Winter in Hartley Bay

Yup, moved up to Hartley Bay on the north coast to teach an Essential Skill for Work course to the young adults through the Northwest Community College in Prince Rupert. I moved up here on the 19th of October. Jen will be joining me mid November after her world championships in Portugal. I am stoked to be up here and I am excited to explore this area in the winter. High on the list of activities are ski tours to remote islands, backcountry trips to Terrace and lots of stand up paddleboarding. Here are some shots below with my adopted family Cam and Eva. We are in a stunning inlet thats rich with wildlife.....and dungeness Crabs.

Magical Great Bear Rainforest

September was another incredible month for me in the Great Bear Rainforest. I resigned from my position as the women's basketball coach at Quest University so this allowed me to get back to the place I love, Princess Royal Island.

August 30th-September 6th

My first trip of the month started on the Pacific Yellowfin with Captain Colin. Colin hired me to take some special guests from Aspen up to the area for an 8 day trip. It was a very successful trip which started in Bella Bella. We worked our way up the coast, anchoring in stunning inlets, walking salmon rivers in search of Grizzly Bears, watching humpback whales and relaxing in hotsprings. We also took the group to see the Spirit Bear and participated in a community feast in Hartley Bay which is where we ended our trip. I am looking forward to running more trips with Colin next summer in this area. Colin's boat, the Pacific Yellowfin, is most likely one of the top boats on the coast. It is 120 feet long and it is an old reconverted WW2 Minesweeper. It is mint. Colin is a great captain and super host and his crew is one of the best i have worked with. It was a real treat to guide on this boat. Amazing boat, amazing trip, amazing area.

September 7-17th

Immediately after the trip on the Yellowfin I hosted the 3rd ecology class from Quest University in Squamish for a 10 day immersion into the culture, ecology and wildlife of Hartley Bay and the Great Bear Rainforest. The 18 students were blown away by the experience in the community. Cam Hill was an incredible host as he had most of the students staying at his place and he and Eva along with the elders in the community provided a learning environment and cultural experience that had a deeply lasting effect on the students. Along with this incredible cultural experience the students also had a chance to walk salmon streams, view Spirit Bears and visit local whale researchers Herman and Janey. Another special treat was having Ian MacAllister of Pacific Wild come in an talk to the class about the environmental challenges facing this coast. Ian is an environmental legend and has done some incredible things on this coast over the last 20 years. I am already looking forward to the next years class. Quest University's mission statement of Integrated, Intimate and International could not have been better represented by the experience in Hartley Bay and the Great Bear Rainforest.

September 18-25th

My last guiding stint of the month took me back to King Pacific Lodge, a place I have worked at off and on for the past decade. It was good to be back taking guests into rivers loaded with salmon. We had at least 9 humpbacks feeding right off the docks at KPL and the Spirit Bear viewing was some of the best i have ever seen. Another treat was having my partner Jen with me on all of the adventures and activities over the week. She was "job shadowing" and was awesome, bringing her own passion and excitement to the area.

So that was my September. Another great one. Now i am back in Squamish getting fit and enjoying a little bit of down time.

Mt. Rainier- Climbing For Kids

August 20th, my 40th birthday I headed down to Ashford, Washington for my three day climb of the Disappointment Cleaver route with Climbing For Kids. Thanks to the generous support of family and friends I was able to raise over $4500 for Climbing for Kids. Climbing for Kids is an organization that helps underprivileged kids to get into the outdoors. I was pretty excited about climbing this mountain which I had my eye on for awhile now. Our guide service was International Mountain Guides. Jenny Fogle was our lead guide and with us we also had Austin Shannon, Kelly Ryan and Josh Smith. We had 7 in our group and the forecast looked very good. We started our climb from the Paradise Parking lot on the morning of August 21st. The parking lot starts at 5500 feet elevation and we climbed for hours to get up to the Camp Muir situated on on a rock saddle at 10500 feet. It was an incredible location with a number of other climbing groups getting ready for the summit. After a great sleep we packed our bags on the 22nd and headed up to our high camp at 11500 feet. You could not have found a more scenic high camp. This camp was situated at the foot of the Ingraham Glacier and we were not too far away from crevasses that could swallow a semi truck. I was so excited to get moving I had a hard time sitting still. I took a nap in the afternoon and hit the sack at 5:30pm to get ready for our 1:30am departure on the 23rd.

We were up at 12:30am having breakfast(cold golden grahams and coffee) and then packed and got ready to go. It was a brilliant clear night with a sky full of stars. We started off with our headlamps on and began to pick our way up the mountain. Disappointment Cleaver was challenging since there was no snow on it and we had to scramble up for an hour over loose rock with our crampons on. We continued on past massive glaciers and deep dark crevasses. I was so stoked to finally be on the mountain and working my way to the summit. The group seemed to be doing well. At around 5 the sun started to rise and I experienced one of the most amazing sunrises ever. It was hard to not stop to turn around to look at the sun rising in the east over the lower mountains.

It was at this point that i realized how big this mountain really was as we were towering over any mountain that was around us. The relief was impressive and we had clear views down to Mt. Hood, St. Helens, Mt. Adams and Jefferson to the south and Mt. Baker and British Columbia to the north. It was also really windy and a lot colder up near the summit and i had all of my gear on.

We continued to zig zag up the summit and at 6:45 we were all at the crater rim. Myself and Jason with guide Kelly Ryan went a little higher to the true summit(14410 feet) to sign the register and take a few pictures. Simply amazing.

We stayed on the summit for about an hour and a half and we then made our way back down to high camp where we collected our stuff and then back to Camp Muir. Most of the group was pretty hurtin from the climb and I needed to get back to the car to get back to Squamish for the vancouver island quest with my partner Jen the following day so I was lucky enough to run down from Camp Muir in under and hour with another guide.

Physically I felt great, my body was strong and the altitude did not cause me any problems. The guides with International Mountain Guides were incredible. They were safe, patient, great teachers and were passionate and enthusiastic. The meals were nutritious and delicious. They really set the whole group up well for success. I am really motivated now to go bigger and higher and i hope I get a chance to climb with them again. Congratulations to my climbing partners as well. I was proud to have raised the money for Climbing for Kids and this as well has inspired me to raise more funds in the future for people and environments in need. I was on a pretty good high driving home to Squamish. Not much time to rest though as I had to get on the ferry the next morning to meet Jen who was already starting the vancouver island quest, top to bottom, 750km in 4 days. Not sure how i was going to accomplish this but first things first.......a hamburger.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED ME ON MY CLIMB FOR KIDS!!!

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!

Fun way to spend my 40th!!

BUSY GUIDING

Right after the 5 day Stand Up Paddleboard trip to the Great Bear Rainforest i headed up to King Pacific Lodge for a week of adventure and fishing. This is my 10th season working in some capacity at the lodge. It was amazing to be back. Its such an incredible place to spend time. The highlight of the trip for me was 11 year old Laila catching a 38 pound chinook salmon. I spent all afternoon in the boat with two 11 year old and i am sure i was asked 200 questions in the first hour. The weather had been amazing and we enjoyed the afternoon together catching coho. Just before we ended the day we tried one last spot. We made a couple of passes and had the bait stripped both times which look to be a chinook bite. We made one more pass and as Laila said, "third times a charm," and bang, fish on. She fought the fish the whole time even though she wanted to give the rod to me and her friend Audrey. We both declined and she battled this beauty for 20 minutes. We finally got the fish into the boat. We also talked about the importance of these salmon on the coast and thanked the fish for his life. Laila had her family of 11 down and this one fish will feed the whole family, no need to take more so we came back much to the delight of her family and friends. Incredible fish and an incredible experience on the north coast again. 

Great Bear Rainforest Stand Up Paddleboard

This was an incredible trip to a place that i have worked in for 10 years. This place continues to amaze me but what truly makes it special is the time we spent with the gracious people of Hartley Bay. I have guided in the Great Bear for a long time and it was one of my goals this year to stand up paddle this place with hopes of bringing excited clients up here next year. As Masa, the writer for Explore Magazine, stated at end of this expedition, "the trip exceeded my expectations." 

Here it is: 

July 15-16th, Jen and I drove the 17 hours to Prince Rupert from Squamish where we met Masa and Taylor. Masa was covering the story for Explore Magazine and Taylor was taking the pictures. Both guys were true professionals and a pleasure to spend 5 days with. Here is what our itinerary looked like.

Day 1:  We took the Tshimshian Storm ferry down to the small native community of Hartley Bay to stay with my adopted family the Hills, Cam, Eva, Rachel, Morgan and Brother Max. Cam had just gotten in from sockeye fishing on the Skeena River and that night we had an incredible meal of fresh sockeye salmon, dried seaweed, halibut and coho and oolichan grease. 

Day 2: We loaded up Cam's boat early in the morning and got a boat transfer down to a secluded inlet. It was our first chance to test out our gear and see how everything paddled. Jen, Masa and I were on SUP's and Taylor was shooting out of a kayak. I was paddling a custom built Andy Lambrecht Red Cedar Board while Jen and Masa were riding a tricked out Southpoint Kalama. I had attached NorthWater attachment loops on the rails and bonded with contact cement. I then attached our 115 litre dry bags with bundgy cord. The whole system worked really well and it was quite easy. We paddled to the back of this beautiful fiord and spent our first night in a GitGaat Longhouse. We saw a black bear in the estuary and we explored a stunning river at the back of the inlet. Incredible perspective from a stand up board. The weather was typical GBR........wet, rainy and misty. Just how I like it.

Day 3: It was a big day as we headed back out of the inlet and worked our way south to another Gitgaat Watchman Cabin. We found out for the first time on our paddle how difficult it was to paddle against the wind and chop. We managed to grind through and got to our destination. Jen was doing all of the cooking on the trip and she put together a killer menu plan and did an outstanding job with healthy delicious meals, essential on long paddling trips. I could have used more chocolate. We decided we were going to stay two days at the watchman cabin so that we could just go on a day trip the following day.

Day 4: This was our day trip and with an early wake up we were off to explore this magical area. The conditions had changed and we awoke to blue skies and flat calm conditions. Just perfect for SUPing. We took advantage and headed out to see the Stellar Sea Lions on Sea Lion Rock. Up travelling there we also encountered a pod of resident killer whales. They were a little ways off but very impressive. We also saw Humpbacks Whales who are here feeding in their traditional areas. After all of this wildlife we stopped at Hartley Bay's summer camp called Kayel. It is here that they collect and dry seaweed and harvest halibut. We were fortunate to have Brodi Danes accompany us on this paddle. I have worked with Brodi in a student mentor program and recently taught him and a number of the highschool kids their Level 1 Paddle Canada certification. Brodi helped to lead today's excursion and took us on a tour of Kayel. Afterwards we headed back to the watchman cabin for a late lunch. After lunch we headed over to King Pacific Lodge , a place i had worked at for the 7 years and continue to do contract work with, for a tour of the impressive adventure/fishing lodge. We ended the day with a hike into the rainforest to check out some incredible Sitka Trees.

Day 5: We awoke at 5 am to take advantage of flat conditions for our big push north but our trip was stopped cold when Taylor realized the tide had taken his kayak for a long ride. After the Mountain Surf Search and Rescue Team were unsuccessful we headed back for breakfast and waited by the radio. Shortly we got a call as a Seiner had picked up a floating red kayak and another boat was kind enough to drop it off for us. We got going and stopped at Herman and Janey's. They are whale researchers and have been working up for 8 years. I know them quite well and it was great to see Janey again, Herman was out helping a Seiner with his nets. After a short visit we headed west and started to work our way up the west side of an untouched island. Conditions again got choppy and challenging but that was what we got for a late start. When your paddling on the coast you have to get up early and get off early if you really want to go anywhere. Travelling by SUP you have to take advantage of the good conditions when you have them. That night we stayed at another watchman cabin in yet another beautiful inlet. 

Day 6: This was our final day. We had yet another incredible day of weather and flat early morning conditions which we spent exploring the vast intertidal life. This last day was spent mostly apart since i had to go back to the cabin to pick up something i had forgotten and by the time i got back my team had left. They were not at the spot we had agreed on to meet so I was way behind and spent the rest of the afternoon searching/catching up. I was finally picked up by Marvin, our boat transfer and taken to meet the group who took advantage of great downwind conditions. All was good and we were stoked to have completed this fantastic trip. Our celebration was again at Cam and Eva's as they put a feast on that I will never forget. We had halibut, crab cakes, sea cucumber, octopus, fried seaweed and Dungeness Crabs. Unreal. I was on a high from the trip and really excited that Masa and Taylor loved the trip so much. I was also very happy to have brought Jen up here for her first time to experience both the rainforest and most importantly the people of Hartley Bay. She said it was a trip of a lifetime.....and she has raced everywhere. Very cool and special for me to be able to share that with someone. 

Day 7: We spent the final morning having fried bread(yum,yum) and maple syrup at Lynne and Ernie's house(Cam's parents). From there we packed our gear, headed back onto the ferry and up to Prince Rupert. We said good bye to our friends Masa and Taylor and Jen and I got back into the Jeep for our 17 hour trip back to Squamish. 

The article for this trip should come out in Explore this spring. I am looking forward to seeing it and to seeing the pictures that Taylor took. I also want to thank Meg Chun, and Kialoa Paddles for supporting us on this trip. They gave us paddles, tshirts and paddling shirts for this trip and I am very grateful. The Kialoa paddle is the best out there and were amazing to paddle with over 5 days. More to come on the Kialoa paddles. I also would like to thank Ryder Eyewear for there polarized sunglasses which were a huge help on the really sunny days. It was amazing to have a pair of glasses that fit well, stayed on your face, and allowed us to clearly look into the water at the intertidal life and fish. If anyone is interested in this trip for next year we are going up in September when the salmon are in the rivers. It will be even more spectacular than this trip in terms of wildlife including Spirit Bear, Coastal Wolves, Humpback Whales and more. I will only be taking 6. If you have other questions about this trip or if you have a group that would love to see an incredible slide show just let me know.......now.......on to the next adventure.

INCREDIBLE TRIP

Stand by for the full report on an incredible 5 day expedition to the Great Bear Rainforest. 

GREAT BEAR SUP EXPEDITION BEGINS

After a 20 hour drive to PRince Rupert, a 4 hour ferry ride to Hartley Bay an incredible meal with my adopted family, Jen, Masa, Taylor and I are ready to head out early tomorrow morning for the first ever exploration of the Great Bear Rainforest by SUP. I will be paddling the most beautiful board i have ever seen. Andy Lambrecht from Pemberton custom built me a Red Cedar Stand Up Paddleboard. It is a stunning board and paddles incredibly well. I will be sending pictures and updating the whole trip when i get back to Hartley Bay on the 22nd. It should be amazing. I can't wait to tell you all about it.....stoked.....norm

Stand Up Paddleboarding the Queen Charlotte Islands

Stand Up Paddleboarding the Queen Charlotte Islands

For the last two weeks i was up at the Outpost Fishing Lodge guiding salmon fishing tours. Manager and great friend, Ken Beatty had an old Bic Windsurfer that he brought up to train on and explore. The Outpost Fishing Lodge is located on the remote west side of Graham Island. It is a stunning shoreline with vast amounts of power and energy emanating from the ocean. It is a goal of mine to paddle this shoreline and SUP into some of the untouched big reef breaks. Till then Ken and I have been working on our downwind paddling on the very unstable Bic Windsurfer. I have a new line of Imagine SUP's arriving in the next couple of weeks Kenny B already has his name on the Eco 12 foot SUP. Kenny's goal to salmon fish off the SUP is not far away........nor is the goal to explore this shoreline by SUP.

Monster Charlotte Halibut

Just back from my 2 weeks of Salmon fishing in the Queen Charlotte Islands. Check out these halibut taken a few days ago. These halibut were 198 and 175 pounds. There are a lot of these fish up there but we really need to think about conserving them. Killing these big fish is like chopping down big trees. It's a really old way of thinking and we have to be putting these fish back. All of the big halibut are females and have exponentially larger numbers of eggs as they get bigger. It's all about education. 

Paddlefit Explore

 
It's time to get back on the SUP and hit the water again. This will be the first PaddleFit Explore class in a series that will run sporadically throughout the summer. Here are the details: 
 
When:    Monday, July 13th 
Where:   Edgewater Outdoor Center, Green Lake, Whistler
Time:     7pm - 8:30pm
What:    A combination of on water exploration & on board fitness
Pre-req: Completed a previous PaddleFit or Learn to SUP class. Essentially, you need to be proficient and comfortable on the board!
$25 
Pre-Registration Required
 
To register, please RSVP to this email and we will give your further instruction. If you know of someone who you think would love to try the SUP and especially the PaddleFit Explore class, have them email us about taking a Learn to SUP class prior to Monday. We are around all weekend and will be teaching.
 

Queen Charlotte Island Chinook- Caught and Released

Just one of the beauties caught and released this week. These fish are becoming rare.

Back to Haida Gwaii

I am back up on the west coast of Haida Gwaii salmon fishing again for The Outpost lodge. The past few weeks prior to coming up here were great. I was over on the island with Jen and we did the Kusam Climb. Really tough 23 km race as the first 8km were straight up, 4500 feet. I managed to place 5th out of the 400 racers. Last week i ran Comfortably Numb and thats what my legs felt like in that 25 km trail race. They did not quite seem recovered after the Kusam but it was fun to run anyways. I only race so i can pig out at the junk table afterwards. I placed 11th which was okay since there were some pretty good runners. One of these days i may train for these races but for now they are just fun to compete in. 

So this monday i came up to the Charlottes to fish. Fishing has been a little slow but it picked up today. I had some nice fish this afternoon. Yesterday everyone did well on the Halibut. I released a hali that was 6 feet long which puts it at around 180-200 pounds. Another guide brought one to the dock that banged the scale at 225. Unreal. Weather has been pretty good considering its the charlottes. I see a nice sunset right now so tomorrow looks promising. I will try to keep updated on the fishing up here and i will try to send some pictures.

GET STOKED ON SUP/PADDLEFIT WHISTLER

Paddlefit and Get Stoked on S.U.P is coming to Whistler. We will be running classes starting this Friday at the Edgewater Outdoor Center located on Green Lake. Check out the dates and times below. 

PaddleFit and “Get Stoked” on S.U.P.

This is a unique fun new way to get in the best shape of your life.  Paddle Fit combines the traditional Hawaiian sport of stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) with cutting edge strength and conditioning fitness to give you a total mind body workout.  Develop the core, train the body, relax the mind! Experience the future of functional fitness training!

PaddleFit concentrates on developing proper paddling technique to engage your entire body and to paddle with maximum power and efficiency.  Dry land conditioning exercises will be integrated into each session, providing a total body, high calorie burning fitness class.  PaddleFit redefines total body fitness.

Get Stoked On SUP: See what the hype is all about. This is an introduction to stand up paddleboarding, the fasted growing watersport in the world and you need to take this class before starting Paddlefit. Gain confidence and learn to paddle correctly for maximum efficiency and fitness.

Edgewater @ Green Lake Get Stoked SUP Class & PaddleFit

Friday 19^th

^{Get Stoked –7:30am, 9am, 10:30am}

Mon 22^nd

PaddleFit –  7pm

Get Stoked SUP Class –  5:30pm

Tues 23^rd

PaddleFit – 9am, 7pm

Get Stoked SUP Class – 7:30am, 10:30am, 5:30pm

Wed 24^th

PaddleFit – 7am

Get Stoked SUP Class – 9:00am, 10:30am

Thurs 25^th – Sat 27^th

Get Stoked SUP Class – 7:30am, 9am, 7pm

 

*$25/class for PaddleFit

*$45 for a Get Stoked SUP Class & PaddleFit combo

*all classes are 1hr

*everyone must take a Get Stoked SUP class before taking a PaddleFit

*more PaddleFits to be offered in July

*Get Stoked SUP classes available upon demand at other times

*to register, email norm@mountainsurfadventures.com and we will confirm

*minimum of 6 people needed for a PaddleFit Class

*contact us for custom groups & times

 

 

What to Bring:

No equipment is necessary from you. Just come dressed for the weather and for a workout.  We suggest you put a spare pair of clothes in the car, just in case. This is not a swimming class and we don't expect you to get wet but, well, just play it safe J  Please wear running shoes (they may get wet though.)

 

o     Registration Form (completed for 1^st class only)

o     Par Q Form (completed for 1^st class only.

o     Water bottle

o     Running Shoes & workout Clothes

o     Extra set of clothes (just in case)

 

 

 

 

Get Stoked on SUP

This past Saturday the weather was hot and it was a great day to be out on the water showing people how to S.U.P. My first class of the day was at 9 am. Colleen, Jaime, Jason and Malini all came up from the city for their first SUP class. They did an outstanding job and I was really excited to have them out. At 10 am Jen brought a couple of her circuit class ladies, Krista and Julie out for a Paddlefit workout. We paddled hard for an hour and you could really see the work they had done in Jen's circuit class. They both paddled strong and with great technique and core strength. Nice job ladies. Our last class of the day was with local Scott Graham and my sister Shannon. The weather was just getting hotter and both Scott and Shannon picked the paddling up really quickly. They even started to work on their footwork and surf stance. A few swims later and both were ready for Tofino. We had so much fun we ended up hanging out on the boards for most of the afternoon. It was a great day, i had a lot of fun teaching. I am really stoked to see people enjoying themselves so much and learning a new sport. See you on the water. Thanks to Jenn Dickie for all of the great photographs.

SUP....This weekend and next week.

There is still space in next week's Paddlefit Classes. Inquire about Monday and Thursday evening at 6:00pm or Wednesday morning at 7am. I will be up at Alice Lake on Saturday running Learn to SUP classes. Contact me if your interested in a lesson. Sunday I will be up at Seton Lake renting S.U.P's with Tim of  Whistler Outdoor Experiences.

DOMINANT DART NUUN SWEEP

This past weekend I was in Monterey California nursing my shoulder and running support for Jen Segger, Cyril and Sylvia, all team Dart Nuun members at the 24 hours of Adrenalin Mountain Bike Race. Jen had an outstanding race and completed 19 laps(16km) laps in 24 hours easily winning the women's solo. She road strong and had to battle through some early cramping to get the job done. Very impressive racing and endurance. Cyril was equally as strong completing 23 laps and leading from start to finish to win the men's solo. Cyril's partner Sylvie won the solo women's 8 hour race. It was great working support with Jackie and although it was hard watching from the sidelines I knew that my work was just important for the team's success. We had an incredible full moon rise and the morning sunrise was spectacular. I really enjoyed the experience and I was very proud of Jen, Cyril and Sylvie. I went through my fair share of Bean Around the World coffee to keep me up and functioning. Good times.

This week we have more Paddlefit Classes. Weather looks good, not as hot as last week but lots of sun in the forecast.

ITS A HEATER

Finally some incredible weather the past week. The last couple of days it's been 30 degrees. Which has made for some awesome Paddlefit Classes. We had new class start on Monday night and another one this morning at 6:00am. Alice Lake is stunning in the morning with the rising sun and flat conditions. Paddlefit is back at the lake tonight for class 3 of the Wednesday group. All athletes are experiencing huge improvments in paddling technique which is allowing them to paddle "Stronger for Longer." Personally I am really enjoying teaching the class and seeing everyone having such a great time. The weather is hot.....get out there for some adventure. 

I also drove up to Pemberton to talk to a surfboard board shaper about a very cool project I have in mind for the summer. You will have to stay posted......norm

NEW PADDLEFIT CLASSES OFFERED

Check out the new listing of classes below for the month of June. If interested contact me at norm@mountainsurfadventures.com

PaddleFit 

This is a unique fun new way to get in the best shape of your life. PaddleFit combines 

the traditional Hawaiian sport of stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) with cutting edge 

strength and conditioning fitness to give you a total mind body workout. Develop the 

core, train the body, relax the mind! Experience the future of functional fitness training! 

PaddleFit conditioning classes introduce you to the new sport of Stand Up 

Paddleboarding (SUP). You will learn how to paddle with proper technique, engage your 

core and utilize your entire body to power the board through the water. Dry land 

conditioning and circuit exercises will be integrated into each session, providing a 

dynamic workout. PaddleFit redefines total body fitness. 

PaddleFit @ Alice Lake 

MONDAY’S June 1st, 8th, 15th 6-7:30pm 

WEDNESDAY’S June 3rd, 10th, 17th 6-7:15am 

THURSDAY’S June 4th, 11th, 18th 7-8:30pm 

$25/class 

Pre Registration Required. 

Learn to Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) highly recommended before taking PaddleFit! 

One-hour intro lessons offered. Learn to paddle, gain confidence and have fun! 

Learn to SUP – Intro Class @ Alice Lake 

MONDAY’S 5 - 6pm 

TUESDAY’S 6 - 7pm 

THURSDAY’S 6-7am 

$25/class 

Pre Registration Required. 

PaddleFit Whistler 

Living in Whistler? Have some friends who would like to try this Hawaiian sport? Give 

us a call and we can arrange the same class for you at Rainbow Park. Minimum of 4 

people needed. 



What to Bring: 

No equipment is necessary from you. Just come dressed for the weather and for a 

workout. We suggest you put a spare pair of clothes in the car, just in case. This is not a 

swimming class and we don't expect you to get wet but, well, just play it safe
Please 

wear running shoes for the dryland training. Bare feet works great when on the boards. 

• Registration Form (completed for 1st class only)  
  
• Par Q Form (completed for 1st class only) 
  
• Cash or Cheque (made payable to Jen Segger) 
  
• Water bottle 
  
• Towel  
  
• Running Shoes & workout clothes 
  
• Extra set of clothes (kept in the car, just in case) 
  

TO REGISTER & RESERVE YOUR PLACE 

EMAIL: jen@challengebychoice.ca 

VISIT: www.mountainsurfadventures.com 

Instructors: Norm Hann & Jen Segger 

PADDLEFIT- Class 2

Wednesday night we had our second Paddlefit class under a beautiful sunset at Alice Lake. We had a few new members tonight including Mandy, Jen and Meghan. It was incredible to see the improvement in Stand Up Paddling technique from last weeks class to this weeks class. All the girls had an outstanding workout and are really starting to catch on to the new sport of S.U.P. while complementing their fitness with tough circuit and conditioning routines. Jen and I are already looking forward to next weeks class. Nice job everyone!! If your interested in signing up for a Paddlefit Class contact me a norm@mountainsurfadventures.com

MOMAR 2009- D.N.F.

This year's Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race did not go as planned. We had an outstanding day of weather for this race and i was excited to be racing with a couple of friends from the states Aaron Rinn, one of the top adventurer racers in the world who races for Dart Nuun and Chris Matze from Oregon. Jen had set up an incredible race that really showcased the best biking, trekking and rapeling Squamish has to offer. The race started well and I got out of the blocks pretty quick as it was 4 k sprint around Alice Lake. From there we headed onto our bikes for a bunch of climbing and sweet single track. It wouldn't be a momar without losing something so I decided to lose my checkpoint card. (pretty important) I knew i had lost it when i took out my map so i backtracked but in the confusion a friend of mine had picked it up, went by me, but since we were in race mode we did not communicate that well and anyways he brought it to the next checkpoint. A lot of racers went by me at this point and I was pretty frustrated. I managed to regroup and got through the navigation course okay. Then it was back onto the bike for more climbing and I had really started to push the pace on the downhills trying to make up time and thats where my race ended. Going too fast over a little rise and on a steep loose section of the course Jen had warned us about, I went head over heels and catapulted myself into a big boulder. Someone behind me thought I flew a good 10 feet. My arm went numb and I thought for sure bones were sticking out but I was really lucky i guess. I managed to bike, crawl, cry, whimper to the next check point but once there I was in a lot of pain and my race was done. I was super disappointed because we had more biking and the best part of the course, a hike up the Chief and a world class rappel off the chief. While competitors were doing that I was in emergency. Xrays were okay, nothing broken but the doctor thought I might have a slight separation, with badly bruised shoulders and ribs. The last couple of days have been pretty painful and it has been tough not getting out for some exercise but i will try to be patient and take my time. We had a good time at the after party and I am already looking forward to MOMAR Cumberland, where hopefully i will have my partner, Jen, back and she can look after me. Thanks to Jen for setting up and incredible course and to Bryan Tasaka for hosting another outstanding event. Now I have to get better quick for our Paddlefit class on Wednesday.

PADDLEFIT

Mountain Surf Adventures and Challenge By Choice teamed up last night for our first Paddlefit Class. Paddlefit is a new concept combining on land circuit training and stand up paddleboarding, which in combination delivers a functional complete body workout. Tonight was our first of six classes held at Alice Lake. Kathy, Shannon, Greg, Sally, Inis, and Lee all did an outstanding job for their first time on the S.U.P and really pushed hard  through the workout. Outstanding weather coming up this weekend so I hope to see you out having fun. 

For more information or to sign up for Paddlefit, rent S.U.P's or have a lesson visit Mountain Surf Adventures.......or email me at norm@mountainsurfadventures.com.

BACK TO HARTLEY BAY

Right after my two week California road trip I then got back in the car with my friend Jen Dickie and dr0ve up to Prince Rupert. From there we took a ferry down to the native community of Hartley Bay. I have worked with this community and the youth now for a number of years. Last year i did some kayak training for the high school kids and Jen and I came back up this year to deliver the next level in the Paddle Canada Kayak certifications. 

I had really missed being back in the community and it was awesome to see all of the kids. We had 13 students that we put through a three day course. They were trained in paddle strokes, rescues and decision making. 

It was incredible to see how quickly the  confidence in these kids grew over the three days. We were very proud to present the students with their certifications. We are now looking forward to heading back up to take the kids on a multiday kayaking expedition in their territory to help develop their decision making skills, expedition planning and to help them gain more experience. Thanks to Cam and Eva Hill, my adopted family for looking after us while we were up there and sharing their amazing hospitality with us.

TABLE TOPS BEACH BREAK, SOLANA BEACH, CA

CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP

The last week of April and first week of May we headed down to California for an epic two week road trip. Our first stop was LA for an 8 hour mountain bike race. The day after that we went up to Malibu to do our first stand up paddleboard race. It was a 7 mile downwinder and it was a blast paddling with Chuck Patterson, one of the best stand up paddlers in the world. From there we carried on to Newport beach for an amazing workout with Bob at Crossfit Newport, I was sore for three days. We stayed at our friend Cat's place. Thanks Cat for the great hospitality.  Then it was down to Solana Beach just north of San Diego to stay at TR's place. I was in heaven as it was a 2 minute walk to the beach with the stand up paddleboard. We were down there for 5 days and I spent most of my time in the water SUPing Tabletops.  I was so tired i could barely lift my arms. It is such an incredible surf culture in California and I think I made jen stop at every surf shop from Squamish to San Diego. I was like a little kid in a candy store. My favorite place was the Patagonia first surf inspired store in Cardiff.

 I didn't really want to leave Solana Beach but we had to make our way back up north. We stopped in places like Ventura, Rincon, Santa Barbara, Big Sur, Monterrey, Morro Bay and Santa Cruz. The Big Sur shoreline was one of the most incredible shorelines I have ever seen and if you ever get a chance to drive it you will never forget it. Our last night was spent in northern california at an incredible spot in the Redwood forest called Patricks Point.  Beautiful campsite with booming surf. 

The final day we stopped at Cresent City to see if Greg Noll was around but not even his son's surf shop was open and the surf itself was terrible so we cruised all the way home to Squamish. I think we stopped at every coffee shop between Squmaish and San Diego too. It was an amazing trip and I can't wait to get back there.......a lot longer next time.

A FEW MORE HAIDA GWAII PICTURES

A great view from the top of Tow Hill. Check out the weather. I was so surprised that it was sunny out. Everytime i have been up there, even in the summer it was windy and rainy. Also check out the amazing sets coming into the beach. The surf was really incredible. I was freakin out at this point looking down on the waves.

This was Kelly, the owner of the trout house where we had an amazing dinner. It was really busy and Kelly said in the summer its nuts. Well worth the wait though. 

SURFING HAIDA GWAII

What a weekend. April 3rd Jen and I finally headed up to north beach on the Queen Charlotte Islands. I had been up to Masset a number of times to fly into the Outpost Lodge where I have been working as a salmon fishing guide but Jen had never been up there. We arrived to amazing weather on Friday and we took advantage of this by doing a 25 km run out to Rose Spit from Tow Hill. Incredible thing was we ran for 2 hours and never saw anyone on the beach. North Beach is a stunning place and we could actually see the mountains of Alaska. There was also an amazingly clean swell hitting the shores so after the run I was in my wetsuit and headed out for some incredible rides just west of Tow Hill. Surfing North Beach had been on the list for awhile so it felt incredible to be out here all by myself surfing some beautiful waves. The water was freakin cold though. Coldest I have been in and after 10 minutes my hand were pretty much frozen but I couldn't bring myself to come back to the beach. Shortly before hypothermia set in I managed to stumble back to the beach.

That night we had the best halibut and chips on the island at this cool little spot at the trailer park. I mean it.....awesome halibut. Saturday we awoke to 30-40 knot winds, typical charlotte weather and we decided to take our rental and go and explore the North Island. We headed down to Port Clements to check out the Haida Canoe, then it was west to Rennell Sound. I wanted to surf the west side but our progress was stopped short with too much snow on the crazy road down that connected us to the sound. Glad we decided not to push it, i am sure it would have turned into an epic. Instead we went south to Queen Charlotte City, then to Skidegate, up to Tlell and back up to Port Clements where we went on the Golden Spruce Trail. If you have not read the book Golden Spruce check it out. Great read, especially if you have ever been to the charlottes or plan on going there. Then it was back to our accommodations at the Beach House, owned by West Coast Fishing Club. Dinner that night was at one of the best restaurants I have ever been too, no kidding. Its called the Trouthouse, a super funky place owned by Kelly and Jonathon. If you are ever up around Masset you have to stop here to eat. Incredible organic food. I had a buffalo burger 2 feet high and Jen had a really good salad. I think I won though and for desert we both won because we had home made apple pie with icecream. What a day.

Sunday we woke up and I had a really amazing surf session at a riverbreak with a few locals. It was so much fun. Jen had a great time too and was really comfortable in the peeling beach break waves. I really did not want to leave but we had a flight to catch. Next year I would like to bring a crew of people up there to surf north beach for a least a week. I highly recommend the trip, we scored on the waves, had some great adventures and met some really cool people. We can't wait to get back.

MORNING COFFEE IN LANGDALE

Well I had been looking at doing the crossing from Lion's Bay to Langdale on the Sunshine Coast for awhile now and on March 14th I decided to go for it. This can be a tricky crossing because unless conditions are flat you are either dealing with an inflow wind or an outflow wind, either of them will be pushing wind and swell on the side of your board making you really work on your balance and your core strength. The Sound can be a really nasty place with the wrong conditions. It can blow up pretty quick. The crossing was about 9 nautical miles and I left at 8:30am from the marina in Lion's Bay. I wore a full wetsuit, and I carried a cell phone and VHF radio for safety. I also had leash on my board just in case I fell with a backpack of water and snacks. I did also let people know my route plan. Conditions for the first hour were pretty flat as I bee lined it to the bottom end of Gambier. About half way across the winds really started to pick up and a good chop was starting to build. I was pretty stoked though as I had my hip hop going on my Ipod. After the initial nervousness wore off I got into a great rhythm and found paddling in the building swell pretty fun. I had a few funny looks from  a few boaters that cruised by. The bottom end of Gambier was scenic with the odd Bald Eagle monitoring my progress. I planned on trying to get the 12:30 ferry back from Langdale and my paced seemed pretty good. As I made my last little crossing to the ferry terminal the conditions calmed down and I got into port 3hrs after leaving Lion's Bay. It felt great to finally make it across and once there i dropped my board and ran to the coffee shop for my morning americano.......mmmmmm that was well worth the paddle(had to get a cookie too). The best part of it all was I did not have to pay for the ferry back to Horseshoe Bay. 

Used Stand Up Paddleboard and Paddle- $900 

Ipod- $50 bucks

Wetsuit- $300 bucks

Backpack and Gear- $100

Not having to pay for an $11 BC Ferry.........PRICELESS

Well not really. I thought the epic would happen when making the crossing but that was smooth. The epic happened when i got back to land. I had to hitchhike from Horseshoe Bay back up to Lions Bay. A great guy and logger from Bowen Island, Chris, picked me up. Upon arriving at Lions Bay i found my truck had been towed. I left my keys on top of the car and thought they would have been lost so i went to Squamish with Chris to get another set of keys which I didnt have. He had a few errands to do there and then he drove me all the way back to North Van to pick up my Jeep at Payless. 

The fee for getting my truck..........NOT PRICELESS.

My keys luckily were there and back up to Squamish I went. I had to leave my board at Sewell's marina at Horseshoe Bay which I had to pick up later in the week because it was closed by the time I came back through. Thanks to Sewell's for storage and thanks so much to Chris, what a saviour. 

 

It was a great adventure and I look forward to more big crossing in the future. Crossing the straight of Georgia is now in my sights along with a bunch of other cools trips and expeditions.

1st Stand Up Paddleboard Race

Well not really but March 8th Jen and I headed to Qualicum Beach in hopes of competing in our first stand up paddleboard race. We awoke to a heavy snowfall and strong Northerly outflow winds in Nanaimo. I thought it was perfect conditions for the BC race. I was pretty excited and when we got to Qualicum Beach, well, it was really cold with choppy conditions and strong onshore winds. There was about 15 of us and the group consensus was that the conditions were a little tough for the first race. Most people had trouble standing on their boards but I had been training in some solid conditions in Howe Sound and it looked pretty fun to me. They decided to have the race at a later date when conditions were better for the general public. I decided to do the course anyways and it took me about 30 minutes. It was pretty wavy but I loved it. Instead the group all headed out and practiced some surfing right off the beach. Jen managed to catch some of her first waves and she had a huge smile on her face all day. She might be ready for Jaws now but we have to get to Hawaii first. It was fun playing around in the wind swell and always great practice for balance and the core. Such an incredible workout. I guess we will just have to wait for the next race, hopefully in California where the normal people are paddling without wetsuits and toque's. It was great though to be with other SUPers and I know this sport will be taking off up here. Canadian SUPing at it's best.......cold, windy, wavy, numb fingers and other parts........and snow. Thanks a lot to Island Longboards and Todd for trying to se this up for us. 

Stand Up on the Sunshine Coast

Jen and I had a change of plans this weekend. The Big Mountain Battle in Kamloops was traded in for a day on the Sunshine Coast. We headed over Friday night after missing the ferry and being the last car to NOT get on. We found a campsite, sort of, and woke to a beautiful morning where we began the day with a run to Skookumchuk Narrows with Big Sea. It wasn't really ripping nor was it big enough to stand up paddleboard on (kidding, at least for now). After our run we found some coffee and headed to Half Moon bay for a great two hour stand up. Conditions were perfect as you can see. We googled at all the amazing homes in the bay and then headed for yet another coffee afterwards. It was a great little get away and i am looking forward to going back for more stand up and some mountain biking. I am pumped about next weekend too, my first stand up paddleboard race in Qualicum Beach. Should be lots of fun so this week I am heading back onto the Sound for some more training.