The sun is streaming across the icebound lake as I write, but it is feeling like spring is here.
Spring is such a beautiful time of renewal and rejuvenation, when winter’s sleepy darkness begins to fade and into the light emerges the bright opportunity of open water and warm light on our faces.
On Easter weekend, I was lucky enough to have a chance to visit a friend in Smithers, where we saw bluebirds on the fence line as we drove to the ski hill and basked in slush and sunshine.
I am not a person who normally drinks much beer, but the taste of a beer in a sunny snow seat after riding is something far different. It seems as though the warmth and light – perhaps even the vitamin D in the blood – combine with the snow to somehow enhance the flavour of the beverage.
I enjoyed many things I have not in a long time, and it did indeed feel like a resurfacing from a long dark, where everyone around me was living life to the fullest, we went from late nights of music to long afternoons in the snow and sunshine.
There were enough stories of backcountry touring to reignite my interest in the more ambitious pastimes I once made a big part of my life and talk with my friend of potential summer trips on our motorcycles, meeting on backroads and exploration.
The problem with summer is there is so much to do and so little time, and so I find myself needing to prioritize much more than I used to.
The crowd we were with in Smithers were from a slightly different age group, people concerned with rent and seasonal work options so they had time for their beloved recreational pursuits.
It was refreshing to not be talking about kids and houses and the larger responsibilities we take on later in life, but as life goes on and we make the choices which lead to taking on those responsibilities, there are compromises involved and so I will have to keep this in mind as I plan for summertime adventures.
But perhaps the hardest part of these plans are ensuring the balance of fun is maintained so I can continue to appreciate the opportunities afforded by living somewhere with bike trails, rock climbing and a lake on our doorstep.
As I take the bike out of the shed and prepare for warmer weather pursuits, I invite you all to make sure you take time to enjoy where you live and take every opportunity to experience what you can while you can, because the responsibilities will always be there, but the sunshine may not, so make sure you schedule in some time for adventure.
