I Took The Path Less Traveled By: Crypt/Vimy Summer 2000

This is probably one of the more memorable hikes I've ever done. I learned a few lessons this day and am more prepared now. So I was the third wheel on this hike but it didn't bother me. I hiked the day with a friend and his girl-friend. We started the day paying the outrageous price for the ferry ride to the crypt lake landing. I say outrageous because it is, I have since been too cheap to pay and will now canoe to the other side. So we began our hike and we were all in pretty good shape and we made amazing time. We reached the lake way earlier than we had though and so we decided we could try and hit Vimy Ridge and Peak on the way back. We figured we had plenty of time. So we headed back to where there used to be a camp site, currently only an outhouse now and headed up that ridge. We then traversed across that ridge that eventually met up with Vimy Peak. I remember thinking we had plenty of time still as we had 2 plus hours to get back to the boat. So we decided to follow a drainage basin down to the trail. Well it was slower going then we had thought. I realized we probably wouldn't make the boat, so I kind of left the love birds behind and finally hit the trail. Well I had about 20 minutes till the boat was to leave and ran the rest of the trail back. I came to within sight of the boat and noticed it was leaving. I jumped up and down and somebody saw me and they turned the boat around. At this point of the day it was raining and I was sopping wet. I got down to the boat dock and the captain of the boat asked what happened. Well, I told him we kind of got of the trail.....and that there were two more hikers behind me. He said wait here for the other two and the International boat could pick us up as it was going to pass in about a half an hour. So I went back and sought some shelter in the trees by the boat landing and waited for the other two. Well eventually the International boat did come and the other two still were not there. At this point I was freezing cold because I was so wet and had stopped moving for so long and it was still raining. So I got onto the dock and shouted at the boat that they still were not here yet. The International continued on its way and about 15 minutes later my two friends showed up. So the company for the boat eventually sent back another motorboat to pick us up. When we reached shore the owner of the company was pretty upset with us and we had to end up paying the boat driver $20 each for over time. We left laughing pretty good at the situation and I still look back at this hike and laugh. We were pretty lucky because if I hadn't caught the attention of the boat we would have had to walk like 20 km around the lake to get back that night. Anyways lesson learned. I am way more prepared now for rain. I always bring warmer clothing now and I don't go off the trail unless I know where I am going.