skating : knitting : conquering

The days are numbered for having decent ice skating conditions!  We are on the verge of another extended warm spell with no snow in the forecast.  My new skates arrived and I wanted to test them right away to see if they would be keepers.  They are the same make, the same model, the same size as my blue skates which I purchased some time before January of 2010.  This is the new 2024 look for that same make, model and size.

I put the pedal to the metal and got out there to skate while the going was good.  I went for The Ice Trail.  It's easier to get on the ice there than it is to get onto the ice at The Lagoon.  From the bench where I sit to lace up, to The Ice Trail, is a few inches.  

I slowly and gingerly glided back and forth in front of the bench.  

Once I felt confident enough with this new feel, off skating down The Ice Trail I went.   

The groomer drove off from flooding the ice and then I stepped on it.  Because it was a cold morning, the new flooding froze immediately.  It was a beautiful bright shiny sheer canvas to make the first carvings with new skates.

I skated the roughly just short of two kilometre route around and upon arriving back at this section, I shot a video to capture my first carvings. There is something so satisfying to see the design in the ice.

I also took a photo of the design.

After skating roughly fifteen kilometres, I knew I would be keeping my new skates!

35 Squares are knitted and I refuse to knit even one more!  Enough is enough!  I thought I properly and precisely figured out how many squares of each colour I needed to make the pattern I planned.  I failed!  The pattern is off at the bottom.  While I do have enough yarn left to knit more squares to correct the bottom, I am squared out, no more squares for me!  What's next?  How do I attach all these squares together to make a blanket?  Time to start googling!  

⛸⛸⛸⛸⛸

On the ice again, it's time to get on the ice again!  The forecast for this day was to be cold in the morning then warming up to above freezing before noon.  I have come to know the flooding schedule at The Lagoon, The Canal and The Ice Trail.  I arrived at The Ice Trail just as the groomer was driving away with the empty tank of water.  The ice looked inviting!  It was picture perfect on the back side by the river.  The front stretch was rough in spots due to the warm temperatures into the afternoon the past couple of days. 

Having fun and testing out my skate brakes!

I hoped for a little more snow splash!

The fire pits were rip roaring and it was nice to sit awhile early on when it was still cold.  

After just short of two hours and seventeen kilometres later, sharing The Ice Trail with a few others, the temperature rising, the ice conditions were beginning to decline. I felt fulfilled, it was time to give thanks for a gorgeous morning of skating and head on home.  We will see what the next few days have in store and whether it will be worth it to lace up and etch away!  

🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅

It's time to post an update on my progress with conquering!  Now that I have less than 100 kms to go on the Grand Canyon Virtual Challenge, I am motivated to get to the finish line.  I know I won't need the 37 days that I have remaining, my hope is to complete it in two weeks time.  

The map shows in blue what I covered so far and the red is what is left.  I left my pacer in the dust or I should say the rapids. While I am at 80% complete, the pacer is back there at 60%. 

There I am, still floating down the Colorado River.  The views all look the same so I have not been checking in each time I post my distance covered.  I have been venturing off the river at times just to see what else is around.  There are numerous hiking trails that lead up along the Canyon walls.  I will do an update once I have crossed the finish line.

🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅

I jumped the gun and joined the crusade for the Banff Virtual Challenge and I am going great guns of fire on it.  When this new challenge was announced on Valentine's Day, it called my name loud and clear. It opened for registration on the 15th, I jumped on board and started the challenge on the 16th.   This one resonated with a lot of the members of the conqueror community from all over the world.  Many have been to the area, lots have plans to go and the rest will virtual enjoy Banff National Park. 

The plan is to reach the finish line by the weekend.

The route for this virtual challenge displays different than the others I have done.  Parts of the route are on roadways and one mountain peaks and that is where the broken grey lines are.  The start was at the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse and the finish line is downtown Banff.  The route worked its way up to Skoki Lodge after exiting the village of Lake Louise.  I thoroughly enjoyed that section as I have hiked many trails in that area and even up a few of the Passes, a Ridge and a Mountain. 

After entering today's distance from being "out & about" birding at Carburn, 

it puts me virtually walking along Vermillion Lakes Road. 

I received three postcards so far with long stories attached to each. 

I spent loads of time looking back at my photos of the places I have been that I am now going to virtually.  So many wonderful memories came flooding back.  I shared with the Conquer Community that I have in reality lived the stories that go with these postcards.  This virtual challenge has captured my heart!