the trail particularly dry, which was not the ideal condition to gain traction to ascend the mountain. The trek would not be impossible, however, since the ATV had been specially modified for this arduous journey. I immediately felt a kinship with our vehicle. Steampunk vampire on steampunk ATV! I lucked out with the front seat next to SR, while the family sat behind us. They did not engage in a lot of conversation with us, possibly due to the seating arrangements. Instead, I filled the void with almost endless questions and observations. It’s what I do when I’m nervous or excited. I can be a chatty vampire. Nothing silent and brooding about me. SR took my anxious enthusiasm in stride. He pointed out bear markings on the bark of trees just off the trail, although he reassured me they didn’t seem recent. When we passed a clearing with a small tent about 30 feet off our trail, he noted that it was the camp of a mining expedition that had left in 2006. I hadn’t realized mining had occurred so recently. I was heartened to learn they’d created the trail we were using to get up the mountain. When debating about taking this excursion, I’d read a complaint online suggesting the company had disturbed nature with this trail. I wasn’t sure if it was an isolated grumble based on misinformation or a signal of a real issue. A long history of mining had transpired in this area, and I wondered if I was one more thoughtless person intruding on the land. SR explained the tour company was maintaining the existing trail both for conducting tours and providing access for other visitors. He also informed me the tour company had permission to operate in the area from British Columbia and the First Nations. I’m not sure if I let myself off too easily upon hearing SR’s explanation, but the lingering guilt I’d been carrying washed away as our ATV drove into a rocky stream. SR stopped the ATV in the middle of the flowing water, which cascaded down the mountainside. My exhilaration threatened to burst one of the rusty pipes in me. Somehow, incredibly, I felt completely secure with gushing water passing below me. After SR took photos of us, he checked out the trail ahead and then hopped back into the vehicle to proceed.
C 28 |
