WOR

Every summer I look forward to my return to the Rocky Mountains where I’ve spent many days hiking, skiing or driving through to the coast. I have always marvelled at their immensity and beauty having grown up in other parts of Canada. My love of these mountains is one of the reasons Keith and I chose to get married in Canmore amidst these amazing giants of western Canada.

Since 2005 I have hiked the trails and paths of The Rockies with an amazing group of women, known as the Women of Rock (WOR). This year was no exception despite all the other things I had going on.  I ensured that neither a birthday party nor wedding interfered with the well planned trip.  

In the past 13 years I have participated in 10 hikes, including one in Glacier National Park, just off the Trans-Canada Highway on my drive out to my new life in Victoria. 

View from Beauty Creek Hostel

This year we stayed at the Beauty Creek Hostel, about an hour south of Jasper and a few minutes north of the Columbia Ice Fields.  I had not been to this portion of the Icefields Parkway in decades and noticed how much the glacier had receded and the many new buildings to accommodate all the tourists.

Stanley Falls

Columbia Ice Fields

Some of the WOR overlooking Saskatchewan Glacier 

Twenty one of us hiked over three days at Stanley Falls - similar to Maligne Canyon without so many tourists; Wilcox Pass overlooking the Columbia Ice Fields; and Parker Ridge where we could see the Saskatchewan Glacier.

Due to the many forest fires in BC, as you can see we were hiking in haze but fortunately not smoke.

Another view from Beauty Creek Hostel

As you can imagine, over these 13 years we have all aged. The oldest members of the group are now 71 though you’d hardly know it. They hike as fast and look as young as the rest of us!  Although we used to hike many kilometres into the hut we now plan locations where we can drive up pretty close. Apart from less difficulty packing in all our stuff it allows us to bring more variety and fresher food - a definite plus! 

Some members have left the group, new women have joined in, a couple of women have had hip replacements and sadly, we lost a member of the group to cancer last year. 

But we continue and we are already planning our trip for 2019!  I can't wait! 

Stefanie’s wedding

On a hot, sunny August day last week my youngest daughter Stefanie married her sweetheart, Cody Charon. 

It was a small wedding in a beautiful location, a garden in bloom with roses, lilies, hydrangea and lots of verdant trees and shrubs.

The beautiful bride and her handsome groom were surrounded by community.

My mother performed the ceremony with a personal and inspirational blessing for the couple, talking about their personalities, choice of work and life together. Her husband signed, for those who cannot hear, some of the blessing.

My sister read Corinthians 13 - Love is patient, love is kind… and her sons, my nephews handed out little vials of soap so that after the vows the crowd blew celebratory bubbles.

Photos were taken by Joy, the groom's sister and Rob, Stef's dear friend. 

Everything was personal. They chose the menu, there were photos of the couple and a collage with funny and poignant photos of each of them over the years lovingly put together by their mothers.

Cody’s Mom made a sweet table bringing a variety of goodies from Oregon including salt water taffy - a testament to Cody’s sweet tooth.  The cake was a tower of many flavours of macarons - Stefanie discovered this delicacy in Lyon, France in 2010.  Each guest received a Roger’s chocolate, a Victoria favourite, as a thank you gift.

The MC was my older daughter, Andrea who also organized the music playlist.  Her husband Jason pitched in and did many odd jobs as did my husband Keith.  Stefanie did her own flowers and she and Cody with Andrea, my friend Marlyn and I decorated the venue.

There was a photo booth, some speeches, lots of good food and drinks – some from Portland - and dancing.  

It was a great day and the beginning of a life of love together

!