Visual Soliloquy #1119 This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays…

This new day is too dear,
with its hopes and invitations,
to waste a moment on the yesterdays.
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Visual Soliloquy #1118 I could never resist the call of the trail…

I could never resist the call of the trail.
–Buffalo Bill

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/trail.html#MtchDS3Kee6DV2zT.99

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Visual Soliloquy #1117 Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop…

Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.
~Ovid

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Visual Soliloquy #1116 One should use common words to say uncommon things…

One should use common words to say uncommon things.
― Arthur Schopenhauer

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Visual Soliloquy #1115 So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers…

So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious, and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive.

-Edward Abbey

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Visual Soliloquy #1114 When it was dark, you always carried the sun in your hand for me…

When it was dark, you always carried the sun in your hand for me.
― Seán O’Casey

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Mission 5959: Sizing the Skins

After shovelling out for a few hours, Marian and I came in for some lunch and then tackled a few more projects related to gear prep for my Mount Logan trip. My new Intuition Liners had arrived and it was time to mould them to my feet. It involves a process of microwaving rice in a nylon stocking (a homemade magic bag of sorts) to heat up the foam-stuffing my feet into them to form, and then waiting for 8 minutes to pass when I could take my very warm feet out. With new liners all set, we turned our attention to my climbing skins.

Climbing skins allow you to climb hills and pull sleds much more easily. They are held to the bottom of the ski with special (and magic) glue that lets the skins stick to the ski base but also be taken off (for downhill fun). The skins have to be cut to the exact dimensions of my skis but fortunately the supplied G3 skin cutter makes the job very easy. G3 skins are made in Canada and I love that I’ll have a maple leaf going along with me on Mount Logan. The blue/red graphics on the skins add to my collection of primary colours for the trip (boots = blue & yellow, skis = green ).

I last used skins on my ski expedition to climb Greenland’s Highest Peak, Gunnbjörn Feld We skied 330 km across the ice cap to reach the peak and climb it. We used half skins for most of the trip and then switched to full skins for the climb of the peak (since the slope was steeper). Skins allow the ski to glide forward but the nape on the fabric keeps you from slipping back it would be nearly impossible to pull a sled without skins or waxes bases. It’s great to be putting some of my polar skills to use once again. Now all that’s left to do is take the new liners and the new skins out for a test ski and test climb to see if any further modifications are required. With today’s dump of 30 or 40 cm of snow, that should now be possible to do!

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Visual Soliloquy #1113 Trees are my mentors…

Trees are my mentors. When in their presence, everything seems possible. Note to self, “Spend more time with trees.”
– TA Loeffler

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Visual Soliloquy #1112 Anticipate the day as if it was your birthday and you are turning six again…

Anticipate the day as if it was your birthday and you are turning six again.
~Mike Dolan

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Visual Soliloquy #1111 But you can build a future out of anything. A scrap, a flicker. The desire to go forward, slowly, one foot at a time. You can build an airy city out of ruins…

But you can build a future out of anything. A scrap, a flicker. The desire to go forward, slowly, one foot at a time. You can build an airy city out of ruins.
― Lauren Oliver

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Visual Soliloquy #1110 Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you…

Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!
–Dr. Seuss

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Mission 5959: Boot and Ski Tuning

Doesn’t everyone use their kitchen as a ski workshop? Finally cleared some time this weekend to do some boot fitting/liner moulding/learn new ski bindings kind of stuff. Because my team is climbing most of the way up Mount Logan on skis, I’ve had to invest in some new equipment and learn some new skills. It will be a multi-step process to get all the parts working as a cohesive team to travel on.

The first step, a kinda scary one, involved cutting some of the boot shell away to make more room in the boot’s throat…who knew boots had throats? I knew that after that first cut with the Dremel tool, these blue and yellow babies were mine, all mine!!! (since I couldn’t take them back once I’d altered the boot shell.) That scary move done, it was time to heat up three pounds of rice in a nylon stocking…basically a “magic bag” for my boots to heat them up for moulding…we had 50 50 luck…one went perfect, one not quite so perfect but we’re working on it to fix the folds.

Then came adjusting the bindings to my boots…which, after consulting a few websites, was a piece of cake…and then watching a few videos on how to step into them, I got my first view of what I will see for the 25 days we’re on Mount Logan…a fine rendition of primary colours.

With new stepping in and stepping out skills practiced and mastered, it was time to give the newly working together team a field test…the good news is that all worked very well and I felt pretty comfy on the new boards/in the new boots. I have one spot on my right foot that was being a bit bothered so we’ll keep moulding/adjusting/punching out/cutting the boot until no pain is caused.

I climbed up and skied down a small hill about 15 times and loved every minute of it. This new gear opens up the whole world of Alpine Touring and earning my turns…as well as the King Trench route on Mount Logan. It would have be easier to be on a team that would snowshoe up because no new gear/skills would have been needed but now that most of the gear decisions have been made and the gear is on it’s way to working well…I’m starting to get excited!

Training is going well and I can tell I’m getting fitter and stronger…dreams for Mission 5959 are trickling in so please consider sending me yours to carry along with me…dreams shared are dreams more likely to come to fruition!

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Visual Soliloquy #1109 May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out…

May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.
― J.R.R. Tolkien

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Visual Soliloquy #1108 And like a colourful bloom of temporary lights in the sky, you will shine…

And like a colourful bloom of temporary lights in the sky, you will shine.
― Chad Sugg

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Visual Soliloquy #1107 Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow…

Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.
― Anita Desai

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Visual Soliloquy #1106 The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot…

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.
~ Michael Althsuler

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Visual Soliloquy #1105 We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community…

We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community… Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.
–Cesar Chavez

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Visual Soliloquy #1104 It’s a funny thing, how much time we spend planning our lives. We so convince ourselves of what we want to do, that sometimes we don’t see what we’re meant to do…

It’s a funny thing, how much time we spend planning our lives. We so convince ourselves of what we want to do, that sometimes we don’t see what we’re meant to do.
― Susan Gregg Gilmore

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Visual Soliloquy #1103 Be an opener of doors…

Be an opener of doors.
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Visual Soliloquy #1102 If you begin to understand what you are without trying to change it, then what you are undergoes a transformation..

If you begin to understand what you are without trying to change it,
then what you are undergoes a transformation.
—Jiddu Krishnamurti

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Visual Soliloquy #1101 All happiness depends on courage and work…

All happiness depends on courage and work.
― Honoré de Balzac

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Visual Soliloquy #1100 Without fear there cannot be courage…

Without fear there cannot be courage.
― Christopher Paolini

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Visual Soliloquy #1099 The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall…

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
― Nelson Mandela

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Visual Soliloquy #1098 If I must start somewhere, right here and now is the best place imaginable…

If I must start somewhere, right here and now is the best place imaginable.
― Richelle E. Goodrich

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Visual Soliloquy #1097 Each day means a new twenty-four hours. Each day means everything’s possible again…

Each day means a new twenty-four hours. Each day means everything’s possible again.
― Marie Lu

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Visual Soliloquy #1096 With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts…

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.
–Eleanor Roosevelt

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Visual Soliloquy #1095 Every great dream begins with a dreamer…

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.
-Harriet Tubman

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Mission 5959: Climbing to the Summit of Canada with 5959 Dreams

Mission 5959 Logo

On this 50th Anniversary of the raising of the Canadian Maple Leaf Flag, it seems fitting to officially announce my next climb. I will be climbing Mount Logan, Canada’s highest peak in May 2015. Mount Logan (5959 metres), located in the St. Elias Mountains of the Yukon Territory, is one of the most massive peaks in the world. It marks the high point of Canada and is second only to Denali for the claim of North America’s tallest.

Since climbing Denali, North America’s Highest Peak in 2005, I have been a “public dreamer.” By this I mean, I have been sharing the highs and lows, in and outs, joys and challenges of trying to climb the highest peaks on each continent while at the same time encouraging youth (and everyone else) to have big dreams and big goals and to be more physically active.

I carried a Canadian flag to the summit of Denali in 2005 (picture above) and I look forward to carrying the same flag to the top of Canada in 2015 along with 5959 dreams…one for each metre of the mountain’s height.

You can email me, Facebook me, tweet me, mail me, phone me, etc. with your dream and I will carry it in confidence, with care, and with honour as high on the mountain as I can (and hopefully all the way to the summit if weather, health and circumstances allow). I look forward to sharing this climb with all of you once more and hope you will trust me to not only be a public dreamer but also a dream carrier.

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

― Eleanor Roosevelt

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Visual Soliloquy #1094 It is when you lose sight of yourself, that you lose your way…

It is when you lose sight of yourself, that you lose your way. To keep your truth in sight you must keep yourself in sight and the world to you should be a mirror to reflect to you your image; the world should be a mirror that you reflect upon.
― C. JoyBell C.

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Snow in St. John’s as my Teacher: Life (and Snow) is Precious

The week of Valentine’s Day moves many of us to express our love to those near and dear to us. As well, this week, with our wonderful 45 cm snow fall, had me professing my love for snow days! Today, as Marian and I were out skiing, I realized that snow was also my teacher. Well, specifically snow in St. John’s, NL. Especially this winter. Is my teacher.

Let me explain. It’s been a hard winter here for snow lovers on the Avalon Penninsula. The last time I was on skis was the first weekend in January. Why? Because, most of the Atlantic storms thus far haven’t come far enough east to blanket us with white…or the few times they did, they were immediately followed by rain, rain, and more rain. This resulted in lovely dry streets for drivers, incredibly slippery sidewalks for pedestrians, and icy trails for hikers…in other words, a completely useless winter for those who like to ski, snowshoe, and snowmobile.

This past Thursday we got a snow day! Yay! A great storm that dished up 45 cm of snow, a day off from work, and a good solid white blanket just ready for play and exploration. We spent a good chunk of the day out yesterday snowshoeing with friends and today skiing. I have rosy cheeks, my legs are wonderfully spent, and I feel a peaceful ease that comes from time spent outdoors.

“Hey,” you say, “What about the snow as teacher part?”

What I’ve loved seeing today, yesterday, and Friday…is people getting out to enjoy the snow. Lots of people!!! Pippy Park was filled with walkers, sliders, skiers, dog walkers, hikers, snowshoers, snow kiters, and winter campers. People choosing to drop all other agendas, to do lists, etc. to get out and have fun in the great white east. Now. Today. In this present moment. Why? Because snow here is fleeting. It is precious. It can be here today and gone tomorrow. We can’t take snow for granted here at all.

The same is true for life. One of the most powerful Buddhist teachings I received was to appreciate my precious human birth and to contemplate that death can came suddenly without warning. I try to live these teachings every day but it is easy to forget/put aside/not to face that reality. So today, (as is often the case for me outside/on mountains), I had a lived experience of the teaching.

Snow is precious. Enjoy it now for tomorrow it may be gone (especially since we are getting rain and potentially thunderstorms tonight).
Life is precious. Enjoy it now for tomorrow it may be gone (for you or for someone you love).
The present moment is precious. Enjoy it now for now it is gone and another moment replaces it. Enjoy this moment and every moment.

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Visual Soliloquy #1093 With luck, it might even snow for us…

With luck, it might even snow for us.
― Haruki Murakami

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Visual Soliloquy #1092 I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains…

I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.
― Anne Frank

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12 Reasons Why I Love Snow Days!

My apologies to all the snow haters but I LOVE snow days and and here’s why…

1) Snow days are like winning the time lottery. They provide an unexpected respite from “life all scheduled” and allow for fun things like crepe lunches, playing the accordion, and lots of shovelling.

2) Shovelling! I actually like shovelling and performing random acts of shovelling kindness. Today, we were the recipients of such a random act of shovelling kindness and it was awesome!

3) Waking up early to see if we can sleep in and hearing the glorious news on the radio that the university is closed so we can go back to sleep (unless we can’t because it’s so exciting to have a snow day).

4) Updates at 11 that say the snow day continues!

5) Snow days provide the chance to work out with real work (a.k.a. shovelling, shovelling and more shovelling).

6) Climbing up onto the roof to shovel snow and managing all the risks to do that safely…and enjoying the view while doing it. It the closest thing to mountain climbing I get to do at sea level.

7) Shovelling off the back roof onto the deck. Shovelling that snow off the deck into the back yard. Shovelling the deck and roof snow off the deck into the backyard and then under the deck so that we can keep the pipes from freezing without using electricity!

8) Seeing our neighbourhood’s, jelly bean houses’ clapboard covered in white accents and not seeing a car go down Wood Street for hours!

9) Knowing that as soon as the storm ends, there will be lots of snow to ski, snow-shoe, and play in!

10) Coming in from shovelling with rosy checks, strong arms, and a tired glow from all that fresh, frosty air and enjoying a cup of hot chocolate.

11) Having time to cook really yummy and good for you food!

12) Falling into bed after a rich and full day of shovelling and unexpected fun activities at home with my sweetness.

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Visual Soliloquy #1091 There is peace even in the storm…

There is peace even in the storm.
― Vincent van Gogh

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Visual Soliloquy #1090 You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going…

You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope.
― Thomas Merton

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Visual Soliloquy #1089 There are no shortcuts to any place worth going…

There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.
― Beverly Sills

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Visual Soliloquy #1088 Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit…

Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.
― E.E. Cummings

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Visual Soliloquy #1087 When life brings you mountains, you don’t waste your time asking why; y ou spend your time climbing over them…

When life brings you mountains, you don’t waste your time asking why; you spend your time climbing over them.
― A.J. Darkholme

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Visual Soliloquy #1086 We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already…

We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already.
― J.K. Rowling

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Visual Soliloquy #1085 To live is to be marked. To live is to change, to acquire the words of a story, and that is the only celebration we mortals really know…

To live is to be marked. To live is to change, to acquire the words of a story, and that is the only celebration we mortals really know.
― Barbara Kingsolver

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