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Canada 2024
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Canada 2024

A 40-day adventure by Happy Camper inc. Read more
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  • Trip start
    July 13, 2024
    Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler

    Seattle to Vancouver

    Jul 14–16, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    And we’re back in Canada! Just over 6 months after finding ourselves here for Christmas, we were back to experience this incredible landscape in Summer. The past 4 months in Oz feel like a blur and it’s nice to have a change from the van life.

    Our flights through the US gave us a day to explore San Fran before catching a late night flight up to Seattle. From here it was a short bus ride up to Vancouver. However, the border crossing into Canada was the big unknown for the trip. Would they let me back into Canada despite my visa issue? The nerves kicked in as the bus pulled off the freeway and into the Border Crossing queue. Long story short, after an hour of questioning and deliberation I was handed my Passport and we were cleared to enter! What a massive relief!!

    We treated ourselves to a nice hotel in central Vancouver with a sauna and enjoyed a quiet evening thankfully to have made it.

    The next day we rented bikes and rode around Stanley Park and the waterfront. With high 30°’s the day was stunning.

    The cheapest option for us to get to Kelowna was to rent a car one way and use it as our accomodation for the next couple days. We picked up an SUV we could fit our sleeping mats in the back of and got on the road East. With sunset being after 9pm we had plenty of time to get out of suburbia and into the farmland up the valley.    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler

    Harrison Hotsprings and Kelowna

    Jul 16–18, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Our night sleep in the back of the car was less than comfortable. By the time we had found a suitable spot to park up and got to bed it was already midnight. Despite the late night we were both awake at 5am with dawn breaking so drove 15 minutes to Cultus Lake to make our morning coffee.

    Once we were back on the highway heading for Kelowna we made a last minute decision to veer off and check out Harrison Hot Springs. The hot springs themselves are nothing to rave about, but the detour turned into a great decision. The town is set on a stunning lake that we had a swim in and then had a nap on the shore in the sun. Now rejuvenated we dropped by a fruit stall for some fresh apricots and cherries and got back on the road to Kelowna.

    I'd heard Kelowna was a beautiful town on a lake and it certainly didn't disappoint. Neither of us had heard of the Okanagan wine region so we were pleasantly surprised to find the valley full of wineries to check out. The lakefront of downtown was also a buzz with people and a waterfront market, even though it was a Tuesday afternoon.

    We had a day and a half to wait till Deano flew in so we found a cheap camp over on the west side of the lake and gave ourselves a relaxed evening and a day to explore the town.    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler

    Saddleback Mountain

    July 19, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    After our week journey slowly making our way to the wedding destination, we finally arrived. Being a "camping" wedding over a weekend, Mitch and Kelsey had planned a full itinerary for the weekend. Starting with a hike up to the summit of a nearby mountain on the Friday.

    The past week had been scorching hot with temperatures staying in the mid-high 30's. With the first wildfires of the season just starting we we were fortunate to get clear skies and stunning views up the mountain.

    Despite getting the details wrong about the time and place, we made it in time to meet up with the rest of the hiking group.    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler
    1

    Mount Mackenzie, Revelstoke

    July 23, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    After a great weekend of Wedding Festivities (and the mammoth pack down we all got roped into) we were back in Revelstoke. This was the time Mitch had set aside to show us his “backyard”. With the town surrounded by epic mountains, his list of potential hikes and summits was dizzying.

    Today the smoke had cleared a bit so we opted for an easy hike to the top of the Ski Resort, Mount Mackenzie. The easy part of this was the gondola ride most the way up. From here we followed some neat trails up amongst the various ski runs and tree-line. we made it to the sub peak which was the perfect spot to so up the sun, the view and have some lunch. Overall a nice warm up hike considering what we were about to learn about the next couple hikes Mitch had planned…    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler

    Mt Cartier, Revelstoke

    July 24, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Ok, this hike was epic! In every sense of the word. To put it into context, everyone who heard we did this was impressed. And that's coming from locals from Revelstoke who hike every spare second they have.

    Thankfully the smoke was still cleared out of the valley so we set off just after sunrise for the gruelling 2000m of elevation from the base to the summit. Of the 15km to the summit, the first 12km was through thick forest along a winding path. Making the elevation even harder was an unbearable amount of mosquitos that swarmed around each of us making any stop to catch our breath very short-lived. Eventually we broke out of the treeline into the alpine and found some relief. From here the view opened up to see how far we'd climbed. However the view below us was overshadowed by the summit that still loomed high above us. With our legs burning and knees aching I was already dreading the return leg.

    We reached the summit well in need of some lunch. The view out over the surrounding mountain range was stunning. We had started the hike with one of Mitches mates who had brought his mountain bike planning on pushing it to the summit to ride the epic downhill trail. Having left him well behind us in the first kms of the trail we were convinced the bike would be too hard to drag the whole way. Yet before we had even finished lunch he emerged to join us on the summit! What an effort!

    From here it was the downhill slog. Retracing our steps into the forest the mosquitos became our unwelcome distraction from our legs screaming for a break from the constant impacting descent. Finally we emerged to the carpark having covered 32kms in 11 hours.    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler

    Halcyon and Halfway Hotsprings

    July 25, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Finally ready for a break from hiking, we planned a rest day with Mitch's family. About 1.5 hours down the Columbia River from Revelstoke are a couple of hot springs. We started at the more commercial Halcyon Hotsprings which had a resort spa attached. Perfect for the family, we arrived with Mitch's niece and nephew immediately turning the serene mood into that of a water park.

    After reaching an acceptable level of disruption to the rest of the occupants, we headed off towards our next stop. Halfway Hot Springs are set in the natural environment and have a series of hot water pools formed out of rocks along a crystal clear cold water stream. Perfect recovery for our legs after the past few days.    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler

    Kelowna and Vernon

    Jul 27–28, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    For the last days of Mitch's family's visit we travelled back to Kelowna. We spent the afternoon checking out some wineries and cideries before chilling out for the night.

    After saying our goodbyes the next morning, Deano, Jessie, Rundall and I left to meet up with some of the other "Revy" crew. A float down a river had been organised for Alexes birthday near the town of Vernon.

    We bought some cheap floaties and met up at the launch point. From here we boarded our craft of choice and set off on the drift downstream.

    Like complete losers we had planned another extreme summit hike for the next day with Mitch. After the float we joined the rest of the party crew back to their rented treehouse for dinner before heading back to Revy to prep for the next morning.

    The Treehouse was awesome! A 4 story behemoth of a construction, it came with its own suspension bridge and a suspended trampoline net above the trees. Eventually we dragged ourselves away from the party to drive the 1.5 hours back to Revy. Just in time to catch 4 hours sleep before the biggest summit mission so far!    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler

    Mount Begbie, Revelstoke

    July 28, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    This is the crowning jewel of summits in Revelstoke. Not only the highest peak but also the most impressive of all the mountains surrounding the town. A postcard backdrop with its distinct 3 peaks encasing a glacier that sits at the base of the summits.

    Mitch had warned us that the ascent through the trees from the base was as arduous as Mount Cartier. However, adding to the complexity of this summit was the need to traverse the glacier to a ledge that required scaling around with little more than a foothold above a 10-metre drop-off.

    The hike through the trees to the alpine zone (the treeline) was a slog! Steeper than Mount Cartier, it was straight up for 3 hours. Once we emerged from the forest we caught the first close-up views of how insane this mountain was.

    We rock-hopped our way to the base of the glacier and took a break to set up our ice crampons and harnesses. The glacier traverse was actually the easiest part of all. Probably only taking 30 mins we made it to the rock ledge and started the most technical section. We established a rope system to allow us to belay each other as we each navigated the rock ledge. Once through that, it was back to rock scrambling for another hour to the summit.

    After plenty of false summits, we finally emerged to the summit for an incredible view over the mountains and back to the town.

    From here, you guessed it, it was all downhill from here. Now on a mission to make it down before dark we didn't stop for more than to top up water and grab a quick sip.

    Another 2000m of ascent and 11 hours later we were back to the car. What a blast! Hopefully tomorrow we finally get a chill day!    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler
    1

    Hermit Trail, Glacier National Park

    July 31, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Just for something different, we went for a drive today. And then hiked another trail 😂
    Being the last day Deano is in Revy we drove the 45 minutes up to Glacier National Park. Our legs were pretty done after the past couple mega hikes so Mitch had promised us an "easier" one for today. What we came to realise fairly quickly is that Mitches definition of easy is related to the total time, definitely not the length or elevation profile.

    Not much point complaining though, once we popped out of the tree line and into the alpine the views across the majestic mountains and glaciers made it all worth it.

    We made it to the campground that was settled into an alpine meadow. From there we scaled up another rocky ridge line and came across a Marmot hanging out in the rocks. Surprisingly it didn't seem too shy and posed for a few pics before heading off down the mountain.    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler

    Kaslo Jazz and Blues Festival

    Aug 2–4, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Well this is a much-needed change from the endless hikes we'd done in the past couple weeks. With Deano gone we were keen to grab Mitch's yellow camper van and head off on our own road trip through the Rockies. First stop Kaslo!

    Gilles and Alex had invited us to join a small crew that had tickets to the weekend Jazz fest that was on. Having not realised that Kaslo was 3.5 hours the opposite direction to where I had expected, I bought tickets to the Friday night. Our original plan was to grab the van and head to Jasper but it had been hit by a severe wildfire and been evacuated and was closed off for all residence and tourists. So the opposite direction wasn't that much of an issue any more.

    After the chaos of the past fortnight, between the wedding, the family gatherings and the hikes, the Jazz fest turned out to be everything we needed. Set in a small bay of the lake, the festival was walking distance into the cool arty village of Kaslo and had an awesome chill vibe going on. We arrived to Gillies and Alexs plot to park the van in its spot for the weekend and spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with the crew between the festival and floating around in the lake behind the stage. A well welcome break for the legs and the soul!    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler
    1

    Banff and Icefield Parkway

    August 5, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Our drive up to Banff from Kaslo was uneventful. We drove into a massive rain storm just on dinner time so our roadside cook-up was not quite the picture-perfect experience we had hoped for but it had cleared by the evening.

    The next day we got into Banff around lunchtime. With nothing particular booked in we were mostly dropping through to see the famous tourist hotspot in the summer. The next couple days had rain in the forecast so with the afternoon free we decided to head up Icefield Parkway to hopefully see some wildlife.

    We got up to Peyto Lake for a late afternoon picnic before driving back to Bow Lake. Having not booked anywhere to stay in the National Park we needed to head back to Lake Louise village. Just as we were nearing the entrance to the National Park we came across a traffic jam of cars and campers on the opposite lane. Noticing that everyone was looking across our lane we slowed down as we approached. Then right beside us there was a small black bear foraging in the bushes. What a treat!

    Once back in Lake Louise Village we found some dinner at Bill Peytos Cafe and snuck into the Campground overflow carpark after dark. One clear benefit to having the van rather than a tent.    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler

    Johnsons Canyon

    August 6, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Waking up in Lake Louise put us nice and close to one of the most popular places to visit in Banff National Park. While Johnson’s Canyon is one of many gorges with waterfalls around the area, it has become a key tourist stop. It was forecast rain for the day so we had hoped it would reduce the crowds. We arrived before 8am and made our way up the well formed boardwalk. Thankful to get it without to many people. From the Upper falls a less formed path continued on another 5kms. At the end we found the ink pots, appropriately named after the vibrant blue and green colours that are found in these open water springs.

    Fortunately we made it back to the van before it started raining. From here we drove back into Banff to set up with our laptops for the rest of the day at a cafe. The next day we had planned to drive to Calgary and catch up with Carmela and Luna. So an easy overnight in Banff worked out perfectly.    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler

    Calgary

    Aug 8–9, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    It’s funny how basics things like having a kitchen becomes a luxury when you’ve lived in a van for so long. We booked a 2 bedroom apartment in the north of Calgary so it would be easy for Carmela coming south from Edmonton.

    After they had been evacuated from Jasper 10days before they had been living in emergency accomodation. So some space was appreciated by all of us.

    The next day we had a great catch up with nothing on the schedule. For lunch we hired bikes and rode along the river downtown.    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler

    Lake Louise

    August 9, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    Of all the places to see around Banff, Lake Louise and Lake Moraine are the most popular by far. So much so that they have closed the road into Lake Moraine and only allow shuttle buses in to avoid major traffic issues.

    After 4 days of cold rainy weather, a sunny day finally was showing for the Friday. We drove back to Lake Louise Village from Calgary on Thursday night so we could arrive first thing in the morning. Every tourist guide and blog we read about how to visit Lake Louise recommended catching a shuttle. The chateau at the lakeside has parking but it was reported that it would fill up well before Sunrise each day.

    After looking at tour options we decided they were too expensive and we would try our luck with the parking. One massive advantage we had was that we could arrive super early and then just roll back into bed in the back of the van.

    And that’s exactly how it worked. 4am alarm in the roadside car park. 4:20am arrive to the chateau, snooze set for another 1.5hrs 👌

    As soon as dawn started to break we knew we had scored the best weather. Clear still sky’s meant the view across the lake was picture perfect!

    With the whole day ahead of us we packed our day packs and set off to explore. We followed our first trail around the lake front and up to Lake Agnes via Mirror Lake. From there we upped the ante and scaled the Big Beehive and Devils Thumb feature for views directly back down over the lakes.

    The trail back took us further up the valley to the Plain of the six glaciers before following the creek back down to the lake.

    Unbelievably we had covered 20kms and we’re still back to the van just after lunch time. With the whole afternoon ahead of us, and being so close to the Icefield Parkway, we decided to head back up to hopefully find some more bears.    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler

    Saskatchewan River Crossing

    August 9, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Unbelievably, it was almost the same spot we saw our first bear that the second sighting happened! Just as we entered the Icefield Parkway a small black bear appeared walking along beside the road. Fortunately for us we were the first car to see it so we could easily cruise along next to it to check it out.

    The whole idea for our afternoon was to slowly cruise up the parkway and look for wildlife. The road showed being closed north of Saskatchewan River Crossing due to the wildfires in Jasper. So with the early sighting of the bear we had high hopes.

    Unfortunately that was the last animal we saw. Regardless of that, the scenery was incredible. Stunning mountain ranges and glaciers lined each side of the road that wound north along the valley.

    We made it to Saskatchewan River Crossing and cooked up a roadside dinner before pushing further north to the next campground. It turned out that the road had been opened a little bit further than we expected allowing us to get to Derwent Creek campground.    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler

    Bow Lake and Icefield Parkway (again)

    August 10, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    An early wake-up had us back on the road before sunrise hoping to catch some wildlife. However again we saw nothing. While we should be happy having seen the 2 small black bears, we still held our breath for something else.

    If nothing else, it was a stunning sunny day to cruise back down the Icefield Parkway. We spent the morning walking around Bow Lake and admiring the perfect reflection of the mountains on the still water.

    After accidentally walking most of the way out to Bow Glacier Falls, with Jessie in socks and slides, we made our way back to the Van and drove back to Lake Louise village. A quick resupply of groceries set us up to head for Yoho National Park for our next adventure.    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler

    Iceline Hike and Takakkaw Falls

    August 11, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    With a rest day between our Lake Louise hike, we were actually feeling fresh for once starting this hike. To avoid the crowds that were rumoured to hit the carpark we camped at a roadside nearby. In the morning we drove up to Takakkaw Falls Carpark and made our brekky and packed lunch for the day's adventure.

    The hike is a 20km loop that starts with a vertical ascent for the first 1-2hrs. Once you emerge from the trees into the alpine a large glacier lies across the base of the ridge line. The trail then traverses below the glacier up the valley. We had scored another stunning day so the sun and blue skies made for incredible views of the mountains as well as the lush valley below. Seriously this was one of our favourite hikes so far.

    Eventually the trail brought us down to the stream in the valley where we followed the path through a meadow to an alpine gut. From here the loop turned us back towards the carpark. What the return leg lacked in sweeping views over the valley, it made up for in waterfalls. Every couple of kms we came across another cool waterfall to check out.    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler

    Emerald Lake

    August 11, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    We seemed to be making a habit of finishing our plans for the day by lunchtime. Despite our morning being an epic 24km hike we were back to the van and seeing what else was nearby.

    The nearby town of Field turned out to be literally a one-pub-town, and didn't offer quite what we were looking for. We had been told about Emerald Lake which was just another 15 minute drive away.

    What a score! An unbelievably pretty lake with a little cafe set up on an island along the shore. The perfect spot to kick back and soak up the afternoon sun.    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler

    Wapto Falls and Golden

    August 12, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Our camp for the night was the perfect riverside spot with a not so perfect amount of Mosquitos! We lasted no more than 5 mins outside which was enough to put the drone up for a quick happy snap.

    Thankfully when we woke in the morning the mosquitos were gone and we could enjoy some home cooked French toast 😋

    After brekky we went and checked out the nearby Wapto falls which turned out to be much bigger than we expected.

    We were well overdue on doing some laundry and groceries so it was fortunate the town of Golden had everything we needed. Including a riverfront pub with a mean poutine.

    Somehow we now seemed to have a regular schedule of day on/day off hikes. Sticking to form, we found a great option in Glacier National Park for the next day that conveniently had a campground at the trailhead. Next stop Illecillewaet Campground.    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler

    Abbots Ridge Trail

    August 14, 2024 in Canada ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    We arrived to Illecillewaet Campground and were greeted by warning signs about increased bear activity reported in the area. Would this finally be the wildlife encounter we’d been hoping for?! With the amount of hiking we’d done in the past month we were starting to doubt anything other than chipmunks actually exist.

    The next morning we set off early with eyes and ears peeled eagerly listening for any sound in the undergrowth. By the time we reached the alpine above the trees our hopes of an encounter had faded. The consolation price was definitely the incredible views once again across mountains, valleys and glaciers. Honestly this landscape makes these hikes constantly so engaging!

    The trail traversed along below the summit ridge before looping back up and along the spine to the top. Another great choice of hike. As we finished our pre-packed sandwiches a storm started to build down the valley. By the time we had come down off the ridge, the thunder and lightning had increased. We hunkered down under the awning of the weather station hut allowing the storm to pass. Thankfully it was over within about 15mins and didn’t rain too much, so we were back on the trail soon after.

    Once back to the campground we decided to stay another night. Hoping for one last chance to spot the bears.

    Despite setting up in the forest for the afternoon and even another morning hike the next day, no joy. I guess National Geographic will have to do for my bear encounter for now.    Read more

  • Happy Camper inc.Canada 2024Traveler

    Lake Eva, Miller and Jade

    August 16, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Now back in Revelstoke, Mitch was keen to squeeze in one last adventure with us before we left. Above Mt Revelstoke there are trails that head out across the alpine meadows. For a welcome change we could drive to the summit pleasantly avoiding the extra 1000m ascent to today’s hike.

    The trail linked in 3 stunning lakes that sat amongst the surrounding mountains and meadows. A nice easy 20kms to finish off an incredible month of hikes and adventure. Cheers Mitch!    Read more

  • Trip end
    August 21, 2024
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