Photos by Chris Welter: November 2014

Its been a few months in between blog entries, and reasonably so. Before starting school in October, I went on a short vacation in the rocky mountains, hiking in the Banff, Lake Louise, and Tonquin Valley areas. On return to Winnipeg, I had been hoping that things might take a break from all the energy exerted in climbing mountains... I've spent nearly the entire last month studying non-stop for my Flight Services course at Nav Canada's Area Control Center in Winnipeg, MB. Training is great; the class has been challenging and exciting. One of the upper management fellas was able to provide our class with Winnipeg Jets tickets for November 4th, when the Winnipeg Jets took to the ice with the Nashville Predators, winning 3-1. We have been studying a fictional airport in class that has all the elements of real airports to learn the procedures in dealing with aircraft traffic in the real world. In my free time (which I rarely have...maybe one night each week) I'll try to squeeze in a flight or go out with a few friends if all of our uniquely busy schedules align. I don't have many new aviation photos, so this blog entry will be more of an update about whats' been exciting as of late.
- Enjoy!

View from the top of Ha Ling peak, on the south side of the mountain village of Canmore

Hiking near Canmore. A few tips that saved me on multiple occasions during hiking:

1. Bring tape:

Great for avoiding any friction blisters. If you feel any soreness of the skin on your feet, bandage it up with tape and it'll save you days of raw skin.

2. Walking sticks:

Literally carve some dead tree branches into a set of walking sticks and your knees will immediately begin to thank you. And you'll thank me in kind.

3. Save weight:

Pack a tarp instead of an air mattress, and fill it with spruce branches for nighttime insulation and obviously comfort. Invest in a LifeStraw water filter and a Whisperlite stove. Simply awesome.