So the past week took a turn towards a slightly more active lifestyle.. here's the details:
Grouse Grind
I've been out of the exercise game for a while and have been restricting what activities I do because of an annoying problem I have with my knee (this). Bit having decided that I should simply forget about this problem and not let it stop me. (Interestinly I've never let it stop me snowboarding...) The Grouse Grind seemed like the perfect first challenge. The Grind is very well known in Vancouver. I've been aware of it for some time as my brother and sister both did it when they were here and spoke of it's toll and I've been looking forward to this Shaw family rite of passage.. So last Monday 8th, Amin, Sacha and I took off for Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver. A bus, a sea bus, another bus, and we were there.
Grouse Stats:
The hike started off quite steep, then got steeper straight up with no relief, we walked until I was worried I wasn't going to be able to continue due to my knee, then we came across the 1/4 way mark. Oh crap. Thankfully pride and stubborness lent their favour and I continued on. Amin took to the task of keeping our pace at bay, and Sacha kept the ethusiasm up. Breaks at 1/2 and 3/4 points (and some in between) we finally reach the top.. an enourmously satisfying relief. After a celebratory couple of beers and a wander around the peak, we rode the gondola back down.
Surprisingly I didn't feel that wiped the next day. My legs were actually not really sore at all which I found odd. He have plans to make the Grind a regular activity, and maybe start timing ourselves :)
Lynn Canyon
Two days later I found myself on the sea-bus to North Van with Sacha and Amin again, this time Sacha's work-friend Jo (another Aussie) joined us in our day trip to Lynn Canyon. One of the hit attractions in Vancouver for tourists is the Capilano Suspension bridge. However an impressive a suspension bridge can be, I don't see how they can justify charging twentynine bucks for it! Luckily Capilano suspension bridge's humbler little brother in Lynn Canyon provides a solution at no cost. The bridge was pretty impressive, moved around a lot when walking across. The views were typical of BCs insanely beautiful surroundings, the bridge itself crossing a rapid flowing creek at the bottom of a steep canyon with vibrant rich green and brown trees all around us
The Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge
God I love my bendy tripod going away gift from work
Crazy Natural Stairs
Another day we plan to go and hike from Lynn Canyon to Deep Cove (like this but not as direct...12kms) however this particular day we left it a little late and weren't really prepared for a proper hike (Sacha was wearing thongs/sandals/jandals/flipflops/pluggers whatever you want to call them) so we detoured, via Amin's superior navigational skills*, to a nearby road and after about 8 or 9 infuriating promises from Amin that it was only 500m further, arrived at the bus which took us to Deep Cove for lunch, beer and picturesque views.
*Quote of the day from Amin:
Free Yoga, Pilates, Boot Camp
The following day, I recevie a text message from a friend Ben (Ben is part of a larger group of friends I met through Alana, he's a Kiwi and lives a block away) saying that he and Putu and Michelle are going to a free yoga session at Kits beach (200m from my house) so I head along with Amin to check it out. On the grass under blue sky, overlooking the beach, the pool and a mountain backdrop, 70 people roll out their mats and commence an hour long yoga session with a great instructor all courtesy of yoga inspired clothing brand Lu Lu Lemon, this brand is an institution in Vancouver, it seems everyone wears it.. I think it's pretty overpriced stuff to be honest, but I'm happy to take their free classes :) Turns out on top of the weekly yoga classes, there are free Pilates on Sunday mornings and BootCamps on monday evenings, and this is just the Kitsilano store.. with a little working of the system, one could have a full week of classes for free. At this stage I think i'll stick to the yoga.
Kayaking Adventure
After the yoga class Amin and I joined Ben, Putu, Michelle, Ewan and Lilith for an impromptu dinner at Ben's. During which, the topic of a weekend camping trip was brought up. A camping trip that involved the hiring of kayaks and kayking to one of many marine only access camping grounds along the Indian Arm. I haven't worked for a little while and although I'm on the verge of landing a sweet contract *touches wood* I was a little concerned about spending too much of my limited money on this, but then thought about the degree of probability of awesomeness that this plan contained and slapped myself back into sense. After talking to the others it seemed the kayak hire company they had contacted only had 3 doubles left and we needed 4... So I did some googling and discovered another company I wont name with a decent website, and being assured on the phone that their kayaks were "much better than the other guys" and a seemingly arbitrary quote of "yeah ok um hows $360 for 4 doubles" it seemed like a convincing alternative and we went with it.
Arriving at the address on the website we find ourselves outside a residential house and after hearing one lady ask "Should I get the forms?" and the response "Nah it's alright", we hand over the money, not giving our names (even verbally), nor a deposit, nor signing any form of documentation in the slightest, were instructed to follow the truck parked out front with 4 kayaks loaded. We followed to what seemed like, and turned out was in fact, a private launch spot with no one around. The guys got out and went into some house for 5 minutes, only to return with the news that it was "too busy", still not sure what happened there. But we continue onto another spot that seemed much more appropriate and unloaded. After a 120 second lesson on how to escape from the kayak in case of capsizing the two guys vanished and we were left to our own devices. There was a fair amount of experience in our group so nothing to worry about, but not that they really inquired about that! As unprofessional as I'm making these guys out to be, really it was refreshing to have this form of relaxed attitude from such a company. They know there's not a lot to worry about, they're covered by insurance - why bother stressing about it? Seems to be a common vibe in Vancouver.
Kayaks can store an amazing amount of stuff! I brough two bags, a sleeping mat, a tent, a sleeping bag, a bunch of alcohol etc, as did most people and we still had room left over! We packed them, decided on teams of able paddlers and set off down the Indian Arm with no particular destination in mind. With a fantastic tailwind we cruised down rather fast stopping to rest a few times and then for lunch at a rocky beach. A few of us wanted to stay at this first stop as it was isolated and had a big firepit, but it was early and we decided to continue on. All up I'd say we paddled for about 3.5 hrs plus breaks. Reaching the end of the arm, we came to Granite Falls, an impressive waterfall and campsite, with toilets and apparently fires wereallowed tolerated. Score! We set up camp for the night and enjoyed dinner and drinks around the fire with music by the waterside. Bliss.
The next morning we were packed up and headed off by 10:30am as Lilith had to return for work at 4pm. In hindsight this was a pretty serious underestimation of just how much the wind affects your kayaking speed. Stronger than the day before, it took us twice as long to reach our first break spot. With about an hour of well deserved and required breaks we returned to our departure point at 5:30pm, all feeling severely battered and damaged from the journey, but at the same time extremely satisfied with the effort. Here is the entire route we took which gives a very accurate length of 14.2 kms at the bottom. On the way there I'd estimate the wind made the length equivalent of about 9 kms and on the way back more like 21 kms...
the crew before deptarture
one of many waterfalls
ben and me
my view with all the kayaks in sight (click)
behold my whiteness
misty mountains
late evening view from our camp spot
Finally getting home and slamming down a huge meal, I passed out almost immediately, sleeping through til morning. As I write this the following day I can say that although I feel very tight in my neck and forearms, the overwhelming feeling is enjoyable. I dont remember strenuous physical activity being this rewarding in the past. I'm not sure whether the difference is the location or my attitude towards it. In anycase, outdoor activity certainly seems to be laying itself down on the path in front of me, and I'm looking forward to what else is in store!
Outdoor Activities are really fun :)
To check out a bunch more panoramic shots I've taken click here:
Grouse Grind
I've been out of the exercise game for a while and have been restricting what activities I do because of an annoying problem I have with my knee (this). Bit having decided that I should simply forget about this problem and not let it stop me. (Interestinly I've never let it stop me snowboarding...) The Grouse Grind seemed like the perfect first challenge. The Grind is very well known in Vancouver. I've been aware of it for some time as my brother and sister both did it when they were here and spoke of it's toll and I've been looking forward to this Shaw family rite of passage.. So last Monday 8th, Amin, Sacha and I took off for Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver. A bus, a sea bus, another bus, and we were there.
Grouse Stats:
Length: 2.9 kilometres
Elevation Gain: 853 metres
Base: 274 metres above sea level
Summit: 1,127 metres
Total Stairs: 2,830
The hike started off quite steep, then got steeper straight up with no relief, we walked until I was worried I wasn't going to be able to continue due to my knee, then we came across the 1/4 way mark. Oh crap. Thankfully pride and stubborness lent their favour and I continued on. Amin took to the task of keeping our pace at bay, and Sacha kept the ethusiasm up. Breaks at 1/2 and 3/4 points (and some in between) we finally reach the top.. an enourmously satisfying relief. After a celebratory couple of beers and a wander around the peak, we rode the gondola back down.
Surprisingly I didn't feel that wiped the next day. My legs were actually not really sore at all which I found odd. He have plans to make the Grind a regular activity, and maybe start timing ourselves :)
Sacha leading the pack
Amin setting the pace
A silhouette of Amin, Sacha and I eating cherries at the top
A silhouette of Amin, Sacha and I eating cherries at the top
Lynn Canyon
Two days later I found myself on the sea-bus to North Van with Sacha and Amin again, this time Sacha's work-friend Jo (another Aussie) joined us in our day trip to Lynn Canyon. One of the hit attractions in Vancouver for tourists is the Capilano Suspension bridge. However an impressive a suspension bridge can be, I don't see how they can justify charging twentynine bucks for it! Luckily Capilano suspension bridge's humbler little brother in Lynn Canyon provides a solution at no cost. The bridge was pretty impressive, moved around a lot when walking across. The views were typical of BCs insanely beautiful surroundings, the bridge itself crossing a rapid flowing creek at the bottom of a steep canyon with vibrant rich green and brown trees all around us
The Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge
God I love my bendy tripod going away gift from work
Crazy Natural Stairs
Another day we plan to go and hike from Lynn Canyon to Deep Cove (like this but not as direct...12kms) however this particular day we left it a little late and weren't really prepared for a proper hike (Sacha was wearing thongs/sandals/jandals/flipflops/pluggers whatever you want to call them) so we detoured, via Amin's superior navigational skills*, to a nearby road and after about 8 or 9 infuriating promises from Amin that it was only 500m further, arrived at the bus which took us to Deep Cove for lunch, beer and picturesque views.
click for a closer view
*Quote of the day from Amin:
"It's not that I don't trust my ninja senses. I just wanna double check." *pulls out iPhone with GPS*
Free Yoga, Pilates, Boot Camp
The following day, I recevie a text message from a friend Ben (Ben is part of a larger group of friends I met through Alana, he's a Kiwi and lives a block away) saying that he and Putu and Michelle are going to a free yoga session at Kits beach (200m from my house) so I head along with Amin to check it out. On the grass under blue sky, overlooking the beach, the pool and a mountain backdrop, 70 people roll out their mats and commence an hour long yoga session with a great instructor all courtesy of yoga inspired clothing brand Lu Lu Lemon, this brand is an institution in Vancouver, it seems everyone wears it.. I think it's pretty overpriced stuff to be honest, but I'm happy to take their free classes :) Turns out on top of the weekly yoga classes, there are free Pilates on Sunday mornings and BootCamps on monday evenings, and this is just the Kitsilano store.. with a little working of the system, one could have a full week of classes for free. At this stage I think i'll stick to the yoga.
Kayaking Adventure
After the yoga class Amin and I joined Ben, Putu, Michelle, Ewan and Lilith for an impromptu dinner at Ben's. During which, the topic of a weekend camping trip was brought up. A camping trip that involved the hiring of kayaks and kayking to one of many marine only access camping grounds along the Indian Arm. I haven't worked for a little while and although I'm on the verge of landing a sweet contract *touches wood* I was a little concerned about spending too much of my limited money on this, but then thought about the degree of probability of awesomeness that this plan contained and slapped myself back into sense. After talking to the others it seemed the kayak hire company they had contacted only had 3 doubles left and we needed 4... So I did some googling and discovered another company I wont name with a decent website, and being assured on the phone that their kayaks were "much better than the other guys" and a seemingly arbitrary quote of "yeah ok um hows $360 for 4 doubles" it seemed like a convincing alternative and we went with it.
Arriving at the address on the website we find ourselves outside a residential house and after hearing one lady ask "Should I get the forms?" and the response "Nah it's alright", we hand over the money, not giving our names (even verbally), nor a deposit, nor signing any form of documentation in the slightest, were instructed to follow the truck parked out front with 4 kayaks loaded. We followed to what seemed like, and turned out was in fact, a private launch spot with no one around. The guys got out and went into some house for 5 minutes, only to return with the news that it was "too busy", still not sure what happened there. But we continue onto another spot that seemed much more appropriate and unloaded. After a 120 second lesson on how to escape from the kayak in case of capsizing the two guys vanished and we were left to our own devices. There was a fair amount of experience in our group so nothing to worry about, but not that they really inquired about that! As unprofessional as I'm making these guys out to be, really it was refreshing to have this form of relaxed attitude from such a company. They know there's not a lot to worry about, they're covered by insurance - why bother stressing about it? Seems to be a common vibe in Vancouver.
Kayaks can store an amazing amount of stuff! I brough two bags, a sleeping mat, a tent, a sleeping bag, a bunch of alcohol etc, as did most people and we still had room left over! We packed them, decided on teams of able paddlers and set off down the Indian Arm with no particular destination in mind. With a fantastic tailwind we cruised down rather fast stopping to rest a few times and then for lunch at a rocky beach. A few of us wanted to stay at this first stop as it was isolated and had a big firepit, but it was early and we decided to continue on. All up I'd say we paddled for about 3.5 hrs plus breaks. Reaching the end of the arm, we came to Granite Falls, an impressive waterfall and campsite, with toilets and apparently fires were
The next morning we were packed up and headed off by 10:30am as Lilith had to return for work at 4pm. In hindsight this was a pretty serious underestimation of just how much the wind affects your kayaking speed. Stronger than the day before, it took us twice as long to reach our first break spot. With about an hour of well deserved and required breaks we returned to our departure point at 5:30pm, all feeling severely battered and damaged from the journey, but at the same time extremely satisfied with the effort. Here is the entire route we took which gives a very accurate length of 14.2 kms at the bottom. On the way there I'd estimate the wind made the length equivalent of about 9 kms and on the way back more like 21 kms...
the crew before deptarture
one of many waterfalls
ben and me
my view with all the kayaks in sight (click)
behold my whiteness
misty mountains
late evening view from our camp spot
Outdoor Activities are really fun :)
To check out a bunch more panoramic shots I've taken click here:
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