A Hike To Finish Off The Weekend
We came to Squamish at the invitation of some of Mrs. Perils’ climbing friends, who have a house there. When we said we were going up early, they graciously gave us the keys and allowed us to bunk out there. It’s a nice little crib, with DSL to boot. I presumed that we’d be there with the other couple and their 14-year-old son. As we gleaned more fragments of information, however, it turned out that other members of their climbing crowd were coming up, and by late Friday night there were 15 people preparing to bunk down in the house. And sharing one bathroom.
I was prepared for the worst summer camp experience since Boy Scouts, but I was amazed at how courteous and convivial everyone was. We had a great time. Our hostess was a dervish in the kitchen, providing a loaves-and-fish magic act. We feasted on a cornucopia of pancakes, eggs and waffles for breakfast; fish, chicken, grilled veggies and fresh mojito pie (yes, made with rum and mint) for dinner; all lubricated by mango margaritas from our host, who was quickly dubbed The Tequila Fairy because he wandered the room with a bottle of Tres Generaciones freshening everyone’s drinks just at the right moment.
On Sunday, our hosts drove Mrs. Perils and me into the Garibaldi Provincial Park for a hike on the Elfin Lakes trail. Despite some areas of pesky flies, it was a sweet hike that revealed some terrific panoramic views as we gained elevation. Due to time constraints, we had to turn back after 6 km, which at the current exchange rate was 3.6 miles, but here’s a bit of what we saw:
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Mt. Garibaldi
The drive home was another slog, with an accident on Hwy 99 stopping us dead for at least half an hour, and over an hour’s wait at the border just to have the following dialogue with the U.S. border guard (after a glance at our passports):
BG: How long you been in Canada?
Us: Since Thursday morning.
BG: Ya bringin’ anything back besides memories?
Us: Nope.
BG: Get going, then.
We could have accomplished that with a text message anywhere along the way, but it’s true that we’re quite compelling in person. We were in great spirits, however, augmented by the quad espresso I’d purchased in Squamish, and none of that really bothered me. I have a feeling we’ll make the trek again before the summer’s gone.
