Living the dream

A highland existence interspersed with regular travels and running a charity in Nepal

Sustut & Skeena multi day expedition, BC July 2011

Expedition down Sustut and Skeena Rivers
Chris Dickinson, Mike Savory, Craig Burns, Oleg & Olga Kuzmichev were on the team for this expedition.

We flew Twin Otter float plane from Telkwa Landing outside Smithers for about an hour or so to Sustut Lake, the true headwaters of the Sustut River.

The Lake is a beautiful spot high in the Omineca Mountains of northern BC.

We claimed it for Scotland! :-)

Olga was straight into collecting wild mushrooms for dinner!

Showers and sunshine played a wonderful pattern on the lake and the landscapes.

Next day we set off down Sustut River, one Russian catamaran and three kayaks with supplies for a further 7 days on board and stowed inside our boats.

A view of the first difficult canyon on the Sustut.

Oleg and Olga ran this Class 6 behemoth!!


The Sustut grew in size very rapidly and presented some fine challenges in the middle section, amidst majestic mountain scenery.

The second canyon was a big water event, intimidatingly inescapable! Here Oleg and Olga ran a long class 5 aslo run by Chris.


Soon after came this monster, class 6 where the whole river slams into and under the right wall of the canyon and thankfully it is feasible to portage over large boulders on river left until past the massive holes.

After that canyon we were onto easier water.............

.............bald eagles....................

............wonderful camps and stellar weather on the Skeena River.

Craig Burns from Glasgow.

Olga Kuzmicheva from Russia........our resident elf!

Oleg phones the kids on his satphone.

A gorgeous morning on the Skeena River.

Tarp life on one of the fine beach camps.

Finally paddling to Hazelton and Ksaan camnpsite at the confluence of the Skeena and Bulkely Rivers, by this time floating on something close to 1000 cumecs. A great trip.
After a long journey back south, a solo trip on the Chilko at high water by Chris, we met up with Larry for a final dinner on the beach in West Seattle.

Larry Grant at home :-)

A fine evening for dinner on the beach.

Finishing off with an iconic view of the Seattle skyline.


Cascades and BC kayaking trip July 2011


In July we gathered in Olympia, Washington for a Cascades and BC river tour.

Olga and Oleg came over from St Petersburg. Seen here on the Olympia waterfront.

Initially we all strayed with Mark and Kerri at their home on Henderson inlet and spent one of the days on a tour of the bay in Tom's boat.


On one of the days we paddled on the Toutle River, the river that flows down from Mt St.Helens

On our last day I took Olga and Oleg west into the Olympic peninsula to see the majestic rainforest at Quinault.

A nice coincidence is that our arrival was bang on for Scott Waeschle's 50th birthday celebration.

Here Scott shows off the wonderful gifts that Oleg and Olga brought over for him.

We crossed the Cascades to Chris's land at Leavenworth (below) and paddled on both the Wenatchee River and the steeper creeking of the Icicle (above).


Crossing north into Canada, our first stop was a wonderful run on Ashnola River (above) followed by the classic 40km run down the Similkameen Canyon (below).

After a stunning run down a booming Chilliwack River, we drove north to Smithers in northern BC, did a one day run through Bulkely River Canyon in high water before preparing for our main trip, the fly in Sustut and Skeena descent.

An "empty" River Garry with Callum 9th July 2011


Chris Dickinson in the Garry playhole. Hi!!

Callum Anderson, well kent and well liked resident of Spean Bridge.

Showing off his flat water skills.............!


Chris showing off his splat skills

Getting into the big playhole on the first rapid............. that most people blow through!

But its a pussycat in reality.....just doesn't look it.

Ripping it up in an empty playhole. Yaheeee!!

Go Callum...........

.............go......................

..................go...................

................go...................

..........go! Yet another gem just 20 minutes from our doorstep. Spean Bridge really is a world class place to live.....nah.......it's better than that. :-)

Home smoked mussels! 7 July 2011

Smoked a whole load of Loch Hourn Mussels tonight in my home smokehouse.

The smokehouse in operation, running on oak wood.


The firebox is an adapted ex gas cylinder.

And........... this is what it looks like inside when that yummy oak smoked flavour is bring imparted to the mussels. Come round my house in next day or so and you can get some!

Canoe trip on Lower Roy and Spean 7 July 2011

Heavy rain yesterday and today has brought the Spean catchment up from nothing to 2.5 on the Spean Bridge gauge. Paddled the Roy from up the Bohenie Road and then down onto the middle Spean. Lovely level and a bright day with intermittent showers. Great to have the river come up like thgis in mid summer. June saw high flows at times, now July, maybe August and September will see plenty of water too?

Loch Hourn Open Canoe Paddle 4 July

Wonderfully warm day down at Kinlochhourn, probably 23-25 degrees. Amazing shellfish at low water and a lovely paddle on the sea loch in Open Boat. Found some new crags to explore, a perfect campsite with views of Ladhair Bheinn in Knoydart and caught a mackerel for dinner.
Will be preparing and smoking the mussels, cockles and periwinkles over next couple of days. These are the days that make Spean Bridge a paradise to live. Scotland IS the best place in the world to live.

Ireland visit 20 June 2 weeks

Sally and I travelled from Troon to Larne and then out to Antrim for a couple of days, including a fine walk along the coast to Giant's Causeway.......

........ then on to Leitrim and Sligo to follow up family history.


.........and even older history!!

Before visiting the Burren in stromy weather and then Connemara, seen here.

Camping for most part, except in Burren during the rainstorms!

Using the canoe on Connemara inlets.

Enjoying a few pints of the dark stuff in Clifden (above), Connemara.


Cheers!!

Out hiking in Connemara and paddling!

Peat being cut on an industrial scale.

Magnificent 2000 foot cliffs on Achill Island in Mayo.


Finally fetched up in County Monaghan researching family again.

Here Sally is standing outside the house in Castleblayney where her dad was a young boy.