#sierra doing things

[sierradorotheia]

So how about another hiking post? Today, we ventured the Ha Ling Peak. It was previously rated as Hard in AllTrails but after some improvements done within the past year, I would say it should be rated as Moderate. It’s a heavily-trafficked 7.8 km hike with 804 m elevation gain, and a bunch of other kids trekking with us along the way!

Unparalleled views of Canmore from the summit. We took about half an hour to have our lunch and libations... and there really is something very enthralling about being on top of a mountain. 

You can tell it’s a popular trail- there were really a lot of people up top, which kind of affected the enjoyability of the summit. We usually leave our house at around 11 am when we go for a hike, but today we left earlier at 9 am and there’s still a lot of people. 

I don’t think I would have survived without all these stairs as a part of the improvement! 

As September arrives, we are on the final stretches of the hiking season, so we’ll try to get as much hiking in as we can before the snow hits the ground. We’re very grateful to live where we live, and we certainly cannot take advantage of natural luxury.

[sierradorotheia]

This weekends trail is the Elbow Falls Trail. We had plans later that day but still want to get some hiking done so we opted for an easy-peasy walk, and the Elbow Falls is the one that fits the easy, beautiful, and close-to-home check list.

The falls itself is a tad underwhelming; I don’t know why I was expecting a bigger one! You can see that there are dried out parts of the creek and there were a few people just checking out the falls but fewer than I imagined, considering the weather was really nice when we were there.

The walk is very beautiful, however. You can see the leaves turning yellow but still luscious at the same time. The trail is densely-covered with trees and at the time when we were walking the trail, it was just J and I and we did not have our bear spray. I was freaking out for a bit as you can hardly hear anything with the falls just running, so if there were wildlife (bears), we won’t even hear them approaching.

We’re glad we did this hike, though. It’s half an hour from Cochrane and we got to check out a cute cafe in Bragg Creek on our way to Elbow Falls. This trail is kid-friendly although I can imagine little ones tiring out a little bit while doing the trail. We were out and about after about an hour- and the drive to the falls is almost as beautiful as the trail itself. 

[sierradorotheia]

Life Lately || Hey everyone! It’s been sooo long since my last post... and I don’t even know where to chalk it up this time. Busy? Yes...Writer’s block? Yes. Life? Absolutely.

We’ve been doing tons of winter hiking and I’m still running outside every weekends... since the days are shorter and it’s normally dark outside when I get home from work. But the fact that I’m still able to run outside in December is unfathomable for me and a luxury I will never take for granted.

Recently I re-joined the gym... and two weeks later there was a lockdown mandate that required indoor fitness centres to be closed yet again. It was such a bummer since I was slowly getting in the groove of going to the gym and now I feel like I’m once again back to square one. But it’s all good... I just purchased a pull-up bar and might just start working out at home once again.

Aside from working out my body as an outlet from everything that’s happening this year, I also started seriously exercising my mind through meditation. I know this is a long journey to equanimity, but it does not matter how slow you go as long as you don’t stop (you probably heard that somewhere haha). So I hope, reader, if you haven’t already, that you start meditating now. Let’s all change the negative ways we think of things, and our situation in life.

It’s high time we took care of our mental health, now more than ever. Think of that person you love the most, who has always been there to support you through the highs and lows this year has brought us... think of how you can reciprocate the support they have given you, and think that when your mind is at peace, it extends to those close to you. Again, I’m still in the process of learning these things and actually nailing it in my head... but just like everything else in life, it’s a work in progress.

I’m sincerely hoping that you all are staying safe, especially these holidays. We may never be together this most wonderful time of the year, but this will pass. The light at the end of the tunnel is here... and we’re almost there.