Dustin's Road to Nowhere: May Long Weekend in Banff National Park

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

May Long Weekend in Banff National Park

May long offered a chance to get out for some early season hiking and we lucked out with the weather as many complained of snow and rain, we saw warm Sun and Clouds all weekend. With the high pass and good hikes still covered in snow we had to do some of the more tourist oriented hikes, however it was a great way to start the season, and get the legs moving. Here's some pics enjoy!

Day 1 - Near Banff - Hoodoo's - 1/2 way to Johsnton Lake and back - Bow River Trail - Tunnel Mountain; 13 KMs easy hiking). Iwouldn't suggest the hike unless you are in the early or late season and their aren't many options, most views are scared by the development around the city of Banff and there's very little elevation gain except for Tunnel Mountain where the views are over rated.

Day 2 - Bow Glacier Falls - Nice hike, especially at this time of year where the only people we met where skiers coming back from a backcountry trip and the snow added a little adventure. Would be busy in the core season since it's short, easy and offers great views, which wouldn't make it appealing to me in the summer months. About 10KM out and back and a couple extra of exploring.

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Where to start: THE ROAD TO NOWHERE

So I've been looking back at my life and looking forward to where I want to go and find things are often a blur. So I thought why not do as every other person who seems to have access to the Internet and start a blog so I can one day look back and at everything that happened, and if want to, share with others the fun things I've done, allow those who are far away to see what's happened and if I feel insightful one day maybe even share some thoughts with you.

Why Dustin's Road to Nowhere - Many of you will see this title and immediatly expect this to be sad, dark, or negative but I don't see the analogy Road to Nowhere as negative, actually it's quite the opposite. I believe the Road to Nowhere is where I want to be. It's that place or state of mind you reach when you are exactly where you want to be and you are traveling forward in time but you aren't trying to go anywhere. OK for those you that are going what hell is he talking about here's an example:

It's late January or early February, it's been a stressful week (I can't remember why?) and I'm out Nordic skiing at Duntroon Highlands, it's about -5, fresh fluffy snowflakes are falling, I haven't seen anyone in over a half hour. I'm seemingly alone in the wilderness, I've skied about 7 or 8 Km's nonstop, I have a smile, the stress from the week is a distant memory, my thoughts are void (Similar to the state of mediation that the Buddhist monks try and achieve through mediation and stay in that state for hours, days, months or longer.). All that can be heard are my deep breaths border lining on breathless and the gliding sound of my skis, I still have another 7 or 8 Km's till I get back to the chalet But I'm not trying to get anywhere, I'm exactly where I want to be and would carry on like this forever. I may be moving forward, covering distance, you could say I'm travelling, but I've already reached my destination, my goal. At this point I'm travelling A Road to Nowhere.

These moments can be found anywhere and are found in different places and at different times for different people, it can be when you are surrounded with laughter and the people you love, holding that special someone in the middle of the night, beeing isolated in the wilderness away from reality, tying together curves on a motorcycle down a deserted twisty highway, or scaring the shit out of yourself riding off an unexpected rock drop on a gnarly mountain bike trail. However, I think there's a lucky a few that follow their dreams, whatever they maybe and reach a point where every moment of their life they are travelling that Road to Nowhere.