Up We Go!

Because I had done quite a bit of running and biking in the last few days I decided to declare today a rest day, at least as far as those two activities were concerned. Instead I suggested a hike at nearby Blue Mountain and to my delight the Boyfriend was all for it!

After a few errands in the morning and a light lunch we headed into "Blue" for our little adventure.

Lucky for us we left our toboggan loving horse at home. Phew!

For those of you that are not from this neck of the woods, Blue Mountain is known for it's skiing and snowboarding. Its become so popular, in fact, that they have designed a village at the base of the mountain that has a very "Whistler Blackcomb" vibe to it. In the summer the area is home to many outdoor activities such as mountain biking, kayaking, hiking tours, zip-lining and more. If you are ever in the area I highly recommend a stay in Collingwood ON.

I've got to say we picked a perfect say for hiking. It was warm (but not too hot) and breezy enough to keep us cool once we started moving. Of course you add in the gorgeous sunshine with a view like this and you just can't beat it!

We started our trip at the top of the mountain and decided to take a free gondola ride down to the bottom. I'm slightly afraid of heights (by slightly I mean I usually panic and cause a scene) so it was kind of a big deal that I just hopped in and took the the ride down.

At the bottom we took a little tour around the village and then started our trip up. Being that its a pretty serious ski hill the hike up was steep. My calves and quads got a serious workout from all the climbing.

Living in the city I don't get a chance to enjoy nature as much as I would like, so a hike is always on my list of things-to-do when I get a chance to visit the cottage. Finding a way to incorporate fitness and the calm of the woods is a win-win in my books!

And of course there is the added benefit that the comforts of home (including non-out house style toilet facilities) are only a hop, skip and a tumble jump away. You can take the City Girl outta the city but you can't take the city outta the girl...

This might have added to the appeal too.

If you are one of my southern neighbours I will speak on behalf of Canada when I say you need to take a trip here if for no other reason then one of these babies. A Beaver Tail is deep fried pastry goodness coated in cinnamon and sugar. It's the pride of the nation (or it should be...it really, really should) Tomorrow is Canada's birthday so come up and join us for the party and the pastries!!

Before you ask I do in fact go hiking and then eat dessert before dinner. It's a special technique that you too can attempt if you practice long enough.

To somewhat make up for that deliciousness I came back to the cottage and did some strength training:

100 squats
50 lunges
50 crunches
50 oblique crunches
50 pushups
50 tricep dips
1 minute plank

Now that all the fitness stuff is out of the way its time for another BBQ and some lounging on the porch with an iced cold beer.

Have I said it yet today? Life is good!!


So tell me, what is your favorite outdoor activity? How are you celebrating the long weekend?