Well today seemed to start with everything amiss.
First my coffee boiled over and so instead of turning down the stove I turned it off without noticing. Resulting in Awful coffee. It looked good, but I would have rather drank low tide mud flat water.
Second after trying to get everything together Nan asked me to grab her some socks… you wouldn’t think that this would be a difficult task. But after 15 min of searching in our one big duffle bag I gave up. Nan took over and still no socks. After some discussing it was decided that they were in long term storage on top of the van. The bag on top of the van is easy to get at with a ladder, but requires some monkey work without one
Third the drive to the trail head. There is no sign going north so it was very easy to blow by. Well blow is a bit of an exaggeration, I swear that they would not have been able to make the highway any steeper as it flows in Jasper National Park. There was a couple of times that I thought the olde (that’s for Nan) camp mobile (dear god, we really need a name for the Olde Camp Mobile) wasn’t going to make it. The temperature was really hot and the road was unbearably steep. I kept thinking that I would see flames coming out of the side air vents. but faithful she made it. Even though we stopped once to after smelling electrical burning I think it must have been the camper in front of us.
After back tracking 5 miles we found Nigel Creek trail head. The sign southbound was up and clear. It is a small unassuming road in the middle of one of these very steep climbs. We probably would have found it sooner but miscommunication was a hinderance.
The hike The first segment was really short down a gravel road to the bridge which took us across Nigel creek. The roar of the creek (river) kept us company most of the hike.
Most of the hike is through second growth boreal forest. within the first couple of kilometers we stumbled into Camp Parker. The perimeter was marked by little houses cut into the trees. The hiking book alludes to the importance of this camp but doesn’t shed any detail on what it is all about. We were left to speculate it was set up in 1941 (at least that was one of the dates carved into the trees. Had it been an interment camp?
The forest was broken up in regular intervals by ancient rock slides, which have now been heavily covered in Willow bushes. Some of it is was as tall as my head. These slides now create areas in which water flows down a hundred creeks and water courses. With each opening the surrounding mountains teased out visual cortex with incredible vistas.
Nigel pass offers a great view of the Saskatchewan glacier as well as the surrounding mountains. We had originally thought of going further, but because of our late start, and not having a watch, we decide that this was a perfect spot to stop and enjoy.
As these things go the way down took half the time, and with careful foot placing Nan didn’t drencher her feat for a second time, she did on the way up. as water coursed over the tops of both of her boots, during one of the “creek” crossings.
The road home was uneventful, I did back track a bit all the way to Sask’ crossing, for some gas.
We had a delicious dinner of Clam chowder with some left over noodle from last night, and bread.
We had a sponge bath (with most of our clothes on one for modesty and the other because of the mosquitoes. then crashed into the Van (which we have named, finally)
Welcome Pricilla Betsy Aurona
Pricilla: because she can be very high maintenance
Betsy: because although she is high maintenance, when she runs, she pulls like a pack horse
Aurona: the goddess of dawn (new beginnings) thanks mom!