Blanket Creek

Between Calgary and Vancouver we indulged in some time in the mountains: first Banff, then in a provincial park in BC called Blanket Creek. I just picked it out on a map and made a reservation without knowing what it would be like. Fortunately for us, it turned out to be paradise on earth.

Don't believe me? Exaggerating, you say? Take a look...


It is situated on the Columbia River. Being mid-June, the official season hadn't yet begun so we essentially had the place to ourselves. It was tough going but we managed to make the best of it.




At night I could hear the roar of traffic and I spent some time bemoaning our modern world, where even in paradise, there was noise from cars. The next day we walked up to this waterfall and I discovered the real source of the noise. I could point out how it is that we become convinced of things that we make up in our minds and how those things affect our happiness and behavior and how those things are, more often than not, wrong in reality. But, the waterfall was so gorgeous and powerful, I think it can speak for itself.


The cedar forests were, we were convinced, full of faeries. We were even more convinced when we found these amazing looking black slugs that looked like Dutch licorice. We didn't eat them to find out if they tasted like Dutch licorice, however. Later we found out that they are called Rocking Slugs because they make a rocking motion if feeling threatened. We never threatened them - just enjoyed the Dutch licorice traveling across the floor of the magical forest.


This view, which again I took in completely solo, was what one sees if you turn a corner on the riverbank.


There also were the remains of homestead that added further to sense of magical enchantment. It was rather infested with ground squirrels who would pop up out of the ground and make funny noises. I did my yoga practice here one day, feeling very happy to have found a place - finally - that was level ground, not rocky or lumpy from tufts of grass, nor muddy. But there also were lots of signs around warning about bears. I got up to marychasana D in the series before the feeling that I was being watched by many pairs of bearlike eyes reached a peak and I fled back to our campsite.

We were very happy there.