Author: fergusonmarylynn

The dream

The plan was to do a Thanksgiving weekend hike with friends (‘Friendsgiving’), enjoying all of the Fall colours on the trees, the crisp smells, and the moderate temperatures.

The reality

However, the blizzard began shortly after we departed Edmonton…

After the concerning drive, the group all met for the night at a hostel outside of Jasper. A lengthy discussion ensued on whether or not to proceed with the hike the next day. There were a few people in the group who had done the trek before which was very helpful, but no one had done it in the amount of snow that we were facing. We were all prepared for cold weather and decided that we had to try! Everyone set their alarms for earlier than expected and prepared for the day ahead.

A risky start

The plan from the start was to eliminate 7 km of boring fire road at the start of the trail by canoeing across the Athabasca River. We stuck to this plan but it became riskier with the snow and colder water. The river was also flowing very quickly. If anyone fell in, they would not be able to proceed. There was one canoe to take twelve people and their packs across the river so the process would not be quick. After the canoe was brought down to the river bank, ropes were attached to be able to guide the canoe against the river flow. The first group set off and while it was a very bumpy ride, it was successful! The paddlers went back across and made the trip several more times. There was a triumphant celebration while the canoe was stashed away in the woods for the return.

Perhaps the most stressful part of the day was over but there was an enormous task ahead: 16 km in fresh snow including the finale of the ominous headwall as well as a decent amount of elevation gain. But we were all energized to start and get to the reward of the Sydney Vallance Hut for warmth, food, and beverages (that were weighing down our backpacks).

And off we go!

The fresh snow was covering the usually clear trail to follow so we had flagging tape and used it quite frequently to mark our route. Given that it was currently snowing and the forecast did not show it stopping, this would help us if we needed to turn around but also for our hike out in three days when our path might be gone. We took turns leading as it was quite exhausting trudging through and breaking trail. It was a long 8 hours of walking with a few stops to have lunch, filter water, and rest, but those could never last long as the chill would swiftly set in once not moving.

The work was hard but the views along the way were incredible!

We even made it up the daunting headwall! It was a steep 200-meter climb that was slippery in the snow and especially challenging with tired legs but we all knew the reward at the end was close.

We made it!

And finally, just as dusk was arriving, we made it to the long-awaited ACC Sydney Vallance Hut. A fire was immediately started and fun treats and drinks were cheerily passed around. We celebrated surviving the tough hike and watched the snow fall some more before we chose our bunks and fell fast asleep with exhausted bodies.

We now had two full days to spend hanging out and exploring the world around our new home. One of the first activities was sledding down the hill just behind the hut.

We wandered the area around the hut and found the snow really beautiful now that we had a safe and warm retreat close by.

Too soon, on the way home

Everyone had a great time and soon enough it was time to do the whole hike again but in reverse! Surprisingly, the headwall proved to be trickier on the way down. It was slick and with sharp rocks under the snow we had to take it slowly.

Once that part was completed though, we really picked up the pace. Everyone was determined to get back to civilization and we did our best to hustle through the 16 km. At times that was easier said than done but in the end, we made it out! And also got to enjoy some more beautiful (snowy) views as we did so.

We all know when we are interacting with an engaging story but do we always know why it is so? An easy way to remember how to create an engaging story is to remember the four I’s.

In her TedTalk, Ashley Fell describes these four elements and how they make storytelling powerful in this digital era.

Interest

Engaging stories are interesting and capture the audience’s attention. They also maintain that attention throughout the story. A creator needs to consider what the audience will be attracted to and how to appeal to it. Taking the time to get to know your audience well will pay off in the long run.

Instruct

Engaging stories have meaning. When your audience reflects on the story what do you want to stand out. It is helpful to decide on the most meaningful moments and to really make them stand out. This can be tricky but is very important to maintain an audience’s attention.

Involve

Engaging stories bring the audience in and connect them to the narrative. They are universal and relatable to those viewing it. One way to do this is to think of a real event in your own life and how it made you feel a particular way and then try to make your audience feel that way.

Inspire

When an engaging story is concluded, you want your audience to feel inspired and to remember the story well. Good stories can even change people’s opinions about certain topics. They can also make a viewer feel like they can accomplish a new goal. What is better than making someone reach for new heights or change their view for the better?

On Monday, November 13, the Edmonton Oilers played their first game under new head coach, Kris Knoblauch.

What could have been an ordinary Monday was anything but after the Oilers management fired head coach Jay Woodcroft the day before. It was announced that his replacement would be a rookie NHL coach, Kris Knoblauch, who previously coached star player Connor McDavid. It was a controversial decision that many had issues with and created great anticipation before Monday’s game to see how well the team would do.

A (very) bad start

After a successful (yet not cup-winning) previous season, fans had high hopes for this year’s team. But disaster struck when they were humiliated at home by the Vancouver Canucks, losing 8-1.

The struggle continued and it was clear that some change should be which finally happened before Monday’s game against the New York Islanders.

For these reasons, I chose to live-tweet the highly anticipated event.

A new beginning

For Oilers fans, the enticement to follow the story was already there. I first tweeted that the puck would drop in one hour as suggested by Hayley Dorney in “How to use post threads“.

Sixty minutes later the entertainment began and I tried to enhance the emotion by tweeting about a clip of the new coach tearing up in an interview.

The Islanders scored after only 40 seconds which made this seem like it was going to be a sad story to relay. But by the end of the first period, it was tied 1-1 so it only made sense to play up the suspense in my live tweets.

I made sure to include when the game was half over and signify the middle of the event so that it has the proper story arc. In that tweet, I also wanted to emphasize the importance of the team needing to work harder to overcome their challenges.

There was a conveniant cliffhanger in the game after the second period as the game was still tied and could go either way. Thankfully, for fans and this live-tweeting experience, the Oilers scored three goals in the third period. It was a fun time to live tweet the goals, keep the story enticing, and in the end a successful first game for the new coach!