This blog is not meant only to share our camping/outdoor experiences with you but also to capture our families' many adventures in a very unique way. The hope is that all our followers will get something interesting and useful out of our stories and go out there and enjoy nature.
Hello, my name is Marina. My husband and I live in Calgary, Alberta with our now two and a half year old son Matthias Denali and currently expecting our second in about seven weeks. Yes, maybe that's why I'm writing this my very first blog at 4:05am (insomnia is starting to kick in) plus I'm very excited to start sharing our stories and experiences with you.
A little about me:
Hiking Powder Face Ridge, Bragg Creek, AB - Canada Day 2011
I should first mention that I am a highly skilled Project Engineer in the Oil and Gas Industry here in Calgary. Having studied Civil and Structural Engineering my main purpose other than designing and building was to travel the world and meet different people and experience different cultures.
I grew up in a tiny village on the island of Trinidad called Brasso Venado. My dad, an avid hunter, fisherman and camper is probably the reason for my passion and strong ties to being out in nature. As far back as I can remember, maybe when I was either 4 or 5 years old, I remember him taking me into the cocoa estate to collect and reap various "yummies" from the garden and coming home to build an outdoor fire and cook up our findings. I also remember the first time that I went fishing and camping as though it were just yesterday. It was not as luxurious as we do it today in a 34 foot travel trailer but it was in a camp built entirely from branches and leaves as you see on those survival shows and we slept on bunks made out of crocus bags. We fished using sticks that my uncle and dad would go in search off along the hike to the reservoir. If I close my eyes and think about these times I can still taste my dad's cooking. Freshly caught fish and dug provisions all cooked on a smoky camp fire. This was the first part of my "heaven on earth" and this is what shaped my future.
Anyway, enough with the introduction of myself, let me introduce you to my other half, my soul mate, my husband, Derek. When you think of a match made in heaven its Derek and I. We have a love for the very same things. Yes, Derek would not mind going camping, fishing or hunting everyday of the week. You can look forward to some of his own stories in this blog of his many failed and successful fishing adventures and how he "trained" me to be his co pilot when we're getting the camper ready for a trip :) Oh, and let me just say that Derek is a great cook so all the recipes that we share are his very own.
After we moved to Calgary in 2010, Derek and I did not waste anytime getting out into the mountains, after all, it's what drew us here in the first place. For those that have never been to Calgary it is a beautiful city known for "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth" The Calgary Stampede. It is just a short 45 minutes drive away from the Canadian Rocky Mountains and some of the best hiking, scenery and wildlife viewing that you can find in Canada or possibly anywhere on earth. It is absolutely breathtaking and my advice is, if you've never been here, put it on your to do list, but do remember to pick up some bear spray before you head out into the mountains as you never know what's going to be sharing the trails with you.
Now, I invite you to sit back and enjoy my next blogs as I go in depth into our many camping trips, starting with our very first one, camping in a small Swiss tent gifted to us by a very good friend and former co-worker that never used it (thanks Wayne). Our first trip took us to a campground in Bragg Creek, Alberta, Little Elbow Campground and boy was it an experience that we will never forget.
Matthias, Derek and I - Snowshoeing - West Bragg Creek, Alberta