View more photos of Harrison Lake here
Canadians don’t get a long summer but from what I’ve observed when it does arrive they take full advantage. Unlike Australia which crowds around the ocean, Canadians head for the favourite lake. I’m in the privileged position of being as good as a de facto Canadian. The Low family have built their own cabins on Harrison Lake. They staked out a claim to the lake foreshore decades ago and have spent the remaining years building a few cabins in a very picturesque and remote part of the world. Although not too far from Vancouver, their cabins are only accessible by boat. During the day power boats pull people around the lake in various forms, and some blast music out, but by night it is blissfully quiet.
For years Sarah’s parents have been filling my head with stories about how cold Harrison Lake’s waters are. It sounded like there were icebergs floating around in it. Imagine my surprise when upon arrival and stripping down to my boardies, I tentatively sidled into the lake’s waters and found that it was pleasantly refreshing on a hot day. Granted, I haven’t sampled Harrison’s waters on the first swim of the year when the sun is struggling to break through the clouds and the wind is carving through, but after all the build up it came as a shock to find that swimming in a Canadian lake was beyond endurable, it was fun. Crystal clear water, surrounded by mountains and away from the frothing and crowded Australian ocean, it was the best summer swim I’ve had in ages, with the added bonus of losing that nagging concern about having your leg chewed off by a great white.
While visiting Michael (Sarah’s cousin in Victoria) we had agreed with his criticism of Canadians spending their recreation time on fuel powered activities rather than simply hiking or sailing. We couldn’t agree more, which is why it’s strange that we found ourselves speeding down the lake on a jet ski (not once but twice, we had to take turns driving). This is the strange seductive power of a holiday, and just having a jet ski tied up at a private jetty just waiting to be used. We’ll have to get our environmental travel credentials in better order!
Canadians don’t get a long summer but from what I’ve observed when it does arrive they take full advantage. Unlike Australia which crowds around the ocean, Canadians head for the favourite lake. I’m in the privileged position of being as good as a de facto Canadian. The Low family have built their own cabins on Harrison Lake. They staked out a claim to the lake foreshore decades ago and have spent the remaining years building a few cabins in a very picturesque and remote part of the world. Although not too far from Vancouver, their cabins are only accessible by boat. During the day power boats pull people around the lake in various forms, and some blast music out, but by night it is blissfully quiet.
For years Sarah’s parents have been filling my head with stories about how cold Harrison Lake’s waters are. It sounded like there were icebergs floating around in it. Imagine my surprise when upon arrival and stripping down to my boardies, I tentatively sidled into the lake’s waters and found that it was pleasantly refreshing on a hot day. Granted, I haven’t sampled Harrison’s waters on the first swim of the year when the sun is struggling to break through the clouds and the wind is carving through, but after all the build up it came as a shock to find that swimming in a Canadian lake was beyond endurable, it was fun. Crystal clear water, surrounded by mountains and away from the frothing and crowded Australian ocean, it was the best summer swim I’ve had in ages, with the added bonus of losing that nagging concern about having your leg chewed off by a great white.
While visiting Michael (Sarah’s cousin in Victoria) we had agreed with his criticism of Canadians spending their recreation time on fuel powered activities rather than simply hiking or sailing. We couldn’t agree more, which is why it’s strange that we found ourselves speeding down the lake on a jet ski (not once but twice, we had to take turns driving). This is the strange seductive power of a holiday, and just having a jet ski tied up at a private jetty just waiting to be used. We’ll have to get our environmental travel credentials in better order!
Apparently I look very Canadian in these photos. Let’s see if I blend into every country we visit.
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