2:00am…up…can’t sleep.  The dream of the McConkey Pontoon’s mounted and in my hands was so real I woke up expecting to feel the edges on my finger tips.  I thought I was standing there with them in the shop with the red and white Marker’s mounted and Shane was on the TV behind me doing some stupid trick or something…I can’t remember really, but I can tell you there is definitely ’something about McConkey’.   

It has been a long time since I felt the inevitable.  Have you ever just looked at something or someone and known from the first moment they were going to become part of your life?  The McConkey’s and I were destined.  From the moment I heard about them and saw sneak peek pics in ski magazines that come out way to early in the fall.  Even the ever Euro ‘Ski Press’ – who doesn’t even test K2’s (FIS sucks) ran 2 stories on Shane and the mythical special edition pontoon.  Hope they don’t ski like shit Shane or the Euro’s will never buy them! Ha, ha!

Where to begin?  I could tell you how I grew up with Rap (Real Action Pictures, Calgary) film premiers at whatever random University or community theatre Jon Long and James Angrove could dig up, or how sad I was when John Treman (yes, legendary big air man John Treman) was born again (yes, I said ‘born again’) – at least that’s what I heard – and stopped showing up in RAP films, and the year Trevor Peterson died and some other long-haired Cali punk kid from Tahoe made his debut in ‘Burning Winter’…at least his Canadian Debut since we didn’t have MSP up north…and the year of the most ridiculous breakable crust in skiable memory (Ed. Cut to scene with Kirk Jensen, Shane McConkey and the boys breaking two foot square slabs of thick frozen snow over each other’s heads beside their grounded chopper.)  I could tell you all of the stories that made up the days and weeks between sessions on VCR’s and big tube TV’s…but I won’t.  (I laugh!)  OK, I will.

The ‘Burning Winter’ crew packed in the heli (like they all do when the snow turns to shit) found a big kicker wind-lip and Shane hit a double back and the biggest lawn-dart front flip I’d ever seen…or was that someone else? It doesn’t matter.  I don’t remember honestly, at least not completely because years of running and rewinding those movies into my sleep has left a blur and created a near 20 year ski flick running in my psyche…but instead of digging the flick out of the cardboard box in the storage room and cuing it up to get the scene right I’ll tell you what I do remember; Shane sitting in front of the camera in a fake ‘Extreme’ Ski interview scene saying, “Dude, I’m just a skier.  You need my acting double…”  Cut to Kirk Jensen(remember Kirk Jensen?) in Shane’s hat and Oakley shades with straw for hair talking extreme dude talk as Shane until the interview ends with a laugh.  Kirk pulled off the first (likely self-directed) McConkey slam scene I’d ever seen and Shane became part of my world forever as certainly as Trevor left us that same season.

If you haven’t seen ‘Burning Winter’…find it…it has the greatest tribute to Trevor.  I can still see him standing there with his skateboard on the edge of the old bowl at the Whistler skate park, rarely looking at the camera or speaking much at all.  He let the mountains speak for him.  To all things time and tide.

Shane, on the other hand, well, let me just say he was rarely short for words and he selflessly monopolized the world of MSP (Matchstick Productions) in the epic ‘Ski Movie’ - the same year RAP films virtually vanished – and I made the inevitable long-awaited return to Whistler, 1997.  There are many great skiers out there, and there always have been, but like T.J. Burke reminded Carl (the Aspen ski school director in ‘Aspen Extreme’), “Skiing is the easy part.”  Meanwhile, Seth Morrison rocked the screen, he was a force in the evolution of skiing big mountains, pure power, a phenom, untouchable on snow, but Shane, well Shane and the magic of those boys behind the camera and in the editing room, Shane was a light brighter than the sport of sliding down hills with sticks on our feet could have imagined.  He was real, real in a way that any kid without a tatoo or piercing or blue hair and gangster pants (love when they run to the bus holding their pants up) who ever farted and laughed could understand and ironically relate to.

My son (5) saw the skis at my shop yesterday proudly leaned against the shelves behind the cash desk and I think he was as excited as I was.  At five years old I also think he understands death about as well as the rest of us.  He looked at the picture on the ski of Shane with his wife Sherry and their daughter Ayla and said to me, “Now that Shane is dead the mom and the little girl are a family”, and I held back the tears until right now…”That’s right”, I said, “and we remember him because he made us all feel so good.”  Then the serious little look on his face turned, his big blue eyes lit up and he smiled and said, “Ya, he made us laugh so much times.”

I think, like everyone else, I’ve been searching for the words since March.  I only really knew him through the movies and later met through my work with Helly Hansen and launching the pain in the ass MSP world premiers in Whistler (yes, the ones where the crowd stole all the outfits off the mannequins including one plastic hand…it’s OK, it’s funny now…I wonder if Shane went out and partied with the hand that night?).  I wrote him letters to Free Skier telling him the mag sucked because there weren’t enough big mountain pics and he was too old (I was 10 months older) like we were best friends or family and like so many I not so secretly imagined him beside me billy goating down the ridiculous secret chute off The Cirque (you know…the one under the rope).  So much to say.   I’m starting to see now that maybe I will never find the words but tomorrow after I drop my son off at his last day of kindergarten before the holidays and my wife takes our baby for a roll in the yellow stroller, I’ll pick up those skis at Spicy Sports, hang a for sale sign on the Sanouk’s that gave up the Marker’s for Shane, call my buddy Warren, slide over to the Wizard Chair, slap on a ‘Trevor Would Do It’ sticker (yep, still have one) and go up to that place where we don’t need any words. 

…then again…the truth is Shane, I’ll probably hit a big ass spread eagle on the first two foot bump I see, or even a twister spread if there’s some pow, cruise to the bottom of the Glacier Chair and say, “These skis suck!”…and laugh out loud.

Here is my first post to my first blog.  I’m hoping to keep this up to date with interesting things.  Well, interesting to me anyway.  I’m into travelling, photography, snowboarding and gadgets.  So chances are my posts will be about them.   This post is about snowboarding and travel.  Jan. 10th is the date I depart with my best friends for a week of snowboarding in Whistler, BC. Looks like we’ll have an amazing time… they’ve already had half the snow that they had all of last year.  An amazing 18ft of snow in November alone.  Incredible!  I’ve been following a blog from the Whistler website.  Grant seems to be a similar level of rider, so it’s nice to read about a person who’s planning on riding 100 days this winter.  I’m bitter, but I’ll enjoy my time when I get there.  Oh and I will have my trusty Nikon D90 at hand… hope to post some amazing pictures!

Grants blog

After falling on my chest while snowboarding in Whistler last Saturday (just had to use my new crisp EDGE Card!), I could not laugh, sneeze, get up while lying in bed.. so I decided on Thursday that it’s time to check what the heck is going on with my ribs. My boss drove me to the Burnaby Hospital and dropped me off at the Emergency. After being quickly admitted, first.. I waited in a big waiting room; then I was transferred to a small waiting room where I was to change into a ‘very stylish blue gown’, got checked again, and… waited waited and waited. Then Mr. Doctor came in, checked me out, and sent for x-rays. I waited for an x-ray for a bit, but not too long. Very nice lady x-ray technician took two photos of my chest and sent me back to the big waiting room. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait for my doctor for to long.. X-ray didn’t show any fractures, sweet! And, feel lot better today, which is even more sweet! Lesson learned: I need to snowboard more, so that I am better and never fall again

As excitement about the coming Olympics builds in Whistler, the ski season got off to a roaring start. Not only have we seen the most snowfall ever recorded for the month of November, it’s been more than any month since measurements were recorded in 1979.

Already Whistler has received more than 5 meters of snowfall since November 1st, and we still have an entire week to go until December.  Here’s the snow report. http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/weather/snowreport/index.htm

Whistler Mountain has been open since last week, and this week, Blackcomb opens along with the Peak to Peak Gondola.

This bodes well for an excellent season of skiing and riding in North America’s #1 Ski Resort

With Whistler opening this weekend and Lake Louise opening earlier this month, ski season is officially underway. Even our little local hill in Edmonton opened it’s doors , which surprised me considering there is no snow in sight.

I’ve been an avid skier since my early youth. After my second year of college my instructor and I went on a ski trip to Sunshine Village in Banff , Alberta. I instantly fell in love with the mountains and at the end of the week , i quit a great job up north and moved to Lake Louise where I worked , skied , climbed mountains and studied Photography. Quite a change from the oil patch and I sure surprised a lot of people, but I was young and looking for adventure. It was a truly amazing experience that lasted five years and left me with many fantastic stories to tell my son and maybe grandkids in the future

One thing to remember when playing in the mountains is SAFETY ! Every year the winter is littered with stories of people loosing their lives or disabling themselves in horrible accidents. Many of these are caused by people attempting things completely out of their skill level or without proper training.  As an ex adrenaline junkie I know from experience how easy it is to make mistakes, but keep in mind that mother nature can be very unforgiving at times and downright deadly. Skiing within proper boundaries is a rule for a good reason as well as having trails marked with different skill levels. Don’t get me wrong , I am not trying to be preachy in any way , just a little advice from experience. I’ve done a fair bit of backcountry skiing and hiking and the rule of thumb is “be prepared” just like the old boy scout saying There are great courses available which will give you the knowledge to travel into the abyss, it’s a matter of minimizing the risks with proper training just like the pros. With time and patience as well as a bit of style and grace , who knows, maybe you can make it into a Warren Miller film !

I’ve skied quite a number of places throughout British Columbia and Alberta , Canada and my top 3 without a doubt are :

Whistler/Blackcomb

Lake Louise

Mike Wiegele Heli skiing

The premier event this year is the Winter Olympics in Vancouver this year. I was blessed to be around for the Calgary Olympics in 1988 and even had the pleasure of having a bit of ski time with the Swiss team while they were training in Lake Louise. If you haven’t had a chance to go see a world class sporting event such as the Olympics I urge you to go , there is nothing else like it !

Vancouver 2010

For information on the Canadian Alpine Ski team check out their site : Alpine Ski Team and don’t forget to cheer them on this February !

One of the best websites for Canadian skiers of all ages is Ski and Snowboard Canada. There is tons of info as well as some fantastic deals for the kids, be sure to take a look

That’s all for tonight, take care , be safe and have a blast this winter !

Namaste ~ william

WINDOWS 7 – Il grande giorno è arrivato!!!

Lo avete installato, lo avete usato, lo avete odiato!!!
Di cosa parlo, di windows Vista… mostro della Microsoft che non è mai riuscito a diventare un sistema stabile nonostante tutti gli aggiornamenti della casa. Microsoft ha accellerato i tempi ed ha preparato in tempi recordi il nuovo sistema operativo: Windows 7 che esce proprio oggi nella sua versione ufficiale.

Si chiama anche Blackcomb, Vienna, Seven o Sette, è stato messo appunto in solo due anni, grazie anche alle versioni di “prova” gratuite che Microsoft aveva rilasciato che servivano per raccogliere più commenti e suggerimenti possibili.

Il nuovo sistema operativo sarà pienamente compatibile con Vista, infatti è visto come un aggiornamento di quest’ultimo, ma non con poche novità, una tra le prime dovrebbe essere la stabilità e miglior gestione del touch. Microsoft pormette che il sistema sarà molto più veloce e supporterà molto meglio le schede grafiche, hard disk e semplifichera la gestione delle rete.

A livello grafico le differenze non sono moltissime con il vista, la prima che salta all’occhio è la taskbar che assomiglia un po’ al dock del sistema MacOsX, scompare la barra laterale con i widget che diventano indipendenti, menu d’avvio non permette più avere menu stile XP (classico), è migliorata la gestione delle risorse che permette di avere sotto controllo sempre più informazioni dei file che quindi diventano semplice da trovare ed organizzare. Il sistema è diventato più “silenzioso” e cioè si è cercato di limitare mille avvisi che ci mandava il Vista.

Per conoscere meglio il nuovo sistema operativo vi segnalo il sito ufficiale:
www.microsoft.com/italy/windows/windows-7

e di seguito un paio di video:

The American Voyageur, Northwestern Odyssey, and Adventurer will be some of the first to experience PEAK2PEAK in Whistler, British Columbia. Spanning the distance between Whistler and Blackcomb it’s an eleven-minute journey linking 8,171 acres of terrain into one continuous lift system. Talk about a great view!

Check out the pictures below and watch the video here.

The Westcoast Blogger

I know nothing about Core snowboarding camps, but their vids are sick.  Here is a sample to wet the appetite for snowboarders out there. 

New snow is dusting whistle & blackcomb daily, the countdown has well and truly begun….

liam casey. check the coin spin.

this morning on Blackcomb.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be on top of the world? Well, look no further than Black Tusk. The iconic volcanic pinnacle can be seen from Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains and is always the star of photos.

Standing 2,319 meters above sea level and overlooking the spectacular alpine vistas of the Coast Mountain Range, you’re in for a real treat – but, first, you have to work for it. Don’t worry though, your body will thank you…eventually.

In total, the hike is about 29 kilometres or 18 miles round trip. Many folks hike in to the half-way mark and then camp overnight to break up the trip. But, my friend Brad and I decided to do it all in one day. He’d done it a few years ago and was crazy enough to attempt it again.

The first part of the hike is approximately 8km of switch-back dirt trail that climbs from the parking lot (elevation 580m) to around 1,300 metres. Then, there is a deceivingly meandering walk through Taylor Meadows for about 2.5km. As we hike, we can see the fall colours starting to creep up. At this point, my legs are definitely starting to feel a little sluggish. But there’s so much more ahead and I’m not giving up.

After the alpine meadows, the REAL fun begins. It’s only 3.5km to the Black Tusk Viewpoint, but it definitely feels like a lot longer. By now, I can see Black Tusk in all its glory and no matter how tired I am, there’s no turning back; not with my eye on the prize. The views are spectacular and offer quick previews of what’s to come. It’s like licking the spoon before eating the chocolate cake.

The torture doesn’t stop as I climb – one heavy foot in front of another- past streams and over alpine rocks – up, up, up. With the final trudge in my sights, I grunt up the last 200m, which is mostly shale rock. One step forward, two steps back, one step forward … you get the idea.

I’m pretty much dying here, but with a final – and ever so painful last push – I’m at the viewpoint. Thank GOD!

A handful of other hikers are at the top too, and we’re all savouring the incredible views and snapping photos. Whistler Mountain rests proudly ahead of Black Tusk. I’ve spent the last two-and-a-half years staring over to Black Tusk from Whistler, wondering what it would be like to be on the very tip of that black phallic rock. And now, here I am.

Looking out onto the landscape, Garibaldi Lake shines like a brilliant blue gem and the sky is layered with textures and colours. It’s like Bob Ross, himself, made the happy little trees, wistful clouds, colourful lakes and rugged mountaintops.

After a few moments of rest, we embark on the final and most exhilarating part of the hike: the Chimney. Walking across more shale rock, we traverse across the front of Black Tusk until we come to a little gully of weathered black volcanic rock.

Many websites and write-ups on Black Tusk caution climbing the Chimney and warn that it’s only for experienced rock climbers. However, most fit people with reasonable balance and coordination could probably do it. Only attempt it if you feel confident and comfortable. One of the tricks is to make sure you check every rock to ensure it’s sturdy.

A few minutes and a short walk later, we are on the very top of Black Tusk – and what feels like, on top of the world. Above the clouds and above the birds.

In an instant, I’ve gone from posing with Black Tusk in the distance.

To posing on top of it.

The walk down is tiring and feels like it takes forever. Our legs are turning to jelly and we’re trying to distract ourselves from the long trip ahead. But, I won’t bore you with those details. As Brad says: “You never remember the trip down anyway.”

I had no idea what was in store for me when I arrived in Vancouver and started my trip up to Whistler, I grew up skiing in the mountains of Utah but I had no idea what to expect. After working our way out of the airport and through downtown Vancouver we made our way onto the Sea to Sky Highway headed to Whistler (tip: on the way up sit on the left-hand side of the shuttle for the best views) it’s probably one of the best drives to a ski resort I’ve ever made.

Once in Whistler I was shocked at how busy it was and how many people were there. I am used to the typical ski town in summer but Whistler seemed to be just as busy in the summer as it is in the winter. Having skied at every resort in the Rockies I couldn’t believe the size of Whistler/Blackcomb it is one massive mountain that provides terrain for every type of skier (not to mention the hiking and mountain biking trails in the summer) I could definitely see myself coming back in the winter. Wandering through the Village checking things out I still couldn’t believe how active and vibrant the area was, it definitely had a good vibe all around.

Squeezing in some fun during a work trip isn’t hard to do here. My companions and I got the chance to go canoeing, golfing, a zip line tour, and an ATV tour. The day on the lake was incredibly refreshing, just getting out and cruising around the lake in canoes and swimming was great and the scenery was breathtaking. For the outdoor enthusiast, every view is a good view around here.

The Chateau Whistler golf course in my opinion is one of the most picturesque courses I have ever played, not to mention one of the most unforgiving.  If you slice or hook the ball a little you will want to bring extras (we were firmly in bear country).

Now the Zip Line and ATV tours were awesome and the people at Outdoor Adventures really made things fun- not that it was hard to do. I would say the ATV tour was the best- the guides took us up some steep climbs going over huge rocks and popping out at the top of a hill that looked back at Whistler and once again the views were postcard perfect.

Whistler truly is an amazing place and definitely a destination I would recommend to anyone. Whether you are looking for an escape from the heat or some fresh turns on the hill, summer or world-class skiing in the winter, Whistler is definitely a destination that has something to offer everyone!

To plan your perfect trip to Whistler, visit VacationRoost.com where you’ll find the largest selection of private homes, condos and resort lodging at the best prices available, or call me directly at the number below!

–James Eastham, Executive Sales Manager (Park City, Aspen and Whistler)  866.951.1301

Whistler Gondola

I seem to have a desire to face all my fears these days. This month I rode the new Peak 2 Peak Gondola at Whistler, B.C. confronting my vertigo, which is bad enough to keep me from bungy jumping and sky diving. This record breaking gondola was built for the upcoming Olympics and the ride is 4.4 km in length with only four towers in total holding up the entire gondola. There are two towers close together on each peak and then the cable just swings low into the valley between Whistler and Blackcomb mountain peaks.

WTF?

I came to Whistler a few years back with my brother and was amazed at how high we were able to go on the regular gondolas. You get so high that you can see bears munching on berries, and then the trees stop growing and it almost seems like an alien landscape. That day my brother  told me this ridiculous story that they were planning to build the longest and highest gondola ever between the two mountain peaks with hardly any towers, just the cable holding you up. And then I laughed at his fantasy which must have been made up. But he wasn’t kidding. It sounds ridiculous but now the thing exists!

Alien Landscape

When we went to purchase tickets we were told that it would cost about $45.00 per adult, but that if we came back at 4:00 we could purchase tickets for $33.00 because there was a chance we might miss the Peak 2 Peak, which closes at 5:00. At first, my wife was adamant against going on this thing. But she changed her mind realizing that otherwise we had driven all this way just to visit a charming ski village.

So at 4:00 we started taking the older gondola up to the peak of Whistler. Even this ride is frightening to me. I kept imagining the door would just open and we’d fall out. Yikes! In the summer the ski hill is a dirt bike trail. The bikers ride the chair lift up and don’t even pull the bar down to protect themselves. Are they insane?

After spotting a bear we finally made it to the top and immediately went to the Peak 2 Peak entrance. Luckily, because it appeared to be a cloudy day, not too many people were up there, and the view on the Peak 2 Peak was clear. We had an empty car to ourselves. The cabins are quite spacious and can fit 28 people. There are even a few cars with a glass bottom.

Ride from hell? Towards the second tower.

My wife and I recently went on the massive Behemoth roller coaster. That was terrifying too. But it was terrifying for a short period of time. What is scary about this is that you are up there for 11 minutes each way. And if you are afraid of heights you are basically terrified for the entire time. That is 22 minutes of terror! And the 22 minutes felt like an hour – or a bad Canadian news comedy show.

The cable drops after the second tower as you make your long descent into the valley. You become acutely aware that you are hanging by nothing but a cable. You have put your life in the hands of the engineers and workers who built this thing. You pray that your destiny is to survive as your stomach goes up into your throat. Imagine being on this thing in a storm! This is the view from the very middle. You look down at a glacial river.

The middle! One of the scariest moments of my life.

Then we slowly made our way up to the top of Blackcomb. There was a cloud covering the peak so we did not have a great view.

What a view!

There is a restaurant up there and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the people that have to take that terrifying ride each day. My wife informed me that she will never ride on this thing again she was so scared. After our short visit we got back on the gondola. There was an amusing hieroglyphic sign telling people not to walk towards the cliff.

Really they should put this sign at the bottom of Whistler before you go up

Again we were suddenly plunging towards the middle of the valley. This time my stomach was a little more relaxed and I wasn’t clutching onto safety bars. I kept imagining that this is somewhere James Bond would end up.

Going down?

My biggest fear was that the gondola would malfunction. When I was a kid I remember when the Sunshine Village Gondola in Alberta was built and it would sometimes break down and you would just sit there for an hour wondering what the hell was happening. What if that happened here?

Luckily it didn’t and soon we were disembarking with a friendly Australian greeting us. For some reason everyone who works here is from Australia. Not sure why. In fact the whole thing is made out of materials from other countries. There is definitely an international feel at Whistler which will be good for the games.

Suddenly the older gondola seemed like a piece of cake as we headed back down to the crowded village and I felt a little less scared of heights.

Heading back to Whistler

This past weekend I was able to travel up to Whistler for the day. The reason for this trip, was that Katie’s Grandma and Mom had come up a few months back and wanted to ride the peak to peak gondola from Whistler to Black comb but it wasn’t open yet. So she invited Katie, her mom and I along the newlyweds Melissa and Colin, to head up for the day and check out the view among other things. We got there after numerous bathroom breaks and she decided that she wanted to have a pint of the local brew, to which we thought was a rad idea. So after eating our food she gracefully snuck the waitress her card and snagged the bill, after this surprise treat we made our way to the lifts to take us up the mountain and she got in front of us all and treated us to the lift tickets as well! So after a great day of experiencing the mountains and the village where the Olympics will take place in a few months, we headed home to rest up.

Guest Blog: This blog entry was contributed by the Developmental Disabilities Association’s Holiday Options program.

Peak2Peak Gondola, Photo Credit: Whistlerblackcomb.com

Holiday Options had the wonderful opportunity to take a few clients to Whistler from July 27th – 30th this year of 2009. Accomodations were at the “Legends Hotels” in Creekside, just minutes away from the exciting Whistler Village. The hotel contains an accessible media room, games room,, an outdoor swimming pool (with two hot tubs), and fitness room. Creekside itself is a great place to explore, with shops, stores and many surrounding lakes. When not investigating the attractions at Creekside, clients enjoy a gorgeous drive through the mountains, up to Whistler Village, one of the biggest tourist attractions of BC. The highlight this year was the breathtaking, world record-breaking “Peak2Peak” gondola experience, spanning the distance between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains (longest unsupported span of 2.024 kilometres!). The Whistler trip 2009 was a great excursion for clients and staff – a highly recommended one.

It was a fairly non-eventful day today. Really it was composed of packing, having a final visit at Stearns, saying goodbye to Melinda and getting back to Vancouver. I did mention to the boys at Stearns that all softball and baseball seems to be cancelled from London 2012, not something they expected. I also did ask David if there was anything he was looking forward to for Vancouver 2010. I am afraid the answer was along the lines of ‘not much’. He says he’ll watch if he comes across something that looks interesting but there isn’t anything he’ll actively try to see. Well, if nothing else I at least finally asked a question!! Maybe one day I’ll have something resembling journalistic skills!

I have already posted a link to the fire on Blackcomb Mountain, and will post updates as needed. So really, my only other Olympic interactions today were 1) seeing the airport station, it’s out from under wraps, but I didn’t take a photo (so much for journalistic skills) and 2) passing by the large lit Olympic rings when leaving the airport. I _did_ try to take pictures of that, but it was dark and I was in a fast moving cab, however, I did find this one quite lovely.

It reminds me of all the activity and rush that the Olympics have brought to Vancouver, and I rather like that.

Sleep well folks.

Came home to find blackcomb on fire.

Chinooks and planes on site dealing with the blaze, started this afternoon by lightning.

You can just make out crystal hut in the background.

windows 7

With all the less pleasant verdicts about Vista, Windows 7 is perhaps PC user next best news. Codenamed Blackcomb, this new Microsoft operating system is surely a successor over it’s predecessor Windows XP and definitely Vista. With Microsoft to end their support for Windows XP in 2014, we figured Windows 7 will be completely taking over things in the next year or so.

If you are a Windows users it’s probably time for a change, or at least tryout this new operating system.

I will be posting the link to the RTM release once it comes out. Meanwhile you can check out the Windows 7 website for updates and the windows 7 team blog for first hand news of this amazing OS.

Between rafting, tubing, zip lining, and skiing, the Canadian Mountain Magic checks in.

The Westcoast Blogger

Hello from sunny Penticton British Columbia!
 
We had a great day of picnicking on the beautiful beach at Lake Okanagan and tubing in Penticton! Time flies when we’re having fun and it’s hard to believe that it’s already day 13 of our trip! Here’s a note to get you caught up on some recent CM2 events!
 
Our first day of skiing Blackcomb Glacier on July 7th was an exciting adventure! Our nine skiers and one snowboarder rode the glacier and enjoyed hot chocolate by the fire! Stirling and Matt had so much fun that they didn’t want to leave at the end of the day!

Hitting the Slopes

Skiing

Mountain Trecking

In The Air!

Day two of skiing and riding attracted our ‘hardcore’ boys and girl (Sydnie!) who practiced their skills on the slopes and in the park!  Eric modelled some amazing snowboard skills, while Eric Pzena, Alex, Matt and Harley found fresh snow! Meanwhile, in the village Andres and Thomas shared their tennis skills while Andres practiced his serves and Sasha and Rachel displayed their amazing golf skills on the mini golf course! After a round of mini golf the village crew hit the local pool where Jonah mastered the rope swing and everyone enjoyed some R&R in the pool!

Skill

Day nine began with a leisurely sleep in with fresh blueberry pancakes cooked by Sasha and Thomas! The rest of the gorgeous sunny day was spent at Alta Lake in Whistler, where Harley and Sydnie braved the glacier-fed lake, and Rachel and Sasha shared some of their yoga and strength training moves with the group! Eric H. and Matt dominated an impromptu game of frisbee golf (check it out on Wikipedia!), while Thomas and Stirling enjoyed the views on the beach!
 
The following day we celebrated Stirling and Alexis’ birthdays with a picnic and bike ride around Stanley Park in Vancouver! After the ride we toured downtown Vancouver and enjoyed dinner out in town! Birthday cake was enjoyed by all during some evening activities at our dorm at UBC!

Biking

 
On day ten we cruised down to Kits Beach in glorious morning sunshine! The Vancouver weather couldn’t have been more perfect! Matt, Joey, Sydnie and Eric H. played some competitive water frisbee while Stirling and Thomas engaged some locals in a game of pickup volleyball. Sasha and Rachel took a dip in the Pacific before we all walked to Granville Island for lunch! Everyone enjoyed the wide variety of healthy food in the market and some live entertainment from “Captain Canada” and a crazy magician.

The Summit

The next morning we woke up in time for an early breakfast and a short ride to meet our whitewater rafting guides Sophie and Bec! The group suited up in wetsuits and dry jackets to be ready for the glacier-fed waters of the Chilliwack River! Joey especially enjoyed the fit of his suit and he has the photos to show for it! After a few (dozen!) photos of everyone in wetsuits, jackets, helmets, life jackets and paddles we made it to the river! Eric P., Stirling, Thomas and Matt led the way in the bows of our boats! They set a great pace and we flew through the first few sets of rapids! After a delicious lunch stop we hit the serious rapids and we worked together to maneuver the boats! Once we reached calmer water Harley and Joey took turns practicing their guiding skills and learning how to steer the boats with the massive guiding oars! They handled the boats with skill! We might have some future guides among us! Very exciting!

White Water Rafting

This morning we sang Happy Birthday to Jonah and then shuttled from Chilliwack to Penticton, with everyone enjoying some rest and games in the SUV’s. We spent the afternoon tubing down the lazy river, with Rachel excitedly pointing out the many (many!) ducks and ducklings swimming alongside our tubes! Eric H. earned himself a new nickname (Duck Hunter) with his ‘Mission-Impossible’ style maneuvers.

River Tubing

The day came to a close with a delicious taco and salad supper at our Penticton Campsite, a game of football, and some birthday cake for Jonah! As I write this our Tour Members are tucked into their sleeping bags dreaming of a day at the beach enjoying some boating and water sports tomorrow!
 
The best is yet to come: Banff, Jasper and Calgary await and we’re looking forward to it all!
 
We hope this finds you having a great week wherever you are! We’re safe, healthy, happy and active in the beautiful Canadian Rockies!

Zip Lining

Look Mom, No Hands!

Weeeee!

All the best,
 
Alexis and the CM2 Crew!

An update and phenomenal story from the American Voyageur.

The Westcoast Blogger

Parents of the American Voyageur,

Well it’s been a whirlwind the past few days… so much so that finding time to update you has proved more difficult than usual!

Last time we wrote we were on our way to Canada for four days of camping. The first two nights we camped in Calgary. We arrived at the campsite to the great surprise of Jamie’s brother as our campsite manager!  He and his friends Griffin, Ryan, and Zach were super excited!  We made a delicious stir fry dinner and headed out to laser quest. Everyone got really into it and dressed in black. Griffin and Matt B. ended up winning and everyone had a great time!

The next morning we made a huge pancake breakfast and then it was off to Canada Olympic Park where we went Zorbing and took a really cool tour of the park. For those of you who don’t know what Zorbing is, I suggest ‘youtube-ing’!  It was super exciting and fun!   Alex C. was the first one to go down in the ball with Ben (our tour director) and then we all went!  Some of the girls like Alex E., Dana, and Julie were pretty scared and weren’t sure if they’d go, but after all was said and done they screamed the entire way down and had a great time!

Then it was off to the famous “Calgary Stampede” where we saw a really cool rodeo and had free time to ride the rides, eat dinner, and check out the scene and the people (cowboys). This was where Griffin, Zach B., and Matt F. won really cool pocket bikes, and Dana tried cotton candy for her first time (not to worry dad, she brushed her teeth right away)!

From there we were off to do laundry.  With our help, it was a success!  Sammy, Jordana, Shelby, Zach B and Mady all had an interesting experience!!

That was it for Calgary and it was off to Banff in the morning.  The weather was not on our side and at first we didn’t think we would be able to hike, but after spending some time in the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise having lunch and playing games, the sky cleared and we got to hike up the to the Tea House.  The hike was a challenge -  just ask Dana and Jordana but not Jamie who ran the whole way up to the summit.  Eventually we all made it, indulged on soups, hot chocolate, cookies, and of course, tea.  After a break we headed back down and onto our next campsite to set up. It was there that Stan met us (Founder of WCC) and after dinner he surprised us with a trip to the Banff Hot Springs pool to warm up and play!

The next morning it was off to the Columbian Icefields.  We rode buses with monster truck tires down the moraines and up onto the lateral glacier.  We all indulged in refreshing drinks of glacier water, took ‘cool’ pictures and ate lunch. Scott, Jayme N., Jon, Zach B., Jamie S., and Ryan were crazy enough to take their shirts off for a few pics!  It was FREEZING but the pictures are awesome!

Enroute back to the village we stopped at Peyto Lake (famous for being shaped like a dog’s head) to take pictures and then into Banff for some sports time in a park. It was there that we played football and Ultimate Frisbee and Teddy had a laugh attack!!  Some of the guys really enjoyed the opportunity to show off there disc skills. Then it was free time to have dinner, browse around and compete in a photo scavenger hunt. Jaime N., Mady, Griffin, Sammy, Shelby and Matt B. made up the winning team; “Team Snuffleupugus”, by submitting their photos just seconds before other teams started arriving.

The next day it was off to Penticton, B.C. and we couldn’t wait to check into our hotel and sleep indoors. We had pool/shower/chill time, then had an amazing BBQ dinner in the hotel, followed by seeing the movie “Public Enemies”.  The movie choice was democratic, good thing because that way no one was to blame when the reviews were an unfortunate unanimous two thumbs down. The next morning we woke up and headed to the beach to swim, play sports and just chill in the sun before having a picnic lunch and going tubing on the lazy river. Songs were sung, and groups were floating and playing over the hour long tube ride. Then it was back to the hotel to shower and change before we walked to dinner at The Pasta Factory and then headed to karaoke. It was there that we saw true talent!  Young Ben amazed us with his Elvis Presley performance and Ethan wowed the crowd by encouraging us to get up and dance! Everyone was involved in at least one number and most did far more than that!  We danced and sang the night away and it was great!  Then it was back to the hotel to have some free time before bed.

Then it was off to The Marriott Residence Inn in Whistler, BC. It was awesome. We checked in, and went grocery shopping for our condos. It was our job to plan out an Italian meal for our 2^ndnight, so we all got to pick pastas, pizzas, salads, and desserts. Then we came back to the hotel to drop off our purchases and it was out to Whistler Village for dinner.  Some girls like Mady, Sacha, Sammy, and Teddy went for sushi, while some of the boys like Scott, Jake, Jayme, and Richard went to the famous Mongolie Grill. Then it was free time to look around and explore the village before we came back to the hotel for free time and bed.

Our 2^nd day in Whistler was a particularly action-packed day. We all had a bit of a sleep-in and most of us went skiing while the non-skiers rode the new “Peak-2-Peak” gondola.  The skiing was great. After renting our skis, boots, poles and helmets, it took 3 chairlifts and a bus to get us to the top of the mountain.  It was there that Ryan face-planted several times (not to worry mom, we got it on camera) and others like Charlie and Max got to show off their skills on the jumps. We all had a great time skiing down and even using the T-bar to get up! Even though some like Liz, and Sarah rolled off a few times, they eventually got the hang and made it back up!  Then we all had our picnic lunches at the top of the mountain with an amazing view ahead of us, and headed back down. It was amazing to be skiing in t-shirts in 70 degree weather!

When we got back to the bottom, we met up with the rest of the group and went mountain biking. Some guys like Richard, Jaime, Max, Ian, Matt F., Zach B., Charlie, and Ethan did the single track mountain trail while others like Liz, Alex E, Courtney, Dana and Steph took an easier trail. While the bikers were touring Whistler, the non-bikers walked around the village and then caught the shuttle back to the hotel to start prepping for dinner in the condos.

Then it was back to Whistler village for the game “Trade it Up” whereby each team received a paper clip and an hour to walk around the village, approach people, and see what they could trade it for. The winning team was Shelby, Mady, Griffin, Max, and Sammy, who traded the paper clip for a salad dressing Tupperware, and then traded the Tupperware for twenty dollars, and then traded the twenty dollars to a woman who promised to donate it to charity, in exchange for a necklace made of 500 pop-tabs. It’s an awesome necklace!**

Now, we’re back to the US and enjoying Seattle. We will write you in a few days. California is only 3 days away and we cannot wait!!

Trip Voyageur Staff

*****P.S.: Below is an email we received from the woman who traded us the necklace for $20 in Whistler:

Hi,
Last night while in the village square in Whistler BC, we were approached by a few young people from a WESTCOAST CONNECTION tour, doing a paper clip trade. We didn’t think we had anything worth trading but my 12 year old daughter was wearing a long aluminum soda pop can tab necklace. She has been collecting tabs for a very long time in an effort to collect enough to contribute to a charity that recycles the tabs to purchase wheelchairs. The young people from your tour group gave her $20 in exchange for the necklace. Tonight when we got home from our trip to Whistler she used the $20 to make a microfinance loan through Kiva.org to Chhum Soveat an entrepreneur in Cambodia. I hope you’ll get word to the young people on the tour because their $20 will help change the life of this young mother and her family. I’m sure the game has ended and I doubt if the group was able to trade away that string of tabs, but the $20 will keep on giving and giving. This entrepreneur will pay back the loan and my daughter Abbey will loan the money to someone else after that. I hope you’ll get this message to the tour group and they’ll have a look at the www.kiva.org site and look up Chhum Soveat.

Happy Summer!

An update from the Northwestern Odyssey.

The Westcoast Blogger

Dear Northwestern Odyssey Parents,

“Everybody wants to be closer to free,” rang in our heads as we awoke to a gorgeous day in Whistler. We embarked on another outdoor-filled adventure; most of our group donned helmets, were assigned mountain bikes and lead on two exciting trails.

One group traveled on narrow, hilly tracks, testing their prowess on their vehicles; “we were up against a cliff, the mountainous and steepness was exciting, testing me at every turn,” Harris remembers.  The second group chose a path circling a shimmering lake, eventually leading us around Whistler. “Mountain biking was adventurous, two thumbs up,” Alli comments. As many traversed the dirt paths, others overcame Blackcomb Mountain engaging in glacier skiing.

After snapping pictures and encompassing the environment around Whistler village, we ventured towards the outskirts, arriving at a farm for horseback riding. Upon our noble steeds, we were guided along a tight path among the fertile area adjacent to a bubbling stream. Our route covered thick forests, yet as we reached the free-flowing river, an eagle appeared stretching its wings to escape our pack.

The next day we headed to Vancouver, arriving at Granville Island for lunch. Before we left in our respective groups of 4 or more, Ken proposed a challenge: the pen exchange. Each group was given a pen to trade for another item, repeating the process to obtain a more interesting or valuable object. Carly grins, reminiscing, “I thought it would never work, but I was energetic and I got an octopus spine!”That night we checked into University of British Columbia, changed into bathing suits and sauntered down to the famous UBC aquatic center; sprinkled around the center was a circular hot tub, a steam and sauna room, several water basketball hoops and the extremely popular three and five meter diving boards. “I loved jumping off the high dive, I felt so free in the air,” Tyler announced.

After a filling French toast breakfast, we journeyed into Vancouver for the highlight of our day: tandem biking. “It was a lot of fun working with Harris, we raced amongst the leaders, pedaling in sync consistently,” Sawyer adds, chuckling at his imaginary race. “Julia and I worked together, the weather couldn’t slow us down,” Aliza declared, clenching her fists.

Leaving Vancouver, we voyaged onwards to an awesome campground in Penticton. The next day was teeming with water sports; morning and afternoon was blanketed by the waves and splashes of our group as we each rode boats into the glorious lake, impressing our friends with our wakeboarding, water skiing, tubing, wake surfing and banana boat riding adeptness. Laura screamed after wake surfing, “It made feel free, like I could do anything.” Ben details, “It allowed me to appreciate the lake, as I surfed the wake, reminding me of a great hobby.” After our abilities were tested, the trip provided some relaxation as our group grabbed some tubes, floating down a natural lazy liver. Though the day contained many exhilarating activities, our Penticton stay ended with a bang: digital camera scavenger hunt. Each team had to find twenty-six creative ways to express the alphabet. As the teams separated, throughout the campout muffled laughs echoed as we hunted, developing a twenty-six picture innovative collage.

Have an excellent week,

The Northwestern Odyssey Staff