Passion for Getting Outside

Mount Waddington's Outdoors' Facebook page absolutely aligns with the company's positioning strategy. Outdoor supply store owner Sam Waddington wants Chilliwack residents to see the beauty around us and to see what's possible here.

"We have everything. We have mountains and rivers and lakes. We have alpine conditions and rock and snow and just about every sport you can think of is possible here, and yet, the residents of Chilliwack, in a large part, don't see it that way and I'm hoping we can see that shift," Waddington says in a promotional video for his store. "We have it all right here. It's just the perfect place to explore."
In the video, Waddington says "it's not about selling" and his company's Facebook page reflects that. A post from January 22 says: "Happy Friday! Where are you exploring this weekend?" and shows a picture that looks like people hiking in the snow on Elk Mountain. Another post promotes the Manning Park Ski Shuttle that leaves from the store twice a week and takes groups up to play at Manning and then home again the same day. Another post about avalanche awareness reminds Facebook fans that iPods and other devices can interfere with transceivers, echoing Mount Waddington's avalanche skills training courses. A post from January 15 highlights an article about a trail building project at Chilliwack Community Forest, a new park in Chilliwack, to which the store donated $3,000.

There's lots going on at Mount Waddington's: inspiration, education, community investment and passion. Oh yeah, and they sell sporting goods.

The Oldest Bunny

Check out this video of me skiing much better this week at Manning:

I'm still skiing like a little old lady, especially at the start. Check out how slowly I get moving. I partially blame the sticky snow that adhered to my skis and wouldn't allow them move, that is until they did move--very fast. So I started out afraid. I wanted to get going, but I only wanted to go slowly. Once I did get going, I felt more comfortable. I'm not exactly tearing down the hill, but I did do much better Friday than I have done in the past. It seemed like something clicked for me this week-- my fourth skiing lesson. I figured out how to shift my weight to turn, I didn't end up as exhausted as I did on the three previous lessons, my frustration level was much lower and I felt more in control.
We did have to use the rope tow because the T-bar apparently doesn't run on weekdays. That rope tow is harder on my shoulders than the T-bar and I ended up pretty sore. Randy showed me how to pull myself ahead and put the handle behind my back so it was pushing me up the hill, rather than me hanging on for dear life with my arms. My arms got sore enough anyway. The only time I fell getting onto the rope tow was the first time up when the attendant gave me an unexpected push--right onto my face in the snow. I was so angry falling in front of a line-up of parents with their five-year-olds, that I asked her not to push me again.
I did fall a few times, mostly when I tried something new, like facing my body down the hill and making my legs do the turning, or when I tried to follow Randy. But I went down the hill so many times that I lost count. I even skied the last run!
I was sore the next day and I'll probably be even more sore tomorrow. My hips are a major challenge in executing a snow plow, so stopping is not going that well. I think I need to bring some yoga hip openers into my life, even though Randy says it's not about hips.

Snowy trails

Today's trail was covered in snow.

A few weeks before Christmas, Randy and I went to a ski swap and bought ourselves a Christmas present: ski equipment. The first time I went skiing, shortly after Christmas, I spent the afternoon on my butt in the snow. It took me three-and-a-half hours to get down the short side of the bunny hill once and left me exhausted, frustrated and cold.
The second time I went skiing, about a week after that, I got down the short side of the bunny hill four times and took the rope tow four times. I only wiped out three times, but ended up with some lovely bruises and a sore shoulder from the rope tow.
The third time I went skiing, today, I went down the short side of the bunny hill twice, then we graduated to the long side of the bunny hill. Exciting! Randy says I made significant progress, although I feel like I fell a lot. But Randy says that's because I went down a steeper hill, I was trying to slalom, learning to slide down the hill, and how to stop with a snowplow--or pizza--as my younger colleagues were instructed. (The median age of new skiers on the bunny hill, myself excepted, was about five. The combined age of me and Randy is 102. Big difference.) I graduated to the T-bar, which was so much easier to handle.
I think we have to go again soon. Progress will be made from consistency and maybe a YouTube video.

So many trails, so little time

Why so many trails? Because that's the defining experience of my life from way back when I as a toddler harassed my Gram to walk further. "Walkies," I demanded. She would have been in her early 70s then and it was probably good for her.
Trails are a metaphor for so much in life. Which path should we take? The road less traveled upon. It's the journey that counts, not the destination, going out into the wild to find oneself. Into the woods to trade the magic beans and make one's fortune, to battle the witch and lift the curse.
Trails are an intrinsic part of where I find myself, living in Chilliwack, which is rich in trails, and of which I have only traveled a small portion. There's so much more to explore and so little time around work and groceries and cooking and cleaning. I tend to hike the same trails over and over. My go-to hike is Teapot hill in Cultus Lake provincial park because it's close and can be accomplished in an hour, it's steep enough to get a workout, and it's stunningly beautiful. I walk on the Vedder River on my lunch breaks because it's 10 minutes from my office. I hike Mount Thom because it's close to home and if I don't have time, I can just do half of it and still get a good workout and some nice views. The view from the top of Mount Thom looks out over Chilliwack all the way from Cultus Lake to the Fraser River. I hike on trails around my home like the Bridlewood trail and Salmon Ridge trail when I just need to take my dog for a quick walk and need some trees. I've never hiked Mount Cheam--probably the iconic Chilliwack hike.
There are so many more. The area around Chilliwack, Cultus Lake, Ryder Lake and Harrison Hot Springs are full of hiking trails. I would love to hike the West Coast Trail and my hiking buddy and I have talked about doing that. It will have to be soon. For now, we have agreed to challenge ourselves and try some different trails around here, as long as they're not covered in snow. I'm open to suggestions.
If I could, I would hike every day.

Trinity in the snow

Trinity loves hiking in the snow as long as big balls of snow don't get caught up in her fur. I did buy her cute red boots, but she jumps around so much that we can't keep them on her feet.

Sprained my left ankle again

I've intended to get a teapot tattoo on my left ankle for some time now.

I sprained my ankle again. It wasn't the ice. We were coming down from the top of Teapot hill, when without warning I went over on my left ankle again. If it's going to happen it's going to be the left ankle. I rolled in the dirt on my left side. Ouch! Ouch! I wasn't sure I could put my weight on it. But I did and I walked down on my own. 

Betsy took Trinity's leash so I could concentrate on walking carefully. We left our ice cleats in the car today, but clearly we should've had them. It was really icy and Betsy's shoes were not up for it. She was slipping and sliding all over the place, but it was real graceful, even when she went crashing into a tree. 

Later, back at home, the ankle doesn't look like it's swollen or anything (it was the next day), but it still hurts. It matches the yellow and purple bruises all over my legs--but that's another story. And that's where the tattoo comes in (I'm looking for design ideas). If I'm going to keep almost breaking this ankle on teapot hill, then it should have a teapot tattoo on it. 

Not exactly hiking on the Vedder River trail

On my lunch break I can walk on the Vedder River, which is not exactly hiking, but it's better than sitting.

Chilliwack: Parks & Trails City of Chilliwack