Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Grit....


grit
/grit/
noun
1. small, loose particles of stone or sand
2. courage and resolve, strength of character
verb
1. clench (the teeth), especially in order to keep one's resolve when faced with an unpleasant or painful duty
2. move with or make a grating sound

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This is seriously the word of the month! I'm not gonna lie - September so far has been nothing short of gritty, from every angle.

To start with, making my way out to and spending time in one of the most desirable (read: insanely busy!) mountain towns in Western Canada, on the final long weekend of the summer, required major grit (verb, 1.). I am proud to report that I made the drive without using any curse words. Beyond that, well, no comment.... LOL!

Next, my friend Sheila endured an unfortunate and traumatic incident just prior to said long weekend, which I'm sure will be testing her impressive grit (noun, 2.) for the foreseeable future. But being she is as solid as the Rockies, she insisted on keeping our play date and we had an excellent, much needed afternoon at West Wind Pass.

Then, my bestie Toni joined me for a couple of days, and in her usual good-natured fashion she allowed me to drag her around the cluttered mountain trails... which at times did cause her to behave with moderate grit (verb, 2.). She fared awesome on the hikes, but there were stretches where I know she definitely questioned WTF were we doing and why she was my friend... Haha....

And most recently, my co-worker Gillian gave in to my whining about my bucket list, and she graciously slogged through rain and snow with me on an overnight trip into an alpine hut - which in itself was an exercise in all of the definitions of the term!

Grit. It might actually be my new favorite word. And here are examples of it, in pictures.

West Wind Pass, with Sheila....




What a trooper! Sheila, you are one strong girl.
Love you my friend!

Lake Louise, with Toni.....

Toni! She wasn't mad at me at this point....
but check out her gesture in the pic below....





Temple, in the haze.

Stanley Glacier, with Toni.....

I probably don't have to say it....
my favorite mountain!

Are we having fun yet??!


If I didn't stay this far away from her, I'm sure
she would have punched me.... LOL!

Almost at the basin....

Made it! And.... we're friends again!


It's all down hill from here....

There are few places I'd rather be!

Can you see the up-track? This is where Toni hated me the most.

Sweet view on the way down.



Lake O'Hara / Abbot Pass (via Wiwaxy Gap), with Gillian....

Ummm... Not exactly a prime
way to start the day!

But we packed the gear, so we might
as well make the best of it!

Lake O'Hara


View from the Lake O'Hara Alpine Circuit.
Hint/Advice: Hike it clockwise!


Wiwaxy Peak and Gap in the background.

The beginning, of never-ending scree and rubble.


Still smiling, in spite of the rain and blistering wind!


The end, of never-ending scree and rubble!
Abbot Pass Hut - woot!



At the hut, looking down the approach slope to Lake Oesa.


Drying gear! A hut tradition.... LOL!

We witnessed an interesting chopper rescue of an injured climber.


The approach slope.... was covered in snow the next morning! D'oh!


Jerry the resident pack-rat paid me a visit in the night.

We're ready for the descent!



Slightly steep slope!


We made it down safely.

Next: Yukness Ledges


I never get tired of this view.

Me, in my happiest of happy places!


That is my month to date, and the fun and games (and grit!) shall continue this upcoming weekend. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, grit in the context of behavior is defined as "firmness of character; indomitable spirit." Psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth, based on her studies, tweaked this definition to be "perseverance and passion for long-term goals."

Either way, I'm a black-or-white, all-or-nothing kinda girl, and I am making the choice to stay out of the gray and hold out for the all. Developing true grit happens to be a bonus side effect from all of this! Yeah!


Cheers.








1 comment:

Anonymous said...

wow !!!! all I can say...you girls are in great shape. Those are some "hills" to climb. Glad you enjoy that kind of recreation.
All my love momma