Costa Rica Dreams

The first thought that entered my mind was "He has to be joking?" Next thing I know, I'm leaping off the aft of our boat into the pacific to swim with this 6 ft, 100 pound sailfish I just reeled in! Swimming over to the 1st mate who had total control of this beautiful creature, I grab the sail and tail of the fish for a once in a lifetime photo!!
It was the last day of our six day vacation/adventure in Costa Rica when we had this fantastic opportunity to go sail fishing in one of the worlds top fishing destinations. This was the culmination of a week filled with great people, great food and plenty of activities.

TransRuiz

After nursing the woes of a delayed flight in Miami with some early morning cocktails, we were finally on our way to Central America. Having traveled to Costa Rica a year ago to date, Bridget and I were somewhat seasoned in the way of the "Tico's" (Tico is a friendly and respectful way the people of Costa Rica use to refer to themselves and each other). We tried our best to prepare our traveling companions for the 2 hour bus ride from San Jose to the west coast of the providence Puntarenas. The lawlessness and chaos of the roads in this country is something you have to experience first hand in order to appreciate it for the adventure it brings.

Our driver kindly stopped at one of many local markets along the route so we could load the cooler with some "roadies" and grab a snack. We ended up with a variety of beers consisting of the local favorite, Imperial, as well as Tecate and 40's of Corona for Mark and Carrie. Some local fruit and delicious empanadas made their way on the bus too. Our second roadside stop was one of a different nature. As the bus pulled over, Christina clamored for the exit of the bus. A slight case of car sickness was brought on by the series of roller coaster roads en route to the west coast.. Making it safely to Los Suenos, our home for the week, we settled in and headed down to a "The Pelicano" for one of our many fantastic meals.


"Pura Vida"
Our second day started off great. Waking up to crystal blue skies and warmth that can only be found 9 degrees north of the equator. This weather pattern repeated itself for the rest of our trip!! We could not have scripted a better weather scenario. The first task of the day was to secure some means of travel for the week. A couple of hours of figuring and we had the rental car situation solved. Have wheels...will travel!!

Everyone piled into the cars and headed to Jaco Beach to find some surf lessons. Bridget and I took lessons last year, so we headed for the same surf shop. Javier is the owner of Roka Loka (Crazy rock) and a local, born and raised here in Jaco. We scheduled a "sunset lesson" starting at 4pm, so we had a few hours to enjoy the beach and local food.

Settling in to a spot on the beach right next to open air bar, we were all good. Enjoying the warmth of the Pacific, some of "Bubbas fish tacos", cerveza's and mingling with the locals, everyone seemed to be settling in with ease to the Costa Rican lifestyle. "Pura Vida" is the saying down here. Translated it means "Life is wonderful". With no Army since 1948, the Ticos live a peaceful relaxing life.

Ready to surf we followed Javier and two of his buddies to a picture perfect spot to surf. Great wave consistency and nothing to big for novices. A few "pop-up" and stance lessons on the beach and we were headed for the surf. Everyone did awesome! All eight of us went out there and we all were successful. Following two hours of instruction and surfing into the sunset, everyone was pretty beat. We were ready to wash off all of the black lava sand that was coating our bodies and eat some good food. We could not have asked for more on our first full day in Costa Rica.


Zip-It

About 47% of Costa Rican land area is covered in forest and an estimated 70-90 percent of life in the rain forest exists in the trees. We were on our way to experience the canopy of a rain forest first hand. An hour south of our resort is Titi Canopy Tours which sits in the shadows of Manuel Antonio National Park. They offer one of the best eco-friendly canopy tours in the area.

Three types of monkeys roam it’s primary and secondary forest along with the 2 and 3 toed sloths, toucans and poison dart frogs. We all were anticipating some wildlife sightings. Well, not all of us. Bob was praying for no snakes, Bridget no flying bugs and, well, Erin....she's just afraid of heights. Nothing like zipping 30-60 ft above a forest to settle those fear of heights! Other than those little things we were all set!

All in all, everyone had a blast. We were able to see loads of leaf cutter ants, a 3 toed sloth and several monkeys swinging in the canopy. No snakes, very little bugs and Erin survived the heights! We zipped along 12 cable lines equaling a little over a mile with the longest being 1400 ft!

Looking forward to another great meal, we headed to "El Avion" in Quepos for a sunset dinner overlooking the Pacific. "El Avion" is nestled on a cliff just off the road heading into Quepos. This restaurant is built around one of the cargo planes that was part of the Iran Contra scandal. While the food was not all that memorable, the plane, sunset and "special" margaritas were. If you want to read more about the history of this interesting structure, follow this link http://www.elavion.net/ .


Enjoy! The Mountain View

Originally the plan was for the guys to take part of a day and play a round of golf on the resorts course. Following some discussion, we decided our money was better spent on enjoying something unique to the area. So we opted for a 3 hour ATV tour high into the Costa Rican mountains.

Bob, Mark, Billy and I hired a local outfitter in the town of Jaco to take us on a guided tour. What a great decision we made. After driving along the highway for a little while, we ducked off onto a dirt road that twisted and turned itself high into the mountains. Supposedly this was the original road that led from the city center and capital San Jose to the west coast.

All along this road there is evidence of the development boom that is occurring in this region. We passed many pieces of property that were either for sale of currently being constructed. This land did not look the easiest to build on either, with being located on sheer hillsides and dense vegetation. On the other hand the vistas were beyond spectacular with clear views of the coastline.

During our travels we had the pleasure of passing through a beautiful small village. Here we had the opportunity to stop for a beer and wash all of the dust that had accumulated in our eyes and mouths. The local school was just letting out. Costa rica, being a third world country, surprisingly has a 96% literacy rate. Dressed in there uniforms some students gathered underneath the shade of a broad leafed tree to socialize while many others played a game of soccer. Sitting and observing this little town I couldn't help but get a relaxing, peaceful feeling in me. This country lives such a simple way of life. Seeing it first hand sure was a privilege.

Wearing what felt like 20 lbs of Costa Rican dirt, we arrive back to town and head back our homestead to take desperately needed showers. As the evening drew upon us, we all gathered ourselves to head to Hermosa beach for the sunset. Hermosa beach is just south of Jaco, where 10 - 15 ft waves can be found along with some outstanding surfers. Walking along the beach we were able to watch a beautiful sunset while the locals surfed what was left of the setting sun.

Vaminos!

Paddle....paddle....paddle!!! That's what I kept telling myself all day. I was determined to stand up on this surfboard and ride a wave. Today we all had decided to rent surfboards and enjoy the beach and surf for a full day. Not having the long boards like we did when we took our lessons proved surfing for novices to be a little more difficult with shorter boards. Taking what we had learned from Javier a couple of days earlier along with a full day on the beach, we all did farely well.

Even though we did not become surf pros, it is easy to see the attraction to the lifestyle of a surfer. Sun, sand, beautiful water and the feeling you get from laying on the board in the ocean waiting for a wave you can ride. And when you finally catch one and have the ability to ride it, even for 20 - 30 seconds, it's a feeling like I have never experienced, just you and the wave.

Other than Bob's near "shark attack" as he recalls it and some very burnt skin the day was perfect. With a very early morning ahead of us for the fishing trip, we grabbed some sushi for dinner and headed to bed for a good nights rest.

HattaDream

Climbing back into the 50 ft Hatteras I was still beside myself about what I just experienced. The best thing was that everyone on the boat was able to experience this. All in all, we caught and released 10 sailfish, giving all eight of us the opportunity to reel one in.

The boat departed the marina at 7:30 am, stocked full of beer, food, bait fish and great people. It was an hour and a half ride to travel 25miles off coast to our fishing spot the locals call "the crater". It is a 4000 ft deep area where the bait fish and sailfish are plenty. Jamming along to some reggae and calypso, the scenario could not have been more perfect. It wasn't long after we reached the fishing grounds that we got our first strike. Springing into action, the captain grabs the rod to try and set the hook while the first and second mate scramble to pull all the lines in that don't have any bites. Setting the hook, the captain hands Mark the rod for what would be about a 10 - 15 min fight that wore him down quickly. Leaping out of the water several times just like you see on tv, the fish is finally brought on board for a photo opportunity and then released back into the depths.

This was repeated 10 more time throughout the day. On one occasion we hooked three at the same time! As the three of us belted on our harnesses and grabbed a reel, we found ourselves weaving in and out and over each other as to not tangle the lines up. This was exhilarating! Once during this all three of the sails hurled themselves out of the water at the same time. What a sight! Unfortunately one spit the hook out before we were able to bring it on board, but we were able to get a photo with the two of them.

As the day and the beers came to an end, everyone found themselves a comfortable spot to take a cat nap. We even caught the captain checking his eyelids for leaks at one point !@#! Arriving back at the docks, we headed up to "The Hook Up" in the marina to get a bite to eat. Then back to the house to catch another nap, which turned out to be a 13 hour nap. Everyone was exhausted from a long day on the boat and a long week of fun filled adventurous activities.

If I had it to do all over again, there would not be one thing I would change. The weather, scenery, food, local people and best of all our traveling companions were second to none.

Once again I count my blessings everyday. Life's to short not to live it to it's fullest!

*CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL THE PICS FROM OUR TRIP*

On the rocks

It only took one ride and I was hooked. An early evening drive through Susquehanna State Park with the top down in a Jeep Wrangler was all I needed to get the itch to own a jeep one day. That first ride was about 15 years ago. Only about 3 years ago was that itch satisfied. I had purchased my fathers 90 Wrangler. I was stoked! Finally my own Jeep.

Over the next 2 years, I saved my money and was able to build it to my liking. Of course, all the money you dump into these vehicles, you can guarantee to never see again! My goal with this Jeep was to ride around in the summer with the top down, run it through some mud and hopefully get enough snow in the winter to take it out.

Well, one day browsing through e-bay, I came across a deal I could not pass up. It was a 2003 Rubicon. This Jeep was perfect. Ready for the trail and rocks, built by a guy in Utah. I won the auction, had it shipped and in two weeks it was at my doorstep!

Then "Tico" came into the picture. Tico was the salesmen who sold Kenny and my Mom their new truck. Kenny traded in a Jeep and got to talking to Tico and told him that I was trying to sell my jeep. Tico informed Kenny that he had an off-road 4 X 4 club called Maryland Rock Raiders and that I was welcome to list my Jeep on his forum. What I thought was going to just be a resource to sell my 90 Wrangler has exploded into a new passion of mine...."Rock-Crawling". Tico's club "The Maryland Rock Raiders" are a group of great people who share a common interest. From the stock Jeeps to buggies that will crawl over just about anything, this group takes you in and makes you feel like family. They are here to have a good time and teach you just about anything you would want to know about "off-roading".

Recently the club had their secon annual A.D.A fundraiser, raising over $3800 for a this great cause. The day consisted of music, raffles, donations, good people and of course a lot of 4-wheelin! Check out the video below.

Next is to compete in some amateur rock crawling competition at the off road park in PA call Rausch Creek. October 21st is the practice runs and then the competition is held on November 10th. Stay tuned to see how it goes for me!

The Mountains Win Again...

Almost a year ago, five good friends committed themselves to a challenging feat for a great cause. It was to attempt a summit of Mt. Rainer, North America's most glaciated mountain topping out at 14,400 feet. The organization hosting the climb was Big City Mountaineers, a charity that raises money for at-risk-teens in order to expand there horizons by giving them a wilderness based learning experience.

After a year of preparation, the time was here. A flight to Seattle then a drive North to the town of Ashford, the crew (Brewer, Dennis, Ray,Tim and I) were ready for our adventure.

We met our guides who gave us a full day at mountaineering school on a glacier well below the summit. Enjoying a good nights rest, we were ready to set off the next morning to Camp Muir, which rests on a ridge at an elevation of 10,000 feet. Beginning our climb at Paradise (5400 feet), 4 hours and 4500 vertical feet later we arrive at Camp Muir. This camp consists of a climbers hut, a couple small ranger stations and some bathroom facilities that leave a lot to be desired. Counteracting the facilities was the view from camp. Resting well above the clouds, the only sites visible were the surrounding peaks soaring above 12,000 feet. Packing into the hut like sardines, everyone ate there dinner and hit the sack around 6pm or so, attempting to get some rest for the alpine start early the next morning.

11:30 pm the lights of the hut flicker on, and minutes later the hut is buzzing with all the climbers preparing for the summit attempt. Almost a full moon and the wind blowing hard, we don all of our gear, tie in to our rope teams and begin across the glacier en route to the summit. Tim and Brewer were on a team together guided by Jeff, and Ray and I were together with our guide Kate. Dennis had made a tough decision not to go any further than Camp Muir. Dennis had made a strong effort and has come a long way, but did not want the muscle cramping he was experiencing to hold anyone on the team back. Following a gentle start we were quickly awakened when were faced with crossing over cathedral gap which consisted of steep, loose and "sandy" terrain. It was as if we were climbing a never ending sand dune strune with loose rock and boulders combined with 40mph gusts of wind. The body temp. rose quickly.

Following Cathedral Gap we stepped onto Ingrahm Glacier and eventually came to " The Flats" (11,200 ft)where we took our first break. Throwing on our down jackets (break layer) to maintain our body heat, we quickly get a bite to eat and some liquids. Throughout the whole climb we are taught to constantly reassess ourselves and our capabilities as we ascend further up the mountain. At this point Tim makes a conscious decision to turn around. The wind and altitude combined had taken it's toll. For his first time on a mountain of this nature, it was a very impressive showing.

Now with Brewer hooking into mine and Ray's rope team we push on. Due to the ever changing nature of glaciers, the normal route usually taken up Ingrahms direct was impassable. So we were redirected around Disappointment Cleaver which caused us to loose 400 vertical feet only to have to gain it back on the other side. Time for another break. After an hour or so of climbing, we were at the same elevation as the last break.

Re-evaluating himself, Brewer and a few others decided to turn back. For Brewer, he was feeling strong physically but the altitude was taking it's toll. Just like Tim, Brewer had a very impressive attempt seeing where he was about a year ago.

Beginning our way across Emmons Glacier, the terrain was becoming apparently more dangerous. We found ourselves clipping in to anchors and ropes placed by our guides to aid in any kind of fall. Below us were severe drop offs and deep crevasses. The rope I was following the whole time was connected to Ray. This rope was my life-line as well as the rest of our teams. With the increasing gusts of wind over 40mph, steep and icy terrain, this line meant a whole lot to everyone. As Ray expressed later back at camp and I agreed whole heartily; physically we were strong but mentally it was a challenge, balancing yourself with the wind, concentrating on every footstep making sure your crampon gets a good hold on the ice you are treading upon as well as your axe all while clipping in and out of all the anchor points.

Being the very last climber in the line rope teams I had a wonderful perspective of the trail ahead (or should I say above). While standing there steadying myself against the wind, I could lay my head back to see the zig-zag of headlamps lighting up the trail. We had been stopped for about 10 minutes or so, when word was passed down to me to turn around. Our guides had decided that with the wind and ice combined it was not safe to ascend any further. The mountains win again! Now leading the group back down the mountain, the sun is finally breaking over the horizon and we are able to see what we had been climbing all night. Words can't describe the beauty, the power, the elements that make up this mountain. Walking above the clouds, this whole experience is invigorating. Man do I feel alive! Since we had time to spare, our guides allowed us to experience the inside of a crevasse that appeared to be bottomless. Setting up anchors and a rope system they lowered us about 20 or so feet into the crevasse. A once in a lifetime experience!

Heading back to camp to meet up with the rest of the team, I realize once again how fortunate and lucky I am to be surrounded by such stronghold of friends and family. This is my life-line and without it nothing that I have the passion to pursue in my life would be possible.

I want to thank everyone that has contributed and supported me these past two years for this benefit. This year we raised nearly $4000 for BCM.

Below are some additional links:

Rays story and pics of the climb

The rest of my pics: