Robyn and I travelled home from Vancouver today and made it in one piece. Air Canada managed to lose our snowboards again and are 2 for 2 so at least they are consistent. Luckily it only took 45 minutes to get them back this time.
Yet another long day, but we're back in our own bed for a few nights, and then off again!
I have a few posts in hand that I'll get up tomorrow because a lot happened lately that I have yet to regale, but I thought I'd let everyone know that we're safe and sound.
The scenery of British Columbia was not the only beauty we encountered - we met a lot of tremendous people and were blown away by the friendliness, welcoming, hospitality, and sincere interest that everyone showed us. Thanks to all.
Now, on to the next adventure: Guatemala.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Serenity We Could See
Roughly two years ago after she had completed her master's degree and before she began at Katimavik, Amy ventured out onto Galiano Island in the Gulf Islands off the coast of BC, and Woofed for a small operation called Serenity by the Sea. Woofing is basically volunteering to help (usually on a farm but the work typically varies) for a portion of each day in exchange for food and shelter. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement because the volunteer can travel and explore very cheaply and the 'farm' owners get a working hand without paying much out of pocket. Amy spent over 2 months volunteering at this small retreat on the Northwest coast of the island.
When we were leaving Trail and venturing West, we were discussing with Amy possible (and worthwhile) destinations that we should include in our agenda. She mentioned Serenity and it seemed like a novel idea. Amy spoke warmly of the couple that operates the retreat and said that they were 'definitely interesting' and that we'll learn a lot in a short time there. At that we booked two nights on Galiano, and that's where we stayed Thursday and Friday night... (cue wavy flashback fade)...
We woke up early Thursday morning at Jess' place after likely the best night's sleep we'd had since arriving, and got on our way. In order to get to the ferry from Vancouver to Galiano we would have to transfer three bus routes, and we left the house at 8:15 in order to catch an 11 o'clock ferry. Needless to say when it comes to our travels, the bus ride itself was serendipitous and adventurous. We boarded the first bus without problem and rode it until the proper transfer point. Unfortunately, the bus that we were supposed to catch at that point was late. We sat in the rain and waited as our intricately designed transfer plans fell apart and panic sank in like the rain through our jeans. The bus finally arrived, 10 minutes late, and we were now slightly off trajectory to catch the next transfer. We pulled into a deserted skytrain terminal, which is where the bus that drops off at the ferry collects it's passengers, but still had hope. Those hopes were squashed, though, when we found the bus message board and read that our bus had indeed departed. Lo and behold, though, the Transit Supervisor just happens to be arriving for his shift and, seeing our loaded backpacks and deflated expressions, asks us where we're trying to go,
"Twarrassen ferry to Galiano, huh, well, you've missed the 620 and so you're not going to catch the ferry. Give me a minute, though, and I'll see what I can do."
Robyn and I watched in stunned silence as the shift supervisor, over his handheld radio, tracked down two separate bus routes and had them time themselves so we still had a chance. He boarded a bus with us and rode until we met up with another bus, which had been waiting midway through it's route in order to allow us to board. We stepped on this new bus sheepishly, knowing all the passengers had been waiting for us, and were off on our way to Galiano again. Events like this seem to happen to Robyn and I with frequency - we'll get into a sticky situation (with or without fault of our own) and the universe always seems to provide a solution. We stopped believing in coincidences a while ago, and are always grateful for whatever powers seem to watch over us.
We unloaded the ferry at Galiano and got to experience something that we've been told is especially BC: the hitchhike. The people of Galiano are accustomed to both locals and travellers hitchhiking and the friendliness of the small island folk can be seen in how easy it is to hop in a car with a relative stranger and be transported around. Our first few attempts at riding the opposable digit express were fruitless though. I was sure that my size and intimidating demeanor were to blame, but Robyn disagreed. It was interesting, though, that as soon as Robyn took the lead in the thumb-thrusting duties we were picked up by the next van that passed (and she wasn't even showing that much leg!). We were eventually picked up and taken to the road leading to the retreat.
The Serenity by the Sea structure is fantastic in every sense of the word. The owners Shera and Chidakash built the various houses by hand, and their artistic influence can be seen everywhere. A creek runs through the property and cascades into the ocean in front of the main lodge and the grounds include a labyrinth, an organic garden, an art studio, and a bathtub built into the rock ledge for late night relaxation. We were greeted warmly by Chidakash at the door and shown to our room, which was located in the main lodge. It was a beautiful, subdued room with large windows facing the water and japanese-style bed and furniture. The low, simple furnishings bring a sense of peace and tranquility to the space, which Robyn and I enjoyed and took note of. The room was full of Shera's art and a large collection of Birds of Paradise. It was, indeed, Serene.
When we were leaving Trail and venturing West, we were discussing with Amy possible (and worthwhile) destinations that we should include in our agenda. She mentioned Serenity and it seemed like a novel idea. Amy spoke warmly of the couple that operates the retreat and said that they were 'definitely interesting' and that we'll learn a lot in a short time there. At that we booked two nights on Galiano, and that's where we stayed Thursday and Friday night... (cue wavy flashback fade)...
We woke up early Thursday morning at Jess' place after likely the best night's sleep we'd had since arriving, and got on our way. In order to get to the ferry from Vancouver to Galiano we would have to transfer three bus routes, and we left the house at 8:15 in order to catch an 11 o'clock ferry. Needless to say when it comes to our travels, the bus ride itself was serendipitous and adventurous. We boarded the first bus without problem and rode it until the proper transfer point. Unfortunately, the bus that we were supposed to catch at that point was late. We sat in the rain and waited as our intricately designed transfer plans fell apart and panic sank in like the rain through our jeans. The bus finally arrived, 10 minutes late, and we were now slightly off trajectory to catch the next transfer. We pulled into a deserted skytrain terminal, which is where the bus that drops off at the ferry collects it's passengers, but still had hope. Those hopes were squashed, though, when we found the bus message board and read that our bus had indeed departed. Lo and behold, though, the Transit Supervisor just happens to be arriving for his shift and, seeing our loaded backpacks and deflated expressions, asks us where we're trying to go,
"Twarrassen ferry to Galiano, huh, well, you've missed the 620 and so you're not going to catch the ferry. Give me a minute, though, and I'll see what I can do."
Robyn and I watched in stunned silence as the shift supervisor, over his handheld radio, tracked down two separate bus routes and had them time themselves so we still had a chance. He boarded a bus with us and rode until we met up with another bus, which had been waiting midway through it's route in order to allow us to board. We stepped on this new bus sheepishly, knowing all the passengers had been waiting for us, and were off on our way to Galiano again. Events like this seem to happen to Robyn and I with frequency - we'll get into a sticky situation (with or without fault of our own) and the universe always seems to provide a solution. We stopped believing in coincidences a while ago, and are always grateful for whatever powers seem to watch over us.
We unloaded the ferry at Galiano and got to experience something that we've been told is especially BC: the hitchhike. The people of Galiano are accustomed to both locals and travellers hitchhiking and the friendliness of the small island folk can be seen in how easy it is to hop in a car with a relative stranger and be transported around. Our first few attempts at riding the opposable digit express were fruitless though. I was sure that my size and intimidating demeanor were to blame, but Robyn disagreed. It was interesting, though, that as soon as Robyn took the lead in the thumb-thrusting duties we were picked up by the next van that passed (and she wasn't even showing that much leg!). We were eventually picked up and taken to the road leading to the retreat.
The Serenity by the Sea structure is fantastic in every sense of the word. The owners Shera and Chidakash built the various houses by hand, and their artistic influence can be seen everywhere. A creek runs through the property and cascades into the ocean in front of the main lodge and the grounds include a labyrinth, an organic garden, an art studio, and a bathtub built into the rock ledge for late night relaxation. We were greeted warmly by Chidakash at the door and shown to our room, which was located in the main lodge. It was a beautiful, subdued room with large windows facing the water and japanese-style bed and furniture. The low, simple furnishings bring a sense of peace and tranquility to the space, which Robyn and I enjoyed and took note of. The room was full of Shera's art and a large collection of Birds of Paradise. It was, indeed, Serene.
Part of the reason we came to the island was to meet and experience the two owners, so we chose to eat all of our meals with them (at their suggestion) and spent a good deal of our time in their company. Both nearing their seventies, Shera and Chidakash have chosen to live a life of peaceful reflection away from the noise of urbanity. They are both intensely spiritual people with different approaches, and were great teachers. Shera is a prolific artist whose recent subjects have been elephants and birds of paradise. She is also an acclaimed Reiki energy healer and physical rehabilitator. Both she and Chidikash (I did not take the opportunity to ask the origins of his name) lead groups at their retreat centre and abroad. They also lead groups through pilgrimages in Peru and Bali. They are also heavily involved in ElephantStay in Thailand, where Shera's baby-elephant inspiration is drawn. Robyn and I spent a great deal of time with them both, but spoke with Chidakash at length on the first night. He is a soft spoken, well-read man with a variety of interests and an opinion on everything. We enjoyed conversing with him and hearing his take on issues ranging from crop circles to Avatar to the effects of television. Robyn and I felt that this portion of our trip was perfectly timed: we have had our minds opened through the first few legs of the journey, and this experience helped expand our viewpoints even further.
In terms of activities while at the retreat, well, there weren't many, and that was the point. We took the chance to read, hike, and bask in the sun. We played with all of the retreat's 'toys' such as a Billy Board and large crystal bowls that could be vibrated to emit a low, penetrating resonance. We also tried out a few Tarot card readings and learned about the mythology of colours. There were fascinating uses of our time that we would have never had an opportunity to experience without this stop over, so we were very glad to have done it.
Five meals, two nights, and one late night bath together under the moon and Robyn and I were off the island and on to Victoria Saturday afternoon.
Five meals, two nights, and one late night bath together under the moon and Robyn and I were off the island and on to Victoria Saturday afternoon.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Dinner with Friends Old and New
Wednesday night, after the long walk, Robyn and I met up with Ty Thomson and his fiancee Nikki Hill. I met Ty in Unionville around grade 7 (1995? Oh dear lord, that long ago?) through a mutual friend Ryan Steane. Ty was part of the Berczy scene, which was quite the place to be in elementary school. In high school he moved to BC and stayed for good, not that I blame him especially. When we were making the final plans to come out here I knew that I had to reach out to Ty because he's an all around good guy and I know he'd be a great ambassador for Vancouver and be able to show and tell us the things we should be doing. He did not disappoint. We met him and his gracious fiancee Nikki at their apartment and went out for sushi. Robyn and I had been holding off on experiencing 'Vancouver sushi' for some masochistic reason, considering how much we enjoy it, but we were glad that a local could point us in the direction of a quality establishment. Mind you, I'm reasonably sure you couldn't swing a bong around downtown Vancouver without smashing into a quality Japanese restaurant. Regardless, we ate at a local place and it was excellent, and reasonably priced, and I ate a gluttonous amount. I continue to uphold my nickname as 'The Garbagecan', a term Robyn affectionately has bestowed upon me.
After sushi we headed into Gastown. I had to take a picture of the famous(?) steam-clock near the end of the district.
After sushi we headed into Gastown. I had to take a picture of the famous(?) steam-clock near the end of the district.
It was a quiet night so there weren't many around, but it was a great little sightseeing tour and a lovely evening out. We found a booth at a Scotch bar and ordered some interesting beers, both local and imports. A simple night with old/new friends made us feel at home in a foreign city.
Want to both congratulate Ty and Nikki on their engagement, and wish them both the best of luck together. Also, Ty's about to complete his masters degree in planning and I sincerely hope he's able to build enough sidewalks to solve all of the world's transportation problems.
Stanley Park S(h)ore Walk
After a lovely night at the Y (the desk staff there were especially friendly) and a bit of a sleep in, we were out to attack the day and see what Vancouver had to offer. We hiked back t0 Jess' to change clothes, then set out to do the Stanley Park Seawall Walk, which we were told was a good starting point for the city. It was a beautiful day so we wanted to ensure we spent as much of it as we could outside. We were a little ambitious, though, and started the walk down by the Olympic Flame site, which added to our distance around the peninsula. We were told that the walk would take 45 minutes to an hour, but we later realized that that estimation was for a severely shortened version of the walk, and the entire path was actually more than 6 miles.
Needless to say, the walk was beautiful: starting in Coal Harbour looking onto the piers of expensive boats, moving past the rowing club and the totem poles that guard Stanley Park's entrance, under the great lion's gate bridge, around the bend into various beach areas, and finally ending up back at the boardwalk areas for specialty cupcakes and fresh ice cream. We stopped a few times to rest, take pictures, and grab a snack or two. The walk was well worth the over 3 hours we invested in it, but it did take it's toll. Near the end our bodies were protesting and reminding us of how little we had walked around in Ontario. It is now 2 days after the walk and I am still sore.
Needless to say, the walk was beautiful: starting in Coal Harbour looking onto the piers of expensive boats, moving past the rowing club and the totem poles that guard Stanley Park's entrance, under the great lion's gate bridge, around the bend into various beach areas, and finally ending up back at the boardwalk areas for specialty cupcakes and fresh ice cream. We stopped a few times to rest, take pictures, and grab a snack or two. The walk was well worth the over 3 hours we invested in it, but it did take it's toll. Near the end our bodies were protesting and reminding us of how little we had walked around in Ontario. It is now 2 days after the walk and I am still sore.
Vancity Slickers
A tame Monday night was necessary in order to wake early in Whistler and drive the rental van back to Vancouver airport on time. The drive was uneventful but also very light on traffic. It took us two hours from the base of Whistler to the airport, which shows the relative proximity that this metropolitan city has to nature's surrounding joys. We returned our van for 11 and hopped on a sky train to head into Vancouver and to meet with Jess, another friend of Amy's who has turned out to be a bit of a lifesaver. She lives in Kitsilano beach, a suburb of the city, and has offered to help us store our snowboard gear and crash at her place when she's out of town. She's got a studio apartment so it would be far too chaotic for us all to try to sleep there at the same time. Jess turned out to be exactly as Amy had described: frank, sarcastic, strong willed, opinionated, and all with a generous spirit. We spoke with her for a while and left all non-essential gear at her place as we headed to our hotel for the night, the YWCA. Our hotel room overlooked the South end of the city peninsula, out of which we could see both BC Place and GM Place (which the local papers call 'the garage'). A quick nap had us recharged and trekking the city by late afternoon.
With no specific plans in mind, we walked aimlessly around the city streets for a few hours until we stumbled across a movie theater. We had made it a point early in our trip to see Avatar in theatres before it ended its run, and in 3D if possible. Unfortunately most of the small towns we have visited have already moved on from the James Cameron blockbuster, so our hopes of seeing it on the silver screen were fading. Luckily this theatre in the city was not only playing it, but showcasing the film in 3D. We had our tickets and plans for the night (it's a 3 hour movie).
Robyn and I are likely very 'open' to the messages that are presented in the movie, but we both walked out of the theatre agreeing that it was one of the best films we'd both ever seen. I will not delve into plot or too much into our reaction, but I do wholeheartedly encourage everyone to go see it in theatres and in 3D if at all possible. The 3D has evolved far past a cheesy gimmick within this movie and really helps develop a sense of space and surroundings. I'd also like to mention that I think the marketing for the movie was quite interesting: although the battle scenes are critical to the story, they were only a brief period within the narrative and were more a 'necessary evil' in playing out the plot than the central focus or theme. The ads that I saw really made it seem like this was going to be a sci-fi battle movie, which it is, it is much more than that. I find the marketing tactics interesting, though, because it's possible that the audience that went to see it early under the guise of an epic fight movie were hit quite squarely with some of the deeper messages within. The second wave of people, I'm theorizing, would likely be drawn to the movie as a result of hearing from their friends that it's not a sci-fi fighting flick. I am passing on to everyone that Avatar definitely has something for everyone and is an enjoyable, thought-provoking story. Maybe I'm preaching to the choir though as box office sales would point out that most of the civilized world has already seen it. We did smirk afterwards at the irony of the Academy's decision to award Hurt Locker, a movie about the Iraq war, the Oscar for best picture. Change, apparently, will take time.
With no specific plans in mind, we walked aimlessly around the city streets for a few hours until we stumbled across a movie theater. We had made it a point early in our trip to see Avatar in theatres before it ended its run, and in 3D if possible. Unfortunately most of the small towns we have visited have already moved on from the James Cameron blockbuster, so our hopes of seeing it on the silver screen were fading. Luckily this theatre in the city was not only playing it, but showcasing the film in 3D. We had our tickets and plans for the night (it's a 3 hour movie).
Robyn and I are likely very 'open' to the messages that are presented in the movie, but we both walked out of the theatre agreeing that it was one of the best films we'd both ever seen. I will not delve into plot or too much into our reaction, but I do wholeheartedly encourage everyone to go see it in theatres and in 3D if at all possible. The 3D has evolved far past a cheesy gimmick within this movie and really helps develop a sense of space and surroundings. I'd also like to mention that I think the marketing for the movie was quite interesting: although the battle scenes are critical to the story, they were only a brief period within the narrative and were more a 'necessary evil' in playing out the plot than the central focus or theme. The ads that I saw really made it seem like this was going to be a sci-fi battle movie, which it is, it is much more than that. I find the marketing tactics interesting, though, because it's possible that the audience that went to see it early under the guise of an epic fight movie were hit quite squarely with some of the deeper messages within. The second wave of people, I'm theorizing, would likely be drawn to the movie as a result of hearing from their friends that it's not a sci-fi fighting flick. I am passing on to everyone that Avatar definitely has something for everyone and is an enjoyable, thought-provoking story. Maybe I'm preaching to the choir though as box office sales would point out that most of the civilized world has already seen it. We did smirk afterwards at the irony of the Academy's decision to award Hurt Locker, a movie about the Iraq war, the Oscar for best picture. Change, apparently, will take time.
Tandems Collide
Apologies for the extreme delay since my last posting. We've been running around quite a bit and I've been without Internet access for the past few days. Instead of giving one large brain dump of the last few days, I'll continue to parse it up a bit, for ease of ingestion...
Monday was spent riding Whistler/Blackcomb. What a mountain set! The other resorts we've visited have all been great for unique reasons, but for sheer size and variety of terrain, pitch, and snow there has been no comparison to Whistler. We were sad to have only afforded ourselves one day to ride, but we were happy to have at least enjoyed that one day. We continued to be spoiled by fresh powder and enjoyed quite a few runs of riding atop a pillowy highway of bliss. To get a sense of riding in fresh powder (for those of you who may be alien to this concept) imagine opening a new container of rich sour cream. You know the first spoonful that you carve out, where the spoon's trail is distinct and the cream doesn't provide any resistance, only gently guides the spoon across it's top, allowing you to plunge as deeply as you wish while still maintaining it's smooth lines? Now imagine riding on that spoon at 50 km/h and the tub of sour cream is the size of a backyard pool, your path shooting out behind you effortlessly until your exhausted little legs beg for mercy but your inner child screams for more. It's kinda like that.
Monday was spent riding Whistler/Blackcomb. What a mountain set! The other resorts we've visited have all been great for unique reasons, but for sheer size and variety of terrain, pitch, and snow there has been no comparison to Whistler. We were sad to have only afforded ourselves one day to ride, but we were happy to have at least enjoyed that one day. We continued to be spoiled by fresh powder and enjoyed quite a few runs of riding atop a pillowy highway of bliss. To get a sense of riding in fresh powder (for those of you who may be alien to this concept) imagine opening a new container of rich sour cream. You know the first spoonful that you carve out, where the spoon's trail is distinct and the cream doesn't provide any resistance, only gently guides the spoon across it's top, allowing you to plunge as deeply as you wish while still maintaining it's smooth lines? Now imagine riding on that spoon at 50 km/h and the tub of sour cream is the size of a backyard pool, your path shooting out behind you effortlessly until your exhausted little legs beg for mercy but your inner child screams for more. It's kinda like that.
For our first few warm-up runs we were forced to stick near the top of the mountain because there was heavy cloud cover limiting visibility throughout the mid-section of the mountains and we needed to wait until the sun could burn it off. The sheer size of the two mountains is very difficult to describe. Basically, I took one picture, here when we were already above the cloud level of the peak of Blackcomb, and just this area alone I would say would compare to Blue Mountain. And this is only the portion that is above the clouds, on one half of the mountains (as Whistler too has a peak terrain area).
I am proud to say that Robyn and I did manage to ski both the Easternmost run and the furthest West slope. We did our best to see and snowboard as much as we could. This entailed a lot of traversing throughout the morning which left us tired and unfulfilled by mid-day, so for the afternoon we focused on finding a handful of runs that we enjoyed and sticking to them. We got in a lot of snowboarding, and I continue to be impressed with Robyn (and my) progression of skills. Things we were reluctant to do only two weeks ago we now jump into without a second thought. This was going to be our last snowboarding adventure for quite some time, and I can happily say that we made the most of it. We will wait with vapoured breathe until we can 'shred' again.
Limiting Screen Time
(This was written on the 12th, but finished yesterday)
As we sat around the living room of Amy's place last night, Robyn commented that she's amazed we've gone two weeks without watching TV, but more intrigued by the fact that she doesn't miss it. I feel the same way she does - I have no yearning to watch TV, and have actually really enjoyed the peace and quiet that has seemed to wash over me in the last couple weeks. This feeling of calm can be attributed to a few things, and the cumulative effects of our time so far has caused some interesting changes in mentality.
The most drastic change in our lifestyle has been the activity that we've filled our days with. Travelling encourages (forces?) you to get off your ass and explore the world around you. We've snowboarded more in the last 14 days than I have in the previous 3 years, and when we're not on the slopes we've been hiking, swimming, walking and just playing outside in general. The beauty around us is great encouragement to get outside, but we also sense that the people here are much more eager to get outside and take advantage of any beneficial weather system possible.
We've visited a few of Amy's friends in the area and their televisions are typically an afterthought within their common areas, placed in a corner or under a stack of something, being used as a glorified electronic coffee table. And there is no talk of plasma or LCD, and the only things larger than 30" in the room are the snowboards and skis. We have noticed this as a stark contrast to the usual layout of a family room in Toronto, where the TV is the focal point and the race for the most impressive 'personal theatre' experience is semi-competitive. Here, the focus shits to speaking, laughing, singing, dancing, playing games, and getting to know new people, and it's a very relaxed and inviting environment. I admit that the finances of the residents in Rossland likely play a role in their lack of 'toys', but I also think there is a lesson in that too. Most of the people we've met live lives that revolve around the mountain, and so they typically work to ensure they can cover their basic needs - shelter, food, and functional clothes. Despite a lack of substantial income, everyone is genuinely happy and don't seem to yearn for much more than what they have. There is something quite pure and attractive about the life of a hippy, but Robyn and I understand that it's not a sustainable lifestyle for us, and it's going to be important to find a balance. So you can stop worrying Mom(s).
The limiting of screen time, therefore, has helped us meet new people and feel welcome wherever we go, but it has also allowed us to declutter our minds and focus on ourselves. The correlation may not be as large as I attribute it but Robyn and I both find that, without TV, we don't feel the need to get or have or do frivolous or unnecessary things. Robyn, especially, has noticed that she has no desire to shop or peruse stores, something that she greatly enjoyed in Ontario. Again, it may be a coincidence, but I do think that our detachment from a constant bombardment of advertising has freed us mentally and emotionally from the need to consume. II think this is an interesting possibility, and has given me a bit of a different viewpoint on aspects of society in the GTA. I also acknowledge that this aspect would not be able to flourish if it weren't for all of the great outdoor distractions that this area provides.
So you don't think that I've grown lightheaded way up here on my high horse, I readily admit that logging onto my computer daily to check on the blog, emails, fantasy hockey, and other online realms hardly qualifies me as a devoted screen-free being. I also admit that, upon my return home, I am not likely to park my television on the street corner for the garbage person (or any other opportunistic soul) to collect. I am going to continue to access the Internet to stay connected to people around the world, and I will still watch TV - albeit more sparingly. I have become more aware, though, of the positive benefits that we can receive from closing the computer and putting down the remote control: I can still connect instantaneously with someone across the room despite my dial up connection, and I can learn boundless amounts from a new person that I take the time to listen to, despite their never having directed a documentary. These realizations have been important aspects of me relearning the human component of human connections.
I solemnly swear to limit my screen time.
As we sat around the living room of Amy's place last night, Robyn commented that she's amazed we've gone two weeks without watching TV, but more intrigued by the fact that she doesn't miss it. I feel the same way she does - I have no yearning to watch TV, and have actually really enjoyed the peace and quiet that has seemed to wash over me in the last couple weeks. This feeling of calm can be attributed to a few things, and the cumulative effects of our time so far has caused some interesting changes in mentality.
The most drastic change in our lifestyle has been the activity that we've filled our days with. Travelling encourages (forces?) you to get off your ass and explore the world around you. We've snowboarded more in the last 14 days than I have in the previous 3 years, and when we're not on the slopes we've been hiking, swimming, walking and just playing outside in general. The beauty around us is great encouragement to get outside, but we also sense that the people here are much more eager to get outside and take advantage of any beneficial weather system possible.
We've visited a few of Amy's friends in the area and their televisions are typically an afterthought within their common areas, placed in a corner or under a stack of something, being used as a glorified electronic coffee table. And there is no talk of plasma or LCD, and the only things larger than 30" in the room are the snowboards and skis. We have noticed this as a stark contrast to the usual layout of a family room in Toronto, where the TV is the focal point and the race for the most impressive 'personal theatre' experience is semi-competitive. Here, the focus shits to speaking, laughing, singing, dancing, playing games, and getting to know new people, and it's a very relaxed and inviting environment. I admit that the finances of the residents in Rossland likely play a role in their lack of 'toys', but I also think there is a lesson in that too. Most of the people we've met live lives that revolve around the mountain, and so they typically work to ensure they can cover their basic needs - shelter, food, and functional clothes. Despite a lack of substantial income, everyone is genuinely happy and don't seem to yearn for much more than what they have. There is something quite pure and attractive about the life of a hippy, but Robyn and I understand that it's not a sustainable lifestyle for us, and it's going to be important to find a balance. So you can stop worrying Mom(s).
The limiting of screen time, therefore, has helped us meet new people and feel welcome wherever we go, but it has also allowed us to declutter our minds and focus on ourselves. The correlation may not be as large as I attribute it but Robyn and I both find that, without TV, we don't feel the need to get or have or do frivolous or unnecessary things. Robyn, especially, has noticed that she has no desire to shop or peruse stores, something that she greatly enjoyed in Ontario. Again, it may be a coincidence, but I do think that our detachment from a constant bombardment of advertising has freed us mentally and emotionally from the need to consume. II think this is an interesting possibility, and has given me a bit of a different viewpoint on aspects of society in the GTA. I also acknowledge that this aspect would not be able to flourish if it weren't for all of the great outdoor distractions that this area provides.
So you don't think that I've grown lightheaded way up here on my high horse, I readily admit that logging onto my computer daily to check on the blog, emails, fantasy hockey, and other online realms hardly qualifies me as a devoted screen-free being. I also admit that, upon my return home, I am not likely to park my television on the street corner for the garbage person (or any other opportunistic soul) to collect. I am going to continue to access the Internet to stay connected to people around the world, and I will still watch TV - albeit more sparingly. I have become more aware, though, of the positive benefits that we can receive from closing the computer and putting down the remote control: I can still connect instantaneously with someone across the room despite my dial up connection, and I can learn boundless amounts from a new person that I take the time to listen to, despite their never having directed a documentary. These realizations have been important aspects of me relearning the human component of human connections.
I solemnly swear to limit my screen time.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Heading Further West
We made it to Whistler in one piece! The drive, to be honest, was not nearly as bad as the 9 hour duration would suggest. Because of all the beautiful surroundings, we spent most of the time admiring or anticipating what was coming around the next bend (although I must've spent a good 68% of the time focused on the road).
We rented a 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan through a good friend of Amy's, Sheila, who works at Enterprise. We were able to get a great deal on this, so many thanks all around. I affectionately nicknamed it JLo because the thing's got a huge trunk (enough for much junk!). Not the best on gas, but plenty of room for our gear. We left Trail by 10 and stopped for a couple timeouts and a sit down dinner to stretch our legs. Some highlights of the trip:
- Osoyoos, a small town in the Okanagan. Just beautiful with a hint of self-aware cheesiness. Kinda like a Niagara Falls that didn't take itself too seriously, in the shadows of monstrous mountains, beside a pristine river-fed lake.
- On Paul's advice we took a brief stop at a spotted lake, which is apparently thought of as a sacred place by the Natives of the area, and has immense healing properties. The salt and mineral contents of the lake are uniquely concentrated, which give the lake it's 'spots':
- Just outside Princeton, we rounded a corner and I caught something out of the corner of my right eye, moving above us on the escarpment. We weren't able to process in time what had happened - a herd of deer had just been spooked on the hillside by a tenacious Jack Russel - but we definitely got to witness the aftermath. I slammed on the brakes as 3 of the 10 deer came hurtling down the slope out onto the road. They were frightened and not all that surefooted, so their escape route across the highway was a last resort. As if in slow motion we watched one doe scramble down the pitch, up onto the pavement and directly in front of our car, about 5 feet from the front bumper. No animals were harmed in the writing of this blog though, thankfully. The most amazing thing, which both Robyn and I shared, was the eye contact that this animal seemed to make with us as it fled in terror from a loud aggressor out onto the hunting grounds of our motorized death mobile. There was a brief animalistic life or death connection that we had with the doe, as it scrambled to safety. I admit that I let more than one "Holy Shit!" fly, first as a reaction, then as a method to help my swerving, and finally upon reflection of the entire event.
- We got to drive through, twice, a severe storm system that was cutting through the mountains carrying vast amounts of rain and lightning. The storm moved in quite rapidly and then was gone just as quickly: 50 feet from the outer edge of the storm, the pavement was dry. I have never seen anything like that in Ontario.
The whole day flew by. And we're now at our next adventure!
We are extremely excited to ski Whistler tomorrow (Monday). We got our reduced passes at the local 7-11, and are now secured in our room for the night in anticipation. We're staying at the UBC Whistler Lodge, which is as close to a hostel as we can get out here. It's great because we can literally walk down the street, strap in, and ski to the bottom of the mountain. We're on Creekside for any of you who that might resonate with. Have you seen how big this resort is?! We're not going to be able to see 40% of it in one day, but we'll sure try. Oh, and we've brought the snow with us again. It will surely be another memorable day.
We rented a 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan through a good friend of Amy's, Sheila, who works at Enterprise. We were able to get a great deal on this, so many thanks all around. I affectionately nicknamed it JLo because the thing's got a huge trunk (enough for much junk!). Not the best on gas, but plenty of room for our gear. We left Trail by 10 and stopped for a couple timeouts and a sit down dinner to stretch our legs. Some highlights of the trip:
- Osoyoos, a small town in the Okanagan. Just beautiful with a hint of self-aware cheesiness. Kinda like a Niagara Falls that didn't take itself too seriously, in the shadows of monstrous mountains, beside a pristine river-fed lake.
- On Paul's advice we took a brief stop at a spotted lake, which is apparently thought of as a sacred place by the Natives of the area, and has immense healing properties. The salt and mineral contents of the lake are uniquely concentrated, which give the lake it's 'spots':
- Just outside Princeton, we rounded a corner and I caught something out of the corner of my right eye, moving above us on the escarpment. We weren't able to process in time what had happened - a herd of deer had just been spooked on the hillside by a tenacious Jack Russel - but we definitely got to witness the aftermath. I slammed on the brakes as 3 of the 10 deer came hurtling down the slope out onto the road. They were frightened and not all that surefooted, so their escape route across the highway was a last resort. As if in slow motion we watched one doe scramble down the pitch, up onto the pavement and directly in front of our car, about 5 feet from the front bumper. No animals were harmed in the writing of this blog though, thankfully. The most amazing thing, which both Robyn and I shared, was the eye contact that this animal seemed to make with us as it fled in terror from a loud aggressor out onto the hunting grounds of our motorized death mobile. There was a brief animalistic life or death connection that we had with the doe, as it scrambled to safety. I admit that I let more than one "Holy Shit!" fly, first as a reaction, then as a method to help my swerving, and finally upon reflection of the entire event.
- We got to drive through, twice, a severe storm system that was cutting through the mountains carrying vast amounts of rain and lightning. The storm moved in quite rapidly and then was gone just as quickly: 50 feet from the outer edge of the storm, the pavement was dry. I have never seen anything like that in Ontario.
The whole day flew by. And we're now at our next adventure!
We are extremely excited to ski Whistler tomorrow (Monday). We got our reduced passes at the local 7-11, and are now secured in our room for the night in anticipation. We're staying at the UBC Whistler Lodge, which is as close to a hostel as we can get out here. It's great because we can literally walk down the street, strap in, and ski to the bottom of the mountain. We're on Creekside for any of you who that might resonate with. Have you seen how big this resort is?! We're not going to be able to see 40% of it in one day, but we'll sure try. Oh, and we've brought the snow with us again. It will surely be another memorable day.
End of this Trail
We're off this morning, driving from Trail to Whistler directly. We've got our rental van full of all our gear (or at least we will in 15 minutes) and then we'll hit the road. The last couple of days in Trail have been a fitting end to our time in the area. In order to do it justice I'll put up a more detailed post when we arrive, which we're thinking should be between 6-7pm PST, depending on the amount of breaks.
Bittersweet to depart from these great little towns as they've been welcoming and eye opening, but we're ready to see more of what BC has to offer.
Bittersweet to depart from these great little towns as they've been welcoming and eye opening, but we're ready to see more of what BC has to offer.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Farewell-J!
We took LJ to the airport today. She flew from nearby Castlegar to Calgary to catch a connection to Toronto. Apparently she'll arrive back in TO around 9pm tonight.
It was a blast to have LJ around with us for the past two weeks. She's very down to earth and has a wicked sense of humour. She's also got the elusive ability to laugh at herself, which makes her great company. She definitely will be missed from our dwindling group of merry (wo)men, but I think she was happy to return home. We've been going at 93 miles an hour since we landed in Calgary and she's going to relish the chance to sleep in her own bed and relax after her vacation. Take care Ludge.
Sounds like the beautiful weather we've got here is being shared by everyone in Canada. After dropping off LJ at the airport, Robyn and I spent a day exploring Castlegar. Nothing too intense - we read in a local coffeeshop for a while and then hiked a trail in town that circles a small island. We sat out in the sun and talked for a long time. It was nice to spend some time just the two of us after spending the last two weeks in a group of four. The chance to reconnect affirmed in both of us that we're so very happy we launched out on this journey. We've already felt so much in this short period of time that we are both excited to see what else can change over the course of this year.
Robyn and I are going to kick around Trail for the next couple days: Amy is playing in town tonight at a local bar and so we get to see her peform and then we'll ride Red once more tomorrow (Saturday). Amy seems to have an army of friends all over BC and so we've already arranged a dirt-cheap rental car and a place to crash for free for a few days in Kitsilano beach. We're driving out of here Sunday morning and heading right for Whistler. We'll stay Sunday night there (after a long drive) and then ride Whistler on Monday. We'll head back to Vancouver proper on Tuesday. We've got things roughly planned from there until our return on th 31st, but I won't let that cat our of the backpack just yet.
It was a blast to have LJ around with us for the past two weeks. She's very down to earth and has a wicked sense of humour. She's also got the elusive ability to laugh at herself, which makes her great company. She definitely will be missed from our dwindling group of merry (wo)men, but I think she was happy to return home. We've been going at 93 miles an hour since we landed in Calgary and she's going to relish the chance to sleep in her own bed and relax after her vacation. Take care Ludge.
Sounds like the beautiful weather we've got here is being shared by everyone in Canada. After dropping off LJ at the airport, Robyn and I spent a day exploring Castlegar. Nothing too intense - we read in a local coffeeshop for a while and then hiked a trail in town that circles a small island. We sat out in the sun and talked for a long time. It was nice to spend some time just the two of us after spending the last two weeks in a group of four. The chance to reconnect affirmed in both of us that we're so very happy we launched out on this journey. We've already felt so much in this short period of time that we are both excited to see what else can change over the course of this year.
Robyn and I are going to kick around Trail for the next couple days: Amy is playing in town tonight at a local bar and so we get to see her peform and then we'll ride Red once more tomorrow (Saturday). Amy seems to have an army of friends all over BC and so we've already arranged a dirt-cheap rental car and a place to crash for free for a few days in Kitsilano beach. We're driving out of here Sunday morning and heading right for Whistler. We'll stay Sunday night there (after a long drive) and then ride Whistler on Monday. We'll head back to Vancouver proper on Tuesday. We've got things roughly planned from there until our return on th 31st, but I won't let that cat our of the backpack just yet.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Happy Belated St. Patty's!
Rossland was full of people decked out in head to toe green. Definitely some very interesting costumes. We did a hike midday yesterday and then went to the bar at Red, called Rafters, to have a couple pints with the riding crew. The weather was quite tempermental so the patio wasn't as nice or busy as we'd hoped.
After Rafters we went to Amy's friends' place to play some beer pong and dinner. After a few games of beerpong on the largest table ever made we were all feeling very merry. An easy pasta dinner and some more drinks eventually lead to a bit of a dance party in the apartment. LJ apparently got into the heads of a few of the new friends and it was a bit of a dance off!
Hope everyone had a great St. Patty's day.
After Rafters we went to Amy's friends' place to play some beer pong and dinner. After a few games of beerpong on the largest table ever made we were all feeling very merry. An easy pasta dinner and some more drinks eventually lead to a bit of a dance party in the apartment. LJ apparently got into the heads of a few of the new friends and it was a bit of a dance off!
Hope everyone had a great St. Patty's day.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
A Full Nelson
We left Trail for Nelson around 11am on Monday. The drive is about an hour and 45 minutes. We decided to go to Nelson on Monday and check out the town for the day, and then ride nearby WhiteWater on Tuesday.
But first, another hot spring! This one was the Ainsworth Hot Spring. It was a typical hot spring in a lot of senses, but it also had a cool little cave system that you could venture into. Inside was like a natural sauna. I did not have an asthma attack.
We then got back to Nelson for about 3:30, by the time we drove around the area a bit. We walked around the town, checking out the shoppes and sights, sounds, and smells.
As per 'Amy's pseudo-guided tours', Nelson is one of the larger tourist draws in the area, and in a chicken-or-egg situation, is also the largest commercial hub in the Kootenays. I found the geography of it a little strange, because it is not as close to ski hills as other towns and there is no visible inherent industry in the area. The reason that you can't see much industry, though, is that it's intentionally invisible. A large portion of Nelson's GDP is from the sale of marijuana to the rest of the province, country and the US. This was obviously an intriguing nugget of information about the town, but not one that I could find out more about in the brief period that we were there. That being said, Nelson is a great little town and Robyn and I agree that it was the best mix of small town BC and larger city amenities. The beautiful surroundings, obviously, don't hurt the ambiance. Of all of the towns we've been through, we feel that Nelson would be the best fit for us (if we ever chose to move out here or anything).
We ate a delicious meal at a local restaurant named The Outer Clove, which specializes in garlic-based meals. (As a side note, I am struggling a bit with tense here, trying to write about the past in present-tense. Cut me some slack, I'm in BC.) We all shared some great food and hearty laughs and we agreed that the hot springs earlier in the day were making the beer and wine much more potent. But we weren't complaining.
Dinner ran a little late, and we then made a beeline back to the hotel. A couple more drinks by the hot tub (why not?!) to end the evening, and we were in bed by 10:30.
THE ALARM BUZZED again at 7:30 Tuesday morning and we did our get-ready dance, which we've mastered by now. We were on our way up the chairlift at 9:10 for first runs of the day. Whitewater, we realized, is a much smaller mountain than those that we've been riding in the past couple weeks. We've been spoiled, I fully admit. We came out here partially as a result of a recommendation of a (former) co-worker of mine - Captain Andrew Klotz. He raved about the town and resort and convinced me to pull the strings within this group. I am glad he did. Although the mountain was smaller than the others, it was also cheaper and less busy. We were able to ride right up to the chairlift every time and ended up getting in a lot of runs throughout the day. The smaller mountain and less traffic allowed us to explore the treed areas even more and gain more confidence with our skills.
Robyn even discovered a new love for seeking out jumps and trying her best not to injure herself 'hitting' them.
The sun shone all day again and made for a great day on the mountain. Whitewater is a bowl shape so there can be a lot of traversing in order to find some fresh lines and clean snow to carve. The locals have obviously explored nearly every inch of the mountain, as fresh powder lines were very difficult to find. If you look closely in this picture, you can actually see where the skiers have lost their marbles and they rolled down the hill:
We've all become much better snowboarders in this short period of time, and developed muscles that I had never even flexed before (do you know how to flex your Sartorius? I do!).
We're sitting around this evening, reading and chatting. These long days together have been great for the three girls to reconnect and we've been able to create memories we'll share forever together.
Tomorrow - a half day riding Red and then it's St. Patty's day!
Until next time.
But first, another hot spring! This one was the Ainsworth Hot Spring. It was a typical hot spring in a lot of senses, but it also had a cool little cave system that you could venture into. Inside was like a natural sauna. I did not have an asthma attack.
We then got back to Nelson for about 3:30, by the time we drove around the area a bit. We walked around the town, checking out the shoppes and sights, sounds, and smells.
As per 'Amy's pseudo-guided tours', Nelson is one of the larger tourist draws in the area, and in a chicken-or-egg situation, is also the largest commercial hub in the Kootenays. I found the geography of it a little strange, because it is not as close to ski hills as other towns and there is no visible inherent industry in the area. The reason that you can't see much industry, though, is that it's intentionally invisible. A large portion of Nelson's GDP is from the sale of marijuana to the rest of the province, country and the US. This was obviously an intriguing nugget of information about the town, but not one that I could find out more about in the brief period that we were there. That being said, Nelson is a great little town and Robyn and I agree that it was the best mix of small town BC and larger city amenities. The beautiful surroundings, obviously, don't hurt the ambiance. Of all of the towns we've been through, we feel that Nelson would be the best fit for us (if we ever chose to move out here or anything).
We ate a delicious meal at a local restaurant named The Outer Clove, which specializes in garlic-based meals. (As a side note, I am struggling a bit with tense here, trying to write about the past in present-tense. Cut me some slack, I'm in BC.) We all shared some great food and hearty laughs and we agreed that the hot springs earlier in the day were making the beer and wine much more potent. But we weren't complaining.
Dinner ran a little late, and we then made a beeline back to the hotel. A couple more drinks by the hot tub (why not?!) to end the evening, and we were in bed by 10:30.
THE ALARM BUZZED again at 7:30 Tuesday morning and we did our get-ready dance, which we've mastered by now. We were on our way up the chairlift at 9:10 for first runs of the day. Whitewater, we realized, is a much smaller mountain than those that we've been riding in the past couple weeks. We've been spoiled, I fully admit. We came out here partially as a result of a recommendation of a (former) co-worker of mine - Captain Andrew Klotz. He raved about the town and resort and convinced me to pull the strings within this group. I am glad he did. Although the mountain was smaller than the others, it was also cheaper and less busy. We were able to ride right up to the chairlift every time and ended up getting in a lot of runs throughout the day. The smaller mountain and less traffic allowed us to explore the treed areas even more and gain more confidence with our skills.
Robyn even discovered a new love for seeking out jumps and trying her best not to injure herself 'hitting' them.
The sun shone all day again and made for a great day on the mountain. Whitewater is a bowl shape so there can be a lot of traversing in order to find some fresh lines and clean snow to carve. The locals have obviously explored nearly every inch of the mountain, as fresh powder lines were very difficult to find. If you look closely in this picture, you can actually see where the skiers have lost their marbles and they rolled down the hill:
We've all become much better snowboarders in this short period of time, and developed muscles that I had never even flexed before (do you know how to flex your Sartorius? I do!).
We're sitting around this evening, reading and chatting. These long days together have been great for the three girls to reconnect and we've been able to create memories we'll share forever together.
Tomorrow - a half day riding Red and then it's St. Patty's day!
Until next time.
Bluebird @ Red
Weather forecasts for Sunday were sunny and mild so we made sure to circle that day for the slopes. We got up early (again) and were on the hill for 9. I continue to be amazed by how much we're accomplishing during these days. LJ has two weeks of vacation (of which we've spent 8/14) and she mentioned today that she feels like she's had 6 months off. I guess that means we're all making the most of our time.
Although there was no fresh snow Sunday was a great day to shred. The slopes that were unrecognizable during the squalls on Thursday were now lit up clearly by the sun and "bluebird skies" (Amy Cunningham).
We got the most of the day, boarding from 9-3 with a couple brief stops here and there. We continued to explore the back country and glades of the mountain, as our confidence grows with each day of riding. Here are the three girls dropping down one of our favourite back country runs:
The girls taking a breather before yet another bomb down the mountain:
Sunday was retro day at Red, which was an awesome spectacle of 80's and 90's ski outfits. There was more neon on display around the hills than at an outdated Vegas casino. Onesies, headbands, tights, lycra, and shoulder pads were all worn with aplomb by the locals. It was easy to see that these outfits had been cherished and lovingly stored in closets by their owners just for this day. It was great, and I only wish I had had the awareness at the time to snap some pics of the best (worst?) dressed. Apologies and lesson learned by me.
Apres ski we sat on the balcony of the slopes and shared a couple pitchers and a large plate of nachos as we watched a mogul competition. The sun continued to shine well into the evening - god bless daylight savings time.
We made it home for 6 and all crashed into heavy naps. We rose after a couple hours but only for a brief period of time, and everyone was asleep again by 9. Party animals we are not.
Monday we were off to Nelson.
Until next time.
Although there was no fresh snow Sunday was a great day to shred. The slopes that were unrecognizable during the squalls on Thursday were now lit up clearly by the sun and "bluebird skies" (Amy Cunningham).
We got the most of the day, boarding from 9-3 with a couple brief stops here and there. We continued to explore the back country and glades of the mountain, as our confidence grows with each day of riding. Here are the three girls dropping down one of our favourite back country runs:
The girls taking a breather before yet another bomb down the mountain:
Sunday was retro day at Red, which was an awesome spectacle of 80's and 90's ski outfits. There was more neon on display around the hills than at an outdated Vegas casino. Onesies, headbands, tights, lycra, and shoulder pads were all worn with aplomb by the locals. It was easy to see that these outfits had been cherished and lovingly stored in closets by their owners just for this day. It was great, and I only wish I had had the awareness at the time to snap some pics of the best (worst?) dressed. Apologies and lesson learned by me.
Apres ski we sat on the balcony of the slopes and shared a couple pitchers and a large plate of nachos as we watched a mogul competition. The sun continued to shine well into the evening - god bless daylight savings time.
We made it home for 6 and all crashed into heavy naps. We rose after a couple hours but only for a brief period of time, and everyone was asleep again by 9. Party animals we are not.
Monday we were off to Nelson.
Until next time.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Keep the Comments Coming
I'm happy to see that we're up to 5 followers now! Thanks guys!
I'm enjoying writing these, thinking of ways to describe our travels to everyone. Keep the comments coming please.
We (obviously) avoided the tradegy in Revelstoke, but the timing of everything was too close to disregard. For the record, though, that avalanche happened at a nearby mountain during a snowmobile gathering and not at the ski hill, so we weren't in the direct line of danger.
More to come - Sunday was awesome and today's been great.
Until next time.
I'm enjoying writing these, thinking of ways to describe our travels to everyone. Keep the comments coming please.
We (obviously) avoided the tradegy in Revelstoke, but the timing of everything was too close to disregard. For the record, though, that avalanche happened at a nearby mountain during a snowmobile gathering and not at the ski hill, so we weren't in the direct line of danger.
More to come - Sunday was awesome and today's been great.
Until next time.
Where Mountains Touch Rivers
Saturday was spent exploring Trail because we were exhausted from a long day battling the thick snow on Friday. Amy has more well-developed snowboard muscles so she spent the beautiful sunny day back at the hills. LJ, Robyn and I patioed at the local McDonalds (free coffee) and then I spent some time at the Trail arena in order to write and update the previous blogs. The arena and the library are attached, but the library was closed for the day so I sat in the rink to write. I was amazed at how nice the Trail arena is:
The money invested in the arena shows me the value that this small blue-collar town places in sports. It's all over the place - a state of the art arena, a high-quality baseball diamond, and an over-equipped rec centre nestled amongst the humble homes and streets give a unique flavour to the place. LJ mentioned, correctly, that the town has invested intelligently in these facilities because it gives the youth an outlet for their time and energy that could be spent doing more devious things. Small towns are rife with dark outlets that can be very attractive to inquiring minds and Trail has created a good system to try to divert malleable kids towards positive activities.
The shining example of this is the Trail Smoke Eaters, a BCHL hockey team steeped in tradition. I am impressed that such a small town can support a Major Junior hockey team, and even more impressed at how succesful this team has been over the years. Trail is a bit of a grey city on the surface but, when one looks a little deeper, there are unique characteristics that make it a very interesting place to explore.
The mural on the side of the arena
A sports 'hall of fame'
The Katimavik house under Amy's watch, where we're staying for the week
Understanding Trail and it's nearby towns has been a great Canadian learning experience.
The money invested in the arena shows me the value that this small blue-collar town places in sports. It's all over the place - a state of the art arena, a high-quality baseball diamond, and an over-equipped rec centre nestled amongst the humble homes and streets give a unique flavour to the place. LJ mentioned, correctly, that the town has invested intelligently in these facilities because it gives the youth an outlet for their time and energy that could be spent doing more devious things. Small towns are rife with dark outlets that can be very attractive to inquiring minds and Trail has created a good system to try to divert malleable kids towards positive activities.
The shining example of this is the Trail Smoke Eaters, a BCHL hockey team steeped in tradition. I am impressed that such a small town can support a Major Junior hockey team, and even more impressed at how succesful this team has been over the years. Trail is a bit of a grey city on the surface but, when one looks a little deeper, there are unique characteristics that make it a very interesting place to explore.
The mural on the side of the arena
A sports 'hall of fame'
The Katimavik house under Amy's watch, where we're staying for the week
Understanding Trail and it's nearby towns has been a great Canadian learning experience.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
No Friends on a Powder Day
The title of this entry is a saying that Amy introduced us to, uttered amongst the locals of any ski town. Basically, when fresh snow falls all rules governing personal relationships go out the window and it's every snowman for themselves in the pursuit of untouched runs. This sounded foreign (and a little insulting) to us when Amy explained Friday morning, but we soon understood the value of the phrase...
We woke Friday morning and were downcast as the downpour from the previous day had yet to subside. Little did we realize, though, that rain in Trail meant snow in nearby Rossland, which is a small town nestled along the side of a nearby mountain. Snow reports had the local resort receiving nearly 25 cm of accumulation within the last 24 hours. Our ability to bring snow with us across Canada continued.
We shook the cobwebs and Amy, who had stayed Thursday night at a friends, swooped home at 8:30 to pick us all up and head to the hill. We were on the slopes for 9. I swear, this is the least sleep I've ever had on a 'vacation'.
The snow was falling wet and continuously. There was an energy in the air as the large volume of fresh 'pow' brought all the locals out of the woodwork. Amy said that this was easily one of the largest snowfalls of the season. She also said that the lineups for the lifts were the longest she's ever seen. We had picked a good day.
One of the most striking visuals from the day for me were the tall evergreen trees that grew on the mountain. They were covered in snow and grew at impossible angles compared to the slope of the runs, but there was something majestic about them. Their snow-covered branches and staunch, unwavering disposition gave them personality and life. It was as if they were grey-haired overseers of the mountains, welcoming and watching the fanciful visitors frolic atop the latest fall of snow. They stood quietly and guided everyone down the mountain, knowing they'd see plenty more snowfalls and millions more visitors. It reminded me of the fleeting time that I have to chase these kinds of experiences, and reinforced the reasons for going on this adventure.
Robyn and I had never really been on fresh powder, and we definitely had not had the chance to ride ungroomed runs. It is a completely different riding experience, and is a lot of fun. Typically you must use the edges of your board to dig into the snow, cutting lines that help you turn and manage speed. With this much fresh powder, though, the ride changes so that you're almost surfing on the snow, trying to stay light and not dig in or else you'll lose too much speed and get bogged down in the thick, heavy stuff. It is a very liberating experience, and a lot of fun. It's also a lot of work though, as your knees must be bent for the whole ride in order to absorb the changes in density and stay 'light' on your board.
It snowed throughout the whole day and we were a very wet tired bunch by the time the lifts closed but we had had our first fresh powder experience and everyone was very satisfied at the end of it. I was especially impressed with the improvement Robyn showed within the day: the forced change in riding style allowed her to better understand the use of weight and edges of her board and she really progressed her skills within the few hours of the day. She even said later that she felt she learned a lot more than just within a typical day. Her rosy cheeks and toothy smile echoed these thoughts.
We ended the day with a potluck at Amy's friends' house in the area, which was a fitting conclusion to a great day. We truly understood the draw of becoming a ski bum and the camaraderie that grows between friends who spend the days in a spiritual state of enjoying the outdoors and the evenings basking in the warmth of good food and drained muscles. Although the phrase states that there are no friends on a powder day, by the time the chairlift closes it couldn't be further from the truth.
We woke Friday morning and were downcast as the downpour from the previous day had yet to subside. Little did we realize, though, that rain in Trail meant snow in nearby Rossland, which is a small town nestled along the side of a nearby mountain. Snow reports had the local resort receiving nearly 25 cm of accumulation within the last 24 hours. Our ability to bring snow with us across Canada continued.
We shook the cobwebs and Amy, who had stayed Thursday night at a friends, swooped home at 8:30 to pick us all up and head to the hill. We were on the slopes for 9. I swear, this is the least sleep I've ever had on a 'vacation'.
The snow was falling wet and continuously. There was an energy in the air as the large volume of fresh 'pow' brought all the locals out of the woodwork. Amy said that this was easily one of the largest snowfalls of the season. She also said that the lineups for the lifts were the longest she's ever seen. We had picked a good day.
One of the most striking visuals from the day for me were the tall evergreen trees that grew on the mountain. They were covered in snow and grew at impossible angles compared to the slope of the runs, but there was something majestic about them. Their snow-covered branches and staunch, unwavering disposition gave them personality and life. It was as if they were grey-haired overseers of the mountains, welcoming and watching the fanciful visitors frolic atop the latest fall of snow. They stood quietly and guided everyone down the mountain, knowing they'd see plenty more snowfalls and millions more visitors. It reminded me of the fleeting time that I have to chase these kinds of experiences, and reinforced the reasons for going on this adventure.
Robyn and I had never really been on fresh powder, and we definitely had not had the chance to ride ungroomed runs. It is a completely different riding experience, and is a lot of fun. Typically you must use the edges of your board to dig into the snow, cutting lines that help you turn and manage speed. With this much fresh powder, though, the ride changes so that you're almost surfing on the snow, trying to stay light and not dig in or else you'll lose too much speed and get bogged down in the thick, heavy stuff. It is a very liberating experience, and a lot of fun. It's also a lot of work though, as your knees must be bent for the whole ride in order to absorb the changes in density and stay 'light' on your board.
It snowed throughout the whole day and we were a very wet tired bunch by the time the lifts closed but we had had our first fresh powder experience and everyone was very satisfied at the end of it. I was especially impressed with the improvement Robyn showed within the day: the forced change in riding style allowed her to better understand the use of weight and edges of her board and she really progressed her skills within the few hours of the day. She even said later that she felt she learned a lot more than just within a typical day. Her rosy cheeks and toothy smile echoed these thoughts.
We ended the day with a potluck at Amy's friends' house in the area, which was a fitting conclusion to a great day. We truly understood the draw of becoming a ski bum and the camaraderie that grows between friends who spend the days in a spiritual state of enjoying the outdoors and the evenings basking in the warmth of good food and drained muscles. Although the phrase states that there are no friends on a powder day, by the time the chairlift closes it couldn't be further from the truth.
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