A few weeks ago, I helped set up a Guinness World Record, alongside 1,566 others! The record was for “The most people hiking simultaneously”. We broke the previous record of 815 hikers set in Kurdistan, Iraq. Given how outdoor-mad the people of Vancouver are, it felt right to see the record now belong here.
Standing near the side of the trail which ran near the edge of the mountain, I had a view of the surrounding areas. But for now the view was completely obscured by a thick veil of fog. As I stood there, the fog would sometimes clear to reveal spectacular views and then ever so slowly the view would disappear again. Far away I could see a solitary house surrounded by fields. This house would appear and disappear with the fog. I felt like the protagonist of a gothic horror short story, who after traversing a mountain trail is just about to reach a mysterious house. It felt surreal.
This year’s hiking season started with a short hike to Kennedy Falls located in North Vancouver. It was a simple, straightforward hike, a good first one for the year.
It was a hot day. The sun was shining bright and in full force. I was sitting outside my tent, at the edge of my tent pad, taking in the view. I was camping at Helm creek campground, high up in the Garibaldi Mountain Ranges, along with two of my friends. As I looked around I could see the massive face of the Black Tusk mountain jutting out of the mountains surrounding the campsite, its black surface in stark contrast to the layers of white snow all around. More closer, the campsite, which was a nice meadow like grassy field, was surrounded by Douglas fir trees all around. Right beside my tent pad ran a small creek, which made that hypnotizing sound of flowing water.
