Visual Massage Of My Soul
Stand-Up Paddle Through Canadian Rockies
SUPing alone through the wilderness was beyond any words. The piercing beauty of my surroundings, the peace of remoteness, and the weight of silence were totally overwhelming. I was forgetting to breathe while trying to absorb it all.
When Jasper and Banff National Parks used to be my “backyard,” I spent most of my free time in the wilderness. Often, I hiked, biked, skied, and camped in the interior or I scrambled solo to the tops of majestic peaks. Leaving my playground behind and moving to Toronto was difficult for me but fortunately, I have managed to take a trip “out west” every year so far to get my dose of the mountains. This year, to my great surprise, I added yet another dimension to my love for the Rockies. Paddling through the icy waters of the turquoise mountain lakes simply blew me away!
Tent, sleeping bag, bear spray, and inflatable SUP were my only weapons!
Even though my trip was only 4 days short this year, I SUPed around Moraine Lake, Bow Lake, Waterfowl Lakes, Mistaya Lake, and Barrier Lake. Most of these lakes are easily accessible by car while driving along the famous Icefield Parkway. Fear not though, just a few strokes of the paddle and the visual presence of the road is gone, a human being hard to find. Exploring the entrails of these lakes is like finding hidden jewels! Bow Lake, for instance, while located right by the road, has a long upstream continuation that leads to another totally remote no-name lake. The beauty of its turquoise water and breathtaking panoramic views rivals even the most iconic places in the area. Like a true explorer :-), I named it Mya Lake, pronounce as “my lake.” Inspired by the Cree word “myatuck”, which means “bighorn sheep” as well as the “my” factor for any future visitor to be able to “claim” it…
Mistaya Lake, however, required about 2 kilometers of upstream wading through fast and cold water of Mistaya River before I reached the lake itself. “Was it ever remote though, wow!” There is no easy way to explore the shores of this amazing lake; no trails, no people, no civilization. The horseflies, however, were so big that I thought they were going to tip my SUP over. 🙂
It is surprising to me that there weren’t any other people SUPing the lakes. Yes, you might see an occasional SUP on Moraine Lake or Lake Louise but that is not what I would consider wilderness. I suppose people are scared of the freezing water temperatures and the possibility of almost immediate hypothermia and possible death. Most of these lakes are fed directly from the melting glaciers and so the water is barely 5 degrees. Still, a proper wetsuit solves the problem.
