Winter – Page 3 – HIKES & HAMSTRINGS

Thankful for Prairie Mountain

So on Sunday, a few of us headed out to Bragg Creek to hike Nihahi. As we drove, we noticed that there is so much snow in the mountains! A huge part of me is bummed that summer hiking is over; however, I’m super pumped for getting out just as much this winter. Traditionally, I’ve been low-key during the winter, but this year, I’m hoping for lots of winter walks, snowshoeing, nordic skiing and snowboarding. The 8 months with fly by in no time!

We made the last minute decision to hike Prairie Mountain instead. It’s generally a safe bet, snow or no snow, and it’s always guaranteed to have other hikers powering up the mountain. We made it to the top, enjoyed some lunch on the surprisingly windless summit, and then headed back down. Maybe it was the cold, but we were all exhausted afterwards. On this Thanksgiving weekend, I had so much to be thankful for. Among them, and I’ve said it before: I’m thankful for living so close to the mountains with the ability and capability to hike with people near and dear to me. 🙂

A Step to the Loppet

In general, I like races. Running races, obstacle courses, and distances with a goal in mind. So it’s no surprise that I added “Complete a loppet race” to my list… before I really knew what a loppet race was! Think of marathoning, but with cross-country skis. In order to complete a loppet, I guess I should learn to XC ski. And not just learn, but learn well. The course last year was great instruction for practicing the basics of form, stride and technique, and now it’s all about just getting out there and perfecting them.

For two weekends now, I’ve been able to go XC skiing at the Canmore Nordic Centre. The first time at the nordic centre was with Robbie, and it was the first time we had XC skied since taking the course. I’d like to think we were in fine form, but I know there’s much practice to be done. I realized after that session how great of an aerobic workout this sport is! Like, a full body workout. It even manages to work the core quite well! I also learned that one does not simply become a pro overnight! This past Saturday was with my friend Adriane, and after completing the Banff Loop, we decided to take a less-travelled track which was ‘lovely’, as Adriane would say. Full disclosure, I did fall 3 times. I suppose that’s okay for being a beginner, but unacceptable by loppet standards.

So, I have it in my mind that I will get XC ski equipment at some point and train for the loppet next year. I have to be realistic with my injury situation and will need to cut back on my running goals due to the impact they would have on my foot. Instead, I’ve been thinking of low-impact alternatives. XC skiing definitely fits the bill… :).

Sunshine: I’m a Green Graduate!

Yesterday was another great day in the mountains. I’d say it’s turning out to be quite a lively winter season! The weather wasn’t too cold and the sun was shining the entire day. It was a big group of us too, which made for an awesome outing even though everyone did their own thing, either snowboarding down the greens or carving snow on the blues.

I’m happy to report that it was the first time I’ve done blue runs in the Rockies! The difficulty and change in steepness were noticeable, but the fun-factor increased 10 fold 🙂 Of course, I attempted the blue runs on skis, since my snowboarding skills are nowhere up to par…. yet. The next time I go to Sunshine, I’ll be working on my heel and toe edge techniques and before I know it, I’ll be graduating to the blues on my board as well!

Concussed while Snowboarding!

It really is true: helmets save lives. My second snowboarding attempt of the season occurred on Sunday. While it was great that I managed descend my first green run on a snowboard, it wasn’t without some pains. Mainly, I hit my head hard three times, at which point, I called it a day. But Sunshine was beautiful. The weather was sunny, and although it was really cold, it managed to be such a fun day. Minus the almost-concussed head. Gotta get back up and keep trying. I’ll get the hang of this snowboard thing at some point…

Zoolights. Oooooh. Ahhhh.

After almost 4 years, I finally went to see the Zoolights at the Calgary Zoo. In fact, after almost 4 years, it was my first time to the Calgary Zoo period. Isn’t that crazy? The lights were pretty. Very very pretty. And what better way to spend an evening than to walk around with some hot chocolate and admire pretty lights. Ooooh.