Boom Lake
Kaylee
A long beautiful hike through the lush forest on the Alberta – British Columbia border was an experience I’d love to have again. The hike provided a variety of challenges in the spring such as fallen trees blocking the path and melting snow creating small creeks across the trail as well as giant mud puddles that needed to be overcome. In my opinion, I find these special and unique obstacles make the hike more interesting and provide opportunities for some silly mishaps that make the whole situation entertaining. Sunali and I were the pair to first brave this trail in the spring, and during our journey she was forced to listen to me excitedly exclaim “Obstacle!” as we continued down the trail and ran into numerous trees blocking the path and small rivers to traverse. In return, I was delighted to be within earshot and sight of a distressed Sunali trying to overcome these beloved obstacles, and, once I finished laughing, was able to help her untangle her pants off of a fallen tree’s branches as she tried to straddle it in order to get over to the other side. All in all, it was a very interesting hike and the view at the lake was beautiful and worth the long, wonderful hike out there for a nice lunch at the lakeside.
Kim
This hike was one that was a little bit longer than some of the ones we have done before, but I wouldn't call it challenging, rather just a good excuse to spend a longer day out in the mountains. I went with Sunali and Liam for this hike, and we all made it back without any injuries, which I'd say is a good accomplishment for us. The day we chose was relatively warm and it remained a good temperature throughout the day, but it was rather smoky due to the forest fires. This hike was nice because it wasn't just a straight path, rather it curved and went through the trees and through some streams, and there was a bit of a boardwalk to go on too. There were some rocks and roots too that we had to watch for but there was a wide diversity of plants and flowers around to see which always kept us on our toes to see if we could find anything different. I really enjoyed this hike since you could take your time and just stroll along, and it wasn't too crowded. People passed us often going both ways but you still got space and some quiet away from the crowd.... except for Liam....We tried to get rid of him and it didn't work unfortunately. Along the trail there weren’t many spots to stop and take a break on a bench, but if you have the patience and energy, the view at the lake is definitely worth it. You can sit on the rocks and eat some lunch, while taking in the spectacular view of the lake. It was pretty smoky when we went, but it was still clear enough to get a good view. We tried to coax Liam closer to the edge of the water, but I think he suspected that we might push him in. To be fair, we probably would have, but he would have deserved it.
Sunali
I loved this hike! The first time, I hiked it in the spring with Kaylee and it hadn’t been cleaned up yet so there were lots of fallen trees we had to climb over and a few muddy areas we had to try to avoid as well as lots of running water. I had the pleasure of listening to Kaylee enthusiastically scream “OBSTACLE!!!” every time we came across one and then watching her take it on like she owned it while I awkwardly straddled trees and prayed to God I wouldn’t face plant in the mud. It was a lot of fun and added a little extra excitement to our adventure. Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without a dumb moment involving myself – I almost got stuck climbing over a tree because my leggings got caught to the bark. I screamed and struggled while Kaylee almost died laughing and by some miracle I managed to get myself unstuck (without ripping my pants!) in time to avoid having Kaylee taking a picture of my stupidity. It was an experience to say the least. The second time I did this hike was with Kim and Liam and it was during the forest fires that were happening this summer. The air was smokey and the trail was cleaned up and was no longer like an obstacle course but it was still enjoyable. Arriving at the lake both during the spring and the summer was a little chilly because of the mountain air. There was a significant difference in air quality from spring to summer due to the forest fires. However, eating lunch in front of the lake was a good time and next time, I’ll be sure to dress a little warmer so that I won’t be so hurried to leave.
Something I immediately noticed during this hike was that there weren’t any signs indicating how long we’d been hiking and how long was left. There was one sign about half way through to clarify direction and the distance was scratched in by some unknown hiker. I didn’t realize how much I relied on visual encouragement until I didn’t have any. Seeing signs really helps with feeling good about what you’ve accomplished and pushing forward with what you have left. The second time was easier because I had an idea of where I was and how long it took to get there, so I was able to give myself self-encouragement as well as encourage Kim and Liam who had never done the hike before.