Naked and Afraid - Myrtle Lake Ed.
Back in 2016 I entered a contest with CRIS Adaptive Adventures for a chance to win a backcountry camping experience. I ended up winning, and went on a camping trip to Myrtle Lake in beautiful Wells Gray Provincial Park. My care worker and good friend Brittany and I made the 5 hour trip up north. On the drive to Myrtle Lake Britney made a pit stop so I could have a pee break, but I guess stage fright got the best of me as I had no success. Again, once we arrived I attempted to relieve myself and just couldn’t make it happen. The campsite was only accessible by boat, a one hour long kayak across the lake. I knew I should really give it a third attempt before being stuck in a kayak for an hour, so I enlisted the help of one of the firefighters who were volunteering on the camping trip. He bear-hugged me into the standing position to try to pee. Again, I was unsuccessful. Something about being hugged by another man, in the wilderness, with your pants down makes it not very easy to go. Thankfully, I made it without peeing my pants on our kayak ride.
We camped at Myrtle Lake for 4 days and 3 nights. I enjoyed exploring the outdoors and everything mother nature has to offer. We went kayaking and on hiking trips in the TrailRider, which is similar to a wheelbarrow with one wheel centered below the seat. It is maneuvered by a pilot and a sherpa which allows people in wheelchairs access to explore any trail. Fun fact the TrailRider was invented by Sam Sullivan, a paraplegic and former mayor of the City of Vancouver.
At one point during our trip, I had to go number 2. This would prove to be just another part of the adventure as the rental commode did not have a back or side supports. The problem with this setup was that I have no trunk control to hold myself upright on this toilet seat. Everyone brainstormed solutions for how I would be able to poop in the woods. The solution? Let’s tie Kyle to a tree while sitting on the commode so he can poop without falling over. This gave a whole new meaning to naked and afraid, I was in bear country after all. Before my care worker left to let me poop in peace, she gave me an emergency whistle in case I did spot a bear. My thoughts exactly were, what is this 5 foot nothing, 100 something pound girl going to do if there is a bear and I am tied to this tree…I think it was to give her a head start. Fortunately the smell of my poop didn't attract any bears and I lived to camp another day.
When our exciting camping trip had come to an end, Brittaney took the long way home and we ended up off route with little gas left in the tank. While in the middle of nowhere we luckily found a tiny shack of a gas station. Unfortunately, it was closed and only a lonely lawn chair sat out in front of the shack. I could hear the banjos picking. We spotted a house further down the road and as we were desperate for gas Brittany ran over to ask for help, I waited in the van. After some time passed I saw Brittany running back to the van at full tilt. I obviously assumed that she was being chased and these people were going to kill us both (I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts). Once Brittany got back into the van she reassured me that we were not being chased and that they said Merritt wasn’t that much further and we could fill up there. We got back on the road and made it to Merritt, thankfully the first stop was a gas station. Bless her heart, Brittany paid for the gas to fill the tank but forgot to actually pump the gas… we drove another 20 minutes out before an overtired Brittany realized the van was running on fumes. We turned the van around and went back to the same gas station, lucky for us no one had taken the free gas and we were able to fill our tank and head home. Some nights in my dreams I can still hear the banjos.
