Thursday, July 26, 2007

Sun. July 15, 2007 - Day 23

Greetings from the trail,

It's hard to say exactly how far I made it today. I'd put it at least at 25 kms, but other than time on the road, I've seen very few landmarks or signs to indicate distance.

I'm staying at the Rider's Ranch biker campground. I figure "biker" and "hiker" aren't too far apart. So far I'm the only one here anyway.

The owner is a nice guy. He pointed out the local cafe and a decent swimming hole nearby. I'd have found the cafe anyway, but it has great food at reasonable prices. If you're ever in Kitchener, BC, check out the Home Style Cafe.

I would not however, have found the swimming hole just down the road. A small, little sandy spot in the local creek that was great for cooling down in the afternoon sun.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Sat. July 14, 2007 - Day 22

Greetings from the trail,

Beginning week 4 today. I wonder what happened in the middle there. I started on a rapid pace to Fernie. From there it took far too long to reach Cranbrook. Now it feels like I'm back on track as I reached Yahk today.

I'm staying at the provincial park here and it seems nice enough. The heat wave continues.

Like I said, I'm making good time right now as I've traveled about 70 kms in three days. I'm quite proud of that. I hope to keep it up and make Creston about 45 kms away in the next two days.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

P.S. I also finally made it into the Pacific time zone today.

Fri. July 13, 2007 - Day 21

Greetings from the trail,

I HATE roadside barriers and narrow bridges! Most of the day went as expected today. I travelled alongside the highway and saw many great views over Moyie Lake. The problem is when there's a small wall beside the road. The road narrows and I become a prime target in "squish the hiker against the wall." So far I'm winning, but not entirely pleased.

The worst of the day was a narrow bridge over the river. I waited for all visible traffic to clear, but several cars still passed me about half way across. Nowhere to run and hide, but do the cars slow down? No. Argh!

Anyhow, I made it about 24 kms in the heat of the day. It's getting late and it's still a scorcher out there.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Thurs, July 12, 2007 - Day 20

Greetings from the trail,

Today was much more productive than yesterday. I walked about 22 kms from Cranbrook to Moyie lake provincial Park. The trail started as a main road, then turned into a country road, and eventually became a dirt road. The first half of the day seemed to be uphill. The later half made good by coming back down again.

The campground here is nice. it has plenty of space and a beach on the lake. I took a quick dip in the lake and managed to avoid the heat of the day while I dried off.

I'm not looking forward to the next while, as the TCT follows highway 3 for several days.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Wed. July 11, 2007 - Day 19

Grettings from the trail,

Not much to report today. I only walked a short distance to the municipal campground here in Cranbrook. My right pinkie toe was having problems, so I decided taking it easy for one more day would be best.

After eating a little more regularly here in town, I'm feeling a little more chunky than when I arrived. I'll need it though as the trail is clearly having an effect on my weight. I tried out a store scale yesterday and was down about 20 lbs.

The only other excitement was a power loss at Safeway while I was shopping for supplies. It was kinds cool to wander the dark aisles for a few minuets before the power came back.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Not a great typer

Hi! This is Josh's Mom. I'm not the greatest typer so sorry about the mistakes on the blogs. I'll try to do better. Hope you can figure out my mistakes and enjoy the blogs anyhow. I have a few more days to post, but it's late and I'm tired. I'll try to get back to it soon. Wedding plans keep me busy so I can't always get to this as fast I'd like. I'll try to keep up. Bye for now.

Tuesday July 10, 2007 - Day 18

Greetings from the trail,

I'm happy to report that today for the first time since Day 1, I actually walked on an actual trail. After a few kms along a gravel road, the trail broke off from the road and ran through the open country side.

The only problem with this was that it lead to a few extra mosquitoes. The trail wound its way around and went up and down some significant slopes. It seems that it it has not been maintained recently as I had to climb over, under, and around several fallen trees. After some time, the trail came to a picnic table at the top of a grassy hill. You could see mountains and hills for miles in all directions. Certainly a sight to behold.

A short while after that the trail joined an abandoned CP Rail line that brought me the final 7 kms into Cranbrook. It was nice to follow the rail grade as I knew the slopes would not be too severe. Trains don't like hills.

I'm staying in a hotel tonight. It's nice to get a little taste of civilization. I was surprised to see some of the large hotel chains are charging over $120. per night. Ouch!! This place is decent and has everything I want at a much more reasonable rate.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Monday July, 2007 - Day 17

Greetings from the trail,

Today was largely uneventful. If it's possible to have an ordinary day out here, this was it.

I got up and thankfully, the mosquitoes were far less aggressive. I walked about 17 - 18 kms to the camp at Fort Steele, just across the Kootenay River. Nothing particularly eventful happened. It's been a decent day.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Sunday July 6, 2007 - Day 16

Greetings from the trail,

Today I continued to break away from the TCT. Not because it looks inefficient, but because I'm taking it easy. I only traveled about 9 kms to Norbury Lake Provincial Park. Tomorrow I'm off to Fort Steele.

Taking down camp this morning was quite an ordeal as I was swarmed by hundreds of mosquitoes. I'd kill dozens by scraping my hands across my legs and arms only to have more take their place. Where do they all come from? Doesn't nature ever run out?

I'm currently at camp relaxing. The only thing keeping me from being eaten alive is that I smell like a can of Off. I certainly hope these bugs die and go away soon.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Saturday July 7, 2007 - Day 15 (07/07/07)

Greetings from the trail,

After yesterday's troubles I made a decision. My goal has always been to walk to Vancouver, not necessarily to follow the TCT. As such, when the TCT wanders pointlessly, I will not hesitate to take a more direct route.

Today instead of wandering "Pickering Hills" route, I simply followed the Wanderer - Fort Steele road. The trip was short and landed me beside the exceptionally cold and fast Bull River.

This seems to be a popular spot as several people have stopped by for a quick dip or to go fishing. One guy simply dove in, Cast out, and immediately hooked a large fish. It was certainly big, but I'm no expert. He said it was a 5 pounder. Not bad for such a simple effort.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Friday July 6, 2007 - Day 14

Today my book lied to me again. The day started well as I headed north to Jaffray where I stopped to mail my Journal entries and grab a quick snack on my way through town. I quickly found the TCT heading west along the railroad tracks. That is where the book failed me.

Instead of the gentle curve to the south suggested on the map, the trail plunged deeply to the south before heading west, and just slightly north. When it finally started heading north, it became the dustiest (sp?) road known to mankind. The dust was a fine powder at least 2 inches deep in the ruts and maybe 6 inches between them. Walking was like walking on sand. I felt like I was being pulled backward with each step. It was truly an awful experience.

Since the trail took me nearly 2 hours further than expected in the heat of the day, my water planning was not panning out so well. I did not see any streams or lakes past Jaffray and there were no people around to help either. As such, at the first house I saw, I stopped and asked for something to drink. I hate doing that, but it was starting to be a pressing concern. A very kind lady invited me in to drink and to chat. I nearly drained her pitcher of iced tea.

My distrust in my book cost me another hour when the unnamed road I was to take to Wapiti Lake was not marked with a trail sign. Instead I went around the lake before coming to it the sure way.

The lake itself is nice enough to look at but is no good for swimming and is difficult to fetch drinking water from. A poor reward for a hard day's efforts.

The worst part of today's mess is that I looked at the map in Jaffray and thought it might simply be easier to continue on highway 3. Had I done so, I probably would have saved 2-3 hours of walking. Ugh!

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

July 5, 2007 Cay 13

Today's trip went a whole lot smoother than yesterday. After a quick jaunt from the campground back to the main road. I followed the main road until a sign told me to go right for North Star Lake. The road I followed was not technically the TCT, But it was a much clearer route. I traveled about 18 km.

This recreational campground is one of the nicest I've visited so far. It's clean and well organized I'm sitting right beside the lake. After hiking far too long in the hot summer sun, it was great to go for my first swim of the trip. The water was quite warm, but cool enough to relieve myself from the heat.

Tomorrow I plan to reach Wapiti Lake. Hopefully it's as nice as this place.

See you on the trail.
Joshua Ganes

Monday, July 16, 2007

Greetings from Creston

Greetings from the trail,

I'm in Creston today, and managed to find an internet kiosk to use. I'm doing well and am sending my next set of journal entries home today. Let's see how long it takes Canada Post to get them to Camrose and for my parents to get them up.

Glad to hear some of you are thinking of me anyway. I hope you're all having a good summer and look forward to seeing some of you come August for Leah's wedding.

See you on the trail,

Joshua Ganes

Friday, July 13, 2007

Wednesday July 4, 2007 Day 12

Greetings from the trail.

Today my book attempted to defy reality several times. My guide to the trail has been pretty decent so far, but today it turned against me.

It began by sending me south from Elko on a trail eventually destined to intersect highway 93. This would be fine if the trail existed, a fact the book neglects to mention on the map page, but instead comments in passing about it in the description. I then tried a convenient looking road near by that would by-pass the gap in the trail, only to find that the road is highly restricted. Once again, no comment about this can be found on the map.

I then decided to back track and walk highway 3 to 93 and rejoin the trail there. Once again, the book lied to me about the access route's location. The book had it clearly beyond a major curve in the highway. Luckily, I noticed the TCT signs as the road crossed the highway.

From there the trail continues to a small, marshy lake. The map said the trail passes to the west of the lake, while in reality it is really to the east. This was simply another point for confusion.

I continued on to the small town of Baynes Lake. It would appear this town is at the nexus of the universe, as when the map lied to me yet again about the location of a near by campsite I asked a few passing vehicles. The first 2 I asked were both lost too. Excellent!!!

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Tuesday July 3, 2007 Day 11

Greetings from the trail,

This morning I saw some breath taking views. I had a bit of a climb yo start my day, and made it a reasonable distance up the side of the eastern mountains on the side of the valley. From there I had some great views of the mountains to the west and the Elk river below.

After the path came back down the mountain later in the day, I became a victim of a mosquito ambush. I hadn't seen many bugs all day, when I was suddenly stormed by several dozen at once. I was taking down 2 with one swat, but they simply out numbered me and many of them got away. I've never seen anything quite like it, and hope to avoid it in the future.

After that, I made my way to Elko where I was incredibly hot, so I visited the convenience store for one of the best lemonades ever! That was not enough though, so I bought a large slush and drank it on a bench in the shade.

I went back down by the Elk river and set up camp in a space by the old wooden bridge that crosses the river there. I went down to the river to cool my feet, and a young woman showed up with a pair of black labs to play fetch. I soaked my feet and chatted casually while watching the dogs chase the stick into the river repeatedly. It was a nice way to spend a hot afternoon.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Monday July 2, 2007 Day 10

Greetings from the trail,

Last night was not too bad. I still wasn't a hundred percent healthy, but felt well enough to go watch the fireworks in the park. I was sitting near an intoxicated woman who sounded exactly like a close family friend I call "Auntie" Wendy. This was particularly amusing as every time she said something( and she did at most fireworks) I could swear she was Wendy. So I spent the Canada day fireworks with a completely smashed Auntie Wendy who kept yelling out more and more ridiculous things.

This morning I woke up feeling alright with only a couple late - night bathroom visits for the evening. I only walked approximately 10 kms today, but it is good to be on the move again. It's also nice to be off the highway and on a quieter dirt road.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Sunday July 1, 2007 Day 9 Canada Day

Greetings from the trail,

It's been a pretty lousy couple of days. On Friday evening, what had been a hot afternoon suddenly collided with a massive cold front to create a massive wind and rain storm. The rain didn't bother me, but the wind whipped my tent around like it was tissue paper. Other than the pegs and myself inside to hold down the fort (so to speak), the tent is virtually all surface area. Needless to say, I had myself an exciting time.

After that passed I tried to shower, but the showers were small and tricky to control. Not quite the same effect as the previous night.

The next morning I woke up again feeling less well. I set out for Fernie, about 10 kms away and made it there without too much trouble. I checked in at a very nice and reasonably priced hostel.. I stayed in a 8 bed dorm room, but was the only one there. That was probably a good thing as i grew sicker and sicker as the day progressed. Last night I woke up nearly every hour to visit the washroom. It was not a pleasant ordeal. This morning I paid to stay an extra day and slept until around noon. This unfortunately , involved several more undesirable side trips down the hall. When I woke up I was starting to feel a bit better, so I went to the store near by and got some things to take care of myself. I'm now waiting around here 'till dusk when I'll hopefully go check out the fireworks.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Friday June 29, 2007 Day 7

Greetings from the trail,

Yesterday evening was great, but this morning effectively killed it.

Yesterday I took what I declare, without reservation, "the best shower of my life." After almost a full week on the hot and dusty trail, it was so nice to feel clean again. The showers at the camp were very spacious, and the temperature and pressure were easy to adjust. Each sore muscle seemed to relax instantly at the feel of the flowing, warm water. I washed every part of my body twice over because I didn't want it to end. .... Magic!!

This morning the trouble stated, I woke up with a headache and felt a little off. Everything I did seemed to take twice as long as usual. I got on the road and noticed the highway sign said 9 kms longer than my estimate. I was pretty sure I wouldn't make it.

Water had been common along the way, so I never carried more than 2 L 'cause I could always fill up later. When I realized that i was quickly running through my supply despite the light rain(fun times) I was hopeful to find more. When I reached a rest stop/picnic area at the side of the highway, I was hopeful I might find a clean source there. I spotted a hand pump well which looked clean and well maintained but after a minute of pumping, I figured it was broken or just for show. Instead, I wound up hiking 3/4 of a km in and out to the Elk river to get more.

By the time I reached Hosmer I was hurting with every step. When I saw a sign for an RV campground I dragged myself over to register. For my money I got a flat spot between some RVs, none too far from the highway. The one nice thing was a small mobile unit with a bathroom and showers.

Now I'm hiding in my tent from the sudden heat of the afternoon. Unfortunately, my tent is more like a green house with nice flow through. I'll probably go to the bathroom soon and use the cold water faucets to cool down.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Thursday June 28, 2007 Day 6

Greetings from the trail,

It turns out that yesterdays hike was more like 25 - 26 kms, after today's tally of approx. 22kms.

I made it to Sparwood today, and am camping just south of the town centre. I was very relieved to make it into town, as I was quite exhausted. I happened to run into a gentleman who I spoke with briefly about where I had camped just north of Elkford. He was impressed with my progress.

The heat of the day is on me, so I'm waiting in the picnic shack to set up camp. This is the first paid , full service camp I've stayed at, and I'm looking forward to a shower tonight.

Otherwise, I'm doing OK, and expect I might make Fernie with a hard push tomorrow.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Wed. June 27, 2007 Day 5

Today's hike brought me through Elkford and about 13 kms out the other side for a total of about 23 kms today. The hike in was pleasant, but out of Elkford I followed along a mildly used highway. I hope to get off it ASAP and back on a quieter hiking trail.

As I mentioned previously, I'm left with a lot of extra time on my hands after my hike. I'd like to extend my time on the trail, but my body likes to disagree with me. Perhaps in time I'll build up my endurance. For now, I've decided to try to make my fortune and prove P is not equal to NP or P=NP. $1,000,000.00 would come in handy. My efforts might not be good enough :) !

In Elkford I bought some supplies, drank 1L of chocolate milk, and had lunch at a restaurant. Obviously my metabolism's changed, as I couldn't even finish my burger and fries. The chocolate milk beat out the pepsi for best drink hands down.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Day Four

Tuesday June 26, 2007 - Day 4

Greetings from the trail,

It's just after 6:00pm and I'm in my tent after eating supper. I had a delicious cream of broccoli soup. mmmmm .... soup.

Today's campsite isn't as scenic as yesterday, but it is still nothing to scoff at. The sites here are more hidden among the trees. I like that.

I hiked over 19 km today, just about hit that 20 km mark. My spirit is willing, but my body and feet are sore. I'd gladly do over 30 km/day if my feet could keep up. I've developed blisters on both my pinky toes. If they continue to cause me problems I may have to delay.

My mind has been struggling to comprehend the reality of the remaining challenge in front of me. I've walked over 70 km, but that pales in comparison to the approximately 1200 km total. I was looking through my map book and noticed that for each detailed map, I've been able to cover its distance in one day. Counting the number of maps I find there are 64 detail maps to Vancouver. This means 4 down and 60 to go. I'm done 1/16th of the trail by this measurement. wOOt! Huzzah! And other exclamations of joy and satisfaction!

I'm looking forward to stopping in town tomorrow for a restaurant meal and a Pepsi. I miss it so !!). I'll also call some family from town.

I think the next week is where I'll discover if I'll overcome adversity, or break down from trying too hard.

I should mail these entries tomorrow from Elkford. After that, it's on to Sparwood and Fernie.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Day Three

Monday June 25, 2007

Greetings from the trail,

I decided to rest yesterday, rather than add a journal entry. The day went as expected. I hiked 17kms to the Weary Creek campsite. I was surprised how little wildlife I've seen. Yesterday I saw two deer and a moose. Today was a little more lively. I saw several elk and a bear. Luckily, he ran off in the opposite direction as soon as I made some noise.

Today I got the first rain of my trip. It was light and tolerable. If this is the worst I see I'll be both surprised and thankful.

Today's trip brought me about 17 kms down the trail before jaunting 1-2 kms to the west to the Forsythe Creek campsite. That name amused me as it made me think of the character Jughead from Archie comics. This is a great site, in such a scenic spot. I also made my first "real " fire of my trip here, as the fire ring was calling to me.

I expect to camp north of Elkford tomorrow and make it through town on Wednesday.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Day one notes from the trail

Sat. June 23, 2007 Day one

Greetings from the trail,

I made a minor revision to my starting point, and began from the Elk Pass trail in Kananaskis. This cut a few days from my trip, but saved the trouble of camping in a Provincial park.

I started out from Calgary this morning and drove to the trail head at about 10:00 am with my Dad and Uncle. They hiked in with me past the BC border before I said goodbye. I continued on my own through the Elk lakes park and a few kms down the gravel road toward Elkford.

I set up camp in a recreational camp ground, and quickly feel asleep for an afternoon nap. The camp is descent, and I think I'll make something to eat soon. I would guess I walked 17 -18 kms today.

The views were great. I'd say the best was from a marshy meadow surrounded by mountains. Hard not to be impressed by nature there.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

About the trail notes.

We'll probably type in the trail notes to make them a little more readable as we get time. Until then , have fun deciphering Josh's writing on the scanned images.

Trail notes sent from Elkford , B.C.