trails

We love trails of all types. There are the outdoor ones that involve hiking and reading maps. And then there are the other types of trails – the ones that have you following a theme. Like butter tarts or gin. They all require map reading, with the payoff of a great vista, a great pastry or a great cocktail.

Between us, we’ve hiked the Bruce Trail, Cinque Terre, Mt Kuchumaa, Mt Wachusett and countless other trails.

 

We’ve made and eaten our share of homemade butter tarts.

 

And now, we’re eyeing up a Gin Trail trip to Scotland. After all, I only have two Scottish gins in my gin collection – The Botanist and Hendrick’s – so it must be time to spread my taste buds to some new botanical combinations. Doesn’t hurt at all that there’s a stop on Shetland.

CJR

 

perma-spring

It’s happening again…spring! I know, it comes around every time, like clockwork. I was reading some of the spring blogs we posted last year – and here I go again with how much I love the spring season.

I was walking the dog on the weekend at a local conservation area (and my sister was hiking here) and I was thinking about how great it would be if spring lasted a little longer. When you still need a light jacket, maybe rubber boots even. And all around everything is waking up (including the walker and her dog) after the cold, dark winter.

Wild leeks and tiger lilies are the first greenery that’s up in the bush. Streams and creeks are flowing with clear, cool water. Tree swallow pairs are filling up the nesting boxes. And red-wing blackbirds are chortling in last year’s cattails.

And when I get home, I opened all the doors and windows wide to push all the dog hair to one side of the room – and flush out the stale air for some fresh, new, still-bug-free springtime oxygen.

What’s your favourite season?

CJR

taking the ranch home

Every Friday afternoon at Rancho la Puerta they offer a lecture called Taking The Ranch Home. The goal is to help guests adopt healthy lifestyle changes from the Ranch and incorporate them into their everyday life. Since we just arrived home, it seems like a good time to reflect on what we are ‘taking home from the ranch’ this year.

Move early in the day. Hike, walk, swim…do it first thing before life gets in the way. Even better if you can be outside and watch the sun rise.

Eat well. It’s pretty easy to do at the Ranch because every meal includes about 15 different vegetables, a delicious soup and someone else did the work! With a little planning you can make healthy choices for your meals too.

Make time for reflection. The world would be a better place if we stopped every once in awhile during the day to pause, meditate, focus, count to 10, count your blessings…whatever you want to call it.

Spend time with your sister, or girlfriends or whoever listens to you and gets you!

HAR & CJR

rancho la puerta – hiking

Every morning at Rancho la Puerta begins with a mountain hike.

There are several options for distance and difficulty, but they all start just as the sun is coming up over mystical Mt. Kuchumaa.

It’s a wonderful way to start the day. They are timed perfectly so that just as you are finishing stretching, it’s time for breakfast!

HAR & CJR

friday favourite – rancho la puerta

We are heading to Rancho la Puerta in Tecate, Mexico today for a week of hiking, yoga, wandering and relaxing. It’s a special place that is magical. Watch for photos next week on our blog!

HAR & CJR

take a hike

We are heading to Italy this week for a walking/hiking vacation around Lake Como. The upcoming trip provided a good excuse to go for a hike over Labour Day weekend to make sure our hiking boots didn’t rub somewhere unexpected. My boots were fine, just lacking in some cushioning so I bought some new HOKA boots. (check out our friday favourite from last week to learn more.)

Ten years ago for some birthday one of us had, I bought a book of 50 Hikes in Massachusetts. We cracked it open and chose the very first hike, Alander Mountain, 2,239 feet and a prominent peak of the south Taconic Mountains.

It was a challenging hike with gorgeous views of the Hudson Valley in NY, NW Connecticut and Massachusetts. We enjoyed it so much we hiked Mt Wachusett in central Massachusetts this past weekend. We are fortunate to live only 1/2 hour from Wachusett mountain.

Fall is a perfect time of year to dig out your hiking boots (or buy some new ones!) and go take a hike!

HAR

friday favourite – hoka hiking boots

They make me feel like Tigger from Winnie the Pooh…I bounced all over Mt Wachusett last Saturday on the inaugural hike of my new HOKA hiking boots. They have tons of cushioning, were comfortable right out of the box and they are waterproof. All the things you need for happy feet while hiking. They are not cheap but since my last pair have served me well for 10 years, I think they are worth it.

These hiking boots are my friday favourite!

HAR

cool combinations

Some things are clearly made to go together. Gin and tonic (of course), ripple chips and French onion dip, and maple syrup with well, anything.

Other combos might not be quite so obvious. But when you look closer, or try them out, they make for some natural pairings.

Yoga is one we’ve combined with other activities. Several years ago, we did a yoga and knitting workshop at Kripalu. Nothing really tying the activities together, but we did sit cross legged on the floor to knit, and I’m sure our stitches were loose and relaxed because we were.

I did a yoga a kayaking weekend last year with White Squall Paddling Centre. The ability to isolate muscles and breathing in yoga made a huge difference to the buoyancy of the kayaking. And a little sketching thrown in too.

We recently did a little day hike and stopped for some scenic yogic poses.

Hiking and food is an obvious. Tire yourself out and have someone serve up a delicious meal at the end of it all. And a personal favourite – the various Butter Tart Trails across Ontario. You could walk or drive to the next bakery featuring their version of the Canadian classic.

CJR

foraging for ramps

Well, I call them wild leeks, but you might know them as ramps or Allium tricoccum. Pungent deliciousness that mother nature offers up in the spring as one of the first wild edibles, wild leeks bring a strong flavour that mixes onion and garlic in a powerhouse bulb about the size of green onion.

For years on early spring hikes, I’d try and dig them up with my fingers. I’m (slowly) learning to be a smarter, better equipped forager. I packed a garden trowel for my hike this past weekend, returning to a route where I’d seen leeks last year.

I harvested a healthful handful. And that’s an accomplishment. They don’t dig up very easily. They love wooded areas, often snuggling in against downed tree limbs, with roots that run deep into a hearty layer of decaying leaves.

I’ll be turning this bunch into something like this (wild) leek and potato soup.

CJR

first of the season

Spring-time inspiration hit this past weekend. Whatever it is that you love about the spring, this was the weekend to get started.

For me, it’s hiking. I love the anticipation and planning out the trail. We headed out first thing Sunday morning for about an 8 km loop on the Bruce Trail. We hit the jackpot with the first perfect day we’ve had this year for hiking. No bugs. Blue sky. Cool in the morning. Summertime warmth when we finished up.

I love watching the first plants pop through the forest floor. There were coltsfoot, hepatica and trout lilies just popping out. And I even found a few wild leeks, but they need a bit more time to grow before I harvest them for this.

There is something pretty perfect about getting back outside in the spring. What’s your first of the season favourite?

CJR