Kayaking on Vaseux Lake

Posted July 2, 2008 by Rosalind Gardner · Filed Under Adventures

After an unsuccessful attempt at rolling his new kayak in our swimming pool, Landlubber Ed (who does not swim and has only been in a kayak once before) decided that what with wearing his new Mountain Equipment Co-op PFD (which he calls a PDF) he was more than ready to brave the waters of Vaseux Lake for our inaugural voyage.

Besides the natural beauty of the area, Vaseux Lake is perhaps the best place in the southern Okanagan valley to test a new kayak - as the lake is restricted to non-motorized vessels. The only hazards therefore are wind, waves and the effluent of wild geese.

With the requisite Starbucks fortification on board, we hit Vaseux at just after 8AM while the lake was still completely calm.

From where we parked the truck just south of the boardwalk, we paddled to the north end of Vaseux lake where the water is barely waist deep. No noticeable signs of stress on Ed’s face, I decided to retrace the trip my friend Pam and I did in a voyageur canoe last year during the Meadowlark Festival all the way down to McIntyre Bluff at the south end of the lake and back.

With the channel flowing into Vaseux Lake from the north end, padding southbound is a cinch.

We cruised along the west shore and crossed over to the island at the narrows. From there we hit the second channel, where the current picked up some steam and we were at McIntyre Bluff in no time flat. The site of a battle between the Shuswap and the Okanagan Indians, the vertical cliffs of McIntyre Bluff rise 250 meters, towering over the narrow pass through which Highway 97 runs. Although we did not see them this time, a small herd of California bighorn sheep resides in the rocky hills and usually come down to the lake to drink in early morning and evening.

Just before we reached the dam and as we turned around to head back north, the wind picked up. With arms already tired, we decided to take a break in one of the inlets where I discovered that our lunch was back in the car and then dropped my camera in the lake. At that point, my mood sunk (stunk), and while I thought paddling against the current and the wind in the channel was a chore, when we hit the lake again it became a concern as the kayaks started to bounce against the whitecaps.

“Remain calm - show no sign of concern” I thought as I checked to make sure Ed was still OK. Apparently oblivious to the peril, Ed looked happy as all get out. So, after confirming that the shorter crossing with a direct crosswind wasn’t an option, I pressed on directly across the lake, our longest stretch of water yet.

On finally reaching shore, I asked Ed if he had been at all concerned about the wind and wave action.

He responded, “Nah, if it had gotten that bad, we could have gone downwind and hit the south shore, no problem“.

Somewhat sheepishly, I replied, “Hmmm… I never thought of doing that“.

Popularity: 51% [?]

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Would You Redeem Airline Rewards Points to Buy Carbon Offsets?

Posted May 6, 2008 by Rosalind Gardner · Filed Under Adventures, Points & Rewards, Travel Tips

Let’s face it, flying adds carbon dioxide CO2 to the atmosphere which contributes to climate change.

In addition to reducing the number of times we fly every year, Ed and I also like the option of being able to reduce our footprint by purchasing and/or redeeming Aeroplan rewards points for carbon offsets.

Partnering with ZeroFootprint, Air Canada launched its carbon offset program in May 2007.

Since then, Air Canada reports their customers have “made a meaningful contribution to the fight against climate change by contributing thousands of dollars to a forest restoration project in Maple Ridge, British Columbia.”

Furthemore, they report that as of April 14th, 2008, the $126,425.00 contributed to their program has resulted in an offset of 7901 tonnes of CO2 and 1580 trees planted, which is equivalent to taking 2582 cars off the road for a year.

We think it’s a worthwhile program and hope more Air Canada customers will participate by redeeming their airline rewards points for carbon offsets.

So… would you redeem your points to buy carbon offsets when you travel?

Popularity: 100% [?]

Equator: Journey to the Middle Of the World

Posted April 25, 2008 by Ed Szajniak · Filed Under Adventures

The equator lies a short drive (20km) north of Quito, Ecuador.

At the exact line that separates the northern and southern hemispheres, there is monument and a yellow line painted on the ground. Also at Mitad del Mundo, or middle of the world, there is a small museum with artifacts from each of Ecuador’s ethnic groups. Some of the locals claim that there was a mistake made when they marked the equator and they will show you where the real equator lies… for a price.

Our guide told us that if you stand on the equator you actually weigh less. No explanation was given for this effect and since there wasn’t a scale handy it could not be verified. Regardless of how much you weigh, be sure to have the all-important photo taken of yourself with one foot in the Southern hemisphere and one foot in the Northern hemisphere. You can also pick up souvenirs for the folks back home, perhaps a panama hat or a stuffed toy llama.

Apparently the best day to visit is on a Sunday, when the locals visit and there’s traditional dancing and music.

The best time to visit the equator is during the equinox occurring around March 20 and September 23 each year. At noon the sun is directly overhead and there are no shadows.

Popularity: 69% [?]

Technorati Tags: Quito, equinox

Cross Country Skiing at Sun Peaks

Posted February 29, 2008 by Rosalind Gardner · Filed Under Adventures

After leaving Penticton around 8AM, Ed and I got to Sun Peaks Resort just after 11. Not bad considering it’s winter in the mountains and I’d fretted over the possibility of bad winter driving conditions since we planned this trip with Carol and Andrew at Christmastime. Fortunately, other than a few miles of fog east of Merritt on Highway 5 (Coquihalla), the roads were basically bare, dry and beautiful. Even the drive up Tod Mountain Road from Heffley was completely bare, much to my relief!

After grabbing a quick bite to eat in the Mantles Bar over at the Delta, checking into our room at the Coast Sundance Resort and meeting up with the kids for a few minutes, Ed and I beat a hasty path over to the Activities Center at the Day Lodge to get our cross country ski passes. I’ve had only one episode with a chair lift and never planned another, so when the girl at the desk told me that we could take the chair lift up to the trails, my response was “there’s a chair lift involved?!!“. I was delighted to then learn that there were trails on the valley floor getting on and off the chair wasn’t a requirement.

Sun Peaks Resort boasts 28-km (17.4 mi) of perfectly groomed trackset trails and 12 km (7.5 mi) backcountry (ungroomed) trails, making it difficult to choose where we wanted to head on our first day out. We finally settled on the McGillivray Lake trail which is a dog-friendly green trail that goes out to McGillivray Lake and the warming hut there. We skiied directly out from the covered bridge at the Coast Sundance, passing the Morrisey Express lift, crossing 2 roads (a pain in the butt) and finally got onto a gentle uphill most-of-the-way out to the Lake.

Other than one skate skier, we saw no other cross country skiiers on this beautiful Tuesday afternoon in late February, which was completely amazing considering how beautiful the trails and snow were.

Instead of completing the loop, we turned back at the cabin and enjoyed a nice, quick and easy downhill tour back to the village. Our total route was approximately 12 kilometers, and but for the groin muscle that I sprained 10 minutes into our foray, it would have been a perfect ski.

Our friend Damon joined us the second day on which we tackled the steeper Great Gray trail outbound to the lake and skied down the McGillivray Lake Trail back to the village. Despite being an absolutely PERFECT day to ski with clear blue skies and above freezing temperatures, there were very few skiers on the trails. Awesome!

You can see more pictures from our Sun Peaks adventure and learn more about Sun Peaks resort.

Technorati Tags: Sun Peaks, ski, skiing, Kamloops, cross country, McGillivray

Popularity: 59% [?]

Cross Country Skiing on Chute Lake

Posted February 19, 2008 by Rosalind Gardner · Filed Under Adventures

Ed and I drove up to Chute Lake yesterday to do some cross country skiing. Chute Lake is approximately 20 miles north of Penticton via the Naramata Road which sits at an elevation of almost 4,000 feet above sea level. So, while the valley folk below were already running around in shorts on this balmy Sunday in February, there was still snow up at the Lake… and lots of it.

As such, we were looking forward to a nice ski along the KVR (old Kettle Valley Railway) / Trans Canada trails. Unfortunately, the snow machine drivers had chewed up every possible inch of trail - making the snow so uneven that it was rough going on skis - not to mention that it ate through the ski wax in no time flat.

So, rather than give up in frustration, and seeing that there were 5 guys ice fishing from their snow machines on the the lake, we figured that the ice would be safe enough for a couple of skiers. Shortly after venturing out, I confirmed that the ice was at least a foot thick, which I determined when I stuck my pole down one of the ice fishing holes.

Skiing the lake was perfect. Other than the ice fishermen, we were the only people out on the lake, and we could get far enough away that we couldn’t hear them at all. Perfect silence … aaahhh. Truly one of the joys that I live for. The other joy is seeing the sun reflect diamonds off unbroken snow, and but for a few snow machine trails, the snow was basically untouched. Aaaah… again.

After skiing for 2.5 hours, we went into the Chute Lake Resort for a cup of hot chocolate. The Lodge is a very rustic affair that we love to visit, especially to peruse the historic artifacts that are located throughout the building. Here’s a picture of the Chute Lake Lodge dining room’s interior, and another from the inside looking out in which you can see a number of antique irons on the window sill. If you ever get up that way, give Chloe, the fat old Labrador that inhabits the couch outside the Lodge entrance a pat from me. She’s a doll.

We’ll have more to tell you about Chute Lake this summer, when we do the Chute Lake bike shuttle. Drive up, bike down. A little easier than trying to ride all the way up and back down in a day — unless of course you’re a hard core rider.

To see Chute Lake’s location near Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park on a map, go to Google Maps . You may have to zoom out to see its location in relation to Penticton and Naramata.

Technorati Tags: Chute Lake, Okanagan, Penticton

Popularity: 58% [?]

What Would You Do with a Free Day in L.A.?

Posted January 28, 2008 by Rosalind Gardner · Filed Under Adventures

I’m heading off to attend a conference in Los Angeles in late March and have tacked an extra day onto the beginning of my trip - as per usual.

As I’ve only been to L.A. a couple of times and only for very short durations, I haven’t seen or done much more than shop on Rodeo Drive, a movie star home tour, trip along the Walk of Fame and stroll the beach and pier in Santa Monica.

This time I’m contemplating either the Universal or Warner Bros. studio tours, seeing the Dr. Phil Show, maybe checking out the Fashion District or the The J. Paul Getty Museum.

So, tell me… what would you do with one day in Los Angeles? Got any other suggestions or ideas? Appreciate anything you have to offer!

Popularity: 45% [?]

500 Destinations on My TripAdvisor Map

Posted January 8, 2008 by Rosalind Gardner · Filed Under Adventures

I just added a bunch more cities to my TripAdvisor map and am now up to 500 destinations as you can see from the screen capture below.

Trip Advisor is a free travel guide and research website that offers reviews and information to help plan a vacation.

Do you have a TripAdvisor account?

If you do, feel free to share your map with Roamsters readers by leaving a comment below and placing your TripAdvisor link in the Website blank provided.

Technorati Tags: TripAdvisor, map

Popularity: 45% [?]

Better Views from the YVR Maple Leaf Lounge

Posted January 3, 2008 by Rosalind Gardner · Filed Under Adventures

Well, seeing that I was talking about airport lounges today, thought I’d write a quick note from the Maple Leaf Lounge in the domestic terminal in Vancouver, British Columbia where I’m current enjoying a beer and Ed is munching on chips.

Other than the fact that we’re now only an hour away from our home in Penticton (and my oh so precious kitty that I haven’t seen in 2 weeks), I like the Vancouver airport lounges better because the view is much better… MUCH.

Getting back here always reminds me why I live in British Columbia…

… the mountains!!!

OK, the pic below doesn’t exactly show Vancouver’s north shore mountains in all their majestic glory because the ceiling is low, but hey, it’s a whole lot better than looking at Highway 401 in Toronto.

Technorati Tags: vancouver, yvr, maple leaf lounge, air canada

Popularity: 38% [?]

A 9K Walk Along Icey Roads in Rohde Boots

Posted December 24, 2007 by Rosalind Gardner · Filed Under Adventures, Footwear

Ed and I are in Toronto for the Christmas holidays, and today we ventured out for a walk south along Etobicoke Creek, through Marie Curtis Park, east along Lake Promenade Drive, north up 32nd street to Horner, then back up Westmead to where we parked the rental car.

Our walk was about 9 kilometers in all, and it would have perfect had Ed been wearing boots that weren’t so darned dangerous on the slippery sections — and most of our route was covered with snow and ice. Every so often one of his feet would suddenly dart out from under him, and there would be a mighty flailing of arms while he struggled to remain upright.

These epidsodes gave me visions of broken hips, cracked ribs and bloody noses while I wondered how the heck I would manage to get help to the ravine quickly if he landed on and broke his cell phone in the fall.

Fortunately, nothing got broken and help wasn’t necessary, but you gotta wonder why all boot manufacturers don’t (or won’t) make all winter boots with soles that actually stick to snow and have a little bit of traction on ice.

I say ‘all boot manufacturers’ because the Rohde boots that I was wearing are perfect in slippery conditions. Not only do they stick like glue on slick snow, but they’re enormously comfortable too (as is all Rohde footwear)!

Interestingly enough, the Rhode boot that I wore is called “Crash” and is a style that has been available for a few years… i.e. it’s so good they keep making it. The description of the Rohde Crash boot (Style: 2862-64) is as follows:

The PU outsoles are Non-slip and durable. The comfortable lining maintains warmth, and provides comfort. Uppers are made from durable textile materials. Features the Rohde water-resistant Sympatex technology. Constructed using the PVC Direct Injection system, which maximizes durability.

Rohde footwear is manufactured in Germany and sadly isn’t available at either Shoes.com or Zappos. It is available however in Toronto at Walking on a Cloud at Cloverdale Mall, which interesting enough, is the second site that shows up when you search for ‘Rohde’ on Google. The ’stocklist’ feature on the main Rohde site which should provide a list of distributors apparently does not work — but my German is so slecht that I can’t be sure if that’s actually the case, or whether they’ve given that particular feature the boot.

Technorati Tags: Rohde, boots, shoes, Toronto

Popularity: 67% [?]

Quick Trip to Leavenworth, Washington

Posted December 9, 2007 by Rosalind Gardner · Filed Under Adventures

Ed and I decided to do a quick overnight trip to Leavenworth, Washington’s ‘Bavarian Village’ which is great in summer, but absolutely magical at Christmastime.

We went down to celebrate my birthday and pick up some extra Christmas ornaments at Kris Kringl, a Christmas collectibles store but got way more than we bargained for.

Leavenworth expanded their Christmas Lighting Festival into Sundays this year. At 4:30 they had a light up ceremony during which everyone sang “Silent Night”, and between 6 and 6:30 pm there was a pre lantern parade show with Christmas carols, in which kids with lanterns followed the wise men and the star to the Festhalle. There was also a living nativity complete with characters from the Bethlehem stable scene as well as goats, a donkey, and chickens.

No wonder Leavenworth was selected as one of 5 towns in the United States by Good Morning America for their “Light Up The Holidays Special”. With holiday music, the aroma of chestnuts roasting filling the air and happy festive people all around, you’d truly have to be Grinch not to feel the wonderful spirit of Christmas in Leavenworth.

Check out the Leavenworth web cam (after dark) and check out how pretty it is. You can also check out our pictures on Flickr.

Technorati Tags: Leavenworth, Washington, Christmas