What started out as a 2-day hike with a group of women, a seemingly benign physical activity in the safe company of like-minded nature lovers,  turned into a gentle but stormy and completely unexpected discovery into my own heart.
 
I had been meaning to learn how to backpack and hike solo for a long time. When I walked into a hiking/camping gear shop one day I was met with a wonderfully joyous and confident face, a lovely young woman, who was offering exactly what I had been searching for; a guided 2-day, women-only hike with lessons on how to pack your gear, set up a tent, store food in the wilderness, prepare meals, and much more. On top of it all, we'd learn how to do in an ecologically friendly way. A dream come true. I went home with the brochure and pondered the opportunity for a few weeks. Ultimately myself and a friend signed up.
 
The night before the hike was the orientation night which was a lot of fun, of course. This is the part where I got to meet my travel mates, and we learned how to pack our bags properly. After the initial night of packing our bags, l was apprehensive but excited. It had started to rain and I wondered how everything would turn out.
 
Next morning it was still raining hard. In the solitude and safety of my hotel room, I gazed out the window at the puddles of water forming on the asphalt parking lot. I hadn't slept well, which wasn't unusual. I was going through a separation and an imminent divorce. The wounds weren't just fresh, I was still right in the middle of my battle. New wounds forming every moment.
 
After a quick breakfast, my friend and I headed over to our group meeting point. It wasn't raining quite as hard anymore. I wished for clear skies. My wish would come true over the course of the day.
 
After another brief orientation and chat, we started hiking. The first thirty minutes of the hike were fine, but I started to question my stamina. I questioned my strength. I questioned my decision to do this hike; this was all on easy terrain. Then came our first tiny climb. After about 15 steps I gave up. I told Jenna that I was ready to go home.
 
Jenna gently assured me that I could do it and that she'd be there behind me to support me all the way to our destination. I believed her during the second part... but not the first. She would have to reassure me several more times over the course of the two days.
 
I'm not sure what I was expecting, but what I received was patience, encouragement, and kindness from Jenna and my hiking friends. I couldn't understand it.
 
In these beautiful natural surroundings, with the breathtaking mountains around me, the crisp fresh air, the sound of the carefree birds, and the company of a group of wonderful women, everyone with their own challenges and battles, somehow I felt calmer. When I accepted my vulnerability, I no longer felt alone.
 
I have realized this over the years; when you are truly left alone, you aren't able to see yourself.  I've mistakenly thought I'm impermeable in those times. When you open yourself up to the unexpected, whatever it may be for you... kindness, beauty... the moment you think there is support behind you, that you may be accepted and appreciated just for who you are, that it's okay to be where you are in your life (despite your resistance to it), that's when the real test begins - facing your own unraveling. And, truly, showing up is half the battle.
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So, show up to your fears, to your bucket lists, to your vulnerabilities, to the rewards, to peace, to the joy that's still within you, to the kindness inside that you need to show to yourself at last, to the core of who you are. Rumi said, "The wound is where the light enters." Be willing to be healed. 
​

This post was written by ​Milada "The awesome"

Serves 1

​Wow, what a spectacular place! It blew my mind away to stand within the ruins and feel the energy. My mind struggled to imagine what it would have taken to build these magnificent structures; the amount of sweat, strength, and cooperation required. Intricate carvings covered the walls, pillars, and pretty much any exposed rock surface. I can’t begin to fathom the number of hours and the dedication that went into creating this place, wow!!!

The temples of the Angkor area number over one thousand, ranging in scale from piles of brick rubble scattered through rice fields to the Angkor Wat. Some of the other temples include, but not limited to, Bayon, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, and Banteay Srei.

Unaccustomed to the 35deg temperatures, our patience dwindled as we worked our way through the hordes of tourists. That’s when the creative juices started flowing!

With the help of some locals we created our own tour! Was it ever worth it! ​

Renting bikes for 7$/day we set out from our hostel to make the 6km journey to Angkor Wat. Cruising along, enjoying the coolness of the self-created breeze, we were stopped at the checkpoint. We had assumed we could buy our tickets at the checkpoint. We were incorrect. In fact, to buy the tickets we had to backtrack 5km…oops! It’s good we were enjoying the cool breeze that came from cycling! HA!!

Okay, take two!

We successfully found the ticket office and reached the west gate of Angkor Wat. Locking the bikes up we crossed the 7m deep moat that is guarded by 7 snakes with 7 heads…do you see a theme? (no, we can’t walk on water, there is a floating dock). Here we hired a tour guide ($20USD) and learned a ton from him, he also took awesome photos, but I swear it was his knowledge that I appreciated.

Recognizing, that we had reached our limit we retreated from the heat of the day with the goal of setting out to see the rest of the temples the following day. 

Take three!!

Waking at 5am. We set out on our bikes, darkness surrounding us, cars and scooters flying by. Who doesn’t love a sun rise? OK, yes, there are many people who would rather be tucked in bed rather than watch the sun come up, but I am not one of those people. Watching the sun rise gives me such energy, such optimism, I simply love it. What a better way to witness this daily ritual than to see the sun rise over Angkor Wat? Thousands of people also had the same intention. Crowded around the pond, everyone was trying to get the most spectacular photo reflecting on the water’s surface. But, I had a secret weapon hidden up my sleeve…or, standing next to me. My partner, happens to be 6’3”. No better place to take a photo than perched on his shoulders! HA!

Craving some quiet, we hopped back on our bikes and started our adventure! Biking towards Bayon, the home of the smiling stone faces, we left the crowds behind. Immediately crossing the moat and passing underneath the arch we turned left following a sandy trail. What a surprise! This trail took us up onto the wall surrounding Bayon and Angkor Thom. Looking down at the moat we took in the calmness, trying to remember it all as we cruised along. Seeing only the occasional local we had the place to ourselves! Following the wall, we eventually popped out at the west entrance to Angkor Thom. It was so cool to see the crumbling smiling faces. Away from the crowds, less restorative work had been completed, leaving more of reality stared back at us. I can’t express how cool it was to see this. 

We worked our way through the various structures. Stopping along the way we took time to rub noses with the smiling faces, get sketched out on very steep stairs, and meditate in the cool shade. We eventually left Angkor Thom through the north gate, following the main road towards Preah Khan. This is where my spirit soared! Before Preah Khan there is a 90deg left hand turn. At the apex of this turn is a random trail that heads off into the jungle. After checking out the sights at the temple we doubled back to see where this trail would take us. My heart loved the excitement as we rushed through the jungle! Random, pure fun! Eventually we popped out at a southern view point for Neak Pean. It was worth stopping here as we took in the impressive vastness. 

From here we headed south, taking us across a random suspension bridge, and popping out at Ta Nei, a small stone temple that is often overlooked by most tourists. It was a great place to explore, with limited restoration. 

Our ‘off the beaten path’ tour had come to an end. Back on the main road we made our final stop at Ta Prohm, also known as Tomb Raider Temple. This was by far the most crowded temple, attracting those who wanted a glimpse of trees that grew out of the stone. If you are excited to see this particular temple I highly recommend seeing it earlier in your day. I struggled to appreciate it as I wrestled with fatigue and being surrounded by people. 

Taking in all that we witnessed we hopped back on our bikes and made the 12km bike ride home. All in all, our ‘tour’ was approximately 35km and took us all day! It was a great way to see the sights, experience our own adventure, and leave the crowds behind. We valued the freedom that came from creating our own adventure, but hey, biking 35km in 35deg temps isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. If you fall into this category you can always hire a tuk tuk for the day and enjoy the breeze as you get driven around. Get Outside and explore! Love to move!

The next morning, we started on the trail around 9 am in sub-zero temperatures. This created a bit of a dicey experience as we had to hike under a cascading waterfall. The normally easily navigated trail became a skating rink. It was certainly beautiful, but man, it was slippery! Make sure to take the time to appreciate the amazing views of the gorge!

We made it to Tina’s Guesthouse by 11:30am. Here, we bought tickets for the bus ride home and continued hiking to the bottom of the gorge. Following a twisting and turning trail down to the bottom we enjoyed the place to ourselves. I love hiking during the off season exactly for this reason! Taking lots of time to explore and take pictures we returned to Tina’s by way of the sky ladder. Arriving by 1:30 we enjoyed a delicious lunch and too the opportunity to start planning the next part of our trip!

So you're thinking of travelling to China? Super exciting!!! I'm stoked to be able to pass on the tips and tricks I accumulated over my three months living there. Let's do this!

How to get around?

Transportation:
Chinese version of Uber – DiDi – no exchange of cash, haggling of the price, or giving directions. The price is set based on distance and the type of car you choose. The driver knows where to go based on the address you provided when booking the car. The payment is all done electronically (the app needs to be linked to a bank account). Easy!
 
Subway – in rural China the computers that print your ticket are either before or after security. The catch is that they are typically in Chinese; however, if you simply show the station on your phone to the security guard, or a bystander, they will select the station for you. The machines take bills smaller than 100. If you only have a hundred, simply go up to the counter and the person will change it for you, allowing you to go back to the computer, and finish buying your ticket. Once you have your ticket you need to go through security. There will be an xray machine that you have to place your bag through and a guard will wave a metal detector over you. Once through, make your way to the turnstiles. Here you need to wave your ticket over the designated circle and the turnstile will let you pass. KEEP YOUR TICKET, you will need it to exit the subway system. To exit the system, you will need to put your ticket in the slot on the turnstile and it will let you pass. Wala, nothing to it!

Metro Man is an excellent app for navigating all subway lines in China
 
​
Flights – Local flights with China are very affordable. I have found the best prices to be on the app CTrip. I highly recommend checking this app out.
 
Trains – Trains can also be booked through the app CTrip

Bikes - A lot of the Chinese cities now have OFO bikes. They are yellow bikes that people can use to get around the city. They don't need to be left at a docking station so it's a bit of hide a seek trying to find one, but they are awesome if you can! There is a English and a Chinese version of the app. If you use the Chinese app the cost is 1 yuan for the month. The English app is 1 yuan per ride. 

Show me the MONEY!!!

Getting Money:
Bank of China is one of the larger Banks. As a result, they will be able to exchange Canadian funds and their ATM’s have an English option (Yippee!!!) and take Canadian Bank cards. My bank, charged me $5 with every withdrawal.

To give you an idea of how much things cost. At the time of my trip (Oct 2017) $1 CAD = 6 yuan
- Coffee - 30-40 yuan
- Tea - 20-30 yuan
- Dinner for two - 100 yuan
- Local beer - 25 yuan
- Import beer - 45 yuan
- Bus - 1 yuan
- Subway - 1-3 yuan
- International stamps - 4.80 yuan (people look at you like you have three heads when you want to post a letter)
​- Ice cream - 12 yuan (can you tell what my vice is?)

Okay...after spending sometime in Beijing I have come to the realization that rural china is MUCH cheaper than Beijing. Here are some cost updates:
- Dinner - 100 yuan for one
​- Subway - 5 yuan

Finding your way

Navigation:
Maps Me – I can’t say enough about this map. It doesn’t require data which makes it very handy navigating in foreign countries. There are two down side, 1 – it does track your position, and this information is used for advertising. Once I downloaded the app I started receiving random text messages. I just simply delete them. I can’t read them anyway as they are in Chinese. 2 – the search function doesn’t work that well, so instead I simply scroll on the map to find various things. Once I find them I ‘pin’ them and use that for navigation. This app is also handy for using the subway systems, it shows all of the stops, and the GPS function still works in the subway, showing you when you're getting close to your stop. 

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Staying connected to the outside world!

Internet:
A lot of things are blocked in China…A LOT of things! Having a good VPN is key! The one I chose to use was betternet; however, I would choose ExpressVPN in the future. Speaking with others it is more reliable and you can still access Netflix!!!

Communication:
Google Translate – even though every other google product is blocked in China, google translate still works and it has been a life saver. Having multiple functions, you can type in a word and it will translate it for you, or speak, or hold the camera up to a sign…or restaurant menu. It really does make things too easy!
 
WeChat – This app is like gold in China. The Chinese do everything through this app. They communicate with their friends, pay for products at the store, order a taxi, or even order food. It is an instant messenger that has various functions built in behind it. Undenounced to me, it is actually larger than Facebook!!! The handiest part, it also works as a translator. If someone send you a message you can translate it into English within the app, showing both the original and the translated version on the screen. This has proven to be invaluable when trying to ask the athletes questions.
 
SIM cards – if you have a local friend get them to come with you. The Chinese are able to access SIM cards that give them 500mb of data a day for only 50 yuan a month. 

Cougar Creek to Exshaw

What a treat we had! How often can one say they literally walked out their front door and started an adventure? That is exactly what fellow guide and friend, Nathan Dhal, and I did. Committed to working Saturday morning at Ascent Physical Therapy I headed to Nathan’s place as soon as I was done. We made the final adjustments to our packs, threw in 2.5 days’ worth of food, and started walking. Neither one of us had hiked this route before, with no trail to follow, we set off with the mentality of, we will walk until we were tired. 6-7 hours later our grumbling stomachs and trembling legs told us it was time to stop. We hiked ~15 km and ~1100m of elevation from Cougar Creek past the Canadian Forks, up a drainage to Cougar and Carrot Creek Col, along a most spectacular Ridgeline, and descended to our campsite for the night. 

​All I have to say is WOW! What a beautiful day. We found ourselves camping next to a gorgeous alpine lake. No one else in sight, a light breeze, blue skies, and great conversation; I couldn’t have asked for a better place to lay my head for the night. Getting there was absolutely beautiful; vast alpine meadows, waterfalls, and blazing fall colours. Nothing helps bring out the sensation of freedom like wandering through the mountain side, no trail insight, and choosing your own path! There is so much out there to discover!!

​Where Alberta was having such a dry season, we were a touch nervous about accessing water; however, we were able to find a flowing stream at a horse camp at GR192 676. This however, was our last water source until we reached the lake. 

​The next day we left our campsite, ensuring there was no evidence of us left behind, and headed down the drainage. Originally sticking to skiers right we soon realized this was not the right route, before us was a massive drop off. The views were great however for scouting the upcoming section. Backtracking, and gaining skiers left side of the drainage we were able to follow a small game trail until it crossed another drainage. Here the trail disappeared. Deciding to go with gravity we headed downwards, hoping to find the game trail again. Sadly, this resulted in an hour detour as we had to regain the lost elevation and head up another 300m. As a word of advice, once you cross over the drainage, suck it up and just head up!! Working up a sweat, we coaxed our bodies up the hill. Our efforts were rewarded, we found a well-established horse trail, wahoo!!!!!

​The horse trail was in amazing condition! We skipped along at a rocket pace, soon finding ourselves at a small horse camp. Some concern started to rise as we had yet to find water since leaving the lake. We had expected to find water soon, but we were disappointed. Recognizing we had yet to reach the main horse camp, we followed the dry river bed looking for Guinn’s Camp GR227 727. Luck was on our side and the South Ghost River had WATER!!! Feeling the heat of the day, I took full advantage, rinsing the salt from my face. Refreshed and our water bottles filled to the brim Nathan and I continued our plod. 

The question was raised, could we make it out today? Nathan might not have known it, but I already had my answer!!
 
Prior to leaving we were told there would be another well-established horse trail showing us the way to Exshaw Col. There was certainly a trail, well-established…well…. I’ll leave that one up to you to decide. Wandering through the mountains we finally came to the drainage leading down from Exshaw Col. It was a little intimidating looking up at the slope. It seemed like a lot of elevation to gain. Satisfied that we were in the right spot, we started up. The terrain was too steep on either side of the drainage so we elected to head straight up it! A late lunch was enjoyed as we sat at the top of the Col admiring Exshaw off in the distance (~15km away). 

​Luck was on our side and we were able to find another animal trail leading us away from the Col towards the valley bottom. A bit of gymnastics was required as we worked our way through the mayhem of deadfall. Finally, we reached the point where the river widened and now we were faced with a 10km hike along a dry riverbed.

As the day continued I was reminded that I we had not crossed any water since leaving the horse camp. Would we find any? Or would we be forced to hike out tonight? As I eluded to earlier…I already knew what I wanted. With the sun beaming down on us and limited water grumpy Jenna started to make her debut. Wisely we chose shelter in the shade and a most delicious Nutella and peanut butter bagel was consumed. 

We were both relieved to reach the junction with Fable creek and find out that the information we gathered before the trip was indeed correct. Just a short distance past the creek we found running water! Oh, how delicious fresh mountain water is!! Taking advantage of the freshness, we sat here for quite a while. The decision needed to be made, continue or stay put? We had been hiking for 8 hours by this point, but the idea of a fresh meal and a warm shower spoke to us like the sirens. Tying up our laces and putting our packs back on, we were up and on our way. 

​After many pointless jokes, and silly stories, it seemed like an eternity went by, finally we reached the damn and knew HWY 1a was just around the corner. Having arranged for a ride to pick us up the following evening we stood alongside the HWY and stuck out our thumbs. Not 10min later we were happily climbing into a vehicle that would shuttle us back to Canmore.

This trip was absolutely spectacular, amazingly beautiful scenery, awesome route finding, simplicity of just walking out ones’ front door, and great company. I can’t wait to get out and explore this area again!

It is hard to believe I have been in Harbin, China for a month already! It seems like yesterday I went through security at the Calgary airport with tears streaming down my face. Man, that was an emotionally charged experience!

​Considering this is only my second time outside of Canada and the US, I find international travel fascinating. You sit in a metal box, sleep, eat, watch a movie, meditate, and poof, you wake up and you’re on the other side of the world. You stand up, work out the stiffness in your knees, laugh as you look at your swollen ankles, and step out of said metal box. Suddenly, no one speaks your language, not a single face looks familiar, and you can no longer read the signs. I wonder if this is what it is like to have some form of a brain injury. In a single instance, you go from being able to carry on a functional conversation, to feeling like an infant, unable to use words to communicate what it is you’re needing. 

Leaving Calgary at 7:30am on Oct 1st I arrived in Harbin, China at 11:00pm on Oct 2nd! Originally, I was told we would be living here for 2 weeks, that was changed to three, and then four. Now, as I write this we are supposed to be moving to a different training facility in three days and I have yet to find out if we are going to Beijing, Changchun, or staying put. Being here has been a great exercise in letting go of expectations, or at least being more aware of my expectations :)

​The athletes are a lot of fun. There are 25 on the team. Some of them speak minimal English. We have become the master of charades. Slowly, very slowly, I am picking up some mandarin, but man, it is hard! Variable tones is not something I easily pick up on. Often the athletes are keeled over laughing as I try to speak. Unbeknownst to me, the one day I kept saying F@#! instead of hot water! BIG OOPS!! Everyone in the therapy room was rolling on the floor in stitches. It was the next day before anyone told me what I was saying!!!

I haven’t had a lot of time to explore, but Steve, the strength and conditioning coach from England, and I go off on adventures whenever we can. Having been with the team for one month before I arrived he was excited to have an English-speaking companion. I don’t feel isolated or crave to speak English as Steve LOVES to talk. We joke that my Canadian optimism evens out his British moaning. 

Day to day I am less active than my usual so during free time I often go in search of parks and ways to burn off energy. The team thinks I am nuts as I’ll often walk downtown and back; approximately ~15km round trip, run the 4 flights of stairs in our accommodations, or run circles around the parking lot. Yes, I am the crazy blonde running around China!

​Cool experiences I’ve had:
​
We’ve only had three smoggy days. Two of them we could see the smog in the hallway of the building. The air quality index stops at 500 (hazardous) and our reading was literally off the charts. But no need to fret, I had a lovely pink face mask with flowers!!! Oh, how one needs to love China!

​The food is quite delicious, served in cafeteria style, we get three meals a day. Wanting to be open and try everything I quickly learned NOT to ask what I was eating. Just an FYI, ligaments are pretty tasty, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat them again now knowing what they are!!!
 
Crossing roads is the biggest adrenalin rush I get over here. The main road outside of the training facility is 8 lanes wide…and there is no crosswalk!!! You literally just start walking at a constant pace and the cars move around you!!! It is intimidating when two buses come by and you’re in-between them!!!
 
I take every opportunity I can to sneak away and explore the city. Some of the cool places I been able to see are:

​Sun Island – A little oasis in the city of 10million. Lots of trees, sculptures, and a relaxed feel. In the winter it is the host of the famous Harbin ice festival. 

​Binzhou Railway Bridge – To get to Sun Island you can walk from downtown across this bridge. It is regarded as one of the masterpieces in modern China bridge history. Exceeding 1000meters, it is the longest bridge of the Chinese Eastern Railway and was completed in 1901. Steel beams needed to be replaced at two different times!
 
Zhongyang Street – the pedestrian street in Harbin. It’s a neat place to stroll, a cobbled street surrounded by Russian architecture. I’d recommend checking it out at night.

​Flood Memorial – found at the north end of the pedestrian street it shows the water levels for three different floods. It is also on a path system that follows the water’s edge

​Whipping the spinning top – This was sooo cool! Having the morning free Steve and I wandered through the city street in search of another park. On the way, we came across a group of people with three foot whips and 8-inch spinning tops. After watching for a few seconds, the one lady used hand gestures to invite me to try. She showed me how it was done and then handed me the whip. When you hit it right a giant crack would echo out. It didn’t take me long to warm up doing this. What a cool, once in a life time, experience!

​One of the biggest challenges being here is communication. Yes, communicating with the team is a challenge, but so is communicating with home. Google products are blocked which means I can’t check my gmail. Facebook, whatsapp, and Instagram are also blocked. Some get around this by using a VPN which changes your IP address so it looks like you are in another country. But China is ever so smart and has been cracking down on these. BUT the cool part….for only $10 a month I was able to get a SIM card that has 600mb of data A DAY!!!! Hello skype!!! Thank the goodness for this! I never thought I would be willing to have a skype call on data :) Oh, and just incase you find yourself in China with a broken phone...you know...hypothetical of course, a new iPhone will arrive in only 3 days :)

Serves 1

Serves 2

The late snowpack left us changing our plans at the last minute. Originally we planned to explore a campground in Yoho National Park, but the road had yet to open. Sometimes the hardest thing with planning a trip is having the flexibility to change plans and let go of expectations.

Wanting to stay at a lower elevation we strapped on our backpacks and headed for Larry's camp (Jo9). At first glance Larry's Camp looks like it would be a zoo to get to, taking you through the throngs of tourists discovering the beauty of the Johnston Canyon. We however, were able to avoid the masses and take a side trail avoiding the canyon all together! Based on the number of cars parked alongside the road we were grateful for this opportunity. 

The side trail, Moose Meadows, is a mixture of an old road bed and a hiking trail. We were grateful that it was not raining as a various sections of the trail were muddy and swampy. Bug spray was needed!

Arriving at the Ink Pots we were spoiled with all the colour. It was too beautiful to simply pass by so we took the time to enjoyed it and explore. 

Continuing through the meadows past the Ink Pots and across the river. The trail ducts back into the forest. Some elevation remained to be gained, but only 3km further we came across our home for the night. Many of the ladies in the group hadn't camped in 10+ years and I was stoked to provide an opportunity for them to learn and re-experience it. After setting up camp we came together for a map and compass lesson and then it was their turn to lead the way. Heading off on an adventure the ladies were awesome, they found the right trail, identified various mountains around us, and even predicted how long it would take us to hike a short section! I was impressed!

After some laughter, games where we tried to identify a tree by touch only, and many photo opportunities our stomachs started to rumble. Armed with two different types of stoves the ladies stepped up to learn how they functioned. We ate like Kings...or should I say Queens. Soup for an appetizer, vegetable curry for the main, and vanilla pudding over cookies for desert. We did not go to bed hungry! 

That night some of us found out that the temperature rating on a sleeping bag is not always accurate. The desire to get up and perform pushups to stay warm was ignored and instead all the positive things were focused on..."there are no spiders on me". Despite the lack of sleep, in the morning everyone had a smile upon their face with a coffee in hand. Some sleepy heads even had coffee in "bed".  

With caffeine surging through our veins we headed off in search of a Warden's Cabin. After hiking for 45min towards Luellen Lake we decided it was time to turn around, pack up our stuff, and head back to reality. The sun was bright and the skies were blue. We really couldn't have asked for a better weekend! Thanks so much, Ladies for joining me on this awesome trip. For those continuing on to the West Coast Trail, I know you will rock it! I can't wait to get out with you all again!