ONE of the best things about living on the North Shore is the fabulous seasons we get to experience.
No other place on the planet has a backyard like ours, which allows you to play outside year-round with such diversity.
This summer has been epic with tons of sunny days and hot weather. Kim and I hit up Nitinaht Lake on Vancouver Island, as we do each year, and kite surfed our brains out.
This magical lake draws a thermal wind each morning and is a mecca for windaddicted windsurfers and kiteboarders. The best thing about Nitinaht is the remote wilderness setting, which means only those who want it most go there and the energy of those people is awesome.
This year our friend Chris made a giant hot tub in a massive fallen cedar log, complete with its own heating system via 60 feet of copper coil pipe through a raging fire. Chris also built a cedar waterslide that sends you careening into the river to cool off. We spent several weeks in Nitinaht but it's never long enough.
For me the summer is about riding bikes and within minutes I can be in the beautiful trails of Mount Fromme and Seymour, riding incredible single track to my heart's content. Thanks to the North Shore Mountain Bike Association and the District of North Vancouver, money has gone into revitalizing these trails for dog walkers, runners and mountain bikers and the result is more fun, flowy trails for everyone.
My newest two-wheeled passion is trials moto riding and this spring and summer I spent tons of time in Britannia, Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton exploring some of the most epic trails I have ever experienced. The steep rock faces and unending technical sections are what drive me to keep going out.
This summer I also did a number of alpine rides, which snake from the Sea to Sky Valley into the alpine with 3,000 to 5,000 vertical feet. There's nothing that puts a smile on my face faster, and the alpine flowers and ice cold lakes are a super bonus.
Thanks to Kim and her family, we had a great time up at Center Bay this summer. Travelling by sail or power boat, it's amazing how quickly you can get away from the city to somewhere remote. Center Bay, located on Gambier Island, is just one small bay along our coastline where you can kick back with family and friends and swim, paddle, fish and enjoy beautiful British Columbia.
My sister and her husband and their three kids also visited us this summer and Kim and I got to play host, taking them up the Grouse Grind, for picnics in Deep Cove and to visit the Vancouver Aquarium and Stanley Park. On each adventure, it was so cool to watch Teagan, Bromley and Spencer take in all the sights.
All this summer fun has reminded me how spectacular the North Shore is and how lucky we are to have so much incredible stuff at our disposal.
As we head into fall, there is still lots to experience, all you need is a little motivation to have some fun.
Adventurer Dave Norona enjoyed another fantastic summer and hopes you continue to get out with your family and friends. Dave's fun is supported by PowerBar, Marin Bikes and Columbia Sportswear.
