It’s 6am and I reach to my right where Adam should be sleeping. Empty. I roll over and instead of the squeak of my air mattress below my body I feel an expansive pillow top mattress that seems to have no edge. Which ever direction I roll… I am still on top of this thing. I reach to find the zipper to get out of my mummy sleeping bag and discover – oh I just need to flip the covers. [Video of todays’ adventure: YouTube ]

View of Yamnuska in the Fall

This is all so strange. To be home and in a bed. After 5 months of travelling across Canada with Woods Canada, in a tent whilst jumping to and fro from airports to hotels between legs, I am finally home. But with the comforts of my home there’s consequences. 

Laundry, unpacking gear and repacking gear.  And worst of all ADVENTURE WITHDRAWAL.

This morning it finally hit me. It begins with a tightness in my chest and the inability to sleep.

Phase 1: The anxiety.

I get up and watch Adam get ready for school. Eating leftovers from a meal MahMah (grandma) made the other day to celebrate our return.

Phase 2: Denial.

Adam’s going to school. No big deal I’ll seem him later. It’s not like I spent the last 5 months spending all my time doing things with him. No big deal.

Phase 3: The Listlessness.

I track around our home a bit trying to figure out what I want to do. Sleep? Eat? Write? I settle on writing.

Phase 4: The Freak Out.

Adam starts to say “bye!” he gives me a kiss and says he’ll see me later. BOOM. This is followed by “Where are you going? Why? What am I going to do without you?!” Eventually with loving prying hands, I am released from him. The door locks. The Withdrawal begins.

Melba Eating Adam Looking Good.

It’s only been a few days since we’ve returned and already we have hit the Rocky Mountains on all of those days. The first day we drove from Calgary to Heart Creek and the hills and valleys were littered with yellow and green to mark the turn of the season. I love fall. I freaking love it. The colours are unreal. The smell of decaying leaves and wet pavement. Love it.

Approach to Patriot’s Groove Wall in Heart Creek

We hiked into the climbing crag passing evidence of destruction from the 2013 flood that massacred Highway 1. It looks like a mix of a pile of dead trees in a rocky bed. But we humans always seem to bounce back and many of the bridges have been put back together and pathways cleared and several groups of people outdoors enjoying the trail.

Climbing in Flip Flops.

It took us about 30 minutes to reach a dry spot, and with the flood I couldn’t really tell where we were at because the topos from the guide book often use “a tree” or “a dirt mound” as a point of reference. I think we were at Patriot’s Groove Wall on Data On Demand 5.11c? I started to unpack my gear as did Adam… and no surprise to us. I forgot my climbing shoes.

But like any kid in a candy store after watching adam have a go I couldn’t resist. luckily i had my flip flops…. so here I go. i made it halfway up before i lost my flip flop.. needless to say i came back down and we’ll be back tomorrow.

To watch the video of today’s adventures click here: