Instructional &
Informational Posts
In Driving Ourselves Sane, Michelle and Jonathan chronicle their adventures escaping daily routines with the great unknown. In the little bubble that is their small car, they shoot across the landscape searching for fresh variations on wellness as tourists in their own backyards.
A gaggle of friends with gear, experience, and the patience of saints invited us rock climbing in Cougar Canyon.
Jonathan: Arg, I’m totally not in climbing shape.
Michelle: But won’t it be good to get out and meet some new people? See some new terrain . . . just enjoy the ride.
J (laughing): And what are you gonna do? You’re not just in it for the trip are you?
M: I’m going because I want to do EVERYTHING!!! Yay rock climbing!
A pause, then (worried): Um, is it hard?
J (smiling): Rock climbing is pretty hard-core.
M: I'm super hard-core. It's on mister!
But Michelle (somehow) didn’t realize rock climbing involves scaling sheer vertical cliffs.
***
An hour from Kelowna, we turned off the highway, venturing into rolling hills, along a roller-coaster gravel road through the forest. A BC Parks sign finally announced Cougar Canyon.
The turquoise wonder of Lake Kalamalka sprawled before us, against the backdrop of coppery hills. It was the Mediterranean—just outside of Vernon.
The twenty-minute hike to the canyon above that glowing blue water was punctuated with more incredible lookouts. Soon we entered the trees, ascending through the saddle of peaks rising around us.
Emerging into a rock amphitheatre, laughter and banter echoed from the canyon walls. Sparks of colour—climbers—swung from the highest peaks.
Michelle: Amazing!
Jonathan: Awesome!
M: Umm, are WE climbing up there?
J: Yup.
M: Gulp . . .
Nevertheless, she attacked that sucker with furious Type A frenzy. It didn’t go so well.
Michelle (after her first (ahem, and only) try): Rock climbing is SCARY! And hard—like, the opposite of easy AND the opposite of soft.
Whereas Jonathan couldn’t stay off the wall, rediscovering a forgotten joy, problem-solving the route (that’s techno-jargon for…climbing).
But afterwards, sprawled out in the warmth on the canyon floor, sandwiches and apples in hand, laughing and joking with friends, it seemed like lunch was the reason for trekking to Cougar Canyon - as if the climbing was just an appetizer.
Later at home, a blissful relaxation permeated the air.
Michelle: That was . . . good.
Jonathan: Yup.
M: You know, it still would have been fun if we’d only done the picnic.
J: Like, if we hadn't climbed?
M: Yeah! The climbing was so hard, but the rest of day was so good. And the canyon was so beautiful. Even if I don’t get much better at climbing, I’d love to keep at it just to visit places like that.
J: Heck yeah.
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Explore the beauty above the little Mediterranean Sea outside Vernon, B.C. Wellness awaits at Cougar Canyon.
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Michelle Superle writes books plus other stuff and earns a living teaching people how to do it too. She gets her wellness on by running around with the lovely human male, charming dog, and beautiful horses she lives with.
Jonathan Maingot is a professional ski bum turned prospective writer and entrepreneur. When he's not banging his head against a wall at the difficulties involved in writing, he's likely on his cyclocross bike exploring his new backyard on Vedder Mountain in the Fraser Valley.
