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Peach Pie and Roasted Beets, the abundance of Fall and the quest for health!

September 7, 2012

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Along with hiking and being outdoors, I am also passionate about creating really, really tasty food. I spend much of my non-walking (and walking) time accumulating ingredients and converting them into into scrumptious meals. And then I HAVE to go for a walk. And of course, the more I hike, the more top notch food I need to consume! It’s a catch 22 but a good one I think.

It is peach, apple, pear, tomato, carrot, potato and pepper (to name a few) season at the moment. I have been frequenting my favourite, not-a-rip-off, Calgary farmer’s Market weekly. DJ Farmer’s market is the only place to go. Trust me on this one, I have done ample research and I want to save your pocketbook from the pain that I have suffered.

And before I get into the food part of the blog, I’ll tell you what my recipe for health and happiness is, in a nut shell (or should I say, pie-shell).

Get Physical! Get lots of activity every day, move more, make the little things a bit harder, not always easier, and learn to love be physical.

Eat real food. Lots of fresh, high flavour foods. Don’t waste calories on junk. Maximize the caloric benefit by ensuring every calorie you consume has fantastic flavour.

Sleep…a lot. We are a chronically sleep deprived, caffeine addicted, TV zombie society. Less caffeine, less TV and more sleep.

Surround yourself with great people. Put energy into your friendships. Have people over for dinner more often; bake a peach pie (it’s really easy). Who cares if the house is clean, just do it!

Peach Pie Recipe

Pastry* (easy to make or buy pre-made shells)

5-6 cups fresh peaches, sliced
1/2- 3/4 cup sugar
1/3-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
(for really juicy peaches use more, less juicy, use less)

Mix all ingredients together and bake at 400 F for 45 minutes or until pastry browns.

*Following in my mum’s footsteps, I make the recipe on the back of the Tenderflake box. It makes six pastry balls, enough for 3 pies. Freeze the balls that you don’t use!

And what will I do with all of these beets you ask? I will make a pear, roasted beet and pine nut salad for our dinner guests tonight. When friends come around on Sunday we’ll enjoy a roasted beet, dill and feta salad.

Roasted beets

Roast beets at 400 F for about an hour or until a fork pierces the beets easily.

Roasted Beet Salad with Fresh Pears and Nuts over Greens

5 medium beets (2 in. / 5 cm in diameter)
2 tbsp red or white wine or balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
½ cup olive oil
2 ripe pears (can use canned)
½ lemon, juice only (if using fresh pears so they will not brown)
4 cups of loosely packed greens
½ cup of nuts (pine nuts or walnuts)

Roast beets at 375 F for 60-80 minutes. Skin after cooking and dice.

Whisk vinegar, salt, pepper; add mustard and honey; add oil. Marinate beets in half of the dressing.

Serve on individual plates or mix in one large bowl.

It’s going to be a spectacular weekend in Calgary and the Rockies. Make sure that you get outdoors and explore, try a hike in Rockies or a walk in the city. Soak up the blue skies. Get yourself to the market and load up on fresh produce. Eat the tomatoes raw; they are juicy and tasty. Treat your taste-buds to the flavours of Fall in Canada. And after all of that, have a great sleep!

An active cross-Canada summer (with no blogs!)

September 3, 2012

lori

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I have discovered that enjoying the slower pace of summer means I spend a lot less time on the computer and therefore this is my first blog since June. I think everyone should have a social media holiday. A break from constant updates allows you to focus on the moment without thinking about how to write about it later.

My family and I spent 7 weeks visiting the Maritimes and Eastern Canada. When we returned to Calgary, we hung out and relaxed, walked the city and hiked and camped in the Rockies.

It was a summer full of long hot days and warm nights. There was lots of time for the kids to get bored and then start to explore and create, to read a book, to be useful and help with dinner, and then set the table and to wash the dishes. We did a lot but nothing was rushed because every day was a clean slate. It was just what the doctor ordered after 10 months of structure.

I’ll try to sum it all up with this stream of consciousness approach, here it goes:

Hot and humid, outdoor dinners every night, the neighbours pool and sprinklers, Popsicles and strawberry shortcake, warm evenings, tree forts, fireflies, crickets, Ontario peaches, lobster dinners, Maritime molasses brown bread, my son driving the riding lawnmower at his grandparents.

My daughter playing piano with my mum, going for coffee in small town NB every morning with Grammie’s friends, walking and running on the rail trail along the Saint John River in Woodstock, NB’s oldest town, a phenomenal Anne of Green Gables play in Charlottetown, PEI, walking the Charlottetown waterfront, a 10 km road race (5 km for the kids), catching up with a few high-school friends.

Picnics on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec, speaking French, eating gelato and ice cream, staying in and walking Quebec City, all day, every day for a week, tasty Quebec cheeses and fresh baguettes for lunch.

A swim in the free public pool along the Saint Lawrence River and then climbing 400 stairs from the Saint Lawrence to the Plains of Abraham, moules frites, hand-made gelato at Tutto Gelato on Rue Saint Jean.

Strolling the back streets searching for fountains to cool us, farmer’s markets and fresh produce from l’Ile d’Orleans, enjoying a glass of wine in the park, legally (Calgary take note).

ICE CREAM in Quebec City!!

Cooler packed picnics amongst the tourists at the road-side highway turnoffs, a hike in the parched Gateneau’s, 34 degrees and high humidity (water!!), another outdoor pool, watching the Olympics in the air conditioning.

Walks along Lake Ontario in Kingston, a train ride to Montreal, energy and life on Rue St. Denis, the success of Montreal’s Bixie bike program (oh, when the kids are a bit bigger…), traveling the underground, walks to the Atwater and Jean Talon markets, a picnic on Mont Royal, lots and lots of gelato and ice cream.

Back in Calgary, relaxing, packing and cooking for camping, my daughter catching up with her stuffies, my son catching up with his friends, going camping in the Rockies with friends and their kids, we all hiked 15 km and 700 meters to Rockbound Lake, Banff National Park and the next day 11 km and 500 meters to Stanley Glacier in Kootenay National Park.

Hot, sweaty, horseflies and mosquitoes, dunking our bodies and heads in the creeks and waterfalls pouring off the Stanley Glacier, the 6 and 8 year old having running races in the campground after 7 hours of hiking.

Camp fires and marshmallows, double chocolate layer cake, beer!, Greek lamb burgers and spaghetti with fresh basil tomato sauce, BC peaches and blueberries from DJ’s market in Calgary (the only REAL not a rip-off farmer’s market in the city).

More camping on the Icefields Parkway, burr, our morning wake-up to ice in the water bottles on the last weekend in August, a black bear running into the campsite, Helen Lake Hike, purple rock and fuchsia Indian Paintbrush, vibrant green moss in the stream.

Scrambling on boulders, marmots and pikas and glaciers, dinners with friends to hear about their summer, hikes with Club Fit Frog, family hikes with lots of kids (and lots of snacks!), can’t jam in anything else. Labour day is here.

And that pretty much sums it up. We had a fantastic summer exploring the east and west of Canada. We are lucky and life is good. It’s back to school and to some routine, but we’ll be sure to leave lots of free time for spontaneity and fun; for exploration and creativity.

Fall is one of my favourite seasons, the air is fresh, the colours emerge and the hiking is wonderful.

More adventures await!

Rocky Mountain Birthday Cake Hike!

June 14, 2012

lori

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I think that a hike that ends with a homemade cake is one of the best hikes ever. My friend Carmen makes THE BEST cakes in the world. This is a 6th year that I have enjoyed one of her post-hike cakes on my birthday, in the mountains. My regular Club Fit Frog hikers start asking about the June birthday hike date in the winter. Yesterday, after a mostly sunny (slightly rainy) hike in the Elbow Valley area of the Kananakis Rockies, we enjoyed this decadent creation.

The hike was a colourful trek through fields of wildflowers. June is the rainy month and the foothills are lush and green. The lower elevation hikes are the best spots to be immersed in wildflowers in the late spring.

Prairie Creek Trail, on Hwy. 66/Elbow Falls Trail Kananaskis, is a nice 4 ish hour, 10 km rolling terrain hike that is perfect on a day when the clouds are low and thunder storms forecasted (like they were yesterday!). Make sure you wear your waterproof boots.The creek is high right now and we had to ford it at the end of the hike, on Prairie Link Trail.

Why I love an urban hike

June 11, 2012

lori

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This is a piece I wrote for the Calgary Herald. They were asking readers about their favourite urban hikes and also wanted to know what the difference is between a hike and a walk.

Why I love an urban hike

What is the difference between a walk and a hike? Good question.

Most people think of hiking as something you do in nature, in the parks, the wilderness. You pack a lunch and head out for an active adventure. Walking is something you can do anywhere, like walking around the block for exercise or walking to the corner store for some milk or walking to your a neighbourhood pub. Urban hiking in Calgary is the perfect mix of walking and hiking; an outdoor adventure that dips into green spaces, parks and nature and ends with a good cup of coffee. And while most Calgarians head to the Rocky Mountains for adventure, they need not. Calgary is a top notch outdoor destination in itself. For intrepid urban hikers, Calgary’s concrete jungle is more than office towers, SUVs and suburbia. It’s parks like Fish Creek and the Weaslehead, Edworthy, Nose Hill and Bowmont Natural Environment Park, a park with its very own waterfall.

Pockets of nature are scattered throughout the city. When I head out on foot, I step off the sidewalk and onto the dirt and paved pathways at every opportunity. Scenic Acres Ravines, Erlton Bluffs, Britannia Slopes, McHugh Bluffs are just a handful of green spaces that add a taste of nature to a city trek. Urban hiking is a diverse adventure; a mix of funky shopping districts, architecturally-interesting neighbourhoods and tasty local eateries. It’s the vast range of treasures in a small, easily navigated space that makes exploring the city on foot so appealing.

And if you are one of those time-crunched urbanites that are over-booked and under-vacationed, urban hiking is your ticket to being a tourist in your own city. Self-propelled urban mini-vacations keep your body fit and your mind intrigued. And there’s no better time than the long days of summer to start your walking habit. You’ll get landscaping and gardening ideas en route, soak up the smells of wild roses and barbecued steak, shade yourself under the canopy of full grown poplars that line inner-city streets, and enjoy a picnic lunch on the top of Nose Hill Park, Calgary’s highest point.

Inglewood and Ramsay is my suggestion for an eclectic urban hike. Calgary’s oldest neighbourbood is a mix of trendy and gritty. Its character results from the wide variety of housing styles, people, and the independent shops that line 9th Avenue. From Scotsmans Hill you can soak up the awe-inspiring views of Stampede Park, the Rocky Mountains on the western horizon and the downtown core prominently reaching out of the concrete. Descend in an easterly direction towards 9th Avenue and the Bow River. Roads go this way and that, and street names like Bison Path give a hint of Calgary’s earliest days. The back streets and alleys of Ramsay are home to war-time bungalows with car sheds and clotheslines. Enjoy the feel of a multi-generational neighbourhood; homes here date back to the late 1800s and the community feel is strong.

If you’d like to do a bit of shopping on your trek then detour along the commercial core on 9^th Avenue. Rejuvenated historic buildings are home to the city’s largest collection of antique and home decorating shops, a scattering of cafés and ethnic eateries and an eclectic mix of independent shops. Walk closer to the Bow River, along 8^th Avenue, to view homes with bay windows and verandahs; decorative widow’s walks on rooftops, and fine woodwork. Head to the Bow River Pathway and go east to explore Pearce Estate Park, the Fish Hatchery, the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary or the new Bow River Weir Project called Harvie Passage; anatural water park that replaces the hazardous weir.

Or venture north across the Bow River and follow paved paths past the zoo, over the wooded St. Patrick Island and then east to the new East Village Development. With any luck, the food trucks will be parked in the East Village and you’ll have lunch on one of the new comfy lounge chairs overlooking the Bow River. Take the Elbow River Pathway south and walk south towards the Saddledome. Watch for Great Horned owls perched in the Poplar trees. A set of stairs, across from the second bridge that leads to Stampede Park (marked by an area enclosed by a chain-link fence), is your secret passage back to the top of Scotsman’s Hill.

Walking goes against the grain of our multi-tasking car culture. The purpose of an urban hike is observation and exploration. Your walking pace enables you to change your route mid-stride, investigate a side-street, stop for a coffee or appreciate a view. Walking is also a wonderful time to go solo and think, to visit with friends, and to improve your fitness level. It’s this change of pace from your jam-packed city life that makes urban hiking potentially habit forming. So the next time you need a break, a mini-getaway from the routine of life, a new perspective, just step out in your own city. You won’t believe what you’ll find in your own backyard!

Urban Hike and Bike, Douglas Fir Trail, Bow River to Elbow River Pathways

June 11, 2012

lori

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On a beautiful June day I headed out on my bike from my home in Marda Loop area, through South Calgary, Bankview and Scarboro to the Bow River Pathway. My destination was Edworthy Park to hike the Douglas Fir Trail. Urban hikes are one of my favourite pastime and the Douglas Fir Trail is a top notch wilderness trek in the heart of the city. Above the Bow River Pathway and the train tracks is a hill of stairs hidden amongst a stand of Douglas Fir trees. This challenging hike is a good spot to train for upcoming mountain hikes or multi-day wilderness adventures. It’s also an ideal summer hiking location since it is shaded throughout.

The vegetation is lush, by Calgary standards, due partly to the springs that trickle through the soil from the community of Wildwood above. These springs have also made the escarpment trail somewhat unstable. Mudslides have occurred and part of the trail is closed but it is easy to divert around the closed area, past the frog ponds and continue on your trek. Signage is clear and route options are easy to follow.

For an optimal fitness outing, head back up and over the Douglas Fir Trail on your return to your bike or for a relaxing flat return, follow the paved Bow River Pathway. Above the Edworthy Park parking lot of the south side of the river is a favourite training hill for all those people who are planning to hike the West Coast Trail or Nepal or for cross-country skiers in the Fall. Climb this hill and enjoy a fantastic view of the downtown core and the Bow River.

Back on my bike, I cycled to the north side of the Bow River. If you need a snack break, stop at Angel’s coffee shop for breakfast, lunch or a homemade muffin and coffee. Post snack break it’s eastbound along the Bow, past downtown to the East Village near Inglewood. Head south along the Elbow River Pathway, past the Stampede Grounds, through Lindsay Park, back to Elbow Park and home.Another successful active urban adventure!

The combination of cycling and hiking is a great way to get a 3 or more hour active outing in Calgary. When you don’t have the time to head out of the city for a full day of wilderness adventure, or you don’t feel like driving, why not fill your morning or evening with an active urban adventure? You won’t believe what you’ll find in your own backyard!

Northbound Family Cycle /Calgary transit combo adventure

May 25, 2012

lori

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Active Urban Adventure Series

Mount Royal – Sunnyside LRT- Crowfoot LRT- Scenic Acres- Bowmont Park- Edworthy Park- home

This northbound cycle/transit is the second instalment in my active urban adventure series. These self-propelled urban adventures are a way to travel the city without your car. I am an advocate of choosing a lifestyle, not a gym; of integrating physical fitness into everyday. I hope you will be inspired to create your own self-propelled urban adventures with friends and family. Join me now as my family and I travel from Mount Royal, SW on bike to the Sunnyside LRT. We’ll travel the train to the Crowfoot LRT and then cycle home through suburbia side-streets, treed ravines to Rocky Mountain viewpoints and a picnic lunch in Bowmont Natural Environment Park. Self-propelled living; start ’em young and they’ll enjoy the health benefits for life.

Marda Loop to Crowfoot LRT and back:
Another 25 km cycle and transit day

With our panniers full of food, we headed our bikes northward, along the side streets of Bankview and into Scarboro, SW. Traveling on roads can be challenging with children, so we stick to the least busy side streets we can find. I repeat my urban biking mantra, “pay attention and watch for cars pulling out, opening doors and basically not seeing you”. Brainwashing my kids to be extra vigilant while on a bike is my goal. We cycled our way t0 the 14 Street sidewalk and stayed on the sidewalk while traveling under the CP rail train tracks. Soon we were travelling east on the Bow River Pathway; destination Sunnyside LRT!

Last week our LRT experience at Erlton was an uncomfortable lesson in mental illness. Sunnyside LRT has many more people on the platform that Erlton did at the same time of day and most of them seem to be SAIT and the U of C students. A group of drama students sported crazy wigs, nutty hats and clown-like outfits. No electronic device can compete with live, adult silliness; the kids were mesmerized.

Arrival Crowfoot LRT; beautiful and clean but not set up for bikes

The LRT stations are almost ready for cyclists but not quite. Each train car allows two bikes and the bikes must enter at the end of the car (not in the centre). There are signs that tell cyclists where they can enter. This is a great set-up and it is easy to navigate. It’s when you arrive at a station, such as Crowfoot, that you may need to be creative. We used the escalator to move our bikes up to the pedestrian overpass and then into the suburban neighbourhood of Scenic Acres. At this point we cracked open the bike path map. Small print warning: the fonts on the bike path map are EXTREMELY small (at least for this mum). I suggest that you travel with a city map booklet to cross-reference your route or if you have your iPhone handy,try the Calgary bike path app.

We made our way to Scenic Acres Blvd. and then found the bike path that traveled through a natural ravine park tucked in amongst the homes. This treed suburban oasis soon opened up to Scenic Acres Park; a sports park with soccer fields, tennis courts and some top notch public basketball courts. I wished I had packed a basketball amongst all the food so we could shoot some hoops.

Bowmont Natural Environment Park

Soon we were whizzing downhill on the pathway that runs parallel to Nose Hill Drive and into Bowmont Natural Environment Park (Map link). Bowmont is a mixed use park with a paved pathway running thoughout and many narrow dirt trails that skirt the escarpments and drop into the ravines. These off trail routes are popular with hikers and mountain bikers alike. We stuck to the main trail and climbed the short, steep paved path trail to a lookout where LUNCH WAS SERVED!! Leftover pizza, pb and j sandwiches, almonds, fruit, cookies and chocolate. Energy food is critical!

Views from our lunch spot included Canada Olympic Park, the Rockies to the west, the Bow River below and the tip-tops of Calgary’s downtown towers reaching out of the concrete.

Back on the bikes we continued high up overlooking the ravine trails, past the Waterfall Valley boardwalk. This is a great spot to jump off the bike, lock it up and hike down the boardwalk to the mini waterfall flowing over a calcium carbonate deposit called tufa. Want to know more about tufa and the geology and natural history of Bowmont park? Click here.

Home Road bike lanes to Shouldice and Edworthy Parks: picnic central

The bike lanes on Home Road are fantastic and I sure hope the city will continue to bring more dedicated bike lanes, preferably with barriers between the bikes and cars, to more areas. A downhill coast on Home Road lead us to the Bow River Pathway. Soon we were soaking up smells of barbecue sausages and the sounds of families having fun in the great outdoors. Shouldice Park (Map link) is a picturesque spot along the Bow River and has lots of picnic tables making is a favourite spot for family gatherings on sunny summer evenings and weekends.

Onward along the Bow River Pathway to Edworthy Park, another picnic mecca. Angels Cafe, the only cafe in Edworthy Park, was doing a brisk business and the line-up was long so we didn’t stop for an ice-cream, but decided to peddle on with the plan of having a treat at home. We crossed to the south side of the Bow River and traveled east on the Bow River Pathway. Roller bladders, walkers and cyclists were out in full force. We cycled past one of my favourite urban hikes, the Douglas Fir Trail in Edworthy Park. It’s a trail of stairs tucked in a stand of Douglas Fir Trees below the community of Wildwood. It’s a perfect shady hiking route on a hot summer day.

Homeward bound: the Pumphouse Theatre, Scarboro, Bankview and home
4 hours later

The Bow River Pathway on the south side is a windy ride through the poplars. We got stopped by one train and watched many more chugg on by. We climbed through the community of Scarboro and then in to Bankview. The final climbs of the day were followed by a big ice cream cone at home. Another successful self-propelled Calgary adventure!

Next Adventure: Head south and cycle east! Fish Creek Park, Carburn Park, Inglewood Bird Sanctuary and continue along the Bow River Pathway through the East Village until we find ice cream or food trucks!

Family Cycle /Calgary transit combo adventure

May 14, 2012

lori

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Active Urban Adventure Series

Do you want to be more active with your family? Perhaps you are motivated to bike and walk for the exercise or as a alternate way to get to know Calgary. Or maybe you’d like a local vacation, a “stay cation”, this summer; much cheaper than heading out of town and paying for hotels and meals and activities for the family. I enjoy active urban adventuring for all of those reasons and also, in order to get my kids hooked on self-propelled transport. Our 7 year old can bike up to 30km and our 10 year old is a cycle commuter, 8 km return to school every day, all year. So we decided to do some transit / bike ride combo adventures as a family. Start ’em young and they’ll enjoy the health benefits for life.

Marda Loop to Fish Creek Park and back:
Our 25 km cycle and transit day

It’s 9am on a Saturday and we’re heading south, first on bikes, followed by the train and then back on our bikes. We cycled from our house near the Marda Loop area, along the Elbow River Pathway, through Lindsay Park to the Erlton LRT. Erlton LRT is not the best set-up for bikes however, and although we could enter the platform from the south end, we still had to go inside the transit building and up the stairs to purchase tickets.

Calgary cycle/transit adventure lesson 1: Know where the Help button is located and don’t be afraid to use it.

Self-propelled urban adventures offer many teachable moments, some more enjoyable than others. We were able to teach our kids that cities are full of all types of people. On Saturday morning at 9:30 at Erlton LRT, we shared the platform with a mentally ill man. He threatened to push me onto the tracks and ranted and yelled while our kids watched. After he left we had a good chat about what to do when someone is scary. Good to know, but not a great start. We followed that lesson by another sad lesson in Lysterine consumption and straphanger acrobatics; impressive back flips using the straps that hang from the ceiling. These folks did not threaten in any way, but my 10 year old son watched the help button closely. These unexpected urban lessons will stick with our kids and they will be more aware because of them.

Calgary cycle/transit adventure lesson 2: Fish Creek Park is a a cycling, hiking mecca!

We exited the train at the Fish Creek station and cycled into the park. Fish Creek Provincial Park is one of Canada’s largest urban provincial parks. The park extends from the Tsuu Tina Nation reserve in the west more than 20 kilometres to the Bow River in the east. We cycled west from Macleod Trail along tree lined pathways, criss-crossing Fish Creek to the picnic tables at the Shannon Terrace trailhead. We had been gone from home for two hours and it was time for lunch! The post lunch pathway ride to the Glenmore Reservoir was a net downhill and we zipped along without effort. We opted to head east around the the reservoir in order to avoid the hill climb to North Glenmore Park, out at the Weaslehead. The kayaks, sailboats and Inland Gulls were enjoying Calgary’s largest body of water. The pathway was in full use by walkers and joggers, strollers and cyclists. We continued past Heritage Park and heard the train disguised as Thomas the Tank Engine. Soon we were enjoying Reservoir and Rocky Mountains camera worthy views from the path alongside the Rocky View Hospital. And this is when my daughter asked, “Are we almost at My Favourite Ice Cream Shop”?

Calgary cycle/transit adventure lesson 3: Ice cream is a motivator!

We all know it is true, ice cream (beer) motivates. Have fun with your outing and make sure to reward your kids along the way and after a good long cycle with a tasty treat, or popcorn and a movie or a bonfire and roasted hotdogs; whatever your family enjoys. The great thing about urban adventures is that there are many pitstop options along the way. We continued across the Glenmore Dam and into Altadore for the promised ice cream cone. And yes, the kids slept very well that night.

Next Adventure: Head north on the Long Weekend! We’ll cycle to Kensington LRT and ride the rails north to Crowfoot station. We’ll peddle through Bowmont Park, Bowness, Edworthy Park, along the Bow River Pathway past the East Village to Inglewood and take the Elbow River Pathway all the way home.

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Hike or bike in Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park

May 7, 2012

lori

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Glenbow Ranch Provinical Park is one of Canada’s newest provincial parks. It is a fantastic spot for families on foot, bike, scooter, in a stroller or simply on foot. I visited Glenbow Ranch on the weekend with my family and others and we enjoyed a two hour hike with big views of the Bow River and the Rockies. You could easily hike for 4 hours on the mix of trails that add up to 20 km or more. Club Fit Frog will hike there again on Friday!

The park is a mix of wide open grasslands, wandering waterways, secluded coulees, native and historic archaeological sites. The trails dip and climb, and sometimes, they climb high to hilltop viewpoints.

Learn more about this park including how to get there and printable trail maps.

See some fantastic photos of the park at the Glenbow Ranch Foundation website.

Kids biking to school in Calgary, Alberta

May 6, 2012

lori

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My son started cycling to school this year. At 9 years old and in grade 5, he biked through a Calgary winter and only rode the bus twice all year. He travelled side streets, back alleys, along river pathways and crossed two somewhat busy roads at crosswalks on his route. He LOVED IT! He met up with his best pal en route, and in warmer weather many more kids joined in. His 3.5 km ride took him about 15 minutes, except on really snowy/icy/rainy days or on days when he and his pals biked in circles to chat a bit longer.

As childhood obesity rates continue to rise, schools and parents look for ways to get kids off the couch. But the number of students who walk or ride their bikes to school has dropped from 48% in 1969 to just 13% in 2009. David Darlington talks about this in his Bicycling article, “Why Johnny Can’t Ride.” And while this article applies to the US (thank goodness we are not as lawsuit oriented in Canada) it is also becoming quite rare to see children walking and biking to school in Calgary. And it is becoming quite common to see parents picking their kids up and dropping them off.

The parents I chat with in Calgary about biking and walking say things like, “my child is not ready”. A fear of abduction or traffic are the two top reasons for holding their child back. However, when push comes to shove, the real reason sneaks out. Parents have a real fear of their child missing out on after school programs if they bike or walk. Their child would not get home in time to be whisked away in the car to their next life skill in waiting. Parents have a real fear of their kids FALLING BEHIND.

I think the real life skills are learned while walking and biking.These skills will propel kids ahead; light years ahead!

independent thinking (icy route, take the sidewalk)
problem solving (flat tires, wipeouts, first aid for a friend)
responsibility
fun fitness (friends, laughs and hills to climb!)
self-propelled living (fit forever as a way of life; active living becomes part of who they are)

Here’s a great interview on NPR about what’s lost when kids don’t bike and walk to school.

Kids can do it and they love it. Walk and bike there Calgary!

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Walk there Calgary! My walking rant.

April 27, 2012

lori

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I love to walk. I walk to shop, to bank, to do all my errands. My kids walk and bike to school. My city is much smaller than it is for people who use their car everyday. Most days my city is a 5 km radius of my house; a distance that allows me to manage on foot. I do use a car and a bike as well, and this allows me to go further afield, but mostly, I walk.

What I do not love about walking is when Calgary’s car culture rears its ugly head, like it did this morning on my walk to school with my daughter. I was yelled at by two irate women drivers when my daughter and I crossed in a crosswalk. I didn’t give the drivers enough warning the driver yelled. Cars cannot stop on a dime they shouted. Yes, they can, and they did. They just weren’t happy to be interrupted, to be slowed, to be taken to task on why they were not going to stop for the mum and kid crossing in a crosswalk on the way to school. So I yelled too. Slow down, be ready, anticipate; especially during walk to school time. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for that hurtling hunk of metal. PAY ATTENTION!! (okay, the rant part is over now.)

Walking is freedom. It is the freedom to go fast or slow (but really, walking is slow in comparison to most forms of transport), to change my route mid-stride, to take shortcuts through parks and along river valley trails. Walking is creativity. It is the chance to think, to work through problems, to have new ideas. Walking is being out there, accessible to your neighbours; walking is eyes on the street, and walking is health.

I hope that more people with WALK THERE.

Get out there and walk your community, talk to the neighbours, be the eyes on the street.
Get fit, stop taking statins, and high blood pressure meds, and going on nutty diets, looking for the easy, yet imaginary fix for health.
Forget the organics, the detox, the gluten free; just WALK MORE, eat real food and get good sleep.
Make the cars stop for you. Step out and make the streets safer for everyone.

Just WALK THERE!

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Active Urban Adventure Series

Marda Loop to Crowfoot LRT and back: Another 25 km cycle and transit day

Arrival Crowfoot LRT; beautiful and clean but not set up for bikes

Bowmont Natural Environment Park

Home Road bike lanes to Shouldice and Edworthy Parks: picnic central

Homeward bound: the Pumphouse Theatre, Scarboro, Bankview and home 4 hours later

Marda Loop to Fish Creek Park and back: Our 25 km cycle and transit day

Marda Loop to Crowfoot LRT and back:
Another 25 km cycle and transit day

Homeward bound: the Pumphouse Theatre, Scarboro, Bankview and home
4 hours later

Marda Loop to Fish Creek Park and back:
Our 25 km cycle and transit day