Author Archives: TA Loeffler

Filling my Boots

Good Morning, I’m up early on a Sunday morning and thought I’d start the day by writing my weekly update. The biggest news of the week is that I sent off the deposit to join the 2010 Peak Freaks Everest … Continue reading

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Happy 2-4!

Just one month to my birthday…I do like celebrating it twelve times instead of just once. Thanks for all your kind support of Elbrus: Climbing for my Dad. It means a lot to me and I know it will touch … Continue reading

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Elbrus: Climbing for my Dad

Greetings from Victoria Day, We call it the 2-4 Weekend in Newfoundland since Queen Victoria’s birthday was on the 24th. This year the 24th actually fell on a weekend but we’re having the holiday the weekend before, go figure! I’m … Continue reading

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Back from the Land of Many Layers

Greetings from Early May, It’s always a rough transition from sleeping outdoors at length to moving back indoors and this time is no exception. There comes such a grounding from rising with the sun and sleeping with the arrival of … Continue reading

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A Rapid Transition

Hi this is TA calling in from the south rim of Grand Canyon National Park. We came off the river yesterday; we had a most wonderful last morning of floating down the last few rapids and didn’t want to get … Continue reading

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Down River

Hi this is TA calling in from Phantom Ranch on day seven of our rafting trip. It has been a pretty amazing adventure so far we have had lots of up canyon winds and some interesting GI track stuff going … Continue reading

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Hop A Long to the Grand Canyon

Every journey is filled with moments that range from doubt to elation, especially healing journeys. As I rolled over in bed this morning, causing searing pain in my injured limb, I asked myself, “What are you doing going to Arizona … Continue reading

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New Views

Howdy, Happy three months to my birthday day. I’m a few days late in writing this but it’s been a rollercoaster weeks of intense highs and lows and I’m tried to take inspiration and meaning from both. I flew out … Continue reading

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Back from the Polar Realm

Good Morning on the Ides of March, I can’t believe a week has gone by since I finished my polar training program. My apologies to those I had worried by my silence–I came home with a wicked case of carpal … Continue reading

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Sleds, Kites, and Everything 63 Degrees Longitude

A week of learning about polar life and travel has already passed and tomorrow we head out to test our new skills and knowledge for real on a seven-day expedition in minus 30 C temperatures. During our initiation phase, we’ve … Continue reading

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On the Cusp of an Arctic Adventure!

Happy Belated Valentine’s Day to All, I missed writing last week because doing three overnights with students in three weekends in a row challenged even my time management skills. Despite a winter of low snow (until this week where we … Continue reading

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Looking at Winter

Howdy, It’s been another full week and I don’t even know where to begin. This afternoon, the Grand Canyon hiking group completed four ascents of Signal Hill. We are building up our uphill walking with moderately loaded packs. We’ll increase … Continue reading

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Storming Norming

Greetings from a Stormy Sunday, I woke up in a warm bed this morning instead of tucked into my sleeping bag. We’ve got 15 centimetres of snow down with more on the way. Last night I had to make the … Continue reading

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Taking Community to New Heights

Greetings from a Beautiful Winter Morn, We don’t get to see the sun much in winter and so when it shines, it’s not hard to stop and take notice. We’ve been having a wild winter with temperature swings from plus … Continue reading

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Learning from the Monster

The major learning of this week came in a much more intimate understanding of friction coefficients. You see, when you drag tire and its rim up Signal Hill, you are aware of every nuance of slope, snow, and ice. You … Continue reading

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Happy New Year to All!

Greetings from a snowy Sunday evening. After an adventurous holiday season, I’m back in my chair and ready to be a more regular blogger for the next while. After a fun visit with my family, Marian and I headed south … Continue reading

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The Hemoglobin is Definitely Gone

Greetings on the Cusp of December, When I thought about writing you last week, I would have entitled the update, “The hemoglobin is gone.” Since I didn’t get it together last week, as I skated on the ice this week, … Continue reading

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Home from Pumori et Al

Hello from St. John’s, I arrived back from my whirlwind tour of North America on Wednesday morning and I’m pleased to say I am already unpacked from the expedition. It usually takes me a week or so to finally get … Continue reading

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Back in Canada

Namaste, The last few days have been a whirlwind of flights and airports. On the 28th, I had breakfast in Lukla, lunch in Kathmandu and supper aboard a plane for Hong Kong. I had to make a very quick decision … Continue reading

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Clarity

Hi This is TA calling in from Pumori base camp, all tucked snuggly in my sleeping bag, its chilly here tonight as it has been. I’m calling a little bit later because I wanted to have the full update to … Continue reading

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From Pumori Base Camp

Hi This is TA calling in from Mount Pumori base camp 5284 metres. I’m sitting here in my tent, in my ultimate layer otherwise known as my sleeping bag because the sun has gone behind the clouds and when that … Continue reading

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Last Update from Kathmandu

Howdy to All, I’m battered. In a good way. Perhaps battered and fried. In the best tradition of St. John’s fish and chips. All of my senses have been filled to overflowing with the sights, sounds, smells, and textures of … Continue reading

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Greetings from the Nirvana Garden

I’m sitting in the shade being quite delighted at the magic of wireless. A gentle breeze carries the caw of nearby crows, the toots of horns, and the crinkle of bike bells to my ear. The garden is adorned with … Continue reading

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Pink Hair!

Happy Fall Equinox, “You weren’t aiming for pretty, were you?” exclaimed the one stylist to Melissa, the woman who kindly volunteered to turn my hair rosy. We all cracked up as I said, “Nothing about this past week has been … Continue reading

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Pumori in Pink

Howdy, Two weeks and counting. I finally gave in and made a “to-do” list because the details were starting to pile up in numbers greater than seven (the average number of things we can hold in short term memory). There … Continue reading

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French Pastries

Happy Back to School to All, Sorry this update is late, I actually took a vacation. I think it is first period of time in several years I labeled as “vacation.” I spoke at a high school in Grand Bank … Continue reading

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Blue Helmeted Super Hero

Happy Labour Day Weekend, A few weeks back I bought a new motorcycle helmet at a Regatta Day Door Crasher sale. It is bright blue with gold trim. I could have chosen the more sedate forest green one with the … Continue reading

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Pink Outside the Box

Greetings from Another Gorgeous Day, I continue to be amazed at how weeks seem to be flying by at light speed. I had a good week of training with my adjusted program. I enjoyed having 15 different varieties of push-ups … Continue reading

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The Big O Mountain

Happy Summer Olympics to All, I haven’t had a chance to watch much of the Olympics as I don’t have a TV capable or receiving a signal but I’ve been following them some on the Internet. It is an intense … Continue reading

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Of Avalanches and Mammograms

Happy Regatta Day, Another week has sped by leaving me one week closer to Pumori: Climb for Awareness. Time always seems to speed up when I’m training because so much has to fit into each day. I lost two training … Continue reading

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Adventures Big and Small

August Greetings, Just back in town after four wonderful days adventuring with my students on the Avalon Peninsula, a truly magical place. As I sorted through the pile of emails that came in while I was gone, I was excited … Continue reading

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A Cup of Tea

Howdy, Thanks to all who replied with such enthusiasm and support for the Pumori climb. I was touched deeply when you shared stories of people you knew who have walked the breast cancer path. I kept their names close in … Continue reading

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Pumori: Climb for Awareness

Pumori: Climb For Awareness Every October since my mom, Denise, was diagnosed with breast cancer, I have run the Race for the Cure in her honour. I vividly remember the first time I wrote her name on my race bib. … Continue reading

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Kili Karuna Conclusion

Happy Midsummer’s Night’s Eve, I know it’s been awhile since I wrote. It always seemed that Sunday evening snuck up on me and I was out of gas to write. The past few weeks have been filled with dental surgery, … Continue reading

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Kili Karuna: The Stories are in the Telling

Jambo to All and Happy Birthday to my Niece Rayne, A story saves a life a little at a time by making us see and hear and taste our lives and dreams more deeply. A story does not rescue life … Continue reading

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Kili Karuna #21

Happy One Month to my Birthday, ☺ The team completed its last training hike today with a front side, back side, back side, front side on Signal Hill. Since the weather was gorgeous and we started a little later than … Continue reading

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Kili Karuna #20

Happy May 2-4 Weekend!, It’s a funny holiday in Canada. Celebrating Queen Victoria’s Birthday, May 24th, the holiday is set as the closest Monday to May 24th without going over. So this year, even though May 24 actually falls on … Continue reading

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Kili Karuna #19

Happy Mother’s Day, Seven days later, the weather on Signal Hill was not nearly as hospitable. We traded warm sunshine for fog, drizzle, freezing rain, and ice pellets. The wind scoured the hills as if trying to scratch an itch … Continue reading

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Kili Karuna #18

Good Monday Morning, I’m late. It doesn’t happen often as my dad taught me that punctuality was right up there with godliness. I’m so on time that a friend once said, “TA, if you are a minute late, I think … Continue reading

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Kili Karuna #17

Good Evening, I know I’m dedicated to weekly updates when I sit down to write one at 10:47 pm when every cell in my body is screaming out, “I want to go to bed.” But since there was already one … Continue reading

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