Today we live here.
Funny how that happens. You start to dream outside the box (hint: our dream isn't a "job", a mortgage and house in the 'burbs) but you're faced with a situation out of your control to make that dream a reality (our US immigration process).
So back to the drawing board you go. You cry, you write, you consult another lawyer, you process, you talk, you dream more, you research. You make a plan. A big plan.
A plan that will require you to work your butt off. A plan that will take commitment and perserverance. A plan that requires you to give up certain securities (like a steady paycheck) and trust in untold and unseen providences.
But before you can even commit to that plan you make a preliminary reconnaissance trip. Then another.
And then you commit. You have no clue what you're committing to. You can't anticipate the loneliness in the journey, the work it will take, the challenges along the way.
You also have no idea the beauty and joy that awaits you. The dreams you will realize and the people you will encourage along the way. The "pinch me, we get to live here" feeling you'll have each day.
These last days of December, two years ago to the very day we first came to the Gaspé peninsula, I'm remembering all of this.
In those early days of this journey I had no idea how this was all going to work out. I still have no idea!
But if these past two years have taught me anything it's that this next year is going to be good one.
Wishing you a Happy New Year with many adventures and untold blessings for your journey!
It has been our long term goal to ski together for winter outdoor activity. We are committed to one day a week and this is fairly easy for three seasons of the year but winter has been tough to figure out.
We tried snowshoes when the kids were little. Snowshoes are relatively inexpensive and easy to transport. If only they weren't so tiring for little legs! Snowshoeing was not fun for the kids and truthfully, it wasn't all that fun for us adults either. Where snowshoeing is really fun (I'm guessing) is in conditions and terrain where the only way to get around is in a snowshoe. Where we were hiking there were trails and most of the snow was packed down enough for our hiking boots.
Then three winters ago we discovered Mad River Rockets, a backcountry sled made in Vermont. Now these were fun. But a bit pricey too. We opted to start with one adult and one child sled and just share.
We did some great sledding early 2011 (with some good video also!) but on higher hills we reached a frustrating and cold point where some of us had to wait too long for other family members to do their run and then walk back up.
All along though our dream was to backcountry ski as a family. Damien and I grew up skiing and snowboarding in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta. Conventional downhill experiences at ski resorts. We knew how much fun winter is cutting turns down the side of a mountain. In Damien's late teen years he got a taste of backcountry telemark skiing and introduced me to that experience. It was amazing.
Location and life circumstances prevented us pursuing that. But we had a taste and knew that, if we could, backcountry skiing is what we would really like to do for a winter outdoor activity. And when we had a family, that desire didn't go away. This was a dream we hoped we could make reality but we had a few obstacles to overcome.
- The cost of the gear. Outfitting a family for skiing in the backcountry was similar to investing in our summer gear - a quality tent, sleeping bags, lightweight cook gear, backpacks, etc... That was a lot of money for us and we just couldn't swing it with our other priorities.
- The age of our kids. We are committed to pursuing adventure with our kids for as long as they want to hang out with us (forever, we hope). Backcountry skiing has a steeper learning curve than hiking or sledding. Yes, it can be done but we needed lots of practice time which brings me to my next point.
- Location. Up until this move we've been city dwellers. To use skis would require always using the car to go practice somewhere. We didn't have the time in our weekly schedule to commit to that. Not to mention that good places to practice backcountry ski technique were a bit of a drive also.
And then something happened. We moved. But before we moved we set an intention - this winter we would ski with our kids.
You can read our whole moving story here, but we moved because we needed freedom to pursue our dreams. It just so happens one of those dreams was winter skiing with our family. No, we didn't move just so we could ski - there was plenty of snow and hills in Maine. But our move was the perfect time to shift this winter activity goal to the front and center.
We started a ski fund last winter. It took some convincing to get the kids on board - they each had to contribute a fair chunk of "change". Our winter camping trip, where they could try friend's cross country skis, helped boost their enthusiasm for saving money for their own skis.
Damien started slowing purchasing the gear the end of last season. Gear and shipping is cheaper in the US and we wanted to take advantage of that before we moved. We arrived in Nova Scotia with a few pieces and kept working at it.
I should probably mention that Damien did a whole whack of research on what skis, boots, bindings and poles to get our family. Gear that would allow us to ski "regular" cross country and backcountry. Gear that wouldn't limit us too much to just one of those activities. Gear that could be used for multiple purposes if possible (trekking poles for ski poles). Gear that wouldn't break the bank.
We finished our gear purchases early this month, nearly, but not quite, breaking the bank. We remind ourselves this is why we live in a 750 sq ft cabin (and pay living costs accordingly) - so we can use our resources to achieve our goals.
The last piece to buy was the adult skis which we found locally in an amazing outdoor gear shop in town (10 minutes from home). Finding stores like this in our rather rural location assures us that the skiing around here must be magnificent (so the locals say), otherwise shops like this wouldn't even exist.
For the past week we've skied just around the chalet. Every day one of the five of us has been out in the snow, of which there is plenty - what a treat!
Tomorrow we're headed to a neighbor's hill to learn some more technique. We'll be staying local for a while to practice. One day though we'll take the left turn out our driveway and drive straight into the mountains where the big skiing is to be had.
But first, we need a roof ski carrier. I wonder if we could get the kids to start another fund?
Like Damien mentioned in his last post Milestones, Nova Scotia is not a hiking mecca. Our family has literally laughed our way through the hiking guide book descriptions of the most innocuous trails we've ever hiked.
Hugging the hillside, the trail winds right and left around uncharacteristically tight curves... you will cross a small bridge across a steep stream cascading down the almost vertical cut... the track is narrow and the climb substantial.
We walked this particular trail (Nictaux Falls Rail-Trail if you want to know) in utter disbelief of the guide book description. Never encountering the tight curves, steep stream, vertical cut or substantial climb. Artistic license to the extreme.
The treacherous trail in question
The lack of elevation and challenging trails didn't stop us from getting out. But to be honest, it did dampen our enthusiasm on a fairly regular basis.
But this post is not a complaining post because there were a lot of good hikes. And really, who wants to listen to a complainer.
Here's a few photos (ok, a lot of photos) of our more memorable hikes from this summer.
Kejimkujik National Park
I wrote about these two hikes earlier this summer. Inland Keji, the main park wasn't really for us. Too flat, but would be great for backcountry camping with a canoe.
Our trip to the Seaside Adjunct was much more rewarding. It is a truly beautiful spot.
Cape Chignecto
The longest and "most difficult" hike we could find in Nova Scotia. A four day, three night backpacking trip we took in June. We learned a lot on this trip, as Damien shared in Milestones. Some of it, like the horrific bugs, we would like to forget but it's all part of the journey.
It was a great trail, lots of variety and the ocean views were amazing.
Green Bay-Broad Cove
This is really close to where my parent's live in Lunenburg county. Highly recommend as an easy, yet a bit challenging (stream crossing and marshy areas to navigate) for beginner hikers. Green Bay is a really beautiful little beach for swimming also.
Close to Halifax
Long Lake Provincial Park
This trail is very accessible to Halifax. Most people don't go very far along and you will have to do a bit of scouting to find the path that goes along the lake. It's worth it though because the crowd thins out and even though you are just kilometers from the city you feel like you're in the wilderness (just ignore the cell towers and highrise on the horizon). The lake is great for swimming.
Salmon River Trail
Close to Dartmouth and Lake Echo this is a lovely trail through a designated wilderness area. Much more remote than Long Lake, we didn't encounter any other hikers on our day hike there. The trails are well marked and maps can be found at each junction.
Rail to Trail System
There is an extensive rail-to-trail system in Nova Scotia, part of the Trans Canada Trail System. Score one for the province. But for hiking it's kind of boring, as we discovered at Nictaux Falls.
Thankfully that hike was redeemed by a swimming river at the end. There's a lot of water in Nova Scotia and we tried to work that into every single hike we took.
One week instead of hiking we borrowed my parents bikes (for Damien and I to use) and went biking on a converted rail trail instead. It was fun at first but there was no water, and well... we missed our usual hike.
Bluff Wilderness Trail
The Bluff Wilderness Trail is a Halifax area treasure. It was enjoyable enough to warrant a repeat visit. Our first visit was a simple day hike around one of the loops (there are a few loops you can do).
We returned the next month for an overnight backpacking trip that was memorable on many levels. Damien wrote about our milestones from that trip, mainly that it was the longest day distances we've ever done. The trip was also memorable because our car was broken into. In the end though, the crisis passed but the good memories of the trip remain.
Cape Blomidon
September brought cooler temps, (blessedly) less bugs, and blackberries! Cape Blomidon is a great day hike on the Bay of Fundy.
Cape Split
The last hike of the summer season was Cape Split. We went last weekend with my parents. The view was truly spectacular and the hike just wonderful. Don't be intimidated by the sign, it is not a stenuous hike.
If You Go
Nova Scotia is a very water beautiful province. It's a great place to have a canoe or kayaks. We have neither.
The most spectacular hikes are those along the water, especially the "Capes". Cape Blomidon (day hiking & camping), Cape Chignecto (backpacking) and Cape Split (day hiking). Cape Blomidon and Cape Split are moderate hikes (by flat lander eastern standards) and would be good for beginners. The views are excellent, the hiking relatively easy.
It was a good summer. I definitely can't complain.
