SHUSWAP, BC – A HIKE ABOVE THE CLOUDS (and smoke)

This is my favorite!

Eating the berries

She fell asleep…my little pumpkin

It’s almost been a week since we did this hike, but the pictures we took are just too beautiful not to share. The first time we did this hike was exactly one year ago. I remember being blown away once we got to the lookout point…and this time, yet again, did not disappoint! 

BC has had some devastating wildfires rip through. They are continuing to grow and I hope they are able to get a hold of the fires soon. We were in BC for 12 days and 8 of those days we were struck by smoke, not being able to see across the lake – so incredibly rare and upsetting. However, this particular morning that we decided to hike was clear and we wanted to take advantage of it. You can see the smoke rolling in though, and by the end of this day, the smoke got thick again.

This hike is call the Scotch Creek Lookout or the Hlina Trail. It’s pretty short and steep, but the views are spectacular, and you do get your sweat on – especially in this summer heat! We strapped Ada onto my back with our ErgoBaby 360 cool and took off, with bear spray in hand of course 😉

We stopped ALL along the way up the trail and ALL the way back because it was littered with berries! Salmon-berries and raspberries – Ada couldn’t get enough! I absolutely love when she asks for “more” in her little squeaky voice, using her sign language. That and when she says thank you (“tee too”) – HEART MELTERS!

*One of these shots is definitely going up on our wall somewhere in our house!

We are back home now and trying to get back into our normal routine – although things are different around the house and we are loving it! COLIN IS HOME – who knows for how long, but at least until October, and that makes me (us) so happy. I can’t tell you how much more calm and relaxed I feel with his presence. It’s so nice to have us co-parent together and to have his support and help around the house with the daily activites and chores. It’s nice to tackle dinners together and for me to have genuine adult conversations around the dinner table! Nothing is better than having my guy with me in the evenings once our little girl goes to sleep and our house gets quiet. Family time is my favorite time – here’s to basking in it! He is hoping to make some headway on our ongoing home renovation – aka continue to work on our basement! I’m so looking forward to having the space down there complete. It’ll be nice to have a dedicated area for toys/crafts, TV, laundry, and for guests and family! Colin’s parents don’t live here and I am looking forward to having a bedroom and bathroom all set up in the basement for them to come and feel comfortable in. A little in-home suite! 

The Edmonton Music Folk Festival is happening all weekend long, so you can find us on the hill ‘folking’ it up! This is Ada’s first music festival and I am pumped! She has such a love for music and dancing, I’m excited to watch her groove the weekend away. I grew up going every year and have such fond, nostalgic memories. I love the vibe – the music is amazing, the food awesome, the setting unreal, and the people….oh the people! It’s always a little reunion. Edmonton can be such a small town in a big city, in the greatest of ways!

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend. SEE YOU ON THE HILL 🙂

xoxo Andrea