June - 4 Hikes a Month... That's the Minimum

June... that was a long time ago. So far, this was my most enjoyed month's goal. The sun was shining, the excitement was high, and the goal was reached with gusto and gallantry. What is the goal? I know you are asking your computer screen with anticipation (unless of course you read the title of the post). Well, I decided, since there are four lovely weekends in this amazing yearly gift we call June, why not spend them outside with my dear friend Mother Nature? And that is just what I did. So, each weekend my faithful friends and family joined me on a hike - a different one each time. Each one came with it's own ups and downs (quite literally, in fact), and each one was a treasure to be had - especially as I sit here writing this in October gloom. Here's how they went:

Hike #1: A kindergartener could have done it.
Location: Brandywine Falls
(Un)willing Participants: Phil
Highlights: 

• The fantastically rushing water.
• The lack of other people (it was overcast and chilly).
• The little information plaques along the way telling us about the strong First Nations roots in that area. 
• Oh, and spending time in nature with my love (insert barfing sounds here. But no really. It was nice).
  

Lowlights: 

• We were heading to Whistler for a weekend of lake-ing, but the weather didn't cooperate.
  

Hike #2: No kindergarteners here. Only whining adults.
Location: Grouse Mountain (The Grind)
(Un)willing Participants: Fanny, Ian, Phil 
Highlight:

• Actually making it to the end in one piece.
• Pushing through the black cloud of grumpiness that overwhelms Grind hikers (why are we doing this to ourselves?, I need a beer, get out of my way you stupid tourists, etc etc), and reaching the top!
• That feeling of euphoria and adrenaline you get when you achieve something difficult - way to go friends!

Lowlights: 

• The poor sad grizzlies sleeping off their depression in their caged in home at the top of the mountain.
• The fact that it was f*@%ing freezing at the top and I was in a tank and shorts and covered in multiple layers of sweat.

Hike #3: We use the term hike lightly
Location: Lantzville Beach
(Un)willing Participants: My mom
Highlights: 

• We "hiked" from Lantzville Beach, along the shore, all the way until Nanaimo, and it was beeeeautiful!
• We saw wildlife galore, old gnarled twisted trees, neat rocks and shells, and got to bask in the sun and swim in the ocean. Seriously, it doesn't get much better.
• Spending time with my mom. Gawh.

Lowlights:

• Some parts of the "hike" were actually quite difficult. The tide was coming in, so we had to wade through debris and climb over and under trees. It was actually a harder hike than the first one. But even these lowlights were still awesome because were in the ocean. My love.

Hike #4: Now I'm a serious hiker
Location: Squamish - The Chief
(Un)willing Participants: Fanny and a few of her friends
Highlights:

• Hiking The Chief didn't make me want to hurtle myself over the side of the mountain, as The Grind tends to do, but it was a perfect balance between working hard and still being able to enjoy the scenery around you.
• The view from the top. Oh my.

Lowlights:

• If you ever plan to do hikes with any degree of difficulty, don't read Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air. All I could think about while climbing the ladders and ropes and slippery rock faces were the parts of that book where his hiking mates perished most grievously. Never mind the fact that they were hiking Everest. My overactive mind, at those moments, made the two mountains seems like veritable twins. Yes, I am probably a bit crazy.

Well folks, there you have it. Four hikes and four memorable experiences. Wish I could say I kept it up for the rest of the summer, but alas, the ocean's pull was too strong to resist after that. And more importantly, my July goal had nothing to do with hiking...