Kim Mallory Fraser Valley Photographer

I took a trip recently.  It wasn’t your average get on a plane and fly somewhere hot and sunny and lie on the beach type trip.  It was completely opposite of that actually and I had more than a few people shake their heads at our crazy plans.  Our trip would be to the Olympic Penninsula..  with a group of students from Abbotsford’s Columbia Bible College.  Their instructor is our neighbour and their final exam for their first year student’s Outdoors Program is to take their guests (Clarke and I) on a guided backpacking tour in the wilderness.  So, we would be carrying our belongings on our back through the outback and sleeping in tents, no running water, none of the conveniences of modern life.   Now I’ve always been a hippy at heart but part of me wondered if I could swing seven days without running water, make-up, phones, computers… I guess I will find out how much of a “princess” I really am.  I like to think I’m not, but the last time I got up and didn’t put on make-up was probably 14 years ago when I went into labour in the middle of the night.  I’m also a bit leary about hurting myself after a back injury 3 years ago left me afraid of doing anything that might lead to another injury.  I was excited but completely freaked out…

“Can I really do this?”

“If I hurt myself will they be able to get a helicopter in to fly me out?”

“Will I be able to outrun a bear?   Are there cougars?  I’m skinny so probably not worth the kill but what if they get Clarke…. “

The first time they put a backpack on my back I felt like I was sinking into the ground.   Really?  seven kms with this on my back (in one day)?  Okay, don’t be a wimp just start moving.  And so I did.  Now this hike I thought was supposed to be pretty easy turned out to be more of an obstacle course than the nice little flat path I had expected.  We were up huge slopes that had ropes on them to get you up the hill, we were down crazy drops and turns and rocks and roots and slogging through mud, crossing rivers and creeks via fallen trees.  I think the variety of the terrain made me forget how long a hike it was.

At one point in the trip one of the guides suggested that he take my backpack for me down the slippery slope…. I slowly took it off and handed it to him, looked at the slope and thought to myself. I came here to backpack and I’m going to get that thing down that slope on my back because that’s why I’m here.  I told him:  ”I need to do this for me so gimme that thing”.  This whole trip is one big personal challenge and I’m not going to be carried through it.

The experiences and lessons I learned on this trip were vast.

• I learned that the weather doesn’t have to be perfect to enjoy nature.
• That the pain is temporary.
• You can either talk yourself out of  it or talk yourself through it.
• Less is more…
• and by having less… I felt more.
• By being unplugged I became connected.
• By trusting I felt safe.

To say this was just a week in the woods is an understatement….  it was truly a life changing experience for me and I will carry many of the lessons I learned on this trip throughout my life.  I can’t thank our six young guides enough.  They were teamwork at its best.  Courtney, Alexis, Aaron, Dan, Cynthia & Deanna lead by example.  Kind & caring, hard working, positive & professional..  We struggled through days of rain and wind and came out to sunshine on the other end.  Every challenge that we experienced was rewarded with a life lesson. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that I could come away from a trip with so much.  It wasn’t a hot sunny beach but it was amazing.  Thanks so much Chris for inviting us to be a part of this unique experience!  You are amazing at what you do.

And more of our trip images mostly taken with my point and shoot.  Note to self… leave camera equipment at home……  it’s far too heavy…