My Default Blog
Friday, September 08, 2006
I'm leading a new life, it seems. The city has always been well known to me, but actually living in Vancouver is different.
I haven't worked in over three weeks. I've been doing non-stop trips to Whistler and as far away as Banff. When I've actually been in Van, I eat healthy ethnic food, bike 30-60km per day, and get lots of beach and bong time. It's great.
Time to get a job.
Whistler, you were wonderful. And I'll be back soon.
Summer is always a wicked time in BC. Chillin' at the lake, swimming, hiking, camping, road trippin', concerts, surfing... ahhh, there's just SO much to do out here.
It's hard to beleive we're almost into August...Which is my birthday month. It's on August the 8th, and I accept all forms of personal cheques, cash, VISA/MC/AMEX as well.
I was in Kelowna last weekend for some hiking and beach action. What a cool town ! The steez of lots of the women is very similar to Whistler, but all the guys seem to be dirtbags ! What's up with that, ladies? I camped at Okanagan Prov Park and Bear Creek Prov Park, two parks I would definitely recommend.
This weekend it'll be TOFINO. It's been almost two months since I've surfed and I'm craving some wave action. Looks like a building SW Swell as well for the weekend, but all in all it'll be pretty fickle.
After that, I'm back to work 6 days weeks for three weeks in a row. Happy birthday to me!
Day 9 - Los Angeles, CA to Newport Beach, CA
-Stayed at the ultra-swanky Fairmont in the heart of the OC. Day 10 - Newport Beach, CA to Encinitas, CA
-Set up camp in surfer's paradise - San Elijo State Beach Day 11 - Encinitas, CA
-Went surfing ... so much fun ! Really nice consistant southern swell, caught some nice tubes. Awesome day! Day 12 - Encinitas, CA
-Went into San Diego and checked out the sights. Picked Jane up at the airport. Day 13 - Encinitas, CA to Tijuana, MEX
-Enjoyed the 3rd world which is Mexico. Got pretty drunk off rum & tequila. VIVA MEXICO! Day 14 - Tijuana, MEX to Grand Canyon, AZ
-Long drive through the desert. Drug dogs and border patrol were at the CA/AZ state line, checking vehicles. We got waived through. I've never breathed a large sigh of releif in my life! Past Phoenix, Flagstaff, and to the GC. Day 15 - Grand Canyon, AZ
-Hiked about 10KM of the Rim Trail... Spectacular!!! -Hiked a few KM of the Kabob Trail. -Watched the Sunset. Day 16 - Grand Canyon, AZ to Las Vegas, NV
-Watched the Sunrise at 5am. Awesome! -Drove to Vegas. -Explored Vegas's sites and went to a nice buffet dinner. Day 17 - Las Vegas, NV
-Dropped Jane off at the airport. -Explored Vegas -Went to a Beatles remake show... just like the real thing! -Got supremely wasted and gambled the night away with Lorna. I had to pretty much walk her out of the casino... amazing we weren't booted out! Day 18 - Las Vegas, NV to Yosemite National Park, CA
-Great to be back in the Northern Mountains. Fresh water, fresh air.... ahhh yes :) Day 19 - Yosemite National Park, CA
-As someone said in the 1800s, Yosemite is the valley of 1,000 valleys. What I saw here in one day is more than I would see almost anywhere else in a year.... my favorite park of all time! -Hiked the Upper Yosemite Falls Trail.... unbeleivable! Day 20 - Yosemite National Park, CA to Lake Tahoe, CA
-My friend Ashley from Sacremento came and visited for the night. Nice to see you Ash! Day 21 - Lake Tahoe, CA to CA/OR State Line
-Hiked around the lake and chilled on a beach for awhile. -Thunderstorms began to set in so we left at 4pm with plans to drive straight to Whistler. By midnight we were at the state line. Day 22 - CA/OR State Line to Whistler, BC
-Drove straight through the night and finally made it back to Whistler at 2pm. 1800KM in one shot - not bad at all!
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Published by lucasfowler: 3:39 PM
Updated On: 6/2/2006 at 5:50 PM
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Roadtrip ’06 – Week 1
The first few days of a vacation are always the happiest. Spirits run high, finances are good, and you have the entire vacation ahead of you. Soon enough, it'll be half over, and then almost over, and before you know it you're sitting back in your office with another year to go before you know what a solid road trip feels like.
The first week was unique as we spanned several different climatic zones and saw a whole slew of different sights. Still, the entire time, we were no more than a stones throw away from the pacific. There is a certain aura which the pacific emits. Sometimes it’s a little intimidating, sometimes a little inspiring, but always humbling and relaxing. It is, after all, the largest ocean in the world. We have it to thank for all of our winter storms and shredable coastal waves. Whenever I visit the coast, whether it's in Tofino, BC or Encinitas, CA or anywhere in between, I am reassured, as Jim Morrison said, that "The West Is the Best".
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Day 1 - Whistler, BC to Keystone, WA
-Missed the last ferry and had to camp near the Keystone terminal.
Day 2 - Keystone, WA to OR Coast
-Got a 534usd speeding ticket in Port Angeles.... damnit!!
-Checked out the Hoh Rainforest and the beaches of Olympic National Park... always a good time.
Day 3 - OR Coast to Trinidad, CA
-Went swimming upon entry to CA.... cold water!
-It just wouldn't be Humboldt County if the first person you met didn't offer you chronic. Score!
-The weather was BEAUTIFUL! Set up camp, had a fire, cooked some meals, and played a drinking game version of bowling/baseball.
-Went to visit Colin in Arcata and checked out the house music at the Humboldt Brewery.
Day 4 - Trinidad, CA to San Fran, CA
-Reveled in the grandeur of the redwoods. Did several scenic drives, and even a drive thru tree!
-Set up camp at Samuel P. Taylor State Park in the redwoods near SF.
Day 5 -San Fran, CA to San Jose, CA
-Met Lorna's dad and others for breakfast at Pier 21... wow... properly cooked food and clean utensils!
-Did a walking tour of Alcatraz..... so interesting!!!
-Rocked up to the SJ Fairmont with our dirty car and dirty selves... how embarrassing! Good to have a non-public shower!
Day 6 - San Jose, CA to Santa Cruz, CA
-Drove around SC and saw the sights... checked out some beaches.
-Checked out the Mystery Spot... pretty cool place!
-Set up camp at New Brighton State Beach.
Day 7 - Santa Cruz, CA to Ventura, CA
-We saw tons of scenery today. Hwy 1 is always awesome. Even the chili peppers agree with me (listen to "Road Trippin").
-Stopped to see the Elephant Seals.
-Went to a hot spring near Santa Barbara.
Day 8 – Ventura, CA to Los Angeles, CA
-Hit up the famous LA beaches for some sunbathing and bong hits. Malibu, Sunset, Venice.
-Stayed at the Motel 6 in the San Fernando Valley, surrounded by the world’s best porn mansions.
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Published by lucasfowler: 12:38 PM
Updated On: 5/24/2006 at 12:44 PM
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Monday, February 27, 2006
Well, the last month has been pretty fun and eventful. The snow of January lasted well into February, and it's started to storm again. In late January I went to the Coldplay concert with Steph... wicked times! Also got to check out a couple Canucks games for free, they won both of them! Besides that I've been skiing hard, partying, and working. Whistler has been bumpin' lately, for sure! Went to see Aerosmith in Tacoma a couple weeks ago, amazing show!! Can't wait for the Vancouver show... these boys are playing better than ever. Ok, now for the avalanche story...The biggest news story is that I almost died yesterday. That's right, you heard it right! I was VERY close to cascading over a 150ft+ cliff from an avalanche I set off yesterday. I don't think the reality of this has hit me yet. It was around 1 or 2 pm, and I was skiing down the Glacier Cirque. I looked up at the "Corner Pocket" cliff zone , skier's left of the cirque entrance, and it was all deep windrift and still unskied (where the hell are all the shredders???). I don't have to look at a slope with neck-deep windrifts twice before I ski it. So, the next run, I was committed to it. The delayed opening of the Peak and the 50-80kph wind gusts should have told me there was some serious wind loading going on. Anyways, as I was ducking the rope and coming down the ledge above this cliff, all of the sudden I feel my feet slipping as the entire slope gave way. It's one of the most horrible sights in the world, to see all the snow around you crumble and to have what seems like a million pounds of snow working with gravity to drag you down a slope. If I went over the cliff, it would have been certain death. I was ready to try to protect my head (no helmet) and was ready for a big and likely life ending fall. It was a good 40-60cm crown depth, and the fracture was at least 20 feet wide. The slope was avalanching from about 10 ft above me as well. I started to get dragged down the ledge and close to the cliff, but managed to use all my stength to hold myself on the ledge with my fist/pole and skis. I slid down a good 10-20 feet towards this cliff, and ended up within 10 ft from the edge of this massive, and surely fatal cliff. The slide ripped over the cliff, and I could see it trigger a bigger slide area below me and avalanche out into the bowl below. I screamed down below, hoping no one was there. I got the hell out of there, and needless to say did not continue down Corner Pocket. I skied the regular entrance of the Cirque and out into the bowl below. The best part of this whole story was the waist-chest deep fluffy sluff that this avalanche created. It was soooo fun to ski (and even better to be alive). Be avalanche aware. These things can happen anywhere , at anytime. Even in the tree zones yesterday the slabs were running so easily with the slightest ski cut. Be safe everyone! ---- Current Avalanche AdvisoryReactive slabs of up to 80cm were running with the weight of a skier within the ski area over the past two days. A natural avalanche cycle occured early in the storm and has reloaded since. Yesterday within the ski area we saw slopes run that haven't slid in ten years.
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Published by lucasfowler: 2:22 PM
Updated On: 2/28/2006 at 6:02 PM
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Sunday, February 26, 2006
Music to my ears.....what a storm last night, it was f*ckin dumpin! :) Environment Canada ---- > Short Term..A Front Stalled Across The Region Will Bring Periods Of Snow To The Coastal Ranges Today. A Low Approaching From The Southwest Will Cross Vancouver Island Sunday Morning. This Feature Will Bring Heavier Precipitation To The Coast Ranges Tonight As Well As Gusty South Winds To The Alpine. 5 Day Trend.. A Series Of Pacific Systems Will Bring More Snow To The Coastal Ranges Next Week With Freezing Levels Generally Remaining Below 1000 Metres.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Well, I've got quite the eventful week ahead.... full of driving, hockey games, work, partying, and of course SKIING the pow! Tonight I'm going to the Sabres vs. Canucks game with my work.... Get free drinks and food all night (we're on the restaurant level), woo hoo! Tomorrow I have to work but hopefully will get to sneak out for a couple hours to hit the slopes as we're expecting a small storm tonight. Saturday I'll be skiing again and then heading to the city to pick up two good friends of mine who I grew up with. We're hitting the Canadians Vs. Canucks game Saturday and then driving back to Whis. We'll be shredding Sunday and then partying at the horn Sunday night! Beyond that it'll be a week of work and partying and some skiing too hopefully. I hope everyone is doing well! It looks like high pressure and some sun (noooooo) for Sunday and Monday, so let's hope that this storm cycle doesn't slow down too much. We can always use more pow!
Saturday, January 14, 2006
yesterday i skied the best snow of my life. its amazing up there. depending where you're measuring from, we've had 13-18 feet of snow since xmas. 6ft in the past week. 3ft in the past 36hr. some resorts have set records for rapid snowfall (mt baker with 8ft since monday) and right now i am loving the pacific and this non-stop storm cycle its providing. looks like another 30cm+ for monday/tuesday! anyways, no time for this.... must shred this beautiful gnar gnar :)
Good times in Whistler, BC. Our 13 day storm total at mid mountain is at 260+cm, and in the alpine we've seen probably 350-450+cm. Our mid mountain base is approaching the magic number of 200cm. Things are sick. Almost every cliff zone and gnarly chute in the area is good to go. I don't have much else to say except that the partying has been awesome lately as well, and that we are expecting another few storms over the next few days.
Whistler just keeps getting better and better! We have had 123cm in the past 7 days at mid mountain and there is 200+cm on some north aspects in the alpine.
Best of all no one is shredding anything serious yet and there's deep untracked freshies to be had everywhere. Sometimes I wonder what's up with Whistler the last couple years.... where have all you shredders gone?
I guess everyone can keep posing and looking like a typical hot snowboarder at the club while I am out shredding the stuff they claim to live for. Any of you who want a challenge, message me and I'll race you down Diamond Bowl. ;)
Props to BSP for an awesome evacuation from 9.11/Purple Haze cliff zone yesterday... that looked like a long brutal trek with a stretcher! Kris, Alex Blaze, and I were skiing 9.11 chute and Alex hurt himself pretty bad down in the chute. By the time I got down, Kris was already tending to him and told me to get ski patrol. I didn't even stop, just kept racing down to the bottom to get help. I think he was taken to Vancouver General last night, I hope you're doing fine Alex!!
On that note, there are rocks still cropping up everywhere so be careful people! Even if you're not skiing something quite as burly as 9.11, it can happen to you!
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Today was the best day of the season so far. Skied all over ---> Spankys/back bowls, Crystal, Chimney, Disease Ridge.... good times in amazing snow. We've had 75+cm in the last 7 days and another up to 75cm is forecast to fall before Sunday. Shredding with Matt, Dom, Kris, and Daryl was sick! All of us got some killer turns! Did I mention they are easily the best skiers on Blackcomb? (along with Hugo & Ian) Been really busy lately... work, skiing, also flew to NB for xmas. Crazy party nights there for sure! Back in BC with some time off so I'm now going to be enjoying the skiing and all the partying surrounding new years! Can't wait for tomorrow, another epic day ahead!
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Whistler has been super sick. Last weekend was awesome on the mountain and in the backcountry! The partying wasn't too bad either. December is upon us, easily on of my favorite months. Mark my words: It's going to be EPIC for the last half of Dec... Photos will come of waist deep, I promise. I have a feeling.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Well, last week was a pretty hard one for me. I was skiing Saturday on Blackcomb and messed up a cliff jump, slid down an embankment and into a tree. The Dr. here in Whistler thought I had a broken rib and contused liver, and had told me I was off skiing and drinking for 1-3 months. After the ultrasound, this is what they told me. I was feeling pretty shi*tty all last week, wondering what the hell I had ever done to merit this long time off from my most favorite thing in the world. They sent me to Vancouver to have a catscan as a precaution, but things ended up working out. Despite my 10hr wait to get in and out of the hospital, it was a worthwhile trip! My liver is already healed and there is just some small muscle damage to my stomach. So I get to start shredding again on Friday! I'm stoked. We've got a classic pacific storm coming our way late this week as well, so the alpine (Spankys!) is going to be sick.
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