Leaving the campsite adjacent to the TransCanada above Kinbasket Lake Lodge, the highway stretched off into the distance disappearing around a wooded bend framed by the Purcell Range.
The next time Kai Nani would be in the water would be in the other side of the continent in the North Saskatchewan River. While planning this trip, this place and this moment I know would be the start of an entirely new aspect of my adventure.
I grew up in Saskatchewan. Headed now to the Saskatchewan River seemed a long, hard-fought homecoming. My feet seemingly flew over the pavement and the miles to Donald melted away. I could hardly have been happier.
Looking down the highway, I thought immediately of the book ‘A Long Walk Home, and thus the title for this post. The book is an account of a young couple’s walk from Seattle to Akutan, the first of the Aleutian Islands. They bushwhacked the entire way, doggedly sticking the coastline. It’s an amazing story, an incredible feat of perseverance and guts that spans more than 18 months. More than that, it’s a blatant reminder to remain humble.
7 days of hard walking would see me home. A healthy dose of gratitude and no small measure of humility should see me there. A long walk home indeed.