Cranbrook Base Camp – De ja vu

Since our trip from Alberta we have been working from our temporary base camp on Horseshoe Lake located near Fort Steele and Cranbrook, BC. It is our third visit!

The campsites are huge. The neighbors are far. The views are captivating. The camping is free. You can swim, canoe, hike, dirt bike, suntan and fish.

Horseshoe Lake has a special name to me.  I call it Cranbrook Island. It is not really an island just feels isolated like an island. The picture is of Bro on Cranbrook Island with the Steeples Mountains in the background and the lake to the right.

The campsite we call Cranbrook Island is situated on a large grassy knoll looking over the lake under the watchful mountains. It is really magnificent scenery. No one is camping nearby and we have our own pit toilet. Campers know this is a big item.

It was last year  in Cranbrook where my jeep broke down. Canadian Tire, where the jeep got fixed, was in Cranbrook.  Bro left for Vernon with the only wheels. Why should both of us wait around.  So I was going to catch up with him in 3 days. Ummm.. wishing.

For ten days I was stranded on Cranbrook Island.  Over 22 kilometres away from my wounded jeep and services.  So while they fixed my jeep I was under the scorching sun in my travel pod far away from civilization working and running low on supplies.

First I was told my jeep would be ready in 3 days. In 3 days I phoned in and they said come on down we should have it done. I walked 10 kilometres to Fort Steele  with a gas can in my hand until I got a ride. Once in town I am told that my jeep was not fixed and they needed to send away for parts.

Hmmm… supplies on the island were low. No water. Gas was low for the generator.  Food – like what was that I was down to soups. So I hiked back out of town with my little backpack loaded up with food and a gas can in one hand and a large water container in the other.

It took 10 days on Cranbrook Island before the jeep was fixed. It took  three hitchhiking trips into town.  And three more hiking trips back to Cranbrook Island with supplies loaded. Sometimes I got a ride, sometimes I did not. But what a tan and what an adventure.

I laugh now as I think back. I laugh again because we are camping on the same beautiful spot we call Cranbrook Island.  This time with some wheels, lots of food and water and tons of fond memories.

Cheers