Earlier this week I went out for the first tour of the season. 30 minutes before sundown on a windy wintry night, I felt the call of the wild, and what is more wild than Nose Hill?
The snow was terrible, and the wind was genuinely piercing, but it was still very nostalgic. Nose Hill is where Cole and I first toured last year so it only felt right to pay homage to where it all began.
The downhill was even worse. I constantly got stuck, and it was only by some miracle that I didn't get any core shots.
And yet I was inspired. I had a great summer backpacking in the Canadian Rockies with highlights including Paradise Valley and Fairy Meadows. Now, I feel the need to explore the mountains in the winter. I had some great days with Jack and Cole last year, but my main goal then was to get educated and get my gear dialed in. Now I have no excuses to not get out there!
One takeaway I gleaned from the January Journal bucket list was that specific goals aren't super valuable. Of the 7 spots in that list, I only ended up actually visiting two of them, but I'm not disappointed about the lack of follow through. We found lots of other great spots, and the ones we didn't visit will still be there next year. Instead of setting goals to visit exact campsites which require far-ahead bookings and are subject to unforeseen interruptions, I wish I set goals which were larger in scope. "I want to backpack a loop in Banff" would be much more achievable and flexible.
While I slogged around Nose Hill, I thought about some goals I have for this winter.
- Hut Tour
Visiting a hut with my friends and exploring the surrounding mountains for a couple of days sounds like a true (albiet luxurious) adventure - Glacier Traverse
Wapta? Bow-Yoho? Maybe a shorter single-day option? Regardless, I'll need to take a crevasse rescue course. - Explore The Icefields Parkway
Jack says that this is where the Banff locals sneak off to which means that there must be some good stuff here. - Explore Nelson
Allegedly, we are going to revisit Nelson this year. Last time we just romped around the resorts, but this time I want to check out the backcountry. - Explore Roger's Pass
The mecca of backcountry. This one might be a little optimistic just due to time constraints, but man, it would be so much fun.
As the sun set, I slowly trudged back to the car. I learned about the joy of folding skins in wild wind, and reminisced when I saw my ski boots steaming in frosty air. This is going to be a good year.