we went car-camping for the week of Aug 22-29.
two reasons we went.
first and foremost was to have family time doing something we love to do.
We love Killarney and everything about it.
Dan and i met there years ago.
we have car camped a few times.
we have backpacked and enjoyed the interior campsites.
we have canoed on some of the lakes.
*we have travelled into the village of Killarney and enjoyed world famous Fish and Chips
and explored the lighthouse on Georgian Bay.*
it is a favorite location and it was wonderful to be back there.
This year we had another family with us for the week.
the kids loved having friends there with us, and so did we.
secondly, and the reason we chose Killarney Provincial Park,
was for my husband to run the La Cloche Silhouette Trail.
The trail is 78km in length.
the terrain is quite rugged and technical.
it is recommended to take 7-10 days if backpacking along it.
the trail begins and ends at the George Lake Campground which made it perfect for Dan to run the whole loop.
he planned to run it on Tuesday.
*others have run it,
see bottom of this link & description*
he was going to run it clockwise.
the beginning of the trail would be the easiest terrain.
the second half was going to be the hardest and steepest.
our friend Ed was planning to run the last half with Dan.
on Monday we had another family come up for 2 nights so we would have extra people on support team.
the plan:
- Dan would head out from the main trailhead at 6am.
- 4 of us would paddle from Bell Lake to David Lake.
- meet Dan where the trail crosses the portage to boundary lake.
- Dan would refill his camelback with gatorade and snacks.
- Ed would run with Dan the rest of the way as the 3 of us paddled back to Bell Lake, and i head back to George lake campground and our other friends head home.
- meet dan and ed at end of trail with the kids.
Monday night Dan packed everything he needed for the run.
it was going to be a rainy day.
90% chance of rain.
we didn't doubt the possibility.
and the temperature was to be around 16*C
sleep did not come easy.
5:00am came early.
it had rained all night long, but stopped shortly before 5.
we woke the kids up at 5:35 as they wanted to come to daddy's start.
over to the trailhead we walked in the dark.
headlamps guiding the way.
the campground was so quiet and still.
when we got to the trailhead we gathered together and prayed for dan.
he was to be running alone until we met up with him.
i cried.
i was nervous.
it was to be wet.
wet rocks, would not be easy.
i began the stopwatch on my phone as he headed across the bridge to begin the trail.
it was dark.
Rhonda would be hanging with the kids for the day as i got to be support crew.
support crew headed to Bell Lake.
one canoe.
4 people.
i wasn't necessary to be there except that i wasn't staying back at the campsite wondering how he was doing.
the paddle was wet.
the rain didn't let up.
it wasn't heavy at all but consistent.
on one portage we met with some people returning from a trip
we told them where we were going.
it was so encouraging.
the lady said she was so glad that she had met us.
that trail running a distance like that always seemed like an urban legend, but she had met us and my husband was doing just that.
they were quite excited for him.
we arrived at the meet point.
he had run a 56k race in just under 6 hours.
he compared the first part to that, except he wasn't racing it, but it gave us a good earliest expectation.
so we waited.
6 and a half hours after he started out we saw him crest over the rock.
"i am so glad to see you guys."
he said as he ran down to where we were meeting.
brief chat.
bit of food.
change of shirt.
refill camelback.
the decision to not run up the side trail to the Silver peak was made.
so overcast and rainy. they didn't need to head up there.
and off they headed.
if ed wasn't running with dan he probably would have finished when we met him.
he hurt.
he was tired.
it was only getting harder from there.
it had already been so difficult as he climbed the trail.
but with ed's excitement, even nervousness, they headed out together.
our canoe travelled back to Bell lake.
the rain slowed.
*we found out later ed and dan had re-debated heading to silver peak, because it cleared slightly.
the original decision stood and they continued on their way.*
when we got back to the car i headed back to our campsite.
i was so glad i had been there to see him, to encourage him, to support him.
now i didn't want to miss him at the end.
i met up with Rhonda and the kids and we headed to the final destination.
the kids biked and climbed on the rocks as we waited.
Rhonda and i watched the stopwatch and watched for them to arrive.
other people kept fooling us as they came to the end of the trail.
Rhonda and the kids climbed up to look around a little as i waited at the bottom just in case they came and i could stop the timer.
nothing.
the girls told many people why we were waiting there.
the girls made a sign out of acorns that said DAD!
they worked so hard on it.
i walked up to check out the top of that hill,
hoping..
hoping to see them.
i turned to come back down and, as i neared the girls, Rhonda yelled
"i think i see them!"
i turned to see them coming over and through the trees.
i cheered,
the kids and rhonda cheered.
our husbands had done it.
the girls showed them their sign on the ground.
i high five them each and rhonda stopped the timer as they crossed the end.
11hours and 26 minutes.
Dan had run the La Cloche Silhouette Backpacking Trail.
he did it!
thanks ed for being the last-half pacer and encouragement for him.
thanks rhonda for watching the kids so i could meet at the half way point.
thanks marshall family for the canoeing and crazy support.
thanks portage-ers and hikers who were excited for him.
thanks jen for praying on tuesday after my text to you.
thanks friends and family who encouraged and prayed.
we didn't tell many people, so most of you didn't know, but now you do.
*photos by me with Gertie
*dark morning photo with Chester
No comments:
Post a Comment