Photos from last year, June 28, 2020:
Yes! A private, picturesque little spot behind the trees, with a wild-rose path to our own sandy beach. "It's perfect. Let's free-camp here and have a sunset Happy Hour beside the lake."
It was a lovely spot on the east side of Lake Diefenbaker near the resort development of Mistusinne. But all was not a bed of roses. The grass was long and the season was tick-y. We carefully checked our clothes. And checked our clothes again. There were none of the nasty little critters in sight.
Until there were.
First on our shoes, then one on the floor of the van! It was dark and the flashlights were beaming wildly. A small tick was climbing the driver's seat. Another was under the passenger's seat. It was too late to go anywhere, we were on full alert. Dave slept, I was on constant lookout.
None were found on our bodies, none in our bed, but it was not a restful night. At first daylight we searched the van with a fine-toothed comb and moved on to a proper packed-gravel campsite at Douglas Park Campground.
Things looked up and my mood improved when we loaded our backpacks with water and snacks, and headed east on a hike to find the sand dunes. The cactus were blooming like I've never seen before, the path meandered on the rolling terrain, and hallelujah, there wasn't a breath of Saskatchewan wind. The 8 kilometer loop was a pleasure every step of the way.
The ticks were long gone and only the cactus blooms and monarch butterfly have stayed in my memory.
If you're in the area near Elbow, SK, consider this lovely, well-marked dune hike close to Douglas Provincial Park. It's well worth a few hours rambling on an interesting part of our prairie. Scenic, peaceful, and tick-free.
