28 hours later...

Oh, it feels good to get out of the car!! We left home on Sunday, and early this afternoon we arrived in Phoenix, Arizona. Todd and I took turns behind the wheel of the exploder, and we drove straight through. Stopped only for fuel. So we're both kind of hopped up on energy drinks and coffee!! It is my sister's birthday, and we're visiting with her and my brother-in-law tonight, then tomorrow we'll head down to Mt Lemmon to meet up with some friends. If we can find some reprieve from the +35C temps, the rock climbing will be awesome!
Ahhh, I'm fading fast... time for some supper and then a good night's sleep. Hopefully I'll have some desert pics in the next few days.
Cheers.

Road Trip Time!

It's almost that time again... time for a ROAD TRIP!! Today was my last day of work, basically until December 8th... which is a VERY good thing... I'm not feeling all warm and fuzzy about showing up there lately, so I'm hoping an extended vacation will get my mind off of how much I'm disliking it... Nothing like travelling around the countryside to lift a person's spirits, hey!!
I have a few things to look after early this week, then I'm going to make a stop at the parents' place in Medicine Hat. Sadly, their 8-year-old boxer named Gibson recently succumbed to a cancerous tumor... and the addition in the last few weeks of a baby poochie named Toby has really given that household a much-needed boost of positive energy. I can't wait to meet the little guy!! Then I will continue on to the deep south... Todd is picking me up and we will drive like madmen to climb at Jack's Canyon in Arizona, where we will be meeting up with some friends who left the country at the beginning of October. I'm flying back to Canada for a few weeks mid-November to tend to some family business, while Todd zips over to South Padre Island. When the coast is clear, I will catch a plane to Brownsville and join the kitesurfing crew. Todd has to be in Denver for a course which begins December 1st, so I'll drive with him and hang out there for a few days, then return home. Kind of a whirlwind, I know! But it should be great!! How can it not be? I won't be at work! Everything else is just a bonus!
So feel free to stay tuned; I'm taking my camera and my laptop and I'll post when I can.
Cheers!

A fine way to end the summer...

The weather actually picked up for a couple of days last weekend, and some friends came out to do a bit of sport climbing. Saturday we hiked up Cougar Creek, which is always a great place to crag... the rock is solid and the creek provides endless entertainment for the kids. We spent some time at Casino Cliff - I can't believe I've never climbed on it before!!! And, Crowbar was a good choice to end the day, since it takes some serious skill to pull the rope without dropping it in the water. Sunday, we enjoyed the upper area at Grassi Lakes. It's been closed for years, and I forgot what awesome routes are at White Imperialist and Upper Golf Course... so it was like a brand new experience for us!

This weekend, barring any major precipitation, we'll probably get out for a couple more days of sport climbing... need to get the fingers as toughened up as possible before heading south. Yes, we'll be on a road trip soon!! October 26th we'll be hopping in Ol' Purple (the Explorer) and bee-lining it for Arizona, where we'll be meeting up with a bunch of friends to do some stellar climbing at Jack's Canyon and Mt Lemmon. After that, it's Texas here we come! South Padre Island will be our hangout until the first part of December, where we'll be doing some kitesurfing.

Cheers.

Brrrrr....

Well, the summer temps were bound to end at some point... but even in the cooler weather, there is still an abundance of things to do around the Bow Valley. We toured around Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and Banff, including taking the gondola to the top of Sulphur Mtn to enjoy the always spectacular views. We busted out the fishing gear, and casted our arms off at a couple of spots along the Bow River as well as at Grotto Pond. And today was the first time ever that we've been to Sunshine outside of the ski season. Even though the wildflowers have long since bloomed, the Meadows are amazingly beautiful... there has been a skiff of snow, and the brilliant yellow larch trees against a greyish sky gave the whole area a different perspective.

The forecast is looking reasonable for the weekend - by reasonable I mean no rain or snow!! So perhaps we'll get a few more climbing days in? If not, I know we'll find something to do, regardless. As I said before, any day NOT at work is a great day!!

Cheers.

Success!

Well the first couple of days here in the Bow Valley have been a success!

Wednesday, we didn't exactly get an 'alpine' start... however we were able to spend many hours sport climbing at Grassi Lakes. It was like our very own climbing gym! NOBODY else was there! At least not climbing. There were many people out enjoying the Indian Summer temps, hiking up and down the trails... but it wasn't until we left at 6:30pm that we saw another party of climbers.

Today (Thursday), we rolled out of the house before 5:30am, and proceeded to zip up to Edith Pass, then come down and continue on to Lake Louise... where again, the amazing quartzite cliffs at the Back of the Lake were empty! We had it all to ourselves, which is pretty much unheard of! We climbed there late into the afternoon, very much enjoying the crowd-free crag.

I'm not sure what the rest of the week will bring, but I'm sure it will involve being outside... perhaps more climbing, hiking or even fishing... To tell you the truth, it doesn't really matter. Any day that I do NOT have to spend at work, it is a great day!! It's just such a bonus to hang out in the Rockies!

Cheers.

The Rockies are my friends...

Ahhh, there aren't many sights more stunning than Alberta's Rocky Mountains! Especially in the fall - the trees turn firey shades of orange and yellow, and the first dustings of snow high up on the craggy peaks make the entire place seem so surreal, like a dream world. For the next two weeks, I'm going to be puttering around the Bow Valley - climbing, scrambling, hiking, taking pictures, and just enjoying the beauty of the change in seasons. I look forward to mountain adventures and great weather and meeting up with friends I haven't seen in ages! Let the games begin!

What a week...!

Whew! Talk about an action-packed set of days off! Nitinat Lake is a beautiful, beautiful place, and apparently we lucked out bigtime with the weather, too... it was six days of sun and fun! Todd had a blast in the amazing winds (including a couple of minor kite adventures, of course - it wouldn't be a kiting holiday without those!) and I stayed onshore, taking pix, meeting people, and launching and landing kites. It was fantastic! There was music and a beach bonfire every night, and the fire-dancers provided stellar entertainment. Sheldon and Renee DeCosse came out from Cranbrook (http://www.decossecustoms.com/), the gang in the bus from Edmonton was there (Randy, Randy, Cedar, Dominic, Chris), plus we made several new friends and had an all-around good time. We were even able to catch up with our buddy Murf who now lives in Victoria.

Anyway, presently we're waiting for the plane to take us back to reality... **SIGH** However, I still have another week off before heading back to work, so it's really not that bad!!

Cheers.

Vancouver Island, BC

After a most FANTASTIC Tom Petty concert in Edmonton Tuesday night, Todd and I pretty much drove to Red Deer, picked up our luggage, and headed to Calgary Airport to catch our flight to Victoria. We arrived out at Nitinat Lake around 1:00pm yesterday, to a clear blue sky and 25km/hr winds. I had prepared myself for some gnarly roads to get us here - all reports we read warned of hideous travel for the last 50km - however, aside from a few potholes and a minor lack of signage, it was quite alright. Todd was able to kite for a good five hours, and I puttered around with my camera, taking pix and meeting some awesome people. The launch site is rocky, narrow and sketchy; note the massive roots on the beach and the proximity of the large trees! Already I watched a fellow and his kite get yanked right into one of the hungry pines, and then another newbie crashed his rig repeatedly into the crowd and took out someone flying near shore. It is extremely congested with competent riders and not so competent riders... so I don't know if I'll give it a go, or not. After my Costa Rica beach drag (ask me about it sometime, if you don't already know), my hands sweat just thinking about it!! I'm quite happy visiting and snapping photos to tell you the truth. There is no cell service out here, but they do have an internet cafe. We're only here for six days but I'll post when I can.

Cheers.

Music and much more...

Oh, what a week it's going to be! We scored tickets to the Tom Petty concert in Edmonton this upcoming Tuesday night... Tom Petty... he's a classic! Then on Wednesday morning, we fly to Vancouver Island to attend Windfest 2008 at Nitinat Lake. Apparently it is a world-class destination for kitesurfing, and the event attracts competitors from places as far away as Europe and Australia. Sometimes I think we're only going because Todd likes to say 'Nitinat' really fast... and he also fits it into that nursery rhyme about 'paddywacks' and 'giving a dog a bone' and 'old men rolling home'... At any rate, it should be a good time. We are meeting up with some friends from Cranbrook who are big-time kiters and have a company that builds custom boards and such - http://www.decossecustoms.com/. I look forward to hanging out with them!
Everything I've read promises that Nitinat will be the party of the summer. And perhaps I'll even get out for a lesson and get up riding myself! So stay tuned; if we get internet service way out there, I'll post throughout the trip.
Cheers!

Leavin' the Hood...

Darn jobs... they sure get in the way of funtime...!! Unfortunately, Todd has to work Friday, so we had to depart Hood River just a few days shy of the Gorge Games - http://www.gorgegames.net/ - which will no doubt be a blast! We will definitely try to make it back there next year for the festivities.

The Gorge is certainly a beautiful area - scenic, great weather, with tons of activities that are guaranteed to interest just about anybody. I look forward to returning, and I recommend visiting Hood River if you get the chance.

So, until our next adventure (which we decided today is going to be Maui in October!!!)... I'm saying "Ciao!" In the meantime, feel free to check up on me at http://www.freespiritphotographics.blogspot.com/ if you like...