Ashika Morasiewicz
Outdoor Adventurer from the North Shore, BC
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Adventures with T1D
I’m an outdoor adventurer living in Vancouver, BC. I love exploring the outdoors all-year round with my family; whether we’re pushing for a summit or camping next to an alpine lake while challenging my Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). I hope to inspire others by sharing our stories and I hope to be inspired by like-minded Type 1s within our community.
Trip Date: October 2, 2016
I was scrolling online, as one does on a Thursday night in attempt to make weekend plans and get a sense of trail conditions paired with inspiration so they might get out somewhere during the upcoming weekend to take a break from the midweek grind, when there it was, a report of a hike to Blanca Lake. The area was new to us, it looked stunning in pictures, so Ryan & I went for it on the following Sunday.
Blanca Lake is located in the Elaho Valley, Squamish, BC. There isn’t a ton of info online so we didn’t know what to expect. Blanca Lake itself was great, but I fell in love with the nearby, smaller tarns. We could have easily spent a full day or two connecting the nearby ridges – we’ll be back for longer trips in the future. Read More
Trip Date: August Long Weekend 2016
As August long weekend rolled in, we rolled out to Lake Lovely Water to spend a few days at the Alpine Club of Canada Tantalus Hut. The Tantalus Provincial Park is unlike anything I’ve traveled to before. The stunning Lake Lovely Water is circled by peaks screaming to be scrambled or climbed; if you’re not used to technical travel (beyond hiking), your options are a little limited. If you choose to book a few nights at the hut, you’ll have access to two canoes and two row boats, a well equipped kitchen, a wood stove, and loft for your sleeping headquarters. If you’re looking for a more backcountry experience, you’re welcome to set up at the campground next to the hut or on the sandspit beach, about 2kms to the south of the hut.
The hut is open for public use by reservation only and it’s locked otherwise. We had a group come up during our stay and they had no idea about the reservation system or associated cost to use the hut; they were not thrilled about camping along the lake. The cost for staying at the ACC hut is $15/person/night for members and $25/person/night for non-members. If you’re interested in booking a stay, you can contact Ron Royston (hut custodian) via phone or email: 604-921-8164 or ronroyston@shaw.ca.
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I was in a Sport Sociology lecture on Sport and Disability, and I’m keen to share a few lingering thoughts with fellow Type 1s.
During the lecture, we talked about society and disability; specifically, how society shapes how we see things, how we think, and how we perceive disabilities. How we view disability is portrayed through a ‘grand narrative’.
I’m usually quiet on the topic of disability in context with anything, because I’m not 100% sure of my thoughts on it. I stayed quiet and observed through the duration of the class. There were minimal heated discussions and/or strong opinions, we watched a few heartfelt clips about the Paralympics, a young boy with cerebral palsy, and two TED talks by Aimee Mullin; yeah, it was a tear-jerking morning. Read More
September 25, 2016
Despite the heavy traffic, Garibaldi Lake is awesome. Whether you’re trying to impress your social media feed with your back-to-nature simplicity, or you’re wholeheartedly looking to get out for some fresh air, exercise, and solid views, a hike to Garibaldi Lake makes a lot of people happy. Trail users and park frequenters love the area. Have you ever seen someone along the trail not smiling? – I mean, after the 6km junction of course. Because before then, the switchbacks give little reason for anyone to smile. Seriously though, the place is a gem and people know it… and apparently this is a bad thing.
Garibaldi Lake is a well documented hike; you can find information on it in all corners of the internet – so I wont get into a comprehensive break-down of the stats, though you can find some further below (don’t worry, there are photos too). Instead, I’m pretty eager to share observations we made on a trip to the lake, especially with the latest spotlight on the park, and the recent media bash on hikers ruining our trails and ‘killing’ bears. Read More