Last year was the first year in a long time that I didn’t go camping. I thought about it but I was worried about busy campgrounds full of sick people. With the arrival of a COVID vaccine, I thought a camping trip might be safe this year. And what better time and place to go than August at Cypress Hills for the Saskatchewan Summer Star Party. This camping trip though was going to be different.
A little bit of background first. Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park is located in the southern part of Saskatchewan and Alberta and is divided into two blocks: the Centre Block in Saskatchewan and the West Block on the Alberta side. The Centre Block is the highest point in Saskatchewan at 1468 m and is approximately 476 km southwest of Saskatoon. This is the location of the annual Saskatchewan Summer Star Party.
While Cypress Hills is known for its interesting flora and fauna, it’s also one of Canada’s first dark sky preserves which means that the night sky is amazing. In fact, the first time I went in 2007, I couldn’t identify a single constellation because there were too many stars. It’s for this reason that the Saskatoon and Regina Centres of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada chooses to host their party there. And this year was the 24th Saskatchewan Summer Star Party (SSSP). This year marks my 6th SSSP and probably my favorite so far.
I, and others around me, definitely had concerns about this trip. Yes, COVID is still very much a part of life thanks to the COVIDiots and the politicians who support them but there was something more personal. It’s been a couple of years since my lupus diagnosis and even longer since I started having my first symptoms. This would be my first solo camp since those early days. No longer did I have to just worry about migraines. Now, joint pain and fatigue also rule my life so driving 4 1/2 hours away to a campground to tent for 3 nights seemed like a rather sketchy idea. But I’m not ready to give up on adventures yet. I may have to do things differently but I’m not going to let my chronic conditions take over this early.
So, I packed up my gear the night before, and on August 5th, I headed off for adventure! The drive was a bit tricky. I definitely felt tired early on so I looked for places to stop to rest but the heat was too stifling so I kept driving. I made it to the park and set up my site in the Medows Campground with enough time for a quick nap before dinner. I set up my dinky telescope for an evening of observing but the smoke from numerous forest fires across western Canada made this rather fuzzy. So it was off to bed.
The next morning, I headed to a couple of popular lookout points in the north end of the park. The first stop is literally called Lookout Point and gives you an amazing vista of prairie and forest scenery. I love stopping here and taking time to really settle into the here and now. Sometimes, when we’ve been planning and packing for a trip for so long, we forget to stop and actually decompress enough to enjoy the trip itself.
Just a little further down the road is another spot. When you first arrive, it doesn’t look like much but that’s only because you have to do a bit of a hike up the hill. It’s not too bad. After all, if I can do it, anyone can! But once you get to the top of Bald Butte, you’re greeted with another beautiful prairie scene. I spent some time here as well just meditating on the wonders of this rock we live on called Earth.
Speaking of wonders, when I first arrived at the park, I saw a few orange butterflies here and there flitting around being both beautiful and mysterious. It was neat watching these little fairies dance but I didn’t give it too much thought. But I kept seeing more and more throughout my trip. On this day, as I walked back down the hill to get back to the vehicle, I saw a couple of these orange beauties on some wildflowers. I carefully and quietly pulled out my camera and started walking closer and closer to them, snapping photos as I got closer. I could have stayed there all day but someone was coming towards the hill and I thought I better leave these models alone.
I would have loved to do some more hiking but I knew I needed to take it easy so afternoons were reserved for hanging around the campground. The Registration Tent/Red Light Cafe tends to be a meeting point for star party people so yes, time was spent gabbing with others there and around the Medows. I also spent time reading and napping and just generally relaxing. Unfortunately, I forgot something very important for this downtime. I still can’t believe I did it but eek! I forgot my hammock! My lovely camping hammock that’s been with me all over the province. Oh, how I needed it for this trip but no, it was waiting for me here in Saskatoon, on the coffee table. Disappointed, I pushed on with my trip.
One of the things that made this SSSP so nice was that all the programming was outside. Usually, the resort is reserved for talks and everything else but I really enjoyed it all being outside this time. I know it’s not ideal since the weather isn’t always in our favor but this year felt a little cozier than previous years. After the Friday evening talks, I went back to my telescope only to see smokey stars again.
Saturday morning was the time to do some hiking and out of the many hiking trails at Cypress Hills, I chose the Lynx Trail to tackle as I assumed, based on location, it would have fewer people walking it. According to my fitness tracker, the trail I walked was 3.27 km and winds through both forest and prairie. No, I didn’t see any lynx – which was probably a good thing! – but I did see a squirrel, more butterflies, goldfinches, and even a deer who startled me a bit because I was not expecting this super chill herbivore to be sitting in the bushes watching me.
I do wish I had tried another trail later that afternoon but again, I was trying not to overdo it, and again, I hung around the campground reading, chatting with people, and napping. I even pulled out my ukulele for a bit of a practice session.
After dinner, the star party programming continued with door prizes and a talk from Dr. Samatha Lawler, assistant professor in Astronomy at the University of Regina. Her talk on the Starlink satellites and the damage they’re causing to the night sky was fascinating…and rather heartbreaking. The rest of the evening was clouded out. There have been many star parties where Mother Nature has not cooperated and this was another one of those bad weather parties.
I already had my gear packed and ready to go first thing in the morning. The forecast for Sunday morning was not looking great so I tried to simplify things as much as possible. All I needed to was roll up my sleeping gear and the tent and jump in the vehicle. I was hoping to take time for a quick breakfast but the rain came earlier than expected so I threw my wet gear in the trunk and munched on leftover charcuterie items for breakfast until I could get to Swift Current.
All in all, it was a fun trip. Yes, there were some bad things but nothing in life is ever perfect so I’m really not complaining about those minor beefs. I did learn a lot about myself though. At the 2019 SSSP, my anxiety was running pretty high and I had a difficult time talking to people or even being around groups of people but this year was much better. I was worried about handling all the camp craft myself like setting up my site and doing the cooking, but simplifying tasks and taking lots of breaks really helped. Alas, I was definitely wiped out by the time I got home and I became worried. This year’s SSSP had over 280 people and while it was an outdoor event, there were still too many occasions where I found myself too close to other people who were not masked. (And yes, I’m ashamed to admit it but I too kept forgetting my mask when I needed it the most.) I had already waffled with the idea of isolating for a couple of weeks when I returned home but it became apparent that I would have to after a non-COVID infection popped up the day after returning home. Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have been worried but with a very weak immune system, I knew I would need to recuperate; a vacation from my vacation. This decision was applauded by my hematologist. I’m okay now but it’s definitely something I need to think about a little more when planning my next adventure.
