#45 Bear Strong Surprise

Hey there,

Since I experience so much here (as you can probably tell from the over 100 pictures 😅), I also have a lot to write about. So here's a little overview in advance, so you know where you can take a break:

- Lillooet

o Farewell

- Pemberton

o Nairn Falls

o Joffre Lakes Provincial Park

o Pemberton

- Whistler

o Brandywine Falls Provincial Park

o Train Wreck

o Garibaldi Provincial Park - Cheakasmus Lake

o Monday

o Garibaldi Provincial Park - Garibaldi Lake

o Joffre Lakes Provincial Park - Glacier

o Culture

Lillooet

Farewell

On Sunday, the three of us started our last day together with breakfast. Then we went to Selton Lake, which is right on the other side and therefore just a stone's throw away, even by German standards. The water was incredibly clear again, and the Indian couple even dared to go into the water. In the afternoon, I took another walk and in the distance, I could see my first mountain goats. In the evening, we had dinner together for the last time, and this time we invited the campsite manager. She lives and works at the campground for 4 days and then has four days off. She even baked fresh bread, and I finally contributed something, my camping stove, as it is larger than the Indian couple's. 😅 The campsite manager showed us videos and photos of the bear that had to be shot the previous week. In the recordings, he was still alive, and it is just so sad to know that this animal had to be shot due to human error. In Lillooet, there is a cougar that occasionally roams the streets, I found that really fascinating.

On Monday, it was time to say goodbye. As a final act, there was a small magic trick that is perfect for couples (each sign a card separately and in the end they merge into one and they can keep it) and then it was goodbye and see you later, before we met again three minutes later at the WiFi 😂 Off to Pemberton we went. It was incredibly hot that day, and since you are not allowed to drive too fast here in the mountains, I could leave the window open.

Pemberton

Nairn Falls

After 1 ½ hours, I reached my new "campsite". It's not an official place, and I think it's a bit of a grey area, but there was never anyone here to warn me. 😅 All seven possible spots were still available, so I decided to drive back towards Pemberton, as the Indian couple had recommended the Nairn Falls. When I arrived there, I was overwhelmed by the power of the water. Maybe you have already seen such a waterfall before, but it was my first time, and the noise was incredible. It's amazing to see the energy that is in this element. After I had planned this little hike, I continued to One Mile Lake, but there I just took a short walk, as the lake was quite small and "normal". Then I found free WiFi in Pemberton, planned the next day, and went back to the campsite. There, I had to unfortunately realize that the most popular spot down by the river was now occupied. However, I have to say that I really started to love my spot, so it's all good. 😁 I did notice, though, that I had gotten a massive sunburn on my upper arm, just from the 1 ½ hour drive from Lillooet here. I definitely need to put on sunscreen before car rides. 😂

Joffre Lakes Provincial Park - Joffre Lakes

On Tuesday, I went to the first destination. The Joffre Lakes National Park, opened in 1988. This tourist hotspot consists of three mountain lakes: the Lower Lake, the Middle Lake, and the Upper Lake (1564 m). What is special about these lakes is their turquoise-blue color. This is due to the silt that is found in the glacier. Over time, this silt from the Ice Age is ground down extremely fine by the flowing meltwater. The reflection of the sun then creates this color. Sad fact: just 100 years ago, the Upper Lake was covered by the Mairs Glacier. Within this short time, the glacier has receded significantly. This really highlights the accelerated global warming.

So off I went with all my gear. I'll try to keep it short (😅). The color is breathtaking. I mean, how can water have such a beautiful color? The problem, unfortunately, was the weather (or lack thereof). It has been cloudy all week, occasionally the sun comes out for 20 minutes here and there, but that's it. Without the sun, the color of the water doesn't really come out, but it was really beautiful nonetheless. Equally beautiful was the moment I saw a glacier for the first time in my life.⛰️ I once again didn't inform myself much about the national park (just knew: very popular, beautiful water), so I was really surprised. 😁 I first caught a glimpse of it when I looked up while hiking and it fit perfectly between two trees. There I stood, quite impressed, and sometimes I talk to myself out loud and say how beautiful it is. In Tatla Lake, I was always alone in those moments, whereas here there are many people. 😂 But it was really beautiful, and for some reason, the soundtrack from the Game of Thrones White Walkers immediately came to mind, and I continued on with this music playing in the background. Unfortunately, the rain kept getting heavier and heavier, so even with an umbrella, I was very, very wet. The funny thing was a situation with a young man. He came up to me and said in English, "Twenty minutes later, and completely different weather." We had been walking together most of the time, as we both arrived early in the morning at the parking lot, and so I knew they were a German couple, but I didn't feel like talking to them. 😁 The man approached me and said that sentence, and I was like, "Oh man, it's crazy how you can hear the German accent so clearly." I always wonder what my English sounds like (except that it's still very faulty 😅), and during my subsequent hike, I knew that I must also have a distinct accent. I asked an Indian family if I should take a photo of them so they don't have to take a selfie, and afterwards the man asked me if I was from the Netherlands because of my accent. Close, but still crazy how clear it is.

But back to this national park and my wet clothes. They are a little problem because I have no place here to hang up my things to dry, and if I spread my things out in the car, it becomes damp and musty in here, and I would like to avoid that. That's a disadvantage of living completely in a small car, so I just hoped it wouldn't rain too much at night and that my clothes could dry outside.

Pemberton

On Wednesday, I went straight to Pemberton for the grand finale, to explore the town/village in more detail. In 2010, Pemberton experienced the longest landslide in Canadian history and one of the longest in the world since World War II. Approximately 48,500,000 m³ of debris raced down the slope at a speed of 230 km/h for about 13 kilometers. Two bridges and about six kilometers of road were destroyed, and of course, the farmland was also affected. I took what felt like an endless walk around Pemberton, and I was really surprised to see so much bear scat everywhere. On this walk, which fortunately took place mostly in the sun, I think I also saw a Golden-crowned Kinglet. This bird is on my "I want to see you" list because it is completely yellow. Unfortunately, I didn't get any good photos. 😅 In Pemberton, I discovered a "Give and Take Library," which was a small shop window where people can leave or take books. I managed to get an English and a German book into my car. I also have the National Geographic magazines, but they are really difficult for me to read, so now I have a little variety with the English and German novels. There was definitely still a small, really nice shop where I also spent some time, and then I went to a kind of supermarket, where I finally found it: a mosquito net! 🙌😁 With a few small items, I left Pemberton.

Whistler

Thursday morning, instead of turning right, it was time to turn left for the first time towards Whistler. The still fairly young town of Whistler was a venue for the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Here, you can find the largest ski resort in North America, the fastest bobsleigh track, and also the longest gondola in North America at 4.4 kilometers. Furthermore, I noticed that in the summer, Whistler is an absolute hotspot for mountain bikers. With all these mentioned attractions, Whistler is a major tourist attraction, and you can tell from the very first second. On Thursday, I wanted to explore the town, find public WiFi spots, and see a lake. I have always wondered where the people who work there live. Because Whistler seems to consist only of hotels and shops, and it is aimed at very wealthy people. Even the houses I discovered looked abnormally expensive, and I wonder where the people who don't have such a high standard of living live (e.g. cleaning staff or bus drivers). That is really something that struck me here, this blatant display of wealth. Nevertheless, the town, even though I still don't fully understand the layout, is very beautiful. Canada definitely knows how to build houses. They are almost all very impressive looking. I then made my way to a lake, but I had forgotten to change my shoes, and after the first lake, I had to turn back with my flip flops because it was getting difficult. 😁 Then I visited an art gallery that exhibits local artists and fortunately was free. 😅 But I really don't understand some of the art. Nothing against people who absolutely love these monochrome pieces or can interpret something there, but for me, it's nothing. I prefer pictures that are easier to interpret. 😅

Brandywine Falls Provincial Park

Friday it was time for the next national park. This one is also a very popular spot for tourists because of the impressive Brandywine Falls, which drops 70 meters. At first, I decided to do another hike, but I didn't really understand the trail. At some point, it just ended, and there was no information sign, so I had to turn back. But during this hike, I was able to observe a very large and beautiful pileated woodpecker. Then I went to see the waterfall. It's impressive how the water has carved such a path over millions of years. This area was formed by a former volcano, and because of the different hard and soft sediment layers, the "valley" continues to grow. The hike continued behind the waterfall. There were two more bridges to see, but here, too, the lack of information signs eventually led to the end of the trail. At the bungee jumping bridge, there was no indication of where to go next. But that wasn't a problem because, for various reasons, I was really exhausted, so I turned back.

Train Wreck

Saturday was about checking off two attractions at once. First, I went to the Train Wreck. This tourist attraction was created in 1956 by a partially derailed train because it was traveling too fast and was heavily loaded. At that time, the easiest solution was to use a crane to bring the demolished cars down the hill. Then it was supposed to go to a bridge, which is also supposed to be very popular.

The different train cars that have been painted by different people over the years were briefly nice to look at, but I wasn't really a fan. Interestingly, German stickers can also be found here. 😅 After visiting the different cars, it was time to go to the bridge. At some point, I thought, "Wow, this is a really long walk," and finally, I reached the bridge, which was a bit disappointing. Maybe it was because I had googled the wrong bridge on Google Maps in the morning. 😂 So, I walked all those kilometers back. At some point, I had answered all the messages, and I was walking absentmindedly through the forest. At the beginning, I was already thinking about what I would do if I encountered a bear since I had forgotten my bear spray. To avoid such an encounter, I constantly rang the bear bell, sang, and listened to rock music. According to the kilometer display, it was only two more kilometers to the Train Wreck, and I was really relieved because once again, I was very exhausted and tired. My tiredness suddenly disappeared when I walked along a bush, and suddenly a black bear appeared right next to my car. 🐻 Oh man! I have to say, I really functioned well in this situation. First, I had to remain calm. I put away my bear bell right away because sudden noises could startle the bear, and there were a maximum of five meters between us. I then took some distance (actually 100 meters, but I first wanted to take some photos 😁), and then I had to make some noise. My biggest fear was that the bear wasn't alone. He seemed quite small, so I was worried that the mother bear would come out any moment. Otherwise, everything was quite relaxed (as relaxed as it can be when encountering a bear), because the bear didn't pay any attention to me and just wanted to eat in peace. He was a bit annoyed, so he wanted to walk away. The problem was that he was walking along the side of the path, and just when I thought he was gone, he suddenly appeared again from the bushes. It was fascinating how relaxed this bear was (I was very grateful 🐻😁🙌). Eventually, he went deeper into the forest, and I walked a few hundred more meters loudly singing and talking along the path. Let's just say, I really handled the situation well, which I hadn't expected 😅 However, I was also fortunate to encounter a very relaxed bear. After this experience, I went back to the campsite, and somehow, while sitting in the car, I thought about how strange it is that there was a bear right next to me a few minutes ago? Kind of strange, breathtaking, funny, impressive... all at the same time. 😅

Garibaldi Provincial Park - Cheakasmus Lake

Sunday was time for Garibaldi National Park. This park was recommended to me by two travelers and also by Google. Unfortunately, this national park is so large that it has three entrances. In the three major national parks here in B.C., you have to book a daily pass (free of charge). This is a pilot project to limit the number of people in the national parks. In Joffre Lakes National Park, the maximum number of visitors was 1000 people. But I missed an exit, and unfortunately, in Canada, it takes quite a long time to find a place to turn around. On this particular highway (more about that later 😂), there is unfortunately very little. Eventually, I found a way to turn around and finally go to the entrance. Unfortunately, I was informed that this was the wrong daily pass and that I had to go to another entrance. So, I turned around again and looked for the correct entrance. This one was again almost right behind Whistler, so I wasted a lot of gas for nothing. But the absolute kicker was the way to the parking lot. It was seven kilometers long and was used as a logging road in the past. The huge trucks with the logs drove along this road. I don't think I need to tell you about the number, depth, and frequency of the potholes. I find it quite cheeky that they can't manage to level this road. This is possible with a simple machine, as is done in Tatla or Anahaim Lake. It was a horror! Anyway, I eventually arrived at the top, and then it was time to go. Unfortunately, this time it was really raining or rather snowing! Yes, it snows here about 200-300 meters above me. It's crazy, when I saw it for the first time. At my elevation, I experienced the rain. The national park was also characterized by a turquoise-blue river and lake. I saw a kind of "food hook" for the first time. People who have booked a night at the lake can attach their food and hang it about five meters high so that it doesn't have to be inside the tent and high enough so that the bear can't reach it. Unfortunately, the weather was mostly bad, so I also decided to drive back after this trip. In the evening, just as I had finished the difficult process of changing clothes in the car (because of the rain, I couldn't do it outside), I turned around and in the last second, what did I see? A coyote walking right next to my car. How cool was that?!

Monday

On Monday, I listened to my body a little. I walk/hike up to 14 kilometers here every day. I don't know if that's a lot. For me, after seven days, it was really a lot, and I could feel it in my lower back, hips, and knees - I sound like I'm very old 😂 - so I had to decide in the morning whether to go to the museum or just do nothing. Since it had rained and I didn't want to leave my "bed," I decided not to go to Whistler. Luckily, because it was raining the whole day! I had always wanted to consciously take such a day off, but with sunshine so that I could read a book outside and let my laundry dry in the sun. So, unfortunately, I was trapped in my car again, passing the hours. But it was also good because my body needed rest, because...

Garibaldi Provincial Park - Garibaldi Lake

... there it was: Glacier Attempt 1.0. I was pretty sure that I wouldn't make it to this glacier, but I wanted to see how far I could get. I was kindly informed twice that the hike to the lake itself was already a difficult one. Garibaldi Lake was 10 kilometers and 1000 meters higher. One of the park rangers even told me something that I still remembered from my glider flying days. Rule of thumb: 100-meter difference = 1 °C difference. Since I had to climb 1000 meters and we started the day in a pleasant 10 degrees Celsius, I knew what to expect at the lake. What can I say, this hike was so challenging. It was steep zigzagging all the way up. No chance for a break. It was torture. Furthermore, the mountain was shrouded in clouds, and sometimes I could only see 20 meters ahead. I love it when the fog moves through the trees. It always has something mystical about it; I think it's really cool. 😁 Anyway, I panted my way up, only to reach a fork in the path where I had to decide whether to go to the lake or to the glacier. You could also decide at the lake to continue, but that would be a more difficult route. I decided to go to the lake first because the glacier was also in the clouds, so I wouldn't be able to see anything. The Garibaldi Lake is also a turquoise-colored mountain lake. I just love it! Even though I have never seen these lakes in direct sunlight, I already find the color impressive. After a short break, I headed back with the decision not to go to the glacier anymore, as it was also getting late, and I still had to walk 10 kilometers back. It would have been another 5.5 kilometers from the lake, and honestly, the mountain, the lake, the glacier... these things are never the goal. They represent at most 50% of the stage. The goal should be to lie carefully in bed in the evening. I was exhausted after this lake route, so I didn't subject myself to another eleven kilometers. I was tired, and with 20 kilometers, this was my most challenging stage so far. Still, the goal was not achieved, so Plan B had to be made.

Joffre Lakes Provincial Park - Glacier

A fellow traveler I met here told me that you can climb the glaciers in both national parks. That really annoyed me because I had enough energy left in Joffre Lakes National Park, but I didn't know that there was more to see. So, the glacier in Joffre Lakes Park was on the agenda for Wednesday. However, the day didn't start out so well, as I felt a bit sore from the previous day's hike. 😅 Plus, it started raining before my first coffee, and it was only 12 °C. Unfortunately, the rain didn't stop, and since the national park is at a higher elevation, it also went into the clouds. I already knew the lakes and hiked up at a perhaps slightly too fast pace (I was at the top in one hour. 🧗😅). Once again, in my opinion, the signage wasn't good enough 😁 I didn't find the campsite and therefore didn't find the way to the glacier. So, I hiked over rocks and boulders, telling myself loudly the whole time how this was the dumbest thing I had done in a very long time. 😅 Eventually, I found the official trail, which was slightly better. Thanks to all the rain, which fortunately later turned into snow, more and more waterfalls and streams formed. So, I slipped up the trail, only to have to turn around at the end of the trail because I would have had to walk on snow. The problem was that the water was coming from the right and flowing under the snow, and I didn't know how stable it was. This was the decisive point. The action was maybe a bit ill-considered in some aspects. 😂

- I have zero experience,

- my equipment is not really suitable,

- I was completely wet and had water in my shoes,

- it was way too cold and windy,

- something could come loose at any time (rocks, boulders, snow,..),

- I could slip/fall,

- ....

So, I made my way back down. I was proud of myself for even going out in this weather as a "fair-weather person" 😁, but I was also so disappointed that I didn't make it. But I think I still have the chance to climb several glaciers.

After 4 ½ hours, I was back down, and then the ranger told me that she had been shown a video yesterday of people who had camped up there. In this video, you could see a large rock coming down the slope. Fortunately, I wasn't there yesterday. 😅 I was already worried when I set rocks in motion myself.

But I was completely soaked (I was squeezing the water out of my shoes with every step) and made my way back to my sleeping spot to somehow get warm and dry.

Culture

On my last day, Whistler thought, why not have some sunshine. With a pleasant 18 °C, it was almost cloudless. It got really pleasantly warm, and the snow-capped mountains looked amazing. In Whistler, I first went to the art museum. It's fascinating what sculptures indigenous people can create. Equally fascinating is the artistic ability of some people. One artist started his latest work at the art museum. He has been working on this painting since 2019, and he estimates that it will take between five and six years to complete (3 x 6 m). Unfortunately, a very large part, which also represents the current newest exhibition, was closed. This was very annoying because I was outside again in less than an hour.

Next, I went to the Whistler Museum. It was much smaller and cheaper, but still very informative. It provided information about the biological diversity of Whistler, the development of the town, and the long journey of the Winter Olympics and Paralympics. After this surprisingly short cultural excursion, I'm now writing these final lines.

Next, it's time to go back. I really need to take advantage of this sun and these temperatures and wash and dry my clothes.

Hey, I'm really sorry that this post is so long, but I'm just experiencing so much that I could write a lot more. 😅 If you've read all the posts so far, congratulations, you've reached the length of my master's thesis. Because both this post and the Word document for this post are now 182 pages long. Wow!

And yes, the white frames around the pictures are new. I thought that way, you can always see the intended caption.

So until next time...

Samuel🙌