Life Is Busy, Photos Say More Than Words

Day Hiking in Golden Ears park

dustansept — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:29:21 +0000

Golden Ears Park is closer than you may think. As one of BC’s largest parks spanning 62,540 hectares this is a fantastic destination for a day-hike or an overnight camping excursion. Located at the north-east tip of Maple Ridge there are hundreds of options for you to choose from. Below are just a few photos from the short lower-falls hike that will take you along a relatively flat, out and back hike to a beautiful waterfall. Return this is a 7km hike that will take a little over an hour at a decent pace.

Team Building Retreat on the Sunshine Coast

dustansept — Sun, 12 May 2013 23:52:00 +0000

The Sunshine Coast is a magical place if you are a mountain biker. Home to many professional cyclists and some of the best trails in the world this is a pretty amazing place to ride a bike. Recently with the Norco team I made my way over to the area on a team retreat to get away on a photo, video and team-building trip. Here are a few photos from how it went down.

Another Sea Otter Classic in the Bag

dustansept — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:54:02 +0000

Another Year at the Sea Otter Classic. This year though the trip south was extended slightly through dealer visits, a marketing conference and then finally to the Laguna Seca Raceway for the main Event. Over the course of 16 days I visited 11 bike shops, watched 11 Ryan Leech demos and managed to squeak in 2 short mountain bike rides. As usual here I will let a few of the pictures from the trip speak instead of an essay of blathering..

Mt Shasta always looks good!

There is something about driving across the Golden Gate Bridge.

Braaa’p

Nature!

Gettin’ some air

The mosh pit of Sea Otter

Getting in some practice laps.

Team Norco International following the Dual Slalom.

Jill Kintner took home a couple of victories over the weekend.

A Team Mechanic doesn’t bring normal things on a ride.

Bryn Atkinson turning some heads riding to his DH Start.

Escape to Portlandia

dustansept — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 03:47:10 +0000

Spring is here and instead of exploring the local hills and valleys we made like hops and head down to Portland Oregon to see the sights. Spending four nights in the beer, food and culture focused city we were able to hike, bike and of course drink some beer.

Making this trip never seems to get old. A quick 6 hour drive and you are suddenly in a totally new city that is not totally unlike Vancouver. Great people, great food, great beer and a whole lot of fun. If you are thinking about where to go for your next vacation check out Portland, you will not be disappointed. I will be brief in the write up and let some photos tell the story. Alternatively there is another article from this trip on beermebc.com.

Cheers!

Winter is behind us and Summer is just around the corner

dustansept — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 01:39:37 +0000

Spring is arriving and with that comes the clearing of our local trail systems. While snowshoeing may have been the preferred means of travel in the past, these times are changing. With the warming air comes the absence of snow and the drying up of the forest floor. It may only be February but the trails are a sure sight that winter is behind us and summer is just around the corner.

More to come soon.

A hike before a wait….

dustansept — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 06:15:43 +0000

For the past seven months my Canon 7D has had the annoying battery-communication error message that seems all too popular these days. With a reasonable time ahead with no photo obligations on the horizon it is finally time to send the camera off for repair. With that in mind, there will be no photos for the duration of of the repair.

If anyone has had this issue on their 7D it is apparently an issue with the battery connection. The camera is unable to communicate properly and as a result can not read the status of the battery charge. Additionally the battery discharges when connected at an increased rate as compared to standard timing. The camera does actually work as it should but is simply a PITA along the way.

Here are a couple photos from North Vancouver’s Deep Cove Quarry Rock hike to tide wait.

Until next time.

Dustan

Slakov Woodventures – Exquisite Custom Furniture

dustansept — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 03:48:59 +0000

A recent project of mine was the building of a website for a Sunshine Coast furniture maker named Jim Slakov. His work is intricate and meticulous offering great inspiration when trying to capture each piece in a photo. In a make-shift studio environment I captured each of the pieces and built a website to house them. If you appreciate artistry and craftsmanship then you will love Jim’s work.

Have a look at Jim Slakov’s work and Slakov Woodventures’ new website at slakovwoodventures.com

A Vancouver Evening Floats By

dustansept — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 06:11:48 +0000

The City of Vancouver is an amazing place and I have been lazy. My lack of updating this blog has no excuse… So here is something.

My deck is also an amazing place… and it has an amazing view of the city. When the wind comes in from the west on a semi-clear evening the clouds do a dance. This is the show through my window that I love to watch.

Why are you still inside? It is time to snowshoe!

dustansept — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 01:30:15 +0000

As the mountain biking trails are starting to wind down my mind must think differently. It is time shift the mindset to skiing, boarding, snowshoeing and other snow-bound activities. One easy, local and free activity is snowshoeing up Mt Hollyburn where the effort is rewarded with a magnificent view of Vancouver. If you are thinking where the heck is Hollyburn? It is the nordic area of Cypress Mountain. The hike takes about 2hrs return but is actually outside the cypress boundaries so a park pass is not required. It gets cold at the top so bring an extra layer for the peak! If you want the nitty-gritty details you can see a map and elevation profile through this Strava recording

Here are some photos from the hike. The day was gorgeous with clouds hovering over the mountains but clearing over the city. The afternoon light was magnificent!

A Destination Sensation – Mexican Wedding Style

dustansept — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 05:49:16 +0000

My sister is now married… kind of a weird thing to say but the inevitable truth and I can honestly say that she made a great choice.

On that topic, the latest endeavor was in the Mexican Mayan Riviera for the Mexican destination wedding Taking place at the Gran Bahai Principe Riviera Maya Resort the event brought family and friends together for an amazing week in the tropical sun. While this is merely a taste of the photos taken it will have to do for now.

for more photos check out the flickr set.

The Resort basking in the moonlight

Wedding Preparations

A father’s proud moment walking his daughter down the ~~aisle~~ beach

Waiting patiently drink in hand

A moment of bliss

Congratulations on a beautiful wedding

Jumping for joy!

There was a little bit of a dance storm to follow the ceremony