Mountain Mike and One Serious Canadian Adventure
A few years ago I stumbled onto “Mountain Mike’s” Instagram page and gave it a follow because, well, good looking guy, cute dog, and epic mountains, what more could you ask for! But then I started reading his captions and they felt so close to my own journey, yet different. A tale of a divorce, finding healing powers in nature, and a dog that changed his life…yup, our stories were pretty similar!
hen last year two things happened right around the same time: my business coach encouraged me find other influencers to collaborate with, and a friend of mine sent a group Facebook message to Mike and myself saying that she believed we should work together. And boom! Plans were made!
After meeting briefly in Los Angeles and realizing immediately we hit it off, we planned on a hiking adventure in Alberta in August. Michael decided to put together one of his infamous “Hike with Mike” meet ups for the same time so that I could experience the kind of community he had built. I was also told to “start training immediately”.
Being that a year away from running combined with traveling around eating and drinking all over the country had taken me VERY out of shape, I had a long way to go! I began doing a tough local hike a few times a week to prepare but knew it would still be a struggle. Combined with filming and feeling slightly intimidated by the strangers I was about to meet, the nerves were kicking in heading to Canada.
As soon as I arrived, it was like two life-long friends being reunited for some epic adventures. Combined with our new Australian friend Eliza, our trio headed out to explore Kananaskis country. Since it was a rainy and cold day, I assumed we’d be checking out the sites from the comfort of a car…but I forgot who Michael Dietrich is. We pulled off on the side of the road and I was told to get out and start hiking. I knew at this point I was in for one epic week!
We began one serious climb up Read’s Peak with epic views of the glacial lake below. They both laughed as I worried about the muddy trails and clouds moving in. I was quickly learning why everyone sarcastically calls his adventures “moderate” hike with moderate Mike…nothing moderate about the trails he chooses! Eventually the weather gave out about the same time as my legs and I asked if we could call it for the day since I knew we had a big hike the following day.
After getting back to the car, we drove around Banff to catch some beautiful views at nearby lakes. Then Mike said he wanted to show me a great view of downtown…and we began climbing again. We took an “easy” jaunt up Tunnel Mountain for an amazing vista of the area.
The next day was the true test. I was immediately put at ease as people showed up from all over the world and with all different athletic abilities. Meeting these incredible hikers who’d also been inspired by Michael’s posts and wanted to meet him, was amazing. To hear Mike talk about how his goal was to use social media for good and to actually connect people in real life was inspiring.
We then set out for the day’s hike; Door Jamb trail up Lodor’s Peak. This 2.6 mile hike is NO JOKE! While it may seem short, it climbs over 2,000 feet in elevation and is basically a scramble up to the top. The community that Michael has built did not let me down though. People stopped along the way to build each up, give encouraging words, and sometimes even lend a helping hand.
Reaching the summit that day was unlike any other hike I’ve ever done. Not only were the views epic all around, but the quickly formed group felt like friends from another lifetime. And seeing an “influencer” have REAL influence and impact and change people’s lives was a lesson I will take with me everywhere I go. Mike said when I left I would feel life I had 100 new friends and he wasn’t wrong! What started as a business move to collaborate and share audiences, became SO much more. Now bring on “Hike with Mike 5.0”.
Check out the full video below!