Emerald Lake, BC Hey Reader, How are you? I'm excited May is coming up! Kris and I are headed to Ontario to celebrate my grand-maman's 85th birthday! Woo hoo! I'm excited we get to celebrate with her and spend some time connecting. It's been too long. It will be a short visit, but we'll make it count! Have you ever planned a trip, hike, or getaway and thought... what if it's not worth it? Too crowded. Overhyped. Not as nice as the photos. The more you think about it, the easier it is to...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Crane Lake Walk, Fort McMurray Hey Reader, How are you? I've been battling a cold for a week now. I had a three-week cold back in March, so I'm highly unimpressed to have it again. In the meantime, I started thinking about new places to go hiking or places I haven't visited in a while. It made me think of how often we Google "best hikes in Alberta". But honestly, I don't think we need the best hikes every time we go out. Sometimes, the best days come from exploring something new, not just off...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Backpacking the West Coast Trail Hey Reader, How are you? It keeps snowing here, and I'm so sick of it! I'm ready for spring and to go hiking/backpacking, but the snow is relentless :( It's almost May...it's time for some sunshine and warm temperatures! For the longest time, I kept saying I wanted to go backpacking...But I never actually went. It wasn't motivation. I didn't know where to start, what to pack, or if I was even choosing the right trail. What changed wasn't confidence...it was...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Pyramid Lake, Jasper Hey Reader, How are you? While searching for new places to go kayaking this summer, I came across self-serve kayak rentals. They have them at Switzer Park Watersport Rentals near Hinton and Battle Lake, Twin Lake and Buck Lake near Pigeon Lake. Check availability and book your kayak online for the time you want to explore the lake at your own pace. I'm excited to check out new places this summer! Have you ever used this service? *** Reminder: This newsletter is dedicated...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Pigeon Lake Skateway Hey Reader, How are you? Kris and I are looking forward to hiking again soon! In the meantime, we went skating at Pigeon Lake. It has an 8 km skateway. Every time the volunteers clear the ice, it's shaped differently, which is cool. They have a really nice ambiance with music playing from one of the houses with a fire pit to warm up. A bench is available to lace up your skates. There is plenty of space to skate in different directions and enjoy an afternoon there. Grab...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, How are you? I went to Pigeon Lake last weekend with a girl friend, hoping to skate on the skateway. Did you know they have an 8 km-long skateway? Unfortunately, as you can see from the pictures above, it didn't quite work out as planned. The temperatures were warming up, but I thought if we went in the morning, we'd still catch some good ice. Sadly, before we arrived, it rained on the lake! =( There were several inches of water on the ice that a goose was swimming lol Not...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Abraham Lake, AB Hey Reader, How are you? Have you ever been to Abraham Lake to see the methane bubbles? It's been on my bucket list for a while. I did a girls' trip recently and saw them! They are really amazing to see! We stopped at various points along the way to compare and contrast the different bubbles, from cloudy to clear ice. It was really spectacular to see. We were really lucky to have the perfect driving conditions, and the weather wasn't too cold. On the ice, we barely had any...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, How are you? I had a fantastic time in Rocky Mountain House recently. Hiked Siffleur and Crescent Falls. Both are beautiful hikes. Have you done them? The picture above is at the Siffleur Falls viewpoint along the gorge. It's a great place to take pictures of the river and the mountains in the background. Crescent Falls is located close to the parking lot, offering easy access for taking stunning photos of the upper and lower falls. Check out my post 6 Romantic Outdoor Adventures...
7 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, How are you? I'm just coming back from a weekend of hiking in Invermere, British Columbia. I had a fantastic girls' trip with my mom! The end of September is still relatively warm in Invermere, making it the perfect time to get out and exercise. It's a 6-hour drive from Edmonton. We headed up Swansea Mountain Tower to get a view of the town. The hike is 6km long, with 355 meters of elevation gain, and is an out-and-back route, taking under three hours. The 180-degree views were...
8 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, How are you? I'm enjoying the warm temperatures we've been having - it feels like a delayed August. I love this time of year when the leaves change colour! I went to Rocky Mountain House with a friend two weekends ago. It was nice to get hiking in the mountains again. The colours were just starting to turn yellow. It reminded me of when I went to Waterton last September and hiked in the golden larches. With the crisp air in the morning and pleasant temperatures in the afternoon,...
9 months ago • 1 min read