High Rim Trail Trip 2018: Day 3

High Rim Trail Trip 2018: Day 3

Hell on Earth.

Did I describe it that way on Day 2? Because, Day 2 was pretty bad with the rain. I remember it being nicer on Day 3. Much more clear. But I also remember it in a dim light. So I’m not sure if that is because of my experience or the weather. I think it was the weather. However, I remember Day 3 and 4 as not too pleasant. Let’s see…

Oh hey! I discovered as I was packing up that I put the tent fly on upside down. This could be the reason why I had leakage in my tent. I hoped that it wouldn’t rain again to test that out because the rain can just go away for another day…Yeah, I’m corny. So what?

It was a very hot day.

I stink even more.

God did I stink! This might be TMI but I mean this literally…I smelled like urine. No, I didn’t wet myself. But that’s all I could smell. It was in my clothes, it was in my nose. Gross. Then on top of that I had the stink of the trail. I was quite dirty. Filthy, actually, but I wasn’t looking to stay clean haha.

Let’s see…I’m describing it as hell on Earth? Yeah, it really was. It was super-hot and I wasn’t protected under the canopy of deep forest. I’m assuming there was a fire in this area because it was all full of young bush and trees or completely open and full of tree debris.

I’m running out of water. I’m down to my last ¾ of a litre…Saving it as long as I can manage. I’m seriously worried at this point. According to maps and my gps map, there is no water for quite some time…not until I get to Hayhurst Lake. That was also a long way off.

Oh guess what?????? My prayers were answered! There was a small trickling “stream” along the side of the trail. I’m around Lake Country at this point. Funny…no lakes in sight haha. But I DID have a tiny little thing…trickling from a murkier muddier part. I’m not sure how long this stream stays on the trail through our hot dry summers, but it was there for me then, thankfully!

Getting my pack off right away, I pulled out my Lifestraw. I remember Bob asking me what I needed it for when we were looking at ways to cut some ounces off my pack weight. I told him that it was my back-up water in case something happened to my pill treatments. I’m not messing around with water, especially on this trail, as it’s pretty sparse there.

Anyway, rather than waste any time, as I was basically out of water at this point, out came the Lifestraw, and there I was on my belly, sticking the sucker in there and sucking for dear life. It tasted so good. I had never appreciated water so much. This stop took me a very long time. I was probably there an hour at least between me drinking as much as I could, collected 4 bottles worth of water and then treating them with my pills. Then I had to fill my water bladder with two litres and start again for another round of pills for two bottles.

I was able to eventually carry on.

I can’t believe how bad some parts of the trail were. Places the Okanagan High Rim Trail Association hadn’t hit yet (partly what I was supposed to do was report where there were problem areas). I hit Echo FSR and then a huge clearing which I had considered camping for the night. Was a pretty area. But it is only 2 PM or so and I still had energy to carry on.

I came across a little stream, which I found out was called South Clark Creek. I considered getting some of that water but felt I was ok since it was a bit murky. I could have grabbed some I suppose. What was that lesson I learned last year? Oh yeah…fill up wherever you possible can, Nat. Buuuuuuut, I didn’t do it. I mean that one bottle that was empty was worth it wasn’t it? Well, it was a total pain in the butt to undo everything to do that, so I didn’t do it.

I turned to the right after the creek, following the trail.

Oh. My. God.

I quickly got out my phone and texted my buddy, the President of the association. I said, “I’ve got to be off the trail right?” Checked my GPS. Texted him back right away, using a very bad curse word saying that I am indeed on the trail.

What I could see is the trail straight ahead and all I can see is windfall as far as the trail went. I can’t remember now how many there were, there were probably about ten “areas” of stuff to climb over or crawl under. I could have cried. It was that bad. But I carried on. Oh my. I was pretty full with water, so this was tough.

Guys, it was bad. There were so many in each spot that it was hard to climb over or duck under most of them. It reminded me of KM 20-24 of last year. But it was worse because they were all so close together. What I did was took my pack off, took all water out, including the bladder (real pain in the butt by the way…taking that off and putting it back on…).

My process:

1.       Moved my pack to the next set of trees

2.       Pushed it under

3.       Went back for my water, brought it to the next set

4.       Pushed it under.

5.       Climbed over or crawled under the trees.

6.       Repeat.

It took me forever to get past that patch and it was not a big area.

But…SUCCESS!

Water is getting a little light in weight again. *SIGH* I might be remembering how much water I had at South Clark Creek wrong, or not sure how much time actually passed by the time I got to the area where there was total open air and nothing but debris on either side of the trail, as well as slopes. I’m low on water. Very low on water. I was worried again. This is a very dry area. I text my buddy again… “Please tell me that there is a place to camp close to Shorts Canyon!”…knowing that I was getting close to Shorts. I was exhausted. He told me that, yes there is a great place just before South Clark Creek. *sigh* Yeah, that place that I considered. Haha, joke’s on me!

I was so close to deciding to camp right on the trail. Just lay down and use my tent fly as a tarp to cover myself from dew.

And then, there it was. I came to an old FSR. Overgrown, so it hadn’t been used in forever. Huge open field to the right of it. Firepit. White flowers all over the field. Very pretty.

I hung my clothes and other stuff up to dry in a tree, set camp and prepared to eat a meal. I ate a Mountain House Lasagna meal. Was actually pretty good! First time I actually felt an appetite to eat anything.

Texted my husband to tell him what was up and describe as best as I can as to where I was (as if that would help lol). I might have sent a GPS location which is my way, but I don’t remember. Anyway, I told him that I’m almost out of water and looking to get some at Hayhurst Lake the next day. I figured I was at around 37 km. When looking at it later, I was indeed at around 37.5 km.

That night, I dreamt of partying teens showing up and stopping because my tent was right there on the road haha. I just remember dreaming that I was going to have to move it. I think I slept pretty decently that night.

Woke on Day 4.

Now I really stink.

EDIT: Looking back at this post, noticing the picture of Vernon creek (the first pic)...I'm remembering crossing it. In 2017 when I planned a mini trip, I approached this creek from the other direction and did not trust this bridge. The hand rail was not there at that time. I took one look at the bridge and said out loud, "Not on your life!" and forded it instead. Almost fell several times. I was already exhausted and had to climb out, which was a bit of an ordeal physically lol. Anyway, made my way back to the end of the bridge, got back on the trail and swore. Several lovely flowered statements as I looked up the trail. And I mean I looked UP. Oh God. was horrible to look at it haha. The hill was BIG. Halfway up I heard a moose and freaked out a little bit. Would be a bad place to run into on (or it running into me as they like to)...straight up, to the left it was practically vertical with rock and hill, to the right was basically straight down almost. Come to think of it, this was a scary place to be period, as the trail itself was a skinny little thing. One wrong step and I shudder at the thought!

In 2018, as I headed north that time, it was a little better going down. But it was kinda scary for the same reasons as above. The HUGE tree "pile" across the trail was still there. Difficult to pass with a backpack on. But I made it.

What I was REALLY happy about was the Okanagan High Rim Trail Association had updated the bridge so that there was a handrail (THANK YOU GUYS!!!!) and when I made it to the other side, I was so relieved. It was still freaky passing the creek on that bridge. I was so happy. As usual, I talked to myself and said something like, "I did it!" I'll include a link to the video of the OHRTA putting up  the rail.

Some pictures from Day 3. 

High Rim Trail - Okanagan High Rim Trial Association updating the Vernon Creek bridge.