On hiking...

While we were on vacation in the Rockies this past summer, we went on a hike at Mt. Robson in beautiful Valemount, BC.

According to Wikipedia Mount Robson is the most prominent mountain in North America's Rocky Mountain range; it is also the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. The mountain is located entirely within Mount Robson Provincial Park of British Columbia, and is part of the Rainbow Range. It is commonly thought to be the highest point in B.C., but that distinction is held by Mount Fairweather at 4,663 m (15,299 ft). Mount Robson is the second highest peak entirely in British Columbia, behind Mount Waddington.

 Apparently you can only see the peak a few times a year. The day we visited? Not so much.

Here's the thing about hiking... I'm not sure I get it. Isn't it just walking?

Wikipedia also tells me that Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numeroushiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking have been confirmed in studies.^[1] Some of the health benefits of hiking include, but are not limited to, losing excess weight, decreasing hypertension, and improving mental health.^[2] The word hiking is understood in all English-speaking countries, but there are differences in usage.

Some call it hiking, I choose to call it a friggin' long walk up and down brutal hills.

 That day we hiked up the mountain  for 4.5 hours and down in 3 hours and covered about 22km.

It was during the Olympics, so we chose to practice our balance beam skills too.

At times, it felt like pure torture. The four of us just walked in silence - mainly because we couldn't breathe. Ironically the downhills are what I found the most challenging. Soooo hard on the knees. 

In all honestly, it was a very intense workout. My legs hurt, my knees were shot, and my lungs? BURNED! 

But I absolutely loved the physical challenge. 

The best part though? At the end of the day, we were able to return to a hotel and have a hot shower and copious amounts of wine to dull the pain. People that hike AND camp? That's just crazy talk.

The past weekend Andrew and I headed up to Gatineau Park for a (slightly less intense) hike to check out the fall colors. It was absolutely beautiful.

We hiked for a little over 2 hours, and had a great day. While it wasn't nearly as intense as our hike in BC (for obvious reasons) it was still a great workout and it definitely got the ticker pumping.

And now for the money shot.... my dog, the model.

I should have pimped her out as a puppy, or gotten her an agent.. I could be rich!

Are any of you hikers?

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