A weekend in Jasper with Colour The Trails: Part 2.
After our icewalk on Athabasca Glacier, we went back to camp to rest, prepare dinner and hang out. Allison, Shenaz & I took turns playing with Sage. Sage wanted to play “hide & seek” (his understanding of hide & seek is that he tells me where he is hiding, usually 5m away from me). Despite being out with us on the glacier all day, he had napped for two hours in the carrier on Corin’s back, therefore having energy to burn at dinnertime.
It was actually me who crashed pretty early that night—while everyone else was getting ready for another round of s’mores and what I can only describe as fire-roasted Starbursts*, I retreated to the tent to read my book at 9:30pm. Our hike that day certainly wasn’t the longest or most difficult I’ve ever done, but this was the first time since the pandemic began that I would have socialised to this extent, and I was surprised by how much it took it out of me. I was fast asleep by 10:30pm, but I would find out the next day that the others didn’t get to bed until 1am.
Naturally, I was the first one up the next morning. Camp was serene. The morning air always has this comforting crispness, a fresh, clear smell unique to starting your day in the forest. The sound of the small waterfall & running creek nearby added to the tranquility, and helped me sleep deeply on both evenings. Waking up in nature, I always feel bright & energised. No alarm clock is required when the sunlight softly filters through your tent and the birds sing their morning song. As soon as I got up, I began my camp pack-down procedure, deflating my air mattress, rolling up my sleeping bag and packing whatever I wouldn’t need for breakfast into my pack. After 4 seasons of camping in the Rockies, the rhythm of setting up and packing down finally felt familiar, instead of an alien, clumsy and inefficient routine.
Our objective that day was a nearby lake, close to the boundary between Jasper & Banff National Parks. Corin led us on an unmarked trail that involved quite a bit of bushwhacking at one section, where the snow & glacial melt had eroded the trail despite Corin having travelled on it a mere week prior. During the hike we were treated to many a wildflower, including glacier lilies (also known as avalanche lilies). As we walked, I asked everyone to name 3 facts about themselves; 2 facts about their culture, and 1 time someone made an assumption about them based on their appearance or race. I didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity to get to know my new friends better, and to learn more about their respective race and cultures. I loved hearing all their stories.
When we got to the top, we rested a while, enjoying our lunch on the warm rocks. Zahra & Khadija brought out slices of lemon tea cake—as it turns out, it was the 1 year anniversary of the first Colour The Trails Alberta hike that very day. It felt significant to be part of this weekend, and to be part of the occasion.
On the way back to the cars, we stopped by the lake so that some of the girls could have a swim. Romissaa & Omimah hopped into the icy glacial water right away, already having worn their swimwear underneath their hiking gear. Maria followed, but didn’t linger too long; Diana & Sage hopped in last, but their swim was also short-lived when Sage protested the moment the water hit his feet. It was Omimah who frolicked in the bone-chilling water for 20 minutes, leaving us all in awe that she could withstand the temperature.
This weekend for me marked the beginning of new, meaningful & long-lasting connections, and a new tribe to share my love of the outdoors with. I was so, so glad I said yes to this spontaneous trip, and I am looking forward to more adventures in the outdoors with these incredible humans.
*Fire-roasted Starbursts: Khadija & Zahra told us about how you can roast Starbursts over the fire (thanks, Internet) for a more delectable Starburst experience, so that’s what that is.
This is Part 2 of a two-part series documenting my weekend with Colour The Trails Alberta. You can read Part 1 here.
Photo: Allison Seto
