Discovering Nature

When I was in my late 20's I moved to a community in northern British Columbia, attracted to the sparkling river that runs through the town and the snow-capped mountains which surround it.  I was not an active person having spent my teenage years at sedentary activities such as reading and sewing.  However, all this natural beauty stimulated me to buy a pair of hiking boots and some second hand cross country skis.

Very soon after arriving in this lovely town I was introduced to a woman 30 years my senior.  In the course of the conversation, she discovered that I had Fridays off work and began to call me with suggestions for places to hike in the area.  So , each Friday we set out with local maps to explore the surrounding mountains. 

Giesla was much stronger than me but with weekly excursions I could hike further and faster.  We followed old prospectors' trailsl, discovered abandoned mines, listened to the thumping sound of territorial grouse, forded burbling creeks, lunched under the branches of huge spruce trees, drank in magnificent views of yet more spectacular mountain vistas to explore.

Giesla taght me the proper clothes to wear to keep cool or warm, "Don't forget your fur-lined brassiere.", what to pack for lunch and snacks to keep energy high, how to put skins on my skis enabling us to walk uphill, broke trail through deep snow for me, taught me the names of wildflowers and birds and the habits of wildlife.  I grew to love being in nature ; the peaceful, joyful feeling of walking or skiing all day in the trees or in the alpine, breathing in the good air and energy surrounding us.

Other women began to join us.  Today, 25 years later, there are more or less seventeen women who intermittently come out on a Friday to commune with nature.  I feel so blessed to have connected with so many people of like mind who make a commitment to spend at least one day a week in nature nurturing their bodies and spirits.

Giesla is now 85 years old.  She's slowed down a little but still goes walking 3 times a week (probably still wearing her fur-lined brassiere!).