Tag: manitoba

  • Mountains of Manitoba

    Legend has it, after attempting to answer the call of Manitoba mountains but being defeated by swamps, mosquitoes, and a biting north wind, John Muir headed south. In fact, he is often misquoted. His actual quote is, “The mountains are calling, BUT I must go.”

  • Spirit Sands & Devil’s Punchbowl

    In spring we finally hiked the iconic Spirit Sands and Devil’s Punchbowl in the Spruce Woods Provincial Park with the whole family. Recommended as a unique landscape in the area, revealing our province’s glacial past, and the ever-changing nature of the land. In his book, “Lake Agassiz”, Bill Redekop explains the origins of the Spirit…

  • Manitoba Marathon

    In 2018 I attempted the impossible, running my first marathon, Winnipeg’s Manitoba Marathon. This was my first foray into long-distance running, what became the start of years of long-distance adventures. Today I’m grateful for the friends and community I found following this path. Congrats to all of today’s MB Marathon runners!

  • Epinette Trail

    Back in late October, inspired by an early snowfall, I called MB Parks to reserve the Jackfish Lake Cabin for an epic nordic skiing adventure. In the naivety of autumn I thought through the various obstacles we could face, including cold temperatures, physical conditioning, and supplies we’d neglect to pack. I never thought we’d be…

  • 25 Reasons I Didn’t Go For a Run Today (Winter Edition)

    When we were kids we got my dad a “Fisherman’s Excuse Mug”, which cleverly outlined all the reasons the fishing was bad. Which was useful, because the fishing often was bad. This time of year it’s important to probably prepare a list of excuses reasons you might not make it outside for your daily run.…

  • Seven things every Manitoban needs in winter

    These thanks to the Manke Product Lab (aka the dinner table). Number 8 was “cheek muffs”.

  • Bugs Don’t Bite in Winter

    Snow in the forecast, but there’s lots to appreciate about winter… right?

  • Mennonite Marathon NL

    Following the tradition established in August 2020 to commemorate the arrival of the first Mennonites in Manitoba, in 2023 I took the opportunity while visiting my wife’s family in the Netherlands to run to the birthplace of Menno Simons himself. Fortunately my in-laws live only a half-marathon distance from Witmarsum, so the mission could be…

  • Mennonite Marathon: The Peace Trail

    Not everything automatically becomes a tradition. You can do a thing once, have a good time (or not), then never do it ever again. There’s no such thing as a “first annual”, you need a second to make it an annual affair. Back in 2020, when we were all going stir-crazy and making up our…

  • Making Things Out of Junk

    One of our kids returned proudly from pre-school one day holding up a creation made entirely from objects rescued from the recycling bin. If we were unsure what this random glued-together collection of cups and sticks was, exactly, so was she. But it was her creation, and that was enough to call it something like…