Bluebird

There's nothing like a Bluebird day in the Rockies.  There seems to be some magical co-relation between cold temperatures and clear blue sky's in our corner of paradise.  When it's this cold, it's frequently a clear blue sky.  This morning, I was solar-powered.  It's a beautiful day!  The sun is out!  I thought to myself.  I was dressed and ready to go for my run before I checked the temps.  When I opened the front door and got a blast of Arctic coldness, I retreated with my tail between my legs to re-think my wardrobe and add a few layers.


Still, it was a beautiful day for a run.  There's nothing like running in winter to generate heat and warm-up quickly.  On this day, I had about 7 minutes of "urban" running before I hit the trails.  It was an exceptionally gorgeous day to be outside.

I love our new bridge.  It's a great addition to town and it means I can avoid people and roads and civilization altogether when I'm out for a run.  You also get great views of Banff's most famous landmarks:  Mount Rundle and Cascade Mountain.


Today I got thinking today about when and why I started this blog.  2007!  Holy Crap.  Mostly, it was to share this fantastic place with people. 

When I started trail running, my mind was getting blown by Mother Nature on a regular basis.  I never carried a camera and I was pretty focused on staying in motion.  Picking up a camera changed everything.  It slowed me down a whole lot and honed me into the art of observation.  I see a lot on my day to day runs.  I've been running around the woods and taking photos for 9 years!

Bliss.

Despite the cold, it was a good day to commune with Nature. I'm heading off for a month in New Zealand to find some new beautiful trails.  But I love me some Banff.  It's always good to come home.

New Year, New Adventures

 “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

On The Best Holiday Ever, we had nothing but time.  We enjoyed time to talk, time to think, time to read, time to relax and of course, time to plot future adventures.  And we've plotted many. 

We came up with all sorts of wonderful ideas and naturally, there's a few we decided to make happen this year.

We've been making these adventures happen since Keith quit his Big Boy Job almost two and a half years ago.  It's important to us. Every day, we hear stories from friends and family of people who no longer can do what they want to do because of illness or injury.  We say, Do it Now!  Figure out a way to make it happen, and do it.  Go. Now.  While you can.  While your able.

What's in the cards for this year?  First off, I'm heading to New Zealand for a month.  I'm leaving on January 12th, my 45th birthday!  This is a Leslie trip.  Keith is busy having fun of his own at working and playing in the Caribou Mountains this winter.  I love that his work and his play have become intertwined.

I signed up for an Ultra.  I haven't been doing much racing these past couple years and I really have missed it.  Keith and I did some volunteer duty at the Mount Spokane 50k and I earned myself a race entry into any event.  I signed up for the Gorge Waterfalls 100k - it's a good excuse to make a trip back to the Columbia River Gorge.  The last time I was there, I was Wooooohoo-ing, A LOT.

And lastly, Keith surprised me with an idea that he would like to pursue.  After hearing all of my stories from the Pacific Crest Trail, he wants a taste of his own.  I will be returning to the PCT in early May with my hubby, so we can take a little walk together.  We're planning on hiking all of May and June, taking it day by day and seeing where it gets us. 

After that, we want to be home in July and August, to enjoy our amazing backyard.  There's no place I would rather be in the summer than home in Banff. 

New Year, New Adventures.  We'll see what we can dream up for the fall. 

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

On Travel and Home

I'm always finding new places and treasures, even in my own backyard.

All is Quiet on New Year's Day

I'm like that.

I like to poke around in the woods.  Even when I'm running.  I'm always looking and scanning with eyes wide open.

 The Animals Come-eth.

On New Year's Day I found this pretty place down off the Marsh Loop Trail.  I found it just a little bit off the trail, by following some animal tracks.  Evidently, the deer, elk and coyotes had been out partying-it-up on New Year's Eve.

It's a good spot to party, don't you think? 

Mount Rundle

It's important to venture off the trail.  You never know what you may find.  There are treasure like this to be discovered everywhere!  You just have to look.

I am Rundle.  Here me Roar!

I like to travel for the same reason.  Exploring.  Poking around.  Finding new treasures.

Reflective for a New Year

This year, like every year, I'm plotting some new adventures in my own backyard and abroad.  There's always, so much to look forward to but I'm a master of enjoying what I've got.  Like this place.






- Posted using BlogPress from my iTouch

Freedom!

Our fall holiday this year was quite possibly the Best. Holiday. Ever.

How does one begin to describe and share the Awesomeness of being able to roam and wander and eat and hike and camp and stop and relax and drive and run through so many vast beautiful places?  

I'm going to go with one word:  Freedom.

There's just something magical about a road trip adventure with no fixed agenda, schedule or itinerary. 

Let me say it again:  FREEDOM!

This latest Keith and Leslie adventure has set a new benchmark of holiday bliss.  With our new wheels, we're entering a whole new era of freedom to roam.  With the ability to camp wherever and whenever we want, we were Happy Campers out there. 

 Mount Whitney in the distance:  magical camping in the Alabama Hills

 Glen Canyon Viewpoint:  Let's Camp Here.

 Bike race in the shadows of Gooseberry Mesa and Zion National Park?  Yes, Please.

Summit Mount Whitney?  Why, not.

 Read a dozen books?  Check.

 Hiking in the Sierras:  Mono Pass Trail

The Grand Canyon.  Heck, yeah!

 Anniversary beers at Thelma and Louise Viewpoint

 Adventures on the Burr Trail:  Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

 Monument Valley's Little Cousin:  Valley of the Gods

Best. Campsite. Ever.

The Streak Give-eth!

This December, I have run every day in my beautiful backyard.  The Streak, was used as a simple motivational tool for me to get outside every day and get some exercise.  Everyday, I went for my run and took a few photos and posted them on Facebook.  Well.

It's been so much more than that!

The Streak reminded me of the importance of a few things in my world.


Banff is Beautiful.  How lucky am I to be living and running in this place?


Nature Rules:  I saw cougar prints, an owl, herds of elk, ravens, coyote prints, moose prints and shy deer. One day, a chickadee landed on my hand.  I ran through wind, blizzards, snow, cold and sunshine.  It was Awesome.


Everyday, nature changes.  The same places look different throughout different times of the day.


Winter is incredibly beautiful.


Getting outside is even more important in winter.  Just go. Don't wait for the weather. 


I really love to run.  Consistency is crucial to your success with anything you do.  Consistency is key to my running. 

I'm stronger than I thought.

Ice is beautiful.

It's important for me to connect with Mother Nature on a daily basis.

I really like to stop and enjoy the view.  A lot.

I'm definitely solar-powered.  I never, ever want to miss getting outside on a clear, sunny day.

You can have an entire conversation with a raven.  If you're lucky, they will talk back.

I love having the Sulphur Mountain Trail out my backdoor!  This trail rocks in winter.

Getting outside makes you feel happy and healthy.

I need both solitude and sociability.  Because I tend to prefer solitude, interaction with like-minded folks is crucial and fun!

The Streak: Motivation Move Your Ass

Enter the Dark Months. The reality of December in Banff is less daylight and shorter days.

Enter the Streak. I am going to move my ass every day in the month of December. In particular, I am going to Run.

Enter Strides Running Store in Calgary. For Motivation. I love the idea - commit to a Mile a Day. Everyday. In December. You can join their Facebook Group if you need a little inspiration this month!

See:  3rd Annual Strides Run Streak

Feel free to be liberal with this.  Don't run?  Get out of the house and walk.  Every. Day.  Enjoy Yoga?  Go Yoga your Ass off, honey.  Why not start now instead of the January 1st?

Run #1 in Beautiful Banff:

The Hoodoos Trail



Run #2 in Beautiful Banff:

Fenland Trail



Now, go move your Ass!!

Sweet September

September has always been my favorite month of the year.  This year we were blessed with 2 crazy beautiful, hot warm weeks.  Since then, in a period of days the temperature plummeted, we got frost and then it snowed.  It was super late in coming - but the abrupt change of season has arrived. 

I got up to a few great adventures including an awesome night camping on shoreline of Spray Lakes and a quick jaunt up to the Buller Circuit.  I'd never been up North Buller Passs and I did the "bonus loop" up a peak with no name.  I named it Glory Peak because it was in fact glorious, and I could see the entire frickin' world from up there!

I've been distracted the past few weeks, namely because I've been working hard all summer and it's time for a bigger adventure.  Keith and I are heading off for 7 weeks in our new camper leaving tomorrow!  Yiiipee!  We're not taking our bikes this trip, just our running shoes.  We're heading back to Arizona/Utah, but we're going to take the long way through Washington, Oregon and Northern California.  We'll let the weather decide when and where we go - but we're heading South.

All of these photos are taken from my awesome day on Buller, what a great way to end the summer season.

 Happy Trails!!