6 Friends, 1 Dog and a Pretty Lake

January 30, 2011

Location: Thetis Lake, Victoria, BC
Trail: Lower Thetis Lake Trail and connected to Upper Thetis Lake Trail
Distance: est. 4.5 km
Weather: Partly cloudy and mild (a beautiful spring day in January- gotta love Victoria!)

Third hike and our numbers are climbing!  Each week we seem to gain 2 people; I love it!  At this rate I would assume by March we'd have a whole caravan of Sunday Hikers.  (Since I'm writing this in March, my predictions were not correct.  We've maxed out at 6, but there's still time!)
Thetis Lake is very pretty and only 20 minutes outside of Victoria.  We drove to the lake to get out of the city and escape to the woods. We quickly realized that we were not alone in this great idea, everyone else in Victoria had left the city too and met us at the lake.  Note to self: Thetis Lake is not a great place to escape to when one is yearning to be alone.  Once we started our hike I felt as though we were in some kind of wilderness procession.  We were getting shuffled down the path with people surrounding us in all directions and dogs running through our legs; not to mention being on the constant look-out for puppy poop.  Maybe I'm being dramatic (it's been known to happen), but the purpose of Sunday hikes was to escape the hustle bustle of the city not just relocate it all to the woods.  In an attempt to ditch the crowds we strayed off Lower Thetis Lake Trail and connected with Upper Thetis Lake.  It was much quieter.
Thetis Lake is beautiful, and Gracie (our dog) loved the water, but perhaps Sunday is not the best day to stay so close to the city if you're looking for some peace and quiet.

Gowlland Tod take 2

January 23, 2011

Location: Gowlland Tod Provincial Park, Victoria, BC
Trail: Lower Jocelyn Loop
Distance: est. 5 km
Weather: Foggy, Chilly, Damp, Serene (very technical weather description)

quick disclaimer: I know that I am weeks (maybe month(s)) behind on posting our hikes, but I am determined to catch up.  On this particular Sunday in January, myself and three of my closest friends entered the dewy forest of Gowlland Tod Provincial Park.  It was magical!  (and a bit cold) but mostly magical!  Like a scene from Sleepy Hollow, the ghostly moss hung off of the trees and the colours were a mixture of rich browns and greens.
I would highly recommend this park to anyone who likes to venture outdoors.  There are many trails that cater to all abilities.  You can choose from a walk along the ocean to a walk in the woods.  Best of all the park is only 30 min. outside of the city.

Arbutus tree

(click for more info on one of my favourite trees!)

Scott, camouflaged among the moss.

The four of us, shrouded in all of the misty glory.

I stumbled upon a great blog while I was looking for more information on moss: Vancouver Island Big Trees.  As an avid tree-hugger, I love seeing others committed to the safe-keeping of Big Trees!

The Beginning of a Life Long Romance

This Just In!  I am officially certified!  Certified in what?  Yoga!  Our love affair just got elevated to the next level.  I thought I would take this week's blog to pay homage to the beautiful community of Yogis and Yoginis that I feel blessed to be a part of here in Victoria.
My love affair with Yoga began with a fling.  It was hot and sweaty and left me feeling elated- not to mention  it helped with my flexibility.  In 2007 I began practicing Bikram Yoga.  At the time, Bikram was just what I needed, quiet, hot, strong, hard- a "take no prisoners" kind of work-out, both for the body and the mind.  Bikram stoked the fire and I wanted to learn more.
In 2009 I began practicing Restorative Yoga at Hemma Yoga in beautiful Moss St. village.  It was the yin to all the yang energy that Bikram produced and it ultimately led me to Moksana Yoga where I completed my Teacher Training in Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga.
So now, I find myself at the beginning, once again, as I start a new chapter: the adventures of a 20-something Yoga Teacher.  Beginnings are scary of course, but, as in Yoga, the answer may be "just breathe."

Teaching Ventures:
Starting this Thursday, March 3, I will be teaching my first continuous Yoga class at the University of Victoria.  Classes will be every Thursday with the exception of Mar. 17 and are FREE to all students at UVIC!  Classes are accessible to all abilities and bodies.
Where: Vertigo Lounge, The SUB, UVIC
When: 6pm-7pm
Cost: Free!

I will also be teaching community classes at Moksana Yoga.
When: April 13, 12pm-1pm, and April 24, 4:30pm-5:45pm
Cost: $7


Love Much!