SAVE THE DATE!

Connected in Motion’s
3rd Annual
Winter Slipstream Weekend

JANUARY 28-30th 2011

Winter Slipstream is an active, social and educational weekend for adults living with Type 1 diabetes (19+). But that explaination sounds so formal…

What it really is….is a weekend jam packed full of winter adventure, engaging workshops, great food and incredible people. It’s a chance to connect (or re-connect) with like-minded Type 1′s, get out and try something new, learn from each other’s experiences and celebrate the year’s accomplisments – focusing on the positive aspects of what we CAN do with Type 1 diabetes.

This is your year to get into the Slipstream.

Online Registration opens October 2011

]]> http://www.connectedinmotion.ca/events/winter-slipstream-2011/feed/ 0 http://www.connectedinmotion.ca/whereintheworld/saci-at-the-great-river-ragnar-relay/ http://www.connectedinmotion.ca/whereintheworld/saci-at-the-great-river-ragnar-relay/#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:44:40 +0000 Jen http://www.connectedinmotion.ca/?p=1939

Congratulations to Saci for completing the Great River Ragnar Relay!  His team was made up of 11 Type 1′s and 1 Type 2. They ran the 193 mile relay in 28:05 from Winona, Minnesota – crossing into Wisconsin – then back along the Mississippi River to Minneapolis.  They each ran 3 legs.

Regular visitors to the area commented that they had never in 25 years of hiking there, experienced a stretch of weather as perfect as the one we had been fortunate to experience – four days of sunshine!  We took full advantage of our time- scrambling up steep slopes, plunging into glacier fed lakes, sliding down snow patches and indulging on world famous carrot cake baked fresh daily at the lodge.

Within hours of our arrival, we were part of a community – O’Hara Campgrounders, where our team quickly became a key source of entertainment for other campers. Our neighbours were impressed by our cooking skills, pizzas with yeast dough from scratch and scrambled gluten-free brownies among other creations!

We settled into a routine, rolling out of our tents as vapor rose off the lakes and the mountains shed their misty cloaks. Still snuggled in toques, down and fleece, we would choose our route for the day. Oatmeal and coffee bubbled and boiled and the fire snapped and cracked. After packing lunches, snacks and making diabetes plans, which almost always entailed setting reduced basal rates of some form or another, we would shed our fleecy layers and head out on the trails. An hour of upward climbing would more often than not result in spectacular views, vistas and often, blood sugars. We spent the rest of our days high in the mountains, swimming in impossibly blue lakes, frolicking in the snow (sometimes both within the span of a few hours), exploring alpine meadows and of course, managing our diabetes in a wide array of situations, conditions, elevations and locations.

Back at the campground, curious campers peered from behind camp stoves and pots of rehydrating camp meals as we changed infusion sites, started sensors, filled reservoirs with insulin, gave injections, and covered picnic tables with glucometers. We enticed questions and even overheard the odd comment between other campers ‘Oh, those are the diabetic people’, explaining our out-of-the-ordinary actions to campground new comers.

At times, being the only one observed and ogled at as you go about your diabetes duties can be completely overwhelming, not to mention annoying and alienating. But we weren’t about to hide in our tents. Our courage to let our pump cords and insulin pens hang out was strengthened by our numbers. As a group, our public diabetes management gave us a chance to learn openly from one another as well as to inform and educate the people around us about Type 1 diabetes. In fact, by the end, we were getting quite a kick out of it! One of our many duties as people with diabetes (as I see it) – educating the people around us about the disease’s intricacies – was fulfilled. Everyone benefited.

As for the Rocky Mountain High’s….we certainly had our share. We were giddy from the intense beauty of the mountains that surrounded us, and often ‘high’ from oatmeal, rice and marshmallow BG spikes! But just like the barometric pressure, we can all expect highs, lows and fluctuations, especially when we are out in the mountains pushing our limits and trying new activities. It’s how you manage, predict, adapt, treat and learn from those highs (and lows!) that matters most. O’Hara, in all it’s glorious impossible beauty, afforded us an incredible backdrop for learning about managing highs and lows and a team.

Thanks to Bayer Diabetes, Medtronic Diabetes and Dex 4 for their support in making our summer trips possible.

Thanks to Hank Devos for filming and producing the Connected Across Canada 2010 Trailer! Just wait for the real deal…Coming October 2010!
Check out Hank’s other work: www.hankdevos.com

In early July 2010, the CIM Team embarked on a cross-Canada series of adventures – the first ever ‘Connetced Across Canada’ Summer Tour. Type 1′s from across the country came together to canoe in Ontario, hike in Nova Scotia, swim and cycle in New Brunswick, hike in Alberta and backpack in British Columbia. Together, they tested physical limits and blood sugars, predicted weather patterns and glucose fluctuations and navigated trails, lakes, rivers and insulin adjustments.

They tested their AIC’s on mountain tops, their bg’s in the pouring rain,  their pump sites while marmots looked on and gave injections by the light of a headlamp. They faced challenging terrain on the trails and on their CGM graphs, avoided encounters with wildlife as well as serious lows and surrounded themselves by incredible vistas and even better Type 1 companions.  They acquired bigger blisters, swam in colder waters and ate more Dex 4, trailmix and sausage than any one of them thought humanly possible… Like fluctuating blood sugars, there were highs and lows, moments of challenge followed by rocky mountain highs. Together, we embarked on a 2-month journey of what we do best; breathing fresh air into diabetes education. It was a summer of adventure, physical challenge, exploration and experiential learning. It was afterall, a summer of connecting in motion.

A huge THANK YOU to our sponsors too!

-BAYER DIABETES
-MEDTRONIC DIABETES
-DEX 4

CIM Adult Backpacking: Juan de Fuca Provincial Park
2010 Summer Expedition
August 22-25^th 2010
Victoria, B.C.

Points West Adventures Ltd. and Connected in Motion

Connected in Motion is partnering with Points West Adventures to hike the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail at the end of August.

Join us, a group of active, adventurous adults (20+) with Type 1 diabetes, on this 4-day, 3-night backpacking adventure.

Trip Outline:

The Juan du Fuca Trail stretches 47km along the south end of Vancouver Island. This rugged wilderness trail will provide CIM’ers with scenic beauty, spectacular hiking, marine and wildlife viewing and roaring surf in its course along the Pacific coastline of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Starting at Botanical Beach on August 22^nd, we will explore rich tide pools and an extensive variety of marine flora and fauna in this colourful intertidal zone. Continuing on towards Sombrio, Bear and China Beaches we will pass by world-class surf spots, areas of old growth forest, grottos, countless waterfalls, estuaries, shale and quartz rock formations and gorgeous beaches while enjoying this rugged and wild Pacific Coast hiking adventure. We will camp on the beach each night and travel further along the trail each day, ending at China Beach on August 25th.

REGISTER HERE!

Cost: $250 per person (includes all camping permits and fees, meals and snacks, large gear, etc)

Please email info@connectedinmotion.ca with any questions!

CIM Youth Backpacking Adventure: Garibaldi Provincial Park
2010 Summer Expedition
August 15-19 2010
Points West Adventures Ltd. and Connected in Motion

Garibaldi Provincial Park, nestled in the Coast Mountain Range, offers breathtaking views, scenic mountain ridges and endless glaciers. Outstanding natural attractions such as the Black Tusk, Panorama Ridge, the Barrier, Helms Glacier, Checkamus Lake, Garibaldi Lake, Guard Mountain, Mt. Clinker, and Mt. Price all lie within a small radius. This spectacular region offers a variety of terrain suitable for all levels of hiking and mountaineering.

Trip Outline:

Our group will meet at 10am at the Rubble Creek parking lot.  From there we will split up gear and food to make sure everyone has equal weight in their back packs.  From the trailhead at Rubble Creek we will hike the switchbacks for 9.4 km to Garibaldi Lake.  Suggested time is 3.5 -4.5 hrs.  The trail total elevation gain is 810 meters and winds through old growth Douglas fir and Red cedars.  It starts to level out again at the Barrier. We will set up camp at Garibaldi Lake. Members of the group will take turns preparing and cooking meals throughout the expedition.  Two youth and one guide will be responsible for each meal.

Day 2:

Wake up time will be 7am.   Two Youth and one guide will prepare breakfast. After breakfast is finished, lunch is packed and our campsite is cleaned up, we will leave for our day-hike from Garibaldi Lake to summit Panorama Ridge. Along the way we will view wildlife, rivers, and spectacular glaciers.  We will reach the summit around 1pm.  There, we will have lunch, take in the breathtaking view and snap some fantastic pictures.  Total elevation gain for our hike will be 635 meters. Once leaving Panorama Ridge, we will hike back down to Garibaldi Lake.  The day’s travel will be approx 7 hrs total.

Day 3:

Day three will be a longer day.  Wake up will be at 6:45 am. We will hike 3.2 km to the Cinder Flats and have breakfast there (taking blood sugars into account!). Today, we will work with compass and map in a hands-on orienteering workshop. We will also focus on the flora and fauna of the region. From the Cinder Flats we will hike up the Black Tusk to the viewing area where we will eat our lunch, take photos and enjoy the view at an elevation of more than 7,400 feet! From here we will see Tantalus Range to West and Spear Head Range to the East.  We will hike back down to the base and then another 5.0 km to Helms Creek. Our day’s travel will be approx. 8.0 hrs and our total elevation gain 980metres.

Day 4:

Wake up will be at 8am.  Two youth and one guide will prepare breakfast. After breakfast is finished, lunch is packed and our campsite is secured, we will leave our gear at Helms Creek and hike down the switchbacks to Checkamus Lake for the day.  We will have lunch at Helms River and then spend some time exploring the lake.  Mid-afternoon we will head back to Helms Creek and prepare dinner. Total elevation gain today will be 1210 meters and distance travelled will be18 km round-trip. Weather dependent, we might venture on a short night hike and have the option to sleep under the stars (optional).

Day 5:

This will be our last day in the mountains!  We will rise early to watch the sunrise rise over Spinx Glacier and Panorama Ridge.  We will cook breakfast and clear camp in preparation for our hike back down to the Rubble Creek parking lot.  We will eat lunch at the Barrier of smaller Garibaldi Lake and continue travelling another 7.9 km to Rubble Creek.   We will reach the parking lot at 2:30 pm.  A total of 14 km, however most of this day will be down hill. We will close our expedition with group reflections and sharing highlights of our adventure.  Pick-up time for participants will be 4pm at Rubble Creek Parking Lot.  If you are traveling with us back to Vancouver Island, we will leave to catch the 6 pm ferry on August 19.  Island Participants will be home in Victoria by 8:00 pm.

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED

Email info@connectedinmotion.ca for more information or with questions.

If you are in the Vancouver area on August 14th, come meet the CIM team and get your Saturday morning exercise in too!

Saturday Morning Grind with CIM

When: Saturday August 14th, 9am – about 12pm

What: A fun, laid-back but challenging hike up the Grouse Grind Trail on the North Shore for people with Type 1 diabetes, their friends and families. The hike will take approximately 1 1/2 – 2 hours during which time we will gain over 850m in elevation over 2.9km and the bragging rights for having done so!

Where: Grouse Grind Trail Head- The trail begins just east (right) of the Grouse Mountain Gondola in an area with stretching posts set up for hikers

Who: Anyone! Everyone is welcome – Type 1′s, families, friends, the works!

Cost: Free!

You should bring:

• $5 for the gondola ride back down the mountain, some change for snacks/drinks at the top and money for parking.
• Water
• Snacks and Low Supplies
• Meter/Strips and other diabetes supplies

We will meet at the Grouse Grind Trailhead (the trail begins just east (right) of the Grouse Mountain Gondola in an area with stretching posts set up for hikers) at 9:00am on Saturday August 14th. We will hike the trail, hang out at the top for a bit to hydrate , chat, high five and catch our breath, then head back down the gondola. We will be hiking rain or shine.

Please RSVP HERE so we know you are coming!

See you there!

How to get there…

Estimated Driving Time from Vancouver: 30 minutes

The Grouse Grind Trail starts from the parking lot at the base of Grouse Mountain.

From Downtown

Drive westbound along Georgia Street and continue along the Stanley Park Causeway and across the Lions Gate Bridge. Right after crossing the bridge, take the right-hand turnoff to North Vancouver and immediately change lanes into one of the furthest left two lanes. At the first set of lights, the left two lanes turn onto Capilano Road. Follow Capilano Road as it continues northbound, passing the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Capilano Dam, until it ends up in the Grouse Mountain parking lot.

From Highway #1

Take the Trans Canada Highway (Highway #1) westbound across the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge (Second Narrows Bridge) to North Vancouver and take the Capilano Road Exit. Turn right onto Capilano Road and head northbound until it ends up in the Grouse Mountain parking lot.

This August, CIM will spend 3-days hiking and base-camping in Lake Louise and Moraine Lake area in Banff National Park.

After setting up base camp at the Lake Louise campground, the CIM team will lead a variety of day-hikes in the picturesque region of Canadian Rockies.

Who: Adults (20+) living with Type 1 diabetes
Where: Lake Louise, Banff National Park
When:  August 7-9th 2010
What: A camping and hiking experience led by the CIM team. If you’re
interested in some outdoor adventure, meeting some new friends and
learning experientially about diabetes, this trip is for you!
Fee: $250/person made payable to CONNECTED IN MOTION (covers site fees, shuttle fees, food, large pieces of
equipment for the three day excursion. DOES NOT include personal gear or National Park Pass – to be purchased at the park gate on arrival).

Please let us know if you if you need any gear before you go out and buy it!

Renowned for its majestic mountains, peaks and glaciers, alpine meadows carpeted in wildflowers, brilliant turquoise lakes and streams, this region is a hikers dream. The toughest decision to be made on this trip will be WHERE to hike first! From our base-camp at the Lake Louise campground, we will have dozens of diverse options for day-hikes – Long and leisurely? Steep and scrambley? Mountains or meadows? Lakes or larches? We will choose hikes that suit our group’s abilities and head out on a new trail each day. Returning to our campground after a great day on the trails, we will work together to cook dinner and complete camp chores. Sitting around the fire, we will share a hearty meal, stories and experiences (some diabetes related no doubt!) from the day before zipping into our tents and sleeping bags.

NOTE*  There is an option to join us for ONE DAY of hiking at Lake Louise. Hikers choosing to join us for the day will meet us around breakfast time and head back to the city after dinner. Please send an email to info@connectedinmotion.ca if you are interested in this option.

Register for more details HERE

This August, CIM will spend 3-days in one of the most beautiful places on earth – The Lake O’Hara Region.

August 4-6th 2010 for Youth (16-19) with diabetes at Lake O’Hara

Who: Youth (15-19) living with Type 1 diabetes
Where: Lake O’Hara, Yoho National Park
When: Wednesday August 4th – Friday August 6th 2010
What: An interior camping and hiking experience led by the CIM team. If you
are interested in some outdoor adventure, meeting some new friends and
learning experientially about diabetes, this trip is for you!
Fee:  $250 per person made payable to ‘Connected in Motion’ (includes all camping fees, food, large equipment, etc. DOES NOT include personal gear or National Park Pass – to be purchased at the park gate on arrival).

Please let us know if you if you need any gear before you go out and buy it!

Renowned for its majestic mountains, peaks and glaciers, alpine meadows carpeted in wildflowers, brilliant turquoise lakes and streams, this region is a hikers dream. The toughest decision to be made on these trips will be WHERE to hike first! From our base-camp at the Lake O’Hara campground, we will have dozens of diverse options for day-hikes – Long and leisurely? Steep and scrambley? Mountains or meadows? Lakes or larches? We will choose hikes that suit our group’s abilities and head out on a new trail each day. Returning to our campground after a great day on the trails, we will work together to cook dinner and complete camp chores. Sitting around the fire, we will share a hearty meal, stories and experiences (some diabetes related no doubt!) from the day before zipping into our tents and sleeping bags.

Lake O’Hara Youth Trip Itinerary:

Day 1:
Hikers will meet a CIM team member at the Lake O’Hara parking lot (off of Highway 1A) at 8:00am to catch the 8:30am shuttle bus to the lodge/campground. After introductions and a quick set up our camp, we will head out on our first hike before 10am.  Returning to our camp late afternoon, we will finish setting up camp, cook dinner and spend the night around the fire.

Day 2:
We will roll out of our sleeping bags (hopefully to the smells of breakfast wafting through the fresh mountain air) and enjoy a hearty meal. After packing our lunches, snacks and water for the day, we will head out for another full day of hiking. Returning to camp, we will cook dinner, relax and get cleaned up. Around the fire, the CIM team will lead an open discussion on diabetes and exercise. Reflecting on our diabetes-related experiences over the past two days and drawing on people’s past experiences and adventures, we will have a chance to share, teach and learn from one another. Tired, but inspired, we will retire to our tents for another deep sleep under the stars.

Day 3:
Out of our tents and into the ‘kitchen’, we will prepare breakfast and pack lunch once again. Today, we will choose a shorter hike to enable us to be back to camp, wrapped up, packed up and on the 3:30pm shuttle out of O’Hara.

Register for more information and forms here!