tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20496618731839463872024-02-19T14:23:46.938-07:00Stop Nothing But TimeSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-56693054204234257682017-01-18T22:49:00.000-07:002017-01-18T22:50:30.630-07:00HI-Beauty Creek Wilderness Hostel - March 2016<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">March 2016 a group of us girls spent a
couple of nights at <a href="http://www.hihostels.ca/WesternCanada/1500/english_hi-beauty_creek.hostel" target="_blank">HI-Beauty Creek Wilderness Hostel</a> in Jasper National
Park (JNP).
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I was so excited for this.</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At 41 years old, kids all grown and new
adventures being snapped up whenever possible - I had not yet stayed in
a hostel and it was a missed experience.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhon2UbvBLMWLOgCn92vnsWYJfC8FE6VZVex4Gc3fE7Ag7gSw0D_535rNvNzPTIqmEfxWM3hIGISHAca-OB76LYcSKVsvyOzyeXT87YWOK3BY0bdk3K3kkPRtL2cIO9CRdbTDszg6EHkAEb/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9981.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhon2UbvBLMWLOgCn92vnsWYJfC8FE6VZVex4Gc3fE7Ag7gSw0D_535rNvNzPTIqmEfxWM3hIGISHAca-OB76LYcSKVsvyOzyeXT87YWOK3BY0bdk3K3kkPRtL2cIO9CRdbTDszg6EHkAEb/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9981.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>HI-Beauty Creek Wilderness Hostel in Jasper National Park</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am lucky enough to live next door to
JNP and on many occasions I had passed by several of
the 10 wilderness hostels operated by <a href="http://www.hihostels.ca/westerncanada/1539/Wilderness-Hostels/index.hostel" target="_blank">Hosteling International Canada</a>.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.hihostels.ca/WesternCanada/1519/english_hi-athabasca_falls.hostel" target="_blank">HI-Athabasca Falls</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.hihostels.ca/WesternCanada/1500/english_hi-beauty_creek.hostel" target="_blank">HI-Beauty Creek</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.hihostels.ca/WesternCanada/356/english_hi-castle_mountain.hostel" target="_blank">HI-Castle Mountain</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.hihostels.ca/westerncanada/1719/HI-Hilda_Creek_Wilderness_Hostel.hostel" target="_blank">HI-Hilda Creek</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.hihostels.ca/WesternCanada/358/english_hi-kananaskis.hostel" target="_blank">HI-Kananaskis</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.hihostels.ca/WesternCanada/1459/english_hi-maligne_canyon.hostel" target="_blank">HI-Maligne Canyon</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.hihostels.ca/WesternCanada/360/english_hi-mosquito_creek.hostel" target="_blank">HI-Mosquito Creek</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.hihostels.ca/WesternCanada/1440/english_hi-mount_edith_cavell.hostel" target="_blank">HI-Mount Edith Cavell</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.hihostels.ca/WesternCanada/362/english_hi-rampart_creek.hostel" target="_blank">HI-Rampart Creek</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.hihostels.ca/WesternCanada/364/english_hi-yoho_national_park.hostel" target="_blank">HI-Yoho National Park, Whiskey JackHostel</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">They were always a bit of a mystery to
me ... hidden from the main highway ... I had never even pulled over
and check one out. In a way they were intimidating. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But I was becoming
frustrated with the fact it was easier for me to hit up a computer,
anonymously book a hotel room and spend a night in the city (yes, I'm
a small town girl) where I would likely never have a lengthly
conversation with anyone, rather than find out what a weekend staying at a
hostel was like.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrhyOnV_pyScrN8NLaSlbh1RtX14G3xPqc1wNGybPyIbLl0BSIxFkXGkfxcjw6Ujj-AJ-q0yh3IH5RWYTnnJ1h9h0xnsP7KBUbQkiLEVIX2ND6TGzzr4eHkbwZGrWriLCgTdtS-khFJeX6/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrhyOnV_pyScrN8NLaSlbh1RtX14G3xPqc1wNGybPyIbLl0BSIxFkXGkfxcjw6Ujj-AJ-q0yh3IH5RWYTnnJ1h9h0xnsP7KBUbQkiLEVIX2ND6TGzzr4eHkbwZGrWriLCgTdtS-khFJeX6/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9983.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Just an unassuming sign on the side of the road, I had no idea what was just out of sight.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We chose Beauty Creek located
87kms south of the Jasper townsite on Hwy 93. As you drive by the
highway meanders through the river flats just north of the <a href="http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/jasper/activ/explore-interets/glacier-athabasca.aspx" target="_blank">Athabasca Glacier</a>. A standard Parks sign indicates the hostel is on the west
side of the highway, down a slope and in a relatively small cluster
of evergreens. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Every time I'd passed it I was always a little
befuddled at how a Hostel (still not sure what a 'hostel' really was
in my head) would actually fit there.
</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We pulled over in the spare-lane-style
roadside parking lot meant for hostel visitors. The snow was piled
high and just beyond the barricades were two outhouses, a pay phone
and a worn path headed downhill, into the trees.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDnnl_rw6A2mp6fJf9c59VNvl8Wmmy_3SzMCTPm04DCZDHxzVTqxRq4nOL4Ry7OcIoenHYZSebXUkpG6Nsu9dedsM8-q4MQorQaaLwBAMv7bh3G-ZckFj6N3uwpg1nAOUsrAXzMBVVhf_V/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDnnl_rw6A2mp6fJf9c59VNvl8Wmmy_3SzMCTPm04DCZDHxzVTqxRq4nOL4Ry7OcIoenHYZSebXUkpG6Nsu9dedsM8-q4MQorQaaLwBAMv7bh3G-ZckFj6N3uwpg1nAOUsrAXzMBVVhf_V/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9984.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Not even an entire parking lot, just a roadside pullout to the side of the highway.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">While booking I had learned (read
harassed the poor person on the phone mercilessly for details of the
then unknown) that there were two bunk houses, one with six beds and
another with twenty-one. We were hoping to commandeer the six-bed
bunkhouse since there were five of us so we quickly explored down the
pathway.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5oyFH5quSZZfTJCp18YpijYflPE53GubtDPRd2pWg5eBlV4o4wk-dPEYDGpVIsFdY6vCHherTzB-qKDrXfhwD1Hy3z2SR0bdkBi8EBYlV3pDzms33CXtlGxooET6LlN6ari5iyfD0Uj4/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5oyFH5quSZZfTJCp18YpijYflPE53GubtDPRd2pWg5eBlV4o4wk-dPEYDGpVIsFdY6vCHherTzB-qKDrXfhwD1Hy3z2SR0bdkBi8EBYlV3pDzms33CXtlGxooET6LlN6ari5iyfD0Uj4/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9986.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>The outhouses by the highway along with a pay phone for emergency use are right next to the highway.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The steps down were fairly icy and we
picked our way through the trees for about twenty feet before
stepping onto a boarded walkway between the kitchen-house to the
right and a larger bunkhouse on the left.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jVLxkv2Njai00NleQVByWEHtGXPmxFYpNMVOQoPdAkLX64OgL-eURhYKsWB_kkLXa6xmbiih1jiW5fbDsWp4lji81WIm808fXxnJsRm6txxOP9rCa7It31CCA6bAp216PCnxmwD-qDRv/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jVLxkv2Njai00NleQVByWEHtGXPmxFYpNMVOQoPdAkLX64OgL-eURhYKsWB_kkLXa6xmbiih1jiW5fbDsWp4lji81WIm808fXxnJsRm6txxOP9rCa7It31CCA6bAp216PCnxmwD-qDRv/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9991.jpg" width="602" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>The main buildings are just behind me, the river lies just at their feet.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Somehow just a stone's throw from the
road and yet fully hidden from view lies a cozy little collection of wood-sided buildings ... two bunkhouses, a kitchen-house, a shed or two, a
fire-pit, benches and a large propane tank are all nestled in the
trees alongside the river.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzytyokI0ZqWR1xo7-h1Er1dIKrXGpJsFP7kg9tnW-7F_wwLJ_VSLdWpgTd5ae72R8iGdZW_aWNelUs_00eqYjGcY9D78zShyWzI4DxYT7kZg0Ju7oXv97y_d3D5mDtfmTJmPw8y6N8D0/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzytyokI0ZqWR1xo7-h1Er1dIKrXGpJsFP7kg9tnW-7F_wwLJ_VSLdWpgTd5ae72R8iGdZW_aWNelUs_00eqYjGcY9D78zShyWzI4DxYT7kZg0Ju7oXv97y_d3D5mDtfmTJmPw8y6N8D0/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9982.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Propane heat and lights are available in all the living spaces. We had to turn the gas on at the main tank.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Using the combination code we received
upon reservation, we had free reign of all the buildings.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPAqlHf-PiHk-fdV_9Z_34xIGPdzhfUYPy26rdundM9IKjORlk1i58tiUF-f4vz2bZG_V3QV1YkzYqaOnAOj-0XhgUiknTU0B8sTEjgN4XLbuLDPbUsIj8rf6UPa8fy98TGGPgpGDWWti/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9977.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPAqlHf-PiHk-fdV_9Z_34xIGPdzhfUYPy26rdundM9IKjORlk1i58tiUF-f4vz2bZG_V3QV1YkzYqaOnAOj-0XhgUiknTU0B8sTEjgN4XLbuLDPbUsIj8rf6UPa8fy98TGGPgpGDWWti/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9977.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Fires aren't allowed in the winter when the hostel isn't staffed, but the layout is great.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We quickly brought all of our things
down from the cars. Successful in our endeavour to take over the
smaller sleeping quarters - we divvied up the bunk beds.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickiKYXuyLgwX-Opzl_iaISWUMVC4ibeVmC8LyKgEXGbXD0O4vObL5EqGjcT0sI7WTVmYnAJVcu-j3SDjV9B5xbrqQYdouFBFEODAc_eLUv9DTpiOUbVSjQB48uvyHidg1PYD8uZNUiQ_c/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickiKYXuyLgwX-Opzl_iaISWUMVC4ibeVmC8LyKgEXGbXD0O4vObL5EqGjcT0sI7WTVmYnAJVcu-j3SDjV9B5xbrqQYdouFBFEODAc_eLUv9DTpiOUbVSjQB48uvyHidg1PYD8uZNUiQ_c/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9708.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>The sleeping areas are well set up with plenty of room and hooks for gear.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I took a top bunk ... something I'd
regret later ... however, I highly recommend it if you are a cold sleeper ... me, I'm a 41 year old
female learning that I'm probably never going to be cold again in my
life.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">During winter operation the wilderness
hostels are unstaffed so no bedding is provided as it is in the summer, but each bunk has a
decent foam mattress. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You must bring your own sleeping bag, pillow
and any other bedding you require.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I brought my cold weather bag, unsure
of how warm the buildings would be ... another error in judgement.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was fairly easy to get organized,
the dorm room was well laid out with benches and many pegs for
hanging packs and gear.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Next up, we grabbed our food and went
to check on the kitchen. According to the website the kitchen would
be fully stocked with utensils and cookware and I had been reassured
of the same by the booking staff I talked to on the phone (again, harassed, more than
once). After a summer spent planning backpacking trips, carrying
everything needed to cook dinner on my back, it was actually pretty hard to
trust in that ... again, I had nothing to worry about.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVASrgvSrIc2tY7wtkfXV3XwLT0J60cwgDswyXvKwgUyRmvj2dT2JGnhp0__tw6Nq2W8iZDCVmm3HW0dV7YMS9n5Tk9Qyyl1-ok262kNJ3mcRvXwXhksSqQI52JzsRFadlrQlq2GgVNu0b/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVASrgvSrIc2tY7wtkfXV3XwLT0J60cwgDswyXvKwgUyRmvj2dT2JGnhp0__tw6Nq2W8iZDCVmm3HW0dV7YMS9n5Tk9Qyyl1-ok262kNJ3mcRvXwXhksSqQI52JzsRFadlrQlq2GgVNu0b/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9933.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Everything you need is stocked in the kitchen. The fridge was not operational during the winter, for obviously, it was unnecessary.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The kitchen had multiple propane
cooktop burners, shelves of dishes, cups, mugs, silverware, pots,
pans, even coffee percolators.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I brought my food in a 10L dry bag and
that worked just fine since I was using the trip to practice some
lightweight backpacking meal options. In future, for hostel stays, I
will likely bring a small Rubbermaid style container. That way I know
I can stash it on a shelf or in the corner and be sure that it's safe
from mice etc. While still having room for some real treats.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">An old couch occupied one corner, and
the rest of the space was taken up by a couple of picnic tables,
bookshelves with left-behind novels and an old fridge.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6chzGrsHvDXTUR9gOEtoWKm6EZEiWKf0BrIL-iY_d4Z3pQuUzzBjhb9Ez63jrj2PIEm2CaF9Z2rt9e2tLoHRU7KM5Wq4i4ORwegsMxfv0-n7u1u_Hmf6m0dwlGvTAQnhvvMo-t-lbnbWk/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6chzGrsHvDXTUR9gOEtoWKm6EZEiWKf0BrIL-iY_d4Z3pQuUzzBjhb9Ez63jrj2PIEm2CaF9Z2rt9e2tLoHRU7KM5Wq4i4ORwegsMxfv0-n7u1u_Hmf6m0dwlGvTAQnhvvMo-t-lbnbWk/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9931.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>The main kitchen-house.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>In short ... the place was exactly what
I'd hoped for - incredibly rustic with all of the amenities needed to
stay comfortably and most importantly ... zero internet or cell phone
service.
</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When we arrived it didn't seem like
anyone had been there for a while, everything was cold and the propane
was turned off. We followed the instructions provided and soon had
the heaters and lights working. In a lot of ways, priming and
lighting the heaters was similar to lighting the hot water tank on
our old fifth-wheel. I was glad for the lessons my husband had given
me, although there were instructions on location.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7oCy636FJ0TZ8yEfxGALEl0BB6OA0uwpDx4tZDkgz1kgOk77U1xUURMZhbyLpCsVte7IgFZssEvERvRFwWEujGO_xpDs4D0jze68qbyHIFUBSHsa8nM-BWAZVs-rVH6SBxCN8K_AHcNm7/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7oCy636FJ0TZ8yEfxGALEl0BB6OA0uwpDx4tZDkgz1kgOk77U1xUURMZhbyLpCsVte7IgFZssEvERvRFwWEujGO_xpDs4D0jze68qbyHIFUBSHsa8nM-BWAZVs-rVH6SBxCN8K_AHcNm7/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9989.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>You can see the trail up to the cars between the two buildings here.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Later in the evening we were joined by
what would turn out to be the only other occupant that evening. An
interesting woman that was spending her winter recovering from some
surgery and living at wilderness hostels along the way.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyCqIHtlyRnimRP3avebG_5GhLQU8VM74M-F7iZ8WcoL9-jo-hydvA2h3cERj_aTtmA5hTgZPcoxAEPCiyIOljdQmQ_rr_zNjt0ZFM53m9t86ElduW3ZTZ9QIk8vkqQpl8sNsU1KG1lNj/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyCqIHtlyRnimRP3avebG_5GhLQU8VM74M-F7iZ8WcoL9-jo-hydvA2h3cERj_aTtmA5hTgZPcoxAEPCiyIOljdQmQ_rr_zNjt0ZFM53m9t86ElduW3ZTZ9QIk8vkqQpl8sNsU1KG1lNj/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9726.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>You have the opportunity to meet people with very different views than you. Here, the lady in the background is explaining why the movie "UP" is a horrible movie ... and my friend in foreground is not buying it.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYkYLOLMIKObscMH7IfFBudx0otNK-LjuPEoowdugYesSSdcAoau3VWPlE29UL9of0Ht6y0sWcZKbzOqj4EuFWcUKbd6v0ezNl4ohic32vcYwjT0Bc1vNqxrxdaBH0k9m01cYtXhtAtdB/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYkYLOLMIKObscMH7IfFBudx0otNK-LjuPEoowdugYesSSdcAoau3VWPlE29UL9of0Ht6y0sWcZKbzOqj4EuFWcUKbd6v0ezNl4ohic32vcYwjT0Bc1vNqxrxdaBH0k9m01cYtXhtAtdB/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9956.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>I did not fair well in the land of Skip-Bo.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We spent our first night cooking our
dinner and exploring the immediate area. Outdoor fires aren't allowed
in the winter months so we gathered around the table, played cards,
journaled and visited. There is a great guest book with pages and pages filled with hand-written stories of visitors adventures in the area.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUrl3S9paeG0fXUd8cQsxp2wNMK6QFbRHE8U4AgdmUr0PKljzpd10WzZEKjHa_wAmn04C3CFkcAGQ0I9lss3IGVqwB_4Z6XQlOIMgWkbApbAPDOi1DcvOtCtYhOwGrpOj7webQ4afesEm/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-0008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUrl3S9paeG0fXUd8cQsxp2wNMK6QFbRHE8U4AgdmUr0PKljzpd10WzZEKjHa_wAmn04C3CFkcAGQ0I9lss3IGVqwB_4Z6XQlOIMgWkbApbAPDOi1DcvOtCtYhOwGrpOj7webQ4afesEm/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-0008.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>The river is your source of water, if you don't bring your own, and must be boiled before drinking.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7EZdA1VSdwsRiZ8Tn241bY83gzn2WgSu2fCidN-ck0itBm5j4Ck8xzkn5gHK6yDHEJpZ5SU_MMCuyFKuddMMgRFSH67oILuI1g4WhLxU7NG81tGf0VaPVMJqAllnv-3-N39Z86kdhvAfu/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7EZdA1VSdwsRiZ8Tn241bY83gzn2WgSu2fCidN-ck0itBm5j4Ck8xzkn5gHK6yDHEJpZ5SU_MMCuyFKuddMMgRFSH67oILuI1g4WhLxU7NG81tGf0VaPVMJqAllnv-3-N39Z86kdhvAfu/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9976.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>I think each one of us lost some time sitting on this bench by the river.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Social media is a funny thing, so much
a part of life when it's available and yet completely unnecessary
when it's not. I contemplated that it would be the perfect place to
get away and work on some projects.
</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Back in the bunkhouse we turned in for
the night ... again, worried about being chilled, we didn't open a
window ... I paid the price by overheating and sweating ugly most of
the night.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">The second day of this weekend still
stands as one of my favourite days of the entire year.</span></b> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was up first, so I puttered
around a quiet, still-chilled kitchen-house while I made coffee and
breakfast ... quietly singing along while my speaker softly played a
selection of folk tunes from the table. Propane lights slightly
hissing from above ... that has to be one of my favourite ways to
start the day.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgG0kS4BkhZX1XW_DiCuJA-l_UtlfyzrB5FOazI__Qk_RpvPeiOx-MyAmb54SphajLub8_8X3C_-CmFNbluzJg1QX-ocbtv-iSQtg8e3G39lcZZQ_3jgl4KdIhoeDCP4pXt9hAvzduAPfQ/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgG0kS4BkhZX1XW_DiCuJA-l_UtlfyzrB5FOazI__Qk_RpvPeiOx-MyAmb54SphajLub8_8X3C_-CmFNbluzJg1QX-ocbtv-iSQtg8e3G39lcZZQ_3jgl4KdIhoeDCP4pXt9hAvzduAPfQ/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9725.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>I don't take a speaker backpacking, but thought the hostel might be the right place for it.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We had been hearing about an ice cave further south on the Icefields Parkway
near the Athabasca Glacier. By all accounts it was fairly easy to get
to and that was our goal for the day.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">However, we were in no rush to get there.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJP-8akZoCxRjhe39YzxLsWSRummLOGic38obD78o0ia3LCdqVe6gYYGX-Po0LjLFXSiGzoFf8dObsYP4HLMyUBEtddsmc4j3W_PGWc82nA9tJPgdS2II9ZiBL7w9hVXB2GUUg0PJUVok3/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJP-8akZoCxRjhe39YzxLsWSRummLOGic38obD78o0ia3LCdqVe6gYYGX-Po0LjLFXSiGzoFf8dObsYP4HLMyUBEtddsmc4j3W_PGWc82nA9tJPgdS2II9ZiBL7w9hVXB2GUUg0PJUVok3/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9744.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Now and then the urge would strike to visit the river and enjoy the stillness. </b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>When you take away the TV, cell phone and a house full of stuff ... there is a weird shift in time. Simple
things like washing dishes and going to the outhouse take longer.</b></span> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>So
your day is somehow more full and in constant motion but at a
lesser speed and with less stimulus.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouhuN7rXVioROTtNf-DVyUZvLDhUVQ5zY2OCHdTYjVlbmOm446NXDCj9PGzadX9oARE3PsZp336M2HUGYrlHBSIJIoq3qWbZXAavGhayS8Ta6TVfDCtD9mZrITuA9JRltDE6tAuLVAaIG/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouhuN7rXVioROTtNf-DVyUZvLDhUVQ5zY2OCHdTYjVlbmOm446NXDCj9PGzadX9oARE3PsZp336M2HUGYrlHBSIJIoq3qWbZXAavGhayS8Ta6TVfDCtD9mZrITuA9JRltDE6tAuLVAaIG/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9734.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We sat by the river, enjoyed the
silence of the snow, played my Tibetan singing bowl and explored a little
before piling into the car and heading south in search of the ice
cave.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The glacier is only 16km south of the
hostel, so it was a short ride on bare roads with a blue sky
overhead. We made the traditional stop at Tangle Falls on the way. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWkovdSM6j_uSVZ0vaDMgptILm_OZDR-cJDXWuWGxVrsTcw6T8bOexk-FLww1AeCABgLBZ2u4sqqw46s8uwFIQUrL3Vjx1taKhHHs-522vejhHfzfPDBeOCtsXzTxTsnrQdx2buxle3gU/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWkovdSM6j_uSVZ0vaDMgptILm_OZDR-cJDXWuWGxVrsTcw6T8bOexk-FLww1AeCABgLBZ2u4sqqw46s8uwFIQUrL3Vjx1taKhHHs-522vejhHfzfPDBeOCtsXzTxTsnrQdx2buxle3gU/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9764.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>A group of ice climbers were receiving lessons at Tangle Falls.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We parked in the main lot, there were
several other cars there. The road down to the lower parking area
closer to the glacier is closed in the winter.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinYBOJIiAeqTK0BWDpsbT0jfYRTFVey9v9YqzVFbyJX4dLhJTjfOIpIz89J2Nsazgvhq5uK0hNcH14kf2bWkdM7doBsYqVll1Oochcn89jWXgnjLzPhqTziBexqTDgZPZwpQk_ZQ81ZD-U/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9798.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinYBOJIiAeqTK0BWDpsbT0jfYRTFVey9v9YqzVFbyJX4dLhJTjfOIpIz89J2Nsazgvhq5uK0hNcH14kf2bWkdM7doBsYqVll1Oochcn89jWXgnjLzPhqTziBexqTDgZPZwpQk_ZQ81ZD-U/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9798.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>The ice cave was slightly above and left of the head of the lady in the light grey jacket here.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Recently, late in 2016, we received word
that the ice cave has collapsed and no longer exists. I can't express
how happy I am we stepped outside our comfort zone and checked it out
when we did.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrDGwQ5vx1wk81sxVKLP6Nb_FvP1tcczpSXBq6sGYqEaBDqf7-58fD28j5kNDP7Kp3E2Oo6UgNsjMqsfZncAi3A2yo1rmoQGiU9wkKunVETHt-6tODwzKb5bfzwzBJ42u6PsKJRXgFgqX/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrDGwQ5vx1wk81sxVKLP6Nb_FvP1tcczpSXBq6sGYqEaBDqf7-58fD28j5kNDP7Kp3E2Oo6UgNsjMqsfZncAi3A2yo1rmoQGiU9wkKunVETHt-6tODwzKb5bfzwzBJ42u6PsKJRXgFgqX/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://stopnothingbuttime.blogspot.ca/2016/03/ice-cave-at-athabasca-glacier.html" target="_blank">I have a more photo-heavy post about the ice cave over here.</a></b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After a day in the sun, we headed back to the hostel and made our dinner. As we were just finishing eating a
fairly large family group, including a two-year-old, showed up for the
night. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After a bit of visiting, we cleared out of the kitchen-house
to give them space and we spent the evening hanging out in our bunk-house like some sort of grown-up version of a little girl's sleepover.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnkjoSLcLPQvZ5A4sJQLFCZipK1XpT5R7R1DQIFwb296OGzG0ZJJ0a7Hd3FY3ruTnSo8sh7HUtM3LmHKedGWPbWDCwoNX6uS-s6bfvUx3LzVAYrwhd0jppCi84DbHfjNND4apwcPgfYU7/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnkjoSLcLPQvZ5A4sJQLFCZipK1XpT5R7R1DQIFwb296OGzG0ZJJ0a7Hd3FY3ruTnSo8sh7HUtM3LmHKedGWPbWDCwoNX6uS-s6bfvUx3LzVAYrwhd0jppCi84DbHfjNND4apwcPgfYU7/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9724.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Nothing beats a hot chocolate after a day in the snow.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cards were read, silly games were
played (I can't remember, but I think I'm having 52 children with
Bradley Cooper in a shack or something), secrets were shared.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZAlNjUmElNegj6q2_3uUTptyEIQO8lVNPG2NP788x5vwhXyK_xKPuKOfk6SCoLbMGlYgeyPnUWTNHSTv8lAL8tnO-AaUeqwYT7KZ6SNu_2M9WLfiC2rbBlEVAd6u8Z49ESu2J-EwxUbb/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZAlNjUmElNegj6q2_3uUTptyEIQO8lVNPG2NP788x5vwhXyK_xKPuKOfk6SCoLbMGlYgeyPnUWTNHSTv8lAL8tnO-AaUeqwYT7KZ6SNu_2M9WLfiC2rbBlEVAd6u8Z49ESu2J-EwxUbb/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9959.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Nothing to see here, just a bunch of grown-ups doing grown-up things....</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In short, staying at the hostel that
weekend changed my life. As a small-town girl who had kids young and
slipped right into the family lifestyle I had no idea that this
method of adventure was available to me right outside my back door. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJaHn0m58_5ZXLvmjcgf1hTO7vFaG0C19-12F85ZuWY-JNw96AcPQiWCS_WZYByOqSSX_lmDRDNzmexKncbcCIinw-BtvvDcxilEnqdMxcBKJBFHpmL0jaaZGiPTtLBjInthQXHLLgrhp/s1600/beauty+creek+watermarked-9913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJaHn0m58_5ZXLvmjcgf1hTO7vFaG0C19-12F85ZuWY-JNw96AcPQiWCS_WZYByOqSSX_lmDRDNzmexKncbcCIinw-BtvvDcxilEnqdMxcBKJBFHpmL0jaaZGiPTtLBjInthQXHLLgrhp/s640/beauty+creek+watermarked-9913.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Gratuitous group shot selfie brought to you by my ridiculously long arms.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Staying at hostels was always some “young-person travelling the
world” option that sounded really cool but wasn't where I was at.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've already, since this visit, used a hostel stay
as a cheap lay-over on my way to a bigger back-country hike and I
anticipate I'll make more adventure plans involving another soon.
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I cannot recommend this
experience enough. </span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-56543155984431338822016-09-20T10:31:00.002-06:002016-09-20T10:31:45.132-06:00Wedding Pie Bar<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So completely off topic, but I'm posting anyway. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My son's wedding was last weekend and months ago when my daughter-in-law mentioned they were having a Pie-Bar because they don't like cake … I instantly thought, "Brilliance!" </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41gNGn0ML-Rx8sQVQBMSelNPtvCrguWzJhDE3V9kZd3td9bo65FMs90gVhIxRRW3_Y3SySJ6aFZpQ5oflkMwadfH2Jys7j7UrR5Km0wsybkicJxYVrwCW3REXoknGqpdLqrbBY4m5a01e/s1600/2016-09-17+16.44.28-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41gNGn0ML-Rx8sQVQBMSelNPtvCrguWzJhDE3V9kZd3td9bo65FMs90gVhIxRRW3_Y3SySJ6aFZpQ5oflkMwadfH2Jys7j7UrR5Km0wsybkicJxYVrwCW3REXoknGqpdLqrbBY4m5a01e/s640/2016-09-17+16.44.28-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The amazing layout Morgan put together on the wedding pie bar!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I immediately asked if I could do pies and she said yes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Many trips to the lovely Burkes Fruit Truck that visits our small town every summer later and I was stocked with so much pie filling … a recipe I got from <a href="http://www.cookingwithjax.com/" target="_blank">Cooking With Jax's</a> very own grandma. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had never made cooked pie filling before and it turned out to be the key for making mini & hand pies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Only 25 minutes baking time meant the shells didn't burn before the filling was cooked.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNID-quBVm3Rrxu6xp7CblAizWZeC66BqVvqI9KreyvmknB6RmvuBxDPPFnhDiZTkOOa5CSDqvoJUxjY2N0b-EuAzkbo9xp5axbcOjiBJoubdKl4-6PMKA0Wm0VuvhqWi5m8eiIiLrK_vf/s1600/pie+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNID-quBVm3Rrxu6xp7CblAizWZeC66BqVvqI9KreyvmknB6RmvuBxDPPFnhDiZTkOOa5CSDqvoJUxjY2N0b-EuAzkbo9xp5axbcOjiBJoubdKl4-6PMKA0Wm0VuvhqWi5m8eiIiLrK_vf/s640/pie+collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I made apple, peach, blueberry and strawberry-rhubarb.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I packaged the pie filling with my FoodSaver and froze the bags in 4-5 cup portions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">All of the pie filling was made gluten-free so that I could later make gluten-free pies for the Celiacs in the family.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Now is probably the right time to tell the bride I've never made peach pie before … or blueberry, or strawberry-rhubarb ...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I nailed a work-flow that brought everything together pretty quickly in the end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> After work I'd take out a bag of frozen filling and could whip out 40 mini-pies in less than an hour, including baking time.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2W4K0P8OugwM-yxji3Dtc_cwTT6qYlsR-HmJXwKAzDSTN6fwltkWPLJJjBPYlD32J8T5YhlAIGWRlw-yy3O3IvZ5FfWRlz_8M4FwVC-GG9sxCA0lXH1O6Fgvn_x_mBRigdqO_OJp0uuqf/s1600/2016-09-11+09.32.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2W4K0P8OugwM-yxji3Dtc_cwTT6qYlsR-HmJXwKAzDSTN6fwltkWPLJJjBPYlD32J8T5YhlAIGWRlw-yy3O3IvZ5FfWRlz_8M4FwVC-GG9sxCA0lXH1O6Fgvn_x_mBRigdqO_OJp0uuqf/s640/2016-09-11+09.32.44.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At one point I was sure I wouldn't have enough pies, I was terrified the pie-bar would be a sad, single layer of pies desperately trying to fill up space.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So I just kept making more pies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the end I made around 350 mini & hand pies and four large pies, including this 6.5 pound "Wedding Pie" for the bride and groom.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgw6l8rtuBagRR-0UybcFIFV5nGz3laeKjbomU8e_KlrgcfG8wycOESRPNAeXEKKip-mWt3IvrMd5fJ7Njz88Qij55yfRNXP7Qhah9bM1uKHG3_x5xiTEtHFJ-jlHUgYXuQb0eD32Rv-J/s1600/2016-09-15+16.39.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgw6l8rtuBagRR-0UybcFIFV5nGz3laeKjbomU8e_KlrgcfG8wycOESRPNAeXEKKip-mWt3IvrMd5fJ7Njz88Qij55yfRNXP7Qhah9bM1uKHG3_x5xiTEtHFJ-jlHUgYXuQb0eD32Rv-J/s640/2016-09-15+16.39.06.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On wedding day we set out the frozen pies. I had done a "test thaw" earlier in the week and it only took about 1.5 hours to thaw the minis … that way we could set up with frozen and that was a lot easier to handle. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1yjtv5am4efy0u72psYxl_Om5JGqZHpNJatAknQ05NFcpLJK5hb2BNihg9Rvk67JKrdM3dgX_pGjtvsKm6XmQc6rMrZdzbyKYkXivWxXUsWDtUNvqRxmnPkardvLT36npv_bNl1K8xeYH/s1600/2016-09-16+14.03.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1yjtv5am4efy0u72psYxl_Om5JGqZHpNJatAknQ05NFcpLJK5hb2BNihg9Rvk67JKrdM3dgX_pGjtvsKm6XmQc6rMrZdzbyKYkXivWxXUsWDtUNvqRxmnPkardvLT36npv_bNl1K8xeYH/s640/2016-09-16+14.03.31.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">What Morgan had to work with.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Morgan took charge of the "make it pretty" portion of setup (something I'm lacking) and this is what we did! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpWnqaZiP0u3iGXEKozT7gcNLmPw5apldIL5gS45nic-Dpcd3FPs77-D69nkwODX_Sfs5_ott6i7HaxBGuw7cRccnT2Bdx5oM1DrsaDbkulP5R1wMCF_ZBR3ZLU0me5SGTcak2Hayz8hm/s1600/2016-09-17+16.44.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpWnqaZiP0u3iGXEKozT7gcNLmPw5apldIL5gS45nic-Dpcd3FPs77-D69nkwODX_Sfs5_ott6i7HaxBGuw7cRccnT2Bdx5oM1DrsaDbkulP5R1wMCF_ZBR3ZLU0me5SGTcak2Hayz8hm/s640/2016-09-17+16.44.44.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It turned out amazing!</span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-33817897616134213242016-09-09T21:24:00.000-06:002016-09-09T21:25:49.719-06:00The Mountains Were Calling<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'll have a large post or two coming up to recap this trip, a new adventure. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Three nights - Sept. 2-5, 2016 - at the Alpine Club of Canada's Wates-Gibson Hut was memorable for many reasons … all of which make me feel fortunate.</span></div>
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-36081476698513646882016-06-17T23:11:00.003-06:002016-06-17T23:27:07.100-06:00Whirlpool Campground - Jasper, Alberta<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Two nights, a steak dinner, a day hike, yoga, rain, wind, sun and oh, so many mosquitoes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Whirlpool Campground in Jasper National Park.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Athabasca Pass trail … Whirlpool is 6.5km in, an easy hike on an old fire road.</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OCgMjkN-gxU" width="600"></iframe>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-45732562366844393602016-06-01T21:16:00.001-06:002016-06-01T21:25:38.574-06:00Brewing Coffee in the Back Country - Backpacking Brew<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Nothing Beats a fresh cup of coffee by the lake.</span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Like so many people, I love coffee. I’m
not a coffee snob by any stretch of the imagination … more of an
equal opportunity coffee drinker. It doesn’t really matter if it’s
Folgers in the $35 drip maker before running out the door for work or
a $5 latte from <a href="http://www.theoldgrind.ca/" target="_blank">The Old Grind</a> (a lovely independently owned coffee shop
conveniently down the sidewalk from my office) … I love them all.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When I started preparing for
backpacking adventures it was imperative that good coffee happen
on the trail. I had no idea how, so I hit the Internet. My extraordinary Google Fu did not let me down.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">First option I'm going to present, believe it or not, is Instant
… no really, instant. I freaked out a bit too when it was first
mentioned and I pretty much totally wrote it off. But I came around
when I found out my local grocery store carried something called
<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Nescaf%C3%A9-Creamy-Original-Sachets-18x22g/dp/B01BC4SSJ2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464836193&sr=8-1&keywords=nescafe+3+in+1" target="_blank">Nescafe 3in1</a>. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZa-0Wb8Ztd3IeiW1yEEi_9hAxjVF-GFYrmt4TjTeRweDKQGqROoLGypzHkpK0DjdrmHaIaSvrQ-Q6ISbTJH2U1Hj9UEiOIqq_8hXFNb-bUpkQuR2pK65yHx5jTnTa1N7-KsxXTkwQqTiV/s1600/coffee+blog+post+%252811+of+11%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZa-0Wb8Ztd3IeiW1yEEi_9hAxjVF-GFYrmt4TjTeRweDKQGqROoLGypzHkpK0DjdrmHaIaSvrQ-Q6ISbTJH2U1Hj9UEiOIqq_8hXFNb-bUpkQuR2pK65yHx5jTnTa1N7-KsxXTkwQqTiV/s400/coffee+blog+post+%252811+of+11%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It’s a wee packet (one serving) of
instant coffee with sugar and creamer - just add water. This stuff
gets great reviews everywhere you look, so I had to try it. It has
jumped right near the top of my list of favourite options, second
only to real coffee.
</span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I have also read that a lot of people
like the <a href="http://store.starbucks.ca/coffee/starbucks-via-ready-brew,en_CA,sc.html?&cm_mmc=Google+CA-_-CA+-+VIA+-+Exact-_-VIA+Online_Exact-_-starbucks%20via_mkwid|szwxMSXJO|crid|45271988977|mp_kw|starbucks%20via|mp_mt|e|pdv|c|&gclid=CNzt3PSriM0CFQEdaQod2msNtw" target="_blank">Starbucks Vias</a> … I’m not a fan. Just a personal
preference though, as so many others really enjoy them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There are also a lot of option in the
instant coffee department that I haven’t even tried. So take a look
at your grocery store aisle and start testing at home to find the one
that works for you.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
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</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When it comes to real coffee … I go
all the way to a coffee press. When I first saw the <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Gsi--Outdoors-Personal-Java-Press/dp/B001LF3I3Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464836273&sr=8-1&keywords=gsi+java+press" target="_blank">GSI Personal Java Press</a> I
knew I wanted it. The smell of fresh brewed coffee on a crisp morning
outdoors is pretty much my entire reason for living.</span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSF_LHNfkIEV-d9c5Lgf8k8gCGR2ksLAExbAqOYCumjKhcQjedop9ovcce7oiTFtkmqVB-ss5RsX5yojekzcGt4nQc7Xq6Q4pcLOLID8Y-hzs-B6vQ0l7hu3ownu6JkTMZZHR78rfjBTu/s1600/coffee+blog+post+%25284+of+11%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSF_LHNfkIEV-d9c5Lgf8k8gCGR2ksLAExbAqOYCumjKhcQjedop9ovcce7oiTFtkmqVB-ss5RsX5yojekzcGt4nQc7Xq6Q4pcLOLID8Y-hzs-B6vQ0l7hu3ownu6JkTMZZHR78rfjBTu/s640/coffee+blog+post+%25284+of+11%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Coffee, coffee, coffee ...</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I now own three different GSI
Java Presses … that’s how much I like them.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Ux1sAkrNNbZYbk4AppWT1qrPwpqlB7xE-sZIftX_Gq-Nw5Ux23lImjp9-YMK7SStWowHXufkkBClRtRHMUezRFi4Ayz1GItyIrZ0jNf54yHS0ivvfoyNYhML72EoeHJ8CGJo3pQHVMjI/s1600/coffee+blog+post+%25287+of+11%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Ux1sAkrNNbZYbk4AppWT1qrPwpqlB7xE-sZIftX_Gq-Nw5Ux23lImjp9-YMK7SStWowHXufkkBClRtRHMUezRFi4Ayz1GItyIrZ0jNf54yHS0ivvfoyNYhML72EoeHJ8CGJo3pQHVMjI/s400/coffee+blog+post+%25287+of+11%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The 1L seems gluton-like ... <br />yeah, I don't care.</span></span></td></tr>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My first purchase was the smaller, personal
<a href="http://www.mec.ca/product/5040-518/gsi-personal-java-press/?Ntk=productsearch_en_q32008&No=40&h=10&q=coffee" target="_blank">Java Press</a>, then I picked up a <a href="http://www.mec.ca/product/5040-519/gsi-commuter-java-press/?Ntk=productsearch_en_q32008&No=40&h=10&q=coffee" target="_blank">GSI Commuter Press</a> as a Christmas gift
and most recently purchased a 1L press, from <a href="http://www.outdooroutfittersonline.ca/" target="_blank">Outdoor Outifitters</a> in
Hinton, for car camping trips and a good two full cups of coffee.<br /></span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17z9fIaehPPNM-dBWhyphenhyphenQlwCHnA0GSJKJMtEK-mhERuegSofTF_upg37vO7eVFVLj1dmVoidz73QU77KfvjJU9iOSp2FCad-17PTPdWAyCJaeRvEODRAV_M2dw5jlu9dAComxNZK43EonE/s1600/coffee+blog+post+%25286+of+11%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17z9fIaehPPNM-dBWhyphenhyphenQlwCHnA0GSJKJMtEK-mhERuegSofTF_upg37vO7eVFVLj1dmVoidz73QU77KfvjJU9iOSp2FCad-17PTPdWAyCJaeRvEODRAV_M2dw5jlu9dAComxNZK43EonE/s640/coffee+blog+post+%25286+of+11%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The smaller press has been my go-to for
trail coffee for most of my trips, along with a small bottle of
French Vanilla coffee flavouring.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">However, after a much despised
introduction to the Commuter Press that saw me fumbling with the
plunger, spilling coffee out the sides and writing angry letters to
the company etc … I’ve possibly pulled a 180 on my views on this
device.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhABxRI3-ZDrEwhtZLvBF9-ZL9PeHrOihuH0HA4B1gTRF5KN1pXc89AnmJH1Gs5npWk2LULp9Q4leKOPhoYMRL1bXfwfZ_XjNUyr8E2jyLy7JamBfzLa_5I2e1WN3pSXdl8K7cRGo3K3sdz/s1600/coffee+blog+post+%25289+of+11%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhABxRI3-ZDrEwhtZLvBF9-ZL9PeHrOihuH0HA4B1gTRF5KN1pXc89AnmJH1Gs5npWk2LULp9Q4leKOPhoYMRL1bXfwfZ_XjNUyr8E2jyLy7JamBfzLa_5I2e1WN3pSXdl8K7cRGo3K3sdz/s640/coffee+blog+post+%25289+of+11%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'm not too proud to admit the problems I had with it were most likely user error. I
successfully used the commuter mug on my last car camping trip and
that was particularly handy because I had also splurged and purchased
a <a href="http://www.mec.ca/product/5035-555/gsi-javamill/?Ntk=productsearch_en_q32008&No=40&h=10&q=coffee" target="_blank">GSI JavaMill</a>. I'm guessing the first couple of times I tried, I wasn't pressing directly down properly and messed with the plunger seal.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So, yes … I am now that
person who goes out on a trail, grinds my coffee beans
by hand and brews up a fresh cuppa joe … I am loving every
minute of it.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The grinder is really a great little
device. I’ve had no issues with it and the great thing about it is
that a single fill is exactly the right amount of coffee for
the commuter mug. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">That’s one of the reasons I was recently so
determined to make that thing work.
</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There are other options for trail
coffee, that I don’t own, but are well reviewed by others,
including the <a href="http://www.mec.ca/product/5024-213/jetboil-coffee-press/?q=coffee" target="_blank">JetBoil Press</a> accessory and even small percolating
coffee pots for backpacking stoves.
</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And the ultimate … a <a href="http://www.mec.ca/product/5030-728/handpresso-wild-hybrid-espresso-machine/?q=coffee" target="_blank">backpackingespresso maker</a> … hmmmm …</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">All in all, with a little research and
some trial and error, coffee lovers have a lot of options out on the
trail, just remember to pack out all your garbage … that includes
your used coffee grounds. They are an amazingly fragrant bear
attractant.
</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I use a Ziploc bag for all my grounds.
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-991485499733792112016-05-27T22:20:00.000-06:002016-05-27T23:24:55.448-06:00Campfire Breakfast Sandwich with Cheese & Bacon<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ak28fS7LMzgbYKT4dFvQMpG346eSNrQgLhvpRFr150T5LehXnbzz5hxt7vjLxnpg0PCbkkki2duYENqmkY2Pj9ByRHqz-ap1Kpod2Ytym4WvWrL7G5lqDqCpx-0kKHRJLWEZoyCKwf7X/s1600/breakfast+sandwich+blog+post+%25286+of+6%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ak28fS7LMzgbYKT4dFvQMpG346eSNrQgLhvpRFr150T5LehXnbzz5hxt7vjLxnpg0PCbkkki2duYENqmkY2Pj9ByRHqz-ap1Kpod2Ytym4WvWrL7G5lqDqCpx-0kKHRJLWEZoyCKwf7X/s640/breakfast+sandwich+blog+post+%25286+of+6%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Campfire Breakfast Sandwich with Cheese & Bacon</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I love food. So much. Seriously ... I
have the rear end to prove it too.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Honestly it's one of the main reasons I
hike. If I'm going to eat the way I like to eat I had to come up with
an activity. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Really, backpacking is just carrying your next meal
around on your back for easy access.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And food cooked over the fire has to be one of my all time favourites. I love coming up with new ideas,
the attention fire-cooking requires and the sweet, smoky taste.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On a recent car-camping trip I
discovered first-hand the convenience of <a href="http://www.pillsbury.com/" target="_blank">canned dough</a> baked over the
fire on a stick. I'd seen the Pinterest posts. I knew it could be
done, I just had never tried.
</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIduHieENZGbUxcbkU9LNavNoeuevo4DdCfqkCpLwlAYPu273USiYbmKeZjr6FN2ltZm_nMHwVZYlx3VnfCESAVc5hg2UnMzmj85qKpmjRO9blURz4uW41jDXGCYqSW_VClrjknpLQTRF/s1600/breakfast+sandwich+blog+post+%25281+of+6%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIduHieENZGbUxcbkU9LNavNoeuevo4DdCfqkCpLwlAYPu273USiYbmKeZjr6FN2ltZm_nMHwVZYlx3VnfCESAVc5hg2UnMzmj85qKpmjRO9blURz4uW41jDXGCYqSW_VClrjknpLQTRF/s640/breakfast+sandwich+blog+post+%25281+of+6%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It really does work well.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I quickly moved on from wrapping dough around
a stick and dipping it in cinnamon sugar. This past camping adventure
I discovered the camp-fire breakfast sandwich.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over a mellow fire, I warmed a small frying pan and added a bit of butter before adding a square of canned crescent dough. Mmmmm buttery dough ...</span></div>
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</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHz6DOmn5WC_7V7XoRzY2TKVOIouSOKP43PTSL77oKxP3iZKY-PPnE2FCzGEH9f2Nf_Z9oVkQ3xCGPuU-uC0EaBKxbtoqTVX7fafQjWa48pqpHrhuD_y1rnNDd9s3Aqm4CcXoMpR9D1jI/s1600/breakfast+sandwich+blog+post+%25282+of+6%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHz6DOmn5WC_7V7XoRzY2TKVOIouSOKP43PTSL77oKxP3iZKY-PPnE2FCzGEH9f2Nf_Z9oVkQ3xCGPuU-uC0EaBKxbtoqTVX7fafQjWa48pqpHrhuD_y1rnNDd9s3Aqm4CcXoMpR9D1jI/s640/breakfast+sandwich+blog+post+%25282+of+6%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Fried crescent roll dough over the fire.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I kept the fire low enough that it took
3-5 minutes per side to brown up. That way it would cook through
nicely without burning on the outside. If it seems to be getting too
warm, too quickly, just pull the frying pan a little to the side. Fry
up two pieces and set aside.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Next up was a giant, light brown
free-range egg.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4-yBxQ04KhoZKZ16DYDYOHOfpg4l8Ttrckzo20gOespgpQv3hJsGmV3QP68Zc2TpFP10u9Ux8PhuoMBq0QNkRidFaoUCWkODLRumuXd2oH9hrMeRDOkXVmdR9hfyopkwT1pfuJaf_hiK/s1600/breakfast+sandwich+blog+post+%25283+of+6%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4-yBxQ04KhoZKZ16DYDYOHOfpg4l8Ttrckzo20gOespgpQv3hJsGmV3QP68Zc2TpFP10u9Ux8PhuoMBq0QNkRidFaoUCWkODLRumuXd2oH9hrMeRDOkXVmdR9hfyopkwT1pfuJaf_hiK/s640/breakfast+sandwich+blog+post+%25283+of+6%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>One farm fresh fried egg.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is the only time I'm okay with
breaking the yolk ... for sandwiches only.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaoMSv4H5h2vapa6z22FlVw1vRXmB_PV9BihrLFY4NWiKPYxHvJtwTnxDBcCFMVqT9eRyES_BSMMBYV5admmPkbGlHBy6eHOzFpi8v8oTZ8fd-UoB0rHO_0xCNovrSWJV44X8trgJPu_S7/s1600/breakfast+sandwich+blog+post+%25284+of+6%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaoMSv4H5h2vapa6z22FlVw1vRXmB_PV9BihrLFY4NWiKPYxHvJtwTnxDBcCFMVqT9eRyES_BSMMBYV5admmPkbGlHBy6eHOzFpi8v8oTZ8fd-UoB0rHO_0xCNovrSWJV44X8trgJPu_S7/s640/breakfast+sandwich+blog+post+%25284+of+6%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Cheese!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once the egg is cooked through, I added
some shredded cheese and fresh bacon bits.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ81NSf9SW4aaWh3aJICnd5BFGUxADhSnxOp12A59WURycKgrKSptSOhq6iGAfIjGsQ-ttXALRQ98ya9pxaxfO8SJw4Ew5pBy0E8aPZSxvNTNO-bi8bAxva4_S9DPBSJkH3GGoRBdnhiZy/s1600/breakfast+sandwich+blog+post+%25285+of+6%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ81NSf9SW4aaWh3aJICnd5BFGUxADhSnxOp12A59WURycKgrKSptSOhq6iGAfIjGsQ-ttXALRQ98ya9pxaxfO8SJw4Ew5pBy0E8aPZSxvNTNO-bi8bAxva4_S9DPBSJkH3GGoRBdnhiZy/s640/breakfast+sandwich+blog+post+%25285+of+6%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: purple; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">And, of course … Bacon!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Build your sandwich and enjoy! </span></div>
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D2049661873183946387%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D99148549973379211%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dlink&media=https%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-FQAlz2QhtP0%2FV0kY3UL4N5I%2FAAAAAAAACW8%2FvqF6WzlNNokKbpHThYCG7awQ8142uneiACKgB%2Fs640%2Fbreakfast%252Bsandwich%252Bblog%252Bpost%252B%2525286%252Bof%252B6%252529.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=p9zAHmsk9QXJ&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 33px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 24px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D2049661873183946387%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D99148549973379211%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dlink&media=https%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-FQAlz2QhtP0%2FV0kY3UL4N5I%2FAAAAAAAACW8%2FvqF6WzlNNokKbpHThYCG7awQ8142uneiACKgB%2Fs640%2Fbreakfast%252Bsandwich%252Bblog%252Bpost%252B%2525286%252Bof%252B6%252529.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=p9zAHmsk9QXJ&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 33px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 24px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-88821088905400009312016-03-28T19:59:00.000-06:002016-06-06T19:53:56.707-06:00After-Work Solo Hike<div style="color: black; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; min-width: 200px; width: 100%;">
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<div data-item="activitiy" style="color: black; float: left; font-family: "trebuchet ms","verdana","helvetica neue","arial",sans-serif; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 5px; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Hiking/Backpacking</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Mar 28, 2016 5:13 PM</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Duration (Total) 1h 40m 51s , Distance 6.4km</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">What was going to be a short after-work hike turned into a pretty great jaunt. I'm thrilled that the evenings are light enough that these hikes are now an option after work. The trails are very icy and snowy still ... there are a few places where they're bare and you get a glimpse of spring.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So much snow here.</span></div>
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<a data-item="msurl" href="http://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/209562/315844/1666126?html_log=315844" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img data-item="media_img" src="http://file.ramblr.com/photo/1024x768/20160329/56f9d677bdeea.jpg" height="640" style="border: 0px none; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent; margin: 0px; max-height: 100%; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; padding: 0px;" width="480" /> </a></div>
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<a data-item="msurl" href="http://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/209562/315844/1666127?html_log=315844" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img data-item="media_img" src="http://file.ramblr.com/photo/1024x768/20160329/56f9d6853360e.jpg" height="640" style="border: 0px none; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent; margin: 0px; max-height: 100%; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; padding: 0px;" width="480" /> </a></div>
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<div style="clear: both; margin-top: 30px; text-align: left; width: 100%;">
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<a data-item="msurl" href="http://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/209562/315844/1666144?html_log=315844" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img data-item="media_img" src="http://file.ramblr.com/photo/1024x768/20160329/56f9d72eb8e1d.jpg" height="640" style="border: 0px none; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent; margin: 0px; max-height: 100%; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; padding: 0px;" width="480" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Very nearly made an error in judgement on this hill ... the mud is thick.</span></div>
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<div style="clear: both; margin-top: 30px; text-align: left; width: 100%;">
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<a data-item="msurl" href="http://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/209562/315844/1666141?html_log=315844" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img data-item="media_img" src="http://file.ramblr.com/photo/1024x768/20160329/56f9d721d4794.jpg" height="640" style="border: 0px none; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent; margin: 0px; max-height: 100%; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; padding: 0px;" width="480" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When all else fails on the steep, snowy uphill ... turn your giant ski-like feet outward and march on up.</span></div>
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<a data-item="msurl" href="http://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/209562/315844/1666128?html_log=315844" target="_blank"><img data-item="media_img" src="http://file.ramblr.com/photo/1024x768/20160329/56f9d693295de.jpg" style="border-width: 0; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0); margin: 0; max-height: 100%; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; padding: 0;" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A tree down, some trail work needed ... too big for just me.</span></div>
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<a data-item="msurl" href="http://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/209562/315844/1666140?html_log=315844" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img data-item="media_img" src="http://file.ramblr.com/photo/1024x768/20160329/56f9d715eb0be.jpg" height="640" style="border: 0px none; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent; margin: 0px; max-height: 100%; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; padding: 0px;" width="480" /> </a></div>
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<a data-item="msurl" href="http://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/209562/315844/1666129?html_log=315844" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img data-item="media_img" src="http://file.ramblr.com/photo/1024x768/20160329/56f9d6a0786f4.jpg" height="640" style="border: 0px none; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent; margin: 0px; max-height: 100%; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; padding: 0px;" width="480" /> </a></div>
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<a data-item="msurl" href="http://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/209562/315844/1666132?html_log=315844" target="_blank"><img data-item="media_img" src="http://file.ramblr.com/photo/1024x768/20160329/56f9d6ae26000.jpg" style="border-width: 0; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0); margin: 0; max-height: 100%; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; padding: 0;" /> </a></div>
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<a data-item="msurl" href="http://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/209562/315844/1666133?html_log=315844" target="_blank"><img data-item="media_img" src="http://file.ramblr.com/photo/1024x768/20160329/56f9d6b9b0178.jpg" style="border-width: 0; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0); margin: 0; max-height: 100%; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; padding: 0;" /> </a></div>
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<a data-item="msurl" href="http://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/209562/315844/1666134?html_log=315844" target="_blank"><img data-item="media_img" src="http://file.ramblr.com/photo/1024x768/20160329/56f9d6c8bd9b7.jpg" style="border-width: 0; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0); margin: 0; max-height: 100%; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; padding: 0;" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cairns are built to mark the trail and let motorized vehicles know this is an HMBA trail.</span></div>
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<div style="clear: both; margin-top: 30px; text-align: left; width: 100%;">
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<a data-item="msurl" href="http://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/209562/315844/1666135?html_log=315844" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img data-item="media_img" src="http://file.ramblr.com/photo/1024x768/20160329/56f9d6d70a56d.jpg" height="640" style="border: 0px none; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent; margin: 0px; max-height: 100%; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; padding: 0px;" width="480" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It was here that spring really started showing.</span></div>
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<a data-item="msurl" href="http://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/209562/315844/1666136?html_log=315844" target="_blank"><img data-item="media_img" src="http://file.ramblr.com/photo/1024x768/20160329/56f9d6e3e1c69.jpg" style="border-width: 0; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0); margin: 0; max-height: 100%; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; padding: 0;" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I love this new signage.</span></div>
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<a data-item="msurl" href="http://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/209562/315844/1666137?html_log=315844" target="_blank"><img data-item="media_img" src="http://file.ramblr.com/photo/1024x768/20160329/56f9d6ed5eb14.jpg" style="border-width: 0; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0); margin: 0; max-height: 100%; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; padding: 0;" /> </a></div>
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<a data-item="msurl" href="http://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/209562/315844/1666138?html_log=315844" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img data-item="media_img" src="http://file.ramblr.com/photo/1024x768/20160329/56f9d6fa247b2.jpg" height="640" style="border: 0px none; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px transparent; margin: 0px; max-height: 100%; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; padding: 0px;" width="480" /> </a></div>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-77679508278326608482016-03-26T13:03:00.000-06:002016-03-26T13:12:28.575-06:00Coffee With A View<div style="color: black; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; min-width: 200px; width: 100%;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hiking/Backpacking</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Mar 26, 2016 7:29 AM</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Duration (Total) 2h 20m 8s , Distance 3.5 mi</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's a lot icier out than I expected, I would have been smarter if I had worn cleats.</span></div>
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<span data-item="by" style="color: black; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Tracked by <a href="http://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/209562?html_log=313410" style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "trebuchet ms","verdana","helvetica neue","arial",sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">SBphotography</a></span><span style="font-size: large;">, on <a href="http://www.ramblr.com/web/main?html_log=313410" style="color: black; font-family: "trebuchet ms","verdana","helvetica neue","arial",sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Ramblr</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A quick trip out my front door and up to the lookout using Hinton Mountain Bike Association maintained trails. We're a lucky bunch up here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A lot more ice than I anticipated.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">How awesome are the signs though? Yay for volunteers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Just before this I biffed it hard on the ice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I love my view of the Rockies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Best coffee shop in town.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The GSI French Press is my favourite trail coffee option.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Best view.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When you realize you can't take pictures with your left hand and your pot is right-hand pour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I used my quilt to insulate my coffee.</span></div>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-52540464190491664142016-03-21T16:51:00.000-06:002016-06-06T19:55:17.697-06:00Ice Cave At The Athabasca Glacier<div style="color: black; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; min-width: 200px; width: 100%;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;">Partners in crime hiking toward the ice cave just out of sight over a ridge center of picture.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Walking</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Mar 19, 2016 1:08 PM</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Duration (Total) 1h 48m 55s , Distance 2.2 mi</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There's danger in going in the ice cave ... obviously ... enjoy at your own risk and be smart.</span></div>
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<span data-item="by" style="color: black; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Tracked by <a href="http://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/209562?html_log=309545" style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "trebuchet ms","verdana","helvetica neue","arial",sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">SBphotography</a></span><span style="font-size: large;">, on <a href="http://www.ramblr.com/web/main?html_log=309545" style="color: black; font-family: "trebuchet ms","verdana","helvetica neue","arial",sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Ramblr</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A short hike from the Athabasca Glacier winter access point to the ice cave just right (north) of the glacier. This is a popular pit-stop on the Icefields Parkway near the Columbia Icefields Discovery Centre.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The easy way down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Inside the Ice Cave is unreal ... dangerous, yes, so be safe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hey! We should go in there! Who knew I'd be that person a few years ago?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The snow looked like frosting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm so telling her son (the one on the right) about this the next time she tells him to be careful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Getting ready for the group selfie.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Not once did anyone question my headlamp/sunglasses combination. LOL</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">With arms this long, who needs selfie-sticks?</span></div>
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<b>Click</b> <a href="http://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/209562/309545/?html_log=309545" style="color: black; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">http://rblr.co/H9jd</a> <b>to see more details.</b></div>
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<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffile.ramblr.com%2Fphoto%2F1024x768%2F20160326%2F56f70f42b1ec0.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgi4jHVSWoFrS6Z8A7NlD3Idmv2jvoydatgTNXgDYp2TbJGoQj8h6np_2I6ZN3PNutly5L5PpdiT9suVlcy7S5qZkncf5gcBU2UX6-NXgcz5zM1IBOf-fhKP9pWZpzdILrIZX7XkmX4uFk46JpsIREzypUdh5MeGfU4MJni4XBBhw=" -->Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-17727999029349862362016-02-21T13:34:00.002-07:002017-01-02T19:31:49.901-07:00Return to Robson - Trip planning the Berg Lake Trail<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'm planning another trip to Mt. Robson and <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">it always upset me</span> that I didn't write a blog post about our 50km three-day hike on the amazing <a href="http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/mt_robson/berg_lake.pdf?v=1456239079691" target="_blank">Berg Lake Trail</a> in 2015. Then I realized that a combination of planning for this year and recapping last year would create the perfect, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">informative</span> blog post.</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The views on this hike will <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">blow you away</span>.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This trail has giant cedar and hemlock forests, a section so stunning it's called the 'Valley of a Thousand Falls', numerous glacier-fed river flats and soaring peaks so high you turn your ball cap around backwards to properly enjoy the view - how could we not go back?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'm warning you right now, this post is long and photo heavy … there's no <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">getting</span> around it. I<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> will</span> do my best to include all of the information I like to see when I'm researching hikes. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I know I appreciate having all the information available in one blog post and I hope you feel the same.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'll try to touch on the booking and planning, gear and food prep, the experience and what I'm doing differently this time around and why. I've separated the subjects with headings, <b><span style="color: #741b47;">Booking and Site Plann</span></b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #741b47;">ing</span></b>, <b><span style="color: #38761d;">Preparation - Gear</span></b>, <b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Preparation - Food</span></b>, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">Photography</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="background-color: white;">The Trail</span></span></b>. F</span>eel free to scroll through in order to get what you need from this post.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">First and foremost, the trail needs to be booked online <a href="https://secure.camis.com/Discovercamping/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The vast variety of landscapes in such a relatively short distance is striking.</span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Last year we saw what happens when you don't book ahead. A young couple thought they would be able to get a walk-on reservation. The parks employee at the trail registration desk told them no - with it being the long weekend and blue skies in the forecast - there was no chance and she sent them elsewhere.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The rules changed in 2014 - the <a href="http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/mt_robson/berg.html" target="_blank">Berg Lake Trail</a> is now 100% reservable starting the first business day of the new year. *EDIT* The 2017 year will open to booking beginning October 2016.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When you book, you'll need to know your party size and age category of each member (maximum of 12 per party - no dogs allowed) and how many tent sites you'll need (max of 6 people per tent pad).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There are seven reservable campgrounds along a 25km (one way) trail winding along the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robson_River" target="_blank">Robson River</a> through the <a href="http://www.canadianrockies.net/" target="_blank">Canadian Rockies</a>. The first, Kinney Lake is 7km from the trailhead and the last, Robson Pass, sits at 23km.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A total of ninety-eight tent pads are dispersed among the campgrounds (10' by 10' - one tent per pad).</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JpUIuSVDgHUyrUFZgWdTxMxktJ4G7rE-w1h-wJPb45VDz9uajlDvglezNp5xNTNn3kHU72AjVVOS1TySoXyLKvBSpJCy7qUfNztU9FpROHN7yml9ojr3gF94aQXSqpPKHgJNWK8Gj3Rr/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JpUIuSVDgHUyrUFZgWdTxMxktJ4G7rE-w1h-wJPb45VDz9uajlDvglezNp5xNTNn3kHU72AjVVOS1TySoXyLKvBSpJCy7qUfNztU9FpROHN7yml9ojr3gF94aQXSqpPKHgJNWK8Gj3Rr/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1306.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our tent pad for two nights at Emperor Falls.</span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I know, I said one tent per pad. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">B</span>eing slower hikers, w</span>e reached our campsite late in the day and all but one tent pad was occupied despite us having two reserved. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's an unfortunate reality - but some people still aren't reserving on the trail.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We fit both of our tents on one pad and after the initial panic, it ended up being awesome. We loved our site and everyone was comfortable.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Part of the reason we added a night this year was so we will reach our campsites earlier in the day and can ensure we get our reserved tent pads.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Later, we ran into a Park Ranger on the trail and we told her about the booking issue so that they could keep track of the problem. I feel like there should be more signage at the trailhead about the need to book and why.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">campgrounds have</span></span> differing levels of amenities but all have designated tent pads, bear lockers, outhouses and grey water pits.<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Kinne<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">y and Whitehorn have covered shelters and Berg Lake has the fully enclosed Hargreaves shelter.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A detailed <a href="http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/mt_robson/BergSite%20Info.pdf?v=1455583726649" target="_blank">pdf</a> of campground descriptions can be found here.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The bear lockers are shared with the entire campground so be courteous with how much space you use and how well you are organized. Always pack your garbage out, don't leave it in the locker.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijSVEy7UHZvFvH_gLJ4lohy9xARRkSKFNSlm2E5gwjyZWXgpPtVxhbLnO6amkiHKJUToAidZkXbn6PvmkwEofihTD47pkxZLOkuPraSUmY79lqMnsq-m86VAiNnphRELyyEc5zXSPrGA2A/s1600/bear+locker+outhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijSVEy7UHZvFvH_gLJ4lohy9xARRkSKFNSlm2E5gwjyZWXgpPtVxhbLnO6amkiHKJUToAidZkXbn6PvmkwEofihTD47pkxZLOkuPraSUmY79lqMnsq-m86VAiNnphRELyyEc5zXSPrGA2A/s640/bear+locker+outhouse.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Outhouse and bear locker at Emperor Falls Campground</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I bring a 13L dry bag for my bear locker items. Don't forget to include all smelly items in the bag; lip balm, deodorant, toothpaste, toiletries and all cooking gear should be in there.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There are people all over the trail and the campgrounds are nearly 100% booked, especially on long weekends.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If solitude is what you want, this isn't the trail you're looking for - it's a world class, world renowned adventure and if you're looking to be alone in the back-country it won't happen.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcanVilozyP4D_8gDoWcldu3INBRBQlw6dz_y0UBy5sztT5wdcv5z70hkkjWEOhQ8n9s39Oa-YrZ6Uq8Dunfzd4MyQCOYK6GzYWp1ulXcqCd8yuX7zy53AHqP-CKhG4tslpIjG3FvVnPW/s1600/2015-08-01+13.05.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcanVilozyP4D_8gDoWcldu3INBRBQlw6dz_y0UBy5sztT5wdcv5z70hkkjWEOhQ8n9s39Oa-YrZ6Uq8Dunfzd4MyQCOYK6GzYWp1ulXcqCd8yuX7zy53AHqP-CKhG4tslpIjG3FvVnPW/s640/2015-08-01+13.05.21.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The shelter at Kinney Lake campground was a beehive of activity when we passed by.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When we booked our sites we had to consider we only had two nights on the trail and my eleven-year-old nephew was coming with us for his first hike - we were a party of four, three adults and one youth.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9AW2fD6EzLl96GlEvM3suIFt6DcFhpeMIILN2mDWey0BV5XVkayjaBI5jOLLCN2GiPuvOBGihIQK8du9v-WdmWfZGFJL9oSL_6Ae56LeBq7NguZcVxQEnLdFhlUFPU5LMMUdt9EyBEv4/s1600/2015-08-01+09.58.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9AW2fD6EzLl96GlEvM3suIFt6DcFhpeMIILN2mDWey0BV5XVkayjaBI5jOLLCN2GiPuvOBGihIQK8du9v-WdmWfZGFJL9oSL_6Ae56LeBq7NguZcVxQEnLdFhlUFPU5LMMUdt9EyBEv4/s640/2015-08-01+09.58.42.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">From left to right: My son, Colton, Me, Allison and my nephew, Dylan.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We also knew we were slow hikers who hated hills - so we planned our two nights at the Emperor Falls campground at the 16km mark of the trail.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">That distance was attainable and by booking two nights at the same campground our second day would just be day-hiking up to Berg Lake … eliminating the need to pack up camp and carry everything to another location.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We were attracted to the smaller size of Emperor Falls campground. With only nine tent pads and no cook shelter, we would get the best of both worlds - enjoying a slightly quieter weekend on <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">an otherwise</span> crowded trail.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This year we're adding one more night on the trail.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our first night will be spent at Whitehorn Campground at the 11km mark. On our second hiking day we will move camp 5km up the trail to Emperor Falls Campground and our third day will be day-hiking to Berg Lake. Our fourth day we will hike from Emperor Falls Campground back to the trailhead – 16km.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We did this because of how hard the last 5km of the 16km hike straight to Emperor Falls Campground was. I'll talk about why later, but spoiler alert … there's a hill … and probably some swearing.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPahCOa7yrXbU60cjBOsuyATv2NAJc3m26kYEA7JG2RqzKo1WQn4U14jAoLALHwsVPxhylez5hebpWAMP1gONP2OLBEtuBa5225fTBMeDvdR0TpLMgQFRR33_2PaBvMml8dWCpFA5J4jy2/s1600/2015-08-01+17.05.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPahCOa7yrXbU60cjBOsuyATv2NAJc3m26kYEA7JG2RqzKo1WQn4U14jAoLALHwsVPxhylez5hebpWAMP1gONP2OLBEtuBa5225fTBMeDvdR0TpLMgQFRR33_2PaBvMml8dWCpFA5J4jy2/s640/2015-08-01+17.05.31.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: normal;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When your super-fit 21-year-old son leans over and mutters, "Well, that was a challenge."</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Definitely some swearing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Preparation - Gear</span></span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Whew … this topic is potentially a tonne of blog posts <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">on its own</span> … being a noob I researched, kept researching, and then read and researched some more.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I settled on gear choices that suited my style of 'hiker who enjoys camping' and made my purchases over the year leading up to this adventure.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I inten<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">d to write a <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">separate blog post on my gear choices specific to this hike. When I do, I'll link to it here.</span></span> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVQPK7PK6Cho0T-7ptNs3DnTF_W0X9q33gY0l87J48rtENgZqdiqTnEAzEzNc1Scg0HFwom9L_daMHUrwzBkP2xuZkYh4Icv4fL5XU2NpiaHz3ZhEF51wKt44JxWXa7Zgt8Z19LiPsKwZ/s1600/gear+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVQPK7PK6Cho0T-7ptNs3DnTF_W0X9q33gY0l87J48rtENgZqdiqTnEAzEzNc1Scg0HFwom9L_daMHUrwzBkP2xuZkYh4Icv4fL5XU2NpiaHz3ZhEF51wKt44JxWXa7Zgt8Z19LiPsKwZ/s640/gear+collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So many gear organizing days.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Leading up to the bi<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">g day, </span>I took many trial hikes out back and tested my gear - I cooked meals over several different stoves to find out what I preferred and I set up my tents in the yard as often as I could.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But when it came right down to it, I finally just had to trust in my research.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our trial hikes out back sure became useful when we were utterly exhausted and stumbled into camp that first night. I had set my tent up many times before but that night I was all thumbs tent poles ... and s<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">wearing.</span></span></span></div>
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One resource that I find invaluable for organizing my gear is <a href="https://www.geargrams.com/" target="_blank">GearGrams</a> … it is an open-source web-based program that you can use to list all of your gear, with descriptions and weights.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcZm5YHNbjq4vWO-c0qjKGTCtHJQtZHiZhZwEMPtJxUNaTeDmKBFwZ9yMJ2g3fN3n_yBEPV6M69EGOXU-WsZyXJkG7PSFVign91wiGVfz_xNxaWOo4i5tk_-mxmESuw3WPNVn-C5XaEJR/s1600/Screenshot+2016-01-26+19.08.25.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcZm5YHNbjq4vWO-c0qjKGTCtHJQtZHiZhZwEMPtJxUNaTeDmKBFwZ9yMJ2g3fN3n_yBEPV6M69EGOXU-WsZyXJkG7PSFVign91wiGVfz_xNxaWOo4i5tk_-mxmESuw3WPNVn-C5XaEJR/s640/Screenshot+2016-01-26+19.08.25.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And for the geekiest of us, it makes pie graphs!</span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A lot of hikers use it to get their pack weight down as low as possible. I mainly find it useful for inventory and organization.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMvNDvWcLf8H23XTlLqKv7Dgfek2Tpq2xzZOKyUFDu9egrAhZ6hf1h33hUpED_IW7tbUuPbQPdN8jMpLIt811woraItfccaunLMnz7TweCeJ12uUDLQBm8RtK7tVFqw3hAxDGK4MLrL_f/s1600/2015-07-30+07.45.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMvNDvWcLf8H23XTlLqKv7Dgfek2Tpq2xzZOKyUFDu9egrAhZ6hf1h33hUpED_IW7tbUuPbQPdN8jMpLIt811woraItfccaunLMnz7TweCeJ12uUDLQBm8RtK7tVFqw3hAxDGK4MLrL_f/s640/2015-07-30+07.45.57.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I just used a simple, inexpensive kitchen scale.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Using this I can build a pack list, chew on it for a while, add and subtract gear and then when I'm ready to go - I pack up my bag while checking items off the list.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It also saves me from neurotically unpacking and re-packing my bag just to be sure I have everything.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I have no official affiliation with them - but this is such a great resource please don't forget to throw a donation their way if you end up using them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Preparation - Food</span></span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I cannot tell a lie … I freaked out about food. It is one thing to be responsible for feeding myself but I was taking my eleven-year-old nephew … and he's Celiac. Again I obsessively researched.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The <a href="http://www.backpackingchef.com/" target="_blank">Backpacking Chef's</a> website became my new bible for dehydrating my own food. The multi-day meal plans are well laid out and easy to follow.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was most attracted to the idea of making my own meals to avoid preservatives and have full control of the ingredients.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I bought an Excalibur dehydrator and a FoodSaver and then got to work putting together some homemade meals. Also dried fruits like apples and pineapple work well in trail mix for added natural sugars.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4y4F_NGm4lfkl8-6YJ1dEkYLIdQVq0qQ1DdxTvteRdhTCR75cmf3HvO8f0ojkBh1EC3lUXlmPjPzFhNUpeZJGp17aSpuWXtyO7ceA5aQ1cz6lMgxss9xj653OEzuYMXjBBhLi-xSK88AC/s1600/hiker+food-100-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4y4F_NGm4lfkl8-6YJ1dEkYLIdQVq0qQ1DdxTvteRdhTCR75cmf3HvO8f0ojkBh1EC3lUXlmPjPzFhNUpeZJGp17aSpuWXtyO7ceA5aQ1cz6lMgxss9xj653OEzuYMXjBBhLi-xSK88AC/s640/hiker+food-100-2.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A variety of home made dehydrated meals.</span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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I'm hoping to write a post about my food choices for hiking, when I do I'll replace this paragraph with a link over there.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Coffee was important to me and while I'd normally go with an instant 3in1 for this trip, I took my GSI JavaPress to control the gluten content. I have another post on <a href="http://stopnothingbuttime.blogspot.ca/2016/06/brewing-coffee-in-back-country.html" target="_blank">back country coffee options</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I planned for a lot of small snacks throughout the day. We had candy, beef jerky, GORP, chocolate bars, Babybel cheese, dry sausage and gummy bears.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">did</span> not starve.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sure, it meant I carried more weight, and I'll eventually<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span>learn to find balance with that but it was worth if for the piece of mind. I probably won't carry whole smokies the next time but they sure were nice fried up with rice for dinner.</span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcGaDX3mqwCN0CIjNY7VHjPsA1wNY_GfvK_DoMSwQYB60LlGyEiJtONQqSkPdiCslTt1v8mYKkRTp3rb99Cz4mVx5yUdTaY0YvweWLJhlZ2gZPGKD7MxcL_srtuQ3bNPJp8BlCtYhvj0y/s1600/2015-07-31+08.51.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcGaDX3mqwCN0CIjNY7VHjPsA1wNY_GfvK_DoMSwQYB60LlGyEiJtONQqSkPdiCslTt1v8mYKkRTp3rb99Cz4mVx5yUdTaY0YvweWLJhlZ2gZPGKD7MxcL_srtuQ3bNPJp8BlCtYhvj0y/s640/2015-07-31+08.51.46.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Food for two people, three days, all gluten free.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Next year I'm going to try using a food thermos to rehydrate my meals. I think I can make breakfast and then add a hot soup to the thermos for lunch, so I don't have to bring out the stove again.</span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEjXNTn0s52ZIlvDb7vCzlTVEC9A8Vja0lArwr4tKhBHvrVSCrtdD_Kv3k_xc6onStLAMUESsAUhR-AS7dPMQ1izGE_tcOFLRMc0BV4NJG_jeewlPmgSNssq42kiJRPuAd_s0W54ieRfN/s1600/Cooking+proccess+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEjXNTn0s52ZIlvDb7vCzlTVEC9A8Vja0lArwr4tKhBHvrVSCrtdD_Kv3k_xc6onStLAMUESsAUhR-AS7dPMQ1izGE_tcOFLRMc0BV4NJG_jeewlPmgSNssq42kiJRPuAd_s0W54ieRfN/s640/Cooking+proccess+collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wrote a blog post on using a food thermos to rehydrate meals on the trail.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
I did an entire blog post on the process over <a href="http://stopnothingbuttime.blogspot.ca/2016/01/refining-my-backpacking-cooking-process.html" target="_blank">here</a> … at the time of writing this post I'm really pleased with how well it worked out.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Photography</span></span></span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Prepare yourself, the photos are coming, I repeat, the photos are coming … oh, and speaking of photos, I didn't bring my big camera. I made do with my <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Samsung Gala<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">xy S5 Active</span></span> and Canon Powershot SX510 on an itty<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">-</span>bitty tripod.</span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3QodwFJbogpOVqFc4RTCqXf_amMyca5Rn6tkpZVShh89zNsAkB248G0ke1z4iI3unumaiBegeYKhP0AvfDvT-kCR4HqLZUiK0Y3EzuBGoqMxDM9So6QCQVXgTbNqqlzwFVYJSWLjzrQ_J/s1600/2015-07-30+10.32.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3QodwFJbogpOVqFc4RTCqXf_amMyca5Rn6tkpZVShh89zNsAkB248G0ke1z4iI3unumaiBegeYKhP0AvfDvT-kCR4HqLZUiK0Y3EzuBGoqMxDM9So6QCQVXgTbNqqlzwFVYJSWLjzrQ_J/s640/2015-07-30+10.32.58.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My point and shoot lives in a pouch on my belt and the wee tripod fits in the bag.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I came away with plenty of photos and video I am really happy with.</span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I did play around one evening with a time-lapse app on the phone - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/framelapse/" target="_blank">Framelapse</a>. It created some great sunset sequences. I want to find more of a balance between photos and videos as I hike more.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I may bring a DSLR with me next time, but I haven't made up my mind yet - it's heavy. I'm researching the use of a <a href="http://www.cottoncarrier.com/strapshot-2/" target="_blank">Cotton Carrier</a> system to see if it makes it easier for me to bring a bigger camera system.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There sure is something to be said about just being in the moment rather than trying to capture it.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But</span> there was so much to capture.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Trail</span></span></span></h2>
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We <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">spent the night before hitting the trail at the <a href="https://secure.camis.com/DiscoverCamping/MountRobson%2FRobsonMeadowsCampground%3FMap" target="_blank">Robson Meadows Campground</a>, across the highway from the visitor's cent<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">er. My husband<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, niece and </span>sister-in-law stayed there while we were on the trail and they quite enjoyed the campground and all its amenities.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBmYSCRfcjHRg8xl9TeaLUNZugr72yQ2SIjnlNZ2uHEnle4McHxE_lysjc_YakygQoNtq_LP-qrQ_biPAfNiZ59tOQ8Y5khQY502IChYUMNwpJL7Bkf8huiZ7CnFNdIY9_JFuyulM84Uy/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBmYSCRfcjHRg8xl9TeaLUNZugr72yQ2SIjnlNZ2uHEnle4McHxE_lysjc_YakygQoNtq_LP-qrQ_biPAfNiZ59tOQ8Y5khQY502IChYUMNwpJL7Bkf8huiZ7CnFNdIY9_JFuyulM84Uy/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1214.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The site at Robson Meadows Campground. It's a beautiful campground with full amenities. Book three months in advance, it's very busy.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Every hiker spending the night on the trail must register at the <a href="http://www.hellobc.com/visitorcentrelisting/4548489/british-columbia-visitor-centre-@-mt-robson.aspx" target="_blank">Mt. Robson Visitor Center</a> and get their passes, in the form of tent tags, within 24 hours of their first day on the trail. You'll also be required to watch a short, fifteen-minute orientation video playing on a loop in the basement.</span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSd-0EcxIlZFj1FXwYwDlEmU51u_Lt8rVrEqB6YTt6tpN0eJa770jo73RKp67uvT-3DURhLzO5ZNWkhdMn06jjgoUljbQxwghYLTaDnJYf_5W6WYSsRGRWYLm_Cm-T8h63IywNypczbOho/s1600/2015-08-01+09.16.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSd-0EcxIlZFj1FXwYwDlEmU51u_Lt8rVrEqB6YTt6tpN0eJa770jo73RKp67uvT-3DURhLzO5ZNWkhdMn06jjgoUljbQxwghYLTaDnJYf_5W6WYSsRGRWYLm_Cm-T8h63IywNypczbOho/s640/2015-08-01+09.16.14.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The video is cheesy, but on your first trip up you're pretty terrified you might miss something important.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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The actual <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">trail-head</span> is a couple of <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">kilometers</span> further down the road so if you don't have your own vehicle try to get a ride or you'll be adding a boring 2km road walk to either end of your trip.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWUk9uXGsEhvsq2bXTuUQOTAfinFpH_XURcKn7b-7BzHyXWiPAjkGnzJNshOtGtU5X-vVosCVeE78eOZjA8hak79vRg7lHaB7gNAekzR4MsruVsgmEtYzDA36PXq84P3_3u0mOQ1sXTt4/s1600/2015-08-01+09.04.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWUk9uXGsEhvsq2bXTuUQOTAfinFpH_XURcKn7b-7BzHyXWiPAjkGnzJNshOtGtU5X-vVosCVeE78eOZjA8hak79vRg7lHaB7gNAekzR4MsruVsgmEtYzDA36PXq84P3_3u0mOQ1sXTt4/s640/2015-08-01+09.04.19.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Fitting four and their packs into a small car is not as easy as first thought.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">trail-head</span> is busy. It's the one access point to the trail for all day hikers (day hikers may also have on-leash dogs) as well as multi-day hikers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We parked our car and suited up.</span></span></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Be sure that you have your car keys, and that the rest of the group know<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">s <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">where they are in your pack. The same should be said for your first aid kits and any medical supplies.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5uQKAb3q-9hU89OUWBQL4H2sUQUfhJG7-sb4bzQEx8dgI-thDmsXedmmYV3WqPG0TALHTvjkbC2rtWtxDKEcfduA0Vyy9ablD6cQjTIY4a46Gs2x-sbMEqiJefAuX-FmOG0x6x7jaUXQ/s1600/2015-08-01+09.51.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5uQKAb3q-9hU89OUWBQL4H2sUQUfhJG7-sb4bzQEx8dgI-thDmsXedmmYV3WqPG0TALHTvjkbC2rtWtxDKEcfduA0Vyy9ablD6cQjTIY4a46Gs2x-sbMEqiJefAuX-FmOG0x6x7jaUXQ/s640/2015-08-01+09.51.29.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Do we look terrified? 'Cause we're terrified.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The first 4kms of the trail are like a mini-highway, it's an old forestry road that climbs gradually through an old growth cedar and hemlock forest. The trees are enormous. Give yourself the chance to enjoy this part of the trail. There<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> i</span>s a lot to appreciate and happy hikers all over the place.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicv3o43l2nxh8VZz2dHJ1lsoKyiebVvyLy5v673YReMz7EyMKXdnT5jdvqItOahU1tgvkVjz2Ed_O-wPBvhuzgpptWYr6FPJZzOe3wMVMcRP47wvRJV91xQy5bLdhemnaaMQOqB2LS8t2/s1600/beginning+trail+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicv3o43l2nxh8VZz2dHJ1lsoKyiebVvyLy5v673YReMz7EyMKXdnT5jdvqItOahU1tgvkVjz2Ed_O-wPBvhuzgpptWYr6FPJZzOe3wMVMcRP47wvRJV91xQy5bLdhemnaaMQOqB2LS8t2/s640/beginning+trail+collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The giant cedars surprised us the first time we were here for a day hike. Allison c<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">an't pass up the opportunity to hug them.</span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">At the south end of Kinney Lake the trail passes over the Rob<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">son</span> River and forks off towards a day-use area in one direction <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and</span> an outhouse in the other.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlfZrcM6PaBZ45g5rfN6JnWPMvW7__sB1xF3FH25BrCK9CSA_zSq916Rw0vOw0G9JUr59LZ5VlvOc9qXQ_XEPBAgT-r_lwDUF-Bih59G2LybHRFagkH3Iz6V-uMEU16KsKgiRtnrLBTsf/s1600/2015-07-12+13.23.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlfZrcM6PaBZ45g5rfN6JnWPMvW7__sB1xF3FH25BrCK9CSA_zSq916Rw0vOw0G9JUr59LZ5VlvOc9qXQ_XEPBAgT-r_lwDUF-Bih59G2LybHRFagkH3Iz6V-uMEU16KsKgiRtnrLBTsf/s640/2015-07-12+13.23.36.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Never pass up a chance to ...</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A lot of day-hiker<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">s make this their turn-around point. There is a day-use area with pic<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">nic<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> tables along the shoreline that offer a spectacular view of the lake and ridges. I<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">'d really like to see this area <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">wearing it<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">s fall colours</span></span></span>. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbAejr-HIkz4ouOE_MMIHkTTLO8p-MR_9futOYNqyDhdEf6KVdc3ZoIS9zgO4T920MGArUOewpRNdi0Mi1A3NL2qcOD7bF4WoBXX2hnImGnQCDBAMzmbp_kBUtc0UoIn5K-HOB8s4FnW9K/s1600/2015-07-12+13.50.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbAejr-HIkz4ouOE_MMIHkTTLO8p-MR_9futOYNqyDhdEf6KVdc3ZoIS9zgO4T920MGArUOewpRNdi0Mi1A3NL2qcOD7bF4WoBXX2hnImGnQCDBAMzmbp_kBUtc0UoIn5K-HOB8s4FnW9K/s640/2015-07-12+13.50.13.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">visited the day-use area <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">earl<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ier in the season</span></span></span></span></span></span></span>.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The trail continues along the lake, passing <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">through a recent slide with signage warning <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">you <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">t</span>o continue movi<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ng at a decent pace through the area - f<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ollow the flagged pa<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ssage</span></span>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">T</span>he way becomes far more trail-like and far less old<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">-</span>forestry<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">-</span>road around the lake. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">However, d</span>ay-hikers are still all over the place and mountain bikers can continue on until just past the Kinney Lake campground at <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">kilometer</span> seven.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaL5GM_Ac5TicVxDpZKjhHQj-R4VhU0npCkSYxB-Fip7DHEmeZoD3GomLkUjnapMn_nQLZqS5f7mSub_hkn6AJpT7kWMYbs0x9RxAuVzroysqoIxSbGdOiWFRlmdMen4GSU01lBZTRa0U/s1600/after+kinney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaL5GM_Ac5TicVxDpZKjhHQj-R4VhU0npCkSYxB-Fip7DHEmeZoD3GomLkUjnapMn_nQLZqS5f7mSub_hkn6AJpT7kWMYbs0x9RxAuVzroysqoIxSbGdOiWFRlmdMen4GSU01lBZTRa0U/s640/after+kinney.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Kinney Lake and beyond.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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The trail isn't technically difficult or requiring of a lot of expertise yet but it is mountain hiking and it's a steady gain in elevation overall with many flat or downhill sections to mellow out the leg muscles.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Just past Kinney Lake campground there is a rack for locking up bikes, beyond this point it is foot traffic only. The trail gets a little bit more technical, but only a little - in that it's somewhat narrower and uneven. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">*Edit to Add*</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you get to a sign that says "Hiker Flats Open" ... go that way! Seriously ... flats ... they were open in 2016 but not 2015. It was so much easier and the views from the flats are amazing. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There is a short but fairly hilly section before coming up to the river flats <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">that can be seen through the trees along this stretch</span>.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYGnddPOHMq7dzgDjctrPTXgJkvRXj60CEsvkjbfWFS6xps0y2nuedKiFpHjfFxl2GjicHk9ixgQutaKjuZ1IuTuuUeVGsOP0ynLE8yxIVukzgJg0eeUW5c6q6l8Ex8I7cUmri18zHtzK/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYGnddPOHMq7dzgDjctrPTXgJkvRXj60CEsvkjbfWFS6xps0y2nuedKiFpHjfFxl2GjicHk9ixgQutaKjuZ1IuTuuUeVGsOP0ynLE8yxIVukzgJg0eeUW5c6q6l8Ex8I7cUmri18zHtzK/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1271.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Don't know what we would have done if he hadn't saved us ... </span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We were surprised by this section only because it didn't seem like anything we read mentioned just how <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">much cumulative elevation change there</span> was. Technically it wasn't any one long up<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span>or down hill, but there were a lot of ups and downs and we found it tiring.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaaAf3eogpaqMcDxUglpTQmTC58dfutECzLpKn0Nco3NFDj5spF0z9_JReLEDNWe6ZswTN_noZxNCkWoV6fVjEmB0t8PQ9hTYPXQc6gTXaEKD_THb08jGfd-_FND55Ay8LbYgLaMTDG_jw/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaaAf3eogpaqMcDxUglpTQmTC58dfutECzLpKn0Nco3NFDj5spF0z9_JReLEDNWe6ZswTN_noZxNCkWoV6fVjEmB0t8PQ9hTYPXQc6gTXaEKD_THb08jGfd-_FND55Ay8LbYgLaMTDG_jw/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1278.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The one-railing bridges are a little unnerving at first, but they are very sturdy and add to the adventure.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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</span></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After crossing the river a couple of times on narrow, one-person-at-a-time bridges we came to our first open river flats. I loved these, because, well ... flats. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's amazing to stand in the open flats literally surrounded a full 360 degrees by the towering peak<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. More than once I was nearly overcome with the need to impersonate Julie Andre<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ws<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">.</span></span></span> </span></span></span></div>
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On the other side of the flats the trail climbs up Whitehorn Hill. This is <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the</span> first taste of real hill climbing. There are switchbacks for just about two kilometers. They<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> a</span>re hard and we took them slow ... but don't fool yourself, they are nothing compared to Emperor Hill.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRz3mUmi52esTlasnA5ACIg5IvGp2NNE9w_UteO_lr0k4uMbnQ4vBS2sMtvlHZK1rYhhERtQolhDsGw_dCUQwtT6NNmeGvxYNVX7wvjpU5R5RLROYuWJDDvY55w_KTgaoIbbg63gk5h4l/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRz3mUmi52esTlasnA5ACIg5IvGp2NNE9w_UteO_lr0k4uMbnQ4vBS2sMtvlHZK1rYhhERtQolhDsGw_dCUQwtT6NNmeGvxYNVX7wvjpU5R5RLROYuWJDDvY55w_KTgaoIbbg63gk5h4l/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1282.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Whitehorn Hill with the river flats and Kinney Lake in the background.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We continued on to Whitehorn Campground<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, </span>had a quick bite to eat and refilled our water as the next 4km are the only <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">on</span> the trail that do<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">n't</span> have ready access to water. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I am in love with my Platypus <a href="https://www.liveoutthere.com/platypus-gravityworks-4l-filter-system.html" target="_blank">GravityWorks</a> filter system. It was perfect for a group of four.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbQBT2jQSqzR-OxwwjExgn2HPThiWf_TTMGH7EvNhcUTy7kKN4bG-whFRxAg9lOFKBZAzipL-jpQAtYFw8VlMpMA1XIQmVM5vwnAfBEzZTrDQ1HYMcBLDiyyvIOyY2DQVjLF6dlHnOBfF/s1600/after+whitehorn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbQBT2jQSqzR-OxwwjExgn2HPThiWf_TTMGH7EvNhcUTy7kKN4bG-whFRxAg9lOFKBZAzipL-jpQAtYFw8VlMpMA1XIQmVM5vwnAfBEzZTrDQ1HYMcBLDiyyvIOyY2DQVjLF6dlHnOBfF/s640/after+whitehorn.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After Whitehorn, along the river, as you enter the 'Valley of a Thousand Falls'</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The next section is as demanding as it is awesome. After a short section following the river and another bridge crossing (passing another set of falls) the trail starts its big climb.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_yU64Ik7u6ksY1YP1bWeXosb7ufPturkvSZlMhXvxrFyA90XfOepZusiadcPXVT4tKC-wTDZSDZkgnwFiqm5I7UiaZtS9sjghibgqZvXU3gVHTJtb7AhFxgt5Gx4j2DPV5NXPSPZiMw2/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_yU64Ik7u6ksY1YP1bWeXosb7ufPturkvSZlMhXvxrFyA90XfOepZusiadcPXVT4tKC-wTDZSDZkgnwFiqm5I7UiaZtS9sjghibgqZvXU3gVHTJtb7AhFxgt5Gx4j2DPV5NXPSPZiMw2/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1295.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On our future visit we'll h<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ike</span> shorter distances each day. I look forward to exploring some of these places off to the side.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">beginning</span> of Emperor Hill <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">consists of</span> unrelenting switchbacks, it is steep, narrow and a little harrowing in a couple of spots. I can't lie, there was more than one occasion when I <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">doubted the sanity of the whole trip.</span> </span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"What have you gotten yourself and your nephew into?"</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There was a time when <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">my nephew</span> asked if anyone else was finding the trail scary and we told him to just keep his eyes on the trail and move forward ... honestly, we were all following the same advice. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">However, the entire Emperor<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Hill is not like the be<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ginning and it does<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, eventually, become treed and less switchback-y</span>.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FJ3kOvFJIFUpPtl6djaIrhof7rQNw_IN3aYLsmQ6Kre6TENLeqc_zwv_wP_ScN3KlZqomSFqh1nQdHw6sEsa63eLvt5dHWuC6QXGkI7D9KYp3XUEkLJENi-qjBg8wMtSW4JwCXT8N3bp/s1600/2015-08-03+10.12.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FJ3kOvFJIFUpPtl6djaIrhof7rQNw_IN3aYLsmQ6Kre6TENLeqc_zwv_wP_ScN3KlZqomSFqh1nQdHw6sEsa63eLvt5dHWuC6QXGkI7D9KYp3XUEkLJENi-qjBg8wMtSW4JwCXT8N3bp/s640/2015-08-03+10.12.36.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I have few photos of this section, my attention was on the trail.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And I had to keep telling myself that a</span>s hard as it <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">was</span> ... grade seven classrooms from various schools have hiked this trail as part of their curriculum for years ... well, that and it <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">was</span> 11km back the other direction.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">I recommend hiking poles for this hike, especially this portion.</span></span></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I know it's a personal preference but they sure helped me feel more secure on the narrower sections of trail.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">While the trail continued to climb steadily for the full 4km it did <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">move into the trees</span> and became more secure feeling - there were even a few downhill sections (which we actually kind of stood looking at with exasperation, dreading the downhill knowing we were just going to have to make up the elevation with another uphill). </span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAJLotUPAttczbjh6iQEc9afN1e4x8fhRqRYQjdWvxp4JxD_U8CDcfS08aP4lliOA4_VzQUhlZgejnrUxAyTgU7kyxyWSxLERMfbhk4cGvLvU2YVvg7zq6tYwOdTw00DH909Yq8BZDH9e/s1600/2015-08-01+16.39.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAJLotUPAttczbjh6iQEc9afN1e4x8fhRqRYQjdWvxp4JxD_U8CDcfS08aP4lliOA4_VzQUhlZgejnrUxAyTgU7kyxyWSxLERMfbhk4cGvLvU2YVvg7zq6tYwOdTw00DH909Yq8BZDH9e/s640/2015-08-01+16.39.31.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When you're only 1km into the 4km hill.</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The next time we climb this hill we will make a concerted effort to stop often, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and remove</span> our packs <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to</span> tak<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">e</span> a full rest before moving on.</span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmnPIGOdtimrIXLDOb2fN8eLafCIK9iOUX1XBX0IjIycG0s77uCQxWOZ1GVoItzfRxOIaehAPKXYistGBMbrqNI9HsmSFU_FMHwUPo8tZUd6U2_BS9B1dgN3_xdgy3cniww4I6PlPMYIs/s1600/2015-08-01+17.04.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmnPIGOdtimrIXLDOb2fN8eLafCIK9iOUX1XBX0IjIycG0s77uCQxWOZ1GVoItzfRxOIaehAPKXYistGBMbrqNI9HsmSFU_FMHwUPo8tZUd6U2_BS9B1dgN3_xdgy3cniww4I6PlPMYIs/s640/2015-08-01+17.04.36.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I am continually surprised we look as good as we do in this photo, we thought we might be done at this point. Falls of the Poo<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">l on the Berg Lake Trail. </span></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There c<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ame</span> a point on the trail when <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I</span> realize<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">d</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I couldn't</span> remember <i>not</i> hearing the thunder of waterfalls and <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">it was <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">kind of sur<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">r</span>eal</span></span>. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It was l</span>ike the ultimate white-noise machine ... that <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I could</span> hear and feel.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiGzTwyCjc8j6DngOoLRNQ4R4CY24wG0vmno4KIPOdFP_dcZ6UIcw-px02X5mKP3XxmE8l2t3lZMIYwMxG8kuQhiXab-7DbZDguvitN8HPGwpSrlvY3uq3rmN5hFM1sx6tUojmPyyGQtz/s1600/falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiGzTwyCjc8j6DngOoLRNQ4R4CY24wG0vmno4KIPOdFP_dcZ6UIcw-px02X5mKP3XxmE8l2t3lZMIYwMxG8kuQhiXab-7DbZDguvitN8HPGwpSrlvY3uq3rmN5hFM1sx6tUojmPyyGQtz/s640/falls.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There are falls everywhere. You can feel them with every step along the trail.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">i</span>t was the thunder of Emperor Falls that had been calling to me long before I could actually hear it and my first glimpse of them did not disappoint. I had been obsessively watching vi<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">deos and looking through photos of th<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">e falls for months before the trip.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Off in the distance (and you can't help but notice at a considerably higher elevation than you currently stand) you <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">finally catch a glimpse</span> of the magnificent waterfall.</span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1liggfdu3xO3_WTRR9Bpw4swvqfx9Wv0n8zAKisCpLy-2injnY6TQzUL6SmEiapl9prZ57NlUlL8pcZIWVcJPTWFwRnQpeQn6qo7y3vvEb7_tCbpstia4QeE5YKKIdwOyImwt5AwBZLD/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1liggfdu3xO3_WTRR9Bpw4swvqfx9Wv0n8zAKisCpLy-2injnY6TQzUL6SmEiapl9prZ57NlUlL8pcZIWVcJPTWFwRnQpeQn6qo7y3vvEb7_tCbpstia4QeE5YKKIdwOyImwt5AwBZLD/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1300.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Even from this distance <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Emperor Falls</span> are magnificent and loud.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There were times when knowing I would get to stand directly beside them, unfettered by man-made railings or walkways, was the only thing that kept me going. Emperor Falls called to me the whole way up the hill.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span> <br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Funny enough, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">it would be easy to pass right by them</span></span> - </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">a</span>s you get nearer the immediate view of them is blocked by the trees.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span> <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">W</span>hich seems odd as they are 150' tall and loud enough to make it hard to hold conversation -<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> but</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">a</span>s you reach the junction that leads off to the falls you can be so caught up in the uphill slog that you miss the sign and side trail on your right. </span></span><br />
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</span></span> <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOQg-bBVSNsfON7f-VetkPDM6n2G4ktrZHCTHUoKDqZtMrC-e86qEhJlbfKGLv5Z4BVNZhsTpfvckeYtkEItapwhhw6N3XCpVisn-bET8DJmCXppN4qZ5eoImNMik2JcNQA90s45ayiwj/s1600/2015-08-01+18.03.30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOQg-bBVSNsfON7f-VetkPDM6n2G4ktrZHCTHUoKDqZtMrC-e86qEhJlbfKGLv5Z4BVNZhsTpfvckeYtkEItapwhhw6N3XCpVisn-bET8DJmCXppN4qZ5eoImNMik2JcNQA90s45ayiwj/s640/2015-08-01+18.03.30.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I had been waiting months for this. Emperor Falls on the Berg Lake Trail<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, Mt. Robson in the background.</span></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We took th<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">e</span> opportunity to slip our packs off, stash them in the bushes and visit the falls a little lighter.</span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWV63NNJ4OiM0DMfsCvmQS7dCH4BazaQpg6qdrDKKavWfrmpw9jJkys4c1LMk7vB_wGSGye8KQWwosn-UjDlY6wu21W-L33cDtTUvu2_CYWxjy4BlAkbeyajYKzc6_fswR4pmSrq6WyO5/s1600/2015-08-01+18.13.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWV63NNJ4OiM0DMfsCvmQS7dCH4BazaQpg6qdrDKKavWfrmpw9jJkys4c1LMk7vB_wGSGye8KQWwosn-UjDlY6wu21W-L33cDtTUvu2_CYWxjy4BlAkbeyajYKzc6_fswR4pmSrq6WyO5/s640/2015-08-01+18.13.41.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We were lucky enough with the <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">wind direction</span> that the closer we got to <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Emperor F</span>alls, the less drenching mist we had to deal with.</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sitting by these falls is magnificent. I have no real words for the experience. It was my Mecca of sorts and my only regret is not sitting there longer. I will on my next adventure. </span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBbIus7xYXCYlnGYT71gIN0xs2zyT0wgWqXTrHvNe0nXPDBl-INdHjMOoCqK_GbwWk0tZvXlikM76HQ501k3GgoHo4iAtFn15IFJ7VOkNdoSJqCCfO8LK7pcWIDBVw-Qgr9YF0i3CJWyy_/s1600/2015-08-01+18.18.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBbIus7xYXCYlnGYT71gIN0xs2zyT0wgWqXTrHvNe0nXPDBl-INdHjMOoCqK_GbwWk0tZvXlikM76HQ501k3GgoHo4iAtFn15IFJ7VOkNdoSJqCCfO8LK7pcWIDBVw-Qgr9YF0i3CJWyy_/s640/2015-08-01+18.18.03.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When you're tired enough to have a cat-nap next to <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Emperor</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">F</span>alls.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We continued back to the main trail, retrieved our packs from the bushes we stashed them in and moved on up the hill. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There's a small set of stairs cut into the trail just past the junction that inspired one of my most impressive string of curses <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to date</span> - and that's saying something.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Emperor Falls campground is 500m further up the trail. In our state, exhausted from a long day (ten hours on the trail) it was truly the longest 500m I've ever <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">traveled</span>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When we got to the campground we tried to find an open tent site as quickly as possible. We needed rest and we needed food. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Having never done this before, there was a true moment of panic when it became obvious there was only one available site, even though we had two booked. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It turned out the only site that was<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> left empty </span>was on the one end, right on the river and with an amazing view of Mt. Robson. Our two tents fit snuggly on the one pad, and rules be damned, we set them up as quickly as we could.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYkMb4yXuzuYaIWH9PHWV8JAsi3iVg6xoEnhe-sgjsTT1vq60OdSbqYRqzxMhGUjhp-dagJhORx6uG5Ve3ltI3LK7n-l-rk6ZoYVI5dpKfig1t6tYd-YR-NXLSxV_tjBobueOu2yO3b1n/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYkMb4yXuzuYaIWH9PHWV8JAsi3iVg6xoEnhe-sgjsTT1vq60OdSbqYRqzxMhGUjhp-dagJhORx6uG5Ve3ltI3LK7n-l-rk6ZoYVI5dpKfig1t6tYd-YR-NXLSxV_tjBobueOu2yO3b1n/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1307.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The tents were snug on the one pad, but it worked just fine and the only time spent in the tents was for sleeping. Emperor Falls campground, Berg Lake Trail.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After a quiet dinner by the river, we packed up our dinner things and put them in the bear locker. A quick visit to the outhouse, with bear spray in hand as it is a distance to the loo, and then off to bed. It was before <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">9pm.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixGD0VbB48Rcx1kVEzPVVfinHHiwQg2xuF4gddbRiLu3tt-PFBzDtb7GHWy1TFeorHDlznDDMpdJBYC-T8_YLTp8NPZwNpADfQuXnqAtWJ_IhAHc3tVYAHndqv7Ve2CzPaVt07R4osNB-/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixGD0VbB48Rcx1kVEzPVVfinHHiwQg2xuF4gddbRiLu3tt-PFBzDtb7GHWy1TFeorHDlznDDMpdJBYC-T8_YLTp8NPZwNpADfQuXnqAtWJ_IhAHc3tVYAHndqv7Ve2CzPaVt07R4osNB-/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1305.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our view for all our meals at Emperor Falls camp.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Day two of the hike is where we felt particularly awesome about our planning abilities. While I wasn't nearly as sore as I expected<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">,</span> the fact that we were leaving camp where it was and day-hiking to Berg Lake was more than welcome.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had packed a small day-pack like this <a href="https://www.liveoutthere.com/marmot-unisex-kompressor-backpack.html" target="_blank">Marmot Kompressor</a>, and it was a good, no great, idea ... a really g<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">reat</span> idea ... my pack is super comfortable <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">but the thought of putting it on again so soon just <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">elicited</span> yet another st<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ring of cur<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">sing</span></span></span>. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We left our packs, tents and sleeping gear behind and on a bright, sunny day made off for Berg Lake.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After the climbing from the day before I think I expected at least a little more but it truly levels out after Emperor Falls Campground. The hike to the lake and back is one of the most enjoyable hikes I've ever experienced. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fQGowsmYcDzl9XjTKHlB7ZtVpW5YfI-b0EStvA7jYWAetJwLcUD6wZ2hI5oUBiaDMC3xbrjgw3Rx3QKrLobUaQK49-FJJP7Fj6WPcFHG8FNcMkxpO2JMqpy0KoVKozqtRIO-VRPUYfEO/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fQGowsmYcDzl9XjTKHlB7ZtVpW5YfI-b0EStvA7jYWAetJwLcUD6wZ2hI5oUBiaDMC3xbrjgw3Rx3QKrLobUaQK49-FJJP7Fj6WPcFHG8FNcMkxpO2JMqpy0KoVKozqtRIO-VRPUYfEO/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1310.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I will forever cherish the time I spent on the Berg Lake <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">T</span>rail with my son.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wide open river flats, wedged between cracking glaciers and mountain-tops tall enough to make their own clouds, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">creates a freedom</span> to spread out and let everyone absorb what they will of the surroundings on their own. It is a humbling place to be.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmQMUqHsyb1DdVBU6Hpuic5j-Tv_uHNS2I1d9T2HLFFLScw4UAiey9kvSQ-yo-ozWi9_18ECstgMWVeyGhVAm5pidUVAOLu64055s6oDZAgZodoib4UV3i9J2QqELEXbOkpR6jcnQgmQJ/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1331-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmQMUqHsyb1DdVBU6Hpuic5j-Tv_uHNS2I1d9T2HLFFLScw4UAiey9kvSQ-yo-ozWi9_18ECstgMWVeyGhVAm5pidUVAOLu64055s6oDZAgZodoib4UV3i9J2QqELEXbOkpR6jcnQgmQJ/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1331-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's impossible to capture it all in one photo as you pass through the flats between Emperor Falls <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Campground and Berg Lake</span>.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We took in the sights around the lake, including one small baby-berg that h<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ad broke<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">n off of the glacier</span>. We</span> checked out the campgrounds and rested in the <a href="https://www.google.ca/search?q=hargreaves+shelter&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi1vfLo_f3KAhXKkYMKHdqqAp0Q_AUICSgD&biw=1218&bih=795" target="_blank">Hargreaves Shelter</a> for a snack. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLu1Fyj8PpplDBkpBozW0c4xjvWXIxIzN8mMRBjJT0hc-HToXXb6dNQEo0af9kd-X_CELb7Mns1Ut-mq5yQBq-tzq9ewOrYYb78KlyYzn0hljz1Sn7qo3ExewtLBfhMQx2pgXGGUPrqNqz/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLu1Fyj8PpplDBkpBozW0c4xjvWXIxIzN8mMRBjJT0hc-HToXXb6dNQEo0af9kd-X_CELb7Mns1Ut-mq5yQBq-tzq9ewOrYYb78KlyYzn0hljz1Sn7qo3ExewtLBfhMQx2pgXGGUPrqNqz/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1367.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The sun warmed Robson Glacier all day and we were rewarded with thundering cracks that echoed throughout the valley.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We had grand plans to follow the Toboggan Falls route up to a cave and do some exploring. The routes are well signed and we started our way up the trail ... but it was up ... it turns out a lot more up than we had any interest in.<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There was a point where my screaming legs just couldn't take any more and I finally cried uncle, "Guys, this is it for me."</span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The resulting cheer indicated I was not alone in the screaming legs department. Once again, the unplanned resulted in one of the most memorable moments on the trail. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBf9lhqNjEBsMx4kw4izk0q_lr8QzsNO8Pf02Z5W_BNNaL70lJkLfFAGwWmd1ez4iXV3EhE0G-EhO9FX7L59ed5Jm7MoXrs3gGyiBmnwyGh4gpfe8hRJdd9hze60Rp7rGkcoM7HbbDmqB7/s1600/toboggan+falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBf9lhqNjEBsMx4kw4izk0q_lr8QzsNO8Pf02Z5W_BNNaL70lJkLfFAGwWmd1ez4iXV3EhE0G-EhO9FX7L59ed5Jm7MoXrs3gGyiBmnwyGh4gpfe8hRJdd9hze60Rp7rGkcoM7HbbDmqB7/s640/toboggan+falls.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Another memorable moment on the Toboggan Falls route.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We relaxed on the fairly steep incline with the water running past us on polished rock, leaving no doubt as to why it is called Toboggan Falls.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1mm_wJAtRkKO3HBMTNxox70Gm77oHRwK8I3SPKirOO45CbjDqVyVwfY1jWmAMEMkqbQVhQoH73oKJNk5573crdNXaPZWwzktcd5L9YWAKfdzfUISjYQzPC4W8t96_iVcd4Js_C2WMW9c/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1mm_wJAtRkKO3HBMTNxox70Gm77oHRwK8I3SPKirOO45CbjDqVyVwfY1jWmAMEMkqbQVhQoH73oKJNk5573crdNXaPZWwzktcd5L9YWAKfdzfUISjYQzPC4W8t96_iVcd4Js_C2WMW9c/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1375.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Toboggan Falls ... more uphill hiking, but so worth going at least part way.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had taken to removing my hiking boots whenever possible and soaking my feet in the ice-cold water and I didn't <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">turn down this opportunity either</span>. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This was the place where my nephew said, "There isn't anywhere else in<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> the world I'd rather be."</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">That meant a lot to me<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> and all of the hill climbing was totally worth just that one moment.</span></span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHum3-qEuakyc4oiYtt6Ms3GCB9rmaqX9bCLltVhlTSw0t8PhAUahn34ypHdkidRKVu1lXQGFNkErUZbXJ_xn55AWuXWsgU65-5C_V8b6Nbhm_9xW-xGyVkUULoeS2ERRw6QcrO0gYIPhv/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHum3-qEuakyc4oiYtt6Ms3GCB9rmaqX9bCLltVhlTSw0t8PhAUahn34ypHdkidRKVu1lXQGFNkErUZbXJ_xn55AWuXWsgU65-5C_V8b6Nbhm_9xW-xGyVkUULoeS2ERRw6QcrO0gYIPhv/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1393.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When you just have to sit and take it all in looking down on Berg Lake from Toboggan Falls.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We eventually made our way back down, in no<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> real hurry<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, the bonus to summer days in this area is they are long ... daylight starts before 6am and continues until after 10pm. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This time we made our way over to the shoreline for another snack and rest. </span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidfNuQc8dBuSGyo-Gy1sGp2dmb9IMyAx2kBT_1hvtj2my82-JFBqwshhQJDGsXKHZmV55vArjiGEdw8GHNhlThJVUR5PmuJKRkC9dqT09zGtKnJh1dEL7cmCe34pjYzwiAMxHcGgs8drO6/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidfNuQc8dBuSGyo-Gy1sGp2dmb9IMyAx2kBT_1hvtj2my82-JFBqwshhQJDGsXKHZmV55vArjiGEdw8GHNhlThJVUR5PmuJKRkC9dqT09zGtKnJh1dEL7cmCe34pjYzwiAMxHcGgs8drO6/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1408.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Instead of taking a dip, I settled on a wander out this far, my legs were numb. Berg Glacier dips its toe in Berg Lake in the background.</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It was a good<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, hot day and part of us really want<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ed to take a dunk in the lake. The other part of <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">us watche<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">d some clou<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ds com<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">e</span> down the valley and wondered if we should.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvp66FRJqVNTH8Tax6MPX7u-NmOVf902nNHE8AVIIyWRSMJ5UG6yxNLf343MDBKUmlsEybIuMumBkGI0yYQeMhGPqw0ZJgcEgi2SiAdlCaETajc-ZUAFNNqXRiUQfEJhkOAj3EUpWhyphenhyphengQ/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1430-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvp66FRJqVNTH8Tax6MPX7u-NmOVf902nNHE8AVIIyWRSMJ5UG6yxNLf343MDBKUmlsEybIuMumBkGI0yYQeMhGPqw0ZJgcEgi2SiAdlCaETajc-ZUAFNNqXRiUQfEJhkOAj3EUpWhyphenhyphengQ/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1430-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Never underestimate the ability a mountain storm has to surprise you. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Berg Lake, Mt. Robson, Berg Glacier and Robson Glacier looking back toward the direction of Emperor Falls Campground.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It would be an epically stupi<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">d mistake to be cau<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ght in a mountain storm right after taking a dip in a glacier-fed lake like that. Especially since we were <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">several kilometers from our gear.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOnRctTjt4VlO1z6U8QuOo0ThUqeLciE-BzLzE_IExFaByiTHepmblfWO8Ak6SwEiR1bJDDP6VWeQwbwToXsskEk_w2cGGq7D38qn045GyPDlMCKdPxA8RS5wbtbxCzUiFpqVTGO7pSgU/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOnRctTjt4VlO1z6U8QuOo0ThUqeLciE-BzLzE_IExFaByiTHepmblfWO8Ak6SwEiR1bJDDP6VWeQwbwToXsskEk_w2cGGq7D38qn045GyPDlMCKdPxA8RS5wbtbxCzUiFpqVTGO7pSgU/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1345.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Between Emperor Falls Campground and Berg Lake there are lots of water sources, no need to pack more than a bottle's worth.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The walk back to camp was more of a <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">leisurely<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span>stroll. Again<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, this day <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">of hiking goes down as one of the b<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">est hiking days I've ever experienced. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeKFh1fTwHskBa60jGkjYBLpwqg5fbVo1TGW1lgNIOr5-hPm34JSzULEpOIp6SPXI1Oq6gQNGIDXiFI8K6K9P3tPkPUHVU1HWTbuw0WljaD5LJpZMrhzFg-65FTcxfsVF9TSP9CePwVvM/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeKFh1fTwHskBa60jGkjYBLpwqg5fbVo1TGW1lgNIOr5-hPm34JSzULEpOIp6SPXI1Oq6gQNGIDXiFI8K6K9P3tPkPUHVU1HWTbuw0WljaD5LJpZMrhzFg-65FTcxfsVF9TSP9CePwVvM/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1456.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This kid, though, amazing and on his first real hike, heading back to Emperor Falls campground from Berg Lake.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Back at camp we ate an early dinner, Colton had a nap by the river and we explored around our camp and down<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">-river some. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We were pleasantly surprised by what we found.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLlmm3qfxCC0PSj0CdYxv65nENM7Pq8hWmeWPOlRwgOjN_hTETdr8l7ACLU_xbQ4_XO3_znoSXlX4fH7Te5b3rchTyooevPC1KWwWHRFr8_UGAn__IAiS8zWMQGjHx-gj2610QBNAxtUm/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLlmm3qfxCC0PSj0CdYxv65nENM7Pq8hWmeWPOlRwgOjN_hTETdr8l7ACLU_xbQ4_XO3_znoSXlX4fH7Te5b3rchTyooevPC1KWwWHRFr8_UGAn__IAiS8zWMQGjHx-gj2610QBNAxtUm/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1470.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The view down-river from Emperor Falls Campground, above Emperor Falls themselves.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Althou<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">gh, you would think we<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">'d stop being surprised by the amount of awesome we were surrounded by. But we didn't. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodzttvgALlZziFoamCrKlmYf2isBEvMF8FTTXnAFVHJ1Jbu3YxDrU_3fdDSJHfo6j_dpkYHNFdDRKxlS1KQJt8t62pU-e_jvDSGqqqIAzjjej5VaGO56q0avU1Hn2U2Ty0ZpcMdSKzkCg/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1461-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodzttvgALlZziFoamCrKlmYf2isBEvMF8FTTXnAFVHJ1Jbu3YxDrU_3fdDSJHfo6j_dpkYHNFdDRKxlS1KQJt8t62pU-e_jvDSGqqqIAzjjej5VaGO56q0avU1Hn2U2Ty0ZpcMdSKzkCg/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1461-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Looking back up-river at Emperor Falls Campground. The sites are immediately along the river just as it curves out of sight here.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The others went<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> to bed fairly early and I took <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">advantage of that, staying up to watch the last <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">golden sliver of sunlight lick the top of Mt. Robson. I know <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">how lucky we were to <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">have clear sight of the peak every day we were out ther<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">e.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaai3lzLHFwGqgak3TWICknzLeAB3-t2zHE3zcOWI_HryKD7CTSN50Y0-SfATTq20cn6xS5W24sl8o9_TUh_UK6x9gE16bfEGzARITvI7dFZTVoyy2n5EUYB4LwU02bCmh0GU2l8rNiyyK/s1600/berg+lake+august+long-1512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaai3lzLHFwGqgak3TWICknzLeAB3-t2zHE3zcOWI_HryKD7CTSN50Y0-SfATTq20cn6xS5W24sl8o9_TUh_UK6x9gE16bfEGzARITvI7dFZTVoyy2n5EUYB4LwU02bCmh0GU2l8rNiyyK/s640/berg+lake+august+long-1512.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sunset licks the top of Mt. Robson around 10pm.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The next <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">morning we wasted no time getting ready to leave, skipping breakfast for a quick coffee <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and some handfuls of trailmi<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">x. We were unsure how <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">demanding going down Emperor Hill was going to be.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOZHxDQWrqGkABHH5sbLkWIJI26fUH5Dn_AVzgPU8iFWtBwADoFGqIhBci4ynUVFF7tDdhTeIHZjjQOZ7HaHYiG2_OZpq3BRAa_ZJzGxiKZfv5kYu2ZHqys_YA2vu3_58f-0hWLhhpzhu/s1600/2015-08-03+09.22.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOZHxDQWrqGkABHH5sbLkWIJI26fUH5Dn_AVzgPU8iFWtBwADoFGqIhBci4ynUVFF7tDdhTeIHZjjQOZ7HaHYiG2_OZpq3BRAa_ZJzGxiKZfv5kYu2ZHqys_YA2vu3_58f-0hWLhhpzhu/s640/2015-08-03+09.22.25.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Thou Shall Not Pass" ... excellent opportunity for that line on this surprisingly high bridge downhill from Emperor Falls Campground.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There were parts of the <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">trail on the way</span> back down, especially the top parts, that were like a whole<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span>new world to us. We were so tired on the way up that we had developed tunn<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">el vision to a c<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ertain extent. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6smo94WdGpmrt5Z8nNyv47iOv4z7fpVeUWh9KiiLp0ve_HbogzyILI8ExKmIi5TrwaisPgf5X2GLHJKtNYus5Q-aHFVW0kEwksjsLJnUJUYHuUUEMmWX8yApy4ThdrfeYjIPyayASIH__/s1600/2015-08-03+09.28.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6smo94WdGpmrt5Z8nNyv47iOv4z7fpVeUWh9KiiLp0ve_HbogzyILI8ExKmIi5TrwaisPgf5X2GLHJKtNYus5Q-aHFVW0kEwksjsLJnUJUYHuUUEMmWX8yApy4ThdrfeYjIPyayASIH__/s640/2015-08-03+09.28.11.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hiking along a deep valley, the Robson River runs along the far side after plunging down Emperor Falls.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">At one point the trail follows along the top of a deep valley gorge. Strangely, you would expect that the Robson River would plunge down and run along the bottom after emptying over Emperor<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Falls ... but it doesn't. Instead it runs along a r<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">idge <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">on the far s<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ide of the valley. It's a very cool feature.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The hill that took us nearly four hours <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to climb took us less than two hours to get back down. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cDEyPiX2RZ61oMHAJEu8SNWmESYpdR1LuuRsAElmSsf-lcRfykKgOXQgBnmhb_1eCMTsux9k8-RzzRGEkGBCDRgEX9ZxRrqiuNfV0_J8RxNfBLl0oxZshxRpma9sWoJGhr6N3SNwnXVT/s1600/2015-08-03+10.11.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cDEyPiX2RZ61oMHAJEu8SNWmESYpdR1LuuRsAElmSsf-lcRfykKgOXQgBnmhb_1eCMTsux9k8-RzzRGEkGBCDRgEX9ZxRrqiuNfV0_J8RxNfBLl0oxZshxRpma9sWoJGhr6N3SNwnXVT/s640/2015-08-03+10.11.31.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The trip back down Emperor Hill, just above Whitehorn Campground.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We stopped for a more substantial feed at Whitehorn <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Campground before continuing.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It was right after crossing the suspension bridge that our trip took an unexpected tu<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">rn.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A young man crossed the bridge behind us and then dashed off the <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">main trail towards the ranger station (and radio). My son is a first responder, a firefighter, and flagged the boy down to ask what was wrong.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">He was a part of a larger</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"> family group and his father had fallen and badly </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">broken his leg at </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">the most dangerous part of the trail, almost 2kms back</span>. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My son asked some questions<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> and then</span> sent the young man on to use the rad<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">io at <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the ranger station to call for help.<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> W</span>e started emptying our packs to build a quick day-pack of emergen<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">cy supplies for Colton to take back to the injured man.</span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Paracord, tent po<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">les, first aid ki<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ts, blankets, compressed foam sleeping pad ... it all made it into hi<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">s emergency pack.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We spent three hours waiting for Colton, who eventually lead the extraction of the in<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">jured, but well man off the hill and he accompanied the helicopter rescue crew off the mou<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ntain.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We hiked out the remain<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">der of the trail<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, pushing oursel<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ves hard, as we were way behind<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> schedule and made it to the trail-head at appro<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">x<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">imately 5pm. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiendD7J9-A-FAC1YPnrqCyAQrG_NzZJVcPaAhqtJOiAvqyBhBfG8vXzq6suopyLnZiBi_fm0qyg39AStkw2-UHyGDohwKg9Ua6T68uGWctj1VTFB8p-P7T7wevxIRiJOFX2iaIumnwOk13/s1600/2015-08-03+17.36.36-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiendD7J9-A-FAC1YPnrqCyAQrG_NzZJVcPaAhqtJOiAvqyBhBfG8vXzq6suopyLnZiBi_fm0qyg39AStkw2-UHyGDohwKg9Ua6T68uGWctj1VTFB8p-P7T7wevxIRiJOFX2iaIumnwOk13/s640/2015-08-03+17.36.36-3.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This happy to see the 1km marker on the way off the trail.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It was an amazing adventure, and I can't wait for our next visit. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">You can see a full Flickr album of photos <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHske5R2ks" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-82076385715174647812016-01-24T11:36:00.000-07:002016-02-14T19:39:59.814-07:00Refining my backpacking cooking process.<div style="color: #141823; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Whew, almost one full year since I last posted a blog update. I have my reasons and we'll see how much I decide to keep this updated moving forward. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I spent this past weekend messing around and experimenting in order to refine my cooking process on overnight hikes. Specifically with the intention of finding out if cooking in a food thermos was worth the efficiency to weight ratio. At one pound for the 500ml Esbit food thermos I wanted to be sure. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jBJnlcfneU-NltlKQJMIi1fNBT4cqGNkq7CbHee3kqejUvBoMXo86EJSJ_MjUFdhR_ZrcuKdteQ0vs0TsGOWWDmgkjMeiMRplLfu-d2S1YHErXrXKm4PcAKwmn0pHV6lLjPU0BuUHt66/s1600/2016-01-22+09.24.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jBJnlcfneU-NltlKQJMIi1fNBT4cqGNkq7CbHee3kqejUvBoMXo86EJSJ_MjUFdhR_ZrcuKdteQ0vs0TsGOWWDmgkjMeiMRplLfu-d2S1YHErXrXKm4PcAKwmn0pHV6lLjPU0BuUHt66/s400/2016-01-22+09.24.01.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://esbit.de/en/stainless-steel-food-jug-fj500ml/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Esbit 500ml Food Jug</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've been tossing around the idea of bringing a thermos to rehydrate my meals for some time. Currently I'll put my dehydrated meals either in the wee plastic bowls that come with my cook set and then place them in a cozy to rest. Or I'll cook directly in the pot over the flame.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cooking in the pot over the flame results in the best texture/consistency … but it also results in the most cleanup in the form of cooked-on-mess. Also, now I have a dirty pot and if I want hot cleanup water I have to work through cleaning the pot before I boil fresh water or I have to bring a second pot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The bowl and cozy method works too … but the bowl isn't the best insulator and more than once I've spilled.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My first test was to see if the Esbit was any good at retaining its internal temperature over time out in cooler weather. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So I filled the room temperature food jug with boiling water, closed the lid and put it outside in the shade where the ambient temperature was 3°c. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifnA-Ycrt-kREJmFOMiPFIunst0hz_-O2fsRiFPKKHbVXd996t9BP9HETUdvQWDWZb1aBXRVu616PUTbCVQKWxXPkEA4f3maRgs80xiyCeRJSEvt5rbA8urhIIBawqmchZpIyrV0EqKPLz/s1600/2016-01-23+12.21.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifnA-Ycrt-kREJmFOMiPFIunst0hz_-O2fsRiFPKKHbVXd996t9BP9HETUdvQWDWZb1aBXRVu616PUTbCVQKWxXPkEA4f3maRgs80xiyCeRJSEvt5rbA8urhIIBawqmchZpIyrV0EqKPLz/s400/2016-01-23+12.21.06.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I checked the water temp every hour for four hours. The Esbit performed beautifully with a water temperature of 135° after four hours outside.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After four hours in the shade in 3°c temps.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">With the knowledge that the Esbit could retain temperatures like that my next step was to actually rehydrate a meal and see if it performed as well with consistency and edibility etc. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I decided to start with a Knorr Rice Sidekicks meal. I know I like them, they rehydrate relatively easily and are usually a staple meal on my trips. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24pbW3j6qI4-BRbMdCz3SzL3FuXKpvH8kTm69769wngG-8-CvM485tj3So8QjWkII1hNWECCdLrKyWbrljBeSLEtJu8Sz3v_8xy2k8eT3T3bhgUgcBfUXo0yufzkUcxg1t9vfnwyIbLHm/s1600/2016-01-24+09.33.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24pbW3j6qI4-BRbMdCz3SzL3FuXKpvH8kTm69769wngG-8-CvM485tj3So8QjWkII1hNWECCdLrKyWbrljBeSLEtJu8Sz3v_8xy2k8eT3T3bhgUgcBfUXo0yufzkUcxg1t9vfnwyIbLHm/s400/2016-01-24+09.33.01.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">First I weighed the contents of the package and split in half … I've learned I prefer to eat half a package at a time with some other food item as a meal. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbB_V2DX8FXfu_2n5T08ellBGOiZJ7US-37YZw7kYPnPc7zt3DIcc_kru4zqd9Pdd15uWFuBffmQuuWCffJPU_C-905MlJrvIaJBlwzRXGe2nuwVsJ2ZC4Gvbw_cpirZW3oTA3pSlZH80/s1600/2016-01-24+09.33.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbB_V2DX8FXfu_2n5T08ellBGOiZJ7US-37YZw7kYPnPc7zt3DIcc_kru4zqd9Pdd15uWFuBffmQuuWCffJPU_C-905MlJrvIaJBlwzRXGe2nuwVsJ2ZC4Gvbw_cpirZW3oTA3pSlZH80/s400/2016-01-24+09.33.59.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I added boiled water to the unprimed, room temperature thermos. Put the lid on, gave it a shake and put it outside in -7°c and set the timer to 15 minutes.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwku_J8S8cHx7pTkV6D8ZkDOo7d1A8rhA3B9WzjUDOMsK6ibvU9bvrvY2KNUTYgN4evBvCaHdSmdT9MtGMYWh7H4QQ5Xa3pkCkxY4OqY7DmVmKMqSe6dE6sxwpM8h7VjHPl_ofP0ESEfuc/s1600/2016-01-24+09.35.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwku_J8S8cHx7pTkV6D8ZkDOo7d1A8rhA3B9WzjUDOMsK6ibvU9bvrvY2KNUTYgN4evBvCaHdSmdT9MtGMYWh7H4QQ5Xa3pkCkxY4OqY7DmVmKMqSe6dE6sxwpM8h7VjHPl_ofP0ESEfuc/s400/2016-01-24+09.35.36.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I could not be more pleased with the results! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The food steamed up my lens when I got too close for a photo. There was very little water left. It was hot enough to nearly burn my tongue when I wasn't smart and took a bite right away. The food was completely rehydrated, ready to eat. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm counting this as a solid win, well worth the weight, and will be adjusting my hiking dinner plans accordingly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I foresee a bunch of uses for the food thermos on upcoming hikes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I can put soup in it at breakfast time so I have hot soup for lunch without having to pull out the stove on the trail.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I can do the same at dinner time so I have soup for just before bed to get the internal furnace going.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I can add dried fruit and cold water before going to bed so that I have fruit salad for breakfast before my coffee water is even heated up. </span></div>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-37208587797912098882015-02-10T20:55:00.000-07:002016-01-27T20:37:47.819-07:00It's All About That Back ...<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This was yesterday's Facebook status:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As winter really settles in, and there's no major family-based holiday on the horizon it is a struggle to keep motivated in the fitness department. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">FitBit land tells me I'm taking fewer steps all week than I would in a couple of summer days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But there are still milestones that keep me going. I just have to remember to acknowledge them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Like the post says … one year ago I couldn't find certain back muscles. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That was a real wake-up call for me. This wasn't the joking "muscles I didn't know I had" or "I haven't used those muscles in years" kind of thing.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">I literally hadn't used those muscles in years … </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It was really embarrassing to lie there on the table and go through several different movements and options with a trained professional and not be able to find muscles that are supposed to be there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I hurt my back a couple of years ago. Nothing epic, or horrendous. I tossed a garbage bag of stuff in one direction … felt a twinge in the lower back and didn't think too much of it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It irritated me for a couple of days … it got better … I screwed up and over did it with some other random household chore.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Ruh roh.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That's all it took. Something about spraining the Multifidus … the trouble is, they take a long time to heal because they're always being used. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">They hurt so bad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So bad that I got scared of moving. I found a really comfy spot on the couch (with a piece of plywood under the cushions) and I crocheted. My Instagram feed has evidence that I didn't stop either.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Two years later I was on a physiotherapist's bed learning the "use it or lose it" lesson in real life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I couldn't lay on my back with my knees bent and lift my own ass up off the bed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It wasn't an "it hurts too much" moment, or an "it's really hard" moment … I actually couldn't locate and flex the muscles necessary to do it without using my hands under my butt as a cheat. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>I was too out of shape to exercise.</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">No, seriously. I was too out of shape to even do those 'work-out-with-just-your-body-weight-routines' you see floating around.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I left there feeling odd but I wasn't defeated. On one hand it was eye-opening but it's not </span><span style="font-size: large;">like I walked out of there on a mission to change everything either.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I walked out with a sheet of stretches and 'exercises' I was supposed to do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Is it really still exercise when you don't even move? When you're just supposed to envision a specific movement then isolate and flex accordingly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">How out of shape do you have to be for your prescribed exercise routine to be imagining you are exercising? Ask me, I know.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Not my proudest moment.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One year later I am doing that damned exercise I couldn't do 50 times a day without rest. </span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Bring on the burpees …</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Wait, what? … Who said that?</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2049661873183946387" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2049661873183946387" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-35556474563267485052015-02-01T10:12:00.000-07:002016-01-30T13:45:53.633-07:00Meal Planning with Google Calendar<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">I took a pretty big break in December. I didn't worry about exercise and eating habits. I felt a little bad about it but I didn't dwell on it. </span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>I had earned the break.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Also, a break now isn't the same as a break then. I was still going out for some activity, just not as much. And when I eat poorly now, it's not nearly as poorly as it used to be … so I let myself have a break.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I promised myself January was coming and I would get back at it then. And I did. Success, one whole month of planned meals. This isn't about low calorie or low fat, this is about eating whole, homemade food. This is about being more responsible about choices. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBNlPdiK5QkQIXoT1lkoJgAi3215rzHeOanwXc2BW2_11IjkgdnIeHt_Ny7YAWLy-SaQEQBR9JQmqsbxRAHEezDBC6LCNwzfKGC2dCc3QmvrBkwHmYD6xXcpa1sBgj5lbHO5AkMz5s-vVx/s1600/Screenshot+2015-02-01+10.15.19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBNlPdiK5QkQIXoT1lkoJgAi3215rzHeOanwXc2BW2_11IjkgdnIeHt_Ny7YAWLy-SaQEQBR9JQmqsbxRAHEezDBC6LCNwzfKGC2dCc3QmvrBkwHmYD6xXcpa1sBgj5lbHO5AkMz5s-vVx/s1600/Screenshot+2015-02-01+10.15.19.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Jason was off the first week and a half, so it gave us time to get used to the new system.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm not going to call it a New Year's resolution because it's simply an extension of the lifestyle change I am already making.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The best way for me to succeed is to plan, especially when it comes to eating. I really <b><i>like</i></b> the food that's bad for me and if I don't have a plan there is nothing keeping me from grabbing fast food multiple times a week. I like it … a lot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The pink-goop, french-fry-mystery-food, my-burger-didn't-rot viral commercials don't stop me when it's 5:30 and I just got off work, Jason is off at some meeting already and I'm hungry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You know what commercial works then? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm lovin' it … that's what.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">However, I won't go grab a burger if I know there's a hot meal option waiting at home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I decided to make dinner meal plans for the entire month of January.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">At first I wasn't at all sure how I was going to do it, so I started with the basics. I grabbed a pen and paper (I always go old-school when I'm struggling with how to organize a project) and laid out what days were most important to be planned.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_L7iEcugBw3m46Fi0oRBiKW90TpuegObcntc81h_i042kgDJYeyyTD70Ot2F-v-ZII2ja-atRI-3HI-SAbWFG9cUS_W7d4rlsVweuLwFnwGaUO1sfIUY_vgqZlNvLxSJIHOCAyjg_WjF/s1600/2015-02-01+09.44.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_L7iEcugBw3m46Fi0oRBiKW90TpuegObcntc81h_i042kgDJYeyyTD70Ot2F-v-ZII2ja-atRI-3HI-SAbWFG9cUS_W7d4rlsVweuLwFnwGaUO1sfIUY_vgqZlNvLxSJIHOCAyjg_WjF/s1600/2015-02-01+09.44.09.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Written out for January, February I was able to go straight to digital.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Jason works 12 hour shifts on a three week swing shift, so there are times when he is on nights and we only see each other for 20 minutes, at most. Those needed to be crock-pot meal days.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcAvzxFVrzSS9p0bOZ5-bDhjoO8tBuXdmXddte9p206SodBcT9cp-JVCAjIZYvCX8I8GotKbd5ZpWv0iVZJa4fL9nbX2vPtNI2vELIEn21eWqaR057nfYHEifnvjjuanGCblXlciZ6rta/s1600/2015-02-01+09.44.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcAvzxFVrzSS9p0bOZ5-bDhjoO8tBuXdmXddte9p206SodBcT9cp-JVCAjIZYvCX8I8GotKbd5ZpWv0iVZJa4fL9nbX2vPtNI2vELIEn21eWqaR057nfYHEifnvjjuanGCblXlciZ6rta/s1600/2015-02-01+09.44.15.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now that I know what I'm cooking this week, I know my shopping list.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If he worked days the next day a dinner that provided left-overs was needed. If he's on day shift I have time to come home and cook something. Once I started looking at the month that way I started to see how to plan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Next I made a list of meals I make as the usual go-to's. Then it was a matter of plug and play. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">At this point I moved over to digital. I adore Google Calendar and use it for many things. I have work calendars for each department, home calendars for everything from events, to work shifts, vacations, dinners and exercise (more on that in another post, if it isn't already linked here, I haven't written it yet). I can access everything on the phone, laptop, work computer etc. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What I realized with this project is that I haven't used the notifications to the best advantage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The default notification is set to something like "ten minute pop-up". That works fine for a work appointment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For dinner, ten minute pop-up on a computer screen isn't much use and usually resulted in swearing, lots of swearing.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLG6at2lmpFLomDiZ9PzVDUS2tCpgXp0pXl3zjcWBpLq17zcT52aktuOiSGVHkOnPH7kQrwfAS3O4ihR8z70Q4f3YhB8dOCQvP04xXjIgWl00biEl-dQJkla3OTj_JUZCnerNGUieDnRQ/s1600/Screenshot+2015-02-01+09.45.21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLG6at2lmpFLomDiZ9PzVDUS2tCpgXp0pXl3zjcWBpLq17zcT52aktuOiSGVHkOnPH7kQrwfAS3O4ihR8z70Q4f3YhB8dOCQvP04xXjIgWl00biEl-dQJkla3OTj_JUZCnerNGUieDnRQ/s1600/Screenshot+2015-02-01+09.45.21.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Badda bing, badda boom … edit notifications.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So I started playing around in the notification settings … it's then that I realized I could have the calendar send me a notification the night before. That's perfect timing for remembering to take something out of the freezer or to do prep works</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b><i><a href="" name="#game changer">It was a total game changer</a></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This was where I would fail in the past. It's all well and good to have a plan but if you're sitting at the office remembering that you were going to put such-and-such in the crock pot today … it becomes a grocery-store-chicken dinner just that fast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I printed the dinner menu and hung it on the fridge … this also eliminated a giant source of stress for both Jason and I. Gone were the "what's for dinner" texts and phone calls.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Before you jump up in outrage … Jason cooks dinner a lot. Those phone calls and texts weren't him asking me what I was making him … they were general "what are we having, am I cooking, are you, is someone going to the grocery store" calls.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I was also sure to leave room for change in this process as well. There's no point in trying to make life easier and then just stressing out over sticking to a plan. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On nights where the planned dinner was unnecessary we just skipped it … on days where we're both off work, it's less important to calendar-schedule the meals. On those nights we would scavenge from the frozen leftovers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I've already made my plan for February. </span></div>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-3642409288446548982015-01-15T13:57:00.000-07:002015-01-18T09:15:50.978-07:00See Sarah Ski!<div style="text-align: center; text-indent: 12px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>As published in the January 15 edition of <a href="http://hintonvoice.com/index73.htm" target="_blank">The Hinton Voice</a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It’s been years since I last cross-country skied ... and by years, I mean decades.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So when I saw that the Hinton Nordic Centre was holding a free instruction day on Jan. 10, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get reacquainted with the sport.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Acclaimed as a low-impact, total body, aerobic workout for all ages, cross-country skiing burns more calories per hour than nearly any other sport. The combination of upper body and lower body motion along with both the pushing and pulling necessary in each muscle group truly works the entire body.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Which would explain why it nearly killed me on Saturday ... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">OK, maybe I exaggerate. It really was a great work out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Back to the beginning. I confirmed my attendance with the Nordic centre and made a call to reserve some rental skis.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I actually own my own set of skis, but the rentals available in town are no-wax and new. I wanted to be able to partake in the instruction without having to worry about tinkering with my old set of waxable skis.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The conditions on Saturday morning were perfect – there was a thick base layer of two-day-old snow and a light dusting was falling from the sky on the drive up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If you haven’t visited the Hinton Nordic Centre recently ... you should. Every time I am up there I chastise myself for not going up there more often.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The lodge was a hive of activity when I walked in. A couple of kids manned the wood stove, I could tell it had just been lit – there was still a bite to the air inside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A herd of children and parents milled about as the Jackrabbits, the junior cross-country ski club, got themselves ready for a morning out on the trails. Without poles, I might add. The little show-offs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A total of 31 adults attended the free ski lesson lead by Mike Meagher, former Cougars biathlon coach and cross-country skier of more than 40 years (he wouldn’t disclose how much more than 40 years).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">After a quick waxing tutorial that I will put to good use, we were turned loose to put on our skis and head out to the flat tracks set just outside the lodge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was a little wobbly at first, but after a couple of trips up and down the set tracks I started to remember what to move when in order to get a more efficient feeling stride. Our teacher called us all down to one end, we lined up in a row like the good students we were ... and then he said, “OK, now put the poles down and do it again.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I don’t think Mike realizes I’m allergic to falling. He probably should have had me fill out a form.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I managed not to fall, but this is where things started to hurt ... muscles were engaging that hadn’t woken up in the past decade, never mind flexed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The following 30 minutes are somewhat of a blur. There was much concentration, and it turns out I can’t ski without sticking out my tongue. At one point I remember having to ‘glide’ on one ski while pushing off with my foot ... for the record, I don’t glide. Not sure what the physics going on there are, but I’m no glider.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I remember hearing, “Lean forward Sarah, lean forward more.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I promise I didn’t swear at him out loud. He’s a really nice guy.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: -0.1px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I looked over at a friend having a similar experience ... her top was leaned forward at the waist quite drastically and her butt was stuck out back, well behind her center of gravity ... I remember thinking, “I bet that’s what I look like.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I survived the morning ski, had a lot of laughs and even managed to go down the little hill without wiping out. We all pretended that those little show-offs with no poles hadn’t just zoomed down it moments before like pros.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When it came time for the group ski out on the trails I politely declined. “Oh, no. Thank you, though. I have to head back into town.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I actually did, so thankfully it wasn’t a lie.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Back in town, my friend and I faced our demons, in private, on flat land, like sane people. We unloaded the skis in the Hinton Golf Club parking lot and set off to ski the front nine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is another Hinton gem that you may be under-using in the winter. The walking paths are cleared of snow, dogs are welcome and ski tracks have been set. I feel it’s necessary to report that there is a large tree down on the seventh hole ... dear golfers, it’s not the one you’re thinking of.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We managed a little more than 4km with minimal trouble and found some upper body muscles that haven’t been getting a work out from hiking, so we’re counting it as a win.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">All in all, I call Saturday a complete success.</span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-42947265127091639952015-01-11T07:39:00.000-07:002016-02-21T16:56:15.568-07:00January 11 Snowshoe 6.5km<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just a quick post to re-cap another snowshoe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Much more comfortable on the shoes now. There will be column in the Jan. 15 edition of The Voice on the things I've learned about wearing the shoes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My son, Colton, came along with us this time - making me one happy mama.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We stopped for a trail lunch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Of which, I took no photos … </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rehydrated taco meat on tortillas with cheese worked out beautifully. Tucking the Trangia under my armpit as I pulled things out seemed to warm up the stove enough to light right away (the extreme cold made it hard to light the alcohol last time).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Starting with a cup-a-soup while waiting for dinner to cook will be nice after a high calorie burning day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Allison's moose meat stew was, again, a hit. I love it.</span></div>
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-40037495919720674702015-01-03T15:33:00.000-07:002016-02-21T16:57:01.753-07:00Jan 3 - 6.7km Snowshoe Adventure<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Quite proud of today. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">6.7kms on snowshoes using some of the <a href="http://www.bikehinton.com/" target="_blank">HMBA</a> trails.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We started with cloud cover and no wind. The wind stayed away for the day, but luckily the sun showed up just a couple of kms in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Plenty of uphills and all trail walking. We stopped at the EZ Lookout to make some coffee. My Trangia had a hard time lighting in the cold, it was -20. I've read of having to keep it close to the body.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I've had problems with my Tubbs snowshoes slipping off the heel of my boots. </span><span style="font-size: large;">While putting the snowshoes back on after coffee I realized I could cinch them up tighter by getting down on my knees (with toe down, heel up) and then I could pull up the back strap and tighten it a few more notches. It worked much better.</span></span></div>
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-90004002492657565632015-01-01T09:48:00.000-07:002016-02-21T16:58:37.701-07:00First Day Hike<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Spent a few hours hiking out back on the <a href="http://www.bikehinton.com/" target="_blank">HMBA</a> trails … we're so lucky to have kilometres of trails literally right out our back door.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We tested some gear.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Don't forget to click the read more link to see more story behind the photos. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My <a href="http://shop.alitedesigns.com/monarch-chair.html" target="_blank">Monarch Alite</a> backpacking chair passed with flying colours. I was able to stay up off the snow, didn't have to kneel on bad knees and only fell over backwards once! I am looking forward to having this chair out on summer hikes, it's going to make a world of difference on my bad back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My new <a href="http://www.trangia.se/" target="_blank">Trangia</a> stove also passed beautifully. As did my <a href="http://gsioutdoors.com/products/pdp/personal_java_press" target="_blank">GSI Javapress</a>. Fresh, real coffee & Bailey's on the trail is winning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Allison, over at <a href="http://mysliceof-paradise.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">My Slice of Paradise</a> re-hydrated some moose meat stew and it was delicious. I can't wait to get out for a few more test runs.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D2049661873183946387%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpage&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimg2.blogblog.com%2Fimg%2Fvideo_object.png&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=p9zAHmsk9QXJ&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 103px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 233px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D2049661873183946387%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpage&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimg2.blogblog.com%2Fimg%2Fvideo_object.png&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=p9zAHmsk9QXJ&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 103px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 233px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-68888310469296518422014-12-31T16:32:00.002-07:002014-12-31T22:21:49.780-07:002014 - My Year In Review<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Holy Moly, what a year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Looking through my blog, there's a lot of things that could be said about my year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It could be said that 2014 was the year I discovered the selfie … </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPsngW5MkpZB7cjffndGuSDwcLbhZbtPJ16BY2xkwT0UEA-iGli4qfneBFLVU_RfZCwuH3t3v5DcRKOi1zxBVagaPDzfdmS3aSup7w9770YYs3fvstpdgX_thWezN9T_p0WLzbKfaFuEt/s1600/selfies+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPsngW5MkpZB7cjffndGuSDwcLbhZbtPJ16BY2xkwT0UEA-iGli4qfneBFLVU_RfZCwuH3t3v5DcRKOi1zxBVagaPDzfdmS3aSup7w9770YYs3fvstpdgX_thWezN9T_p0WLzbKfaFuEt/s1600/selfies+2.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hmm … seems that would be fair.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2014 Was the year I discovered how sedentary I'd become.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks to the <a href="https://www.fitbit.com/" target="_blank">FitBit</a>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXQLcuepGhOfg808mIBXbpXik724wgNQ7OiNR50o-opsqoOs1QQG5iJCN0zEYDisEzwWfywpC7CK2tBFnmU_4hLW12BRJRrSQ-u2X60wNVQiYlVcmPfEUBEm6BrwOkeU6F8igrU4SVuGl/s1600/fit+bit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXQLcuepGhOfg808mIBXbpXik724wgNQ7OiNR50o-opsqoOs1QQG5iJCN0zEYDisEzwWfywpC7CK2tBFnmU_4hLW12BRJRrSQ-u2X60wNVQiYlVcmPfEUBEm6BrwOkeU6F8igrU4SVuGl/s1600/fit+bit.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So I changed that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2014 really has been a year of lifestyle change.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I went from very, very little activity. I was sitting on the couch, crocheting a lot - like for 3-4 hours a day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">An office job … more hours a day spent sitting and staring at the computer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I sat so much.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Well, if science is to be believed, sitting is killing us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I believe it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2014 is the year I made a "100 days of fitness" pact with a young lady I hardly knew. Probably one of the best decisions I made.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have felt better this year than many in recent existence.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: large;"><b>"I didn't know you were such an outdoors person."</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That says it all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are a whole group of people who know me and don't know I am an outdoors person.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I grew up in constant contact with the forest. First on a 3/4 acre piece of land outside my hometown of Williams Lake. It backed onto Crown land that I never found all the boundaries of and I spent hours a day climbing trees, building forts, flying kites, picking berries and playing in gravel pits.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then we moved to 12 acres further out of town. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now I had a horse.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b><i>I could ride all day. </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My rule was to be home before the sun went down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2014 was the year I rediscovered hiking. A huge part of that was finding a good friend and hiking partner that shares the same same love I have for walking those trails.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqn7vBN5KtwefmM0gP_SHzORb3xoLzhTpQy0Hrb8PPesOAN3FnyA5GhvD4hLrKyfGVNYDTBo4tChHPscckctW1AgrNnTXhy0C_BaonZ5Wna91TgNiEtKsYO6cpBRBj1Rw6OWzHH6iGqkTk/s1600/hiking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqn7vBN5KtwefmM0gP_SHzORb3xoLzhTpQy0Hrb8PPesOAN3FnyA5GhvD4hLrKyfGVNYDTBo4tChHPscckctW1AgrNnTXhy0C_BaonZ5Wna91TgNiEtKsYO6cpBRBj1Rw6OWzHH6iGqkTk/s1600/hiking.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2014 brought me an <strike>appreciation</strike> addiction to hiking gear.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2014 was the year I ran a 10k…</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I repeat … 2014 was the year I ran a 10k.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Holy Shit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Let's be Frank (ready for it … Hi Frank) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">nobody saw that coming.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZ3isGvHAKxRyEU6eEBqSabrITi1c5QuDt4sMe4hRhJkFmgJRw7jYumrGwKyc-7SwbgMklbgAQXilnsH7sUFJaL61K6_7bOORu2QnUPbVPKGqWeXgHyiQ2wOAwIoJyejfOHRfp0DFZwFe/s1600/run+in+rockies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZ3isGvHAKxRyEU6eEBqSabrITi1c5QuDt4sMe4hRhJkFmgJRw7jYumrGwKyc-7SwbgMklbgAQXilnsH7sUFJaL61K6_7bOORu2QnUPbVPKGqWeXgHyiQ2wOAwIoJyejfOHRfp0DFZwFe/s1600/run+in+rockies.jpg" height="221" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In 2014 I made a concerted effort to give no time to negativity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That meant I had to adjust how I spent a lot of my time, and sometimes who I spent that time with. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It has served me well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2015 has big shoes to fill.</span></div>
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D2049661873183946387%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dheader&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F4.bp.blogspot.com%252F-VL12Lv7QNyM%252FVKSDrsVoLoI%252FAAAAAAAABto%252F-GxusMnkAB0%252Fs1600%252Frun%25252Bin%25252Brockies.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 153px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 3309px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D2049661873183946387%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dheader&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F4.bp.blogspot.com%252F-VL12Lv7QNyM%252FVKSDrsVoLoI%252FAAAAAAAABto%252F-GxusMnkAB0%252Fs1600%252Frun%25252Bin%25252Brockies.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 153px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 3309px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-2081547423158427722014-12-30T20:50:00.002-07:002016-02-21T16:59:39.148-07:00I did it … I have all my stuff.<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had a bit of a moment the other day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have all my stuff.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am ready to go back country hiking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I never would have guessed, at the beginning of the year, that this is where the year was going to take me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over the years my interest in back country adventures has reared its occasional head but then always it has taken a back burner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There were the years as a child when I watched my dad plan his canoe trips. I loved the combination of OCD planning and hippyish lifestyle that on one hand seem to be at odds with each other but on the other mesh so very well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There was the almost trip planned up Mt. Robson to Berg Lake … I can't even remember why that one didn't happen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I spent my days hiking and hanging out at the lake with the boys as children.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Finally, this year, things have fallen into place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have been patient, I have waited, I have planned, plotted and researched. I have learned so much from Facebook groups full of experienced hikers, I've bought the gear I needed and then some. I lost weight and got into better shape and I found someone with the same outlook as I have.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Things are falling into place. </span></div>
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-9572275418873252352014-12-27T21:09:00.000-07:002014-12-30T23:28:25.891-07:00Christmas 2014<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I can't even put into words just how good Christmas 2014 was.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So very thankful that the Christmas tree decorating waited until we were there.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>We saw Santa.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I loved that my niece is a cuddle-bug who loved brushing my hair.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I loved that my nephew is chomping at the bit to head outdoors.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I loved stockings and kid squeals on Christmas morning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Waffles, bacon, meatloaf, prime rib, potato chips, apple pie, coffee, bacon, and more.</span></div>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-39013278309808921842014-12-20T20:23:00.000-07:002015-01-01T10:05:28.410-07:00Girls Only - JPL 2014<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I had the great opportunity to spend the day in Jasper with a few ladies before Christmas. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Who could say no to a jaunt around the townsite and a visit to Jasper Park Lodge? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We made sure to pop into a few stores. We hit up both candy stores, several outdoor goods shops and spent our fair share.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We visited the art gallery at JPL, we wandered the grounds and we saw the Gingerbread House and Great tree in the Emerald Lounge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We sat around our own private fire on the deck and lit sparklers in the main fire pit out front of the lodge. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It was the perfect kick off to Christmas.</span></div>
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-8290788133989666292014-12-13T10:02:00.001-07:002014-12-13T10:02:05.068-07:00Tinsel Free Zone … Not that there's anything wrong with that<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I haven't decorated the house for Christmas yet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And I don't want to shock anyone … but I don't think I'm going to.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I don't need to.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Don't assume I've lost my Christmas spirit or anything, I'm quite looking forward to Christmas this year. I have gifts put together and ready to go, I can't wait to see the looks on faces when some are opened - there are some surprises, for sure. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I've made some plans that I'm really looking forward to.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But absolutely no part of me feels the need to stress out over hauling out the Christmas stuff, dusting it off and putting it up only to feel the stress of taking it all back down and packing it up again in a few weeks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's quite liberating.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I think I might still put up some lights outside … because they are my favourite and because it looks like I will have the boys in the same spot at the same time and we'll put them all up together - like when they were little. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Really I'd be a fool to not take advantage of two 6'7" tall dudes in this situation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But if you swing by my place over the holidays it will likely be a Christmas decoration free zone … there will still be smiles and cheers and drinks and family and I apologize in advance for the Christmas carols … I actually love them … just no tinsel … and I'm perfectly fine with that.</span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-4823501511713994092014-12-11T19:47:00.003-07:002016-02-28T08:08:33.727-07:00Sarah's Advent Calendar of Toning - Day 11<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Holy walking Batman!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We were short a couple of carriers for papers this morning so I had a morning of nostalgia …</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I really don't mind hand delivering the papers, in fact we used to joke in the office that our goal was to eventually end up as newspaper carriers … the circle of life, as it were.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The sun shone and the sidewalks were nearly all clear after these past couple of days of melting and I spent a few hours walking and it was grand.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I forgot to wear my Fitbit and messed up when I thought I set my phone to track … so I have no idea how far I walked but it was enough to make me tired, which is good.</span></div>
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-34779962824968179782014-12-10T19:38:00.000-07:002016-02-28T08:08:47.822-07:00Sarah's Advent Calendar of Toning - Day 10<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Nothing, sweet, sweet nothing. But also still no chocolate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">These short days are really messing with the mojo.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I keep telling myself it's ok. I'm 35 pounds less than I was at this time last year … </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Things are not going in the wrong direction … it's ok.</span></div>
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049661873183946387.post-69378003625685800762014-12-09T21:56:00.000-07:002014-12-11T07:09:39.370-07:00Sarah's Advent Calendar of Toning - Day 9<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Took it easy today and just did some light yoga and a massage later in the day to soothe the back.</span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334721531767797200noreply@blogger.com0