THE BLOG: Insights, advice and news from our summer camp experts
One of our campers from last summer came to us from the Dominican Republic. Yes, I had the same reaction initially: why would anyone leave the Caribbean for northern New England? Well because we are awesome.
Anyway...Rafa has been getting after it in the DR at a new wakeboard park in his hometown of Punta Cana. See below.
No, we did not edit that photo. The DR is just that gorgeous.
We are constantly amazed by cool people doing awesome activities in spectacular places. i.e. below video: https://vimeo.com/84760592
Caves are so fascinating for so many reasons: they are mysterious, immortal, majestic, and, most of all, limitlessly explorable. Winching around the flat waters of this 'grotto' is just another means of exploring a tremendous natural wonder.
I was lucky enough to do some underground 'blackwater' rafting in New Zealand a few years ago and it was an experience of a lifetime. Turn your headlamp off for a bit and all you can see are millions of glow worms like stars in a perfect night sky.
Of course, you have to get into the caves somehow. In New Zealand the journey started with a 300 foot rappel into pitch black darkness.
Lebanon wakeboarding video spotted in this BBC Article.
Ryan brings to a camp a lifetime of riding/skiing behind his family boat on Lake Ossipee in New Hampshire but also has a devilish side...as part of the Arizona State University Wake Devils, his school's two-time national championship winning wake boarding team. He is excited to share his skills and experience with our campers and get everyone boosting over the wake. When not hanging on to the line and throwing tricks behind the boat, Ryan enjoys backpacking, rock climbing, slack lining, and just enjoying the outdoors.
Cool post from Lonely Planet on extreme sports. 20 unmissable extreme sports
I am lucky to have done the majority of these and am pumped to try a few others.
Day 2 of the NH adventure weekend was to magnificent Mt. Washington. Mt. Washington is the highest mountain in New Hampshire and its snow-capped peak is visible from all over the state. I have hiked to the summit on numerous occasions but have never had the opportunity to snowboard its slopes and trails. We decided bright and early that it was a perfect day to hike up the mountain and scope out conditions on Tuckerman's Ravine, an infamous backcountry destination.
Setting out early in the morning from the Pinkham Notch center, the trail was easy work even while lugging up our gear.
With such a perfect day for hiking we came across a few other groups making their way up or down. Carrying my board horizontal seemed like a good idea when we set off but in practice it ended up annoying everyone we passed along the way. "Pardon me, board coming through."
We made it up to the caretaker's cabin below Tuckerman's Ravine and chilled for a while and chatted with other hikers.
The avalanche board did not explicitly tell us not to proceed but a park ranger and some other climbers did not think it would be a good idea to ski Tuck's that day. Lots of variable weather and snowfall had left sections unstable and we were not experienced enough to navigate the terrain safely.
So we took in the scenery, marveled at the grandeur of the mountain, and strapped on boards and skis for the return trip. The Sherburne Trail was our ticket home.
We dropped in to the trail and sped away. Conditions were OK, a bit crusty and skied-off but nothing too terrible. After hiking all morning with heavy packs we definitely earned our turns.
The trail was wide, open, sunny, and empty.
All in all a great way to spend a NH weekend.
Need advice on hiking/skiing/snowboarding in NH? Hit me up any time.
617-855-WAKE (9253)
