Photos of Pelagia's season in the Southern Sea of Cortez are now added as an album on FLICKR (see right side of blog).
Pelagia's Sea of Cortez (2013-2014) photo album
Sunday, 13 July 2014
Tuesday, 8 July 2014
A few hikes near Whistler
With all the warm, sunny weather, the snow has been melting fast...
Cheakamus Lake hike: 3 hrs to end of trail (2/3rds along lake) and back. Excellent trail. Easy.
Black Tusk: 5 hours up to Taylor Meadows then down via lower lakes. Trail in excellent condition (no snow on trail at Meadows campground). Moderate.
Ancient Cedars (2 hrs) and Nairn Falls (45 min): Excellent trails. Easy
Rainbow Lake: No snow on trail. Trail good for first 50%; so-so afterwards (rooty plus failing boardwalks). Trail upgrade in progress. Moderate-strenuous (due to poor trail; depends on your speed). 5.5-6 hours total.
A week up at Whistler, we managed 4 days of hiking. A very good week....
Cheakamus Lake hike: 3 hrs to end of trail (2/3rds along lake) and back. Excellent trail. Easy.
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| Cheakamus Lake |
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| Cheakamus Lake |
Black Tusk: 5 hours up to Taylor Meadows then down via lower lakes. Trail in excellent condition (no snow on trail at Meadows campground). Moderate.
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| Black Tusk, viewed from Taylor Meadows |
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| The Barrier (foreground) and Tantalus Range (background) |
Ancient Cedars (2 hrs) and Nairn Falls (45 min): Excellent trails. Easy
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| Ancient Cedars Trail |
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| 1000-year-old trees (Ancient Cedars Trail) |
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| Ancient Cedars Trail |
Rainbow Lake: No snow on trail. Trail good for first 50%; so-so afterwards (rooty plus failing boardwalks). Trail upgrade in progress. Moderate-strenuous (due to poor trail; depends on your speed). 5.5-6 hours total.
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| Looking back down trail from Rainbow Lake |
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| Rainbow Lake |
A week up at Whistler, we managed 4 days of hiking. A very good week....
Tuesday, 1 July 2014
Happy Canada Day!
The photo is fitting as we are currently in the mountains -- Whistler -- for Canada Day.
Friday, 13 June 2014
Marinas or anchor-out in Mexico? It's up to you.
I (David) get my hackles up when I read comments criticizing others "cruising style". Some boats out there seem to feel that staying in marinas isn't "real" cruising. Who says so?
This
past cruising season in Mexico, several boats made comments in their
blog criticizing those cruisers who sail to Mexico and stay for significant periods in marinas.
One blog suggested one doesn't come to Mexico only to stay in marinas;
marinas according to this blog that are "pretty much like the ones back
home". Another blog disparaged the old retired cruisers who haven't
moved their boats in ages. According to these blogs, it seems that one
should only go to marinas to "stock up, do laundry, etc", then its time
to get travelling and head back out to the anchorages.
We also very much enjoy anchoring out. And we did a lot of it over the past 9 months. Since reading these blogs critical of staying in marinas in Mexico, however, I have felt they needed a "response".
There is no "wrong" or "right" way to cruise Mexico (excluding, of course, throwing garbage into Mexico's waters, being disparaging of Mexico or its people, loud parties late at night in anchorages, jet-skiing in anchorages -- oh, I could go on and on...). Back home (in BC), there are many who enjoy marinas; why is this not OK for Mexico? If one boat enjoys anchoring whereas another prefers more time in a marina, it is not another boat's place to judge. Of course, staying in marinas costs more money (but generally less expensive than up North), so finances often limit stays, but this does not mean one is better than the other.
Marinas are not all the same and the marinas we've stayed at in Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, La Paz, and Mazatlan were each very different, and all were quite a different experience from those up in the USA and Canada. And certainly, contrary to what one poster stated, staying in these marinas are not at all like staying in a marina back home: just outside the Marina (and, often, inside the Marina) lies Mexico. Mexico's people, culture(s), food, and life in general are all so different than up north. Staying in marinas made it much easier to enjoy these aspects of Mexico.
We ended staying at Marina Palmira in La Paz from early December (2013) until late April (2014), making many trips of 1-3 weeks duration each to the multitude of anchorages north of La Paz. But we kept coming back to Palmira because (i) we really liked the Marina, (ii) we really like the community at the Marina (cruisers and staff), and (iii) we loved La Paz. Which brings up another reason that many, including us, have prolonged stays in marinas in Mexico: socializing with friends.
The combination of "town (marinas) and country (anchorages)", for us, made for a wonderful Winter cruising season.
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| Marina Palmira & La Paz |
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| Anchored at Agua Verde |
There is no "wrong" or "right" way to cruise Mexico (excluding, of course, throwing garbage into Mexico's waters, being disparaging of Mexico or its people, loud parties late at night in anchorages, jet-skiing in anchorages -- oh, I could go on and on...). Back home (in BC), there are many who enjoy marinas; why is this not OK for Mexico? If one boat enjoys anchoring whereas another prefers more time in a marina, it is not another boat's place to judge. Of course, staying in marinas costs more money (but generally less expensive than up North), so finances often limit stays, but this does not mean one is better than the other.
Marinas are not all the same and the marinas we've stayed at in Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, La Paz, and Mazatlan were each very different, and all were quite a different experience from those up in the USA and Canada. And certainly, contrary to what one poster stated, staying in these marinas are not at all like staying in a marina back home: just outside the Marina (and, often, inside the Marina) lies Mexico. Mexico's people, culture(s), food, and life in general are all so different than up north. Staying in marinas made it much easier to enjoy these aspects of Mexico.
We ended staying at Marina Palmira in La Paz from early December (2013) until late April (2014), making many trips of 1-3 weeks duration each to the multitude of anchorages north of La Paz. But we kept coming back to Palmira because (i) we really liked the Marina, (ii) we really like the community at the Marina (cruisers and staff), and (iii) we loved La Paz. Which brings up another reason that many, including us, have prolonged stays in marinas in Mexico: socializing with friends.
The combination of "town (marinas) and country (anchorages)", for us, made for a wonderful Winter cruising season.
Sunday, 8 June 2014
The biggest danger in Mexico...
Could not help but re-blog/quote this from Tamiko on Landfall Voyages
"The biggest danger in Mexico isn’t any of the horror stories you see on the news…it is a danger of the heart. Of falling in love. With the food. The culture. And most of all, the people. We can go all the way around the world, I think, and my heart will still be here."
see the whole post at: http://landfallvoyages.com/2939/pickpocketed-afar/
Thursday, 15 May 2014
And now for something completely different: Skiing in May
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| Looking across to Whistler Mtn and the Black Tusk |
Last-minute decision: how about a day skiing up at Whistler? The wonders of Vancouver: one can sail, swim, golf and ski all in one day (OK, we are just skiing and swimming....) A bright, sunny, warm day -- 27 degrees C in the valley; 11 degrees C up on the mountain.
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| We're not in Mexico anymore Toto... |
Short video of "first tracks" (OK, not actually powder...) down Glacier, Michelle is enjoying herself...
Heading down; last run of the day -- our thighs were burning -- heading for a swim in the pool (not sure if the lake is warm enough yet). Then drive back down to Vancouver.
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| Snow up top; very warm down in the valley |
Great to be home!
Friday, 9 May 2014
Back home in Vancouver
After a long series of flights, layover and delays -- including an extra hour delay due to a "ferocious" cat which had to removed from the plane, together with its owner and the owner's bags from the baggage compartment -- we arrived home in downtown Vancouver around 2 am.
The temperatures are cool and comfortable (currently 11 deg C); all the trees and lawns are so green, and we have a great view of English Bay from our short-term apartment in the West End.
On the downside, our taxi driver in from the Vancouver airport was the worst driver (almost killed us while looking for his cell phone), and it is sure seems noisier here (compared to Mexico).
We'll get used to it.
Happy to be home.
[We will continue -- occasionally -- to post to this blog while away from Mexico -- time for posts about trips in the mountains!]
The temperatures are cool and comfortable (currently 11 deg C); all the trees and lawns are so green, and we have a great view of English Bay from our short-term apartment in the West End.
On the downside, our taxi driver in from the Vancouver airport was the worst driver (almost killed us while looking for his cell phone), and it is sure seems noisier here (compared to Mexico).
We'll get used to it.
Happy to be home.
[We will continue -- occasionally -- to post to this blog while away from Mexico -- time for posts about trips in the mountains!]
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