North of Eden, South of Heaven

There is a very special place that I know of that sits just north of Lake Eden and just South of Heaven.  It's called Eden North Parachute School, and a place where I  once spent all of my available weekends, summer days and nights, and many brisk September and October mornings too.  This is where I did my first skydive back in 2003, and where I found another one of what someone has termed "my spiritual homes."  It was so nice to find myself back there for a couple of weekends this past September.

Skydiving?  How?  Easy.


step 1:  hop in airplane....

step 2:  hop out  (disclaimer, seek proper instruction first, obviously)

Where?  Eden North of course.  It's the yellow field just to the right of the pilots cheek in this photo.  Of course the first time you arrive you will normally do so by driving up Range Road 20 just outside of Stony Plain, Alberta.  The pilot by the way, Lee Goodyear, gave me one hell of a great plane ride with a very very fast very very steep descent....almost as good as freefall.  The plane is a Cessna Grand Caravan with some super tweaks...not quite nitrous oxide, but every bit as good.

 

 



Who can go skydiving?  Just about everybody.  You, me, people from all walks of life...the cast of characters I have met include doctors, lawyers, photographers, engineers, nurses, welders, soldiers, California firefiighters, radio DJ's, even some X-rated movie stars once, but also grandma's, a WWII female pilot, the list goes on and on and on.  But most often the people who go skydiving are friends.  Like this group who drove out from Jasper to each do a tandem skydive.  For those new to the terminology, a tandem skydive is when a very experienced and licensed instructor takes you for about a mile of freefall and a parachute ride, rather than doing the longer, and literally shorter, first jump course as a solo.

 Those who return fast find friends and a family within the skydiving community.  It is inevitable when you share a passion.  For those who continue, Eden North is a wonderful place to do so...throw a stone and it will bounce of multiple people with thousands of skydives...and at least one or two who have tens of thousands of skydives.  There is much to learn and experience in the world of this sport, and it is surprising how many lessons carry over into bigger life lessons.  Eden North is where a big part of who I am unfolded, and I was happy to come home to many familiar faces and welcoming smiles.

For those who carry on, there is a definite knack to the sport, and ways to continuously improve through thoughtful dive planning and performance analysis.  You learn how to execute a move correctly....

...and learn from moves made incorrectly.

There is a lot of freedom in the sensation of flight...

 

 

...elation following elevation....

 

 

...and a lot of fun in those dropzone days.

 

 

There are many people who make this little patch of paradise functional, but the two where most credit must be due are the owners -- Lyal and Cathy.  Be it your host on the ground or in the sky, you are in safe and wise hands with these two.

 

That would be super experience superstar instructor Monique hiding on the left, and THE Cathy, and Lyal on the right

 So, if you want to take a leap, head on out to Eden North in the spring.  You might be surprised at all you discover out there...at what you learn about yourself.  780-489-9000 just in case you were wondering.