Camping/Canoeing Trip 2010
This last weekend, Jose and I turned our city slicker Rav4 into a true SUV. I now feel fully justified driving a larger vehicle! Friends of ours had invited us a few weeks ago to come along on a canoe trip and we figured, why not? So Friday found us strapping a bright red canoe to the top of our Rav. We’re such rookies, I even had to go out and buy ratchet ties so we could do so! Our destination was Tolman Bridge campground, north of Drumheller, and the trip went smoothly for the most part. It was quite windy for the first hour or so on the way there, and one of the ties slipped a little but nothing major. The canoe stayed on top of the vehicle, and we found our way to the campsite without issue.
As soon as we arrived, we began setting up our camp. It was nearly 9:00pm, so we didn’t want to waste any daylight. I was extremely excited to see my friend Mabyn again. It had been about four years since I’d last seen her, and we’d each had a child in that time! We visited for a little while, but it got late quickly with all of the camp preparations and we had a busy day ahead so we saved most of our catching up for later.
Saturday was Canoe Trip Day. Everybody got moving relatively slowly. Our kids were the oldest so we were the first ones ready for a change! The canoe trip was going to start in Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park, so we had to drive from the campground to get there. We stopped for a view of Dry Island before going down into the valley to the canoe launch. It was lunchtime when we arrived at the launch, so our group parked on a patch of shady grass and pulled out food. It’s such a neat area in those hills that we went for an exploratory hike before hitting the water. James led the way and with ten adults and three other kids following along, he took us on quite the tour! I now believe that he’s part mountain goat: that kid can climb! And I’m out of shape, so I was huffing and puffing pretty quickly.
Getting the canoes off the vehicles, loaded, and everyone ready to go in them took some time. We were finally off and in the water though and on our way down the Red Deer River. I admit to being apprehensive, as I’m not much of a water person. I overheard Mabyn telling her husband Brad to keep the canoe straight on or it would tip. That freaked me out a little, as the last thing I wanted was to be dumped into the river with two small children! We didn’t dump though and once Jose and I figured out our rhythm (and I stopped snapping at him), we got along swimmingly! It was a perfect day: the weather was beautiful, the water was gentle and we had a break from the relentless mosquitoes that inhabited the campground. Julia whined about her life jacket being too tight because she was tired but once she got her little fingers trailing along in the water, she seemed to forget about it. The kids took turns using a paddle that Jess and Ryan got for Baby Ada. Ada is still too little for it, so they brought it for James and Julia. That was a big hit! So was stopping for a bit of a swim. Well, the other grownups swam, the Samayoas just waded and James and Julia played in the mud. James says “it was squishy and deep.” The entire day was a great experience. Jose may disagree, as I get annoying when I’m stressed, and like I said, I was stressed at the beginning about the canoe tipping over! However, the kids had a wonderful time, and really that’s my main goal: to build good memories and experiences for them. Let me tell you, it didn’t take long for them to fall asleep that night! I lay in the tent with them for awhile so they wouldn’t fool around. James was the first to go, and once there was no one to talk to, Julia was not far behind.
Both nights in the tent went really well. It rained both times but other than a little damp at the edges, we stayed dry. I didn’t sleep very well out of concern for the kids. I kept checking them to see if they were dry. James especially since he was at the edge. But they slept through, even when it was thundering the second night! And they were the last ones to get up each morning too! Can’t ask for better.
Sunday’s plan was to hike around the campground which was precisely what we did! We went up hill and down dale and got a great workout in some incredible landscape. Once again, James amazed me with his mountain goat abilities, and even Julia did extremely well. She rode on Jose’s shoulders some, but she walked as much as she could. If James is a mountain goat, Julia is a little monkey. At one point we were going down a very steep hill, and Jose put her up on his shoulders for it. He needed both hands to get down, so she just clung to his head and neck with arms and legs. She didn’t so much as slip and she did it without strangling Jose!
After the hike, the kids played at a playground for awhile then it was time for lunch and packing up. The weekend went by all too quickly. There was discussion about making this a yearly event; an idea I’m all for. It takes a lot of work to get ready for such a trip, but it was definitely worth it!
To see pictures of our adventures, go to our Flickr site:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/acidocitrico/sets/72157624533202794/