The great outdoors continue to beckon – on 07/11 we grabbed our passports, put on our adventure-hats, and headed north to the wondrous land of Canada with a hope and a prayer that the no-reservations campground on our list would have an open site and running water.
Negatory on the running water, but WOO-HOO to finding a site! Â We snagged the very best spot at Cal-Cheak campground near Whistler, right on the river and incredibly private (note to self: #21 on the south loop is where it’s at!).
Shane’s become a master at setting up camp, popping up our tent and stringing up our hammock in a matter of minutes.
We spent the late afternoon settling into our new home and ate an easy dinner of brats while waiting for the Rust clan to arrive.
Though there was no running drinkable water on-site, rushing water was in abundance, as we were right at the nexus of two roaring rivers. Â We spent a lot of time down here, skipping rocks and throwing sticks and rinsing our dusty feet.
The Rusts rolled up in the evening and we all hung out for a bit before turning in around 9:00. Â Jules insisted on donning her headlamp on our pre-bedtime trip to the potty, just in case it turned dark during the 2-minute walk back to our tent.
We woke up around 7:30 most days but lingered in the tent until well after 8:00, reading and snuggling and playing until the urge to pee drove us from our sleeping bags.
Shane and Jason headed out for a morning run and allowed the boys to gallop across the suspension bridge with them before they were sent back to chill with the moms.
The Rusts went south around lunchtime to check out the kite-boarding scene while Shane, Jules, and I headed north to Whistler to grab groceries and to see if Alta Lake was as good as we’d heard. Â Answer: Â a resounding YES.
This place was amazing, with a wide-open lawn, stunning mountain views, and clear, shallow waters. Â We’ve seen a lot of lakes over the past few years, but this one might be my all-time favorite.
I got out for a spin on the SUP and as the winds pushed me north, I found an opening in a patch of reeds and discovered a lovely little channel, filled with lily pads and pond lilies.
The against-the-wind row back to Shane and Juliette was a little dicey, and there was a period of a few minutes where I felt like I was paddling my heart out and going nowhere, but eventually I made it to the shore where all was serene.
Juliette was thrilled to discover little tadpoles circling her feet and was over the moon when a little girl offered to share her net – in just a few minutes, these two had accumulated a bucket full of fish! Â Her grandpas would have been so proud.
Wind isn’t ideal for paddle-boarding, but it’s dang good for kite-flying!
Shane got out for his own excursion while Juliette and I read books and played tag.
And then it was her turn!
This was the perfect place for Juliette to test her balance, as the water at the shore was only knee-deep and somewhat protected from the breeze. Â Girl’s got skills!
Adios, Alta!
The evening was reserved for a leisurely campstove dinner and assorted campsite shenanigans. Â All of the kids are currently very into watching their dads play Zelda on Nintendo and spent much of the week pretending they were forest warriors. Â Juliette whacked the heck out of this tree monster!
And finally, s’mores, made with mallows roasted over the campstove and eaten in the hammock due to an unfortunate burn ban.
I missed gathering around a fire in the evenings, but Juliette didn’t seem to be the least bit bummed.
Pre-bedtime yoga session…
And then bedtime stories (aka Zelda tips and tricks) by Shane. Â Wednesday was a wrap. Â And we were just getting started!
