SUP

Got a bit of Stand Up Paddling done this week. Great way to chill out on a flat Loch.

A couple of kms in total but well worth it. I was on a Red Paddle Board 10'8" Mega. It deflates and rolls up into a bag the size of a golf bag. Great for travelling. I will be out again.

#13 can a plan come together

 Camping next to the River Pattack.

Glenshee looking towards Braemar.

 Commuting

Having a bit of a plan thinkning day today. Should be working but I can multi task. Inspired by my night out to see Charley Boorman and the fact we are having a warmish winter here in Scotland my thoughts have turned to motorbikes.

I want to get out on my bike more this year and have garaged the 90 for a year or so to enable me the time and money to do so. It got me thinking, what would be a good big trip? Yeh there are lots of mini adventures you can have but I mean a big trip, almost once in a lifetime? USA! They speak our language but more importantly my brother and his family live there so we could have an easy base to work from and my family could join in.....

So then the question comes when and where. Well I'm going to have to save a bit of money so why not make it my 40th year so that makes it 2017! Like I said I'll have to save up for it..

 

So next question is where?Lots of States to choose from so I'll have to make a list of must see locations.

 

Lastly on what? My current bike is too small and under powered for a trip like that so maybe my dream bike BMW 1200 GSA. It might even make sense to buy one here and ship it out for the trip as a long period hire could work out the same as shipping.

Better save some more!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cairngorm Feb 2010

Got a week off went Skiing!!!! Cairngorm was the best I had seen it in a very long time. Fresh Tracks on the East Wall and Skiers Right of the White Lady.

White Lady T Bar will probably never run again. The bottom pylons have all gone but the top ones are still there and look amazing with all the winddrift snow on them.

East Wall and Ciste Gully with mid morning Sun.

Self Portrait.

The Road to Skye

After 10 years of promising Jax we would go to Skye finally we got there. We had some great weather. I manged to get a hike in up the Cullins round the back of the inaccessable pinicale. We were away for 4 days. We had 25degree plus weather for at least 2 of the days and it was not until we got to Aberfeldy that it rained.

Rear view mirror art. Made from floatsome found on the Beach in GlenBrittle.

The Fairy Pools. No I'm not the Fairy!!!

554metres. Up the Cullins.

Jax with a bump on the beach in Glenbrittle.

Beach shot looking West.

The campsite at Glenbrittle. We had sunshine like this for 3 days!!!

The view from my hike.

My Car and the Cullins.

On the Road to Skye. Eliean Donan Castle

Skiing

I got back from Morzine a week ago now. It was a great week out seeing Craig and Dani. Lots of skiing and some planning for their wedding in May. Ate lots of food and drank a bit. Excellent week but now it is back to work......

Powder day on the last day.

We had a sunnier start to the week.

It was cold when the sun went down.

We did a bit of off piste but we were hit with high avalanche risks at the end of the week.

Some videos here.

A Few Days Off

Jax and I took a few days off this week and luckily we had some amazing weather for the middle of February in Scotland. We had 2 days of sunshine up in Aviemore. We had a day visiting lots of wildlife. Ok most of it was in a wildlife park but we did get to go up the mountain to find the reindeer heard that lives up there. We even got to hand feed them. There was not much snow around but enough to ski on today. They have had such a good base this season that the runs were really well covered. I even got a chance to go and visit my dad. His ashes were scattered near the summit and I took the hike up from the highest lft to go and pay him a visit. It was an awesome view today and I was able to ski down towards Loch Ann.

Up Cairngorm.

The view my dad gets every day.

Sunset over Loch Morlich.

Jax feeding the reindeer.

Me being popular with the ladies. I had food, they were hungry.

Saddle and Paddle

I've been meaning to post this for a while. When we were out in Alaska we also got the chance to get over to the Yukon. We spent a day there and went horse riding and Canoeing.

It was the best weather we had the whole time we were in Canada and Alaska.
I wasn't as comfortable on the horse as I was in the Canoe.

Jax was only keen because it was sunny.

Stunning views all around Spirit Lake.

Float Planes are Great

We got the chance to go in a Float Plane at our first port of call Ketchikan. This was the highlight for me. It was awesome. Our Pilot Andy took us up the Misty Fjords. Yes this is what they are called it was a clear day though. We flew around some very impressive mountains, saw some Mountain Goats on the high tops and we landed in a Fjord in the middle of nowhere. We got the chance to get out on the floats and take some shots before we flew back to the dock. Almost 2hours of flying.

The Group Shot. The Self Portrait.
Pilots point of view.Stunning views everywhere you looked.

In the middle of nowhere.
My mum and sister in law with Andy our Pilot.


Heading back to what classes as civilisation in these parts.

Even in July the high lakes are frozen.
Another banking turn.

I want one. Do you think Float Plane Trips from Loch Tay would be a winner?

Vancouver

We got the chance to spend a few days in Vancouver. It's a cool place, very laid back and a stones throw from the mountains. We spent a day and travelled across to the Northshore and went up Grouse Mountain by Cable car and across a suspension bridge 102ft off the water.

View from our hotel room.

Up Stream and round the corner is a 70m Dam with water pouring over the top. We had a chance to see it from both angles.

This Suspension Bridge is very high, very long and very wobbly.

Jax hugged a few trees.