Interview on CBC Calgary

Earlier this month my voice echoed across the air waves of Calgary and computer speakers everywhere. I was discussing the merits of skiing Rocky Mountain couloirs in late spring with Paul Karchut, a technician on CBC Calgary's Eye Opener program. Paul's a friend of mine and a deadly tele skier. He accompanied me and photographer Ryan Creary for a couple days as we climbed and skied choice lines in the Banff and Lake Louise area for an article in Backcountry Magazine.

You can hear the story Paul put together from our adventure here:
http://www.cbc.ca/eyeopener/episode/2011/05/09/icefields-parkway-a-spring-time-mecca-for-extreme-skiing/

Extreme fly fishing in BC

I just finished writing my article about the niche sport of extreme fly fishing for Outdoor Canada Magazine. Combining the skills of fly fishing, canyoneering and rock climbing, the object is to get into inaccessible sections of rivers that have never been fished before, where huge trout jump on every cast. I teamed up with David Begg, a mountain guide and avid fly fisherman, for the story and traveled to Canadian Rockies. The fishing didn't turn out quite as heavy as we'd hoped, but we caught plenty of trout and saw some amazing pools.

Here's a picture of David deep in an inaccessible canyon section. Judging by the non-stop action we figure this water had never been fished. Just above the picture is a bridge. A few minutes later a truck drove over and stopped. I'm pretty sure they were looking at David saying, "WTF!"

More magazine award nominations

A couple of my explore Magazine articles received nominations for the Canadian National Magazine Awards. The Best of Banff article, a mini travel guide to Canada's oldest National Park, and The New Classics, new trips to try across Canada, both received nominations in the Service: Lifestyle category. The Best of Banff also got a nod in the Single Service Article Package.  The Best of Banff article already won a Northern Lights Award from the Canadian Tourism Commission.

The full list of National Magazine Award nominees can be found at http://www.magazine-awards.com/
Winners will be announced on June 10th in Toronto.

3rd in Northern Lights travel journalism award

Next week Explore Magazine will accept an award on my behalf from the Northern Lights Awards part of the Canadian Tourism Commission's Media Marketplace in New York City. An article I wrote in the June 2010 issue of Explore Magazine won third place in the magazine category, which recognizes excellence in "tourism-oriented coverage on Canadian destinations in 2010."

My article was The Best of Banff, an in depth travel guide to Canada's first and most popular national park. I grew up and went to university in Calgary, spending all my free time playing in the mountains around Banff. My parents still live in the area and I return two or three times a year. I tapped my parents extensive knowledge to a huge extent and this article would be a skeleton without their input.

The article was a collage of bits and pieces: best bets on hotels, hikes and adventures; recommendations from locals; suggested reads; and more. All of it was designed to help a visitor to Banff make the best use of their time. I think I succeeded. 

Of all the hundreds of articles I've written it is the one I'm the most proud of. An excerpt from the original article is online at explore-mag.com.

Restless Josie Australia

Considering the economic impact of weather

Like many active, outdoorsy people I spend a lot of time checking on the weather. Is it snowing on the hill? Will the rivers be up this weekend? Should I paddle or climb tomorrow?

The weather often dictates my daily schedule as I plan my exercise and fun around its whims. I consider temperature, wind, waves, precipitation and freezing level. But I rarely consider economics, until I read this article in The Economist.

The author considers the data on how December snowstorms in England effected economic output. Where others blame the weather for dramatic losses in productivity, the author is a little more cautious. The Snow Sport Industry of America chimes in to say an early winter in the east increased sales of things like jackets, skis and snowshoes.

I'm sure weather's impact depends on where you live. Here on Vancouver Island 10 centimetres of snow can shut schools for the day, sending parents outdoors to play with their kids instead of to work. The same amount of snow in Toronto would snarl traffic and make just about anyone that drives late. Yet, no one blinks at 10 cms in places like Winnipeg or Revelstoke.

And consider a town like Whistler, where many businesses have a 20 centimetre rule: if it snows 20 cms or more they open late. In December the mega resort got buried by 10 metres of snow. That's a lot of late starts.

And yet that's nothing like the impact of a hurricane or a major flood.

Just one more reason to pay attention the the weather forecast.

Stories for AOL Travel now online

In January I started writing for AOL Canada's travel portal, travel.aol.ca. Officially I'm their Vancouver Island blogger, reporting on places to go, things to do and what's new from my Island in the Pacific. I'll also throw in the odd story from other parts of British Columbia and Canada to spice things up.

So far I've written about the growing fruit wine scene in the Comox Valley, a couple winter festivals at Mount Washington and Victoria's Winter Farmers' Market. You can read them all and more here. I post weekly and am loving the chance to check all the things on Vancouver Island that I've been meaning to write about but haven't had the chance.