The 1971 Mountain hitch hiking story.

A story about youthful adventure and hitch hiking

THE 1971 MOUNTAIN HITCH HIKING ADVENTURE

Well me and a friend got permission to take off from grade 9 before summer break, a week early, as we wanted to hitch hike to BC. So we did and we went and got a ride with various people and stopped along the way and fished for trout in some of the streams. I think we even had snorkel gear to do some snorkeling,

Anyway we got up to the mountains and then went on a side road to this bush road and path and stashed some of our gear and went hiking up this path, crossing streams and taking in the scenes and going up, up and up, until we came, after what seemed like forever, to this high plateau and there was still snow and a small glacier there and we had to trek across the plateau till we came to this trappers? cabin and spent the night there. There was some food there, let by previous generous hikers, according to the unwritten hikers code.

The next day a ranger was passing by on his horse, can't remember if he stayed or went further on but he left early in the morn. We had a pleasant time though for a day or so and then headed the long way back down the mountain, all two of us, at the tender age of 15 or so years old. We wore out our socks a bit and had to wash them in a creek along the way. And were glad we had lightened our heavy back packs. We found our cache and headed to the mountain town, where we ogled the hot chicks and wow they ogled back. And I think we spent a few days at the hostel. Then we tried for two days to hitch hike to the west coast, but for some reason no one would pick up any people going west in that town. So reluctantly admitting defeat and that our adventure, after a week was over, we thumbed back to Edmonton,

Money? I don't recall the issue of money coming up and we couldn't have had more than $50 dollars between us , which I suppose was a bit of a lot in those days. Not sure if I'd recommend hitch hiking these days, as it seems to have become more of a risky biz what with media hype.

And that was our 1970s after junior high school adventure.