exploration | Silver Magazine

Travel

A life changing climb on Kilimanjaro

“Mom, if Martina Navratilova can’t do it, you can’t do it.” My child’s words echoed in my head as I took my first cortisone-laced footsteps along the Western Breach approach to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Indeed, the then-54, very fit tennis superstar was air lifted off this very mountain with fluid in her lungs. So, what the hell was I trying to prove? I’d been determined to conquer Africa’s highest peak (19,341 feet) ever since a cheating ex-boyfriend failed to do so a few years back. I’d show him. That first attempt was sidelined before it began when my hockey player son broke his hip and returned home to convalesce. Stacked odds kept piling on. The day before this departure, the beautiful man who helped shape my child’s life died from heart complications. Bob Smye’s heart was just too big, and too full. “You have to cancel your trip,”

Cynthia Schultz December 9, 2020

Travel

Winter Divers are Explorers

The winter cold doesn’t stop these divers from exploring the depths and observing the sea creatures revealed by the diminished plant life. THE snow is falling and ice is forming on the water—time for scuba drivers to hang up their suits for the winter months or plan trips to warmer destinations. Although this may be true for many divers, some prefer to get a little chilly, especially in New Brunswick. “A lot of the plant life dies off or becomes much thinner underwater in the winter, so things that seaweed was hiding are now visible,” says Kim Langille of Moncton, a diver since 1998. “The fish seem to be a bit slower, making them easier to photograph.” The sea life is one of the things Langille likes most about diving. “I love the sea creatures,” she says. “There are so many weird, ugly, freaky, prehistoric-looking sea dwellers in our waters.”

Trudy Kelly Forsythe October 19, 2020

Travel

Adventures in Colorado

This western state is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts—and those who like to drink beer. GETTING up uncharacteristically early to witness the sunrise over the Garden of the Gods, a striking natural formation in south eastern Colorado. The constantly changing colours of the strange chunks of mountain jutting out of the ground, with Pikes Peak in the back- ground, made the early hour more than worthwhile. But what was amazing was that well before 6 am, dozens of locals from nearby Colorado Springs were parking off the high- way, soon to be engaged in predawn running, rollerblading and cycling. No doubt they then drove into the park to do some sheer cliff scaling, as I’ve since noticed that the Garden of the Gods (usually unnamed) is featured in many outdoor fitness advertisements for the super fit, many of whom we saw scaling sheer cliffs when we strolled through the park

Bruce Sach April 26, 2020