Nothing like a sunny, Sunday afternoon bike ride with Penny! …i know, i know, i need a helmet! i lost mine in my last move but im on it!

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About noon on Wednesday afternoon i got an invitation to go to Baldface Lodge in Nelson BC to spend 4 days w/ the Skullcandy crew and a number of other retailers, athletes and partners from all reaches of North America… though probably the busiest and worst time to leave town, i could not say no. I found a place for Penny to stay for the weekend, waxed my board, and cleared my meetings and next thing i know its 14hrs later and im in route to a place where dreams come true.

Now when i say dreams come true in this place im not just saying my dreams…because this place is certainly bigger than me and my random antics. I have seen and heard about this place through friends, magazines and stories over the years and to be able to join an incredible crew on the trip to this epic destination with some pretty legit history, lets just say i was beside myself.

To get here we hopped a flight to Spokane, where we then met the 30′ish person crew and cruised across the border on a charter bus into Nelson BC. Once in Nelson we hopped on helicopters and took a 5min flight to Baldface Lodge. The crew and the resort itself are top shelf and i still can’t believe im here!

Conditions have been bluebird, no new snow to speak of but we managed to find some great stashes…. and we were the first cat crew to slash Baldface peak for the first time.

This evening i got a rare and truly spiritual opportunity to share a moment with a legend, two legends actually. Our guide and certainly a canadian guiding legend took Kate and myself up to a ridge right above the lodge to meet another legend, Craig Kelly. A memorial to Craig sits overlooking Baldface Lodge and sitting up there, hearing Buf talk about Craig, his history and involvement with the development of the lodge and their experiences traveling and riding together, i really felt like i was part of something special… watching and living out other people’s dreams right along side my own.

…

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Renton isn’t so bad when you are waking up to puppies on Sunday mornings!

Bike ride on the Burke… THANKS again to the guy who found my once stolen bike!

Micaela makin’ moves up at Stevens Pass!

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PE Perspectives – 333 Skis from Planet Earth Clothing on Vimeo.

Can you really make a ski out of a trailer??? Check this video out.

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Its crazy to finally be in Korea! All of the anticipation and preparation have finally come to a head and im almost not sure what to do with myself now!! You know that saying about being “a kid in a candy store”, its totally like that, i want to do everything!!

So today (Monday) is technically my first day here in Seoul and have been running around with Amanda, who is so graciously letting me stay at her place.   We got me setup with a pre-paid phone on the US Military base (Yongsan) and we did some banking, checked out the electronics district where i got a charger for my phone (they dont come with the phone, wierd), and got some food with her husband Justin on base where he is contracting with the military. The base is like an enclosed community, “Little America” as some call it, complete with Popeye’s Chicken, Starbucks, Subway, hotels, an American school, US banks, and all the other typical base stuff, but its crazy, its like being at home.  Not what i came here for, but handy for getting some stuff taken care of.  Its been a good chill day for adjusting to the time difference and local scene.  Tomorrow will be my first day being an Asian Tourist!

I haven’t been great at photos yet but here are a couple from the last 24hrs:

I think i actually did well with the packing… only loaded once, didn’t even have to pull stuff out and repack and do the 3 rounds of packing thing like usual.

My flight was actually leaving from Vancouver BC.  The ticket was significantly cheaper.  I took the QuickShuttle from Seattle to Vancouver.  It was super handy and convenient, HOWEVER if you ever do decide to do this id suggest the DOWNTOWN pickup versus the Airport pickup.  I had missed the 630am airport pickup and had to haul balls to the Downtown pickup…thank god we made it, i know mom and dad weren’t super stoked on a lil’ Saturday drive to BC for the day.

My new Korean friend Sun-Mi!! I was super excited about sitting by a native on the flight, and she was SO helpful when we landed and made sure i got thru customs and on the right bus, she even waited for the bus and told the driver to let me know what stop to get off on… hopefully i can connect with her later in Seoul.  I told her all about my trip and she was really interested in helping me to find my birth mom and i even showed her my adoption papers, so she told me to call her when i get settled.

A Korean meat restaurant.  We barbequed pork and squid, garlic and veggies for dinner… i think this is authentic?! All i know is that it was super tasty.

My room at Amanda’s place… rad bed huh?  You can’t tell but the best part is that under the blankets there is a granite slab!! I guess that combined with the heat (it plugs in) is super good for your circulation… so not only will i return from Korea enlightened and more grounded and content but ill also return with incredible circulation…awesome!

Amanda’s pups!! Thats Nala, the fox like dog and the other one is Adrian! He’s not in the picture but Adrian’s brother is Rocky!!! get it?

All the city workers, Police and military have such colorful, flashy garb.

Hot Dog Cups… i think this would do well in Seattle.

If i end go missing, you should probably search this place first… the Yongsan Electronics Market in Seoul.

Hmmm, what else?  I guess that does it for my first day.  Im just resting now and trying to make arrangements for later in the week but will probably make it out later for some Korean BBQ and maybe some icecream!

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I can’t believe that i’ve never done this before… floated the wenatchee river and hung out in Leavenworth both for the first time. Being lazy never felt SO good… Lets do this again next summer mmmmmk?

Testing out my new Olympus waterproof and shockproof, 10mp digi point and shoot!

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The 103 degree weather in Seattle was WAY more fun spent @ the diving boards at Green Lake!  I did my first ever backflip on a diving board…even corked it and got a 180 in! Best lunch break ever.

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Here is a little haiku summing up my weekend:

In Whistler,
Sun and friends and randomness,
So happy.

Randa driving like a champ…yup, that thing.

Randa and Mark Frank hanging out in the Canadian Customs office.

Hot?

Jen making a wood fired pizza oven…no really, she is making a stone oven.

When in Rome…

Random flops left @ the dock.

Berries chillin’ lakeside….

Holly, Heather and Molly… and our white sunglasses.

Randa takin’ a break in the sun.

Jen showing me the stone work @ Creekside lodge… and her guns!

Heather checkin out the gun show.

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Yeah, so the haiku really can’t capture all of the random fun from the weekend… oooh for example,  leaving at 6am from Seattle on MFM’s 40ft RV with a camera, some clothes and my road bike, eating %*it on flat pavement in the taxi loop, or the quench factor of the 530pm canned Pilser after a long day out in the sun (thanks eric!).  i spent the 48hrs in the moment, in the sun, or amongst friends… so good!  i even got to plan a little bit of my trip to korea.  I’ve got somewhat of an itenerary going and a first draft at a budget…just need to book the ticket tomorrow!?

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I heart these people.

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