The Call to Adventure

“AAAHHHH!!!” Is what I thought to myself as my quarter life crisis struck at the ripe old age of twenty six. I’m not sure how many people have a quarter life crisis, but this is what happened. After I settled into my new home in Calgary, Alberta, I had this sudden realization.

Despite my new environment and alleged progression in life, I had never really done anything that I considered overly interesting. I had done some travels, including trips to London, New York and Las Vegas, but nonetheless I felt that something truly exciting was missing from my life.

It's a little cheesy to say but looking back now I realize that I was feeling that deep, instinctual urge that many humans have. An explorer’s instinct born in older times, before we knew what lay over the great seas. Before we knew the secrets within the valleys and forests nestled in the rocky, awe-inspiring peaks of the mountains and vast wilderness.

I am of course referring to the “Call to Adventure”. Feeling this sudden, urgent draw upon my heart and mind, I set out fearlessly… to Google! Fueled by the mountains in my backyard, and a little red wine and research, I decided I would take up hiking. My goal was to have an amazing adventure before I turned thirty and experience life as much as possible.

For my first quest, I set my heart on completing the West Coast Trail. I could imagine it vividly… I saw myself summiting amazing peaks and boldly exploring tough mountain trails as an intrepid solo hiker, dust drifting up beneath my boots with each step. There was one hiccup with this plan, however, and that’s that I had no clue what the hell I was doing. With another perilous journey to Google, I discovered a multitude of hiking clubs in the city of Calgary. Upon signing up for the club that I felt best suited my needs at the time, aptly called “Slow&Steady Hikers”, my journey began…

My First "Hike"

One mild night in February, I suited up for my first club outing. Having no proper gear at all, I laced up my tractionless Roper Barn boots, donned a cotton pair of leggings layered under baggy jeans, shouldered my beat up old school backpack and headed out.

The night wasn’t too cold, luckily, but the parking lot at Nose Hill was dark. Very dark. I suddenly wondered what sane person drives out to go for a walk in the dark, with a bunch of strangers, in the middle of Winter...

Suddenly worried that I might encounter an ax murderer, I parked where I could watch the lot discreetly and peered around. A blue minivan pulled into the parking lot a few minutes later and out climbed a middle-aged fellow. More people arrived and began to congregate around the van, laughing and talking with familiarity, setting my mind at ease. I hopped out and went to join the group.

These were indeed the Slow&Steady Hikers, and the fellow driving the Minivan was none other than the club’s founder. As I approached, he looked my “hiking” clothes up and down, most likely wondering if I was suitably prepared. Nonetheless he welcomed me to the event and offered me a set of hiking poles. I declined, feeling quite confident in my athletic ability to keep up without a set of poles.

Besides, poles were only for old or injured people anyway!

After some introductions, our little group set off single file down the trail into the night, illuminated only by my colleague’s little headlamps, and the soft, orange glow of the city lights surrounding Nose Hill Park.

If you’ve never been to Nose Hill Park in Calgary, I recommend paying it a visit for a great Urban Hiking experience. There are leg burning hills, fascinating gullies and intriguing little groves of trees to explore as well as wildlife such as deer and coyotes if you get lucky enough to spot them.

As you can see, there’s some lovely views and in some parts it’s like you’re not even in the city!

Back to the story! This evening felt a little warmer thanks to the Chinook that had blown through the city earlier, and the snow covering the hills and valleys was a little wet and sticky, creating some slushy puddles here and there but nothing we couldn’t handle.

Eventually we hiked up and over a hill with a slippery, squishy looking snowbank.

No problem, the others in my group were able to easily walk down this bit of trail with their grippy boots and trekking poles to stabilize them, both items I didn’t have, and had haughtily declined with my inflated ego. Following their example, I stepped confidently and boldly down the edge of the snowbank.

Instantly, my tractionless boot began sliding down the slushy mess! I fell straight down into a slurry of ice and mud, yelping loudly as muck saturated the right side of my jeans, the chill blooming across my butt and leg, and my ego deflating as rapidly as I had fallen.

The lady behind me in the line carefully picked her way down the snowbank and thanked me with a laugh and a smile for showing her how unsteady that section of trail was!

I completed the rest of the evening hike without further incident, and with a huge smile on my face. As I endured some good-natured teasing, I also got insight and encouragement to look into the hiking club’s programs.

Taught and run by the founder, these programs taught new hikers the ropes, and as I brushed mud thoughtfully from my pants, I decided that it was exactly what I needed to help me reach my goals.

Bitten by the Hiking Bug

I signed up for a few smaller workshops through the club, and then began the Club’s “Sofa to Summit” program in April of 2018.

I started out as a complete beginner.

By the end of June, I was a strong intermediate hiker with a whole new group of friends, and my visions of solo hiking were replaced by actual plans with the amazing people I had met. My passion for hiking and adventure grew even more from these trips and the benefits I experienced have completely changed my life.

I know that I have grown immensely as a person, feeling more confident and happier in general. Staying fit is no longer a monotonous slog, but rather a stepping stone to bigger and better adventures. I still have not yet completed the West Coast Trail, but I hiked up Mount Fuji in Japan! With that, I consider my promise to have a great adventure before turning thirty fulfilled!

Let's Go On An Adventure!

I could not have achieved these goals without great teachers and more experienced people to learn from though, and I realized that I wanted to give back by being a mentor myself.

I started by working on my own outdoor skills so I could better help other beginners achieve their adventure goals, and be the best teacher and leader I could possibly be.

I took a Core Survival Workshop and Bear Spray knowledge course, a Basic Knowledge course for the National Parks through the Interpretive Guide Association, achieved certification as a Hiking Field Leader, and I have achieved my 40 hour Wilderness First Aid Certification. I am constantly learning, and that’s just another benefit to this whole crazy journey.

Currently, I reside in the Edmonton Area, and hiking mountains regularly is more challenging, but that doesn’t mean that adventures are no longer accessible. I decided to take up hiking on a whim, and it made sense since I was in a location that facilitated that choice at the time.

Hiking is such an amazing activity that really anyone can do though, no matter where you are. It certainly does have its ups and downs though, and I’m not just talking about the hills!

There are so many little things to know about hiking safely and having a good experience, and how to be prepared for when things still go wrong. Learning how to read a map, what to pack, and what to know about your chosen trail before you even leave the house are all just the tip of the iceberg. It can be a little scary and overwhelming!

Luckily, I have laughed and suffered through many experiences, and I want to share what I have learned with you so you can feel at least a little more confident when you decide to go on your first hike! I hope that you will join me as I share my stories, insights, skills, and discuss the second-best hobby in the world (collecting and using hiking gear!) and that through following my journey, your own will be that much more rewarding!

Happy Hiking!

~Meg

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