Updates from the Road - Day 21 - Montana Through Vancouver
Travels since my last update.
Current location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Miles traveled since last update: 1100+
Max miles traveled in one day on this leg: 450
Total miles traveled: 4600+
Made it to the Pacific! Wow when you loosely plan a trip like this your ideas on how and when you might get to particular places goes out the window pretty quickly. While the whole idea of my journey was to let go and take my time, I'm realizing that if I don't pick up my pace it will be winter by the time I get home so it is time to pick up the pace on my next leg. But there were SO many great stops and experiences on this leg of the journey!!!
Permaculture Farm in Montana
View from top of the farm
I spent the weekend of the 12th on a really cool permaculture farm west of Missoula. I found this place on AirBnB and was drawn to it mainly because of the whole permaculture thing. I am very interested in the idea of renewable energy and permaculture as something to look into for a possible career direction but also in perhaps living a version of this at some point in my life. Spending a few days in a tiny solar cabin, using a compost heated shower, and learning about how all this works was awesome. You can check out some pictures of things here. Bonus: I tried my hand at astrology photography for the first time ever during the Perseid Meteor shower. While I need practice, I did catch a couple. Can you see? Click for the larger version.
Idaho: Who KNEW??
Hiking up to a remote lake (no I'm not telling you which lake, you'll have to ask)! :P
What comes to mind when you think of Idaho? Interesting question huh? I'm so glad I detoured here based on suggestions from two separate friends. This part of the country is absolutely stunning. I stayed at an amazing spot north of Sandpoint, Idaho complete with cosy and quaint yurts, the kindest hosts I've met to date in these travels, and my most beautiful hike yet.
I really can't say enough about my time here. I've been to places like Norway with fantastic scenery and the freshest air you could experience, and this was the first place I've come across that has rivaled Norway. During my hike up to a remote lake I could not get over the views and how seriously fresh the air was here. My jaw was on the floor the entire time. Since it is bear country it is good practice to make noise as you walk along the trail. If the bears hear you they will usually keep their distance so what you do it clap your hands and yell out a lot, especially if you are alone. After a short while of doing basic claps and noises I was in such amazement of where I was I switched up my bear calls from the basic "Hey bear!" to "SO FREEESHH!", "BEAAAUUUTIFUL!", and "THANK YOU SO MUCH!". I was enjoying myself so much and so thankful to be in this place.
The medicine
When I got to the lake my jaw dropped even further. This place was EPIC! Photos simply don't do enough justice to show the spectacle and scale of this place. I felt so small at this glorious lake nestled in between these gigantic mountains. It really put into perspective the vastness of this planet. I stayed at the lake most the afternoon taking in the scene. Only a few hikers came through and I basically had the whole place to myself. I decided that there was no better time to connect further into the moment and this beautiful scene by making this experience a psychedelic one. I took some mushroom tincture I had brought with me and had a truly spiritual experience while laying on a rock in the sun, breathing in this spectacular landscape. I have wanted to talk publicly about psychedelic medicine for some time and their uses in stress relief, deep self reflection, and helping to step back and see the a different viewpoint and bigger picture of life. While there is far too much to say to fit into this post, I am working on something which I hope to share in the near future. Here on the lake, the medicine allowed me to experience this already glorious place in a new way, work out some experiences I've had so far on my journey, and feel an even higher level of gratitude for the moment than I already had.
After my hike I went to a freezing cold mountain stream. It was such a hot day that I told myself on the way down from the lake that I would go into the stream to cool off. Once I got there it took me about 5 mins to build up the courage to jump in but once I did I ended up dipping in three times. Now that is one way to feel alive! Photos and videos of this part of my trip can be found here.
Canada: National Parks and the Most Beautiful Drive I've Ever Taken
This post is getting a bit long so I'll have to cut things short unfortunately, but the pictures might help do this part of my journey a small bit of justice. On arriving in Canada I decided I needed to pick up my pace. While I've tried to leave things open ended, at my current pace I will be on the road for over 3+ months. Not only are my funds limited, but I it would be a good idea to start the process of next steps in my professional career. Therefore some originally planned stops had to be skipped. As I was driving through this region of Canada, it almost hurt to simply drive through it. I stopped at SO many viewpoints and had to pass by even more because of the sheer number of amazing views. I really wanted to take a hike in this place but it just wasn't possible. If there is one place that I *must* come back to and spend some quality time if I ever can, it is Canada's Glacier National Park. I thought northern Idaho was the most beautiful place I'd seen but Glacier and the scenic drive through Kamloops and on to Vancouver sees to have topped that. Full photo album here.
Vancouver
Vancouver is where I currently rest. I've been here for three days and love this city already. It reminds me of a larger version of Montreal, one of my favorite cities in the world. I spent a whole day biking around the entire town, eating some great food along the way, and spent some time on the beach. Tomorrow it is off to my next stop, Olympic National Park. Vancouver has been awesome but to be quite honest, I'm ready to get back to the nature. Catch you sometime next week!
