Staying Fit
P MCCREARY
When I was in Yellowstone National Park a few winters ago cross-country skiing, I met Doug. Doug was planning to celebrate his upcoming 90th birthday by embarking on an expeditionary cruise to Antarctica, the only continent he’d yet to explore. It was on a similar type of cruise in Alaska that I met Annie, an octogenarian who had everyone in stitches when she implored her kayaking partner (me) to try a canoe-style J-stroke when paddling among the floating “berg bits” in Glacier Bay. Then there’s Rudy, Mel and Suzanne, 70-something snow hosts at British Columbia resorts Sun Peaks, Big White and Red Mountain, respectively. Every time I engage with one of them, it conjures up the same thought: “I hope I’m still as active as they are when I’m their age.”
Maintaining an active, adventurous lifestyle is an obsession of mine, a goal I return to every time I plan a trip, whether it’s a weekend getaway, a seven-day cruise or an excursion abroad lasting several weeks. It’s always been this way. I was that kid who suppressed so much energy in my classroom that I frequently found myself fidgeting in the hallway. As an adult, my hallway expanded gloriously to include ski slopes, mountain bike trails and white water rapids. For more than 20 years now, I’ve even made a career writing, photographing and broadcasting about adventure travel.
Which brings me here. In the months ahead on Members Only Access, I will bring you a variety of ideas for “Aging Playfully.” I will share places and experiences I’ve personally tried in order to unlock your own “just try it” spirit. And, if a particular activity isn’t your cup of tea, perhaps the city, state or country will be.
Sustained adventure
Like many of you, I have realized through experience that it’s OK to do things differently now. For example, my knees — severely atrophied after five decades of ice hockey — felt much better after “porter-assisted backpacking” in North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest than they might have without the help. A multiday trip to Arizona included well-portioned daily activities like trail riding, hiking and kayaking, all exhilarating sports that didn’t exhaust me. I took the same measured approach in Québec’s Laurentian Mountains, cross country skiing and snowshoeing on groomed trails. There, I discovered fat tire biking, a trending recreation that has become something of a winter passion for me, a “merrily we bounce along” with no post-ride lower back pain. Sometimes that’s how it happens: You go to a destination with the intention of doing a singular activity, only to be turned on by something new. That’s what keeps my mind (and knees) spry.
We use the term “soft adventure” in the travel industry to denote an oft-overlooked or unknown destination with minimum physical impact. As I approach 60, I see that “soft” adventure should be titled “sustained” adventure, the ability to remain extremely active outdoors by not going to extremes, to discover that adrenaline-fueled sweet spot that still produces endorphins (and justifies carbs) without requisite expertise or extensive risk of injury.
Speaking of fueling, is there any post-workout venture that compares with après, the brilliant post-ski gathering of like-minded souls who share trail tales amid mountains of nachos? That social connection and downtime is part of the winter sport ritual.
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