Fire in the mountains

The third annual Fire in The Mountains provided Bob and Kyle, two Okanagan residents with disabilities, with the experience of a lifetime.

The multi-day trip is sponsored by the West Kelowna Professional Firefighters Local 4457, in partnership with the Community Recreational Initiatives Society (CRIS) Adaptive Travel program, which provides wilderness getaways to some of B.C.’s most majestic backcountry locations, for people with disabilities.

“This past fall, an epic four-day paddling expedition on world renowned Murtle Lake, in Wells Gray Provincial Park, provided a break from the everyday realities of life and civilization and the opportunity to be immersed in the serenity of nature.” said firefighter Ryan Onyschuk.

Murtle Lake, the largest freshwater, paddle-only lake in the world, requires outdoor enthusiasts to portage 2.4 kilometres along a wilderness trail just to reach its shores.

“2016 was the first time that Fire in The Mountains provided this type of experience to two individuals at once.” said Onyschuk.

Bob’s wife couldn’t thank the firefighters and the organization enough.

“He has a new lease on life and is looking at things through a different lens, in terms of what is possible, since his return,” she said.

After travelling five and a half hours along the scenic Yellowhead Highway with kayaks and canoes in tow, a quick fuel stop at Blue River, a small community in the central interior surrounded by glaciated mountains, provided a glimpse of the views to come.

The final leg to the Murtle Lake portage parking lot included 25 kilometres of narrow, twisty, dusty mountain road.

The stage was set for Bob, Kyle and their guides to go miles into the backwoods.

The Fire in the Mountains team tirelessly assembled “TrailRiders” (all-terrain, onewheeled versions of wheelchairs, that enable CRIS to take people with mobility impairments on mountain trails), and loaded up kayaks and canoes filled with supplies