Tag: Gift of life

Princess Louise and the Sentinels

by twofeetoneworld

In the mountains, west of Banff National Park, the mighty Mt. Temple (11,627 feet) towers over the tiny town of Lake Louise. Situated at 5400 feet, this is Canada’s most elevated community. The lake is named after Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll. Settled in 1884, the area served as an outpost for The Canadian Pacific Railway.

Now, an immense Chateau sits on the Eastern flank of the lake. Originally built in 1890, the hotel allured deep pocketed travellers to travel by train to take in the scenic landscape of the West.

Chateau Lake Louise - Tami Ellis

As many times as I’ve hiked and climbed here, I have never paddled the lake. It takes commitment to shuttle our kayak and paddle board along the trails to the water, but it is well worth the sweat equity. It is a beautiful experience to be here at a time when the lake is so quiet. The color of the water is unexplainable other than otherworldly blue. It might conjure scenes of the Caribbean, except that at 39 degrees Fahrenheit, the glacier waters are bone-chillingly frigid.

Paddling in Lake Louise. Photo-Tami Ellis

The psychedelic turquoise comes from fine dust created by the movement of the glacier to bedrock. The sediment is suspended in the water and refracts blue and green wavelengths of light. Some scientists say that as glaciers melt, the color may change in years to come.

The author’s dog - Tami Ellis

Sentinel Pass

Sentinel Pass is on our agenda. We awaken at the crack of dawn wanting to hike up to where massive spires stand guard over verdant valleys. A cup of warm, creamy coffee soothes the belly and primes us for the day. We pack up the camper and drive away from the village of Lake Louise. At 7:30 a.m., we are disappointed to see a man waving a sign stating that the parking lot is full.

I shout at him from the window. “We want to hike Sentinel. Is there room?” He waves us in and yells that we can take a normal spot. It pays to ask questions or pray. We toss our plan B and drive to the trailhead near Moraine Lake which is another turquoise jewel. This is the start and finish point for hiking to Sentinel Pass. 

Moraine Lake. Photo- Tami Ellis

We scour the camper for our lunch and snacks, putting careful attention into what we may need for mountain travel. Based upon challenging experiences, I make it a point to prepare for all seasons even if the day begins at 80 degrees. This means that in addition to sunscreen and a brimmed hat, I also pack an extra set of leggings, a rain shell, and a down coat or vest. One just never knows when hail shall rain down or mountain winds come out of nowhere … or “now here,” as we say in the world of yoga and wilderness travel.

As we travel along the path, there is a bit of exposure on the left side where a misstep could send a person sliding down a massive scree slope. Eyes on the trail and calculated steps keep us safe and moving forward. As the top of the saddle becomes closer, I shift gears into my second breath. The views are worth the agonized legs. Rock, spires, and giant chimneys greet us at the top.

Standing at the saddle of Sentinel Pass. Photo- Tami Ellis

Out in the distance is a climber ascending a chimney that is standing alone. His white helmet and red shirt are stark against the smoky haze.

Lunch on a ledge is a sheer delight. We stay for a while and take in the beauty of this precious life before retracing our steps back to Moraine Lake.

To climb mountains is to suffer. There is nothing easy about getting to the top, but isn’t character about putting boots to the ground and start walking, knowing that it will bring a certain amount of discomfort?

And a renewed sense of living.

Photo Credit: Greg Faught

Tami Ellis is a writer and photographer that has been blessed with a life living in the hills of Montana with her husband and on her family ranch nestled between the cut banks of the South Saskatchewan River in Alberta, Canada. Inspired by the world, she has been to 47 countries. She can be reached at twofeetoneworld@gmail.com

How to Get There

From Calgary, drive approximately 180 km or 2 hours west on the Trans Canada Highway to the village of Lake Louise. Be sure to stop in Canmore and Banff along the way. You will enter the Banff National Park by way of the Entrance Gates. Payment of a Park Pass is mandatory. https://banff.com/banff-park-fees/

For more information, see BanffLakeLouise.com and https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/les10-top10/louise

This article is adapted from my earlier publication in The Epoch Times. https://www.theepochtimes.com/bright/a-journey-to-banff-national-park-3982475

Purpose of the Living

by twofeetoneworld

“He said, “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.
He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety. Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in. Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day; Begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This new day is too dear, with it’s hopes and invitation, to waste a moment
On the yesterdays.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is the purpose of living if we cannot delight in the little things? The fresh scent of rain as it lingers across the prairie reminds me of my mother. The unabashed laughter of a child transcends me to the innocence of my babies. Can you feel the mist of the cascade that bathes your skin? Do you see the soft light that warms a room in the early morning? Do you hear the trill of the birdsong in the evening? Do you ponder the wild flowers that seed and grow out of rock and unforgiving circumstances? Like us. All of us, that have had to endure the greatest hardships of the living. Our loved ones dying before their time and the ones left behind to learn to see beauty again.

A long time ago, to protect my heart, I knew that I cannot take on the tragedies of other people. It is too much for one person to hold for I have had my own darkness. But collective heartbreak has a way of touching the softest part, deep within us, if we let it. Otherwise, the heart turns to stone.

Who would want a heart of stone?

Tell me, my friends, Why would you give it up? Why would you give up the greatest gift bestowed upon us? The gift of Life itself. The lessons and the love. Sweet song and dance. The laughter of children. Your children. Why would you give up the breath that sustains us to fracture yourself from those that love you so much? When checking out, numbness or complacency is the alternative.

Keep your feet on the ground, my friends. Delight in the small things. Find your gratitude and stay focused on the day. This day. The one that rises in beauty and sets in the same way. Find your purpose. The one that exists inherently, only in you. The world needs your interwoven influence. Resilience is born of many things. One solid mentor or parent. A good community. Friends and family. Living in truth and authenticity. It’s liberating to live in this way, rising and falling with our natural tides.

We cannot beg, borrow, steal or change the circumstances of the past. We must let go of these shackles or risk being imprisoned. Find beauty in light, laughter and the strength in the arms that circle around us.

Forgive.

At the end, there is only one thing that matters. And that is how well we loved.

-Tami Ellis