More than just elevation gained.

Hiking the Diez Vistas trail near Vancouver, BC.
I took this photo six years ago.  My daughter and her friend had decided they wanted to hike the Diez Vistas (10 views) trail which starts about halfway around the Bunzen Lake trail.  Although I knew it had climbing involved, I was totally unprepared for the amount of it.  As we gained elevation there was the opportunity to see bits of the unfolding landscape.  Each new opening produced more and more spectacular views.

I was quite spent by the time we got to the top.  Mind you, the extreme exertion invested paid off when arriving at the final viewpoint.  I got some nice photos of Burrard Inlet and Indian Arm, but best of all I got a nice photo of my daughter and her friend and had engrained an eventful hike into all of our memories.  Although the purpose of many of my excursions is to take photographs, I can also say that it is the process of making memories which is most important.  Families and friends bond over shared memories and events; it is these mutual experiences that help solidify relationships.

My daughter recently asked me if I would like to do the same hike again.  As I am now approaching 60 I find that my physical fitness is more limited regardless of the hiking, biking, and kayaking that I do on a regular basis.  If I was to do the trail again I think I would bring less camera equipment, do vertical training before going, and insist on rest stops frequently.  If all that were true I think I could do it - maybe.

Regardless of the limited degree of fitness that I find myself in, I am confident in continuing to do the things I love, albeit at a reduced capacity.  I have discovered the value of moving, not only to be together and get my photographs, but because moving improves the overall quality of life.  It is in moving that your body maintains a reasonably healthy state.  When I do stuff, regardless of what it is, I generally feel better and am reasonably fit.  I also have diabetes (Type II - only on medication at the moment) and find that the activity keeps my weight down and my blood sugar in check.

Considering all the benefits there are to being active, I cannot imagine why someone would be a proponent of a sedentary existence.  Besides improved health and endurance comes the memories and the chance to ameliorate relationships through doing things with people you care about.  I think I will maintain an active mindset as long as I am able to.  I may not be able to do the Diez Vistas trail at some point, but there are still lots of other places to explore.

Life is best lived in the moment, but it is the moments lived that builds relationships.


Comments

  1. UnknownApril 22, 2020 at 6:24 PM

    You guys should check out Garibaldi Glacier... It is a simple hike, little long, but so totally worth it. Most amazing scenery and Lake.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hang in there, things will get better.

Image
The Svendsen Family - Eric, Samuel, Leanne, Joshua (top row), Nora, Kathryn, Chanelle, Emma If I could go back, in my mind, to a day in my life when I was really down, it would be nice to be able to see into the future.  If could see things as they are today, with the many blessings that have been given to me, it would give me hope knowing that things wouldn't always be so discouraging.   The message here is we do not know what the future holds.  When things are bad, it is hard to raise your head out of the mire to see beyond the darkness.  There are no guarantees, of course, that things will be better, but I think it is true that fortunes ebb and flow as tides do.  The trick is to see beyond the low points and not be too haughty during the high ones.  I know that, at this moment, things are very good.  What the future holds is unknown, but low and high points are likely in the forecast.   This is why taking satisfaction from the moment is so important.  Instead of looking forward
Read more

Working out life's problems.

Image
Kathryn and Eric - together for 35 years. Whoever said life is easy hasn't been alive for very long.  Yes, although there may be times when everything sails along very nicely, the truth is that hardship is just around the corner, in both directions. The essence of the problem is that we are imperfect beings and we live in an imperfect world.  Bad things happen, both to us and those we care about.  We make decisions and take actions that others may oppose or be hurt by.  Even when, after much thought and research, we do what we think is best or right, our opinions or behaviours are not approved by those we love.  People get hurt, and sometimes the hurt leads to serious repercussions.   I can say that Kathryn and I are happily married.  But I can also say that our relationship has gone through difficult moments.  A great deal of the challenges we have faced have come about because of differences in opinion, differences in problem management, and difficulties in effective communicatio
Read more

Dastardly Dachshund Destroys Fabrics.

Image
Murphy's blanket (left) and Sterling's pant leg hem (right) - It took only a moment. We have had 5 dachshunds now, Murphy being the latest itineration, and they have quite a few characteristics in common.  This blog is about one of them - they love to chew things, and can completely destuff and destroy a dog toy in moments.  Of course, that behaviour isn't just restricted to toys.  Blankets, quilts, articles of clothing, really any kind of fabric - these dogs love to have their way with them.  And that usually means making holes. We restrict the types of fabric that Murphy tears apart into his dog blanket and his toys.  However, he can turn his destructive influence to other chewy temptations on occasion.  We usually catch him before any damage is done, but if he is left unattended and has an opportunity, he can render a garment unusable quickly.  This fact was thoroughly established this New Year's Eve. We had friends over to celebrate the turning over of the calendar.
Read more