Covid brought the entire world economy to its knees. For me, it was an experience of discovery burdened with impediment.
I'd love nothing more than writing about a recent adventure, but unfortunately, I have not been able to pursue any of late. Local COVID restrictions for the last month and the foreseeable future strongly urge everyone to avoid leaving their region. Camping is heavily restricted. Ski hills are barred from operation. The closest thing to an adventure I have access to is the local ravine. Not exactly an exciting topic.
Thus, write this post on Christmas Day, looking to create a beacon to remind me that 2020 needs to be remembered for more than just cowering at home during a global pandemic. 2020 was filled with greatness, and it is that greatness that I will use as a vessel to make 2021 even more extraordinary.
2020 is the year that I truly pulled paddling into my heart. It is something I have been dancing around for the last couple of years but breaking my arm in June two years in a row (2018 and 2019) had a distinctly admonishing effect on it as a pursuit until this year.
I had mostly avoided paddling until the last few years because my experience with paddling growing up had always been pretty dull at best and miserable at worst. Giving it another whirl over the last few years has wholly reframed my perspective. I'm infatuated. I more or less figured at the onset that whitewater would find its way into my heart pretty quickly. I never expected flatwater paddling to nuzzle its way in as well.
Exploring flatwater was meant to be a partial replacement for hiking. Over the last few years, I have struggled with joint problems in my knees that have obliterated my ability to hike 20-30km in a day. With my physio's help, I am working to rectify the situation. In the meantime, paddling transfers the burden of backcountry exploration from my legs to my arms.
This year, I logged hundreds of kilometers in my kayak. I love my new addiction. It may be expensive, but it is fuel for both health and soul.
Thank-you 2020; you gave me the gift of paddling.
2021 Goals
With the year coming to a close, the most important thing I can do is begin thinking about making next year amazing. These aren't resolutions, they are goals for my future, and I can't wait to make them a reality.
Get Back in Shape
I'm not really out of shape, per se, but things have certainly slipped since Toronto went back into lockdown. I need to turn things around. I don't want to waste spring shedding flab when I could be having fun, so I need to start getting myself back on track now.
Climb Again
It breaks my heart that it will have been an entire year since I last climbed anything in a few weeks. In January 2020, I was a 5.12 climber; right now, I likely would struggle with a 5.10. Years of training drifted away because all the outdoor crags and indoor gyms have been inaccessible for most of the year. With the Covid vaccine's help, I can only pray for this to change sooner rather than later.
Winter Camping
Another goal at the mercy of Covid vaccines, unfortunately. I'm eager to explore both Algonquin and Frontenac blanketed with snow. Perhaps the universe will be merciful and let me venture into the backcountry many times before spring.
Mountains
2020 has been the first year in my entire life that I did not visit mountains at all—a travesty of blasphemous proportions that needs to be solved post-haste. The Selkirks are in my dreams every night. I can't let another year pass without heeding their call.
Whitewater Level Up
This year I got started in the world of whitewater. Next year I need to buckle down and hone those skills to begin tackling more than just baby waves!
Flatwater Level Up
Towards the end of the 2020 season, I began to experiment with advanced paddling techniques, and it was awesome. I want to double down on that both with more practice and also investing in a boat that will be more suitable.
Better Documentation
Finally, I need to invest more in capturing the memories of my experiences. Creating this blog was the first step to this. Looking back, it blows my mind that I let over a decade of adventure slip into memory before I decided to start recording it. This blog is a journal for me to return to in the future and re-live the glory of adventure. I need to become better at capturing video and the story of each journey.
2021, you better be ready because we are going to have one hell of a ride together.
