Go swimming in Horseshoe Lake

Another summer gone, another summer un-Horseshoe Lake’d. I’m going to put this on hold again to free up some space, because there’s something I need to add and I need to add it tonight. Next year, maybe baby.

This whole summer I was hoping to go camping in Jasper. But July was taken up by my wife’s conference, and August was taken up with the Fringe. We were supposed to get away this weekend, and I had the camping stuff all ready to go. Then, my wife said “It’s supposed to be cold and rainy, and I don’t want to go.” Which, to be fair, she was right: we shouldn’t have gone camping. But I didn’t go camping at ALL this summer. So no Jasper, no Horseshoe Lake. Which means again, this is gone for another year. I’m giving up – for now – just to get a space on my list. I’m angry, but I understand why. I just wish it wasn’t the case…

My camping trip was cut short by rain and coldness, and so I didn’t get to go swimming in the lake. My wife said we’d go next year and do it, even for just a day trip. And it’s not as though the trip was a total waste; we did go canoeing and walking through the Maligne area. I just didn’t get to take the plunge, pun sadly intended. Here’s hoping for 2009.

My wife and I are going camping this weekend to Jasper. I’d arranged it specifically so that we could go to Horseshoe Lake and have a dip. And the plan is still to do that, as long as the weather is on our side. The forecast keeps changing every six hours: hot and sunny all weekend, cloudy and rainy all weekend, maybe cloudy and rainy on Saturday but not on Sunday, etc. If there’s a clear spot we’re going to try and go out. Wish me luck!

I’m glad you asked, curious person! Horseshoe Lake is located in Jasper National Park, in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. It’s a horseshoe-shaped lake (surprise), and it’s a very popular spot to go hiking around, swimming in, and cliff-diving into. My wife has been there dozens of times, and when we went on our honeymoon she said she’d never been swimming in it before. We didn’t go last year, but I promised her I’d take her again this summer and we could go swimming. I might even go diving, if I get my courage up. We know we should make our plans for this June or July, so I’ll know a little more about when this is going to happen in a few weeks.