Our Adventures

We are back from our first big adventure of the summer. We left last Saturday for Blue River so we wouldn't have a long drive to the lake the morning of the trip. We met up the Sheas in Kamloops at both Mcdonalds and the Shell station and then met up again once we all got to our hotel in Blue River. Since we had some time before supper we headed to Eleanor Lake which was a nice little lake in Blue River that had a few docks and even a little waterside. After that we had some fine dining at the Husky truck stop and then headed to bed early.

Day 1

Once we found it, we drove up a 25km logging road that got us to the portage entrance for Murtle Lake. We got all our stuff loaded up and headed down the trail to the lake. The sun was shining and the lake was completely calm. We paddled through the lagoon and then had our lunch break at the first beach in the actual lake. The kids started fishing as soon as they could and we enjoyed dipping our feet in the refreshingly cold water. After that little pit stop we paddled on to Strait Creek. We saw some great reflections of the mountains in the water and some loons along the way. Strait Creek had a huge beach for us to set up all our tents in a row and we made sure to create some shade for them with our tarps because it was hot! After getting camp set up we all went for a dip and the men made sure to sink their beer in a bag with rocks to cool off (as would be routine at every campsite we had).  We also set up a huge tarp that came in handy for a shady cooking area on the beach. After supper some people went swimming again, some went out trolling for fish and some just enjoyed the sunset. It was a great start to the trip.

Day 2

Our plan for this day originally was to have everyone hike up the Wavy Ridge trail and camp there for the night. But because of the sweltering heat and not knowing what the trail was like or if there was water up there, just Jason, Gerad, Chris and I went for a day hike. We were given a saw by the ranger on our first day because we had told him we were planning on going up there so he said to cut down any fallen trees that we could. It was good for me to have some breaks along this steep trail as the guys sawed away at logs. It took us about 3.5 hours to get to the ridge and from there we saw that it would've been a great spot to camp. Next time. We had some great views of the alpine around us and next time we will go further to find the alpine lakes that were about another 45 minutes. We made it back to camp and the first thing we did was pump water and drank about 1l each. This is where Chris decided to stand in the creek with his phone in his pocket. He got it into a bag of rice pretty quick but it's safe to say that his phone is dead now. We cooked our suppers near the creek at a spot another family had the night before and as we were finishing up we welcomed a group of kayakers that we knew from Chilliwack. Once supper was all cleaned up the boys floated down the creek to cool off. We then had one of our few campfires of the trip and roasted marshmallows.

Day 3

This morning was very buggy so we were ready to pack up camp and head somewhere else. We paddled up the North arm and found our own little private beach at Wavy View. Just across the lake from us was a view of the ridge we had hiked. It was a little squishier at this site but Jason and Wendy set up their tent on the beach and it worked out great. This beach was great because the mountain behind us created shade by 3pm and so it was a perfect temperature. Jason almost caught a big fish this day but it slipped away from him as he was trying o get it into his boat. We enjoyed watching a pair of loons that kept swimming by our beach. We played a lot of "I'm going camping and I'm bringing..." around supper time. We knew a fire ban was happening the next day so we took advantage of it and roasted as many marshmallows as we could this night. A few of us enjoyed the fire until it died down and as we were going to bed watched the orange moon rise over the mountains.

Day 4

Another day at Wavy View. The smoke from surrounding forest fires was coming in stronger today and we were starting to have a clouded view of the mountains across the lake from us. I started the day off with making a little sandcastle village with some of the kids. Jason and Jasper went out fishing and caught two little fish. So they got some experience at gutting and cooking the fish over the fire before the ban started at noon. It was actually quite tasty. There were many dips in the lake this day and we figured out a good system of sitting on our life jackets in the deep water to keep afloat. We had some entertainment too as Katrina and Gerad started the gunnel bobbing fun. There were some balance competitions but mostly just using the canoe as a diving board. In the evening the smoke was so thick we could barely make out the mountains. The kids decided to start digging huge holes in the beach to make a trap for whoever came next (don't worry we filled it in). Before bed the men and the boys jumped in the lake for bath time, the boys thought it was pretty funny.

Day 5

We said goodbye to Wavy View this day, took a group photo and made our way towards the West arm. We hit our first winds on this day as we paddled up to our last site. It made for some excitement as the waves almost went over the sides of the canoe.  We made it to Birch Beach or as we later named it "Leech Beach". We found some big leeches on this beach that Jasper liked to pick up with a stick and show everyone of course. It was a great site with a nice fire pit that we couldn't use because of the ban but that Gerad made into a good kitchen table for his crew. After setting up our tents in our own little private areas the kids went nuts digging in the sand building an imaginary Star Wars Tatooine city. I hung out in a perfect spot in my hammock just above them digging in the sand and got Amelie to make sure I was always rocking. The wind kept up all day so the kids tried out some body surfing and then really enjoyed flying their towels in the wind like kites. We all had supper in our best kitchens yet with many stumps to choose from for tables. After supper we enjoyed some pudding together which has become a last night tradition. The adults enjoyed some beach time when the kids were all in bed. Chris and I went for a sunset paddle once the wind died down and checked out Leo Island which is where we initially were planning to camp. We met up with the other Chilliwack group there who were the only ones on the island. It would've been a great spot to camp, guess we'll just have to go there next time. Before going to sleep Chris and I played scrabble on my iPad in the tent and I waited for the perfect moment to get a night shot of our tent by the beach.

Day 6

Our last day was the first day with clouds and drizzle more than once during the day. We left just in time, the crowds were coming in as we were going out and the weather was changing. Before leaving our site we all signed a canoe paddle that Gerad had carved and added it to the carving tree that was there. We paddled pretty good and only took 3 hours to get back to the dock. We played some charades along the way and took a few breaks in our canoes before we got there. Once we got to the dock there were about 6 other canoe groups heading onto the lake so we were glad we were leaving. We got our gear all loaded up and made the trek up the bug infested trail back to our cars. It was mostly uphill this way but it seemed shorter than the first time so that was good. Once we made it to the top there were high fives all around and the men cracked a few beers they had left in their trucks. Amelie was super happy because we found her stuffed moose that she thought she had lost. We took one last picture at the provincial park sign and then headed down the gravel road to Blue River. We all went to Eleanor Lake to swim but by the time we got there it was cold and rainy so Jason and Wendy said goodbye from there and headed to Clearwater but Gerad and Chris went for a quick dip. We were planning on getting back for our baseball games that night but we realized we wouldn't be able to so we took our time. We got some A&W in Clearwater and then headed home with a few signs of forest fires but nothing that bad. Supposedly the next day when Jason and Wendy drove back the Coquihalla Highway was closed because of smoke. We had a great trip, a place we will definitely go to again!

Murtle Lake Canoe Trip
When we got back, the next two days we had our final two pitch softball tournament. We ended up winning all of our games and tying one game. We won the championship game, something we have not been able to do the last couple years. I think we lost by one last year. It was great to actually win it all this year. After the games on Sunday we headed to Jeremy and Jenn's for a BBQ together and we all got a baseball for our awards of the season. Chris' was the golden glove award and mine was the Ford Focus award because I always say all the plays in the field. It was a great season!

Two Pitch Tournament
These next couple days we are getting little things done around the house and then packing up to head to Inevermere to see Chris' family. We plan on stopping in Yoho National Park on the way and camping/hiking there a bit. We're looking forward to seeing everyone and heading out to the farm after. Let another adventure begin!

Summer has officially begun and we have lots of fun things planned. At the end of spring we did a lot of stuff too so I wanted to get that blogged before we go off on our summer adventures.

One weekend in May, Jason and Wendy offered their Whistler condo to us for the weekend. So we headed up there with Paul and Jamie and the twins. The twins didn't have such a good night sleeping (making Paul and Jamie not have such a good night either) but we were able to have some fun the next day. The boys went snowboarding and us girls and the babies relaxed in the condo and then went to walk in the village for a bit. Paul and Jamie left that afternoon and then Chris and I stayed one more night, enjoying a walk at creekside in the sun and some perogies and sausage for supper. We finally got the last touches done on our ensuite (after 4 months) and are happy with the final result (except that I still don't have shelves for my linen closet). We won't be going with a contractor again for our other bathroom, hopefully just getting people that are specialized in one area will work a little better for getting the job done quickly. A few weeks ago we gutted that bathroom ourselves so that should save us some money in the end. The long weekend in May we headed down to the states for a night to do some shopping. My cousin, Jan, from Denmark just happened to be on a business trip in Seattle so we were able to work it out and go see him for a few hours. It was kind of surreal walking around Seattle with my cousin who the last time we saw him was 5 years ago in Denmark. It was great catching up, seeing some sights and having a beer with him. We always just continue on from where we left off no matter how long it's been in between visits. We're hoping him and his family will come visit next summer.

In May we started the beginnings of what turned into a full fledge strike. First it was just limiting communication with administrators and then the government decided to lock us out of school before and after and during recess and lunch and also took 10% off our wages. So during every break we had to leave as quickly as we could and go eat outside or in our cars. It was ridiculous and definitely did not help the students who usually would be working to catch up and get help during those times. Then in beginning of June we went on rotating strikes so one day a week different districts in the province would strike. This didn't seem to make any impact so very abruptly and chaotically we were told that it was the last day of school on Thursday, June 12th. Because our rotating strike day was a Friday that week we didn't have a day to think about it, we had to get our classrooms all cleaned and packed up and all the kids stuff sent home that day. It was madness finding out that day was our last and it really felt like something was taken from us not being able to have a proper goodbye to our students. The last two weeks of June were spent striking on 3.5-4 hour shifts each day but with no pay. Some days we made the best of it and played games, one day Chris' staff had their year end breakfast in the parking lot but most days it was quite boring. Especially at my school where no one sees you unless they purposely drive down the road to the school. It seems like most people that drove by were supportive of us but the strike didn't seem to make a difference to the decision makers of it all. Anyways, things are still not settled, summer school has been cancelled and it will most likely go into September. I'm just hoping that losing two pay checks will be worth it in the end and we won't just be dictated what to do by the government but will actually have some say in how education needs to change. Enough about that.

Besides striking we've had some chances to do fun things in between. We've soaked up the great weather and gone for lots of bike rides. We mostly go by the river but I did try some downhill one time and didn't like it very much not knowing what was around the next corner. Chris went for a hike with some guys in the states but ended up in a lot of snow. He also took Cory up the classic Chilliwack hike of Elk mountain for the first time. At the beginning of June we went to Whistler for a night and Chris ran the half marathon the next day. He came in a minute slower than last year but still did pretty good overall. We had some friends up there that were also running it so we were able to hang out after and have some lunch before heading home. Another weekend we were able to go into Vancouver to our friend Jen's house one night for a homemade pizza party. We all crammed in the tiny backyard soaking up the sun, playing with babies and eating delicious food. A few weekends ago we took the canoe out to Hicks Lake and enjoyed some ice cream at Harrison Lake afterwards. Chris has tried out some new activities this month like real rock climbing on the Chief in Squamish and downhill mountain biking at Vedder Mountain. Not like he needs more hobbies. We did a big hike last weekend up to Mt. Slesse. We tried to go where there is a airplane propellor from a crash years ago but there was still a lot of snow so it was probably buried. While we were looking at the mountain we heard a huge CRACK! and saw a piece of ice/snow fall off the ledge of the mountain. At first I thought we should run but then realized how high up the avalanche was. It was pretty cool to see...from a distance.

On Canada Day it was scorching hot and we joined some friends of friends for a baseball game which was probably not the best choice for how hot it was outside. After playing for a few hours the game sort of just fizzled so we went to shower and get changed and then went to a bbq with a bunch of people we didn't know. We knew a few people so we just stuck by them, played some bocce ball, played with the twins, ate some food and went home when not many people we knew were left. This last Monday we went to Chilliwack Lake for a night with Ryan, Cheryl and Rayna. It was very quiet and not as busy as we thought it would be. We got a great site, set up all our stuff and then Chris and I took Molly for a bike ride along the lake while the Rosteks went down to the beach. After relaxing for a bit at our site we went back down to the beach before supper. We roasted some wieners and had some delicious s'mores with reese's peanut butter bars for the chocolate. We played some games and then wrapped the day up with a relaxing time by the fire. Other than having to chase away a raccoon from some snacks that were left in the Rostek's beach bag it was a a good night. The next day we had a full breakfast with blueberry pancakes, bacon and eggs. It was a good little trip, we'll have to do two nights next time. Yesterday we were given a not so nice surprise of our hot water tank leaking. Luckily, we got a plumber in right away and got a new tank within the day. Not an expense we were expecting, hopefully there won't be any more surprises like that in the near future. We've been packing up all our food and gear for our next canoe trip. We leave tomorrow and will be spending 5 nights on Murtle Lake, which is the largest non-motorzied lake in North America. It is supposed to be super hot out so it should be great, looking forward to swimming in the lake and seeing some great views. After that we're home for a week and then we head out to Invermere to meet up with Chris' family and then out to the farm. Let the good times begin!