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. 

Happiness

A fool is "happy" when his/her cravings are satisfied. A warrior is happy without reason. That's what makes happiness the ultimate discipline. Happiness is not just something you feel- IT IS WHO YOU ARE. - from the book, Way of the Peaceful Warrior.

MMMMMM.........Banana Bread

Yup, thats me eating again at the top of Mt. Baldwin. The only reason I go to the top is for Jen's Banana Bread. Its been a great month of multiventure here in Squamish. The weather has been awesome, clear skies, cool temperatures but not a lot of precipitation until this week. Here's a Recapadamonth.

Beginning of Feb had a great 25km ski tour into Callaghan Lodge, nordic site of the 2010 Olympics. Beautiful lodge in a beautiful location with great touring possibilities. It was just a quick in and out on this day. Managed to get up Mount Mulligan which is just north of where I was eating this banana bread. I took Big Sea, my dog, up and it turned into an epic with her. Reminder to myself to not take her touring off trail.

I was also back on my stand up paddle board and did a short tour out to Anvil Island in Howe Sound. Back on the skis with friends, Michelle and Michael, to have some of the best turns of the year off of Round Mountain in Garibaldi Park. Mt. Baldwin was another great tour and day with Jen. Started hiking the Chief this month, snow covered in areas but great training none the less. Managed to get on the bike as well a little bit of cross training, combined with some runs on the Cheekeye Trails(trails not quite ready yet). One of my best days was on the SUP again as I paddled from Furry Creek to Britannia Beach and back. I paddled back in a 20 knot wind that came up quickly and managed to surf a few downwind waves. I was also thrown from the board for the first time in the Sound on a particularly knarly section rounding a point. I was wearing my wetsuit so all was good and i had a big smile on my face. Finally I went back up to Paul Ridge for some deep powder turns after receiving 40-50cms of snow this week. 

This weekend I am looking at doing the Big Mountain Battle at Sun Peaks in Kamloops. It is basically a backcountry ski randonee race where you have to grab a bunch of checkpoints on the mountain. This should be a lot of fun and quite the challenge and would be my first ski race this year. The following weekend I am really excited to race in my first Stand Up paddleboard race in Qualicum Beach. 

For me, my season of coaching the women's basketball team is complete. This will now open up some weekends for more great adventures and fun in the outdoors.

THE WHALE

This excerpt was taken from Peter Legge's book called The Power to Soar Higher in the Chapter called Living with Gratitude. 

I read a front-page story in one of San Francisco's local newspapers, the SF Chronicle , about a female humpback whale that became entangled in a spider web of crab traps adn lines. She was weighed down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped all around her body including her tail and a line tugging in her mouth.

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farralone Islands and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that the whale was in such dire straights that the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her. It was a very dangerous proposition considering that one slap of her tail could kill a rescuer.

The team worked together for hours with curved knives and eventually freed the whale.

When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them gently, as it to say "Thank you for helping me."

Some of the team members said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives. The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was following him the whole time and he will never be the same.

This story really touched me. I have had experiences somewhat like this in the Great Bear Rainforest with bears, wolves and whales and understand what they guys were feeling. I have never had the incredible experience though of being touched and watched. They are so incredible, so much we need to learn. We hunted these incredible, smart mammals almost to extinction. They are making a great comeback now on the north coast. Can't wait to go back and see them this summer. 

GIVE YOURSELF FULLY

"Tentative efforts lead to tentative outcomes. Therefore give yourself fully to your endeavours. Decide to construct your character through excellent actions and determine to pay the price of a  worthy goal. Remain steadfast....and one day you will build something that endures; something worthy of your potential."- Epictetus, Roman Teacher and Philosopher.

TRIBUTE TO A FALLEN TEAMMATE AND FRIEND

Yesterday, 9 years ago my friend and university basketball teammate, Dwayne Rivard passed away. I am fortunate enough to know his family well and I am very close with his sister Paula. I was blessed when Paula gave me a special rock that belonged to Dwayno. This rock I take with me on all my adventures. I kept it in my pocket all day yesterday and i had an amazing day. I felt incredible and inspired. My day ended with a ski tour up Blackcomb Mountain on a night with countless stars. This rock goes with me to the top's of mountains, along pristine rivers, in deep valleys and rainforests and on the boundless energy of the ocean. It also reminds me of how fortunate I am. Fortunate for the amazing life I have and for the amazing people in my life. Don't forget to tell someone how much you love them. 

"Every year that I live I am more convinced that the waste of life lies in the love we have not given, the powers we have not used, the selfish prudence which will risk nothing, and which, shirking pain, misses happiness as well." - Mary Cholmondeley

Eagle Viewing by Stand Up Paddleboard

We have had some amazing weather lately, sunny and clear blue skies. The skiing hasn't been great so I took my paddleboard out yesterday and paddle up the Squamish River to check out some bald eagles. Our eagle count was down again this year, lower than last. Last year was a very low year and they are attributing that to the diminishing runs of chum salmon. After the river paddle i headed out into the sound for another hour or so. It was great being out on such an amazing day. The outflow winds started to kick up so I headed back in. 

I also got some new touring gear from Mark up in Williams Lake. He owns the Red Shreds Ski Shop up there and sent down a pair of Mt. Baker Superlights with a pair of TLT vertical's on them. Incredible set up. I have been touring on pair of Black Diamond Havocs with Diamir Freeride binding. That set up has been pretty good too, the bindings are beefy and the Havocs rip but they do not compare to the lightness going uphill of the Baker's and TLT's. Wow. Feels like you have nothing on, ski's i mean, in comparison. I also got a pair of used Garmont Megarides. They are a 4 buckle boot and I can already notice the power. I am really looking forward to some big days on them.......they should work really well for the big volcano's this spring. Tonight I am heading up Blackcomb for a starlight training tour.