My Pandemic Story

We have been in this pandemic for a year now since the first case in Canada and we were invited by one of my church groups to share our pandemic story with one another by e-mail which a few of us have done. I thought afterward to include my story here with a few changes and added photos, as follows:

It was a bit of a shock that week in early March when there was no eating at meetings, then the next week I received notices from every place I ever went to , that all were cancelled. It has been a Godsend to watch church worship online or in person when able, and attend Scripture Reflections and Spirited Arts Studio on Zoom. It has kept me sane.

Collage done in Spirited Arts Group while online

I stayed home a lot and did not go out much, except for walks in the neighbourhood. When Covid-19 case numbers dropped and the parks opened up in July, I rented a car and treated myself to a couple of nights at the Sunwapta Falls Resort in Jasper National Park while exploring the sites close by. Food was purchased in Hinton, just outside of the park and I cooked in my room as well as treated myself to a couple of delicious meals and afternoon tea in the resort’s dining room.

All the staff were friendly and wore masks, social distancing was practiced, plus there was hand sanitizer at every entrance so I felt safe. Another safety feature was Bear Spray that I borrowed from the front desk when I went out for walks.

Sunwapta Falls Rocky Mountain Lodge in Jasper National Park

Sunwapta Falls , a short walk or drive from the resort.

I enjoyed sitting on the veranda in the morning while sipping on coffee and reading my daily devotionals.

I enjoyed driving the Toyota Corolla rental through the mountains and did go to a favorite stop and saw an eagle in her nest with an eaglet!

I stayed in Hinton one night outside Jasper National Park to see the Beaver Boardwalk with trails through the woods and over the water. The warning signs about bears, cougars and wolves sure kept me attentive but did not see any wildlife – there was an abundance of the Indian Paintbrushes and Western Lilies.

I joined one or two friends on hikes at Wagner Bog area, Strathcona Wilderness Center and Bunchberry Meadows. Wonderful!

Shooting Star at Wagner Bog west of Edmonton

Ruffed Grouse at Strathcona Wilderness Center east of Edmonton

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail at Bunchberry Meadows west of Edmonton

I also went to Miquelon Lake with a friend for a weekend and stayed in a tent and cooked over a single-element gas stove. We were proud of ourselves because we got the tent and tarp up just as it started raining and we managed to stay dry throughout the night. We played Cribbage in the tent and survived one of the worst thunderstorms I have ever been in while camping… hours of crash and boom and rumbling, one storm after another. The next night we met up with another friend and we sat in lawn chairs on the beach until it was pitch black and watched the Perseid meteor showers and listened to owls and coyotes. That was a blast although the dark was a little scary!

3 fun-loving women waiting for a meteor shower

Dragonfly on a nature walk at Miquelon Lake

Christmas was fun with a Zoom visit with 5 households in Ontario-chaotic and noisy, almost like being there while watching my great nieces open gifts.

Since then I go on occasional walks with a friend, both of us always wearing masks to protect one another . I have damaged lungs and she has cancer, but we have had good walks and talks throughout the pandemic. I have gained a lot of weight in the latter months so a friend helped me get a rack to mount my bike and ride it in my apartment, and I bought trekking poles from Mountain Equipment Company.

Need the step stool to climb onto the bike and I can see out the window while I pedal.

I miss everyone but am somewhat used to being alone and spend a lot of time on Zoom to keep in touch with people. Hope to get outdoors more once it warms up a bit, been -20 or lower for about a week. Stay well, everyone!

Sunwapta Falls

The road to the falls is right beside the lodge and it is not far at all. I have been here before but am always attracted back – is it the energy? the roar of the falls, cascading over the rocks? Yes, and yes. I love the roots of the trees here, but it is very hard to step over them, was holding onto the trunks for dear life as I came down a slight grade.

Bear activity is up in the park with less people being here, and there is a big black bear in the area so I gladly borrowed some Bear Spray from the front desk(mine has passed the expiry date) and practiced getting the can out of the holster and pulling off the safety clip like a kid playing cowboy before leaving. It did rain and I kept my hood down so I could hear, and sang some of the weirdest songs as I walked along the trail. I had watched a video about how to use bear spray and one guy was singing “Roxanne” and that is what I did , as well as singing “How Great Thou Art” and “Old Dan Tucker” and “Teddy Bear’s Picnic.”

The classic view from another bridge above the gorge. I went to where that person is standing and to the fence on the left that is higher up.

closer but staying on the right side of the fence-the level can rise up quickly and the rocks are slippery.

Using a slower shutter speed and small aperture again. I was getting soaked from a steady drizzle of rain and spray from the falls

These are the roots I mentioned earlier but oh, so hard to walk down.

Enjoyed the wild flowers beside the trail.

On to Sunwapta Falls Lodge

Sunwapta Falls Lodge is 53 km south of Jasper on the picturesque Icefields Parkway and where I booked my stay for two days. “Sunwapta” is a Stoney Indian word meaning “turbulent waters”. Before I entered the lobby, there was a bottle of sanitizer on a table beside the entrance. All the staff wore masks indoors and out and everyone was very friendly and helpful. My hosts had my information from the booking so there was no more transaction to carry out. They gave me a bigger room than expected with two double beds in a long building like a town house with a shared porch.

Off the lobby was a gift shop then the dining area. There were signs and markers that guided one to the entrance and exit in the dining room which was log style and decorated with animal fur draped over the rafters A couple had the table in front of the fireplace and there was another room off the main dining area if it got crowded and people were well spaced from one another. I felt quite safe with regards to Covid-19. The food was great and I also had brought some with me.

Sunwapta Falls Rocky Mountain Lodge-the display to the right of the Tipi displays the stories and prints of famous Indigenous Chiefs such as Black Bear, Poundmaker, Crowfoot, etc. The lobby is in the middle with the entrance to the right and the restaurant is on the left side. I forgot to ask about the totem poles.

It is very expensive for my lifestyle but always wanted to come and treat myself after stopping here a few years ago. Only regret was that I did not book one more day. My plan was to stay on the parkway and visit some favorite spots that I have been to before, as well as go to places I hadn’t been. I lessened the list on my itinerary but drove shorter distances and relaxed more.

A courtyard in the middle of a cluster of cabins.

My favorite features were the microwave that I asked them to bring in, coffee maker, round table beside the window where I knew I would be writing, and a chair outside on the porch where I could have a leisurely morning coffee and do my reading. The latter feature was very important to me because I live in an apartment without a balcony. Here’s my view from the front door. Glorious! I didn’t mind the cars as the mountains were much bigger in real life. I enjoyed the constant chatter of Pine Siskins and even saw some Robins.

I explored the grounds and met the resident Ravens.

Time for bed and be ready to explore Sunwapta Falls and Athabasca Falls the next day.