Tag Archives: motivational quotes

Wild Ice & Other Adventures

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Lake of the Hanging Glacier (Credit: Megan Kopp)

We hiked in B.C.’s Invermere Valley these past days off and re-visited Lake of the Hanging Glacier.  Our first trip to the area was an overnight backpack trip years ago with our five-year-old daughter.  Back then, it took us most of the day to wind our way through the forested trail alongside Hell Roaring Creek, up the switchbacks, across the avalanche slopes and out onto the subalpine meadow camping area. 

After setting up our tent, we strolled the 1/2 km or so up to the lakeshore.  The Commander and The Lieutenants stood guard at the end of the glacial blue lake.  Jumbo Glacier flowed over the mountaintops and down the valley, one finger reaching into the water.  My daughter was captivated by the icebergs bobbing in the lake. 

“Do you want to try a piece of ice?” my husband asked her.

“Yes!”

He found a longer stick in the avalanche debris littering the shoreline, waded out in the frigid water and started to pull a small berg closer to shore.  My girl was dancing beside me.

“Why are you so excited?” I asked.

“I’ve never had wild ice before!”

This adventure came back in a flash as we stood on the shore a few days ago, watching the icebergs bob and dance in the waves.  It put my mind to thinking about all of the mini-adventures and stories that have come out of our travels.  “Wild Ice and Other Adventures” – sounds like a book title.  And why not? 

“Write it down. Written goals have a way of transforming wishes into wants;
cant’s into cans; dreams into plans; and plans into reality.”  – Unknown

Writing and Hiking: The Perfect Combo

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Hiking Utah (Credit: Ally Kopp)

In my last post, I started with a Thoreau quote about moving feet leading to flowing thoughts. Apparently Henry David and I aren’t the only ones who have made this connection.

Writers Who Hike

1. Kevin J. Anderson. This whole blog is cool, but his best post (as far as I’m concerned) is the one where he talks about dictating while hiking. Now I haven’t given this a whirl yet – mainly because I’m a bit of a clutz and I can see myself so busy with the tape recorder that I’d walk right into a tree – but I can see its potential.  I think I’ll give a go while resting on a mountain pass or seated streamside at camp.

2. 100 Hikes.com. This is the inspiration of hiker/writer Kolby Kirk and I love the post where he scans pages from his hiking journal to share.  What I wouldn’t give for 1/10th of his artistic talent.  But beyond sketches, the information he records is used to help him write blogposts down the line.  I do the same thing with my Nomad Adventure Journal for articles, blogposts, and just to keep a record of trails hiked.

3. Hiking Lady blog. Carol Roberts is a hit for me simply because I’m a woman who hikes and the information contained within in her posts matches my interests.  Her goal is to “make it easy and fun for women to embrace the outdoors!”  Gotta love that.

Do you have a blog about writing and hiking (or canoeing or climbing or mountain biking or trail running or…)?  Post your link in the comments section!

 “At some time in everyone`s life they will stumble across opportunity.
Sadly, most people will pick themselves up and walk away
as though nothing had ever happened. ”
– Winston Churchill

Waterton Lakes National Park Sparks Creativity

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Overlooking Carthew Lakes (Credit: Brad Kopp)

Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.”- Henry David Thoreau

Sitting on a knoll above Carthew Ridge, I wasn’t counting the footsteps it took to climb 650 m (2132 ft) from Cameron Lake.  I was soaking up the views; laughing at the antics of resident marmots; and juggling story ideas that were flooding my head.

Waterton Lakes National Park – tucked in Alberta’s southwest corner – is wildflowers, wildlife and wickedly good hiking during summer months.  Relatively small (0.07% of Alberta’s landbase), the park boasts 50% of the province’s plant species.  With an unusually cool and moist spring, the wildflowers are blooming a few weeks later than norm – a boon for us! A seasonal story on Waterton’s wonderful wildflowers wouldn’t be amiss.

Up on Carthew Mountain, my hubby paused in wonder as he investigated wolverine tracks left in a snowdrift.  What brought it up to this barren summit?  Where was it going?  Do wolverines appreciate the view as humans do?  Research into these cool creatures in Waterton Lakes would be a interesting tale to tell.

On the drive back down Akamina Parkway towards the townsite, we slowed to snap a quick picture of a cinnamon-coloured black bear and her three wee cubs as they grazed on dandelions in their own roadside restaurant.  Waterton is well-known for its grizzly population, but I wonder how many black bears are in the park?  Or how many deer? It seems like there are hundreds of these brazen creatures wandering Waterton’s streets with impunity.  Wildlife management in parks is always topical.  And surely there’s a story in the success of salamander migration tunnels leading to Linnet Lake?

And there’s the hiking.  Early July in almost in any other national park is prime season.  Trails are packed with adventurers throwing off the chains of work and school and setting off to explore the wilderness.  Now don’t get me wrong, Waterton is a popular destination, but the trails we visited were refreshingly uncrowded.  When I asked about the name for the whitish-coloured lily with three petals (the Mariposa), parks staff said I must have been on the Buffalo Paddock Trail because that’s where it was in bloom.  Made me think there could be a short article about walking for wildflowers, e.g. want to see avalanche lilies and bear grass, hike Carthew Summit trail.

Thoreau is so right – taking a break from the computer keyboard and stretching the legs is always productive.

Aboriginal Chicken Dance Inspires Writing

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Chicken Dancers (Credit: Megan Kopp)

“Writing comes more easily if you have something to say.” – Sholem Asch

These past few days have been busy with travel writing projects and short turn-around times for articles. There are times when a hectic pace and looming deadline can cause a brief moment of writer’s block, but not this weekend.  I was immersed in the culture of the Blackfoot people at the 3rd Annual Chicken Dance World Championships at Blackfoot Crossing on Saturday and uncovered more story leads than I could have imagined.

What is it that inspires writers?
I can’t speak for everyone, but for me, motivation to write often comes from people and their stories.  It the tale of the four-year-old chicken dancer who captured my gaze the moment he entered the dance ring.  Talking with his mom, I discovered that he was wearing the outfit his father had danced in as a child and that his two-year-old brother would have danced as well if he wasn’t feeling under the weather.  I was intrigued by the family and then needed to know more about the choice of beads, feathers and cloth used to create each outfit, by the language spoken in the dance steps, and by the songs sung by the drummers.

One person, one little chicken dancer, opened my eyes to a world of potential stories.

Forward momentum

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“Go with the flow and keep your ducks in a row!” (Credit: Megan Kopp)

And just when you think you have it all worked out – you realise you’ve only just begun.  Fresh on the heels of my site launch, I’m slightly overwhelmed by the social media links necessary to keep blog visits increasing and garner that ever-favoured search engine approval.  But I’m not resting on my laurels and am surging… okay – plodding… ahead by taking an online course called Blogging for Passion & Profit. Jane’s words of wisdom put my fears of technology into perspective:  “I think everyone is a technophobe to some extent … mainly because tech stuff changes every day.”

I’m not alone!  That’s a marvellous feeling for someone who carries on conversations in their head and is stuck at a keyboard for however many hours a day.  So I’m moving ahead, adding a Twitter feed link to the site and announcing blogposts on Facebook.  As with any project, the key to success is to keep going.

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” – Unknown

Writing and Learning

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“Focus, motivation, and fun!” (Credit: Brad Kopp)

This writer’s life is all about learning. Today I’m learning how to establish my blog, how to map a writing career and how to set the bus on the right road. The wheels are spinning, but the GPS system needs a little fine-tuning. I like to think it’s a sign of a creative mind to have so many projects on the go, but I’m realising that in order to reach my final destination, I’m going to need to set clear goals.

Goal Number One: Focus
I’m writing my dreams and goals down (in one book) and talking about them with other writers. These two simple acts are making me focus and prioritize my projects. If you can’t describe the route to someone else, how will you know which road you need to take?

Goal Number Two: Stay Motivated
It’s too easy to become excited by a project and then falter when you hit a roadblock. Suddenly you’re taking a detour and the original destination is lost in the joy of the new path. And when the road closes ahead, you race off on yet another joyride. I want to stay motivated to finish some of the big projects I’ve had in mind for several years. I want to reach those particular destinations. Writing it down is a start and when I need motivation, I’ll see these words and remember my goals.

The Ultimate Goal
Do all of this, but still have fun while I’m doing it!

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow, what a ride!'” – Hunter S. Thompson