Once I had settled back in Toronto, I decided to focus my attention on culling all the donations I had received across the country for the past couple of months. Funds were raised online and in person by way of events, T-shirts sales and random donations by acquaintances and random contributors alike. And in the end, Hitching For Hope managed to raise a grand total of $4100! BIG THANKS goes out to all who helped contribute to this project!

Once this information had been collected it was time to pay a visit to the Ovarian Cancer Canada headquarters in Toronto. I invited my mother for the ride and luckily she had the day off. We met up with Catherine Argiropoulos (Donor Development Manager) and Karen Cinq Mars (VP of Marketing and Business Innovation) and I presented them with a cheque. They had plenty of questions on the journey and were intrigued on the process of hitch hiking across Canada. “We forget that there are a lot of good people out there” I said, “this trip showcased that people are willing to help out.” They were very gracious of Hitching For Hope’s contribution and presented me with a donor’s plaque. BIG THANKS goes out to the OCC team!

The Ovarian Cancer Canada Team

As we were leaving the headquarters, Catherine told me that I would be interviewed for Ovarian Cancer Canada’s monthly newsletter, which is to be released in December. She also asked my mother if she could spare some time to be interviewed. Even though I knew that this news would make my mom nervous, I was quite happy for her. Women who suffer from this disease need as many spokespeople as possible. Hope needs a voice. And besides, without mothers where would we be?

Mother and Son

It has been awhile since I was on the shores of the Pacific Ocean in downtown Vancouver. But a lot has happened between then and now. When I last wrote an entry I was on my way to the infamous Burning Man Festival. A place where no one lives and nothing grows. It is a desert in its purest form. But it is also place where close to 60 000 people congregate every year to celebrate a currency-less society in a temporary city called Black Rock City.

After I had spent the week “purging my soul” in the desert, I managed to get a ride out of BRC to the next town over from the festival from a bunch of Canadians. Once they had driven off, I started waving down dusty cars coming from “The Burn” in hopes of getting a ride to the Freeway. A man from a nearby Nevadan town stopped off and gave me a ride to the nearest gas station which hugged the Interstate 80 Freeway. “You’ll have a better chance getting home from here,” he said. “Thanks, sir” I replied. At this point, I was still very much in a “Burner’s” mindset. A stress-free state of mind where one assumes that everything will work out. “I’ve just hitchhiked all the way out West, now I just have to hitchhike back East, no problem,” I thought. The fact that I had only $60 in cash somehow didn’t phase me. The fact that I was 4000 kilometers from home also didn’t phase me either. “Fuck it, she’ll be alright” I chuckled to myself. I was completely convinced that I was going to be able to get all the way to Toronto from this gas station. So I started approaching strangers and essentially begging for rides: “You guys going East?”

After the first hour, I still wasn’t phased. But after 2 hours it was getting dark, and the reality was slowly seeping in. “Uh Oh” kept creeping into my mind. I started broadening my destinations. My thought process went from “I’ve got to make it to AT LEAST Detroit” then Detroit became Chicago, which became Denver, then it became Salt Lake City then it became getting to the next gas station. Every ride was either going the wrong way or didn’t have space for me. Things were looking quite grim…

After about 3 hours, a truck hauling a trailer drove in and my heart skipped a beat when I saw the license plates. They were Ontario license plates. I approached the middle-aged man exiting the vehicle “Sir, you don’t happen to be going East, perhaps?” I quibbled. “Uhhhhh yes..” he hesitated, “but we have no room” he quickly retorted. “Are you guys going to Toronto?” I persisted. His eyes jotted up, “that’s exactly where we are going” he said, half-surprised. “That’s where I’m trying to get to” I said. “Well, let me ask my friend if she feels comfortable taking you along with us” the man said. He strolled back into the truck, talked with his friend and approached me “You can come along with us so long as you are well-behaved” he said. “I promise you that I will be” I exclaimed. And so began my 4 day adventure back home to Toronto with Carl and Susan. Carl was a 68 year old retired computer technician who currently resided on a farm outside Hamilton, Ont. while Susan was a 50 year dispatch officer for York Region Transit. It was Carl’s ninth Burning Man and Susan’s first. Over the next four days, our days were spent driving approximately 1000 kms every day and setting up camp in Walmart parking lots all across the Northern United States which consisted of Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.

When we arrived back into Canada, I asked Carl and Susan how much I had to pitch in for gas but they replied “Don’t worry about it, you were very well-behaved and besides we were going this way anyway.” This was incredibly generous of them, especially since they refused for me to pitch in for a hotel room in Salt Lake City as well. But to be real, if they had asked for me to pitch in, I wouldn’t have been able to. I had just spent my last dollar on an sausage egg McMuffin. Life does have its priorities after all.

BIG THANKS goes out to Carl and Susan from rescuing me from the Nevadan desert!

And with that, the journey was finally over. I was home and staying home. At least until the next adventure…

It had been 2 years since I had last set foot in Vancouver, BC. It was the last place I called home in Canada. So needless to say, some strange feelings came over me as I peered out at the skyline and its plunging mountains. I walked back to Justin’s house and we caught up on the last 2 years of our lives and started to discuss the last event for Hitching For Hope.

Throughout this cross-Canadian trip, I have been incredibly fortunate to have friends who would bend over backwards for this cause. Vancouver was no exception. My friend, Tom Hill, is a part of the Hip.Bang! and Pump Trolley Improv troupes. He rents out a space called the China Cloud in downtown Vancouver. This space has hosted many events in the past and its most recent one would be “Comedy Comedy Dance”, Hitching For Hope’s last event. Without Tom, this event would have never taken place. Tom is an incredibly busy man and graciously took the time out of his schedule to organize the logistics of the event. So BIG THANKS goes out to Tom Hill!

After setting the space up, we realized that we needed someone to be charging cover at the door. So I called my friend Kim Irwin, who graciously accepted the duty. BIG THANKS goes out to our cover girl, Kim Irwin!

Once the space had been locked down, we had to fill the bill with comedians. Enter Jordan Cohen. I met Jordan 3 years ago for a total of 4 days at the 2009 Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee. We shared a mutual admiration for good music, laughter and V8 fruit drinks. After our initial introduction, a year went by before we would both end up in Vancouver in the summer of 2010. We hit it off as if no time had elapsed. Over the last 2 years, Jordan Cohen has made quite a name for himself as a stand up comic. He is currently in the running to open for Louis CK in Toronto. So please make this happen by voting daily here. Because of his involvement in the stand-up scene, Jordan managed to organize a cast of 6 comedians (some professional) for Comedy Comedy Dance! He also took on the duties as the MC for the evening. BIG THANKS goes out to Jordan Cohen!

The last thing that needed to be taken care of was the music. My friend, Justin, and I decided to take on this feat. Both Justin and I have very amateur skills in DJing but we thought we could put together something fun for the crowd. Justin attained an amateur Serato DJ set and we started practicing 2 days before the show as DJs Spin Diesel and all-MOS-DEF. BIG THANKS goes out to Justin Van Mulligen!

Spin Diesel

The party turned out to be a success. The comedians were hilarious. We didn’t mess up the music too much. People danced, laughed, and in general had a fantastic time. BIG THANKS goes out to all who came out and especially: Rupert Common, Ben McGinnis, Rachel Burns, Warren Bates, Ross Dauk and Kyle!

This guy had fun!

After all the money was collected, I realized that Hitching For Hope had surpassed the $3500 mark! I was very excited, and so was my friend Emeric:

DJ Emeric

The next couple of days were spent re-exploring Vancouver and catching up with old friends I hadn’t seen in a couple of years. I completely forgot how beautiful this city was. The motto for the 2010 Olympics was “You gotta be here” and there is truth to that.

3rd Beach

The Seawall

After a couple of days of rest I pulled out my map of Canada and traced back every place I had visited and how many rides it took me to get Vancouver from Halifax. I had realized that it had taken me 47 rides to cross nearly 7000 kms of distance! I took a moment to relish in the feat:

Mission Accomplished

After staring at the map I had realized that Hitching For Hope was finished. The project that had spanned the better part of the year had finally concluded. I thought back to my initial flight to Halifax and how anxious I was before starting the project. A feeling of accomplishment took over me.

In a couple of weeks I will return to Toronto, collect the remaining pending donations and make a large contribution to Ovarian Cancer Canada. And as a final statement I will cut my hair (which hasn’t been cut in 2 years) and donate it to an organization that fabricates wigs for patients undergoing chemotherapy. I can’t think of a better way to end this project.

From the shores of the Atlantic to the mountains plunging into the Pacific, I have reconnected with a large group of friends that I haven’t seen in a long time. It was an absolute treat to see all these wonderful people in their respective elements. And while everyone is following their own respective life paths, it is comforting to know that these people can all be linked to this positive cause.

This project is dedicated to old friends who I have reconnected with, the new friends I’ve made along the way, and the generosity of the Canadian people who have taken me from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This project is dedicated to those who have taken me into their homes, donated towards the cause and shared their stories. This project is dedicated to those who helped me design the logos, websites and T-Shirts in Taiwan. This project is dedicated to those who dropped what they were doing and helped me organize various events nationwide. And of course, this project is dedicated to my Mom, Margaret Lafeuille. Without the courage she displayed battling cancer 10 years ago, this project would have never come to fruition. LOVE YOU MOM!

BIG THANKS goes out to all of you! I will never forget the support you have all shown during this project.

Goodbye Vancouver!

See you in a couple of weeks!

Now it’s off to The Burn…

-H4H

After an active 5 days in Revelstoke, it was time to unstick myself from this endearingly charming town. So I packed up bags, strapped up my wounds, and had breakfast with the housemates of 612 First Street West. I debated heading to Nelson, BC (in the Southwestern portion of the province) but then opted that I would try to get a ride to Vancouver to better prepare for Hitching For Hope’s last event this upcoming Friday. Then I jumped into Lauren’s truck and we headed to the outskirts of town. I thanked Lauren for her hospitality and wished her well as she dropped me off. BIG THANKS goes out to Lauren Goss, Carter Berton and the rest of 612 First St. West!

Lauren Goss

After Lauren drove off, I walked toward the side of the highway until I reached an area I thought appropriate to hitch a ride. I pulled out my sign, started waving and yelling “heyyyyyyyyyyyyy”. 3 minutes went by, and a truck pulled. “Where are you going?” I asked the woman inside. “I might be going to the [Vancouver] Island, but I’m not sure yet, how about you?” she asked. “Well, I’m headed to Vancouver” I said. “OK, well I will make my decision in Kamloops” he replied. I threw my stuff in the back seat and hopped in and off we went. Later on in the ride, I would flip a coin for her to decide whether she was to go to Fort St John (in Northern BC) or head to the Island by way of Vancouver. The coin decided that she should head home. And with that, this had become my last ride across the country from Halifax. And what a special last ride it was…

I consider myself to be a practical guy, someone who views the world on a rational level. But there are moments in life that make me doubt if fate plays a part in this complicated world. This was one of those moments. After I had jumped into the car, I introduced myself:

Me: Hey! My name’s Tom, what’s yours?
Shannon: Tom! That’s my son’s name. My name is Shannon. So what are you up to, Tom?
Me: Well, I’m hitch hiking across the country.
Shannon: Wow, where did you start?
Me: Halifax.
Shannon: Oh you’re almost there! Why are you doing this?
Me: I’m actually organizing events across the country to raise money for ovarian cancer research.

Silence. Shannon seemed to be taken aback.

“I have some stickers, here are some, they match my shirt. It’s an idea that I thought of while I was traveling around Thailand” I said, thinking she didn’t believe me. Shannon then stared at me and said: “Tom, I was just diagnosed with ovarian cancer 3 months ago. And I’m going on an open-ended trip to Thailand in 3 weeks.” My jaw dropped. I was completely stunned. After a minute, the only thing I could utter was “Oh my God, I’m extremely sorry to hear that.” Shannon then said “You are the first hitch hiker I’ve ever picked up, something told me that I had to turn around and give you a ride.”

All this information was insurmountably overwhelming. I was speechless. The only thing I could utter was the generic advice one gives when one cannot fully empathize with the situation that another person finds themselves in. “I’m sorry but I would love to fully empathize with how you feel, but I’d be lying if I fully understand how that feeling felt, are you OK” I said. She took a deep breath and said “Yeah, I’ll be alright.” I, then, decided to steer clear of this issue. Cancer is an incredibly delicate issue. And it is dealt with in a variety of ways. I had only known Shannon for 5 minutes and I didn’t want to say anything that would upset her. So I decided to sit there silently and be extremely careful of what came out of my mouth.

Shannon told me that she had come from a rough past filled with turmoil. She had two kids who were currently living on the Island with her ex-partner and she had just broken up with the love of her life for complicated reasons I rather not get into out of respect for Shannon. But through all of this, she seemed to have a positive outlook on the future. Shannon needed a break. She knew that if she wanted to be there for her kids in the long term, she would have to battle through this disease first, even it meant sacrificing time spent with her kids in the short term. This is why she was going to Thailand to take a break and relax. They say battling cancer is half-mental. And she was banking on this information. Her courage was unrivaled.

We arrived in the outskirts of Vancouver around 6 PM, headed down into the East side of the city where Shannon let me off. I wished Shannon luck in her transition to Thailand and told her everything would be OK. I really hope it will be. BIG THANKS goes out to Shannon! GOOD LUCK!

Shannon

It is people like Shannon which give the rest of us the perspective we sometimes need to get back down to this Earth. People like Shannon give us insight on what is really important. Yet, we hear advice like “Don’t sweat the small stuff” all the time. Most would agree with the values of these sayings, but it is incredible how quickly we forget to live our lives with these thoughts in mind. We are desensitized to their advice to the point where we selectively ignore the message behind them. But then we meet people like Shannon and we come back down to the basic necessities of life. Personally, Shannon had an immense impact on me, but who knows how long that impact will last? A day? A week? A month? In the grand scheme of things, it will probably only last a fraction of time. But in this small moment, I will do my best to retain its lesson.

These thoughts consumed my head for the remainder of the evening as I boarded a bus to my friend, Justin Van Mulligen’s place. It was a fitting last ride. I arrived to Justin’s house, dropped my things off and then headed to Kits Beach as the sun was setting. I looked out to see the Vancouver skyline, its majestic mountains and the massive Pacific Ocean.

I had made it.

The Finishing Line

- H4H

Revelstoke, British Columbia is Disneyland for those with a passion for the outdoors. You can find any activity in this sleepy town. Mountain biking, hiking, swimming, canoeing, camping, kayaking, cliff jumping, skiing, rock climbing… the list goes on. People who live in Revelstoke are here to LIVE. Lauren and Carter (along with a couple of other friends from university) have been living in “Revy” on-and-off for the last two years. It is safe to say that they might be the most active people I know. Whether it might be ski-touring up mountains in the winter, long canoe camping trips with their mountain boyfriends or doing two classes of yoga in a day; they are keen. And they are happy as heck!

On the first day they introduced me to Martha Creek (which more like Martha Lake) where there was a “natural diving board”. So we spent the day jumping off this “board” enjoying the amazing weather that the BC Interior has to offer. Though some of us weren’t so agile…

“Berton Bites It”

The next day Lauren and I decided to hit up some mountain biking trails across the Revelstoke bridge.

The Revelstoke River

After our ride down a couple mountains, we stumbled upon a lovely little spot that was equipped with waterfalls, fallen trees and an icy cold spot for a dip.

Chasing Waterfalls

Revelstoke Mountain

Lauren was happy that the water was cold enough to ice her ankle.

Lauren “Flamingo” Goss

Being the generous and dedicated person that Lauren Goss is, she has decided to organize twice weekly yoga classes where all the proceeds will be going to Hitching For Hope. The event is called “Yoga For a Cause” and runs on Mondays (7-8 AM) and Thursdays (7-8 PM) at the beautiful Said Field:

Said Field

This event will be going on for the entire month of August and so far it has raised over $100 in its first week. Check out the Facebook event here for updates and details! BIG THANKS goes out to Lauren Goss for making this happen!

Yoga For a Cause

Following Yoga For a Cause, Lauren and I were invited to the Stoke FM radio studio (Revelstoke’s official radio station) to discuss Hitching For Hope and Yoga For a Cause.

6 Thumbs Up!

You can check out most of the interview here: ***UPLOAD COMING SOON***

The radio DJs were incredibly friendly and supportive of the project. They even made a donation on behalf of Stoke FM. BIG THANKS goes out to the Stoke FM crew!

Stoke FM Crew

After my 5 days in Revelstoke, I began to understand the expression that locals refer to as being “RevelSTUCK”. The surroundings of this town is basically comprised of a giant playground for active individuals. Upon strolling down a street, the inhabitants of the town wave at each other, even if they do not know who they are waving to. The weather is mild and temperate. And there is a true sense of community in Revelstoke. There is a mix of various demographics who all seem to be highly educated, driven and ambitious. The “Stokians” believe that they can make a difference, but they know that this difference won’t happen without effort. When they have an idea in their head, they truly commit. And that’s a part of their lifestyle. After all, it takes a certain type of person to ski tour 6 hours up avalanche-ridden mountains for a 45 minute run. Needless to say, this place and its people have left an impression on a kid from the big city.

THANK YOU 612!

Time for the last leg: The Road to Vancouver!

- H4H

After I said my goodbyes to Peter Foy, I headed to the other side of the highway headed due south to Banff. But after waiting for about 5 minutes, the sky turned black. Thunder resonated through the air, lightning briefly illuminated the somber landscape and rain pelted down from up above. Luckily, I took shelter in a nearby Parks Canada kiosk and tried waiting out the storm. After waiting on and off for about 45 minutes, I decided to plunge into the “terra-maelstrom”. I threw my poncho on my back, tossed my backpacks into garbage bags and went out under the deluge. I was hoping for a “pity ride”. And after 20 minutes, I was rewarded.

The man inside told me: “I’m on my way to Calgary”, “That’s fortunate! I’m headed to Revelstoke by way of Banff” I exclaimed. “OK, I’ll take you to Banff, hop in,” the man replied. The man’s name was Tony. He lived in Mackenzie, BC, a ways north of Prince George. He was a retired farmer who had spent most of his life in the Mackenzie area. He was on his way to southern Saskatchewan to his father-in-law’s farm. He had been helping out his wife’s family with the farm’s harvest for the past couple of autumns. He told me that this was the last time he’d help out, or he hopes it is the last time. Outside, the landscape began to switch into the rugged Icefields of Western Alberta as the sky still remained menacing:

The Icefield Glacier

For the duration of the 3 hour ride, Tony and I touched base on a variety of topics. Tony is your traditional, old-fashioned hard worker. He told me that he doesn’t understand the need to have a computer or a cell phone. “When I was a kid, I did stuff, I was outside. Kids these days are glued to their gadgets” he professed. I empathized that most people seem to abuse to accessibility of the internet and various other technologies. We came to a conclusion that balance was the highest priority. As our discussion carried on, the weather started to clear revealing the utter beauty of the Icefields Highway.

Icefield Highway

Banff Outskirts

We approached the Banff outskirts around 6 PM and Tony pulled over to let me off at the town center turnoff. I wished him luck with his journey to his wife’s family’s farm. BIG THANKS goes out to Tony!

Tony

Once I took a couple of minutes to unpop my ears (read: ear) from the massive shift in altitude, I boarded my skateboard and cruised toward the Banff Springs Hotel. I had a friend, Kaitlyn Sullivan, who was currently working as a server at the hotel. Unfortunately, she had already left for a wedding in Winnipeg before I had arrived. But as kind as Kaitlyn is, she offered me her place for the night. I arrived at Kaitlyn’s condo, took a nap and then explored the town.

Downtown Banff

When I came back to the condo, I met Kaitlyn’s condo-mates and hit the town with them. Banff is a very “sticky” place, it seems like a lot of people get caught up in the “Banff Vortex” and stay for years. But hey! it’s a quite a pleasant place to get stuck. The town surroundings are littered with activities that would satiate any outdoorsman’s pallet and the nightlife is abundant with parties filled with carefree extroverts. Kaitlyn’s condo-mates showed me a sloppy, “trashcan” fueled evening. But by the next day, it was time I pry myself away from the “Banff Vortex”. BIG THANKS goes out to Kaitlyn Sullivan and Condo 309!

I packed up my things and headed for the highway where I would try to hitch a ride into “Beautiful British Columbia”. Before I had even put my bag down, a car pulled over. There were two people sitting in the front seat. “Where are you headed?” the driver asked. “Revelstoke” I responded. “Well, I can take you to Golden (BC)” the driver said. “Right on!” I replied. And off we went. The driver was Hugo and the passenger was Izzie. Hugo was originally from the outskirts of Montreal but had been living in Banff with his girlfriend, Kara, for the last couple of years. He was in the process of entering an electrician apprenticeship in the fall. Izzie had just finished visiting Kara in Banff over the past couple of days and was biking all the way from Calgary to Vancouver. Though today, she decided to take a break and get a ride to Golden with Hugo. Izzie had just been traveling around Australia and was off to Vancouver to save up for a trip to New Zealand after Christmas.

As soon as I entered the car, they asked me if it was alright if we checked out Lake Louise since Izzie had never been in this part of the country before. “YEAH! I haven’t been around here either” I exclaimed. So for the next couple of hours we toured around the Alberta/British Columbia border exploring the various lakes as Hugo told us the history behind the area.

Lake Louise

Lake Moraine

After our stroll to various lakes, we said bye to the Rocky Mountains!

Bubye Rockies!

After a couple of kilometers we entered a sign stating “Welcome to British Columbia: The Best Place on Earth”. A bold statement but it definitely makes its case known with its clearwater glacier lakes, vast spruce forests and snowcapped mountains. We arrived in Golden and I waved goodbye to my companions. BIG THANKS goes out to Hugo and Izzie!

Hugo and Izzie

After the long ride I scurried over to the A&W burger house and scoffed down my 12th-ish Teen Burger in as many days. But not before Hitching For Hope paid it forward:

Stop MS!

After I finished my “meal”, I went back to the road, took out my sign and started waving people down. After waiting 5 minutes, a truck pulled over. The elderly man inside told me he was headed to Kamloops. “Could you drop me off in Revelstoke?” I asked. “Yes, of course” the man answered. And off we went. The man’s name was Terry. He was born and raised in the outskirts of Calgary where he currently resided. He was in the business of manufacturing products for oil companies. His most recent venture was inventing a grounding pole that only dipped 7 inches underground (the norm has been over 7 feet). He was on his way to join his wife and daughter who were camping in the outskirts of Kamloops. Terry told me that one of his grand-daughters had recently been diagnosed with colon cancer and that she might lose her leg. It was a tragic story but it seems that his grand-daughter has incredible perseverance and is displaying a positive outlook. I wish her the best in her battle. After a 2 hour drive through Glacier National Park, we had arrived in Revelstoke. I bid goodbye to Terry and thanked him for the ride. BIG THANKS goes out to Terry!

Terry

Once Terry dropped me off, I crossed the highway and started walking down a massive hill to the Revelstoke town center. Once I saw that a bridge flattened out the hill, I had the ambitious idea of jumping on my skateboard. I propped onto it and started gaining speed as I reached the bridge. As soon as I reached the bridge, my skateboard started to wobble. For those who have been in this position before, you can empathize with the fear of “the wobbles”. This is usually a clear sign that you are going faster than it is safe for the amount of weight that is on the skateboard. A normal reaction to “the wobbles” would be to jump off, bail on grass or try braking. Though none of these options were readily available: my bag was too heavy to jump off or brake, and I was on a bridge where there was no grass. To make matters worse, I had oncoming traffic ahead of me and a car on my tail. I had no choice but to stick with it. “The wobbles” got worse as I hit the halfway point of the bridge. But then, the end of the bridge was in sight where I saw a grassy patch where I could bail. I thought “Almost ther….” SMACK! I heard the sudden screech of a couple of cars. “The wobbles” had thrown me a good 10 feet off my skateboard as I skidded across the concrete pavement at approximately 30-40 km/h.

Surprisingly, I wasn’t dead. Or even unconscious. And my skateboard hadn’t even gotten run over by oncoming traffic. A woman driving the car behind me frantically asked “Are you OK?!” “Uhh yeah I guess” I replied. I looked my left arm, most of it was road-rashed and then I peered at my knee which was gushing blood. “Figures” I thought. What I was most worried about was my head, I knew that it hit something. But upon discovering the torn backpack on my front, I realized that it probably saved a trip to the hospital. “Close call” I said to myself, I then popped up on my skateboard and made my way to my friends’ house. I showed up at 612 First Street West around 6 PM, the home of Lauren Goss and Carter Berton (two friends from university), very dazed and bleeding all over the place. Carter answered the door “Tommy!” she yelled. All I uttered was: “I’m going to need a band-aid”.

- H4H

My friend, Margot Bishop, met me at the L&W pub and we immediately started to catch up on the last 2 years. She is currently working for Parks Canada in Jasper National Park, a place where she spent her summers growing up. Unfortunately, Margot was a little worse for wear as she was recovering from knee surgery after she sustained a torn meniscus as a result of a soccer injury. I felt bad that she was hobbling around but she still maintained a positive attitude during my entire stay. We hopped in her car and headed towards her cabin which is located on Lake Edith. This lake only has 52 cabins on its periphery and it has been deemed illegal to build any more buildings on the land. Because of this, the area has a community feel in a very sought-after area of the world. Some of these cabins have been under certain families’ names for over 70 years. It created a unique and homey atmosphere in one of the most beautiful places I had ever laid my foot down.

Chez Bishop

The next couple of days, were filled with regatta competitions, canoeing, backflipping, paddling, swimming and maintaining a clean record in flip cup competitions.

That’s a-paddlin’ !

Things were pretty swell to say the least.

Welcome to Canada

The regatta race that we entered in was the first regatta race in decades, so lots of Lake Edith inhabitants came out to celebrate this newly energized tradition.

Canoe Regatta

There were  also a couple of spectators around:

Dutchess

After a couple of days, it was time to give Margot’s hosting duties a break so she could recuperate from her surgery. Norm Bishop and his partner Karen were incredibly generous for having me over to their cabin and even donated $100 to Hitching For Hope! BIG THANKS goes out to the Bishops and their extended family.

Karen, Norm Bishop and Margot Bishop

I befriended a friend of Margot’s named Peter Foy and he was gracious enough to let me stay in his cabin as Margot recovered. Peter is about to enter his third year at McGill University in Montreal. Having gone to the same university we spent the next couple of days talking about how magical a time Montreal can be. It was a peaceful time spent at the Foy’s cabin as the days were filled with sunshine while the skies came alive at night.

Lake Edith

After a couple of days of reading, frisbee golf and Bifteck praise, it was time to hit the road again. Peter offered to give me a ride out of town but not before we paid a visit to the notorious cliffs of Horseshoe Lake:

Horseshoe Lake Cliffs

After recuperating from the 50 foot freefall, Peter dropped me off at the Park entrance and we said our goodbyes. BIG THANKS goes out to the Foy family!

Peter Foy

And then it was off to Banff…

- H4H

Hitching For Hope will be on the air live in Revelstoke (British Columbia) on Stoke FM Monday (August 13th) morning between 8:30am-9am (Pacific Time). Stream it live worldwide FOR FREE at:

http://stokefm.com/

Choose a provider on the left side of the website to listen in!

After reliving some Australian travel adventures with Myles for the last 3 days, it was time to hit the road yet again. But before I left, I made sure to have a beer on Piper’s Porch. I packed up my things, threw them in Myles’ car and we went off to where Highway 16 meets the perimeter highway of Edmonton (the 216). Myles dropped me off, gave me a $20 donation for the cause and we bid each other adieu. BIG THANKS goes out to Myles Marleau!

PIPER!

After Myles took off, I walked over to the on-ramp and did the ol’ routine that a traveling vagrant would do: bag down, sign out, smile on, wave constantly. Though after about 30 minutes, only 5 cars had passed me by. So I realized that I had to switch spots. I noticed that there was a side road hugging Highway 16 that headed due west. So I packed up my sign and my smile, propped down my skateboard and headed in that direction. Approximately 5 kms later, I found the next exit and made my way to the on-ramp. I put my bag down, attached my skateboard and before I even had time to switch into my H4H shirt, a car pulled over.

I walked towards the car to find an elderly couple sitting in the car. “Is everything OK,” they asked. “Oh yeah, I’m actually hitch hiking towards Jasper” I replied. “Oh well, we are headed to Stony Plain, it’s not far but you can come with us if you want” they said. “The further away from the city, the better” I replied. I grabbed my bag, tossed it in the car and then off we went. Their names were Ken and Ruth and they were a lovely couple who were very supportive of Hitching For Hope. They were semi-retired and had gone into an online auction business together. After about 15 minutes, we had reached Stony Plain. They wished me luck in my adventure, donated $20 to the cause and let me out of the car. BIG THANKS goes out to Ruth and Ken!

Ken and Ruth

Once they let me out, I pulled out my sign, and started waving again. After about 15 minutes, I noticed that a truck had pulled over down the on-ramp. I hadn’t realized how long it had been there for but it lay motionless for about 30 seconds. I told myself, “Hey, why not?” and headed towards it. After I took two steps forward the pickup truck started to back up towards me. Two thumbs up for initiation! Once I arrived to the truck, I saw that a big burly aboriginal man with a long pony tail was in the driver’s seat. “Hey, sir, where are you off to?” I asked. “I’m going to Grand Prairie, how about you?” he replied. “Jasper” I said. “OK, well I can take you about 80 kms down the road” he said. “Amazing!” I exclaimed. I tossed my things in the back of his truck and off we went. His name was Vance. A kind, easygoing, soft-spoken man. He told me that he was a Wildfire Firefighter near Grand Prairie and had been doing this job since he was 17 years old. Now he was one of the head managers for the organization. We talked about his encounters with various bears in the wild and how he always carried a massive knife on his chest if he went camping out by himself. “If a bear attacks, I’m not going down without a fight” he told me. And I believed him. He was a true man of the outdoors and loved working outside no matter how low the temperatures got. He had just taken 4 days off to visit a friend of his who was having her first baby in Edmonton but unfortunately had been called in early to go fight a fire in Northern Alberta. He said it was an 18-day shift. “Wow, that’s busy!” I said. “Yeah, I have to be though, I have to feed my 7 children. But I don’t mind, they are my pride and joy, so I live with it” he chuckled. This is the type of man you would want with you if you ever found yourself in the middle of wolf country. He dropped me off 9 kms shy of the town named Wildwood and wished me luck. BIG THANKS goes out to Vance!

Vance

I had made it about 100 kms out of Edmonton and had another 250 kms to go but it was only 1 pm. I still had time. Though this spot was not very ideal. Since there was nothing around, I had no choice but to stand on the side of the highway as I waved to cars flying past me at over 110 kms/h. After about 40 minutes, I noticed that a car pulled a U-Turn and came back towards me. Inside were two men going to the town of Wildwood just 9 kms down the road. “Sounds much better than here” I said and off we went. Their names were Chris and Joe. They said that they were just killing time as they were coming back from picking up supplies for work. Since the ride was so short, I didn’t get a chance to get to know them very well, but they were kind of enough to give me a ride. So BIG THANKS goes out to Joe and Chris!

Joe and Chris

Once in Wildwood, I felt much more confident in finding a ride since cars were not going as fast as they were on the straight-away highway. These feelings were confirmed as I saw a car pull over after waiting only 10 minutes. Inside was a guy that must have been in his early twenties. “Hey man, where are you off to?” I asked. “I’m off to my cabin in Robb, AB, it’s near Edson (80 kms away)” he replied. “Oh amazing! Do you mind if I tag along?” I said. “Nope! You’re not going to kill me though, right?” he answered. “I don’t think I could if I tried” I told him. And off we went. His name was Justin. He told me that he had hitch hiked in the past and had an amazing time doing it. He told me that my skateboard was the X factor in pulling over. Justin was an avid BMX rider who had been working as a power line technician for the past couple of years. He said that he loved his job since it gave him a fantastic opportunity to travel around Canada. The job itself sounded death-defying. He mentioned that it had not been deemed a professional trade because of the amount of deaths per capita in the field. Justin dreamed about becoming a Park Ranger or a Conservation Officer in Alaska. It seemed like the perfect job for him. I hope it happens! Justin and I got along so well that before we knew it, we were already in Edson. We quickly grabbed a bite to eat, chatted about Thailand and headed to the outskirts of the town where Justin dropped me off. BIG THANKS goes out to Justin!

Justin

After Justin drove off, I turned around and saw the first glimpse of the Rocky Mountains. Even though they were about 100 kms, they towered over the vast spruce forest leading up to them. Just as I turned around, I notice that a car was pulling onto the highway and was slowly approaching me. “I’m heading to Hinton,” the man said. “Awesome, I’m heading to Jasper” I replied. “Alright, well I’ll take you halfway there” he said. I hopped in and off we went. The man’s name was Wayne. He told me that he had hitch hiked all over North America in the 60s and 70s and empathized with my travels. Wayne said that he had just come back to Canada a couple of months ago after living in the Caribbean for the past 44 years. He told me that he had grew near Hinton and that his family used to own a lot of land in the area. Unfortunately, the land was sold off and had raised in price tremendously. He was finding it hard to find a chunk for himself after being away for quite some time. Wayne became very engaged after I mentioned that I was hitch hiking for Ovarian Cancer research. He told me that he himself was planning to pursue a venture that cured a form of skin cancer. Being a horticulturist, he told me the Kigelia Pinata tree held a certain form of jelly that cured various forms of skin cancer. He told me that he had suffered from skin cancer and had applied the jelly to these regions. He mentioned that after a two week period, the cancer had completely subsided. Even his doctor couldn’t explain it. Who says there is no cure? After a lovely ride, Wayne dropped me off in Hinton and wished me luck. BIG THANKS goes out to Wayne!

Wayne

Arriving in Hinton, I was on the cusp of the Rocky Mountains, within striking distance of Jasper. I knew that the next ride would probably take me to my final destination.

The Gateway to the Rockies

After waiting under 10 minutes (!!), an 18-wheeler pulled over. “YES!!!!” I yelled to myself, amongst the racket that the truck was emitting. This was the first time a truck pulled over, and I was very excited to ride in this massive machine. I climbed up to the passenger seat “Where are you going?” I asked. The man inside stated “Vancouver”, “Amazing! Do you think I could ride with you to Jasper?” I asked. “But of course” said the man. I gathered my things, hauled them in the truck and we were off carrying a miscellaneous amount of plywood through the gateway to the Rockies. The man’s name was Bal and he was originally from India. He told me that he had recently moved to Vancouver almost 7 years ago but was a farmer in the Okanagan Valley before he took a job as a truck driver. I wished I had talked to Bal more often and gotten to know him better, but my jaw was constantly dropping as I peered out at the landscape that was developing in front of me.

!!!!

Mountains Beyond Mountains

Actually?

Needless to say the Jasper National Park made a very good first impression on me. The combination of clearwater lakes, snow capped mountains and scurrying wildlife was a lot to take in. We reached the outskirts of the town and I bid adieu to Bal. BIG THANKS goes out to him!

Bal

I jumped out of Bal’s 18-wheeler and walked towards the downtown core of Jasper. Once I reached the town, I scurried to a payphone and left a message on an old university friend (Margot Bishop)’s phone. I sat down on the curb with my gear and took in the sights of the majestic mountain range. Do you like living?

Until next time…

- H4H

The OCC website does NOT let Hitching For Hope know how much you have donated. So if you choose to donate online, please send an email to hitching4hope@gmail.com letting us know how much you have donated so we can keep track of the funds donated through Hitching For Hope!

Sorry for the trouble!

THANK YOU

THANK YOU