Exploratory Canadian Wilderness Vibes from SK to BC

Yes, I’m dressed like this because of the cold in July

Our road trip across Canada can best be encapsulated as a WILD experience. Starting in Saskatoon and landing 1000 miles to the west in Vancouver opened our eyes to the continuities in the beauty and disparity across this country. It felt like we should have had flowers in our hair, and at times Emily did because the vibe was very California. Beginning our journey in the mountains of Banff in a remote canyon cabin allowed us to shake off our urban trappings and typical workday routines as we tapped into presence, eliminating all stress and worries. I was singing “You belong among the wildflowers” all night long that first night. The canyon is immensely popular, and the tourist crowds in July weren’t our favorite, but we figured out the best times and locations to maximize introspection. In the canyon is a lodge that features a mountaintop restaurant. We had dinner and breakfast in this scenic location, staring out at the mountain and absorbing the vintage décor inside. After connecting with the waterfalls, rapid rivers, trees, rocks, and wildlife, we headed on our trip through the Rockies, passing mountains made of clouds that looked every bit like the finest of Bob Ross’s paintings from the 1980s come to life.

The awe-inspiring majesty of the mountains captivates the imagination, calling in imagery of settler colonial relations with the land, people, and animals of the North American wild. Unlike trips to the Appalachian Mountains growing up, our ears didn’t really pop as much as you would think, climbing the 7000 feet to the highest points of elevation. Our second stop was in Kamloops BC. Kamloops is located in a scenic valley with the low mountains to the East and a plateau to the West. As soon as we arrived at a local park in the area, we realized there was going to be live music, and we decided to hang around. A group of LARPers (yes Live Action Role Players) greeted us upon our arrival and told us about the best places in the park for peace. We thanked them and headed over, modifying our dinner reservations. We decided to absorb the peace before finding a spot to listen to the show. The band was from Calgary, and they were pretty good. They were called Peach Panic, and they brought a lot of energy to the small outdoor gathering of just under 100 people.

After the show, we walked into the center of town, where we ate dinner in an old bank from the turn of the century. We were very pleased with our first taste of BC, and being close to the sea, we took advantage of the salmon offering on the menu. Earlier, a woman on the street was screaming about her uncle being a drug dealer and being an escort. This encounter was brief, and by the looks on the faces of the people smoking cigarettes outside the local watering hole, it was a regular occurrence. Kamloops is the location where a massive number of unmarked graves of Indigenous children dating to the time of residential schools were uncovered. Some have called this a hoax, but to me, it's undeniable that the conditions of these schools bred the continued reality of unhoused Indigenous folks today. Moving on from Kamloops in the morning, we headed out to Vancouver. The drive wasn’t that far, and we actually wouldn’t have been able to check in with our cats yet, so we decided to head over to the Sasquatch Provincial Park in Agassiz, BC. Some locals we spoke to in BC had never heard of Agassiz, but they should check it out. The land is beautiful, and our farm stay the next night was one of the most peaceful nights of our lives. With the myth of the Sasquatch all around you in the middle of the night, the mountains, the trees, the rocks, and the earth itself become the Green Man (or Green Goddess), allowing you a place for renewal and replenishment.

We were scouting Agassiz because after our stay in Vancouver, we were going up to the country to wash off the city in the icy waters of Lake Kilby. Heading on from Sasquatch Provincial Park, we got caught in the city traffic on the way into Vancouver. We were amazed that there still wasn’t internet within 45 minutes of the city, as our phones attempted to tap back into the matrix we had broken out of. On previous trips, we have always stopped for lunch but given that we had our whole family of Murphy and Cash in the car, we had prepared enough sandwiches and snacks to provide us the sustenance necessary for 7 days on the road. There is nothing like an impromptu picnic lunch on a mountain road by the most scenic rivers and mountains imaginable. The color of the water changes once you leave Alberta for BC. The Alberta water is a clearer, crystalline light green color and the BC water a deeper, darker hue of blue. Upon our entrance to Vancouver, we thought the city was rather attractive until we made it to our apartment, which was not in the downtown city center itself, but close enough to walk. Greeting us were tweakers and dope fiends smoking meth pipes longer than I’d ever seen and shooting dope in broad daylight. We knew we weren’t going to park our car here overnight and proceeded to take all our belongings out of the car before heading over to Stanley Park.

The park was established in 1887, and in 1927, a statue was erected that declared the park a place for all colors and creeds for all time. We felt very in alignment stumbling upon this monument in the 137-year-old park. Some of the red cedar trees in Stanley Park are estimated to be 1000 years old. When settlers arrived, they began cutting these trees down. Standing beneath them, I felt the tragic loss in this forest. To me, the loss of wisdom felt on the same level as the burning of the ancient texts of Mesoamerica by the Spanish. The wisdom within the branches of the trees was undeniable, and one could learn a great deal about the true nature of living by observing their patterns of death, decay, and rebirth. The forest is immense, and if you aren’t careful, you might not get back to your car in time, so be sure to pay for extra time parking. After exploring for several hours, we walked to the Lift Bar Grill view, which, as the name suggests, features some of the best views of the water in town. It’s like eating on the upper deck of a ship if you are outside, and it was quite the treat.

In the morning, we headed back to Stanley Park to hang out with the trees as long as we could. When it was time to leave and get the cats without a minute to spare, we headed out of town towards Agassiz, BC. This was our shortest day of driving, which we were thankful for. The plan was the same as when we headed to Vancouver, and we stopped in the Sasquatch Provincial Park for a picnic lunch with our cats on the grass, before heading to the farm. Harold’s Farm was quite the treat. The place is a bed and breakfast, but given the times, they post the rooms on Airbnb too. There wasn’t anyone else staying there during the day, as far as we could tell. At night, I could hear cars coming and going when we were outside, but they didn’t bother us inside. Early in the evening, during the peak heat of the day at 79 degrees, we swam in a local lake. The water wasn’t even 40 degrees, but after spending four days in a car, the cold water relieved our muscle aches. There was a storm, and when the rain stopped, we went out on the porch to stare out at the mountains. I kept hoping that the mythical Sasquatch would make an appearance, and reflecting on the night, he did. In Indigenous culture, the Sasquatch is viewed as a protector and a spiritual entity that is associated with the land and its inhabitants. The Sasquatch itself is a symbol of the sacred connection between humans and nature. After our picnics in the provincial forest, our time in Stanley Park, and staying on the farm staring at the mountain, we feel that ancient connection more than ever. Harold is in a band, and he plays Hammond organ. The place is actually called the Hammond House, and in the morning, he showed us all his old Hammond Organs. Harold is living the real deal, BC Hippy Dream.

Emily didn’t want to leave in the morning, and neither did the cats. Agassiz is like upstate South Carolina, only 3x bigger in every way. The mountains are bigger, the trees are taller, the lakes are longer, and the streams are wilder. We drove along a lake that was 55 miles long. Leaving Agassiz and the Sasquatch energy behind, we headed back into the Rocky Mountains. We wanted to get back to our Banff experience, but check out a park in BC instead. We decided to stay in Revelstoke, a mountain town situated within the Columbia Mountains. In the United States, these mountains are considered part of the Rocky Mountains, but not in Canada. They are a separate, smaller range that really has a different feel from the Rockies. We stayed in a rustic cabin in Revelstoke, and rustic indeed it was. We had no plumbing in the cabin, but we did have a nice water cooler with fresh water. In Revelstoke, after spending the night wandering around the town listening to live music courtesy of L'omelette, a band from Calgary, we settled into our rustic cabin and stared at the stars. L’omelette is like the Canadian version of Rubblebucket, and I have no doubt they are going places. The lead singer, Meg Benedict, plays the saxophone in between singing, which was absolutely extraordinary. The morning after, we walked around the woods near our cabin. I found a large patch of Indian ghost pipe, which required us to go into town to acquire the materials for harvesting. Ghost pipe has been used as an analgesic and an anxiolytic herb since the 19th century. Before the advent of colonization, the plant was used by the Blackfoot to heal wounds. I used to use the tincture while I taught public school to help keep me calm. We will have a small batch of tinctures ready for sale in the fall!

Moving on from Revelstoke, which had the worst mosquitoes by far of the trip, we headed on to Golden, BC. The magic of BC, which had captivated my imagination since my youth, had ensnared us, and we didn’t want to leave…With Sasquatch legends, Ogopogo, and being the land of medicinal plants…To me, BC was the part of North America that changed the medicinal plant world. Marc Emery, the Prince of Pot, was arrested in 2005 and extradited to the United States, facing conspiracy charges for distributing cannabis seeds. Dana Larsen, before starting the Coca Leaf Cafe, which distributes psychedelic medicine to adults in Vancouver, ran the Vancouver Seed Bank. The VSB provided Cannabis seeds and other psychoactive plant seeds for cultivation, helping to feed the world’s head. In Golden, we found fewer mosquitoes, fewer people, and a scenic place to reset. The highlight in Golden was a park by the river where we went in search of Arnica, which was said to grow in the area, but we couldn’t find any. What we did find was live music once again, courtesy of Mimi O'Bonsawin, a mixed-ancestry French and First Nations Canadian woman from Ontario. We immediately liked her vibe and knew we were in for a treat. Her brand of spiritual pop music is worth checking out.

After Golden, we knew the magic of the road trip was winding down. We love Calgary, the largest city in Alberta, located on the eastern side of the Rockies in the foothills…but it’s not the transformational mountains or the entrancing landscape of Vancouver. We were hoping to hit one day of the Calgary Folk Festival and see Sierra Ferrell, but due to the exhaustion of the trip and all the free live music, we decided to rest. Upon our return to Saskatoon the next day, we started packing up and prepared to move into our new home. Now we are settled.

Today marks 1 year since Emily and I landed in Saskatchewan!

Hit the Road-and don’t Look Back until you’re exhausted!

Spread Peace and LOVE

Will & Emily

Psychedelic Science 2025 Reflection