Well, the next vacation has been decided on. I'm using the word "vacation" quite specifically here, as there will be no adventure in this one. In January I'm heading to Jamaica for my cousin's wedding. Should be very nice; I haven't been to the Caribbean in quite a long time. I'm actually looking forward to a vacation where I won't be doing anything more strenuous than lifting a margarita glass.
I've been checking the area out on Google Earth, and I think there might be some reef action right off the beach, but it's always hard to tell. Sometimes a darkening of the water can be coral, sometimes it's just seaweed. Here's the coordinates if you are interested:
18° 21.351N, 78° 20.290W
I'm going to have to start posting coordinates for all the places I visit. Google Maps will accept standard GPS coordinates, but if you really want good detail I recommend downloading Google Earth. It's a pretty sweet program. The camp on Deacon Lake in Killarney was at:
46° 10.303N, 81° 13.857W
Well, that's all the news for now. I'll keep you posted as the Jamaica plan comes into greater focus. Also, I'm also planning the next great adventure so I'll keep the discussion on that open. There's been a lot of talk about Iceland lately, so there may be some news on that front soon. Stay tuned for further updates!
Sunday 7 September 2008
Monday 11 August 2008
Killarney
Been back home, and back in action for a week now, so I wanted to get on a get a few photos uploaded. We managed to get an internet connection a few times at the lodge, but there was no way I was going to attempt to upload photos.
This is a shot of the base camp on Deacon Lake. We're actually on an island in the middle of the lake, which was pretty sweet. This shot is facing roughly North East, so you can't see, but the camp was quite exposed on the West side, which ended up being a bit of a problem since there was a STRONG wind coming out of the West. Not a huge problem though, it was just a little tricky getting the tarps up.
I wanted to put up this shot because before I left I was going on and on (and on) about my new tent. The forest green triangle that looks a bit like a stealth aircraft is my awesome hammock-tent! For those who aren't familiar that's a fully-enclosed hammock with bug netting on the top, and what you are seeing is the tent fly that goes over it. It makes for a weather-proof, bug-proof shelter, just as good as a tent, but it's only 1kg, and you don't have to sleep on the ground. Obviously it has a few downsides, such as not having anywhere out of the weather to put your packs, but I just threw it in the vesibule of my brother's tent (yellow and orange in the background) and I was good to go.
Once we got back to the lodge things were a lot more relaxed. Just hiking, kayaking, and generally taking it easy. Mom and Zoe stayed at the lodge while the rest of us camped, so obviously the shot above was once we were back. It's not often that you can get a good shot of Zoe since she's oddly camera-shy, so I thought I should post this momentous shot. This is actually on a short hike we took along lighthouse trail which, obviously, heads out to a lighthouse a little way outside of the town of Killarney. There was a great place to swim there, which was the ultimate goal of our hike.
Of course, we had to do one serious hike on this trip, so we headed up to The Crack, shown above. It's a bit tricky to see the main point in this photo, but it's slightly left of centre, and it's the split in the rock face, you end up on the right (from our perspective) of the crack. It was a great hike, with a fantastic view from the top.
Well, I'm going to go easy on my total upload space and leave it at that for photos. Needless to say we had a great trip! I'm looking forward to my next trip, though I'm not absolutely sure what that will be. It looks like there's a very strong chance that I'll be heading to Jamaica in January with my family for my cousin's wedding. I'm not sure if that will be my next trip though. I'd actually like to make another run up to Killarney in the fall. I was up there with Dad and Graydyn last September and that was a great time of year to be camping. I wouldn't mind having another climb up Silverpeak, just like last September. If we can get Bell Lake it's possible to get a camping spot that's only about a 20 minute paddle away from the trail to Silverpeak, and just as close to the launching point. Obviously not much of a paddling vacation, but it allows for a lot more focus on the actual camping. Giving that one some thought, but I'll have to see if the other guys are interested in another Killarney camping trip so close to the last one.
I'll keep you all posted!
This is a shot of the base camp on Deacon Lake. We're actually on an island in the middle of the lake, which was pretty sweet. This shot is facing roughly North East, so you can't see, but the camp was quite exposed on the West side, which ended up being a bit of a problem since there was a STRONG wind coming out of the West. Not a huge problem though, it was just a little tricky getting the tarps up.
I wanted to put up this shot because before I left I was going on and on (and on) about my new tent. The forest green triangle that looks a bit like a stealth aircraft is my awesome hammock-tent! For those who aren't familiar that's a fully-enclosed hammock with bug netting on the top, and what you are seeing is the tent fly that goes over it. It makes for a weather-proof, bug-proof shelter, just as good as a tent, but it's only 1kg, and you don't have to sleep on the ground. Obviously it has a few downsides, such as not having anywhere out of the weather to put your packs, but I just threw it in the vesibule of my brother's tent (yellow and orange in the background) and I was good to go.
Once we got back to the lodge things were a lot more relaxed. Just hiking, kayaking, and generally taking it easy. Mom and Zoe stayed at the lodge while the rest of us camped, so obviously the shot above was once we were back. It's not often that you can get a good shot of Zoe since she's oddly camera-shy, so I thought I should post this momentous shot. This is actually on a short hike we took along lighthouse trail which, obviously, heads out to a lighthouse a little way outside of the town of Killarney. There was a great place to swim there, which was the ultimate goal of our hike.
Of course, we had to do one serious hike on this trip, so we headed up to The Crack, shown above. It's a bit tricky to see the main point in this photo, but it's slightly left of centre, and it's the split in the rock face, you end up on the right (from our perspective) of the crack. It was a great hike, with a fantastic view from the top.
Well, I'm going to go easy on my total upload space and leave it at that for photos. Needless to say we had a great trip! I'm looking forward to my next trip, though I'm not absolutely sure what that will be. It looks like there's a very strong chance that I'll be heading to Jamaica in January with my family for my cousin's wedding. I'm not sure if that will be my next trip though. I'd actually like to make another run up to Killarney in the fall. I was up there with Dad and Graydyn last September and that was a great time of year to be camping. I wouldn't mind having another climb up Silverpeak, just like last September. If we can get Bell Lake it's possible to get a camping spot that's only about a 20 minute paddle away from the trail to Silverpeak, and just as close to the launching point. Obviously not much of a paddling vacation, but it allows for a lot more focus on the actual camping. Giving that one some thought, but I'll have to see if the other guys are interested in another Killarney camping trip so close to the last one.
I'll keep you all posted!
Monday 28 July 2008
On The Road Again... FINALLY
Okay, so I just logged in and Blogger reminded me that I haven't posted anything since January. That's a little embarrasing... especially since I said I was going to be getting into the habit of regular posts. In my defense, I've been a bit busy. In my prosecution (opposite of defense?) I've mostly been busy playing World of Warcraft. Sorry. :)
Well, I'm finally doing something worthwhile again.. travelling! I'm up in Killarney right now with my parents, Graydyn, and Jay. Oh, and of course Zoe is here too. :) Gray, Jay, Dad, and I have just come out of the interior of Killarney Park where we camped for a couple days of lovely Deacon Lake. Now we're at Killarney Mountain Lodge where we are going to spend the next week relaxing. From here on in it's nothing but good food and lots of hiking and swimming.
Had a great camping trip. It was about a 4 hour paddle in to the lake, with a few lift-overs to actually get into the lake, so we didn't see very many people once we got there. I got to try out my newest piece of gear; a very cool hammock-tent. The basic idea is that it's a hammock that is completely enclosed by a bug net and has a tent fly that sits over it. The end result is a hammock that is also a fully functional tent. No sleeping on the ground for me!
I'd post pictures at this point, but the net connection here is very slow (roughing it) and I think it would take forever. I'll try to get some pictures posted when I get home. With any luck I'll actually remember to do it too! :)
That's all for now. I might try to make it on a few more times during the week for brief status updates.
-Colin
Well, I'm finally doing something worthwhile again.. travelling! I'm up in Killarney right now with my parents, Graydyn, and Jay. Oh, and of course Zoe is here too. :) Gray, Jay, Dad, and I have just come out of the interior of Killarney Park where we camped for a couple days of lovely Deacon Lake. Now we're at Killarney Mountain Lodge where we are going to spend the next week relaxing. From here on in it's nothing but good food and lots of hiking and swimming.
Had a great camping trip. It was about a 4 hour paddle in to the lake, with a few lift-overs to actually get into the lake, so we didn't see very many people once we got there. I got to try out my newest piece of gear; a very cool hammock-tent. The basic idea is that it's a hammock that is completely enclosed by a bug net and has a tent fly that sits over it. The end result is a hammock that is also a fully functional tent. No sleeping on the ground for me!
I'd post pictures at this point, but the net connection here is very slow (roughing it) and I think it would take forever. I'll try to get some pictures posted when I get home. With any luck I'll actually remember to do it too! :)
That's all for now. I might try to make it on a few more times during the week for brief status updates.
-Colin
Thursday 10 January 2008
The Votes Are Rolling In...
...okay, so maybe not "rolling" but thanks to all those who have responded to my request for travel suggestions. :) I haven't really got around to telling everyone that I've started posting here again, but hopefully we'll start to see traffic picking up soon.
Stunning park right in the middle of Tokyo. Love it! This was during my one full day in Tokyo where I was on my own, before I headed to Nobeoka.
After all the moaning I did about how trying it was to get up Mt. Fuji, I thought I should at least show you all what I went up there to see.
It's nice to see such a wealth of travel destinations suggested... equally nice is the number of perspective travel companions that I now have. I've gotta say, the British Isles have always been high on my list, but they are starting to edge their way to the top. I've got family there who I'd like to go meet, and family here who would be willing to go introduce me. :) Also, Andrew and Polina have both visited England in the recent past as well as my Grandparents and Aunt, so I've been getting a lot of jealousy from the stories I've been hearing, and pictures I've been seeing. Maybe it's time for a trip... :)
Anyway, I promised more photos for those of you who haven't seen mine yet. I like to keep each post manageable, so once again I'm only going to post a few. Keep coming back for more!
This picture from Tokyo goes very nicely with the next one. I'm standing on a street corner, and 180 degrees, directly behind me is this:
Stunning park right in the middle of Tokyo. Love it! This was during my one full day in Tokyo where I was on my own, before I headed to Nobeoka.
Of course, I also have to temper that with a shot of what I climbed with/through to get up there. I say again, climb in the off season!!!
Anyway guys, I'm off. Thanks for stopping by, and keep the suggestions flowing. Where do you want me to blog from next? :)
-This is Colin, over and out.
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