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Dear friends, family, and supporters:

 

I write to share news of another successful Terry Fox Trek and express my sincere thanks for your support!

 

This being my final year as both an organizer and participant, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. In total, we raised over $12,000, which brings our grand total to nearly $60,000 for cancer research. We also surpassed an impressive 10,000 km cumulative distance milestone, with nearly all participants surpassing their 150 km goal over the week.

 

None of this would have been possible without your support. Below I share my reflection on this year’s experience.

Thank you again,

Alex Whynot

This year’s story:

 

In keeping with history, one of these events wouldn’t feel right without a little bit of a scramble. When I say this, I’m not referring to “scrambling” in the context of climbing a mountain, but instead the type of scramble some organizers dread and others learn to love. For me, it is a love - a time filled with energy and excitement as well as challenge and potential. Despite beginning with set backs at the van rental company, lost luggage, pending forest fires and air quality index advisories, our semi-complete (4/5) mini-van convoy approached the airport to pick-up a group of smiling over-packed students from universities across the country. Having had to leave our main man Greg (a co-organizer) at the airport with a pile of gear until the other van rental arrived, the rest of the team (…largely strangers to each other) piled into vans and headed onward to get their groceries for the week.

 

Following a few dragged out hours, the full team with their gear, groceries and all of our rentals, arrived in Banff National Park to set up camp late on Friday night. Before heading to bed in anticipation of hiking 28 km the next day on Rockbound Lake and Boom Lake trails, the team met to have introductions. After a brief talk, everyone headed off to bed, but in my surprise I was met by my first “wilderness medicine” experience. Climbing into their tent, one of our participants had knocked the safety clip off their bear spray and was sprayed directly in the eyes. Although quite serious in nature, I reflect back on how well this participant handled the situation and their maturity throughout it all. Even more so, this situation allowed the weight of this experience and the role each of us would have in supporting one another to set in. Whether it be run-ins with bears (or bear spray), poles running into rental vans (vice-versa is the reality), difficulties breathing due to smoke, difficulty with heights, misunderstandings in communication, or simply physical fatigue, it became clear that we had to all be in this together as the role of one individual supporting an entire group couldn’t possibly suffice.

 

 

Our first day of hiking loosely entitled “Lake Day” went smoothly, including the Rockbound Lake and Boom Lake trails. Rockbound Lake was a scenic hike between sharp rock ridges ending with a steady climb to a glacier carved lake. This hike gave us over 17 km of distance with elevation gain of 760 m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boom Lake on the other hand was a subtle climb through just over 10 km of well-groomed trails, ending with a beautiful glacier-fed lake. On this particular day, ice cold was just what I needed. Although bear spray failed to take down one of our hikers, a “sweaty” tuna wrap that I let sit in my bag for much too long, was nearly the end of me. With my abdomen in strong disagreement of my earlier decision to eat that wrap, the ice-cold water’s of Boom Lake offered a surprising amount of relief to my discomfort.

 

The second and third days of hiking took us another 45 km including the Cascade Amphitheater, Stoney Squaw, Ink Pots and Spray River trails. To say the least, each of these trails offered something unique. We went from isolated trails with fields of pikas running around near the amphitheater, to smoke filled trails on the Stoney Squaw with fire response helicopters flying at elevations below us, to heavily trafficked routes heading up to the ink pots and finally to thunder showers along the heavily forested Spray River trail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now with just over 67 km on our boots, we looked forward to heading North to hike Sentinel Pass and then continue onward to our new base camp in Jasper National Park. Making our way to the Sentinel Pass trailhead early in the morning highlighted how touristy Banff truly is. To access the trailhead you had to park and hike past Moraine Lake. This area of Banff was flooded with tour busses and eager families in flip flops with high-end camera gear. To be honest, I don’t blame them… the view of the lake was breathtaking. We somehow landed parking spots for our convoy in record time and headed on the trail to Sentinel Pass. First fairly busy, the trail became emptier and emptier as it continued to climb. The view reaching the first plateau was almost impossible to describe with words… so here’s a picture!

 

 

 

After reaching this plateau we climbed on fairly loose switchbacks up to the Sentinel Pass. From here, you’re surrounded by snow-capped peaks with the turquoise of Lake Louise lurking amongst jagged inclines. The crew enjoyed lunch here, now having reached our 75 km halfway point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This same day, after descending from Sentinel Pass and driving hours North to Jasper, we arrived at Marmot Meadows group campsite. Unlike in Banff, we’d be sharing this giant meadow with a number of other groups. Almost immediately after arriving, we were welcomed by a very kind man who told us about the other groups sharing the site. Similar to us, both groups were comprised of youth although the context for them being there was much different. One group was made up of “troubled” or at-risk youth facing a challenge that in many ways was much steeper than our own. It was both interesting and admirable to see counselors working with these youth in surroundings that would likely be much different from their normal inner city environment.

 

Although there were no marmots in this poorly named meadow… we were surrounded by Columbian ground squirrels. Nonetheless, we set up camp and made an attempt to get more groceries and a swim in before heading to bed with the highly anticipated Marathon Day the coming morning. The plan was to wake at 4:30AM and be at the Skyline Trailhead for a 6AM start.

 

 

For those of you unfamiliar with the widely talked about Skyline trail, it is a 45 km through-hike that they recommend to complete over 3+ days. With our group size in consideration, we had toyed with the idea of doing the through-hike but weighed the risks associated with it, especially given the distance we’d completed over the past couple days (85+ km). In the end, the plan was to hike to a halfway point and turn back ensuring that if anyone dropped off along the way… they wouldn’t be left behind. It was quite the moment when we found ourselves (in-full) at the half-way point (22.5 km) through the trail. At this point, it made little difference if we turned back or continued forward. As a group, despite some eager beavers who ran ahead, we all decided to trudge onward and completed the 45 km Skyline trail in its entirety.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With this huge accomplishment under our belt and having just hiked what I consider one of my all-time favorite trails, the group enjoyed supper in Jasper at the heavily anticipated event entitled “Greg’s Pizza Party”.

 

The following day we rested and prepared to hike Mount Terry Fox, a 2,650 km peak just across the border in British Columbia. Our final day of hiking would be a very symbolic day to take on the 18 km hike with almost 2,000 m of elevation gain. We were very hesitant to include this hike when planning the trek seeing everyone would be 130+ km in at this point.  Regardless, we felt it would only be fitting to end the challenge on a mountain named after Terry. After waking up early, grabbing coffees for the drivers, hopping into the vans with the team, crossing time zones into BC, waiting at a train crossing and pursuing a wandering dirt road that made me really question myself, we made it to the trailhead!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The hike was something special and is one I would recommend to anyone who finds him or herself in the area. The switchbacks, although loose in areas, were challenging but rewarding at the top. The trail at times was poorly marked so I highly recommend using GPS as you go or even flagging tape to be taken down on your descent. A number of us made it to the top of the first peak overlooking the summit and monument but this trail was one that really pushed our group. The hike was humbling for us all. Without blame or regret, it must be said that none of us made it to the final summit of Mt. Terry Fox. For our group, it wasn’t our day and to me, this almost felt appropriate. Over the past six years of challenges, there hasn’t been a trail that went uncompleted until Mt. Terry Fox. Looking up to the peak left me humbled to the grandeur of what Terry started so many years ago. It also acted as a reminder that our initiative is only a small piece to a much larger collective effort taken on by Canadians. I thank Mt. Terry Fox for this humbling experience.

 

 

As we all made it down to the trailhead, we were all smiles having completed our desired 150 km distance despite not bagging the summit. The photo below is a moment I won’t ever forget. This team was one of kind. 

 

Keeping with tradition we had our final evening reflection over the campfire. We went around the fire sharing our reasons for coming and our thoughts about the past couple days. It is rare you come across moments that feel so real. I’m thankful for how open the group was for sharing their thoughts and feelings after such a challenging endeavor. Having been privileged to embark on this adventure, for such an important cause and with such a remarkable team, I was left with much to think about. It was a time to process all that had happened over the past 6 years and all that was to happen next. At this time, I was finding it hard to feel closure.  To my surprise, a single pit stop in Ontario left me with a sense of peace I could have neither planned nor expected.  

 

Following two long days of driving eastward from Calgary, I found one of the most powerful moments of my past 6 years at the foot of the Terry Fox Monument in Thunder Bay. The sun was shining above head, the trees green and swaying in the wind, and 25-year-old me looking up at a courageous 22-year-old Terry Fox. Terry was a young man who passed away too soon to a disease that continues to take many of our loved ones before their time. Alike many others lost to this disease; Terry left us with many memories to cherish and words of wisdom to carry forward. Now almost 37 years since he passed way, a message at the base of his monument was one that at this particular moment hit me like a ton of bricks.

 

“To every Canadian he left us his challenge - a challenge each of us will meet in our own way.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Terry is an appropriate example of how we all have the opportunity to leave an impression on those we love and even folks we don’t even know. He also reminds us of the challenges we will face on our own respective journeys and how facing these challenges should not just be an option, but an unwavering choice.

 

It is humbling to have had the opportunity to organize and participate in the Terry Fox Trek’s over these past years. To the Foundation and all those who have supported and participated, thank you! It has been one hell of a hike. 

Sincerely,

Alex Whynot

Rockbound Lake 

Johnston Canyon Campground 

Boom Lake 

Nearing Cascade Amphitheater

Smoked out on Stoney Squaw

Spray River Trail

Plateau on our way to Sentinel Pass

Switchbacks up to Sentinel Pass

View turning back after reaching Sentinel Pass

View on other side of Sentinel Pass

Marmot Meadows Campground 

Views from Skyline Trail

Our team before hiking Mt. Terry Fox

View of the Mt. Terry Fox summit

Dalhousie Medicine crew on Mt. Terry Fox

The final step of 150 km at the base of Mt. Terry Fox

Terry Fox Monument in Thunder Bay, Ontario 

Photo credit (throughout) to: Luc Doucet, Patrick Scanlan, Jessica Needham, Steven Latino, and Logan Carr

© 2016 

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