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Off Track Travel’s 2014: A Year of Chasing Adventure in Canada

I’m going to go right ahead and open this by saying that 2014 was the best year of my life so far!

We have honestly had an incredible year and I feel so lucky that I am in the position to take advantage of the opportunities available to us.

From Mount Washington to Fort John

Our year started bunked down in Mount Washington village on Vancouver Island, holding out for the snow to come and the ski season to start. 12 months later, we are living in the winter wonderland of Fort St John, North BC.

There’s no more waiting for snow now; it just keeps on coming whether we like it or not, along with -20c temperatures! It is my first experience of a ‘real’ Canadian winter.

Mount Washington with limited snow
A sad sight at Mount Washington

A year of change

We had no idea at the beginning of 2014 that we would finish our year in Fort St John. And it’s been quite a journey to get here.

As well as our amazing five month road trip around Western Canada (plus Alaska for me!), we both also managed to visit our respective hometowns for the first time since we moved to British Columbia in 2011.

Not only did we get to reunite with our families, but we also met so many friends this year, both old and new.

Hello and happy new year to everyone we spent time with, especially Ted, Rob, Joan, Julie, Jason, Emily and Ben – thank you for opening your homes to us.

Looking ahead to 2015, we have a lot of exciting things to come. I’ll be sharing our plans soon. Thank you for all of your support this year. We hope you too have had a fantastic 2014 and we’ll see you in 2015!

No snow year drinking beer outside Mt Washington
We had no snow at Mount Washington during the early part of winter. This is December

A weird winter

Sunbathing and snowshoeing within just a couple of weeks on Mount Washington during the weirdest winter season ever. It was also our third and last ski season, so we branched out to other resorts on the mainland – Silver Star, Big White and Whistler.

Silver Star mountain BC skiing views
Snowboarding at Silver Star

While Mount Washington closed for two weeks in February, I took the opportunity to visit the UK – my first trip home for two and half years.

Snowshoeing Mount Washington 2014 (2)
little bear bear fire camping johnstone strait

Time for a road trip!

Our five-month long road trip started on 13th April. With the winter weather coming so late, our trip started very cold and wet. Despite this, we were so happy. For one thing, we had so much ahead of us. Second, I had ‘landed’ two days before in Vancouver as a Permanent Resident of Canada!

start of road trip 2014

Our first adventure on the trip was hiking to Cape Scott, the very northern tip of Vancouver Island. Wading through mud, camping next to the ocean, experiencing a 6.6 magnitude earthquake….it was quite a beginning to our trip!

Cape Scott Provincial Park hike Nels Bight camping
Starting Powell Forest Canoe Circuit Lois Lake
Desolation Sound view JR

The Sunshine Coast

Moving away from the Island, we paddled the Powell Forest Canoe Circuit and watched whales on the Sunshine Coast.

Next up, my favourite expedition of the summer; a five-day canoe to Desolation Sound. We had absolutely perfect weather and an amazing camp site for JR’s birthday.

North BC mountains
Black bear Cassiar highway

Driving to the Arctic Circle

After enjoying all of the benefits of civilisation in Vancouver, we started driving north. And kept going. And going. Stopping occasionally to watch bears, porcupines and elk cross the road.

We drove as far north as you can go in Canada, following the Dempster Highway all the way to Inuvik. We reached the Arctic Circle in time for the summer solstice and I experienced a 24 hour daylight birthday for the first time….which had good and bad sides.

Dempster highway view
Arctic Circle JR Dempster

The wonder of Yukon

After two weeks on the dusty roads of the Dempster, we took a break before heading out on our next adventure, paddling the Yukon River. We celebrated Canada Day in Dawson City, my first as a Permanent Resident of Canada.

Soon after, we started our 700km canoe journey from Whitehorse back to Dawson. There were plenty of ups and downs over the two weeks, but what an experience.

Paddling the Yukon River 2014
Paddling the Yukon River

Dawson City

Having made it all the way back to Dawson City with the canoe, we then stayed for two weeks. We had such an awesome time in Dawson, something that completely took me by surprise.

Moosehide opening ceremony

We partied with new friends from the Yukon River, saw some incredible acts at the Dawson City Music Festival and then attended the Moosehide Gathering, a bi-annual First Nation event a few kilometres upriver. Sometimes the best experiences are the most unexpected.

Dragging ourselves away from Dawson, we headed back to the Dempster Highway and completed two unforgettable hikes in Tombstone Territorial Park.

JR Pointing at Horizon on top of a mountain overlooking the Dempster Hwy
Grizzly Lake view Tombstone Yukon
Pangaea Adventures Kayak tour icebergs columbia glacier
Kluane National Park snow mountains

Alaska

In August, JR went back to New Brunswick for two weeks, just in time for Acadian Day. I continued the road trip into Alaska and was offered the opportunity of a lifetime.

Kayaking with icebergs in Prince William Sound on a picture perfect day (courtesy of the fantastic Pangaea Adventures) absolutely made my year.

But still, there was more! Returning to Yukon, I joined a flight above Kluane National Park and viewed Mount Logan, Canada’s highest mountain (thank you Kluane Glacier Air Tours!) It was a very surreal couple of days!

Northern Lights Tumbler Ridge
Vibrant Vine vineyards Kelowna Okanagan

Tumbler Ridge and the Okanagan Valley

Picking JR up from Whitehorse airport, it was time for us to head south to do a bit of sun-seeking. A stop in Tumbler Ridge, BC, proved to be rewarding with incredible waterfalls, dinosaur tracks and the Northern Lights.

A week later and we were baking in the Okanagan Valley’s warm autumn sun. We sunbathed, swam in the lake, unsuccessfully fished and rode horses at Myra Canyon Ranch. The perfect end to the 17,000km road trip.

Camping by James Lake night photo
Downtown view from Vancouver Tower
York tudor houses

Back to the UK

The end of the trip was a little difficult. I made the decision to re-join JR in Fort St John mid-October but took the chance to visit the UK again (and experience Guy Fawkes/Fireworks night!) before I made the move north.

Big thanks to my wonderful parents for everything, including the trip to Yorkshire (a place I have wanted to visit for a long time now) and humouring all of my cream tea/cider/Ploughman’s obsessions…

Yorkshire Moors
Grand Prairie winter sunset
JR And Gemma

Moving to the Sub-Arctic

Mid-November saw us reunited in Fort St John, in the midst of ‘sub-arctic’ temperatures. I’m getting used to it. The best side effect aside from having JR nearby? My first White Christmas ever. It was awesome. Much like 2014.

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NZ Muse

Friday 16th of January 2015

Very cool! I have heard of FSJ before as one of my blog buddies is originally from there :)

Gemma

Monday 19th of January 2015

How did your friend describe it to you? It's a bit of an unusual place! Not a town I would have ever imagined myself living in before moving to Canada

Murray Lundberg

Thursday 1st of January 2015

That was quite a year! All the best to you both for 2015. Cathy and I will be on the road a lot this coming summer, and will pop you a note either when we're going to be in FSJ or when our paths cross somewhere else.