Digital Nomad Life: Month 134

Month 134 was a mix of work and travel with two shows at the Gorge and two different road trips.

I started the month working the Chris Stapleton show, a reasonably quiet one for us that Toby’s Aunt and Uncle visited for. I am not a country fan so I didn’t go in for the show but everything went well work-wise.

After the show ended, I spent another night onsite to get some work done then drove up to Vancouver for five nights. I had brilliant weather most of my time there and did a hike I had wanted to do for ages – Mount Gardner on Bowen Island, as well as walking all over the place, visiting Deep Cove, and biking the seawall. I also ended up at a concert randomly, more on that in the highlights.

From Vancouver, I spent a couple of nights in Chilliwack, visiting the lovely District 1881 and doing a hike to the top of a mountain. Unfortunately, the smoke came in during my time in Chilliwack and followed me for the next two weeks which was very unpleasant and ruined the rest of my time in Canada.

I had planned to spend two nights in E.C. Manning Park but the smoke was really bad there and after one night I left without getting to do any of the hikes I had planned. Nelson was next and I spent three smoky days there before leaving early to go back to site. 

The smoke was bad at site too, so I mostly stayed indoors and worked, but we did spend an afternoon at the movies in Moses Lake to see The Odyssey.

Next we had our longest show of the season, Bass Canyon, which was six days of long hours and heavy bass music. The first couple of days were pretty full on but it went well overall, although it was smoky the whole time.

After the show finished, I hit the road for my second road trip of the month, visiting Bend, the Mount Shasta area, and Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Now onto the stats!

Countries Visited: USA, Canada

Places Visited:

• Washington: George, Issaquah, Ephrata, Moses Lake
• Canada: Vancouver, Chilliwack, Harrison Hot Springs, Agassiz, Osoyoos, Nelson
• Oregon: Bend
• California: Dunsmuir, Mount Shasta

National and State Parks, Monuments, and UNESCO Sites: Crippen Regional Park on Bowen Island, E.C. Manning Provincial Park, Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park, Kokanee Creek Provincial Park, Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Castle Crags State Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Islands Visited: Granville Island, Bowen Island.

Days on the Road: 17 days.

Best Meals: Spicy Ahi crispy rice from WildFin in Issaquah; Chicken shish tawook and halloumi with tomato, dukkah and pomegranate molasses from Nuba in Vancouver; Mango sticky rice from Banana Leaf in Vancouver; Prawn tempura and smoked salmon roll and tempura yam and asparagus roll with mango from Sushi in Wellington in Chilliwack; Cordon clove garlic and brie stuffed crumbed chicken with mushroom cream sauce, mashed potatoes, and vegetables from Outer Clove in Nelson; Grilled portobello burger with crumbed goats cheese, onion straws and balsamic from Pipeline Craft Taps and Kitchen in Mount Shasta.

Hikes/Walks:

• Mount Gardner summit trail on Bowen Island, BC 9.4 miles
• Quarry Rock trail in Deep Cove, BC 2.5 miles
• Elk Mountain trail in Chilliwack, BC 5.6 miles
• Othello Tunnels trail in Hope, BC 2 miles
• Kokanee Gorge Trail in Kokanee Creek Provincial Park, BC 1.5 miles
• Deschutes River trail in Bend, OR 4.7 miles
• Bunny Flat to Panther Meadows in Mount Shasta, CA 7.4 miles
• Crags Trail to Castle Dome in Castle Crags State Park, CA 7 miles
• Bumpass Hell Trail in Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA 3.5 miles
• Kings Creek Falls Trail in Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA 3.1 miles

Watching: The Bombing of Pan Am 103, 100 Years of Solitude, The Odyssey, Slow Horses, Widows Bay.

Reading: The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer, By Any Other Name by Jodi Piccoult, The River is Waiting by Walter Lamb.

New Posts: I published two new posts this month! An epic two week Washington State road trip post – one I have been working on for a while – and a guide for hiking between Valbona and Theth in the Albanian Alps, my favorite autumn hike ever.

Highlights

Random Night Out in Vancouver

After walking around Mount Pleasant and down to False Creek then grabbing dinner, I was on the way back to my accommodations when a woman stopped me and asked if I wanted to go see some live music with her because she had a spare ticket.

It was starting in the next half hour and the venue was only a few minutes’ walk away so I thought – what the hell. She had scored the tickets for free through an app and we saw a Tongan singer, Josh Tatofi. It was a fun impromptu evening out in Vancouver.

Day Trip to Bowen Island

I have been meaning to return to Bowen Island – I first visited in 2010 – to hike the Mount Gardner trail for years, and I finally made it there on a beautiful summer’s day this month. I had heard that taking a vehicle over to the island can include really long waits as you can’t reserve a spot in advance, so I took a train and a bus to get to Horseshoe Bay to take the ferry as a walk on instead. I love taking ferries in British Columbia so that was part of the day’s highlight.

Once on the island, I hiked from one end of the island to the other via the summit of Mount Gardner, which afforded me spectacular views over the coastline, Coast Mountains and surrounding islands. The trail was tough in parts but I enjoyed the hike and finished at pretty Bowen Bay Beach.

Getting back to Snug Cove didn’t turn out as planned when I couldn’t find the bus stop but I hitched and got a ride pretty quickly. The day was long and tiring but it was so good.

An Unexpected Day in Harrison Hot Springs

I had always planned to visit the small lakeside resort town of Harrison Hot Springs in British Columbia one day but it wasn’t in my plans for this trip, until the smoke drifted in and ruined my plans for hiking. Although my half day there was a consolation prize, I enjoyed it so much!

The town is lovely; I enjoyed walking along the lakeshore and picking blackberries, I had a great lunch at a lakeside restaurant, and I loved swimming in the lake. I also did a unique short forest hike with ceramic faces and sculptures attached to the trees along the trail. Oh, and I even got to enjoy a New Zealand Real Fruit ice cream.

Return to Nelson

Nelson is one of my favorite cities in North America and it’s somewhere I would love to live if that was ever a possibility. While the dreaded wildfire smoke blighted my visit this month, I still enjoyed hanging out in town, swimming in the lake, checking out the independent stores, and eating and drinking at some of the excellent bars and restaurants. 

First Swims of the Summer

After a rainy start to summer, I finally got some swims in the month – refreshing lake and river swims in Harrison Hot Springs, Nelson, Bend, and Mount Shasta. There’s nothing like swimming in natural bodies of water out in nature, and I’m hoping to fit in some more swims before summer is over.

Seeing The Odyssey at the Movies

It has been at least a year since I have been to the movies, so on a smoky Sunday we headed to see The Odyssey on the big screen. I read The Odyssey when I was in high school and I have always loved the story. I absolutely loved the movie and I’m so happy we got to see it at the movies with no distractions.

A Short Stay in Bend

I only had a night in Bend this month but it was great to be back in a town I always enjoy visiting. It was so hot when I was there but I went on a couple of shaded river walks, went to a cool speakeasy, and cooled off in the clear waters of the Deschutes River.

Exploring the Mount Shasta Region

I only added the Mount Shasta Region onto my itinerary because I was going to be passing through on the way to my main target for my road trip – Lassen Volcanic National Park. It ended up being such a pleasant surprise and I enjoyed hiking on the slopes of Mount Shasta, checking out some stunning waterfalls, swimming at a lake beach with mountain views, exploring the cool small towns in the area, and hiking in stunning Yosemite-esque Castle Crags State Park. I loved the friendly B&B I stayed at too.

Visiting the Thermal Highlight in Lassen Volcanic National Park

I was excited to visit Lassen Volcanic National Park this month – my last National Park in the West (not including Alaska). The park is really beautiful and I can’t believe it doesn’t get more visitors but I guess that is largely due to how remote it is.

I spent my first day in the park visiting the main highlight – Bumpass Hell – a volcanic area with bubbling mud pools and steaming vents you can visit by hiking in and walking the boardwalk through the thermal activity. It was beautiful and the sulfur smell reminded me of my childhood visits to Rotorua in New Zealand.

Lowlights

So Much Smoke

It was too rainy last month and this month was too smoky. There were so many fires in Washington and Canada this month and the smoke was really bad during my time in Manning Park, Nelson, and The Gorge. By the end of the two weeks, I had a smoker’s cough and my eyes were burning. I am so relieved to be out of it now – although that may not last long because there are still so many fires.

Joni Getting Sick

Poor baby Joni was up all night pooping and spewing – all over the carpet, unfortunately. I’m not sure what she ate to get her sick but luckily she was fine by the next night. Luckily, we have a wet vac so the white carpet is also as good as new again.

Spending

I don’t include international flights in my recaps. Some of my costs are shared with Toby or other travel partners.

Total: USD$2670

Not terrible considering I spent half the month on the road – gas and accommodation is so expensive in the U.S. and Canada these days.

Accommodation $1155

My 14 nights of paid accommodation for the month included three nights in an Airbnb room in Vancouver, two nights in an Airbnb apartment in Chilliwack, one night car camping at a campground in E.C. Manning Provincial Park, three nights in a private room at a hostel in Nelson, one night at a motel in Bend, and three nights at a Bed and Breakfast in Dunsmuir.

My 17 nights of unpaid accommodation for the month included 15 nights in the staff RV onsite at The Gorge, two nights with a friend in Vancouver, and one night car camping in the Visitor Center car park in Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Food and Drink $825

Clothing/Shoes $23

• T-Shirt $23

Transport $390.50

• Gas $361
• Vancouver buses/trains $20
• Return ferry to Bowen Island $9.50

Activities $26.50

• Bike hire in Vancouver $8
• Movie ticket for The Odyssey $10.50
• Castle Crags State Park day pass $8

Other $168

• U.S. Phone plan $35
• Spotify $14
• OneDrive monthly storage $2
• Garmin monthly subscription $14
• Netflix $10.50
• Toiletries $44
• Charity $11
• Gifts $16
• Jade face roller $21.50

Website Costs $12

• Keysearch One Month Subscription $12

Vehicle Costs $70

• RV and van insurance $70

What’s in Store For Next Month

The first few days of the month, I will still be road tripping, hiking in Lassen Volcanic National Park, visiting MacArthur-Burney Falls and Crater Lake National Park, and then returning to Bend where I plan to hike Paulina Peak in Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

I’ll have three nights back onsite while Toby travels to a memorial service in Denver, then two nights in Seattle before one of our big shows of the year: Dave Matthews.

After working Dave Matthews for five days, we only have a two-day turnover before our next sold-out show, Above and Beyond, and another five days of work.

The last week of the month, I will be traveling in Washington to Seattle or Mount Rainier (depending on smoke), Woodinville to see Beck at Chateau Ste Michelle with Toby, and then Mount Baker to hike.

To read additional Monthly Recaps, you can find them here