Eek! I am so behind on posts. I am hoping to catch up this week as I have a lighter work load than normal. In August, Alexander and I took our first real vacation of the year - you know, one where neither person has to work, check their Blackberry or call into conference calls. We decided to head back to Garibaldi Provincial Park where we did a short trip in 2008. This time we stayed four days and three nights, which meant I actually had to carry something up the 9.5 km hike uphill to the Lake Garibaldi camp sites if I wanted somewhere to sleep and something to eat. I was a bit nervous about how I would do physically. However, despite the extra lbs I've been carrying around, I found myself to be in darn good shape. Alexander was a great coach, getting me set up with my gear and helping me pack it in the best way to carry.
We spent the first day getting there (3 hours and 45 minutes- impressive!) and setting up camp. The second day we hiked the Black Tusk and the third day we hiked to Panorama Ridge - both amazing and wonderfully unique experiences. Check out the links for a better sense of the hike and elevation.
However, I have to say the best part was the complete relaxation you feel when you escape all technology, including running water, background noise and all modern conveniences and simply melt into the stillness and subtle excitement of the earth. I returned a new person, relaxed from the realization of the smallness of my stress. The earth will still spin even after I say something dumb in an important meeting or if I can't pay a bill and so on... Everything feels so small from the top of a mountain when all you care about is how to get to the top and then how to get back down (In the case of day three, that was sliding down a several thousand feet side of a mountain on my backpack cover. Whee!) and I plan to carry this with me as I ease back into my normal life. Wish me luck!
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