Hiking in SLC

I’m in Salt Lake City for the Outdoor Retailer show. It’s my first time here and I am impressed by the city — its’ very clean, with wide streets and friendly people. I had expected that the city would be on the Great Salt Lake, but this is not the case; it is actually miles away. You can also see the mountains — home to many ski resorts —in the distance to the East.

I’ve been getting my exercise wandering around the show, which takes up the entire Salt Palace as well as the Energy Solutions Arena across the street. But it is now my last day here and it is time to get outside. The kind folks at the Visitors Center gave me some advice on where to go and I decide to head to the University, which is closer to the mountains. I take TRAX, the local tram, to the end of the line. The trip takes about half an hour and gives me an opportunity to see more of Salt Lake City. Until today, my view of the city had been limited to the few blocks around the Salt Palace.

From the end of the tram line, it is a short walk through campus to the foothills. I wander around on some trails and get a great view of the city — and my first look at the famous Salt Lake. I was surprised to see how far it was from the city. Although I didn’t get to the lake itself, I am glad that I managed to get a glimpse of it. I keep walking, admiring the view of lake and mountains, and taking pictures. But the sun is setting and it’s time to get back to civilization. I head back down the hill and wait for the tram to take me back downtown.

So much to see, so little time! Next visit, I will have to take more time to explore the area.

View of downtown Salt Lake City with the Great Salt Lake in the distance.

Forget work, time to go to the beach!

This year, my summer included a road trip through Vermont and New Hampshire. It was nice to be wandering around New England again. It feels like it’s been a long time since my last visit, but it was just last spring that I was in Bennington for (another) funeral. As I drive around, I realize how much I’ve traveled these roads over the years. Vermont has always felt like home, even though I only lived here for a few years, and it is nice to be back again.

The trip is part work, part vacation. After days of driving and some productive meetings, I am in Stratham, NH. The person I would like to meet has not returned my emails or phone calls. I’m not sure whether I should just stop in. It’s late in the day, so I decide to head to the beach instead — it’s only 20 minutes away.

Once I arrive at Hampton Beach, I know that I have been here before. Some time during my university years, I was here with my mom but the purpose of our trip escapes me.

There is something magical about the ocean — the hypnotic sight and sound of waves rolling in one after another. Having lived most of my life hundreds or thousands of miles from the ocean, it never ceases to amaze me.

There is still some time before the sun sets so a walk on the beach seems appropriate. I grab my camera and head off for a short walk — I’ll at least dip my toes in the water. My shoes come off and I start walking south. The beach is not crowded but there are still a few people enjoying themselves. The light is beautiful with the sun low in the sky and I take a ton of pictures. I’m always sensitive to taking photos of peoples’ faces but there are many opportunities for silhouettes and back shots — great story shots of kids playing in waves, an older couple parked on lawn chairs near the breaking surf, young couples holding hands and families fishing together.

My walk to the south end of the beach and back takes almost 2 hours and the sun is setting as I return to my car. Having planned for a short walk, I hadn’t put much money in the parking meter. When I get to the car, there is a ticket on my windshield — arghh!

Despite the ticket, the visit to the beach was worth it – a refreshing break from green mountains and winding roads. The beauty of this area pulls at my heart strings and I vow to return here more often.

Canada Day at the cottage

For many years, I would head to Parliament Hill for Canada Day. All day entertainment and an eclectic mix of people, with the day culminating with an amazing fireworks display. These days, I can’t imagine not going to the cottage. There, it’s a much different scene. Most of the day, we just hang out — on the dock, on the deck, in the meadow. If it gets too hot, just jump in the lake.

This year, for the first time in a long time, we headed to Hatley for the Canada Day parade. Our destination was less than 10 km away, so it seemed reasonable that leaving at 10:30 would give us plenty of time to get there for the 11:00 start of the parade. I mean, how busy could it be? Very busy, as it turns out. The parade has been held for about 100 years and, apparently, is the largest Canada Day parade in Quebec outside of Montreal – that saying a lot for a town of about 800 people.

After turning on the main road into town, we were still about 4 km away when traffic came to a dead stop. We crawled along for the next 45 minutes, finally coming to a point where people were parking along the side of the road. We joined the crowd and still had about a kilometer to walk before reaching Main Street, just as the last of the parade went by. Bummer.

The good news is that the parade is not the only thing going on in Hatley on Canada Day. On the village green, there is an assortment of entertainment, food, vintage cars, games, horses and more. The funny thing is that it looks the same as it did when I was 12 years old (probably the last time I attended the parade).

It was a good day, with lots of walking — a well-needed break from laying about. Next year, we may have to come again but we’ll know to leave a little earlier!

Back at Bromont

Every year, I try to attend the Bromont Horse Trials. The event continues to be one of my favourite horse shows. I have been going for years — as a competitor, a photographer and a spectator.

The event is still run on part of the course from the 1976 Olympics. I was there for the Olympics and this is one reason why it has a special place in my heart. That was my introduction to eventing; it got me hooked. A decade after the Olympics, it was the site of one of my biggest wins — when it was still run as a full three-day event (with 4-phase endurance).

As a photographer, it is a beautiful event to shoot, with great fences and nice scenery; as a spectator, it is a wonderful place to watch with so much visible from a few key areas on course.

Although it’s been quite some time since I competed at Bromont, this year was special: “my” horse, Jake, was competing with his new owner, Caitlin. I took Jake from barely broke to his first year of competition. In that first year, he proved an aptitude for eventing that one would expect based on his lineage bred. With Caitlin, Jake has blossomed into a star. Together, they moved quickly through the ranks, and at Bromont, Caitlin hoped to qualify for the Young Rider Championships in August. They did me proud! Caitlin and Jake won their division — and qualified for Young Riders!

What a great weekend! Bromont is not far from our family cottage where I spent many summers as a kid, riding in local fairs and horse shows. Even without this year’s excitement, it always feels a bit like coming home to be at Bromont.

Getting lost and unlost

When I was a kid, I learned how to use a compass and did some orienteering on a school trip. However, that was a long time ago and I can’t say that I retained much of what I learned. These days, I usually head to the woods without benefit of a compass – not really a “best practice” — so I thought it was time to relearn some navigation skills.

I signed up for a Navigation course given by the Alpine Club of Canada (Ottawa section). We started with two evening sessions learning about maps, compasses and how to use them together. The following Saturday, we headed to the far end of Gatineau Park where we proceed to get lost.

From our starting point at the trailhead, we headed straight into the bush, ignoring the trail completely. Our intrepid leader, Darryl, started us out on a specific heading, with the goal of heading for a particular body of water. As we bushwhacked our way through the woods, we encountered a variety of obstacles, included boulders, trees, hills and ponds. Although we couldn’t walk a straight line, our compass kept us on the right track.

After an hour or so, Darryl shifted our heading by 10 or 15 degrees — to take us off track. Then, after about 20 minutes on the new heading, we were tasked with finding our original destination by returning to the original heading. We crossed several trails, which helped position our location on the map, but we were unable to locate the pond in the end. Having said that, we were able to get ourselves “unlost” by tracing a faint path back to one of the main trails.

The reward for our hard work — bushwhacking for several hours in the heat, covered head to toe in hats, long sleeves and pants — was lunch on the escarpment overlooking the valley. The beautiful view, accompanied by a nice breeze, made it all worthwhile.

The return to the cars was quicker than expected, considering how long the first “half” of our journey took. Overall, it was a great day, despite the heat and bugs, and I learned a few things about navigating in the woods. I hope that I won’t have to test my newly acquired skills, but next time I head to the woods, I will be taking my compass.

Walk in the woods for a good cause

A little rain couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of 100+ people who headed to Gatineau Park for the annual iSisters Hike and Picnic in the Park. This is my second year attending the event, which features an easy 5 km walk starting at the Relais de pleine air (on Boulevard Cité des Jeunes).

Despite a little detour, caused by missing a directional arrow somewhere, we returned to the pavilion just as the rain started up again. When we arrived, we found an enormous buffet lunch was waiting for us. In addition, a silent auction featuring a great selection of goodies kept everyone busy through lunch.

Gatineau Park is an amazing public space that is less than 15 minutes away. It is one of my favourite places and a great place to spend a few hours for a good cause.

iSisters is a technology mentoring organization (non-profit) that creates community-based programs to mentor and educate marginalized women about technology. The programs focus on building confidence, self-esteem and economic independence by helping women develop technology and employability skills.

Ottawa Race Weekend

This weekend, my friend Ann will run in the half marathon. I think she’s crazy but I will be there to cheer her on. I’ve never been much of a running although I understand its appeal. It has a low cost of entry — really, all you need is a good pair of running shoes — and you can do it almost anywhere and any time.

I have tried running from time to time (although never very seriously), but I just don’t think my body is built for it —I blame it on bad knees and big boobs. I admire those who do run but it does seems like some people’s interest in the sport borders on obsession.

Race Weekend in Ottawa is host to a full range of races, ranging from a 2 K Family Fun Run to a full marathon. It has grown from 146 participants in its first year (1975) to more than 30,000 participants this year.

One of the non-race events this weekend was a talk by John Stanton, founder of the Running Room. To the runners in the room (most of the 400 or so people that were there), he gave some advice on running and some provided a few strategies for running the race.

I was more interested in John Stanton, the individual and businessman. The success of the Running Room has been fairly spectacular and I was looking for some insight into he achieved that success. One statement he made stood out for me; it was:

An intelligent goal
AND a group of people to share it with
AND confidence
= SUCCESS
whether it is a marathon or life

To me, the concept of community and confidence building is an important contributor to reaching your goals. If you have the confidence in yourself and the support of friends and/or family, you will have a greater chance for success, in whatever you attempt. It is so important to focus on the possible and the positive.

Thanks for the inspiring words John!

Ladies Walking Club

Inspired by my experiences over the past few months, I have decided to establish a weekly “Ladies’ Walking Club”. The goal of the LWC is to combine some easy exercise with an opportunity to socialize. I have started by inviting some friends to join me every Thursday for an hour-long walk, starting at 6 pm. The time was chosen to coincide with when most people could get to a central location on their way home from work.

I wanted to encourage those who are not actively exercising to get started with an easy stroll. In addition, I wanted to provide an opportunity for these women to meet and talk with other professional women. Essentially, exercising and networking at the same time.

Walking seemed like the perfect activity — it’s easy to do and requires only a comfortable pair of shoes. It doesn’t require much in the way of skill or attention to detail and it is easy to have a conversation while you’re doing it.

They say it takes 3 weeks to make an activity a habit so I hope it won’t be too long to get some people hooked on a regular physical activity. I also hope to create a network of professional women that will help each other.

ACC hike

One of the things I did this spring — in my quest to get more active —was to join the Alpine Club of Canada. I purchased my membership online through the main ACC website, although I actually belong to the Ottawa chapter, which maintains its own website. I signed up for my first hike partly based on where it was — across the ridge behind a barn I rode at for almost a decade. In all that time, I had never been up the mountain, despite the fact that it rose 200’ behind the house I lived in for more than a year.

The group met in a parking lot at a government complex and we did some quick introductions. Our leader, Darryl, was a long-time member of the ACC as were several other people. I was pleased to find out I was not the only newbie. It was also Deb’s first ACC outing. I had convinced my friend Jim, another avid hiker, to come along — in part so he could learn about the organization, but also for moral support, in case I was the only new person.

We organized carpools and I offered to drive as I was picking up Jim since he lived en-route to our destination. As we geared up at the starting point, a couple of people drove cars to finishing point, which was a few miles down the road.

Our hike started off on a fairly well-defined track but it wasn’t long before we were bushwhacking. Darryl was familiar with the route so he was in the lead, looking for traces of the trail. While we meandered quite a bit as we climbed up the escarpment, we eventually found a marker when we reached to top which declared we were on the right track. Even though this was considered a “beginner” hike, we traveled at a decent pace — no lollygagging here!

After a few hours, we broke for lunch on a clearing looking out over the valley. The view was beautiful and it was nice to take a break. Ironically, our site was literally a few hundred feet above the house I used to live in. As we refueled, some climbers made their way to the top of the cliff where we were sitting. There were also ACC members who were training for rescues.

Our decent was a little more than an hour, which was just enough for me. I really enjoyed the outing and meeting new people. It makes me want to do more! As we said our goodbyes, we exchanged numbers and promised to see each other again.

Boxing in the Park

I met my personal trainer — Chad — at the local gym I have belonged to for several years. Unlike the first trainer I worked with at the gym, Chad has been awesome to work with. He works me harder than I would work myself but he knows my limits and is able to push me just hard enough.

Chad has since gone out on his own and I followed him to a private gym where we have continued our one-on-one sessions. This summer, we collaborated to get a group of women together to box several times a week.

Now that the weather is finally getting warm, it is a nice change to exercise outdoors. Our boxing sessions are really interval training, alternating various boxing punches with sprints, push-ups and other exercises, with and without weights. A core group of 5 women come to the park three days a week.

The initial commitment is for an 8-week session. After that, we’ll discuss how we want to proceed. So far, it is an excellent workout with a great variety of activities.

Urban poling meet up

Heather, the instructor who held the Urban Poling class in April, has started an Urban poling meet up group. This week was the first “meet up”. As I headed out on my own, I was curious to see how many people would show up and whether any of them had been in the class I attended. When I arrived at the parking lot in the Experimental Farm, I was pleased to find a group of about 10 ready to head out. Everyone was new to me and I learned that Heather had also been holding a weekly class downtown.

I love to walk and never would have thought of using poles when I walked around the city. Adding poles has helped in two ways: first, they help provide a sense of rhythm — I find my stride is longer and more regular when I am using my poles; second, they add core strengthening to the workout — something I hadn’t expected.

The meet up was a nice change from my typical walks. Although the dog didn’t get a chance to come along, I had a great time chatting with several interesting people. I think the social aspect of exercise is something to consider. Making a commitment to meet someone is part of it, but having an interesting conversation with people you probably wouldn’t otherwise meet is an added bonus.

First hike of the season

After a long, snowy weather, April has been wonderfully warm and sunny. I’ve been itching to get up to the Gatineaus for a walk, so this past Sunday I headed up to one of my favourite trails.

While all the snow had melted in the city, I should have realized that it is rarely an indication of the situation in the Hills. When I arrived at the trailhead, I was somewhat surprised to see so much snow still on the ground. The trail I headed out on was a cross-country ski trail; I figured there was little chance of meeting skiers since the conditions were not good for skiing.

At first, I regretted not bringing my snow shoes but overall the snow was packed down enough to make the walking easy. Not long after I started out, I crossed a snow bridge created by a stream that had overrun a culvert under the path, which was below about 3 feet of snow. From where I stood, it was difficult to tell how thick the snow was above the stream, so I moved quickly across the area. Unfortunately, I wasn’t fast enough and my left foot when through the snow bridge. Luckily, I was able to keep moving and my foot didn’t get anywhere near the flowing water.

After about half an hour, I was about to cross the Parkway; I was thinking that the snow would likely have melted and it would be better to walk along it rather than continue on the path. I was surprised to found the Parkway covered with snow, and even more surprised to meet some skiers — wearing shorts and nothing else!

What a great start to the season!

Walking with Sticks

At the SWEET event last week, I met Heather Pardon. She was one of the speakers at the women’s only evening. Her topic was “Women Empowering Women” and she spoke about how other women she’d met had turned her on to mountain biking and helped give her the courage to start her own business — a B&B. In addition, Heather is a personal trainer and teaches Urban Poling, otherwise known as Nordic Walking.

Nordic Walking incorporates poles, which increase your stability, reduce the pressure on your knees and provide your core with a better workout than walking without poles. Unlike trekking poles which have metal tips, Nordic poles have rubber tips that cushion the impact and reduce the sound as you use the poles on pavement.

So, I signed up for a Nordic Walking clinic with Heather. Bright and early (ok, it was 9 a.m.), we gathered outside Bushtukah. There were about 8 women and 1 token man (one woman’s husband). After spending a few minutes learning about how to use the poles (which several of us had purchase just minutes before), we headed off to practice. Walking up and down a section of bike path, we circled Heather while she gave us pointers on how to improve our technique. Then, we took a short tour to one of the few hills in the neighbourhood to try out our skills going up and down a hill.

During the 2-hour session, I learned techniques that I could use on my own. In addition, I had an opportunity to meet a number of nice women who shared my love of the outdoors.

I have always been a big fan of walking; really, it’s so easy — all it takes is a comfortable pair of shoes. What a great way to be outside and get some exercise. Now, with a set of Nordic Walking poles, I can walk around the city and get an even better workout. I highly recommend it!

S.W.E.E.T.

This weekend, I attended an event at a local outdoor shop. It was a women’s only event called SWEET, which stands for Sporty Women’s Empowering Evening of Tips and advice. The event was a smashing success, with about 450 women descending on Bushtukah on Sunday evening.

The evening included inspirational speakers, a fashion show, food and giveaways. I applaud Bushtukah for focusing specifically on the women’s market. While the fitness industry does address the women’s market with products and marketing, the outdoor industry is slower to get on the bandwagon.

I was also pleased at how the event was executed. The evening used real women to inspire other women from a variety of aspects, including:

• A fashion show which featured store staff of all shapes and sizes
• Advice from experts who were female small business owners
• Words of wisdom from three inspirational speakers: an Olympian (who ran the first women’s marathon in 1984), a breast cancer survivor (who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro) and a road cyclist turned mountain biker and B&B owner.

The women who attended ranged in age from 10 to 60+ and included couch potatoes as well as Iron(wo)man Triathletes. I’ll write more about the wise words provided by the speakers. In the meantime, I think an event like this point out that you’re never too old to get and stay fit.

Welcome!

It is now only 4 months until a milestone birthday. This fact provided me with the impetus to reflect on what's important to me. Good health is something we all take for granted until we don't have it any more. I've been fortunate to have been healthy so far and I'd like to keep it that way.

For me, the key to good health is staying active. I love the outdoors and doing things outside is how I keep active. In this blog, I hope to share some my ideas and experiences for getting fit in the great outdoors.