Cernek.org Blog

After one night in Ferndale, Washington, the destination is Vancouver, British Columbia. We are going to meet Wendy and George, who flew in from Phoenix, for a week of play.

Vancouver is an amazing city. It is one of the few metropolitan areas that I could see myself living in. It has so much to offer on so many levels. We will be exploring as many as we have time for. We were here two years ago in the spring; so there will be some favorites to revisit as well as discovering new adventures.

We are staying in Surrey, a community east of Vancouver and on the Skytrain Line. For $7.00 a day we can get an all-day ticket that is not only good for the Skytrain but for all ferries and buses. We have taken the Skytrain to the end of the line at Waterfront and are transferring to the Seabus Terminal, a short walk away, to meet Wendy and George at Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver just across Burrard Inlet from Vancouver.

Lonsdale Quay is a happening place itself, but we are on the way to Grouse Mountain for a day’s outing.

We hoped a bus at Lonsdale Quay to complete the journey to Grouse Mountain. The Skyride has brought us to the level where all the wood carvings are. These carvings are all made out of a tree. As we walk along the path, I find them fascinating.

All subjects seem to be covered. Are these the Rocky Mountain Pine Beetle?

A carving of a carver.

The lumberjack show is part of the festivities. The first pseudo competition is the log chop.

Next up, the ax toss. That is a double bladed ax. He is bringing it entirely too close to his back on the backswing, don’t you think?

Follow through!

The two-man saw becomes a one-man-one-woman saw.

The tree climb is way up there — far higher than I would want to be.

These guys are pretty good on the log roll.

Both feet off the log!

Oops! Maybe that wasn’t a good plan.

In the drink!

There are two grizzly’s in a very large habitat at Grouse Mountain. We found this guy just hangin’ out in the water. It is warm today for a bear!

We are taking the ski lift ride to the top of the mountain.

Wendy has decided she is going to try the paragliding. It is important to understand that she is normally not particularly happy with things like this; so it is a bit of a step outside her comfort zone; albeit she does like ziplining.

This is the deal!

Sandals are not going to work. Losing your shoes over the treetops would not be a good thing. Not to worry. The folks just happen to have a spare pair of tennys to slip on.

The gentleman who is in the know is from New Zealand. He takes people paragliding in Canada all summer and then goes home to New Zealand and takes people paragliding in New Zealand all summer. Talk about endless summer!!

As Wendy is getting into her harness, she is getting the instructions that will make this thing work as planned.

The preparation for the kite is next.

The silk has been laid out, and now the lines need to be straightened.

Wendy has decided she needs to see George about a final smooch before she dives off into the abyss. He is giving great encouragement. What a guy!

It is time to get hooked up. This is where he tells Wendy that she will be taking a few bold steps while he walks backwards beside her. He will then turn around, facing forward, and tell her to run. He assured her that it would seem like a really bad idea to run, but she should do it anyway.

Our New Zealand cutie is hooking himself up in tandem so there is no possibility of Wendy escaping from him.

A check on all the rigging is all that is necessary before this adventure is underway.

It’s now time to step out boldly.

There is no place to run to!!!! They are on the face of a cliff!

Oops! There they go. Wendy’s feet are leaving the earth!

They are off and gliding smoothly over the lower portion of Grouse Mountain.

They are becoming but a tiny dot.

We managed to get some feet fringe in this picture from the ski lift ride.

They are gone, but this is the best view of Vancouver that we are ever going to see! The day is absolutely picture perfect and the city is beautiful.

While Wendy finishes her paraglide, we have time to catch the last show of Birds in Motion. This Harris hawk is the first to fly for us.

The great horned owl is landing for a treat. His wings are capable of silent flight so no warning is given to the mouse or vole that will be on the menu.

They are given the traits of “wise.” Perhaps not so much. Their head is the size of a tennis ball. Their eyes take up two-thirds of that space. That doesn’t leave a lot of room for the rest of the stuff and the brain. They do know how to do what they know how to do very well however.

Look at that wingspan.

Turkey vultures are pretty common all over the U.S. and parts of Canada. These are the garbage collectors. They clean up all the dead animals that would otherwise be polluting our lands. Whether it is road kill or death by natural means, the turkey vulture is going to clean it up. They have an amazing digestive system that handles many toxins that would be harmful to other birds.

The final flyer is the bald eagle. He is always a star where ever he appears.

Another wing span that is pretty impressive.

Another look at the wingspan from the top.

They have the capability of a crushing grip. That handler has to be ready for that landing.

He is such a beauty, and I think he knows it.

The show is over; so it is time to head down the mountain where we will meet Wendy and hear about her adventure. We will be heading for Gastown for dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory. That will give us time for a complete debriefing.

No visit to Gastown is complete without a stop by the steam clock.

This old historic neighborhood is a beautiful, quaint tourist destination today. The streets are dressed up in hanging flower baskets, the lighting is softer than newer street lights, the shops are all open to browsers.

This is George’s first time to Vancouver; so we need to checkout the clock up close.

Dinner is an epicurean success. Wendy has reported that, when the New Zealander told her to run, it really did seem like a very bad idea. She only had to run one step however before she felt her feet lifting from the ground. There may be no stopping her now on wild adventures. Go Wendy! Life is good!

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 11th, 2011 at 14:53 and is filed under North by Northwest. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.