Weekly little adventures (W6): A debut into trailless mountains

Up to now, I've done several strenuous hikes, but this hike was a challenge to me as it's one of those hikes that you cannot afford to lose too much time getting lost and finding your way because it is a very long day hike by itself. I also don't have that much experience adventuring in trailless mountains, so I definitely didn’t want to get lost.

The Dix range is a remote range where 4 of the 5 mountains are trailless, it is muddy and requires bushwhacking. There are also numerous blowndown to get over and under, and several hours of this will definitely wear you out. The ridge is very dry so that would require at least 4 L of water to carry on a sunny day. One end of the range is made of a loose rock and gravel slide while the other is made of huge boulders almost all the way down, so going up or down one side or the other is equally painful.

Because of the nature of the terrain, making it an overnight backpacking trip with a fully loaded backpack would be hard, so I absolutely wanted to do it as a day hike. That hike took us about 12-13 hours, I could'nt bend my leg anymore after.

Everytime time I hike, I always pray that everything will go well and that mother nature will be kind. I always feel that little stress in me, and a bit of uncertainty and excitment for the adventure ahead. Like always, the hike was a success and I feel accomplished :)

Weekly little adventures (W5): A day spent like I was on vacation

Boating is like a mini-vacation from all work and deadlines, and all land-based life and routines. It changes perspective and provides a different type of freedom that no land-dwelling activity can provide. Water is naturally unstable and you really become part of the environment. A few hours on a boat made me feel like I was actually on vacation for the first time in a while...

Weekly little adventures (W4): Trying afternoon tea

I'm not really into tea, but I definitely drink too much coffee. This weekend, I decided to try the whole afternoon tea experience - the little tea pot, the tiny sandwiches, the scones and cakes on a three-tiered stand.

Afternoon tea was introduced in the 1840s by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford who couldn't wait until 8pm for dinner. She requested bite-size sandwiches and cakes to her room around 4pm. Fast forward a few decades, high society women would change into extravagant outfits before heading for afternoon tea.

It was a Sunday, and I wasn't all sweaty and running around on a mountain. It was great to take the time out, put on some make-up and a girly dress and dedicate an hour to the ceremony, as some people would call it. Definitely loved the experience!

Weekly little adventures (W3): Pitchoff

This week, I finally got the chance to hike the Pitchoff  ridge traverse, which has 5 summits that make up its ridge. It's really a short and fun hike of 4 hours but I never went because I like big mountains and since it's a traverse, it requires 2 cars parked on both sides of the mountain, or thumbing lifts...or road hiking, which I want to avoid. My noob friends came with me this time, so it was the perfect day to hike it.

I was surprised by this little mountain because the trails are really unusual. I had chills when I cut into one of the shady parallel grooves as it was so silent and dark. There was also nobody after the first summit as most people return to their cars using the same trail. On the west side, there was a large open area with some glacial erratic left behind called balanced boulders, creating a wonderful panoramic towards the high peaks. The descent on the east side was quite steep but it was fun.

I finished the hike first as usual, and took a nap in my car. After 3 hours, it was getting dark. I started having all kinds of images in my head like someone getting hurt, someone getting lost, someone having a cramp, and I started calculating the maximum time it should take them to finish before I actually need to worry and take some actions. Some parts were tough for inexperienced hikers, one misstep in some places could result in injuries, especially during the descent on the east side. I wanted to go back to the mountain to look for them, but I had no water. I wanted to call, but had no reception. I didn't even have my wallet because it was in my friend's car on the west side. Luckily, she gave me her car keys, so I drove to her car to get my stuff, and was about to drive to a gas station to call rangers....and right at the second I drove past the east side trail again, I saw them coming out..I'm so glad they all make it!

Weekly little adventures (W2): Rediscovering running

I used to be a quite good long-distance runner, but it was always something I did due to various obsession-worthy psychotic goals. It was usually accompanied with intense focus and heavy training. The whole process what not enjoyable; I would avoid people, cars, busy intersections, etc. I never ran for the sake of running.

This week, my client invited me for a stay on the shores of Lake Raymond, adjacent to the P'tit train du Nord, a 200km linear park...and I decided to try running again...

Surprisingly, running felt different this time; it felt relaxing. It wasn't for weight loss, it wasn't for any competition, nor was it goal-oriented. Time and distance didn't matter. I ran with a mind of meditation and I ran because I was inspired to. The clean air of nature, endless forestscapes dotted with lakes, green valleys and picturesque villages made me feel present in the moment. I truly found some joy in running this time...

I felt more energetic than when I started.