I’m just back from a mini-vacation with my middle child. In the past, I’ve taken his siblings on one-to-one trips, but his, like so many holidays, was scuttled by COVID.  This year, when he decided to tackle a huge hike through the Rocky Mountains (you can learn more about the Great Divide Trail here), he realized he needed a ride about three hours south of Calgary to where he wanted to begin. When we realized it coincided with Calgary Stampede, a mother-son trip was born.

The trip did not start well. As we were clearing security, my phone dinged. The flight had been cancelled – not due to the well-reported chaos at Pearson International Airport, but rather a mechanical failure. Fortunately, they managed to reschedule the flight an hour later, so we weren’t terribly inconvenienced. I had a carry-on bag, but we did have a moment of panic at the luggage carousal – if his backpack didn’t make it, he was in deep trouble. Fortunately, the cancelled flight was the only thing to go wrong, and we were soon on our way to our hotel, and his last few nights of comfortable sleeping. 

On my last full day out west, we drove to a B&B where he’ll be emerging from the mountains briefly. We left his host with a box full of supplies, labelled with his name and his approximate arrival date, so he only has to carry half of his 20 day supply of food and other necessities  with him at once. Apparently she has a whole office full of boxes like these from other hikers!

This was where the reality of what my son was undertaking really hit home for me. We’d bought bear spray the day before. Gulp. He had a GPS, and he was planning to message his partner when he packed up his tent every morning and again when he arrived at the next destination. But otherwise, he was pretty much off the grid. Alone. In the mountains. With bears! With a finite amount of fuel and food. I knew he’d done his research for this trip. I just hoped it was enough.

Errand accomplished, we continued south for another hour or so, the landscapes getting more majestic with each turn and incline. Finally we arrived at Waterton Lakes National Park. The US border is only about six kilometres from there, so my son had decided that we should hike down there so he could say he’d started the GDT from the “beginning” – at least where Canada begins.

Now I’m no stranger to a long walk – a hike even – and 6-8 kilometres is an easy distance for me. Twelve or thirteen shouldn’t have been a problem. But I forgot one thing. In southern Ontario, we’re at much lower elevation and hills are few and far between. When my son told me we’d be hiking beside the lake the whole way, I heard “at lake level”, not “up and down, and up and down and repeat”.  I certainly did not hear 440 m of elevation gain! (in my industry we’d have called that not communicating properly during the pre-job brief 🙂 ). There was one point where I definitely thought I would have to give up. Fortunately – or not, depending – I’m just about as stubborn as he is, so with him patiently waiting at the top of each incline, while I huffed and puffed my way up, I did make it. Just.

The next morning, my calves were screaming at me and the first few steps after I stood up were agony. I didn’t complain – there was nobody to complain go anyway – my little day hike was nothing compared to what my son was undertaking.

All other things being equal, he should emerge from the wilderness in about a week. I’m really curious to know whether he’ll come out proud of what he’s accomplished and be done with it, or be ready to book the next trip to finish the next portion!

What’s the most “off the grid” thing you’ve ever done?