Check out these amazing shots by our photographers Kenny Blum and Matt Small who have graciously accompanied us on our winter ski trip to Big Red Cats!
Thank you Matt for the following beautiful photographs! They really tell the story . . .
Big Red Cats! Your #1 Cat Skiing Destination in beautiful Rossland, British Columbia! Let’s go skiing!
I would like to introduce our two very special photographers who have joined us on our winter ski trip to Red Mountain in British Columbia! I can’t even begin to say how honored we are to have them along with us.
Kenny Blum and Matt Small! Just take a look at their photography and be amazed. These guys are very, very talented!
Thank you Matt and Kenny!!
Please do check out their photography websites, incredible!
Here’s Kenny skiing Red Mountain!
. . . and here’s Matt skiing Red Mountain!
As we spend our days here skiing, exploring the village and just enjoying ourselves in general, we are amazed with the views and the kind people here. Red Mountain Resort is sure to please any skier be it beginner to uber expert. The ski school is excellent for children and the instructors are kind and gentle (and according to B “They make me laugh mommy.”)
The snow is plentiful and everyone is smiling here. What a better place to spend our winter holiday vacation!
The lodge you see below has a great ski shop for accessories and also a restaurant above. There are tons of lockers to store your gear and again, everyone is so helpful and friendly!
Thank you Red Mountain Resort for the memories!! We will definitely be back again!!!
This is gourmet dining at its finest. If you ever come to Red Mountain Resort in Rossland, British Columbia — dining at Gypsy at Red is a must. The service is impeccable and the food? Amazing presentation and absolutely delicious!
From the romaine heart salad with crisp bacon, shaved parmesan, slivered almonds and buttermilk wasabi dressing to the grilled sirloin steak with a rich red wine, pomegranate, shallot sauce. Topped with crisp double smoked bacon. Served with garlic mash potatoes and fresh vegetables our epicurean adventure was only beginning!
The service at Gypsy’s was so impeccable and everyone was so nice. Thank you Gypsy’s for an amazing gourmet dining experience! We will be back!
B and I are still dreaming of the chocolate cake . . . wow.
J5MM is headed to Rossland, B.C. for some incredible cat-skiing, Airstream style this winter and we can hardly wait.
When I started heli-skiing and cat-skiing in the late 70’s with Canadian Mountain Holidays skiing the Monashees out of Mica Creek and Revelstoke, the industry was in its infancy.
Some of the biggest problems facing the guests were the wide difference of abilities. I remember clearly in one of our groups we had levels from intermediate skiers who had never ridden any off-piste terrain to professional skiers from Steamboat, Aspen and Crystal Mountain.
Still, decades later, heli-skiing and cat-skiing/boarding operations still struggle with the disparity in athletic and technical abilities of their clients.
Step in Big Red Cats. They have eliminated the most aggravating issue amongst back country guests. They separate their clients into four separate ability levels and cats. Intermediate, advanced, expert, and uber-expert.
Look out Monashee’s, Valdez, Canadian Mountain Holidays, Mike Wiegele and Island Lake – Red Cats are going BIG!
Stay tuned for our Big Red Cat Post: Terrain Beyond Your Dreams
The sailing of the route that spans the vast Strait of Georgia docks in Port of Nanaimo in the North End of the Gulf Islands. This location is a short hop to two mountain passes that connect Port Alberni to Tofino and Ucluelet. The fishing grounds of Tofino and Ucluelet are teaming with wild Coho, Halibut and trophy sized Ling Cod. Campbell River is where you can land King Salmon and surf the same day. Strathcona Provincal Park with its rivers and mountains and who can forget the royal ambiance of Victoria.
Marine Drive winds its way through the coastline and connects West Vancouver to Horseshoe Bay and has majestic beauty. On any given Sunday, the bicylists make claim to its recreational opportunities which include numerous waterfornt parks and sea-to-sky vistas. When you arrive in Horsehoe bay, you are charmed by its simple architecutre and historic marina where the mountains rise up the sea. Numerous shops and restaurants abound. The photos don’t lie – this is a must on your bucket list.
Laughter feeds the the soul; this truly I believe. On this particular day, my Auntie’s amazing gluten free pie also fed our souls. Of course my brother’s silly side took center stage . . .
B adjusting those goggles . . .
“Peek-a-boo” view from Auntie’s house
Amazing pie . . . literally.
When you cross the border from the United States into Canada, everything feels different, instantly. The people, the culture, the landscapes. It feels as if you have been transported to a European country. I hope that if you haven’t had the opportunity to visit this beautiful city, that you will be able to someday.
There is so much to do and see in this amazing city and the way we like to discover our surroundings is to hit the pavement and start exploring, on foot. We start our exploration by crossing the Lions Gate suspension bridge. The Lions Gate Bridge connects the North Shore to the downtown area of Vancouver.
As we head towards the end of the bridge we have sweeping views of the sea walk at Stanley Park. Stanley Park is Vancouver’s urban Park and is a nature lover’s paradise with miles upon miles of trails, beaches, sea life, playgrounds, etc…
On our way out of Stanley Park, we arrive in downtown Vancouver and decide to stop at “The Boathouse,” which is a great seafood grill and pub located along the edge of English Bay. Hubby was hungry so a fish and chips were in order . . .
This is an incredible city with so much to explore. I truly hope that you if you do have the opportunity to visit that you will enjoy yourself as much as we did.
One of our very first Airstream trips was to the town of Tofino which is located on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.
All we wanted to do was hang out by the water, fish and have a great time and luckily that is exactly how things progressed.
Hubby and B went fishing with Captain Lance of Lance’s Sport Fishing Adventure and brought back a feast of seafood that I then prepared for Lance and his family / friends. It was SUCH a success and we had a great time that evening. Just have a look:
Here is our night progressed. Lance brought his big crab steamer that we placed over the campfire and we steamed the crabs in fresh sea water. They were a huge hit. I spread out some newspapers, melted some butter and along with all of the other appetizers I made, we all went for it.
But let me take you back to my original post about this trip and how it all began:
Our captain was Captain Lance from Lance’s Sportfishing Adventures and is an independently owned and operated fishing charter company, based in the world famous Clayoquot Sound. Thousands of migrating salmon and halibut swim through Clayoquot Sound and the waters around Tofino every year.
That was excellent news for B as that day he caught a 15 pound King Salmon and kept reminding me that he also caught 10 big “Dungeonous” crabs. Of course I was excited to cook up all this beautiful seafood!
That night, I made a delicious Panko Crusted Salmon dinner for Lance and his friends/family complete with a lemon dill hollondaise sauce. In addition, I also prepared:
Not to toot my own horn, but everything turned out delicious. I swear my Airstream is my lucky charm. Unfortunately hubby had the camera on the fishing trip so I wasn’t able to take pictures (I stayed behind while preparing the feast for that evening). I did, however, make a delicious One Pot Poached Mustard Dill Salmon with Leeks and Potatoes the next night for dinner. It turned out to be such a simple and delicious recipe! I adore one pot meals that turn out as good as this one did.
This was an beautiful morning in Tofino, British Columbia. We awoke in our warm Airstream at Crystal Cove Beach Resort to the sun shining and birds chirping. We had a cooler full of freshly caught Dungeness crabs just waiting for us and I knew exactly what we would have for breakfast. Eggs Neptune (aka Crab Benedict) ! This was seriously decadent and a definite, “put your fork down between bites,” to really relish and savor the amazing flavor of this dish.
The tide pools that morning were full of sea creatures! Hermit crabs, baby rockfish, sea anemone and other little critters we couldn’t quite recognize. It was a very interesting morning and quite beautiful at that.
Who knew you could charter your very own boat with your very own Captain and explore these magnificent waterways here in Tofino, BC in search of amazing wildlife and breathtaking views of some magestic scenery. Just sit back and relax, bring your camera and keep your eyes out for some amazing wildlife in action.
Today we were on a cruising trip with Browning Pass Charters. Captain Mike was at the helm and little B was in awe. “Mom, this is going to be so awesome!” he exclaimed as he squeezed my arm with both hands as we sat in the warm cabin waiting for Captain Mike to start up good ol’ Browning Passage.
We saw some amazing wildlife that day and some of the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen. If you come in May through September, you will definitely see some black bears. Captain Mike says you can see them a mile away — they are so black and they stand out so much. In our case today, it was a very early and chilly April and the bears were still in hibernation. We were though, just all a little bit excited with the prospect that maybe, just maybe, they would be out eating baby crabs that Captain Mike says they find by turning over rocks on the shores. Perhaps it was the snowfall earlier that morning that made the bears think twice about making an exit. All I knew was that they were pretty smart staying in their caves, snug and warm for it was a chilly day!
Thank you Captain Mike – for this trip will forever be in our memories :)
