**These Hobie Day dates have been CANCELLED**
The perfect family event is just around the corner! Come for fun, exercise, and discover just what Hobie boats are all about.
You and your family can demo dozens of models, absolutely free. Learn from our boating experts about Hobie’s remarkable pedal/paddle/sail boats. All equipment will be supplied.
These boats are safe, stable, and easy to handle, without compromising on adventure.
Stable.
Now, there’s a word that’s not often associated with me. In fact, most everything I’ve done in my life could be looked at as, well, …slightly …unorthodox.
Sure, I did work at a bank for a while after high school. That was pretty mainstream. My parents were pleased. After all, I was a folksinger and actor in high school and might have taken up one of those (unstable) careers, rather than banking. (…It wasn’t ‘till a few years later that I started my singing career on a full-time basis.)
The banking career lasted a couple of years. After that I wandered a bit and did different jobs, and by the time I landed in Vancouver, I was a full-time musician. …okay, I played banjo, but that still counts. …sort of.
| What You Really Need: Basic Safety and Survival Gear
The weather is beautiful outside! Finally some sunshine! You’ve got a new pair of
 lightweight boots and you can already see yourself taking in the view from the top of Mt. Benson. It’s a short trip and you’re not thrilled about the idea of carrying extra weight, so your first question is: what do I really need and what can I do without?While we’re usually tempted to bring along more than we need, there are 10 essentials that you should always have with you. These are:1. A flashlight, spare batteries and a bulb2. Firemaking kit – waterproof matches/lighter, firestarter/candle 3. A signalling device – whistle or mirror to signal searchers if you become lost 4. Extra food and water – 1 litre/person 5. Extra clothing (rain, wind, water protection and toque) 6. Navigational/ Communication Aids (maps, compass, GPS, charts, cellular phone, satellite phone, hand held radio – fully charged battery) – know how to use them 7. First Aid kit 8. An emergency shelter – orange tarp or large orange garbage bag. These can also be used as signalling devices 9. Pocket knife. 10. Sun protection (glasses, sunscreen, hat)Take a peek inside your first aid kit before you leave. Some of the most common ailments on a day hike include: bug bites, blisters, a sprained/ twisted angle, splinters, and minor (band-aid size) wounds. A basic kit should contain a variety of different sized bandages and closures, moleskin for blisters, after-bite, antiseptic wipes, tweezers and an elastic bandage to wrap up a sore ankle. Just to be on the safe side, some other handy items are: A triangular bandage (this works well as a tourniquet, a large bandage or even a sling). Duct tape (for anything from equipment repairs to blisters). Safety pins and a pair of safety scissors (shears).If you are worried about broken bones, most larger safety kits include Sam Splints. These are flexible lightweight splints that come in a variety of sizes.While this sounds like a lot, most of your gear can pack down to a small lightweight bundle that should weigh no more than a couple pounds. Always be sure to check the weather. Let someone know exactly where you’re headed and when you expect to be back.All that’s left is to top your day pack off with some snacks, water, and a camera. You’re ready to go! Lace your boots up tight and discover the wilderness that waits just around the bend.
Go play outside.
|
Reproduced with permission from the News from NALT newsletter.
On this Saturday morning in February, I set off to hike up Mount Benson with Gabe, a dog borrowed from a friend, for company. The morning starts out cold and foggy—a far cry from the weather forecast of clear skies—but the dog doesn’t seem to mind.
There is a thin skiff of ice on Benson View Road as we approach the new parking area at the official trail- head access to the Mount Benson Regional Park. I manage to keep the van out of the ditches, easing into an angled parking space between the vehicles of other hikers. It used to be that the only time you would see other vehicles parked here was on a summer’s day when, in the days before the parking area, they would line the upslope side of the street. Now, even on a mid-winter weekend morning you can expect to see half a dozen cars parked here. It is a sure sign of the improved way-finding due to NALT-installed park trail markers and signs, as well as increasing community use and familiarity with the popular hike. Soon, the lower slopes will be similarly marked once the Regional District of Nanaimo and Vancouver Is- land University agree on an access route through the University’s woodlot.
Keno.
That’s what started it.
I was sitting in Muddy Waters Pub enjoying a brew and a basket of hot wings. It was wing night. Hot wings and beer are two of my favourite vegetables. Just then, I had a hunch. No, no, not like Quasimodo. …mind you, the name does ring a bell.
I got ‘the feeling’ . …I should play my numbers in Keno. So, I did.
I paid for two draws. I paid for the ‘bonus’, too. Cost me four bucks. …As you can see, I’m not what one would call a high-stakes gambler.
Well, the first draw won me $2, the second, zip, but I still had ‘the feeling’.
“What the hell,” I said to myself, “let’s go wild tonight. I’ll throw in another $2 and try it again.”
Whilst nibbling and swilling, I’d noticed that the first draw on my new ticket had gotten me nada, and now the second draw had been done and was about to disappear from the screen. As I finished the wings and my beer, I looked at the screen. One, two, three, four, five. My 5 numbers were all drawn. Check them again. Onetwothreefourfive! YIKES!
That’s worth five hundred bucks!!
Calmly, (…yeah, right…) I told the bartender I’d just won $500. She said they weren’t allowed to pay out anything over $499, so I’d have to take it down to the casino for cashing. I headed for the casino.
The woman at the casino tried to ‘verify’ the ticket and told me she couldn’t verify anything over $500 ’till the morning. Naturally, I assumed she meant $500 or over,and went home with a five hundred dollar smile on my face.
In the morning I casually strolled in with my ticket, ready to verify. The woman was happy to oblige. She turned to me, smiled, and said, “Fifteen hundred dollars. Nice.”
What I hadn’t realized was that there had been a 3x bonus on that draw. Sweet.
But… now I had to make a decision.
I had just returned from 10 years in Saudi Arabia and was desperate to get on the water. And, being “one of the world’s greatest fishermen” and a confessed ‘fishing slut’ I was ready to fish again. (The fishing in Riyadh sucks, you know.)
But… I’d recently taken up photography and had a really nice Canon 5D MKII digital camera.
Would I spend it on the long lens for the camera or the sit-on fishing kayak I’d been eyeing in the mall, in front of Alberni Outpost.
“Well, Ian, you already have a nice 24-105 lens, but you don’t have any way to get on the water,” said one of the voices in my head. (…one of the happy voices.) The decision was made. Fishing kayak.
So, that’s what I did last summer, teacher. My summer was filled with awesome paddling and fishing adventures. I made the right choice.
Oh, and… thanks, Keno.
