The Vonk Report

2008-03-20T19:01:00.000-07:00

Raising awareness of a serious issue

There is a place in Alaska called Bristol Bay, it is a pristine landscape laced with fish-rich rivers and waterways. This area is threatened by the development of the worlds largest strip mining complex. The waste by-products of this operation will destroy this eco-system if implemented. To make matters worse- the companies are not even from the U.S. and they will be given public lands as part of the deal. I have never been to Alaska or Bristol Bay, however this is an issue that I have been studying. I have determined that as a Fly-fisherman and outdoors-man that this is something that I need to take a stand against. The bottom line is this: If the project moves forward the fishery will be altered forever, it will never, ever recover to it's pristine state. If it's lost, it is predicted that it will be lost for good- we have to ask ourselves what is this gold mine really worth?

To learn more; log on to www.savebristolbay.org, this is a great website with a lot of useful tools and information. Also check out www.feltsoulmedia.com, they have created a film called Red Gold which will be released in May. The trailer is available on the web-site and has already won awards.

2008-03-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

I Got's to go Fishing! Spring officially arrived early this morning and I am ready to get out fly-fishing. I got the jones in a big way and feel the need to feed it. I have some outings planned and have bigger plans to camp by a river out on the east-side in a few weeks. The problem is that the weather here in Washington is colder than normal and we are expecting snow in the low-lands tonight, it doesn't look like it will improve soon(at least not in the next five days or so.) This may keep the fishing from getting better, trout are lethargic when it's cold. I'm ready to move on from winter & into the spring fishing season. I need to be out in the sun, knee deep in a wild river with a rainbow on the line!

2008-01-10T21:08:00.000-08:00

The Passing of a Hero

Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mount Everest and stand on both the North and South Poles died today at the age of 88. We at the Vonk Report want to take a moment of pause to honor and celebrate a life fully lived. Hillary was an adventurer and explorer in the purest sense. Although he is best known for his achievements in mountaineering, Hillary spent much of the later part of his life in humanitarian efforts towards the Sherpa people of the Himalayas. I am thankful that this world was graced by the presence of such an individual- may you rest in peace.

" Well George, we finally knocked the bastard off"
-Hillary's first words, to friend George Lowe upon returning from the summit of Everest

2008-01-07T21:41:00.000-08:00

Be Careful out there!

By the way the weather has been shaping up we seem to be in for an epic winter. It has been snowing almost continually for over two weeks in the Cascades. This is all well and good except that here in Washington State we already lead the country in avalanche related fatalities. That is 8 deaths in this state alone. I heard on NPR this morning that there have been 14 avalanche deaths in the country so far this winter- this is the most since they have been tracking the statistics.
We need to slow down here and really assess the current stability situation, no mountain is worth dying for. There should be good backcountry snow conditions well into the spring this year and it will get more stable down the road. If you chose to go, get educated, carry and know how to use the proper equipment and know the limits of yourself and partners. Pay attention to the weather and the avalanche forecasts. This applies to all users; skiers, snowboarders, snow-mobilers, snow-shoers and winter hikers. Take personal responsibility for your safety and understand the risks that you are taking when entering avalanche terrain during periods of considerable risk. Please be careful out there!

Key Equipment:
Avalanche Beacon
Shovel- aluminium blade is preferred
Probe
Ava-lung breathing avalanche
Knowledge, Judgement, Training

2007-12-09T19:00:00.000-08:00

Disaster Response/Emergency Supply Kit

Over the last few years I have been in the vicinity of both a few major and minor natural disasters; including Hurricane Katrina. As a result; preparedness has become a priority for me. In the event of a natural disaster or emergency I want the ability to survive for up to three days before assistance is available. Luckily, we have an abundance have outdoor gear around the house, however, I have been developing a more comprehensive and "official" family response kit, which is pictured above. This is also part of our family effort to be more self-reliant and responsible for our own safety and well-being as opposed to being dependent on external sources. The development of a plan and a kit can be fairly simple and inexpensive and I would encourage every family to do it in this uncertain day and age. The project is empowering and truly offers peace of mind. Feel free to contact me for tips on equipment selection and tip design. In addition; check out the book: When All Hell Breaks Loose by master survival instructor Cody Lundin. This reference will serve as an excellent guide.

2007-12-08T13:17:00.000-08:00

Ode to one of the greatest songs ever written: A Country Boy Can Survive by Hank Williams Jr.

This song is about self-reliance, resolve, truth and a reduced BS way of living. The message here has been with me for a long time. After a hard day of complex urban living and dealing with endless issues; I crank this one up and get straight again- I have done this time and time again without fail. With that said; I wanted to take a moment and celebrate the brilliance of this tune on the blog. So here's to all the survivors out there! Thanks Hank!

The preacher man says it’s the end of time
And the Mississippi River she’s a goin’ dry
The interest is up and the Stock Markets down
And you only get mugged
If you go down town

I live back in the woods, you see
A woman and the kids, and the dogs and me
I got a shotgun rifle and a 4-wheel drive
And a country boy can survive
Country folks can survive

I can plow a field all day long
I can catch catfish from dusk till dawn
We make our own whiskey and our own smoke too
Ain’t too many things these ole boys can’t do
We grow good ole tomatoes and homemade wine
And a country boy can survive
Country folks can survive

Because you can’t starve us out
And you cant makes us run
Cause one-of- ‘em old boys raisin ole shotgun
And we say grace and we say Ma’am
And if you ain’t into that we don’t give a damn

We came from the West Virginia coalmines
And the Rocky Mountains and the and the western skies
And we can skin a buck; we can run a trot-line
And a country boy can survive
Country folks can survive

I had a good friend in New York City
He never called me by my name, just hillbilly
My grandpa taught me how to live off the land
And his taught him to be a businessman
He used to send me pictures of the Broadway nights
And I’d send him some homemade wine

But he was killed by a man with a switchblade knife
For 43 dollars my friend lost his life
Id love to spit some beechnut in that dudes eyes
And shoot him with my old 45
Cause a country boy can survive
Country folks can survive

Cause you can’t starve us out and you can’t make us run
Cause one-of- ‘em old boys raisin ole shotgun
And we say grace and we say Ma’am
And if you ain’t into that we don’t give a damn

We’re from North California and south Alabam
And little towns all around this land
And we can skin a buck; we can run a trot-line
And a country boy can survive
Country folks can survive

2007-11-25T20:39:00.000-08:00

" Sometimes when you run with the ball you get the crap knocked out of you; but running with the ball is fun."
- Old Country Wisdom

Seattle Half- Marathon

Being the fool that I am; I decided to run in the Seattle Half-Marathon this year. I ran it two years ago after returning from Hurricane Katrina and had a good time- so I decided to give it a go again this year. Unfortunately, I did not have the best training plan, in-fact I only ran five or six times in the last month or so and was also carrying a bit of a cold two weeks ago. I even entertained thoughts of not running at all. However, I got out there and gave it a go. The weather was interesting, typically this run is completed during a chilly wet drizzle. Today it was cold and sunny. The temp. was about 33 degrees at the 0730 start time. The sunshine was great and lifted runners spirits. At about mile 2; I ran into a challenge that would hinder me for the duration of my run. Both of my feet went completely numb. It felt like I was running with bricks at the bottom of my legs. I had to pull over and adjust my shoes, take a break etc. In a few moments the feeling returned along with the pain. My feet have never been the same since my attempted climb on the Grand Teton back in June. I am afraid that I may need to seek a professional assessment as the problem seems to be persistent( are they getting wider? Is this because I am getting older?) Nonetheless; I pressed on. I completed the 13 miles in a land speed record of 2hours 42 minutes. I was so slow but proud. The best part was that I had a great finish- I was in a full sprint upon entering memorial stadium and was getting cheered-on as I flew to the finish line, this felt great as I have always been a fan of the big finish! That was the highlight of the day for me.

Am I glad I did it? heck yes! would I do it again?in a heartbeat! This is a great event and Seattle tradition that I am grateful to have been a part of. Today's event also inspired me to challenge myself more and participate in similar events in the future( Of course I will implement a better training plan.) So what if I was slower than I wanted to be? what matters most was that I was out there. Stay tuned for a new challenge that I will be working on in the spring of 2008. This next one will be unique and require a team effort!

" There two types of bodies out there- Gazelles and Gorilla's; and you Mr. Vonk? Well you are a Gorilla!"
- K. Walters.

2007-11-12T11:02:00.000-08:00

Waters Fished in 2007

Washington:
East Side:
Yakima River Canyon
Upper Skykomish

Olympic Pennsiula
Upper and Lower Elwha
Dungeness River
Dosewallips River

Puget Sound Salt-water
Point-no- Point

Wyoming:
Snake River
Hoback River
Gros Venture
Private Waters

Next up: Going after steelhead this winter!

2007-09-30T16:36:00.000-07:00

Day trip to the Yakima River Canyon

This past Saturday; Martha and I took a day trip to fish and explore the Yakima River Canyon. This is a beautiful river corridor and I am rapidly making plans to return there in the near future. I had numerous strikes but only landed one fish, a beautiful nine inch rainbow caught on a dry fly. That one catch made the whole trip worth it!

2007-09-26T20:39:00.001-07:00

New Dropkick Murphy's Album

I picked up the new DKM album " The Meanest of Times" and this album is absolutely incredible. There are so many good tracks that it is disgusting. The song "Echoes on A Street" really hit home for me since I travel a lot for work. This album also reminds me of the old TIOBEC/ Southie crew. Those were good days and not forgotten, I think about you guys everyday. I may be a westerner by birth and lifestyle. I carry that "Boston" energy with me wherever I go. The only disappointing part is that the Dropkick's will not be stopping in Seattle on this tour- that is really too bad! Check out the website at www.dropkickmurphys.com!

2007-09-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

The Mountains Win Again

One of my climbing goals has always been to summit the Grand Teton. This summer I had the opportunity to travel to and spend time in the incredible mountain village of Jackson, WY.

2007-04-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

Bears Gone Wild!

No this photo is not of some campsite in the wild getting trashed, it is at the zoo. This past Sunday, Martha and I went to Woodland Park Zoo to see the two grizzly bears that live there. They had set up a "bear safety" demonstration with a campsite and various food items strewn about their pen. Then they let the Bears out and they get to go to town on the whole thing. Pretty interesting to watch. That is a box of cereal in a zip-lock bag, intentionally hung in the tree that he is going after. Personally, I really dig these two grizzlies and think it is by far the best exhibit at the Seattle Zoo. Well worth the trip just to check the big fellas out.

2007-04-23T20:36:00.000-07:00

Charging it, Colorado Backcountry, March 2007

20 Years and Still Riding

This spring marks my 20th season of snowboarding. I made my first turns at the Arizona Snowbowl on a Burton Split Tail, with Sorel Boots. I do believe the board was a cruzier? The road from the highway to the mountain was still unpaved and the time. I took a lesson from the one staff instructor at the time, who later went on to have a short pro career. I even had a collision with one of the ski-wee kids, no damage done. Snowboarding has opened up a whole world for me. I have had seasons with five days and seasons with over 100. I have ridden all over the US, even worked at Snowbowl, Bear Mountain (SOCAL) and Vail, Colorado. Most of all snowboarding is about enjoying the mountains. The sport led me to climbing/ mountaineering and subsequently my career at Outward Bound. I have no plans to stop or let up. In fact my future plans are to spend more time in the backcountry and develop my snowboarding mountaineering skills. I now have a full backcountry setup; split-board, beacon and everything else I could think of. I am even studying some locations for tours next winter in the Cascades. I wanted to take a moment and mark this milestone. Hopefully, I will be making a post when I hit the 40th anniversary!

2007-03-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

"Tiny" Tim Henley dropping it like it's hot, southern Colorado Backcountry

2007-03-05T20:52:00.000-08:00

Sunrise, El Vato Lake, New Mexico, March 2nd, 2007

2007-02-26T05:18:00.000-08:00

Winter Sailing in Puget Sound

2007-02-25T20:18:00.000-08:00

Ready to ride, solo mission, Stevens Pass, February, 2007

2007-02-25T19:59:00.000-08:00

The Legs of a Madman

Today I rode in the annual chilly hilly ride. The Chilly Hilly is a classic winter bike ride that runs counter-clockwise around the lovely Bainbridge Island. As the name says it, it is hilly and chilly. In classic northwest fashion the weather was cold, damp and rainy. By the time I finished the ride my lower legs and feet were soaked and covered in road grime and dirt. I also think that I was in a mildly hypothermic state. Nonetheless; this was a great ride and the 1st formal bike event that I have completed. I have done some running events and the impact can be so heavy on the joints, you also do not get the reward and thrill of bombing down the hills. Today's event made me realize how important physical challenges are for me. I am currently in the process of trying to be a bit more active and work out more- I am attempting to complete 5 solid hours of cardio per week- I know that this does not sound like much, however this is cardio only and does not include weight lifting or any other exercise. Due to my awkward schedule this is going to put me in the two-a-day category for gym sessions. I am really ok with this- in fact I love the active life with a passion. In my Outward Bound days; I was faced with physical challenges all of the time and as a result was in great shape. When I got into to my 30's and was going to graduate school I gained a lot of weight and became way less active. I am letting this go and getting back to the way I was before. One of my life goals is to get fitter as I get older and this is what I intend to do. Fitness is a way of life and that life starts now!

2007-01-15T22:25:00.000-08:00

MT. Baker Self-portrait- chillin in the ski area parking lot.

2007-01-15T22:04:00.000-08:00

TRIP TO BAKER
I made a solo day trip to Mt. Baker this last Sunday. Baker is an amazing mountain in the north cascades. The ski area is known as a snowboarding Mecca, which proved to be true. It also has multiple lift serviced backcountry gates. The BC there proved to be a real teaser for me, I was not about to go since I did not have a partner nor the proper equipment so I stayed in-bounds. The weather here has been wild, it snowed last week and then it has been very cold and clear. Totally opposite of what is typical here. The drive to Baker reminded me of being in New Hampshire with all the snow. I do love it when it is cold and clear out. The best part of this trip was hanging out in the sun. The drawback was that the runs were hardpack and icy. Nonetheless, I always love going to the North Cascades, it is one of my favorite ranges. Every time I am there, I always think I need to get back up here and spend more time. It also makes me motivated to get some climbs in when the summer comes. The picture above is of Mt. Shuksan. The other picture is a self-portrait.

2007-01-15T21:56:00.000-08:00

NEW YEAR, NEW RIDE

It is a new year and as luck may have it, I have acquired a new car. It is a 1998 Subaru Outback. The dealer gave me my asking price, so I was pretty excited about that. Outbacks are great cars and do well in bad weather, which we have been having plenty of up here. It is good to have the piece of mind when you are on the road as much as I am. I still have the old red subaru, however, I am going to get cleaned up and sold in the near future.

2006-11-06T20:15:00.000-08:00

An Island Called Hurricane

One of my favorites places is an island in west Penobscot Bay off the coast of Maine called Hurricane. The island has a very unique history. In the 1800's the island was home to a very productive granite quarry operation and small village of people that lived and worked out there. Many buildings and monuments on the east coast have Hurricane Island granite in them. At sometime in the early 19th century the quarry industry and village died off and the island began to return to it's natural state. Enter the 1960's and the Outward Bound movement. Outward Bound schools were ramping up in locations across the country; namely Colorado and Minnesota. The idea for a sea school was hatched and Hurricane Island was a perfect location. This is how I came to know the island. From the 60's to the present day Outward Bound has been conducting programs on the island. My first experience out there was in the spring of 1998 and I been working there on and off since that time. As anyone that has ever spent time on the coast of Maine knows, the place is painfully beautiful. Most of the programs that I worked there involved sailing for five days or so and then arriving on the island for the rock climbing, ropes course and the solo experience. Most folks associate OB with mountain programs, however Hurricane is all about the sea, which made it very unique even within the OB system. One of the most powerful elements of an OB course is the solo experience. This is where students live by themselves in the wild for two to three days with minimal equipment. Solo's at Hurricane were very special, the island is surrounded by a chain of islands,rocks jutting out of the water mostly. Because of the availability of this natural resource, the students are typically given their own island for the solo which made for a very powerful transformational experience. I know of no other program that offers this to the students quite the same way that the hurricane program does! Sailing to and around the island is excellent as well. The last time I made the approach to the island we came in to Hurricane sound from Penobscot Bay and tacked our way up to the anchorage. It was a perfect late summer day, the breeze was 10-12 out of the south and the water was shining like diamonds in the afternoon sun. Very beautiful. Another lovely aspect of the island is a place called morning meeting rock. Morning meeting rock is a large slap of granite that slopes down towards the main pier area and looks out over Hurricane Sound towards Heron's Neck. Every morning at 0800 all the "watches" on the island (a watch is one boat-load of students, typically 10-12 people) would meet there for news of the day, readings, songs and poems. It was always a special time of the day that evoked inspiration, reflection and positive thoughts. If there was ever a sacred place on this Earth; then morning meeting rock would be it! This I know and have relayed to my students many times. Most veteran OB instructors sooner or later have what we consider to be a "masterpiece" course. This is typically a course when the students and the instructors come into an alignment with the goals and outcomes of the program and the true OB magic happens. Students are challenged and truly optimize the growth and experiences of the course. In August of 2001 I lead a two week sailing program that I have always considered to be one of by masterpiece courses. My students were a group of bright young people who really took advantage of the opportunity laid out before them. It was very powerful and I have vivid and fond memories of that time. I remember many of my students and fellow instructors that I sailed and adventured with out there and think of them often. Although I do not get out to the island much anymore nor work for OB much these days the island is often in my thoughts. That place is etched in my conscience and brings my piece of mind to know that it is out there and that people still get to have the Hurricane Island experience. If any of the readers of this blog have ever been to Hurricane, especially if you were a fellow instructor or one of my former students, please drop me a line as I would love to hear from you.

2006-10-30T20:04:00.000-08:00

Powerful Photos

There is a very powerful photo essay on the New York Times website called "A Mournful Month." It shows some very intense photos taken during funerals at Arlington National Cemetery over this past month. I have to say here, these pictures are not easy to look at yet they are something that I think we need to bear witness to. If you can just slow down and imagine these scenes with the pipes or the trumpets sounding in the background playing amazing grace or taps. These photos also evoke many very difficult and hard questions to ask and even harder to answer. The link to the website is listed below: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/30/us/30arlingtonblurb.html?_r=1&ref=multimedia&oref=slogin

2006-10-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

Sailing on Splash Dance J-120

Most of the people who know me well know that I have been heavily involved in sailing over the last ten years or so. From 2003 -2005 I was part of the crew on the J-120 Splash Dance which was a 40 foot racing sloop homeported here in Seattle. This was a fantastic crew to be a part of, the boat was managed very well and the crew was a real who's who of Seattle sailing. We did most of the major races in the northwest including the south sound series, tri-island series, PSSC as well as some distance races such as the bi-annual Smith Island (one of my personal favorites.) Splash Dance had an outstanding record and we did really well in most races. My position was as Bowman and/or Mast-man. I would also grind/trim on the spinnaker during longer downwind legs. In 2005 the owner decided to sell the boat in order to pursue other things, because of this the "crew" has spread apart. Before the boat was sold, the owner stated that he would be looking to make a comeback in 2007 with a newer,sporty boat. If that should happen, I would be pretty excited. I would love to sail with that crew again- that were high performers and really fun to work with. You may be wondering why I am bringing this up now? Recently the local sailing magazine 48 Degrees North ran a special anniversary issue and highlighted the top boats of the last 25 years. Splash Dance was one of the top boats in 2002, 2003 and 2004, so needless to say they ran the picture above of her and a small article. It was exciting to see this as it brought back a lot of good memories. I am actually in this picture, you cannot see me, but my feet are hanging over the starboard side. I do believe it was taken at the up-wind mark rounding during the 2003 winter vashon race. It was right after we hoisted the chute. I am excited to see what the future holds, as I would love to sail with this crew again. Ah, so many boats to sail, so little time.....

2006-10-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

The First Time Out

My latest obsession is fly-fishing. I have been spending a lot of time and money reading, researching and accumulating the necessary gear. There was a good ebb tide this morning so I got an early start and decided to give it a go at a local Puget Sound beach. It is a classic fall day here in Seattle, about 50, overcast skies and a light drizzle. Today was the 1st time that I have fly-fished in a very long time as well as the first time ever in salt water. I spent about a half-hour in a park area practicing my cast and then decided it was time to gear up and wade out there. There were about five other people out and I have to say it was a bit intimating to be the "new guy" on the scene. Anyway, I went for it and wadded out. I fished for about an hour in three different spots. My gear kept me really dry but I got pretty cold, to the point that I needed to get out of the water and stand up on the beach. In fact I am still trying to warm up as write this and sip a mug of hot coffee. Lesson learned there, I noticed that the other guys were all dressed with a lot of gear, there is a good reason for this. Needless to say that I did not catch any fish. Nor did I see anyone else catch any, so I did not feel so bad. I only saw two jump- but they were pretty far offshore, much longer than I could cast. My casting was mediocre at best, not bad for the first time. I could get it out in front of me without creating a mess and tangle of line so that was good. I just could not get the distance on the fly. Practice will help. Nonetheless, it was nice to be out there on a quiet Sunday morning in a beautiful spot. I know that there are a lot of great spots to fish out in the areas that I work so I am looking forward to trying it out in those spots in the near future, hopefully at somepoint I will even catch a fish. A guy on the beach told me that it is like learning to drive a "stick-shift" he said " you keep trying and trying and getting frustrated and then all of sudden you are fishing." Good advice. It is humbling to try and teach yourself a new and intricate activity, I live for challenges such as this.

On another note- Today is Canadian Thanksgiving. So here is too all my in-laws up in Ontario. Maybe someday we will all get to celebrate it together. Happy Canuck Turkey Day!

2006-10-01T21:53:00.001-07:00

Outside Magazine

Pick up this months issue of Outside Magazine. There is a great story in there written by a fellow Outward Bounder named Mark Sundeen. Mark and I worked a great OB course together in Colorado in August of 05. The story is about a river trip and friendship. It is a good read and well worth the five bucks or so. Check it out!

2006-10-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

Surfing the Great White North
Recently my wife and I got take a real vacation. I cannot remember the last time that we actually took a vacation in the traditional sense of the word. I do believe that it was over two years ago. Anyway, we went up to a fantastic place on the coast of Vancouver Island. The natural beauty there is out of this world and the people all very friendly. The whole town operates on a different sense of time- at least that's what it felt like for us while we were there. It was also great for Martha and I to spend some quality time together. The exact names and locations of where we went need to remain nameless, they could be revealed for a small price, but I would rather not go there. The average person might be able to figure it all out by doing some research and looking at a map, however I would be over-stepping my boundaries if I let it all out, so I wont. The picture up above is the sunset from our camp. This is what it looked like every night of the four that we were there, 'nuff said.

One of our primary reasons for going on this trip was to do some surfing. Surfing in the northwest is all about timing, location and exposure. One needs to have a good wetsuit as the water is COLD, one will not last long if not well equipped. Martha and I are novice surfers but when conditions are right, we can get up and get some good rides in. On the morning of our third day I happened to have a great session- despite the zipper on my old wetsuit completely blowing out! I got a lot of good rides in and I was just so stoked. It was early in the morning, we were practically the only people out on this beautiful pristine beach, the sun was shining etc, etc. Oh, and a brief word on surfing. I have climbed, snowboarded and sailed all across the country. These sports are all fantastic and all give you a great natural high at some-point or another. But there is nothing that feels the way that surfing does. When you stand up and ride the wave the "stoke" is just on. It feels like floating. The other thing is that the ride is different everytime, because no wave is ever the same. It just feels so amazing to be in the ocean- it is just you and the board. A very scaled down and simple way of being. When you are surfing you are in a part of an element that is much,much larger than you- the ocean. When I am out there, I feel very small- small in a good way, a way of wonder. I think that is part of where the "stoke"comes from, you feel child like again. Damn, life is good!

2006-10-01T11:47:00.001-07:00

I am typically not the most crafty person in the world, however once in a while I get the bug. I decided as a token of appreciation for one of the cutter crews that I have been doing a lot of training with that I would build them a knot board. A knot board is a very a sailor type thing to do- it is a display of knots and there are lot of different styles out there. When done well, I think that they look really good and make a great nautical gift. With the expert help of my very crafty wife; Martha and about a $25 investment I was able to create the knot board in the picture at left. We did this over labor day weekend and I was able to present it to the cutter crew on the following week, they thought it was a great gift and it will now hang in the Coast Guard station office, hopefully for many years to come.