip.

Camping at William A Switzer Park

A weekend or so back Christina and I felt we needed a break from city life and decided to head out camping. This was our first camping trip together so there was a bit of trepidation and excitement to determine if we would excel in this environment together or if we would despise each other by the end.

We decided on camping at the Gregg Lake Campground at William A Switzer Provincial Park just north of Hinton. I took the day off of work on the Friday, getting together final accoutrement's and packed the car to pick Chrissy up from work. Some small car problems and a bunch of Stuff You Missed In History Class podcasts later we arrived 3 hours later NW of Edmonton.

With thunder off in the distance we mad rushed to get our camp set up.

We ended up just missing a big storm as it glided past us to the South. However, that night we did get to hear the pitter patter of rain and the sound of the pooled tarp water rushing off every couple of minutes. 

I woke a little earlier than Chrissy and started on breakfast - Bacon and Blue Ribbon.

I tried to be good and cook the bacon slowly but I was impatient and set-up a little cooking spot. It worked, in that the bacon cooked quickly, but I ended up spilling most of the bacon in the fire. A quick washdown and re-fry and I served it up for Chrissy. Christina loves, loves, loves bacon.

To my dismay she exclaimed that it was the worst bacon she had ever had. I was crushed. I was pretty sure our relationship was over. That is how much she loves bacon.

 Maybe the beauty of nature would make her forget my breakfast fail.

As it was Canada Parks Day we headed down to Kelly's Bathtub (another lake within the Park) to check out the lake and the festivities

The highlight of the lake was beautiful little bay marina attached to the larger lake.

For Park Day they had a bunch of displays and activities for children set up near the interpretative centre. Realizing that this could be an opportunity to impress Chrissy and once again be seen in her eyes as a provider I lined up to have a go at traditional hunting.

I was given the option of a spear or an atlatl
"An atlatl a tool that uses leverage to achieve greater velocity in dart-throwing.

It consists of a shaft with a cup or a spur at the end that supports and propels the butt of the dart. The atlatl is held in one hand, gripped near the end farthest from the cup. The dart is thrown by the action of the upper arm and wrist. The throwing arm together with the atlatl acts as a lever. (Wikipedia)

 The Line-Up

The Throw!

I missed to the left. The conservation officer was impressed by my speed but all I could see what doubt in Christina's eyes.

Needing to show her my manly value I decided to show her that I was fearless and went to nose to nose with this strangely skinny bear. Still nothing....

 Perhaps my ingenuity and mastery of technology would impress her.

 Nothing again. I was confused and frustrated.

 And heartbreaker that she is...she just laughed. Bwahahahaha

I had to redeem myself - and there could be only one way. I must re-forge our once solid connection with food over the iron grated hellfire of breakfast. But that would have to wait - we had some more nature walking to do...(see future blog posts for nature walk).

Morning again...Time to win her back with multiple courses.

Begin with the humble oatmeal.

Progress to the morning entrée of breakfast sausage.

Finally, end it all with morning s'mores.

And, I can proudly say that I write this blog now about 10 days later sitting in our shared home.

Chocolate and marshmallow saves me again.