We had planned this trip for months – it was the first big “together” trip for my family since our family has grown by marriage and babies. Along with my youngest sister Sarah and her husband, Andrew, we decided to visit Yosemite National Park first, and then rendezvous with everyone several days later in Lake Tahoe. Extension to Yosemite was worth every second. As you know, Kris and I love hiking and photography, and Yosemite is a paradise for both.

We stayed outside the southern entrance to the Park; each day we drove in with plans to hike new trails.  We technically hit the Park in its off-season, so the crowds were down.  That was a nice perk on many of the trails and in-roads so we could take our time and stop whenever we pleased.  Kris and I should have made a sticker for the back of our rental car: Vehicle Makes Frequent Stops to Photograph.  Our feet were the best mode of transportation though – with the vast trail system, we were out and about every single day.

We hiked with all of our camera equipment, which made the hike a little heavier, but worth the effort after seeing the processed photos.  Long exposures, HDR, and macro photography – all things that I had the time to play with and the scenes to shoot.  If we had had more time and the appropriate gear, I would have jumped at the chance to do some back country camping and backpacking.  However, this trip focused on the highlights – Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point, Mariposa (Giant Sequoia) Grove, the various falls, Tuolumne Meadows, and the glacial lakes.  Maybe next time on the backpacking?

[Full Set of Yosemite Photos on Flickr]

Since we took over 20 gigs of photos in the Park, I have many more to add to this photo set… it takes time to go through them all!  As you can see, we had beautiful weather and clear skies – a perfect combination for memorable hikes and photographs.

Promised Land State Park, Pennsylvania

The snow began to fall steadily at the state park, so we cut our hike short.  There were already large snow drifts and several closed roads.  We didn’t anticipate all the snow, so we actually didn’t have all of the layers that we typically would have for snow hiking.  Next stop – a little less snowy – was Raymondskill Falls, outside of Milford, PA.

Inside town, we went to the Grey Towers National Historic Landmark and as we were driving to find a spot for lunch, we happened upon a yarn shop (Kris actually pointed it out!) and we stopped by for a quick peek… and a quick purchase.

As Kris drove, I knit. I had searched for a pattern that I could get excited about to bring on the knitting love again, and I found it in the form of the Albers Cowl by Ann Weaver (Ravelry link).  I am so excited about this knit and the artistic inspiration behind it… I am planning a whole post on it very soon, but I will gladly show my progress after some hours of driving:

This is serving as a great stashbusting project, and my first time with simple modular knits – I love this process.  I have some great color combinations in my head, and I am excited to see how they work together in these blocks.

I have ambitious plans for blogging this week.  I have lots of tell you… meetings with great knitters, a pilgrimage to “America’s Yarn Store”, and even some finished knits to share. Here’s hoping my blog mojo AND my knitting mojo are back to stay!

]]> http://lollygirl.com/blog/2011/03/28/sites-knits-in-pa/feed 12 http://lollygirl.com/blog/2010/03/11/take-a-hike-2 http://lollygirl.com/blog/2010/03/11/take-a-hike-2#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:30:13 +0000 lolly http://lollygirl.com/blog/?p=2685 Nine days and nery a word…  I still had a few Vancouver events to tell you about, but I got sucked into some amazing books, and playing catch-up at work.  I wish I could say that I had spent my time finishing my Olympics sweater… but nope… it’s still in the bag I put it in before we left for the trip.  

Spending two full weeks in Vancouver was fabulous – but one of the biggest highlights of the trip for us was getting out of the city itself, heading north to take a hike in the rainforest.

It rains in the rainforest.  But we didn’t let that stop us!

Our wonderful hosts, Chris and Christa, took us up to North Vancouver to hike at Lynn Canyon.  In the photo above, you see that Kris and I are standing on a suspension bridge – high above the river below!  I am okay with heights (for the most part) but there was a decent amount of traffic on the bridge, so I was holding on as I crossed and looked over to the river below.  

The temperate rain forest is a beautiful thing.  We saw glimpses of it during our trip to the Olympic Peninsula last year, and were able to compare it with the tropical rainforest and cloud forests we saw in Peru in 2007.  The temperate rain forest is not hot, but there is a mist and an insulating humidity.  Much like the mist machines at the market that spray the fruits and veggies with water… you get a little “dewy”. 

Like a dreamscape – the large and commanding trees covered with the lush, verdant moss.

Seeing the forest and the river renewed and inspired us. 

Many more photos – including some lovely macros of the mosses and more of the river and trees are over on Kris’s blog.  He also did a great post about one of our other events – our trip to the Vancouver Aquarium.  He took all the photos that day, and he got some great shots.  Check them out! 

Taking the pauses as they come – realizing them for the true gifts that they are. Not rushing to end the pause. It is in these pauses when calmness and clarity come. In a world where “multitasking” is revered, and countless hours are spent doing too many things at once, it is all the more meaningful to take the time to really explore the stillness.

Even the most menial tasks can be enjoyed when you simply think about what you are doing at the present moment. One of my favorite tasks for “living in the moment” is washing the dishes. The simple act of turning on the faucet, wetting my hands and a cloth, preparing the soap. I think about the science of it and I think about the art of it. I think about how I am grateful for indoor plumbing and for even having a pot to wash. With these thoughts in mind, you can wash a dozen dishes and also invite the stillness into your mind. It’s a lovely exercise – try it!

Mindfulness is so simple, yet so few people in our society do it. I am doing some research right now on mindfulness in yoga practice for my final project for Teacher Training. I hope to have more to share soon – my mindfulness project goes beyond the physical practice of yoga, and into every day life yoga – on and off the mat. My research paper is due next month, so you will probably hear more about it

Walking and hiking is definitely one of the most enjoyable activities, and a very good way to introduce a mindfulness practice into your life.  I especially like to take the hikes during the little pauses in between seasons – those sort of subtle days when there is a fuzzy line between the two… This weekend provided such an opportunity to explore a new trail in one of our favorite areas.  We took the dogs, and we took our time.

Project Spectrum has been a practice of mindfulness from the very beginning – just noticing the things around you.  Even if you feel that you don’t have the time to actually “craft” something in the specific colors this time around, you can still participate in the way of thinking about it.  Thinking about the ripples on the water, thinking about the blue of the sky, thinking about the shifting seasons…  and finally, taking the pause and just relishing in it.

1. Rock Face , 2. Rock Strata, 3. Cape Breton , 4. Hawaii beachcombing

This new round of Project Spectrum is different than any other – for years, I wanted to find a way to bring a textural element into PS, and this is the first year that it seems like a really good fit. Each of the cardinal directions are associated with certain natural materials (according to many different cultures and traditions around the world.) This first direction – NORTH – is associated with the earth element, and stone and rock are the natural materials.

(Surprise snow storm last weekend – more photos here)

For a creative mind, this is a wonderful chance to play with the idea of stone: incorporating it into your projects – stone buttons on a cardigan, working with gemstones for beaded artwork, designing a rock garden or a stone pathway, photography of rocks and stones in your area… there is so much you could do with this alone!

However, if you want to take it even deeper (you always can!) you can choose to explore the relationships of green (the associated color of this cardinal direction) and the materials of stone. This idea gave me the chance to go through some of my nature photography looking for inspiration on how these two things work together.

1. Patuxent River, 2. Peggys Cove, NS, 3. Moss-Covered Stones

This new dimension of Project Spectrum is providing a deep well of inspiration for me. Rocks are amazing works of art in themselves – smoothed by water and wind, or jagged and sharp from force and movement.

The Project Spectrum Ravelry group continues to whirr with excitement and inspiration – many participants are including photos for the PS Photo Challenge that I mentioned in my last post.  The group has over 1000 members now, and there is a great spirit among the community.  Please join if you haven’t already!

–

Knitting post to come soon… I can’t believe it has been three posts without knitting content.  I hope you are still interested in reading!

***

I read about the 8 Colors of Fitness in one of my favorite magazines, Experience Life, over the weekend.  (You can read it here - opens to a PDF) and because I am obsessed with fitness right now, and I love the color concept, I did the test and found out more about my “fitness color”. 

The author of the book bases her research on the well-known Myers Briggs Type Indicator test that asks you a series of questions.  From these questions, it estimates your personality type, and assigns you a four letter analysis that tells you more about yourself.  Like most tests, it is never “spot-on”, but it can be educational and enlightening to analyze yourself in this way.  From this test, the author uses these personality traits and matches them with different exercises and fitness philosophies that you may hold.  She encourages the reader to try new activities that they may have not discovered before, thinking that they may be a good match with personality.

While the Myers-Briggs official test is often administered for a cost (usually in the workplace, or in a school) there are similar personality tests that can give you an indication of your personality type.  I found a free useful online tool at this website.    With the results of that test, you can take the results and apply them to the 8 Colors philosophy.  The 8 Colors of Fitness website also gives a beta test that you can use to determine your fitness color too.

I have taken the test twice, and I keep on getting SILVER, so maybe there is no denying the fact.  Reading over the description on the website, it gets pretty close to me, but there are still some things that aren’t quite right… but I find that I have some of the other color traits… and maybe that is all the more true – silver reflects other colors!   According to Myers-Briggs, I am an ENFP personality.  This also puts me in the group for the RED fitness color.   While I see some bits of myself in that description, I don’t think it really fits me.

As I stated above, fitness and wellness have become a major part of my life in the last few months.  When I first started my weight loss journey in 2006, I had great success in a relatively short span of months.  However, as time went by and complacency grew, I gained some of the weight that I had lost back.  My weight fluctuated thorughout 2007 and early 2008.  When I got Lyme disease and some associated illnesses this past June, I knew that this was the time to truly focus on my health.  While I could not exercise when I was most sick, I focused on my diet.  In late July, I made the switch to a full vegan diet.  Having been a strict vegetarian since I was 14, it was not extremely hard for me to stop eating dairy and egg products.  When I found a great doctor to help treat my Lyme, she urged me to also cut out sugars and gluten products to eliminate any associated risks of re-infection.  And because my health (and my life, in no uncertain terms) depended upon it, I gave those two things up over night.  Fruits are okay, but no added sugars.  I have had a few little slips with sugar and gluten – mainly in sauces – but things are really going well on that diet front. 

Once my energy levels started to come back after my first course of treatment and supplements in September, I was able to slowly start exercising again.  This truly made my heart happy.  I genuinely love exercise and it was hard for me to remain sedentary.  (That is how I read so many books at that time!)  Since I am finding such marked improvement due to these medications and my diet, I am challenging myself further with new fitness opportunities.  So this little test comes at the right time!

Before I got sick, I had started to research the idea of entering a yoga teacher training program (YTT) in order to deepen my own practice, as well as share my love of yoga with others.  According to my fitness color – this is a very SILVER thing to do!  So, if all goes as planned, I will be starting YTT in January 2009.  I recently reconnected with a friend from college (through Ravelry of all places!) who just finished up the YTT at the same studio!  it seems like fate to me!    I am practicing yoga daily – four studio classes a week and several home practices.  So, with exposure to many activities, I guess one can naturally gravitate towards the activities that best suit their personality traits.  I know this is the case with me:  I love yoga, as well as spinning (group cycling), hiking, and weight training.  Finding what you love and finding the ability to stick with it:  that is the key! 

If you are interested in reading more about my own regimen, I have started to update my Weight Loss page again – I will be doing another entry this week to record more weight loss! (yea!) I am also planning to write up an informational page here on my blog about Lyme disease and the associated co-infections:  I receive questions about it each day, and I want to provide links to some of the great resources available.  SO, if you are interested in either of these topics, please stay tuned!

…in the meantime, take the little fitness test and share with me what color you are!  even better, update me and let me know if this inspires you to get up and go! 

__

**Autumn photos above taken on our weekend hike with the dogs.  Beautiful fall!

One of the most northern points in the province. You follow a dirt road for many kilometers, all the while your mind thinking “is this right? we are in the middle of nowhere…” and then you happen upon this very small community. There is a campground there, and it would have been great to camp, but we wanted to get a little further on (and out of the rain). Maybe next time…

So, we headed south, spent the night in Ingonish at a nice inn, and headed out the next morning for lands south – and east. First we went inland to the Bras d’Or Lake region, surrounding Baddeck, home of one of Nova Scotia’s best yarn shops, Baadeck Yarns, and a great bakery, High Wheeler. (Yarn photos later!) We ran into our friends from the campground again (it really is a small world) and walked around the wharves and the docks.

That afternoon, we headed to Louisbourg, a fortress-turned-National Monument that was built by the French in the 18th-century. From Louisbourg, the French suffered several attacks from the British, and the fortress was sieged several more times, eventually falling in the 1760s. Reconstructed and employed by re-enactors, visitors can now see the fortress as it was before the large attacks – in its prime in the late 1750s.

We planned to camp near Louisbourg, but were disappointed to see that none of the campgrounds in the area accomodated tents (favoring RVs instead), and there were no restaurants open in the town. (The plusses and minuses of going in the “off-season”.) So, we regrouped, and headed south around the southeastern shore, and back to the mainland.

Spending the night near Sherbrooke, on the Eastern Shore, we got up early and planned to get out on the trails at some of the provincial parks.

We went around the small town of Sheet Harbour, and then headed to Taylor Head. We had the park to ourselves, well, except for this guy… The hikes worked up the appetite. A note to vegetarians: while it is not impossible to find vegetable dishes in rural Nova Scotia, it is challenging. However, many of the servers fielded my questions well, and there was often a salad choice – albeit kind of pale and out-of-season-looking. That being said, if you plan ahead, and maybe bring some of your own food, you will be fine. Kris, on the other hand, was in seafood heaven. This is the night he got a lobster.

After his feast, we headed to the nearby beaches of Clam Harbour and Martinique. Some of the widest and flattest beaches I have ever seen – and so pristine!

I thought it was a little chilly, but these brave girls jumped right in to the rising tide. We chatted with them for a little while, as well as a woman walking her adorable puppy. Just so relaxed and peaceful, and it shows on the peoples’ faces. We spent the night at Porters Lake Provincial Park – very nice campground, although there did seem to be a disproportionate amount of slugs (yep, found one in my shoe the next morning!)

We headed back into Halifax, and made it in time to catch the very enviable downtown farmers’ market. Ah, how nice. Too bad we were leaving the next day, or else this would have been the place to get some goodies!

We decided on a brewery tour, as well as a harbour nature tour. (They didn’t bill it as “Whale Watching” because of the chance that we may not see whales this far south…) The brewery tour was quite fun (more re-enactors! this time with mutton chops!) and we later boarded the Sea Tiger, the boat of New Dawn Charters. Once again, there is not a lot of photographic evidence to prove it, but we did see a minke whale. He was playing coy though, so every time he popped up, we would catch a glimpse, but not enough to shoot a photograph!

We ended our (free) time in Halifax with a nice dinner with Megan. It was great to start the trip with her, and then end it on that high note. I fell in love with Halifax all over again. Wow, what a province.

… we had a hard time getting home … (maybe I should think of it as Canada not wanting us to leave?) two canceled flights and sitting on the tarmac for six hours are not exactly fun, but I DID finish two books in that time. Funny thing is, I didn’t pack my knitting in carry-on because I was planning to get a nap on the plane. With that delay, I could have made a whole sweater!

And because I like maps – and some of you told me that you do too! – I thought it would be helpful to see our travels around the province:

The travels started in Halifax, in the middle of the province on the Atlantic coast, from there, we traveled clockwise (for the most part) around the province.  The only area that we did not adequately explore is the western region that connects to New Brunswick.  It was a little out of the way, and we were anxious to get north to Cape Breton.  The blue dots on the map correspond with the photos that we took – here is the complete Flickr set of photos from Nova Scotia. 

Once again, thank you so much for all of your amazing feedback!  I think I enjoy sharing my travels through writing and photography almost as much as I do traveling!

One of the most beautiful places I have ever encountered?  Definitely. 

Some of the friendliest people I have ever met?  Without a doubt.
(This can be said for all Nova Scotians…)

We crossed the Canso Causeway (above) from the “mainland” to Cape Breton Island in a late afternoon. It was evident from the minute that we crossed the bridge that the Island was going to be a little different.  In the rest of Nova Scotia, it is normal (maybe even required by law?) to have all of the street signs and directional highway signs in English AND French.  And while there was French on the sign on the Island, there was also the addition of Gaelic translations.  Nova Scotia = New Scotland. 

We made our way up the Ceilidh Trail, which celebrates the musical gatherings that are common in this area, and in other areas where Celtic diaspora settled.  We spent the night in Mabou,  home of a well-known musical family, the Rankins, and their music at the Red Shoe Pub.  Unfortunately, we were there during an off night (Monday), so we missed the live music and the dancing, but we didn’t miss the jaw-dropping scenery (and the good beer at the Pub).

Mabou Mines trail, high above the town

This hike was straight up the mountain, and I may have complained a bit (maybe I should not have had the beer the night before…) but once I saw this view – it was SO worth it.  This overlooks the Northumberland Strait, looking west towards Prince Edward Island.

…and that was just a foretaste…

We continued up the coast, planning to camp that night in Cape Breton Highlands National Park… but when we saw this lovely beach near Margaree, we needed to stop and walk in the sand. 

We headed to Chéticamp, the last stop before the park, filled up on gasoline, and a few supplies (there is a yummy bakery there!) before heading into the Park.  Once we were there, driving up the mountains on the Cabot Trail, it didn’t take long before we were completely amazed.  We did the hike on the Skyline Trail – where you are almost guaranteed to see the Park’s famous inhabitants.  And we did. 

The first moose we met.  A juvenile male, right in front of us on the Trail.

When you meet a moose, you play by their rules.  While this guy was smaller than some of the others, he was still huge.  He was about 10 feet ahead of us on the trail, and seemed to be more interested in the plants than us.  So, we stood for awhile, waiting for him to move… and he didn’t, so we had to find a very circuitous route around him.

We were there at the perfect time of day ~ 5:30/6:00 pm when the sun was starting to set in the west.  The scenery there left me in a state of awe.  The ocean looked like silk, or like paper…

We camped at a little spot right off the Cabot Trail in the Park, near the beach on the western side of the island.  It was called Corney Brook.  We put up the tent as the sky was darkening overhead… storm was a’brewin’.

We made some friends that night – a group of campers were visiting from Ontario – and as the rain came down, we huddled up in the little shelter near our tents.  We talked hockey and politics, all while playing card games and *ahem* drinking.  It was so much fun.

We rose early the next morning, made plans to meet with our new friends again, and headed up to some other trails.  Little did we know… that we would see a BEAR that day.  There is no photographic evidence of this bear -  I was a big chicken, and was scared to even move at all… and I didn’t want Kris to photograph it either.  We were on the trail – completely alone, and here was Mr. Bear about 25 meters ahead of us, right in the middle of the trail.  HE WAS BIG.  Bigger than other black bears I have seen – about the height of a small horse or a donkey, but many times the weight and roundness.  I remembered reading over the Bear Safety pamphlet at the Ranger office, so, I started clapping and singing.  I made up a great little diddy, and before too long, he moved off to the right of the trail towards the nearby lake.  I was constantly looking over my shoulder the whole way back, but I was so darn excited to see a bear! 

“Bear” Trail, or so I called it.

I thought there was a chance of finishing up the Nova Scotia posts today, but yeah, there is still too much to say, and I don’t want the longest post ever… so, more tomorrow…

A few more photos from the Park:

Tomorrow: Remainder of the Island, Eastern Shore, and return to Halifax

One of the most technical trails I have ever hiked (and the longest at 16k – nearly 10 miles), Cape Split was an amazing experience.  After a few days of rain, and a winter off-season, I imagine the trail was probably not in the same condition that it is in during the warmer summer months.  There were felled trees, steep dropoffs, some deep mud patches, and some narrow passageways – but there were also some beautiful sights.

These trillium blossoms were all over the trail.  So beautiful and photogenic!

The western plains of the province are the agricultural center, there are farms and orchards dotting the landscape.  The geography of the region is relatively flat, but further west, and to the north, there are some small rises, which add an interesting air effect, allowing grapes to grow rather well.  So, with grapes comes wine.  And wine?  well, we just had to taste. 

Lolly swilling around.

Here we are at Domaine de Grand Pré, sampling the Marechal Foch.  This was a new-to-me grape, and I enjoyed the different varieties I tasted in Nova Scotia.  Some of the premiere Nova Scotia wines are the ice wines, the sweet dessert wine made possible by the colder climate – virtually allowing the grape to freeze on the vine, locking in all of the sugars.  Dessert in a bottle, I tell you.  Grand Pré had a particularly interesting Muscat IceWine, and another favorite was the ice wine aged in whiskey barrels (Whiskey Ortega Ice Wine) from Jost Vineyards near Tatamagouche. 

Although we did not get to travel as far west as I originally hoped, we did make it to several stops on the Sunrise Trail, the area closer to the provinces of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.  A real highlight of the Sunrise Trail was the visit at Sunrise Mercantile.  Mimi, the shop owner in Halifax, had suggested stopping by the shop/cafe,  So glad we followed her suggestion!

Sunrise Mercantile is a gourmet shop and cafe – in every sense of the word.  They have amazing yarns, but also an extensive selection of local and regional foods, gifts, and supplies.  The thing that made this shop so special?  the owners:  I talked weaving and knitting with Suzy, and talked alpacas and the current fiber trends with Dave, her husband.  Suzy showed me her latest projects right off the loom, and Dave showed me the newest issue of Alpacas magazine, which he edits.  The serendipity of meeting such amazing people!  Their shop is great, and the cafe is amazing too (fresh local foods abound!)

Other highlights:  Balmoral Grist Mill, and the beautiful Lismore Sheep Farm

Lismore Sheep Farm Wool Shop

Almost done… hope you aren’t tiring of this yet!  Because the best scenery is yet to come!  Many thanks to those that took the time to leave comments, it is so nice to get feedback.

Next up: Cape Breton Island.

Halifax was bright and shiny, and twenty kilometers south, Peggys Cove (notice, no apostrophe – must be a Canadian thing?) was foggy, misty, and absolutely freezing cold.  However, it was an amazing sight.  The lighthouse there is among the most famous of the Maritimes, saving sailors from the treacherous rocks and from getting lost in the ubiquitous fog.  Oh, and did I mention that it was cold?  It was at least thirty degrees cooler and with a very “nippy” wind coming off the ocean. [More Peggys Cove photos]

Further down the coast, the weather magically warmed.  The sun was out and it turned into a beautiful day.  Nova Scotia weather seems to be this way!  We visited Mahone Bay, an amazingly quaint seaside village, and Lunenberg, a historic fishing town.

Mahone Bay has a good yarn shop and a good tea shop, practically side by side, so we sampled the goods in both places.  We ate a light dinner in Lunenberg at a little deli, visited a used book store, and then headed out to The Ovens Natural Park, just south of Lunenberg.  First night of camping!

As you can see, we were pretty excited to camp.  Our campsite was premium – those trees right behind the tent were barrier for the wind right off the ocean.  Just a few feet away from our tent was this amazing scenery:

…Pebble beach and seaweed on one side…

…huge amazing rock on the other!

And can you believe that we were the ONLY people at this site?  Even the campground owners were absent!  The night was chilly – I wore two pairs of pants, two pairs of socks, three shirts and a cardigan, mittens, and a hat to sleep in WITH my subzero proof sleeping bag! – but it was worth it.  Nothing like being lulled to sleep with ocean waves!  or waking up to an amazing sunrise.  The Ovens is so named because of the sea caves that are on the property of the park.  We took a walking tour the next morning.

Stunning – carved out by millenia of wind and water.  Very elemental

Next, we headed inland to one of the two Nova Scotian national parks.  Kejimkujik (ke-jee-muh-koo-jik) National Park is based around the series of glacial lakes in the south central province.  We hiked several trails in the park – my favorite was through the old growth hemlock forest. 

After seeing so many beautiful trees, Kris and I were inspired to try the tree pose for ourselves (well, that, and it was Yoga Wednesday when we were there) on the shores of Lake Kejimkujik.

We spent the night in Liverpool, and then headed to the Kejimkujik Seaside Adjunct, the second part of the park, located on the southeastern Atlantic coast.  Again, we had the park (virtually) to ourselves.  Just us and the seals and porcupines, that is.

Adorable little lump, isn’t he?  Harbour Seal just sitting on the rock.

We hiked all of the trails that were open (some were closed because of nesting seabirds).  Keji Seaside was one of the most memorable places in the province.  The water was so irresistably blue – it looks like the Caribbean, doesn’t it?  [All Kejimkujik photos here]

Next up:  boat rides, seabirds, historic villages, and meeting knitters on the Acadian Shore!