Wells, Weary, Wistful

I never camped much as a child. Yet, now that I'm older, camping has taken itself and has awoken a childlike sensation within me, creating a love for camping that is slowly growing stronger. The more I go, the more I love it. There is something to be said about sleeping "outside". Not showering for days, eating all your meals outside, hearing every single noise, finding interesting bathroom places. Sigh. Camping. How I love thee.

The past few days were spent in Wells Gray Provincial Park, a place I have been wanting to go since I first heard about it, years ago. Well, finally I had the chance to go and I seized it. Every photography book on Canada has most of its BC pictures from this park, with its incredible landscapes and waterfalls. So Brooke and I packed up the vehicle and headed on our way.

A few things I love about camping:

-The road trip to get to where I'm going camping
-The sound of the fire crackling
-The sound of the zipper on the tent (weird I know)
-The stars at night
-Sitting around the campfire and coming home smelling like fire
-Being able to hang out with absolutely no agenda


Things I loved about this specific camping trip:

-Driving 10 hours to get to our campsite and only 5.5. to get home
-Listening to a phone message upon arriving home that I failed to listen to before we left letting us know the recent mix-ups in getting to the campsite. Oh irony

-The waterfalls.. stunning

-Being pretty much in the middle of nowhere
-Having only four other parties at our campsite

-The stillness of the lake all day long
-All the wildlife we saw (minus where we almost died)

-How GREEN everything was
-the wildflowers
-tasty meals

-reading a good book

-our very bright, 6-man tent that everyone kept commenting on

-the little girl that said hi to us numerous times per day, and her little sister who would copy everything she said
-the kid who would bike by our campsite repeatedly all day long

-the outhouse whose floor felt like it would cave in at any minute, letting you plunge into... well, I'd rather not go there.

-Sunsets and sunrises
-S'mores

-Dusk. Best time of day because of the blues in the sky. Beautiful.

-Being away from all technology
-Exploring parts of the lake with the canoe and waiting and watching the wildlife

-The random sweater on a stick in the middle of the lake

-The fact that the lake was so long that after canoeing for 2 hours we still couldn't see the end
-Canoeing naked

-Okay, just kidding. hehe (just trying to get a no strap tan for Des' wedding)
-clouds that are shaped like crocodiles and other animals

-cool roots on trees

-making new animal friends

Things I hated about this camping trip:

-the 100 + (I decided to stop counting) mosquito bites ravaging my body. Itchy.
-the wildlife that might have eaten us (more on that to come!)


Have I mentioned that the lake looked like glass?

When we pulled into the campsite, all the sites were empty. Then we came to the lake where there were a couple people set up. We had been worried and figured there was no way we were staying at a campsite in the middle of nowhere if there was no one else staying there. Thankfully there were people!

Thank-you camping for stealing my heart. I can hardly wait until we meet again. Very soon. I can't seem to get enough of you.
And thanks to my canoe for bringing such delight! {and sore arms}


This is the 2nd thing in the last couple weeks I'm crossing off my bucket list. First one was build something (helped build house in mexico) and second was going to Wells Gray. I can't wait to go back!