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Too Many Adventures!

Sarah Seads BA Kinesiology

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Being surrounded by nature and towering forests always seems to stir the imagination and inspire one to dream of new adventures. On a hot afternoon in July the mix of dirt, sweat and summer sunshine must have been the perfect cocktail for dreaming big. After an invigorating ride through our favorite cross-country trails in Cumberland a friend and I began hatching a plan for a new adventure. This however was not your every day run or ride, this was to be a ‘mega-adventure’.

The idea began after a brainstorming session that could have been titled: 101 Excellent Valley Adventures. It was one of those moments where you just can’t believe how lucky you are to be living in the Comox Valley. Those of you who know what I mean have probably already dropped this article and are heading out the door with a paddle in one hand and your hiking boots in the other. Have a nice day. Those of you who aren’t sure what I mean-please read on.

When it comes to mother nature, the Comox Valley is unparalleled in its access to some of the most spectacular scenery on Vancouver Island. The panoramic views of mountains and ocean are 360 degrees and postcard perfect in all directions. To an outdoor enthusiast this is paradise in its purest form.

The easy part is finding someone to play with. The hard part is fitting in all of these adventures into a 2-day weekend. If I am not careful I may succumb to the dreaded condition that is common amongst adventure seekers. Known as FOMO-Fear of Missing Out- those who become inflicted find themselves fretting about how to spend their days off-run, kayak, bike, hike??!! Relax and breathe, there is always next weekend.

Back to the ‘mega-adventure.’ So, there we were sitting on our tailgates and peeling off our shields of new age bike armor when we started throwing out ideas about how many things we could actually do in one day:

Envisioning ourselves starting at the top of the Comox Glacier (snowball fight of course) and working our way down to sea level by hiking boot, mountain bike, horseback, and trail runner we began to work out the fuzzy details. We had to fit in kayaking on Comox Lake and Kite-boarding at Goose Spit. And we couldn’t forget about rollerblading at the Airpark and fishing out at Kitty Coleman. Was there time for a round of golf? We would have to make time! Oh, but what about snowshoeing and skiing? We would have to work that into the plan-perhaps a traverse from Forbidden Plateau to Mount Washington? It’s only 24kms…we would squeeze that in too. The big finish would be under the sea of course, in a diving adventure amongst the 6-gill sharks off of Hornby Island.

First we planned the ‘mega’ day. Then we decided it should probably be documented on film. Then there we were on stage accepting an award at the Banff Film Festival. Ok, maybe we had consumed too much Gatorade and were just talking plain crazy by that point. But it sure was fun to scheme that adventure.

The moral of the story is there are too many adventures waiting for you right outside your door for you to spend another minute reading this article. See you outside!

Happy Trails!

Sarah

Sarah Seads is the owner of Equilibrium Lifestyle Management (ELM), a fitness and rehabilitation business based in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. For more information on training ideas and programs go to www.elmhealth.com or call ELM at 338-8998.