3 Ways to Go Outside While Staying Inside
You can still enjoy the great outdoors while being indoors
Time feels pretty weird these days, but here we are, already at issue #10 of Go Outside! We launched this newsletter 10 weeks ago in an effort to help more Albertans Go Outside during the COVID-19 pandemic, when going outside was one of the only safe things to do.
We’ve so enjoyed hearing from you! Thanks to all who have e-mailed, tweeted, commented, asked questions, and sent photos of their adventures (or the new merino wool they’ve bought), inspired by this newsletter.
Please keep those tweets, comments and emails coming, and if you enjoy an issue, please, please, please share it with someone else who you think would enjoy reading Go Outside. While we’ve long loved exploring the stellar areas we’re lucky enough to have in our backyard, such trips have taken on new meaning for us during the pandemic. It’s become uplifting to see so many of you also embracing the great outdoors with us.
Alberta is in a grim situation right now, with COVID-19 cases and deaths continually setting new records. Instead of heading outside this week, we’re sharing some ways to experience the wilderness, or learn more about the mountains, from the comfort of your own home.
Watch an outdoor film…or 10!
Neither of us are big movie/film/TV watchers (this dates back to childhood when we would get bored by family movie nights and instead go play) but that changes when the Banff Mountain Film + Book Festival is on. There’s something about being in a room full of people in puffy jackets, watching creative outdoor films in quick succession, that gets you pumped about being outside. While this year’s (virtual) event ended earlier this month, if you missed it, there’s still plenty of ways to catch cool, short outdoor films online this pandemic winter. So fill your mug with some hot chocolate (and Baileys) and get watching.
This list from March of free outdoor films includes fan favourites from the Banff Mountain Film Festival, such as the fun 4-minute Danny Daycare and interesting 19-minute Electric Greg. The 32-minute Ice & Palms about two men who spend six weeks bikepacking across the alps and skiing iconic mountains along the way combines two of our favourite things: biking and skiing!
The above mentioned films all have one thing in common besides the outdoors. They all have men as main characters. Globe and Mail reporter Carrie Tait recently wrote a lovely little piece about ski movies featuring female skiers. Her story links to several films, including the fun 14-minute Dream Job, that will most definitely have you laughing, while also getting excited for ski season.
The Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival’s Fall series is streaming online until Sunday Nov. 29 with tickets starting at $17 or a pass at $55.
The Frenchy is the inspirational story of 82-year-old French snow/ski racer and mountain biker Jacques Houot who has survived some two dozen close calls with death. We watched it years ago at the Banff Mountain Film Fest and now return to it when we’re looking for a pick-me-up.
Here’s another list of awesome adventure films, first published during the spring lockdown. This one contains 16 free films, several of which we’re excited to watch this winter.
Learn about avalanche terrain and staying safe outside
For anyone looking to brush up on their existing skills, or learn new ones, Avalanche Canada is hosting six months of weekly online webinars, on topics ranging from recognizing avalanche terrain and trip preparedness to incident case studies and getting the most out of the Mountain Weather Forecast (MWF). Pre-registration is required and all webinars are recorded and made available after the event.
We can’t stress enough how important safety is when heading outside, especially in winter. With the early-season snow, trails are already busy and Banff visitor safety manager Brian Webster told CBC last week that crews have already responded to “assistance calls from people who underestimated factors like the weather, the terrain and even trip distance.”
With so many people taking up new winter sports this year, such education is especially important. Matt Mueller, Alberta Parks public safety specialist, told CTV in early November that people snowshoeing often don’t understand the avalanche risks, leading them to leave designated trails. “They’ll start walking up slopes a lot of times and expose themselves to the run out of avalanche and be completely oblivious and that’s something that we’re really trying to address this year is that education component about avalanche terrain and avalanche hazard,” Mueller told CTV.
Avalanche training is a must for anyone snowshoeing, skiing, snowmobiling, or ice-climbing in the backcountry. Both of us have gotten into backcountry ski touring in recent years and have completed our AST (Avalanche Skills Training) 1 and 2 courses. We find that the more knowledge we gain, the deeper our respect for how dangerous mountain environments can be.
Curl up with a new book
Sometimes, the next best thing to heading out on your own adventure is reading about someone else’s. Luckily, there’s no shortage of outdoor books, including new releases and classic titles. So place a hold at your local library or order online from your local bookstore…Here’s what books we’re reading or wanting to read:
Calgary’s Pages Books typically heads to Banff as the bookseller for the Mountain Film & Book festival. This year, their tables are out for online browsing. Whether you’re looking for a book about nature, mountaineering or hiking, they’ve got you covered. Virtual shelves are also a thing at Shelf Life Books; click here and scroll to find the same sections you would in store, including science & nature and environment & climate change.
We have a few little adventurers in our life and are eyeing this book for them this Christmas: The Hike by Alison Farrell. It’s a picture book about how fun it can be to explore nature in your own backyard, featuring three intrepid young female explorers.
We always love keeping an eye on what’s being published by local Rocky Mountain Books, as they specialize in topics including mountain history, adventure travel and outdoor lifestyle. Cailynn recently bought What Bears Teach Us by Sarah Elmeligi with photos by John E. Marriott for a gift, and was very tempted to keep it for herself. She also recently enjoyed reading Talking with Bears: Conversations with Charlie Russell by G. A. Bradshaw (do you sense a theme here?), while Annalise wants to read Stories of Ice: Adventure, Commerce and Creativity on Canada’s Glaciers by Lynn Martel.
For a total escape this winter, we recommend Lands of Lost Borders: Biking Out Of Bounds On The Silk Road by Canadian author Kate Harris. Forget you’re stuck inside with this bestseller about a bicycle trip on the Silk Road, a beautifully written book that weaves in adventure, exploration and the wildness of our world.