Maintaining Your Internal Balance–When the World Goes Beserk
In shadow of Mount Indefatigable
©Bert Gildart: On this day when it appears as though two of the world’s greatest banking institutions are about to fail (one of which holds some of our stock portfolio), since there is not a darn thing we can do about it, I guess we’ll simply continue to enjoy this magnificent part of the world–precisely as we’ve been doing.
One of those ways is by sea kayak and for the past few days it has been in a vast area known as Kananaskis Country. The region is sandwiched between the Waterton/Glacier International Peace Park and Banff.
PRIOR PREPARATION
To enjoy the magnificent lakes found in the Rockies (and most other places to which we travel), we carry a bin loaded with all sorts of equipment to outfit us as we paddle our two Current Design sea kayaks. We have wet suits to protect us from the frigid waters should we flip. We have floats to assist with self rescues–and I’ve taken classes on rolling.
My camera equipment is packed into a dry bag, and is secure except of course when I remove it for photography. Should disaster befall, it’s insured, and I have a back-up camera.
And so, yesterday, we launched our kayaks on the lower of a series of lakes called Kananaskis Lakes, though ours has the further designation of being known as the Lower Kananaskis Lake. As we pushed off a mist was rising over Mount Indefatigable, and the setting was one found no where else in the world but in the Canadian Rockies.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
The area we were in is located just south of Banff and exists because of the forethought of a number of Canadian outdoor planners. Because of their work, Premier Peter Lougheed dedicated the area on September 22nd, 1978. Today, this 4,200 square kilometre recreation area quickly has became a cherished location for Canadians and tourists (such as ourselves, though we prefer the notion that we’re “searchers”) to connect with the environment-and with the rich history it recalls.
According to displays at the Visitor Center Captain John Palliser on his expedition through the area 150 years ago provided the region with the Kananaskis name. The word is derived from the Cree ‘Kin-e-a-kis’ and is said to be the name of a warrior who survived an axe blow to the head.
Lower Kananaskis Lake
For several hours we kayaked this remarkable recreation area, exploring small coves and marveling at the extraordinary folding and faulting so unique to the region’s mountains. We were delighted that when so much of our world is in a state of chaos we still have pristine areas to help us forget world problems and maintain some sense of internal balance.
TWO YEARS AGO WE WERE ALSO KAYAKING
*Kayaking the Bay of Fundy (Which has world’s highest tides)
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