Backcountry Yodelin

Nestled in the heart of the Central Washington Cascade Mountains

 conveniently accessable for snow-enthusiasts 

just a mile off of highway 2 to the East of Stevens Pass summit,

 lay important pieces of our Pacific Northwest's 
past alpine adventure history.   

Quietly left dormant for decades, 
clues can still be found amongst 

the relics of several old ski lifts left in the

  forested ridge shadows behind the former Yodelin day lodge. 

 Yodelin pioneered as a promising early Cascade ski resort in  

operation with a double chair and rope tow from 1961-1974, 

until a tragic nearby avalanche in 1971 led 
to the eventual closure of the ski area.

Now one can still follow the remnants of Yodelin's old 
cleared ski runs up and down a beautiful ridge, 
winding through scenic snowy alpine diversity. 

Traversing these routes make for great backcountry 
explorations on snow shoes, skis and snow/splitboards.  

The rewarding peaceful panoramic views found 
in the surrounding seas of Cascade mountain 
 peaks and ridges are worth lingering for so be sure to pack a picnic

and refuel in high alpine style

before descending back down 

 

 chasing fresh deep powder tracks or 
following others past packed turns
picking lines through the trees or open meadows...

The endless miles o' smiles possible in this 
winter cross-training workout

will keep you craving
just one more run !!

3rd annual 'Seas to Slopes' Countdown

Seas to Slopes ~ Adventure Sport Countdown 2011 from Island Paddlers on Vimeo.
 Just ONE MONTH to go until we get our epic New Years Eve adventure countdown on!...a much embraced adreline-inducing, endurance-testing holiday tradition we look forward to beginning every December 31st with some of our most hearty Pacific Northwest multisport endurance friends!  We rise well before dawn to start the beginning of the last day of each year giving it our all while embracing the best of the Northwest with a sunrise 7 mile paddle/row & row around a couple of San Juan islands, followed by a 6 ~12 mile singletrack mountain bike ride along Anacortes Forest land trails, before taking a couple hour rest break (aka drive;) to the Cascade mountains to finish the evening shredding it up on the slopes of Stevens Pass Ski Resort in the heart of the Cascade Mountains- counting down the final hours of the year with endless vertical miles of runs on our snowboards & skis.

*Event history- The idea for this mid-winter, multisport tradition came 3 years ago when I was recovering from multiple spinal surgeries. After a very long year of restless rehabbing while missing out on some of my favorite sports, by New Years Eve I had one major training goal in mind- to get back to carving up mountains on my snowboard. So for some extra sweet motivational rewards we upped the ante of the first time I'd be returning to the slopes by combining it with a sunrise paddle- WHALA!- Seas to Slopes Adventure Countdown was born!

For the 2nd year we increased the challenge and fun by adding a third leg of mountain biking and invited friends to join us. 

And for the 3rd annual Seas to Slopes year, just how big, how far will we go?!...(check back in after New Year's, even we don't know!;)

REI PERU 10 day adventure trek

The next time it's a rainy, rest day and you find yourself surfing your Facebook news feed instead of your favorite seas or slopes and come across another one of those teasing, dream trip contest giveaway headlines- I highly recommend taking a few extra minutes with that second cup of coffee to enter it....You just never know, you  may end up winning.

That's exactly how I unexpectedly found myself travelling to PERU a couple of months ago, 

with a million thanks to REI!! 

 In exchange for the time it took to pick out a photo submission of ourselves hiking and a write a hundred word or less essay, 6 of us lucky contest winners received an all expenses paid trip to Peru!!   

Together we embarked on a fully supported, surreal, wonderland high altitude hiking journey, starting near Cusco on REI's 10 day adventure trek to Machu Picchu.  Through the Andes mountains we walked hours a day along ancient Inca trails, bonding with each other and our incredible guides 

as we took in the South American cultures and customs, old and new, 

lush flora, fauna and vibrant flavors every amazing step of the way.  

With World Class lodging and 5 star service as spectacular as Nature's 
impressive 20,000 foot surrounding peaks backdrop.

The Seven Serpents switchbacks sucked the air out of us on the final accent over Salkantay Pass at 15,250 feet, the highest altitude we reached

on our way to catch the sunrise over the Lost City,

as we learned Incan legends of llamas, condors and pumas

while forming friendships that will last a lifetime, 

with many more adventures trips together to come!

A videographer joined us to put the highlights together into a great promo clip for the trip. You can find it on the REI website or view it here

...and just what were those one hundred winning words, 

aka the *$6,000 adventure trip* paragraph-of-a-lifetime you wonder?!...

Some of my fondest memories as a child were the day trips with my family that began with a ferry ride…Eager anticipation would grow within like it now does the hour before a race start. I’d burst through those big old familiar doors, along rickety wooden floors to spend hours exploring every inch of clothing and gear at the only REI store in the whole world!   Gearing up was an early priority. I could paddle a kayak and climb a mountain before I could drive a car.  And now?  My two favorite lifetime adventure companions- my husband and REI!

Riding Capital Forest on Christmas Eve

Riding Capital Forest trails on Christmas Eve from Island Paddlers on Vimeo.

Under sunny skies and unseasonably warm, 55 degree temperatures, after a long I-5 drive and handfuls of holiday cookies later, we eagerly grabbed our mountain bikes and headed for some of the Pacific Northwest's finest single track trails in Olympia's Capital Forest to go for a muddy holiday ride...

Armed with our new Santa-delivered, action cameras fresh out of the boxes, we clicked in and excitedly mounted up to see what kind of adventures we could film over 10.5 miles of ups, downs and rooty arounds... 

*Includes fast & fun, expert rider Jim views, testing out his new Contour ROAM camera bombing down narrow sections at speeds near 20 mph! And Nadja with her new Nikon pocket waterproof camera! = :) + :) !!

Additional holiday gift appearances by a couple of our nation's most well-known volcanoes surprised us and enhanced the clear cut views when majestic Mount Rainier and neighboring sleeping giant, Mount Saint Helens appeared on the eastern Cascade mountain horizon, with possibly a sleigh and reindeer overhead...

~ Happy Adventuring Holidays 2011
from us @ Island Paddlers! ~

Mountain Biking Crystal Mountain

Mountain Biking Crystal Mountain from Island Paddlers on Vimeo.

Follow along with Team Jolly Roger- husband and wife, expert & beginner level mountain bikers- as they spend a weekend at Crystal Mountain Resort, under the shadows of majestic Mount Rainier, riding the Northway Trail...

On a grueling, 3 steeeep miles ride/ hike-a-bike ascent up a gravel service road to reach the 6,856 feet summit ridge trailhead before being rewarded with the best 7 mile, high alpine, singletrack ride *with the ultimate Cascade mountain volcanic views* in the Pacific Northwest!

Unleash the Beast Triathon 2011

For the second year in a row we eagerly packed up bikes & boats and headed down beautiful, Pacific Northwest back roads, across a few islands and onto a small ferry

 to take us to the Olympic Penninsula, for the 2nd annual Unleash the Beast Adventure Sports Festival in the historically lovely lumber town of Port Gamble on the Kitsap Peninsula.

This year we excitedly cross-trained for months for a new addition to this two day, adventure sports demo & racing bonanza line up, an adventure sports triathlon. 

The first leg, the Paddle the Dragon 6 mile kayak race. 

Then those brave enough could opt to go on solo or switch out with teammates

for two more muddier than muddy legs in the nearby Port Gamble trails- jumping out of their wet kayak gear and onto their bikes to get dirty on a 14 mile sport class,

single track slip & slide mountain bike leg followed by a 5km run... 

With the grand finale finish line bringing the hardcore multi sport racers back to the waterfront to finish amongst rain sodden & windswept crowds with vendor booths

proudly displaying colorful array of kayaks & SUPs.

Ambitiously we both pre-registered in the iron man/woman solo triathlon divisions-

 with Jim using this as a warm up for his super endurance solo efforts in next month's '100 miles in 1 day' Mountains to Sound race and I as the next major fitness challenge goal I'd hoped to check off while still cautiously on my own personal spinal injury rehab journey...

 Unfortunately two weeks before race day I frustratingly got struck hard by case of acute bronchitis.  Even though I'd brought all my gear along  just in case I miraculously began feeling better overnight, at registration I had to stubbornly admit defeat and follow doctors orders to scratch my race and save my health...On the bright side, it then left my day open to be Jim's personal cheerleader and support person at every transition :)

While Jim had also been fighting a spring cold all week, luckily it didn't take him down nearly as hard, and with what he attributes to super hydrating the week before, Jim had the race of all races, months of training paying off as he led the way to an incredible
 *ironman* 1st PLACE OVERALL finish!  

  Proving that he and the skies could both be beasts that unleashed, Jim held a sweeping lead from the kayak leg all the way through each of the following sport legs in the triathlon race- beating the 2nd place finishing team by nearly 12 minutes!  AND in and through some pretty unforgiving weather conditions at times-

Sea kayaking across the Hood Canal  against 10 knot and increasing gusts o' headwinds while fighting ebbing currents on the return.  Then onto mountain biking and running along super-soaked trails...

Doug in a super beautiful, kevlar Necky Looksha 2

finished the Paddle the Dragon kayak race in first place overall,

 Followed by a Mens Double Sea Kayak with Jim close behind in third place overall, in his older & not-as-beautiful but definitely his most favorite boat, a kevlar Necky Looksha 3. 

 Jim then took over first place in the triathlon as he ran outa the cold Puget Sound salt water up the rocky beach, down a few hundred yards along rain-wetted grass to the kayak-bike transition zone to quickly change into biking clothes, while simultaneously refueling with Gu and downing gulps of Gatorade.   

Oblivious to the passing spring rain squall that was not helping his shivering as it turned briefly into even more unforgiving sideways hail,  Jim grinningly took off in a screaming first place solid lead on his next most favorite piece of gear, a tested, tried true & trusted, old school GT Zaskar LE mountain bike. 

By his time estimations, I made sure to be at the next  bike-runner transition zone, in a grassy field just outside of town about an hour and a half later.  Again it was awesome for a small crowd of us to see Jim come flying out of the forest this time, covered in mud from head to toe to the point of being nearly unrecognisable...except for that grin! 

 

With one final, quick shoe change again, a few sips of water & a few Power Gel gummies he was off again, to next be seen until he came cruising down the trail just under the flagpole back in Port Gamble, 20-something minutes later, still looking as happy & strong as when he started, as he came down onto the waterfront and around a final loop in the race course that hid him briefly out of sight behind a building before a final 200 yard straightaway sprint to finish at 3 hours 16 minutes...

 As the endorphin high still fuels that grin, he's already looking forward to next weekend's endurance cross-training plans, a 60 mile open water, kayak camping island adventure.~

From Burrows to Baker

The first weekend in March

brought blissfully warm,

springlike weather for us

to playfully paddle

around several San Juan islands

on Saturday morning

before switching gear,

and snowboarding all day Sunday

at Mount Baker!