Tuesday 12 November 2013

That time we climbed a mountain and almost died

Here he is again; Bukowski on my blog. I just can't help it. He speaks to my soul!


I took this photo of Jodi this past summer when we had just finished climbing Mount Carleton in New Brunswick. We had gotten there a day earlier, and it was the first campsite/park stop of our 3-ish week long trip (unless you count the weird christmas-themed with discoteque campsite in Quebec. I do not.). It had been raining all night, everything was wet, and we only had one tarp so when we wanted to sit by the fire and eat we had to use one hand to hold the umbrella (a good preview for the rest of the trip, little did we know). That morning we woke up and debated climbing the mountain like we had planned because it had been raining all morning. When the rain had stopped for multiple hours we were all like: "Heck yeah! We're going to climb this mountain!". So we did. On our way to the top we got distracted by streams and rocks, and mist and our imaginations convincing us we'd likely see a gnome or fairy or something, and it took us a lot longer than we had hoped.

Jodi read that you could see 10 million trees from the top of Mount Carleton. We saw like, 20, because the clouds were so thick. Not to mention the fact that it was freezing, and the winds were picking up, and it was dangerously close to sunset... as much of a sunset there could be with all the clouds and actual lack of sun. We didn't spend much time at the top. There isn't much to see when you're above all the layers of clouds. There was a separate path to lead to the bottom of the mountain, the only problem was that we had to find it, and we were the only ones at the top of the tallest mountain in the Maritimes.


Because Jodi has a level-head, we found the path alright and reached the bottom just before dark, and just before park staff probably would have come looking for us (we saw them come to check the sign-in sheet at the bottom literally 5 minutes after we reached the bottom). We had talked on the way down about what survival instincts kicked in while we were up there. I was nearly convinced we wouldn't find the exiting path and instead have to be stuck up on the top of this mountain during some crazy thunderstorm and get hypothermia and perish. Like, who starts climbing a mountain at 5pm on a rainy day in essentially the middle of nowhere (with zero cellphone service)!? People who die, that's who.

But we didn't.

We just were living such an awesome, adventurous life that day that instead, the grim reaper was all like: "Yo, these girls mean business." TAKE THAT, DEATH! ...Knock on wood.

FIN!

Monday 4 November 2013

Inspirational Monday

I'm in the midst of a quarter-life crisis, and I'll admit it. It's unfortunate that more often than not I find myself worried about the future, rather than excited. I don't have a complete, structured out plan, and that scares me. After reading these words by Dale Carnegie, it became (more) obvious that the days I feel worried, are days that I am not working on particular skills that are going to get me where I want to go. I feel excited on the days I feel determined and immerse myself in making beautiful things and feel convinced that one day, I will make photography a life. 




This is going on my wall to remind me to keep going. For the days when I feel tired and want to retreat back to my bed. For days when daydreaming seems easier than actually running towards a goal, and for days when I'm scared that if I put myself out there I'll be less than awesome. 

Everyone has been frozen by failure, the difference between those who thrive and those who fall is the and drive to keep going (my drive is fuelled by passion and the desire to create). Even if that road seems to stretch so far into the distance that you can no longer see it.

Feel me? If you do, I think you know what you need to do: Something. Action. Whatever you want to call it. Laziness can feel great (occasionally), and easy, but making something great feels even better.

And a big ol' props to Dale Carnegie for the words to spice up another one of my landscape shots. I dove into the summer archives for this one. Jodi and I were somewhere on the road in New Brunswick... but let's be honest, that's where most of my beauty landscape shots have come from.

Fin.