sea and sky, vacation 2007

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From: Andy & Kathy

Sent: Monday, September 03, 2007 11:01 AM

Subject: Emailing: Scuba & Sky 007 (178), Scuba & Sky 007 (180), Scuba & Sky 007 (187), Scuba & Sky 007 (190), Scuba & Sky 007 (191), Scuba & Sky 007 (194), Scuba & Sky 007 (198), Scuba & Sky 007 (206), Scuba & Sky 007 (210), Scuba & Sky 007 (212), Scuba & Sky 007

Hi all,

This is a record of my Scuba and Sky vacation 2007.

I started by Flying in the Lakeside event in Invermere, Aug. 11 &12.

Then Aug.13 saw me driving through to Victoria, loading the Matrix with scuba, flying and camping gear, as well as Kathy's pack. I stayed at Helens place, photos 31,34, to recover from the drive out. I then went on to find Jeff and family in Brentview Bay and spent a restless night there. I was just in time for Alley's second birthday, and shared cake with them. I checked out the local dive outfitter but the were no wrecks to be had so I did not dive. Instead we, Jeff, Alliea and Conrad, walked the beaches of the ocean, near their house. Next day it was back to Helen and Wayne's to wait for Kath who was flying out. The weather was on and off, rain so I spent the time hiking around Helens place, and up the Mill Hill, photos 43,45,46. I called the Victoria flying club but only got a recording, and as the weather was not so good I didn't follow up on the flying in Victoria. Helen's new house is so cool, It's like living at a launch site, the view is so good. Kath arrived the evening of the 16th. We spent the next day shopping in Victoria, MEC etc. and that night went back to town to watch Helen's all girl band perform at the army & navy club, they were great and the food their was real good, as well. After the second set Wayne took us on a small tour of the harbor area. Aug 18, up early as both Kath and Helen packed for their trip, and I was already for the scuba portion of this trip, they drove off to do the 7 day Nanooka trail, while I went to Nanaimo to dive.

That afternoon I met up with Ian of ocean adventures, and set up the dive for the next day. Aug 19, We dove on the wreck the,' cape Briton, I was having some problems with the inflator on my BC, and had a hard time getting down, inside the wheel house I suddenly found myself banging off the ceiling as my vest kept auto inflating, on it's own. I purged the air and continued my dive only to have it inflate again, without warning, I grabbed the rail and held tight to keep from rocketing to the surface,[ a bad thing to happen] and purged again. With all the filling and purging of the vest my air was starting to get low, so I told my dive buddies to continue their dive, while I made my way slowly to the surface. On the way up the vest auto inflated again, I held tight on the anchor line with both hands and let myself slide slowly to the dive boat. I broke surface exhausted, with about 400PSI left in my tank, pissed off at the equipment failure, and tired from the efforts, I called off my second dive. I then drove back to Victoria and went to the dive shop to get a new valve for my BC. I stayed at Helens, with Wayne that night. The next day I went back to Nanaimo and set up another dive with Ian. Aug 21, we dove on the HMCS Sask., the best wreck of them all, with so much soft coral, it rivals the Carib. My BC was still screwing up, so I just un hooked the air line, and used my dry suit for buoyancy control. The second dive was on a smaller wreck called the, Fulton Lyon?, Which I did solo from the dive boat. there was some surface currant so I took a heading, then went under, towards the wreak, at 80 ft. and near the ship, I swam into a dark piece of water that kinda got me scared, I had no sight of anything other than my gauges and compass, the dive light showed only blackness in all directions, so I lifted up about 20 feet and the line from the boy showed up in my light so I was able to descend directly onto the wreak. I took my time and went through the whole wreck to near 100 ft., reversing my heading I then made my way back, popping up just a little ways from the dive boat. I talked to Ian about the dark water and he thinks that I was actually in the boats shadow. Well what ever, it was another experience for me, the photos 180 to 242 are from all three wrecks.

Back on shore I was deciding on what to do next, as I was close to Salt Spring Island, I decided to look up my cousin Jo-Anne there. I had little info on her except that she used to work in a bar just off the ferry. I landed in Vesuvis bay and as there was no bar there I drove to the other side of the island where there was another dock. In that bar I talked to the manager who had never heard of her, o man, what to do. so I took a time out and had a beer, then I called my Mom in Ottawa and she had a phone # for Jo-Anne, I called and got the ans. mach. so I left a message with my cel #, and finished my beer. I wondered a bit around the harbor and ended up at the corner store and gas bar, where I asked to look at the phone book. It was a small book so I just started to go through each page looking for the number mom had given me. I was just through the C's when the owner started to ask me what I was looking for, I told him that I forgot her last name, but had the number. He was real helpful and pulled out the reverse directory, looked up the number and gave me the last name and the address, he also gave me good directions that got me right there. By the way her last name is Webber so I was way far away from locating it on my own. Just as I was about to thank him for his time a belligerent American pushed me aside to ask him for directions, he ignored her and we shook hands as I thanked him for all his help. He then scowled at her, then brushed off her insistence for directions, as her voice got louder and louder he winked at me and I was smiling on my way out. Half an hour later I was visiting my uncle Joe, who is in the process of building an addition to J0-annes house as part of their retirement. Photos 55,58. I spent the night visiting Jo & Mo, Jo-Anne and I re-met her daughter, the stunning Emma, quick of wit and drives a car like me, hey, what's not to like. Roger was out of town on business. I left the next day on the same ferry as Jo-Anne, and her Mom, later I found out that the local flying club is small but active and I really should have taken the time to look them up, next time... I took the big ferry to horseshoe bay, 62, then drove the sea to sky highway to Pemberton 69,73. As I rounded the corner at Pemberton I saw paragliders in the air, I followed their flight path and found the LZ. There were pilots on the ground, so we talked and I found out that Cayoosh Expeditions, Jim & Coco were in the air. I hung around but Jim and Corinne top landed. I got hold of them later by cel phone, so we set up a meeting for the next day, I asked about a camp site and they directed me to a great one by Mt. Currie, Owls creek, which had one other camp site occupied.

Aug. 23, I meet the gang at the LZ, 86,243, Coco takes me up to the launch site, 89,90,93, where we all fly off in soft conditions, landing at the soccer field. Coco left me with the demo glider, and I caught a second ride to the launch, I launched just before the wind changed, and had a bumpy but extended ride to the LZ. the others did not fly as the, Whistler Express, a harsh mid valley wind, blew up from the south. In the LZ talking to the others I got invited to a BBQ at Dave's place, where a cook / pilot from Whistler cooked up a great meal, after too many beers and flight stories, I was told that I was now accepted as a Pemberton Muppet, I then retire to my tent, to dream of miss Piggy flying?

Aug 24, hung over looking for breakfast, then off to the LZ for a ride up. Took the demo wing out for a second test, flew well, and again landed just before the winds picked way up. Met up with Coco and Jim and got invited to a salmon BBQ, that night. As the wind had picked up too much I took up Coco's offer and went swimming at a local lake. Then the BBQ, and more flying stories and beer. Photos 94,96,99 are of the Pemberton Valley, They all talked about a fly-in at Grouse Mt. this weekend, so I diceded that as the weather was getting worse anyway, I might as well take in this event.

Aug. 25, up at 7am and off to Vancouver for the 9am sign in, the fog got thicker the closer I got to the launch, registered at the LZ, 100, Then up the tram to Grouse Mt., the flying was on hold as we could not even see the launch from the top of the tram station, so we made like tourists and took in the sights that included bears and birds, 112,124,128,. that evening was the event BBQ, of pork that was out of this world, I met more local pilots, as well as visiting pilots. Glen showed up from Vernon, we talked of flying and he invited me out. I slept in the car that night and oddly dreamed of flying in Pemberton, I really like the place and the people. The next day was foggy but we went up to the launch site and caught a few fleeting views of the area. In the afternoon a very few pilots took to the sky, many had a hard time with the cross wind and fog, some had bad launches, others aborted their launch, we all watched as Nichole [Canadian woman's champ 2007] hit a strong cross wind on take off and crashed to the ground she later confirmed that she had broken her back with a crushed C12 and is now in a harness for 6 weeks. All the while I kept thinking maybe I should have stayed in Pemberton and flew there, instead of here watching the carnage, but the fog did eventually lift, though the cross winds got stronger, in the end the meet got called, so we just packed up and out. pics,132,138,141,144,147,152,153, I thought about going back to Pemberton, but after supper I decided to go on to Vernon. I got almost to Princeton where I camped for the night, then on to Coldstream, I hiked up King Eddy, 160,161, and flew off in light conditions, meet Glen in the LZ, and arrange to camp at his place. I re-met Scott at LZ and drive his ride back down the Mt., on to Glens place where I hook up with the other pilots and talk about tomorrows flight plans.

Aug. 28, Nick, Steward and I go to Coopers ridge165,167, for the morning flight, we all had a sledder to Randy's farm and the LZ , as we were packing up it started to rain so we went to Lumby and had lunch. Stew went on to Mara Lk. for the SIV course while Nick and I went to King eddy, to para-wait. Next day Glen asks us to take Ed with us so we all end up doing 2 flights from Coopers then off to Baldy for 2 more flights,173. a full day .

Aug. 30, Nick and I up early to meet Ed in Kalona to fly 'Blue Grouse', 175,178 the wind is var. at 2 km so a forward launch is called for, such a great view from here, would be nice to stay up in the air for a while but we have time for only one flight, tight LZ by the water but all goes well, Ed misses the LZ and ends up doing a downwind landing into the rose bushes, in front of his nephew who is on the camera, we carefully pick his glider out of the thorns and he and his wing are non the worse for ware. Nick heads off to his work, Ed is off to Vancouver, So I head back to Vernon, and hike up King eddy, the wind is strong, too strong so I wait almost 2 hours for it to calm down. I'm running out of water and sun light, but I don't want to walk down, so I pick one of the short lulls in the wind and launch, strait away from the hill and the nasty wind, still it picks me up and blows me around, I pull big ears, to reduce the size of my wing, and slowly crab towards the LZ. None of the locals launch as conditions are bad for flying, but I do make it down and pack up, just as some locals come over to see how I am, nice folk eh.

Aug. 31, great flight off Mt. Baldy, lots of lift and I stay up for a long time, I land well and pack up just before the rain. Off to Lumby for a shower in the camp ground, then back to Glens for the night. Next day I strap on the helmet cam and fly off Baldy in very light conditions, good footage of flight then off to lunch with Glen. I take my leave after lunch, thank Glen and drive off to Golden.

I meet Janet at the LZ and as she is just ready to drive up for a retrivel, I hook a ride to the lower launch of Mt. 7. With no wind I do a forward launch and fly out, with no lift, to the mid valley. I'm about 2500ft over the LZ so I just set a box flight plan and work my way lower and lower, I land softly in failing light and pack up just in time to join Mike for a late supper at the pub. I split a camp site with Jan for my first stay at John & Kathy-Anne's camp at the LZ. Alas it was a poor choice as the rowdies have taken over the area, yelling and screaming in drunken voices till almost dawn. Jan got pissed off about 1 am and asked them to turn the music down, they attacked like wild dogs, swearing and threatening her and her dog. Just before dawn the last of the jackasses finally stopped throwing up and passed out in their own vomit, it left me with about 2 hours sleep. Not only was my night ruined by the animals, but the next days flying as well , so we both packed up and just went home. After nearly 3 weeks on the road camping all over BC this was the worst camp site, by far. How sad I though as I drove away to have such a nice and new facility taken over by the rowdies, it definitely spoils it for us who might use it as a base for adventure sports, after all one needs ones sleep to perform well. That morning before we left Jan complained to the management, the girl said sorry but no one was there that night, despite it being a long weekend, which leads me to wonder, long weekend, lots of people, absent management, I doubt this place will be standing for long, at this pace. Next time I'll just sleep up on the hill, like in Willi's days.

Well, despite the last night, it was one hell of a holiday, I will remember it for years, and years, and I will always think of Pemberton with sunshine and friends, thanks to all of you who I met along the way, you each made my life richer and more full...........Andy