When I think of Adventure Treks, I think of great friends, hilarious instructors, amazing experiences, and ramen extreme. Last summer, I was on the British Columbia 2 trip, with 23 other kids, and 6 “adults.” I say “adults” because they are basically just older kids. Anyways, one of our adventures was a backpack through Well’s Gray National Park. This beautiful place is full of rolling meadows, lush forests, and mosquitos.
A required item for you to bring is a mosquito net. After visiting Well’s Gray, I definitely understand why. It began when we drove up this sketchy dirt road to the trailhead. Getting out of the van, we expected to be swarmed by bloodsucking bugs, but there were only a few buzzing about. All of us thought that this was how bad it was going to get, but we were way wrong.
Around an hour later, we had almost finished hiking the first switchbacks. Still there was no sign of the “sea of mosquitos.” Once we reached the top, it flattened out. We were about half a mile from our first campsite. Walking through the meadows, more and more mosquitos began to appear. Some of us fished out our head nets, already worried about the amount, but the worst was still to come.
We reached our campsite, but one girl in the other group sprained her ankle, and couldn’t continue to their original site, so our group had to continue hiking. It was already getting late, so none of us were super happy. Still, we pushed on and backpacked through the meadows and forests. Eventually we got to a clearing, and saw the tsunami of mosquitos.
They were everywhere. On your head, arms, legs, etc. I had never seen so many in my life. Nothing compared to it. They filled the air. Everyday activities became challenges. Cooking was hard, but eating was worse. Most of us ran and ate, while some tried to fit the plastic bowl into their net. Getting into the tent became a rigorous process. First slide under the tent flap, shake off, then quickly unzip, jump into, and zip back up the tent. Going to the bathroom? Yeah, not fun.
The thing is though, by the end of day two, the mosquitos became your friends. Maybe not your best friend, but they were always there for you, whether you liked it or not. Plus, they were high in protein, so accidentally eating one had benefits. Also, your bug spray went to good use.
In the end, the mosquitos were both annoying and bothersome. But what was really amazing was the scenery. Well’s Gray was breathtaking. With the acres and acres of flowered meadows and trees. It was so pristine, like no one else had ever been there. Looking back now, the mosquitos did bring us humans a lot closer. Maybe too close, but close enough to have one of the best experiences of my life.
Kyle H.