Trail Talk – March 2021
TRAIL TALK
An Interview with Michelle Dressler (KHC member from 2011 to 2018)
As Interviewed by Lori Rilkoff, March 2021
One of the most common benefits KHC members will mention about belonging to KHC is that you get to meet people who share your passion for hiking and the outdoors. Those friendships and shared experiences can remain a part of your life even when you move away. This month’s Trail Talk showcases one of KHC’s original members who can vouch for that. Michelle not only became a mainstay on many of its hikes, but also volunteered her time as a hike leader and for many of KHC events in the years she lived in Kamloops. Although she moved to Saskatchewan in 2018, Michelle returns every year to re-visit our local trails and her KHC friends. We hope she returns on a permanent basis one day!
LR: When did you become a member of KHC and where have you been these last few years?
MD: I stumbled upon KHC the year before it even became the ‘not-for-profit Kamloops Hiking Club’ in 2012. I guess you could say I was one of its ‘original’ members. I watched it transform
from a group of 50 like-minded outdoor enthusiasts to a club that’s now over 270 + members. I left in 2018 to return back to my hometown in Saskatchewan for family reasons but still make it
back to Kamloops yearly to hike the area and reconnect with some of its members.
LR: How did you initially hear about KHC?
MD: My first introduction to KHC was reading an ad for a free seminar on “Learning to Backback for Beginners” listed in a local newspaper. I had just moved to BC from Saskatchewan in 2006 and flying solo, I really wanted to learn and explore more of the local area from those who knew it best. So, I attended the seminar and met Katherine Roberts and Josh and Katie Fletcher who were the presenters, along with fellow hiking enthusiasts John Moslin, Clive Giolma (RIP), Jane Steele, and I believe Carole Pugle (Moslin) was there too. After that seminar, I was hooked on joining any of their local hikes posted on Facebook that summer.
LR: What was your hiking experience prior to joining KHC?
MD: My first ‘real’ hiking experience began in 1998 when I moved to Invermere, BC and was introduced to the mountainous region by friends. I got my first experience of backpacking there, trekking into Lake of the Hanging Glaciers and Jumbo Pass. Prior to that, I lived in Saskatchewan where it is pretty flat (as everyone knows), so walking was all you could do there.
LR: Can you recall the first hike you did with KHC?
MD: Hmm…that’s a tough one to recall. I don’t remember the exact first hike, but looking back through my photo archives in 2011 I did hike some good ones: Dale’s Antique Beach, Deep Lake,
Enderby Cliffs, Mara Mountain, Savona Caves, Skoatl Point and Sugerloaf Mountain, to name a few. I do recall the first hike experience was exactly what I expected – a knowledgeable, patient
and skilled hike leader had given a good description of what was to be expected in regards to terrain and difficulty and demonstrated good organization skills. The bonus was having like-minded members along for the hike with lots of laughs and beautiful sights along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of it all.
LR: What would you say to a new KHC member who may be hesitant to come out for a first hike with KHC or maybe the first hike they’ve ever done?
MD: If someone is unsure but wants to come out, I would recommend they sign up for an easy hike to start. You will never know until you sign up and get out there to try it! From there get a ‘feel’ of the flow of the group experience and ask the leader any questions you have, if the answers can’t be found on the website. Being a past hike leader myself, holding ‘Beginner Hiker Only’ hikes, I’ve been exposed to it all and I would want those who are new or hesitant to contact the KHC leader and ask them anything that they are unsure about. I recall the most common hesitancy with newcomers was about being unsure of the speed of the group hikes. I found through completing a variety of easy, medium and hard hikes what worked or didn’t work for my physical ability.
LR: Can you tell us about one of the best moments you’ve ever had on a KHC hike?
MD: Oh boy…I’ve had so many over the years and I have to pick just one!? Likely the most impressionable moment I’ve had with KHC was hiking the Shorts Creek Canyon Trail near Vernon in the fall of 2015. What makes this hike momentous was it was the first and only time, that I know of, when KHC had a cougar (cub) encounter. If it wasn’t for (KHC member) Leilani Lacasse’s dog Healey to start barking and make us aware of its presence we would never have known a cougar was about 30 feet away. The cougar got spooked by the dog and tried climbing a tree, only to fall after the branch broke from its weight. It then dashed off into the bushes – all of this occurring in less than a minute. It was an intense moment! And yes, it’s true what they say – you could be out hiking oodles of times and you’d never know a cougar was there watching you!
LR: What is it about hiking that appeals to you the most?
MD: Exploration and photography of nature are what appeals to me the most about hiking. I was always the person who wanted to know what was over that hill or around that corner. Hiking was a great way to keep in shape and fulfill my curiosity of where the path led, coinciding with snapping a few pictures along the way to showcase the area to others who might want to know more about the route.
LR: How does hiking where you are now differ from your experiences with KHC?
MD: Hiking in Saskatchewan is, well, no real comparison to BC, of course. Living in a province where you can see your dog run away for 3 days compared to the hills, valleys, lakes and mountains out that way in BC……there is a reason why Saskatchewanians are dubbed ‘Flatlanders’ after all! However, we aren’t completely a boring province. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I have managed to hike some beautiful sections of the Great Trail, aka The Trans Canada Trail (TCT), in both Saskatchewan and in Manitoba. Currently, my goal while residing here in Saskatchewan is to complete as many sections of the TCT that are walk/bike routes only.
LR: What lasting influences has KHC had on your life? How has it continued to influence you now that you have moved away from us?
MD: KHC influenced me in so many ways while I was living there. Through the encouragement of other members, it launched me into becoming a leader, a board member, a vice president/president and special events co-ordinator for KHC. It also helped me to gain inner confidence as a leader and to hone my skills in outdoor survival techniques, group leadership, wildlife awareness, foliage/fauna identification, and to paddle canoes and kayaks. I am 100% physically and mentally recharged from nature’s therapy after a hike or paddle. My current lifestyle in Saskatchewan has been significantly influenced by KHC’s teachings of ‘leave no trace’ practices and I strongly uphold that mantra, teaching it to others that hike with me here. My life continues to be enriched by the many friends I met through KHC and the long-term friendships that bloomed, which I treasure immensely to this day.
LR/DAS/3/21
- Trail Talk – March 2021 - March 10, 2021
- Trail Talk – Carole and John Moslin - February 10, 2021
- Trail Talk – January, 2021 - January 9, 2021
Excellent Michelle! We love your cookies on the hikes as well!