Hills, Heat, and Jack Pine Forests

Day 2 — May 27

The day started at our wild camp near Wapita Lake and ended at another wild camp beside what we jokingly called “No Fish Lake.”

I covered 60 km today.

The weather was warm — around 18 degrees — but it felt much hotter out on the road.

The running surface stayed beautiful all day: packed gravel and smooth ground, though the hills definitely added up over time.

There were bear tracks everywhere. I spent most of the day looking for caribou tracks and finally found some in the last couple of kilometres.

Along the route we saw one bear, one porcupine, and Sandy spotted a lynx.

The Dene Culture Camp was one of the highlights of the day. The students, staff, and community members were incredibly welcoming and generous, and honestly, it was hard to leave and keep moving south.

A stop at the Dene Culture Camp along the route south.

One of the best moments of the day was the aid station my dad set up in the middle of a jack pine forest.

Long gravel roads and support never too far away.

I told my running friend, Mandy Currie, that I liked her sunglasses. The day before I left, they gifted me a pair and they are so awesome (…both my friends, and my sunglasses!)

The kilometres came a little slower in the final stretch of the day.

The last 10 km felt tough, mostly because I wanted to stay longer at the places and communities we visited instead of pushing onward.

The day finished quietly back at camp with a fire, food, and everyone settling in after another long day on the road.

Camp life after running 60 km…so good! My crew is amazing!

I’m running the length of Saskatchewan in memory of my mom, Louise, and to raise money for leukemia research and support.

After surpassing our fundraising goal on day 1 of this run, we felt incredibly grateful and inspired to set a stretch goal of collectively donating $38,000 to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

One reason this cause means so much to me is that the cancer my mom had is now curable because of the people who came before us — the donors, researchers, families, and advocates who helped move treatment forward.

Thank you for following along and thanks for so many generous donations!

These updates are shared one day behind the run as we travel south.