It's GO time!

Hello Everyone!

Well....we made it!  It is finally here.  We are a day away from our adventure of a lifetime!  It still doesn't feel real.  I don't think it will until we board that plane, fasten our seatbelts, and take off.  Everyone is really excited, if not a bit nervous, and anxious to get this trip rolling.  You can follow our adventure at "full of adventure", a blog that has been set up specifically for this trip. We plan to update the new blog as often as we can.  Also, keep an eye on Instagram (click on the button on the right hand side of either blog) to stay up to date on where we are!  So, for the next three months, you will find us over in our new space.  Please click on the link above, or click on the "full of adventure" button (the one with the airplane) on the right hand side of this blog.
We look forward to what this adventure will bring, the stories that will be written, and most importantly the memories that will be made.  It truly is an adventure of a lifetime!

Yoho National Park & Banff National Park

On our way home from MacDonald Creek, we decided to spend a few days in the Lake Louise area to take advantage of some hiking and paddling that has been on our bucket list.  We stayed in the Lake Louise Campground (trailer section) and although it is not perfect, it provides a great base for exploring the area.

Our first destination was Emerald Lake, which is located in Yoho National Park - another park that is on my favourite list! The lake is exactly that - an emerald green, and beautiful!  We launched the kayaks from the shore and spent a good few hours paddling around.  It was extremely cool to paddle on this lake and the kids got a great first hand experience of the glacial lake from an entirely different perspective.

The great thing about this lake, is that there is a trail that winds around the shoreline the entire way - which meant that whomever wasn't paddling, could hike!

We played tourist, and hit a few of the stops we hadn't visited in sometime.  Takakawa Falls included!  I have always enjoyed this waterfall, and given that it was really hot out, the mist provided a crisp cool down!

On our final full day, we were up early and on the trail up into the Larch Valley.  The last time I was in these parts, was when we (Kylie and Lindsay included) climbed Mount Temple almost nine years ago to the day! Just staring up at this mountain made my knees quiver!  I honestly couldn't believe that we had all made it to the top of this well over eleven thousand foot peak.
I had wanted to get the kids up here for sometime, and the hike did not disappoint.  After some really good switchbacks that got us warmed up, we emerged into the Larch Valley and were quickly surrounded by the Valley of the Ten Peaks.  This is what I wanted the kids to see!  Being completely surrounded by mountain peaks, each towering well over ten thousand feet!

This shot (below) is my most favourite picture by far, and will definitely be making it into a frame shortly!

After a great morning hike, we ventured down to the lakeshore of Moraine Lake.  This is another glacial lake, that is more of a turquoise colour.  We once again put the kayaks in, and enjoyed another fabulous paddle.  It is always remarkable to get a different perspective of the surroundings from the water, instead of always seeing the lake from the shore or hiking the trails.

The water was perfect!

See those two little specks in the water?  That is Maelle and I!  The shot was taken by Brent from a quick little trail up a rock pile located near the start of the lake.

Well....that wraps up this summer of camping!  We had a bit of a shorter camping season this year, as we now head into prepping for our big adventure that is less than two weeks away!  Yikes!  I can't believe we are this close!

Macdonald Creek

The first leg of our final camping trip this summer, had us heading back into British Columbia to the quaint and fantastic town of Nukusp, and nearby Macdonald Creek Provincial Park.  We were very fortunate to have Grandpa Snider along for the first half of the trip, as well as being joined by Auntie Hope and Uncle Colin.   Grandpa Snider taught Aidan first hand how to fish, and although he didn't catch one (this time anyways!), he learned the basics from a pro!

Aidan learned that it takes patience to catch a fish, and it isn't as easy as it looks!  But,  it proved to be a great activity for Aidan to go off on his own and practice while being surrounded by beautiful scenery.

The town of Nukusp, which is about 10 minutes from the park, has once again won our hearts.  It is such a fun little town that is so full of community spirit, and very friendly folks.  We headed into town for a picnic in the park, and to also enjoy a Kids Night which was full of fun games, songs, and contests.  One of which included a dance off, which our gang proudly won!  Yes, we won a dance off in Nakusp!  How many people can say they have done that?!

Thanks to having an abundance of extra adults around, Brent and I decided on a morning paddle from the town of Nakusp back to the campground.  The paddle was approximately 14km and the water was like glass!  This truly is one of the most beautiful and quiet places that we have seen thus far in BC.

The sunsets were gorgeous!  And thanks to a beachfront campsite, we were able to spend quite a few evenings on the beach enjoying dinner, and watching the sun go down.

One of the things we decided to do was to rent a paddle board....something we hadn't tried yet.  We were able to rent one for a few days, and everyone had a blast testing out this new piece of equipment.  I think Aidan liked it most, but we all managed to do it and only one person fell in!

Even Bree and Jenna could manage the board and still remain standing!

As a family, we all managed a paddle across the lake to enjoy some pure sand and deep cove swimming.  Aidan paddle boarded the entire way there and back, while we spotted him in the kayaks.

We spent a great deal of time at the beach due to its "backyard" like proximity, and the hot temperatures. We met some great campsite friends and enjoyed time with family, while paying a few visits to the town of Nakusp, and also the nearby hot springs.  I love this area.  It's quiet, it's friendly, and above all else, it is absolutely beautiful!

There is already talk about returning here again next summer!