Spending Thanksgiving at an Alpine Hut
Happy Thanksgiving.
A looong rainy drive.
The weather called for rain, and we sure got it. The drive up was a variation of light mist and heavy downpours that almost made the windshield wipers seem like they couldn’t keep up.
Welcome to the end of summer on Vancouver Island.
The drive was about 4 hours from my place, and about 50km of that was on bumpy, pothole-y logging roads through the mountains. Ah, the feeling of adventure is hard to hide when you’re surrounded by forested mountain tops and the scent of fresh rainfall, mixed with seasons change.
Our first glimpse of the snow capped peaks which we were not expecting.
As we neared closer to the trailhead, the clouds began to lift just slightly, and then they were revealed: snow-capped mountain tops on either side of the massive valley that we drove our 4x4’s down.
Those peaks loomed like ominous, yet peaceful giants in the sky.
And the mountains loom in the distance.
I’ll be honest when I say we were not expecting snow, but I guess you should learn to expect anything to happen in the alpine.
Luckily for us the trailhead was right at the snowline.
We ascended hundreds of meters scaling high mountain logging roads before arriving at the snow line. I think we were all feeling a unique mixture of excitement and unsureness with the heavy falling snow.
We parked the trucks and crossed our fingers that they wouldn’t be covered in snow by morning.
The hike in was only about 1km, but with extremely limited visibility, high winds, and now a mixture of sleet and rain, it felt like a mountain experience that could turn sideways very quickly. Definitely not the type of weather you’d be inclined to set up a sent in.
The clouds were thick, the snow was fresh and a little more than a dusting by now. As we wandered through the vast sea of grey, a small outline of our objective shimmered like a beacon.
At first sight the cabin blended into the side of the mountain, barely distinguishable from the trees and rocks.
We knew we had arrived, and we knew this was going to be special.
We huddled into the small alpine cabin and got to work building a fire in the small makeshift stove.
Firewood had been harvested and stored to dry in the cabin. It took a little while to get going, but once it was on the entire cabin felt like it began to loosen and it welcomed us wholeheartedly.
We spent hour after hour drinking wine and eating vegan pasta that we hauled up. I won’t lie, my bag was filled with more “luxury” than ever. A box of wine, tupperwares of pasta sauces, mashed potatoes (c’mon it’s thanksgiving!) two stoves, a pillow, and various lights among other things made me feel pretty cozy up there actually.
After sitting inside for a few hours and trying to dry ourselves out, I stepped outside and noticed one of the most beautiful and unique sunsets I’d ever witnessed. The skies had started to calm, and the main storm cloud that wrung itself out on us the last 4 hours had begun to subside. What was left was a small slit of clear sky in the distance just as the sun was setting. Only a small line of colour was visible, as well as the distant silhouette of the mountain skyline.
I told everyone what was happening, and suddenly we are all outside admiring an incredible moment. I think Selena was so excited that she didn’t even bother putting on her boots and stepped outside barefoot.
The sky cleared and we had extremely good feelings about the next morning.
After a break in the clouds, the milky way even made an appearance to greet us a happy goodnight.
What was most memorable to me was that someone had actually left a perfectly good guitar in the upper loft of the cabin. Both Matt and Landon took turns playing different songs and we reveled in what felt like one of the most free experiences of my life.
I think there was a total of 7.5 minutes that Selena spent awake the night we arrived. It makes sense, her and Landon had a six hour drive from Victoria, and legend has it that she woke up at 4:30am to finish an essay for one of her courses so she could join in on this trip. Yes, that’s a pumpkin in the bottom right.
Oh yeah, remember how I said we hauled up some “luxury items”? Well Calley decided that she wanted to carve a pumpkin while in an alpine cabin, so she hauled one all the way up there. Don’t worry, we had picked the smallest one that we grew in our pumpkin patch to save weight!
After hours of keeping each other company, telling hilarious stories, and having crazy life realizations (that must have had to do with the wine) we unrolled our sleeping pads and crawled into our cozy sleeping bags. Not a sound was heard all night except the wind outside and the occasional tinkering of the stove as it cooled and warmed again throughout the night.
Also, shoutout to Selena and The Strait and Narrow for supplying some tasty refreshments. I think these helped with my guitar playing abilities, or so I think they did…
I awoke the next morning around 7:55am. “Shoot, I’m missing sunrise!” I thought.
I shot up and looked out the top window of the cabin. My excitement must've woken up everyone else because Calley, Selena, and Landon quickly realized what was going on and sprang up like they were late for work.
It wasn’t the worst view any of us had woken up to.
The light was just slightly pink, casting brightly on the distant mountain peak.
We jumped into our clothes and all of us ran out the door to experience the surrounding views. Let me tell you, it was incredible. We hadn’t been able to see more than 100 feet in front of us the night before, but now it was clear skies all around.
There was fresh snow everywhere, the surrounding trees were completely frosted over, and the golden morning light carried a warm softness in its glow.
This was beyond amazing. Being able to get the full view, especially in the early morning light was a treat like nothing else. We all scurried around the area, capturing photos and reminding each other of how amazing this was as if we weren’t already witnessing it. I think feelings of joy and appreciation really filled all of our hearts, even though I know it sounds cheesy.
At one point Calley and Selena took the string lights from inside and began decorating a little alpine tree. You couldn’t really tell it was decorated because the sunlight was so bright, but it really was the thought that counted. It just felt extra wholesome.
After getting our photos and running around, we went back inside to cook our breakfasts and drink coffee and tea around the stove. I think we spent another 4 hours just hanging out and keeping each other company before deciding to make the trip back down.
Above anything, what really made this trip most memorable to me wasn’t the conditions, or the photos I captured, or even the cabin. I mean, sure, all of these things helped, but what was most special and what I think I’ll remember most was being able to spend a night and day with 4 amazing and inspiring individuals. What I’ve found out these last few years is that it’s not always about what you’re doing, but it’s usually about who you’re doing it with.
So, who are you thankful for?
Leave a comment below telling me your favourite holiday food! I’ll be selecting a random comment to win a free, signed print!
Selena, Me, Calley, Matt, and Landon.