Beautiful day in the Canadian Rockies high above Lake O'Hara
That’s right September is long gone and October
is well under way. There are many clichés that can be attributed to this time
of the year. The temperature is falling like the leaves on the trees, the days
are getting shorter and the nights are getting colder. For me however this time
of year means pumpkin and apple pies, turkey dinner and stacking wood. Over the
last couple of weeks I have been able to indulge in most of these autumn
traditions (seriously if there is anyone in Canmore that needs wood staked I
will work for chocolate), yet I realize I haven’t written anything on this blog
since the beginning of September so I should probably start from there.
September
Well at the beginning of September I was a
teenager living far away from home yet under the roof of some good friends that
were happy to feed me so long as I helped out with dishes. By the end of
September I was an adult responsible for my own cooking, groceries and whatever
else comes with living on your own (I’m still new to this and haven’t figured
it all out yet). That’s right, less than a week after turning twenty and after four
months of living with the Hicks family it was time for me to move in to my own
place. I am now sharing a house with 2006 Olympian and owner of zone4.ca Dan Roycroft. So I guess you could say in September I grew up… or at least in theory. My Dad
also came out west for a couple of weeks in September to visit me and some
friends. We went on a short hiking trip at Lake O’Hara and stayed one night at Abbots Pass Hut which at nearly 3000 meters is the second highest permanent structure in Canada. If ever you are looking for great hiking in the Rockies Lake O'Hara is pretty ideal. Because the number of people who can visit is limited it's never crowded and the scenery is unbeatable.
My Dad and I hiking around Lake O'Hara
Abbots pass hut built in 1922 long before the days of helicopters all the materials were brought up on foot via lake Louise and the Victoria glacier. You don't get an idea of how hard this was until you climb up the the hut.
October
During October I went home for a week. This was my
first time being back home in the east since May. It was a bit of a last minute
decision however it was great to see family and friends over thanksgiving. I
did some great training with the Nakkertok crew and enjoyed the Indian summer
(it was 25 degrees and sunny for thanksgiving). Now I am back in Canmore. The
weather is beautiful and there is skiing at the Nordic center. That’s right
every spring they make a huge pile of snow at the Nordic center and cover it
with saw dust. Then, come mid October, they truck it out and make a short loop
for skiing. So the day I got back to Canmore (October 15th) I went
for a ski. The track is a good combination of terrain that is easy enough to go
for a long ski on yet hard enough for intervals.
Here is a link to a video on Frozen Thunder: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/video/video-skiers-get-head-start-with-stored-snow/article2205098/
Getting back on snow has reminded me of just
how close racing season is. I will be lining up for my first race in less than
a month and a half. Until then there are still many hours of training to be
done however the shorter days and cooler nights are as sure of a sign as any
that winter is coming.
