Saturday, September 15, 2007

Pictures from finishing day

Greetings all,
Here are some pictures from the final day of my walk into Stanley Park. Enjoy.

Cheers,

Joshua Ganes


I Made It!

Greetings from Vancouver,

Well, today I made it. I walked into Stanley Park shortly after noon today. I proceeded to the ocean near lumberman's arch, where I plunged into the Pacific. It feels great to be done!

Cheers,

Joshua Ganes

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Finishing Day - Saturday, September 15, 2007

Greetings from the trail,

I'm now all but finished. I made it to Canada Place on Wednesday, and am awaiting the arrival of my family to join me for the final few kilometers of the trail. We will be setting off from Canada Place on Saturday at about 11:00am. Anyone interested in coming along is welcome to join me for the final day. If possible, please try to get in contact with me so I know you're coming. If not, show up on Saturday ready to walk for a little less than an hour. If you cannot walk, feel free to wait by lumberman's arch in Stanley Park.

See you on the trail,

Joshua Ganes

Wed September 12, 2007 - Day 70

Greetings from the trail,

Among many good things about today is that it's my mother's birthday. I called home today first to wish her a happy birthday, then several times more to keep her apprised of my progress.

The day started with a pretty, but noisy trail following close to the shoreline. It wasn't long before I was in Burnaby. I knew I was going to have a little climbing ahead of me, but I wasn't quite prepared for what the trail had in store for me. I climbed the trail to the top of Burnaby Mountain, which my GPS showed at over 1000 ft. That climb took a lot out of me.

From the top of the mountain, I came to a great lookout to the west. I could see all of downtown Vancouver, as well as Richmond and other surrounding areas. A seemingly shorter climb brought me back down the other side of the mountain to Hastings street.

From there, the trail again found its way near the shoreline for quite some time before heading under the second narrows bridge and then veering off well to the south. Instead of following the trail, I followed my own path down Hastings street. I already knew the street was reputed to be the bad part of town, but I saw more than I expected. It was truly sad to see the kind of place these people live in and how they exist. It was also truly amazing how quickly the street turned from the purest form of a slum into a well-kept business district in a few short blocks.

After that I made my way to Canada Place, where I again spent some time taking in the beauty of the day and the place I was at. That is where I've left the trail, with ~3km to go to pass under lumberman's arch and down to the water in Stanley Park. The next two days are off until my family arrives from Alberta. I refuse to count any of the next 3 days in my journey, as I clearly could have made it in 70 days. In my original prediction I said 10-11 weeks. 70 days is pretty spot-on. I love being right.

See you on the trail,

Joshua Ganes

Tue September 11, 2007 - Day 69

Greetings from the trail,

Looking at the West Coast Express schedule, I was forced to make today a shorter day than I wanted to. My only two options were to walk to Port Moody, or to continue all the way to downtown Vancouver if I wanted to take the train back to Mission tonight. As downtown Vancouver was about 40km away, it didn't seem like a great idea. As such, I caught the last train out for the morning.

I continued along highway 7 for the first part of the morning before crossing the Pitt River on the Pitt River Bridge. (Imagine that). After that I took a detour around some serious construction and then followed less busy roads through town heading west.

At the end of the day I came to a beautiful park right by the Port Moody Arm which comes in from the Ocean. I had to walk down to the water and take a small taste. Yes, it was salty. I walked from Alberta to salt water from the Pacific. I stood around at the end of the pier taking in the sights and smells of the ocean for quite some time. It was a truly gorgeous day.

After another bus ride, I'm back in Mission, anxious for tomorrow when I should reach Vancouver. It's hard to believe I'm here.

See you on the trail,

Joshua Ganes

Mon September 10, 2007 - Day 68

Greetings from the trail,

It was strange to wake up this morning at my grandparents' place and know that I was actually still on the trail. There was no need to get a ride anywhere, this is where I'd walked to. I set off bright and early following Dewdney Trunk Road to the west.

After a short distance the trail passed the landfill and went down to the Stave Lake dam. I crossed the dam with no major incidents and continued on my way. The road continued with a slightly narrow shoulder, but not too much traffic all the way to Maple Ridge.

I planned to catch the West Coast Express train back to Mission from the Port Haney station. However, when I reached the station, I still had almost two hours to wait for the first train. I decided to press on to the Pitt Meadows station instead.

After climbing back up to the Lougheed Highway and following beside it for another couple hours I reached the train station. As it turns out, my timing was excellent, as the "TrainBus" was just arriving as I purchased my ticket. The bus took me right back to Mission where my grandpa picked me up and took me home.

My shoulders are killing me tonight. The long walk today compounded their problems and has made me incredibly sore tonight. I really shouldn't have gone for that tube ride, but I imagine they'll feel better tomorrow.

See you on the trail,

Joshua Ganes

Sun September 9, 2007 - Day 67

Greetings from the trail,

Today was a significanly shorter day on the trail than the last few.

I started the day by heading to church with my grandparents. There I caught up with a lot of people who have known me and my family for many years. It was nice to hear the support and congratulations of so many people.

After church, I was dropped off where I'd left off yesterday. About 45 minutes later I had made it the rest of the way to my grandparents place. I couldn't stop marvelling at the fact that I'd actually walked here all the way from Alberta. That's insane.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing and catching up on a little bit of television, which I've been missing for a while. My shoulders are really aching today after boating the day before. I hope they will be okay for tomorrow.

See you on the trail,

Joshua Ganes

Sat September 8, 2007 - Day 66

Greetings from the trail,

This morning my cousin Matt and his wife dropped me off at Deroche on their way out to Alberta. From there I had a long walk into Mission. I caught a few great views of the Westminster Abbey up on the hill from the distance. After 4 hours I had climbed some hills and made it into Mission itself.

Seeing as I was in the neighbourhood, I saw fit to stop in and visit some friends along the way. It was a nice way to catch a rest. It felt great to pop in and surprise people with my "just in your area" walk.

After spending some time in town, I continued on my way to my grandparents place north of the city. As I was walking about 2-3km from their door, the Stahli family happened to be driving by in their boat. They invited me along, so I left the trail to go for an afternoon of fun.

I had a great time out on Stave Lake. There's some beautiful views there, and it was just nice to have something different to do for a change. Later in the day, I even tried riding the inner tube behind the boat. As it turns out, that was a bad choice. It left my shoulders very sore at the end of the day.

They dropped me off at my grandparents' place, which I still have not quite reached. I plan to take an easy day tomorrow and simply finish the remaining distance to here.

See you on the trail,

Joshua Ganes

Fri September 7, 2007 - Day 65

Greetings from the trail,

After a very enjoyable stay in Agassiz, I set out again for another long day. Now that I'm in range, I'm able to travel lighter and to walk farther. Instead of 50+ lbs, I'm now carrying about 5lbs. Instead of walking 20km, I'm now aiming for 30km.

A short while after heading out, I ran into the big challenge of the day. I first had to navigate a narrow bridge construction area. I then was faced with a 12% grade to climb.

Other than those challenges, there was not too much excitement to speak of. I made it to the small town of Deroche where I was picked up by my grandparents. Mostly, I'm excited to be in familiar surroundings. Tomorrow I should make my old home town of Mission.

See you on the trail,

Joshua Ganes

Thu September 6, 2007 - Day 64

Greetings from the trail,

After nearly killing myself getting out of my ordeal on Tuesday, I got to my grandparents' place and took a much-needed day off. It was nice to relax - especially when my legs were like jelly.

Today I started out bright and early in Hope. My grandpa drove me out to pick up the trail where I walked through town. It was annoying to give up on two days' progress, but at least I didn't feel like I was repeating work.

After walking out of town, I crossed the might Fraser River. This is one thing I was glad to do. The official TCT crosses it on a ferry. That hardly qualifies as walking.

The rest of the day was a long, but easy walk along highway 7 to the town of Agassiz. I'm staying here with some relatives - Jim and Twylla and their son Bob. They have been very hospitable and welcoming. I'm certainly glad to be done with camping.

See you on the trail,

Joshua Ganes

Tue September 4, 2007 - Day 62

Greetings from the trail,

Today turned into the biggest disaster of the trip. It started well enough as I continued my climb up to the pass. I was a couple more TCT signs along my way to let me know I was on the right track. After a steady climb for a couple hours I reached the peak of the pass.

There, the road simply ended. I could find no trace of any trail among the clear-cut patch of forest. There were no signs to point the way. I spend about 30 minutes exploring everything that looked even slightly like a trail with no luck.

I finally conceded defeat and turned back down the mountain. It was after noon when I reached the main road again, and another hour before I hitched a ride. Luckily, the driver was going near Abbotsford; not too far from my grandparents' place.

I'm now sitting in McDonald's waiting for my grandpa to pick me up. Needless to say, I'm frustrated with my situation. I'm anxious to find another way into Vancouver, but don't want to burden my family more than necessary. At least finishing too early doesn't seem like such a problem any longer.

See you on the trail,

Joshua Ganes

Mon September 3, 2007 - Day 61

Greetings from the trail,

Today started with a little backtracking down the hill and back up around the lake. I wasn't too happy for that portion as I hate doing the same work twice. Must be a product of my computing background.

After a little while on the trail I was surprised by a family friend from Mission. Chris Stahli decided to come and join me for half a day. It was a long half too. Once again, it was nice to have some company.

After a while we came to a fork between the official and alternate routes listed in the book. A short while later, it was clear that the alternate was not a good option. We went back to the real trail, which was a nice narrow trail through the woods. After lunch, Chris turned back while I carried on. The trail began to climb and hasn't stopped yet. I'm camped beside the road about 1/2 of the way to the top of the pass. It'll be nice to get down the other side. As far as I know, this is the last major climb of the trip.

I am unfortunately missing one good thing from the regular world. Today was the Labour Day Classic between the Eskimos and the Stampeders. Oh well, maybe I'll catch the rematch in a week.

See you on the trail,

Joshua Ganes

Sun September 2, 2007 - Day 60

Greetings from the trail,

Today was another day of truly fantastic sights. It was also special, as I had company for the trip today. I didn't even have to carry my pack the whole time. Thanks Aaron.

The day started with a walk through the Othello Tunnels, which run through a beautiful, narrow canyon. The trail continued through the forest all the way to Hope. We stopped there to grab a bite before continuing.

The next section was a little busier, but still quite scenic. Thanks to Aaron's excellent navigational skills we all forded the Silverhope creek to get back on track. Well done Aaron! :)

The final section was a long climb up to Silver Lake. It's a very pretty lake with a nice-looking campground nearby. That's where my company left me, while I decided to press on a little further.

I walked down a trail that began to bog down and become overgrown. It got to the point where I was fighting my way through, before I ran into a patch o nettles. This is one of the rare times I've had to make a major track back. I'm camped near Silver Lake again, and plan to get on the right road tomorrow.

See you on the trail,

Joshua Ganes

Sat September 1, 2007 - Day 59

Greetings from the trail,

Today brought some interesting and unexpected challenges. As such, I didn't make it quite as far as I expected. Perhaps that's for the best in light of my desire to finish on the 15th.

The first challenge came when the TCT signs suddenly stopped at a fork in the road with a "No Trespassing" sign in the middle of the fork. After passing a couple of gates, the signs started again. I like walking through unnoticed.

Shortly after that challenge I found a better one. After following the trail signs, a new sign pointed across the highway. It seems the trail is incomplete there, so I forded the river and climbed through the woods to the road on the other side. Fording the river was a challenge, but the real danger came in climbing the opposite bank. I nearly injured myself when my foothold rock came loose and crashed into the river below.

After finding the road on the other side, the rest of the day was easy. I made it to the Othello Tunnels campground where I had a hot shower and a chance to be civilized for a change. It's nice to feel comfortable for a change.

I was later joined by my cousins and aunt who are in the area visiting family and friends. That was an unexpected treat. Aaron and his girlfriend Jenny are planning to join me tomorrow for a while.

Lastly, I was camped next to a very generous and kind-hearted lady who offered me food and company without even a request. I really appreciated all she had to offer.

See you on the trail,

Joshua Ganes

Fri August 31, 2007 - Day 58

Greetings from the trail,

I did not sleep well last night. I just couldn't shut my mind off. I wasn't even thinking of anything specific; my mind was just wandering from subject to subject on its own. Finally at 3:30am I'd had enough. The moon was bright, so I packed up my camp and started walking.

The trail continued along the road for 3 hours before becoming one of my "ideal" trails. Whoever was in charge of TCT signs along that section was a little bit sign-happy. There was a sign every 50m or so, even though the trail was quite obvious. I'd rather have that than the usual case of no signs whatsoever.

I left the pipeline road without meeting any vehicles at all. The trail then followed by the highway for a while before cutting down a steep hill by the river. That's where I'm camped today.

Apparently, the guy in charge of station names along the old KVR was a fan of William Shakespeare. All the stations around here are named for his characters. There's Romeo, Juliet, Portia, Othello, and many more like them. I guess it does add an interesting touch.

Lastly, it seems I'm moving too fast. My parents want to join me at the finish on the weekend of the 15th. However, at the pace I'm going, I'll be done by then. I guess that means I can slow down and take it easy.

See you on the trail,

Joshua Ganes

Thu August 30, 2007 - Day 57

Greetings from the trail,

Today's hike started off with an interesting challenge. There was a spot ~2km down the road where the trail had been washed out by the river and a new trail was built to climb up and around the washout. After climbing the particularly steep trail for a while, it suddenly stopped. Apparently the new trail had been washed out as well. There I was ~20-30m above a steep bank, scrambling across the loose rocks. After all was said and done I felt pretty good about it, but I'd rather not repeat it. Later at a second washout, the builders had the sense to go down instead of up.

After that section, the trail crossed back over the Coquihalla and travelled near to it between the river and the animal fencing. This section was enjoyable except when meeting the occasional cow standing in my way. I wouldn't have guessed there would be cows around there.

I reached the Britton Creek rest area thinking I'd just find a restroom. Instead I found many cars with lots of picnic tables and a snack shack. I was glad for the chance to buy some food.

After that, I arrived at the section I'd been concerned about for a while. The Trans Mountain Pipeline Road was listed as a future route in the book, with no other option but the highway, which is not open to hikers. My online update told me it was now open. When I reached the gate blocking the road, there were two conflicting signs. I chose to believe the one that worked best for me. Needless to say, I'm a little anxious to move on.

See you on the trail,

Joshua Ganes

Wed August 29, 2007 - Day 56

Greetings from the trail,

It was a breakthrough day on the trail today. I began by walking to the town of Brookmere, which is little more than a few houses bunched together. Although, I did find a cell phone signal, which I had lost earlier.

Why is reaching Brookmere important, you ask? For one, it marks the "official" end of the KVR trail. That being said, I still followed the KVR rail bed all day today. Secondly, Brookmere is the border between the Okanagan and Southwestern BC regions of the book. Lastly, Brookmere is about the 3/4 mark of my trip.

According to the region totals in my book, I have now passed 1000km at 1015km plus the additional distance travelled today. When I read that number it doesn't feel nearly as impressive as it does when I think about how long it would take to drive it.

The final breakthrough of the day was in reaching someplace familiar to me. Nearing the end of my day, I passed under the Coquihalla highway and followed the trail on the west side. As I've been over the Coquihalla many times, I was very excited to reach it.

I've set up camp by the Coldwater River, not too far from the highway. I can hear some of the larger trucks as they pass. I hope they don't bother me too much tonight when it's time for bed.

See you on the trail,

Joshua Ganes

P.S. I also finally caught up with the northernmost piece of trail remaining. I haven't been in this position since shortly after leaving Sparwood in the first week of my trip.

Tue August 28, 2007 - Day 55

Greetings from the trail,

Today's hike was almost a straight line north from Otter Lake. Most of the day was spent passing through farmland through the valley, as well as walking past some small lakes.

The trail was dotted with short little trestles crossing over the meandering creek. These weren't particularly exciting, but at least they marked my progress.

I'm camping about 2 hours southeast of Brookmere, which is the last hope of seeing civilization before reaching the town of Hope. For all I know, Brookmere might be little more than a couple of old railroad buildings.

See you on the trail,

Joshua Ganes

Mon August 27, 2007 - Day 54

Greetings from the trail,

Today was one of the most beautiful hikes I've had out here on the trail. it started with the route from Princeton to Coalmont, which I'd already begun yesterday. The route continued to provide beautiful red cliffs surrounding a wild flowing river. I passed through another tunnel and over three more trestles before reaching Coalmont. I'd definitely recommend this route to anyone looking for a long, single-day hike. The only challenge is the length at 19-20km.

The route from Coalmont to Tulameen was less impressive, but still quite pleasant. I stopped in town for lunch and to mail on my journal entries. The small town looks like a decent place based on my brief visit.

After stopping in town, the route continued next to the picturesque Otter Lake. The lake is calm and deep blue, surrounded by steep mountain slopes on all sides. It's quite a sight to see also. If I were looking for a small town setting, Tulameen would be in the running.

I can never seem to find the recreational campgrounds listed in the guide book. This one even appeared on the trail sign as the trail passed through town. After walking past the end of the lake and still not finding it, I turned back to the nearest reasonable area. There are no signs to speak of, but clearly people have camped here before. There is a large fire pit and a path in and out of the clearing by the lake. A nice spot, but I'm not sure if I'm technically supposed to be here. Oh well, I'm tired and not hurting anyone.

See you on the trail,

Joshua Ganes

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Sunday August 26, 2007 - Day 53

Greetings from the trail,

Today was yet another pleasantly cool day on the trail. Other than a few light sprinklings of rain it was nearly perfect.

I began by winding my way down the " Jura Loops", which is simply a tight set of switchbacks down the hillside. Today's hike seemed easier than normal. I only stopped once on my way to Princeton (17km).

In Princeton I grabbed a bite to eat at Subway, which is in the old station house. I then went to resupply for the week to come. I intended to send my journal entries before realizing it was Sunday. I'll try again tomorrow in Tullameen.

On the way out of Princeton I passed through a long lit tunnel under highway 3, then over the Tullameen river on a bridge. From there I continued a few kms along the river to my camp for tonight.

The river is very clear and cool, but not too deep. It runs through a very beautiful canyon with rich red cliff walls. I saw fit to rinse some laundry for the first time in this half of the trip. Standing in the cold water for so long may not have been the best idea. At least I'm not hot.

I'm not certain how exact it is, but I believe Princeton is 2/3 rds of the total distance. That leaves "only" half of everything I've done so far.

I am now about to enter what I expect to be the most interesting section for the remainder of the trail. I head north a couple of days before crossing the Coquihalla summit and walking parallel to the highway into Hope in a few more days. I expect to see some fantastic views, but am a little concerned about the potential for wild weather.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Saturday August 25, 2007 - Day 52

Greetings from the trail,

If the entire trail were like the last few days, there would be little I could complain about.

I traveled another about 25 km without incident today. I passed over 1 trestle, under 1 tunnel, and past plenty of beautiful scenery. The weather was cool but not ugly and I found a nice camping spot. What more can I ask for?

Tomorrow I expect to make Princeton. There I'll send more notes, eat more food, and buy more supplies. After Princeton is a 7 day trek to Hope with very few amenities along the way. The coming section is likely the most dangerous and remote for the rest of the trip. I'll feel safer when I reach Hope.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Friday August 24, 2007 - Day 51

Greetings from the trail,

I must admit, this half of the trail seems to be progressing mush more smoothly than the first. This is probably due to several factors. I now weigh at least 50 lbs. less than when I started; allowing for far less strain on my feet, knees and legs over the course of a day. The trail on this half has been smoother and easier to climb than the previous sections. Finally, my body is now in much better shape than when I started, reducing wear and improving healing.


All of this makes predicting my arrival very challenging. I am clearly making strong progress, but how long can I depend on it before taking a day off? I've gone over the route several times in the last few days and am now predicting an early arrival on the 15th with a possibility to be as late as the 19th.

In two days I should reach Princeton, which I peg as the 2/3 rds point of the journey. Keeping my average pace to that point would mean another 26 days for a total of 79. My new prediction is 73 days, so clearly I'm moving faster than before.

My mindset has also changed a bit from before. I'm still enjoying the journey, but I'm looking forward to its completion much more than before. Days seem to be less about themselves and more about making progress toward my goal.

All that being said, today was a pretty normal day. I traveled about 22kms taking a couple of detours along the road and passing a couple of lakes. I stopped at the store in Bankeir for a snack and have set up another bush camp an hour down the road.

I met more people than usual today. I believe this is due to the lakes and recreation areas here. I was asked about my trip a few times and was glad to tell the story. I love to see the look in people's eyes when I tell them I walked here from Alberta.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Thursday August 23, 2007 - Day 50

Greetings from the trail,

Today I am officially in the middle of nowhere. I'm not quite half way between Summerland and Princeton. It's hard to say precisely where I am, because there haven't been any landmarks since I crossed a trestle earlier in the day.

It's amazing how one's predictions change based on one's current feelings. Before Penticton, I tried to predict my final arrival in Vancouver and was convinced I'd struggle to make it before the 25th. I just completed another look through with a very cocky attitude and said I "could" make it by the 10th. I'm quite sure that will not be the case. However, making it in on my birthday is not out of the question.

Anyhow, today was another 6 - hour day at 20km. The next major stop is Princeton. Until then, I plan to enjoy the night sky, which was particularly spectacular last night.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Wednesday August 22, 2007 - Day 49

Greetings from the trail,

I knew it was coming when I checked into the hostel yesterday - today was a late start. It wasn't too bad though, as I got on the road by 8:00am. Luckily, the day wasn't too hot, so it was better than it might have been.

After struggling up a reasonable hill, I found the trail heading north on the west side of the lake. I continued on for about two and a half hours before crossing the Trout Creek Trestle. After that, the trail disappeared and I was left with the country roads out of Summerland.

I made my way into town and stopped at the corner market for one of my best snacks of the trip. I bought a 1L bottle of locally produced milk and a fresh local peach. Both lived up to my lofty expectations.

After that, I continued west out of town, and am about to set up another bush camp for tonight.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes

Tuesday August 21, 2007 - Day 48

Greetings from the trail,

Penticton - Home of the 25th Canadian Ironman competition. Yes, today I reached Penticton. After discovering that the only available campsite was 5km south ( I needed to go north next), I decided to stay at the hostel. It's quite nice and not overly busy.

To reach the hostel was a considerable, but downhill, hike. After about 3km, the trail broke out of the trees and had a great view of Okanagan Lake. Shortly later I passed through "Little Tunnel." The trail continued beside the lake much of the way into town.

Nearing the city the path wound its way through orchards and vineyards. It was quite interesting to see work going on in the fields. I saw workers picking fruit, machines spraying vines, and irrigation at work. The oddest thing I saw was two workers seated in the bucket of a small tractor, trimming the tops of the vines as the tractor moved down the rows.

This is probably the busiest section of trail I've walked so far. It appears that many people like to walk or bike it for day trips.

It's nice to get into town for some real food. Subway sure is tasty, but expensive too. Oh well, a very good meal just the same.

See you on the trail,
Joshua Ganes