Tags
acclomplishment, Falling, froze pond, hotel, ice, ice canyone, Jasper, skating, snow, snow. canyon. Jasper. Maligne
“I didn’t fall! The ground just needed a hug!”
So, yes as you can probably guess I had a fall…onto the ground. I guess given where we are at the moment, you would understand why…but this was not about a fall, it was where and when I fell!
Let me start at the beginning!!
Arrival at Jasper…12pm…Beautiful Fairmont Jasper Lodge. Beautiful grounds, snow, amazing mountain behind it…but our room is not quite ready yet. But that’s ok. Our train was a little early so we could just wander around and see where we were! You think so? No – Marc has me out on an Ice Canyon Walk at Maligne Canyon. No time to breathe, no time to soak up the current scenery. VERY hurried am outfitted in snow gear, helmet, ice walking boots and off we go! No time to think or consider what I was doing…and where I was going, I do believe that was his plan!
Down, down, down, through the snow into the depths of the canyon we go …. walking past a total of 5 bridges, each with a story told by our wonderful guide, Pal, from Pursuit Tours (I know why they are called that now!). Me trying to accommodate the actual walk of the canyon in cleats with my own stride, learning to place toe first. Amazing ice waterfalls and beautiful ice scenery beckoning us further into the canyon. “The rocks are your friends,” calls our guide as you grab onto something solid to stop your fall…..but two hours later, we made it to the area where we could walk into the blue and white world of slippery ice within the canyon.
And in we go.
Four people in our group. Three sure-footed, walking gracefully over the ice, their steps naturally following the tracks roughened by our guide’s ice pick, taking photos, smiling, laughing. The other traveller timidly placing one foot in front of the other, not seeing the ‘safe’ roughened tracks. Erringly and naively perching her foot onto a rock covered in ice… that was never going to end well but did by fiercely clenching the guide’s hand until he had no circulation left. No graceful stride for me! But a hike achieved with not one fall! Onwards, upwards, onwards three hours later ,back to the shop at the start where I relaxed over a welcome cup of hot chocolate.
New day. A frozen pond in view…Marc confident and competent having done this in his childhood and in one of our previous travels…. off he goes, stylishly pushing ice skates outwards, beautifully racing around the iced lake path. A picture in motion.
Me…not quite so confident and definitely not as competent…perched on two thin blades trying to make a valiant attempt just to cross the pathway onto the ice. Staggering, toppling, lurching sideways. All complete with sound effects as well. No control at all in these ice skating boots. Who are they kidding? How do they think you can manage to stay upright perched high above two thin blades????? I can hear you laughing…and maybe not think it is that hard…Well, consider being on one of the most slippery surfaces, ice, having knives on my feet, and no ‘comforting’ rails around the edge to cling to!! But I espy a folding chair in view … ah, a semblance of support and off I go…I am actually ice skating. With help…but I am skating…. (and I have the video footage as evidence!)
Yes, skating can make you feel graceful, athletic, beautiful. One glide. Two glides. Three glides like a graceful pendulum. When movements start to reveal a beautiful ice dance …. Such an effortless image …
In your dreams! Me? I am slipping along ever so clumsily, awkwardly, inelegantly, legs out behind me, nothing at all attractive about my skate as I lurch over the chair for confidence … truly the ungainly ugly duckling on the pond maneuvering myself on the ice.
BUT I am SKATING! And I didn’t fall!
Successfully circumnavigating the ‘Olympic-sized’ pond, not once but twice!
And back to the cabin we go.
A happy, tired smile on my face, glowing in the grand achievements conquered over these two past days. Of being on ice….and not falling. Happy. Feeling proud of myself for accomplishments that I normally would not even had considered trying.
AND OVER I GO!
Plummeting to the ground onto my knees and hip …
And the most embarrassing part about it – this was on a normal footpath!
Where was the challenge in that?