Muskiki Lake Part 2

~a trip to the foothills of Alberta~

DAY ONE (CONTINUED)
Friday, July 31 2015

THUNDER LAKE, AB

We carefully backed out and returned to the main road from the Thunder Lake campsite that we had originally chosen and looked at the maps again. There were a couple of promising spots, so we decided to check them out. Crystal had seen a couple of horses just wandering about loose earlier, so my eyes were peeled. I could always slowly lead them home if they weren’t owned. However, there was a reservation on the road and without a doubt the horses would belong to one of the residents. Apparently, the reservation wasn’t actually legal and the people had been squatting there since the 70’s – power to them! There were some gorgeous houses tucked away!

We see a road going in behind the dump and decide to follow it. A huge grass airstrip is the last thing we’d expected, but there it is. We drove about halfway down and then got out to walk about. Perhaps there’d be a suitable place to pitch our tents.

Sadly, there wasn’t.

We reached the end and looked down in the Brazeau Canyon, the river was rushing by completely oblivious to our presence. It looked cool and inviting, and for a short time we debated making our way to the bottom. However, there were a few places with nothing but loose rock, which would have meant a good scramble for us. We decided it just wouldn’t be worth the risk, but it was a hard choice!
Driving along we checked out a couple of other turn offs, to find they either led to another taken site, or ended in the middle of the brush with no trails in sight. We slowly made our way west and finally turned down the entrance to the Muskiki Lake boat launch and parking lot.

MUSKIKI LAKE, AB

This looked very promising. Sadly, the end of the small parking area was already hidden behind and assortment of erected tarps and tents. A fire burned beyond the blue wall. We looked at one another – it couldn’t hurt, right?

We strolled over to see if they’d mind if we camped there as well, and found ourselves talking to a couple of older gentlemen. They were there to throw a stag party for one of their son’s and his friends. Oh great, a stag party… just what we wanted! They said we could if we wanted to, although one of them was extremely surly and disagreeable. Obviously, he didn’t want anyone around. Too bad, it was public land after all.

We went and looked at the far end of the parking area. There was a nice fire pit and a spot where our tents just might fit, if we squeezed. If the guys were too noisy, we could go somewhere else the next day. But with the difficulty we’d had finding somewhere to begin with and the fact that it was a long weekend, that other place might not be easy to find.

Grabbing our gear we quickly set up and prepared to enjoy the evening. We were invited by the kindly gentleman to use the fire while his cantankerous companion headed out onto the lake to do some fishing. How awesome! Thanking him we tossed a couple of elk steaks onto the makeshift ‘barbie’, followed by some homegrown veggies ready to cook in butter and spices, and baked potatoes! Nothing beats camping food – NOTHING!

While the food cooked we talked and watched ‘grumpy’ fishing. It looked pleasant out on the lake, and I wished we had a boat, but not this trip.

By the time we were ready to eat a few more faces had arrived and set about helping make the campsite perfect for a party. Games, alcohol, tents and coolers full of food were all fairly well organized. Crystal and I had a great time talking with the guys and enjoying dinner.

Finally we headed back to our spot and just enjoyed the ambiance. It was amazing. The sun was
setting and there was a pair of loons at either end of the lake. Their beautiful haunting warbles added the final touch of perfection to the evening. Our new tents were looking pretty fabulous in their twilight lakeside setting and I was looking forward to crawling into mine and getting a good night’s sleep. It had been a long and tiring day, even though we’d not done much of anything.
Crystal was feeling pretty much the same and it wasn’t long before the full bellies, the peaceful atmosphere and the fresh air worked their magic.

At some point during the night, I was awoken by the sounds of an animal snuffling and rooting around outside the tent. Had I been back on Vancouver Island, I’d have said it was most likely a raccoon. But, there are no raccoons around here! It didn’t sound big enough to be a bear, a cat wouldn’t be making that kind of noise and there wasn’t much of anything I could think of in the neighborhood.

There’d been a grizzly spotted not too far away earlier in the day, but it wasn’t that. Besides, Treble, Crystal’s dog, hadn’t made a peep and I assumed that if something was out there, she’d be wanting to save her pack mate and barking to scare off the intruder or to warn Crystal.

Somewhere beside me was a handy axe and there was also a small package containing a bear banger and flares. I didn’t feel the need to reach for them.

Soon enough whatever it was satisfied its curiosity and moved on.

I realized that it was almost dead quiet outside, and that was rather odd for a bunch of rowdy young men getting drunk and enjoying freedom. They were quieter than a fighting couple had been on our last outing. Go figure!

My sleeping bag was so warm and cozy and the tent a wonderful place to be that I drifted back off to sleep without a second thought.

DAY TWO
Saturday, August 1 2015

Morning dawned fair and quiet. There was the soft song of birds, and somewhere near by a squirrel was tossing pine cones down from the heights; thankfully not pelting us with them.

Excited to try out my new stove, I set up a distance away at the edge of the resident fire pit and put

water on to boil. Yes, I needed my caffeine fix and I was sure that Crystal would be thankful for the hot water. All three of us had dehydrated rations for the weekend. Crystal had found some awesome food for Treble; I believe it was all raw diet… I do know that it was healthy and looked pretty good. I’m going to try it for my boy if I ever get him out on the trail. I can’t trust him to stay around, and he has a habit of getting into trouble, so anything beyond a day hike can be complicated.

Anyhow, the stove was as good as I’d been promised. It was fast, fuel efficient and simplistic set up. The water was hot in no time and I had a hot coffee to suck on contentedly while heating more water for the food. Rooting through my rations I found a bag of Huevos Rancheros and was anxious to try it out. Ok, I’m used to camping with back and eggs and pancakes and the rest of the works, hot dogs, steaks, etc. Even when we went hiking the guys brought the food, and it was awesome. Now, it’s this ultra light, compact, dehydrated and natural style and I was really excited.

I poured the water in, mixed and let sit as the directions said. Yeah. Ok, it did NOT look appetizing. In fact it kinda’ looked like a chicken had thrown up, or blown up. Over time it pulled together and began to look more appetizing and edible.

By this time Crystal was up and was getting their meals together quickly and efficiently. We both watched Treble’s food and her reaction to it. She ate it, but it was obviously not tops on her list of likeables.

The morning was spent with Crystal attempting to catch some fish from the shoreline. I cleaned up and then relaxed and just enjoyed being out in a natural environment. There wasn’t much noise coming from the groom to be’s area as of yet, although the fire was smoking once again.

We finally made our way over to visit for a bit and discovered that the reason Crys hadn’t been successful with the fishing, was that all of the fish were out in the middle of the lake. There was no way to catch anything without a boat. Just the way the topography and the fish went
.
The lake was getting busier and busier the higher the sun got. Numerous quads made their way down
the tight road, and then a pair of RV’s, one of which actually got stuck on the way out. Kids, dogs, people everywhere. It went from quiet and awesome too insane in a couple of heartbeats.

I discovered my phone charger had fractured, literally, and since there wasn’t anywhere really to hike or worthwhile fishing to pursue, we decided to go for a jaunt into Nordegg to replace the charger.
It was a waste of time, nothing more. I got a new charger, but it and the gas were way overpriced – beware tourists it’s one expensive little place! We headed back towards the wilderness with a sigh of relief, but both of us were disappointed with how the weekend was going.

All the activities that we’d hoped to indulge ourselves in were just not available. Next time we’d know better. Grab a spot at the river early and then drop our line there and while we would have to put up with traffic, we’d be alone and have more to do.

It was hot, so we decided to head for the water. Even Treble was feeling the heat and she plunged into the lake.

The groom-to-be had arisen and was dressed delightfully in a beautiful wedding dress. Much to the amused delight of everyone! He wore it well!

Treble came out of the water and was walking funny, more hobbling than walking. This was not good. She is a show dog and had an appearance to make the next weekend.

Turns out some jackass had tossed his line into the water for whatever reason instead of taking it home and safely disposing of it. The line had tangled itself around Treble’s feet and legs and was digging into her pads. With some very very careful work and serious patience on Crystal’s part, she was extricated. The damage to her paws was questionable.

Instead of going for a walk or a nap, we mutually consented with some disappointment and began to pack up our gear. All the while counting our blessings that it hadn’t been worse. There’d been a lot of little kids in that water, as well as other dogs… what if they’d suddenly found a fishhook attached to a bare foot? Stupidity on some idiot’s part cut short our weekend.

Treble was going to need some very serious pampering and healing time for her to be 100% for the
upcoming show. Thankfully, she could get that at home.

So, we loaded up our trucks and after a brief hug headed out to the main trunk road where Crys turned south and I headed north for a spell.

It wasn’t what we had planned for, imagined or desired. However, it was an adventure and we did have some laughs and were able to give equipment a test run.

For those of you who are concerned, by show time the next weekend, Treble was back to good again. Thankfully. However, her feet were really sore for a few days.

I’d just like to add that when you go out into the wilds of the world, the idea is to leave as small a footprint as possible. PLEASE remove all traces of your passing - that includes tangled dead fishing line! The world will be a better place for it and you’ll be far more appreciated.

Muskiki Lake Part 1

~a trip to the foothills of Alberta~

Adventures: Naomi DeBruyn, Crystal Kirkham
Region: Nordegg Area, Alberta Foothills
 

Ok, the trip out to the foothills had been in the planning stages for a while, however, we had troubles deciding on the location we should be heading for. What with time constraints and different abilities and ailments, etc., not too mention the “NO ENTRY DURING THIS TIME PERIOD” due to wildlife activity, it wasn’t quite as cut and dried as it could have been. We were so stoked to finally get out there!

DAY ONE:
Friday, July 31 2015

ALSIKE, AB
 
I kind of had a feeling it wasn’t going to be the weekend we’d hoped for before I ever left the house, though. I was packing up some chocolate covered coffee beans (energy trail snack), and the bag suddenly dumped out all over the floor, much to the glee of the cats! (No I made sure that nobody but two leggeds had any!). Then, my bag of ‘Gorp’ (trail mix – homemade in this case), dumped out all over the inside of my pack. Frustration to the extremes! I actually debated for a moment, but decided that the melted assorted Chipits in a new pack on a hot day be a good idea. Out came ALL the gear… again (I’d done this three times in the last week).



When I finally managed to take my leave it was with high hopes and a nagging feeling that wouldn’t leave me alone. A little voice had bugged me the night before, but I got sidetracked and forgot about it. We had the GPS co-ordinates, BUT, failed to compare the maps that Google had given me to the originals that Crystal had.

I pulled out of the driveway with my dog sitting on the porch looking like the most dejected being in the world. Not this time! The truck had been checked – oil, water, tires, etc., and was good to go. All I needed was gas. A brief stop for a fill, a large bottle of water on impulse, and I was headed west with the radio cranked.

The first part of the road I knew well, but half an hour later it was logging/gravel road – known around here as “Back Roads.” Another two and half hours and I’d be hooking up with Crystal and we’d be heading into the ‘forest’ for some relaxation.

THUNDER LAKE, AB

If only I’d known…

That nagging feeling came back and bit me in the ass – HARD! All I can say is, do NOT trust Google to deliver the correct maps for GPS co-ordinates. I was sent North, meanwhile, Crystal was South waiting for me. That would have been fine, except in the foothills of the Rockies, cell phone service is not exactly reliable. I punched in the final destination, and was given a location in GERMANY! Ok, this is not the right place. I trusted my intuition and turned around, then took a turn off onto a road with a home made sign stating “Wild Country” and prayed that somehow we’d hook up.

I managed to get a text through to Crystal telling her where I was, and that I was going to drive South and see if that would help. About fifteen very long minutes later… there comes a white pickup up the road, with my friend behind the wheel! We both hit the brakes, and were laughing with relief. I followed her South until we reached the turn off. Then began some more fun of a whole other kind

With a little bit of work and educated deduction, we finally located the entrance to Thunder Lake, which is where we’d originally intended to spend the long weekend. It offered fishing, as well as some awesome access to semi formed trails around the lake. We figured it’d be great for what we had wanted to do.

Sadly, someone had beaten us to the punch. The narrow lane that had been carved out of the toothpicks was completely blocked by a largish RV. It was time to come up with a new plan on the spot.

...on to Muskiki Lake in Part 2...