Tibet: Mountains and Monasteries
We are on a train bound for Lhasa. I can barely believe it. “On our way to Lhasa” … wow!
For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by Tibet, an exotic, remote, and sometimes troubled … Continue reading
We are on a train bound for Lhasa. I can barely believe it. “On our way to Lhasa” … wow!
For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by Tibet, an exotic, remote, and sometimes troubled … Continue reading
I don’t often come across an article of clothing that works well for me in all four seasons, but I’m happy to report that Columbia’s Windefend Half Zip does just that. I’ve worn it for winter snowshoeing, fall hiking, and … Continue reading
“What’s your Grind time?” Almost any active Vancouverite will be able to answer this question. Grouse Mountain’s famous Grouse Grind is labelled “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster”, and Vancouver loves it! In 2.9 kilometres (1.8 miles), the wickedly steep trail climbs 853 … Continue reading
As a big fan of Canada’s National Park system, I’m pretty pumped about knocking another one off my bucket list. My husband Jack and I have spent time in Alberta’s more well-known mountain parks, Banff and Jasper, and have even … Continue reading
According to its license plates, British Columbia is the most beautiful place on earth. A very big claim, but spend a couple days snowshoeing on Vancouver Island’s Mount Washington, and you may come to agree. On a bright, sunny day … Continue reading
“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”
– Vince Lombardi, American football coach… Continue reading
As a snowshoer and general outdoor enthusiast, I’ve always struggled to keep my hands warm and often it isn’t pretty. I have been known to wear so many layers of mittens that I can barely grip my poles. That was … Continue reading
Columbia’s Omni-Heat technology can be credited for a good part of the effectiveness of the jacket. In plain terms, the little silver dots on the inside of the jacket reflect heat back at you, retaining the warmth your body generates. … Continue reading
“Oh, it was wild and weird and wan, and ever in camp o’nights
We would watch and watch the silver dance of the mystic Northern Lights.
And soft they danced from the Polar sky and swept in primrose haze;
And … Continue reading
“[The] rhythm of the snowshoe trail, the beckoning of far-off hills and valleys, the majesty of the tempest, the calm and silent presence of the trees that seem to muse and ponder in their silence; the trust and confidence of small living creatures, the company of simple men; these have been my inspiration and my guide. Without them I am nothing.” - Grey Owl
Driving west from Winnipeg, Manitoba the landscape stretches to the horizon as a vast white ocean of endless prairie. My husband Jack and I are heading towards Riding Mountain National Park and are, quite frankly, wondering how there could possibly be a mountain anywhere in the vicinity. We pass through serene countryside of farmland, quintessential grain elevators and big prairie skies. I recall my high school Canadian Literature class as we travel through the town of Neepawa, former home of author Margaret Laurence. We turn north on Highway 5 and suddenly there it is … not exactly a mountain, but a long dramatic escarpment that rises high above the surrounding farmland. We have found Riding Mountain.
When I first spot Sol Mountain Lodge, it looks like a small dot in a wilderness of untouched white. The helicopter almost skims the top of the snow-laden trees as we make our final approach. It touches down, is quickly unloaded and takes off again, leaving me here for the next four days. Sol Mountain Touring's backcountry lodge is located in Canada's spectacular southern Monashee Mountains mid-way between Vernon and Revelstoke, British Columbia. I feel like I have been transported to another world.
I'm reluctant to admit the number of days I recently wore Mountain Hardwear's Lightweight Power Stretch Zip T and Boot Length Tights without laundering them. On a two-week Himalayan trek, they were the base layer that I reached for almost daily. They simply cannot be beat for odour repellence, softness and warmth, while their wicking properties are also excellent. I always felt dry and comfortable despite the varying temperatures I encountered, from deep morning chill to afternoon sun. The stretchy fabric is non-constraining and smooth, making it easy to slip outer layers on and off.
I recently put Mountain Hardwear's Wraith SL -20 sleeping bag to a hard test on a two-week trek to Everest Base Camp in Nepal. Although an experienced tent-dweller, I run very cold, especially when sleeping. As such, I spent a great deal of time planning my cold weather strategies for the late fall conditions I would encounter in the Himalayas. I needn't have worried.
Perhaps the most telling thing I can say about Mountain Hardwear's Monkey Woman Jacket is simply that on a recent two-week Himalayan trek, I rarely took it off. It is indeed one of the most comfortable insulating layers I have ever had the pleasure of wearing. In fact, it is not just comfortable, it is comforting; I used it as a pillow most evenings in the tent. The plush fleece feels heavenly against your skin.
Try this easy and healthy soup after a day of snowshoeing. A favorite with several Snowshoe Magazine writers, it's especially heavenly with a loaf of wholegrain bread and a glass of zin. Eaten in front of a roaring fire … even better!
I remember a story of a visitor to a well-known park asking the ranger what he should do if he had only one day in the park. The answer: “Sit down and weep”. I fortunately had more than one day on a recent snowshoeing trip to Alberta's Jasper National Park, but the adventure opportunities both on and off snowshoes are so abundant that I could have stayed for weeks.
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