Do it anyway

ok ok ok
So I'm *always* telling people to do the thing they think they can't.
I had an interesting conversation the other day, while I was trying to convince a few people to take a leap-of-faith with me.
Not everyone has it in them.
And not everyone will support the decision when you decide to do it without them.
so I say?
...
don't let them get you down; do it anyway

lists

wildlife seen: elk, bison, heron, pheasant and cow.
canyons traversed: three
river beds explored: two
hot pools hidden in misty mountains enjoyed: three (seriously!)
bottles of wine chilled to perfection in mountain stream: one (I shared!)
near-deaths due to exposure: one (Just mine. turns out my sleeping bag isn't cut out for cold weather: I'm fine now and I've learned something).

Oh, I forgot to mention. I got Lake Louise to myself today. I was the only one there for a brief but absolutely mind-blowing time this morning. Bliss.

Northern Ontario blows me away.
I stopped at Pancake bay to camp: check it out. It's the most gorgeous beach I've ever seen (and I've been to mexico and costa rica), and its right here in Canada. what the heck.

I have pictures to share, but not the time to upload them right now: but just you wait. I saw a bison!
and trees and lakes and rocks and trees and lots of rocks and water.
(Canada's really big...)

Bread Crumbs

On hour 6 of the first day of driving across the country I found myself launching into the beginning of my repertoire of "face kazoo" songs. If you don't know what the face kazoo is, you've never been on a really long car ride with me (here read: "car rides over 40 minutes"). I can actually make a kazoo sound with my teeth and top lip. It's amazing (here read "incredibly annoying to everyone else"). As I got partway through "Funky Town" on the face kazoo it occurred to me that, just in case *someone* tries to kill me on the way there, I should probably leave some kind of trail behind me... Hansel and Gretel style.
So.
I'm just outside of Thunder Bay right now. I went for a run on Lakeshore road and got to look at water, rocky cliffs, and forested Islands the whole time. It was amazing.

Point of interest: just outside of Sault St. Marie the "Warning" signs at the side of the road change from gracefully leaping deer (danger, deer crossing) to these hulking, CHARGING forward moose (plural?)... seriously. Thats not a moose-crossing sign, its a "moose tramping forward with intent to kill" sign.

Man I hope they don't hunt in packs...

From East to West

This is the view off my parents' back porch in Nova Scotia- I went out for a visit a couple weeks ago. I flew out with my siblings and drove back with my Dad... I don't know how long it will be before I get back there. As my adventure out west is about to start, I thought I'd revisit some of my East-coast photos. I want to get a literal, panoramic sense of the size and sheer awesomeness of this country.
I think I'm off to a good start.
:)

ow ow ow.

We had train-the-trainer yesterday.
my legs...they hurt.

why must this beeeeee!