Vancouver Island

On Friday November 7, Matt and I jumped in the car and headed out to the ferry bound for Vancouver Island. Our intentions were to catch up with some family friends of mine and then perhaps do some sightseeing/ camping around the island over the long weekend. Unfortunately coming off the ferry our plans changed when we were involved in a four car pile up on the highway (no one was hurt). Not knowing what to do we called Karen and Randy, who came and rescued us from the highway, took us in for the weekend and helped us to see the best in a bad situation. Karen (whom I haven't seen since I was 4!) and her husband Randy were awesome in helping us sort out our mess and in entertaining us for the weekend and we thank them sooo much for their generosity. We have a few photos from the weekend and hope to head back over after Christmas to try again, and maybe go skiing : )

Karen & Randy's lovely house on a big block just out of town in Victoria.

The guest room, complete with huge Australian & Canadian flags! (Karen has quite a few Aussie friends, made on exchange, come and stay)

This is Rosie, one of three kitties.

Surveying the aftermath down at the auto joint.

Dinner that evening with Karen's Mum and Aunty and Uncle who were visiting from Ontario. Salmon...yummy...

Karen, Erin and Randy in front of the wood heater.

Erin and Matt at Goldstream for the salmon spawning.

Salmon watching at Goldstream. Apparently salmon swim back upstream to where they were born to spawn and then they die.

Downtown Victoria.

The huge Empress Hotel.

A mural about Vancouver Island painted on the side of a building downtown.

We got our wish - to see a bear when we came to Canada.

Squamish

Yay! Getting to know some of my tennis team better, I discovered one of the guys, Dave, was a keen climber and hence scored an invite to go bouldering sometime. We decided the following weekend would be good as Matt had already indicated it would be a boring weekend for me as he had a big assignment due Monday. Of course when I came home with the incentive of being able to 'go play with rocks' and that he couldn't come unless his homework was done, procrastination vanished and the assignment was done quick as a flash. The four of us Dave, and a friend of his Pat, Matt and I headed out to meet at the climbing gym in North Van and from there headed out to Dave's favourite spot in Squamish. It was a chilly 3 degrees and our fingers were frozen after two moves, but it was fun anyway. It's amazing how crap you become after 4 months off! (And I was bad to start off with!)

Yay! Rocks and mountains! ...and a whole 3 degrees!

Squamish bouldering area, over shadowed by "the chief".

Matt half way up a nice slab (Friction Slab, V0-). NB: the grin : )

Me having a go (Friction Slab, V0-). Slab good, overhang bad.

Matt tests out his contact strength on some chalked slopers (Easy in an Easy Chair, V4).

Stopping for lunch. Dave on the left, Pat in the foreground and Matty.

Later in the day- its a longer reach than it looks! (Alien Within, V4)

Matt... pretending... on Dave's project (Cutting Edge, V4).