Travel & Tourism

Swimming with Dolphins off Hawaii’s Kona Coast is a Magical Experience

April 12, 2010 by Shelli

We just returned from one week of vacationing on the Big Island of Hawaii. It was our second time to the area. The Big Island is definitely on our short list of favorite places in the world.

One of the highlights of our trip was a “Swim with Dolphins” snorkeling trip, provided by Sunlight on Water. I went on the adventure with our two oldest sons, Wolf and Hayden, ages 9 and 8.

Here’s one clip of a guide, Kevin, swimming with Wolf. Watch to the end and you’ll see a manta ray:

My husband, Jerry, is recovering from a spine fusion, so he and our 2-year-old son, Fin, spent the morning exploring tidepools and building sand castles and swimming while Wolf, Hayden and I went on the dolphin swim.

Here is a clip of Spinner Dolphins living up to their name, captured before we swam with them:

Sunlight on Water is owned and operated by “China Mike” and Melainah Yee. This adventure is ecotourism at its best! We found out, firsthand, that to swim with dolphins, in the wild and out in the middle of the ocean, is an adventure of a lifetime.

The adventure started with Captain China Mike performing a Hawaiian Ceremony and prayer. This offered a cultural aspect to the adventure, making it even more memorable.

Coming out of the harbor, we were all pleasantly surprised to see a humpback whale. We were visiting the Big Island at the tail end of the humpback whale migration. Most of the whales are well on their way back to Alaska so we didn’t expect to see any whales.

However, before our 4-hour adventure ended, we had viewed six to eight whales. It was incredible! We not only saw mommy whales with their babies, but also males, who were singing. China Mike put a microphone under the ocean waters so we could listen to one of the male whale’s tunes. One time we watched a mommy whale and her baby right before they passed under our boat. For a minute the good-sized boat we were on felt pretty small…

Check out the male whale’s song here:

According to Mike, the whales spend time in Hawaii’s waters giving birth. Alaska’s waters are too cold for birthing because baby whales, who can weigh about 2,000 pounds, don’t have any fat on them. Mommy whales’ milk has more fat than any other milk on the planet.

We learned a lot about dolphins and all of it was fascinating. For example, dolphins are among the most intelligent of animals. Individuals communicate using a variety of clicks, whistles and other vocalizations, all of which we could hear while swimming among the dolphins. Play is an important part of dolphin culture, and although dolphins rest, they never fully sleep. Rather, they can turn one hemisphere of their brain off in a “slow wave sleep” that allows them to remain conscious enough to breathe and be aware of predators.

Here is a clip of me swimming with the dolphins:

China Mike and his guides were phenomenal. One of the guides was Kevin, and he helped ensure that Wolf and Hayden got the pleasure of swimming right in and with the dolphins and helped them see things they might otherwise had missed. It was the first time the boys, who are good swimmers, spent time swimming out in the middle of the ocean, and it was their first time for snorkeling. I was worried and they were a little uneasy. But thanks to great instruction and hand-holding by the Sunlight on Water crew, particularly Kevin, the boys had an awesome time of it. In all, I think we snorkeled and swam with dolphins on five different occasions during the adventure.

Whale — Humpback whale we spotted during our Sunlight on Water dolphin swim adventure.

It was a perfect day. After our adventure with the dolphins came to an end, I asked Wolf and Hayden how they would describe it. Both of them thought “magical” best described it. It was a significant highlight of their trip, and they are still talking about it as we return to our life in the snowy mountains of Wyoming.

This was truly a magical adventure and I can’t recommend it enough!

Both Michael and Melainah are USCG licensed captains. “China” Mike has been surfing, diving and has captained boats on the Kona Coast for over 25 years and is one of the most experienced captains on the Big Island. He operated the first charter boat offering Dolphin Swims in Hawaii.

Michael and Melainah are Kona’s leaders when talking about experience with Dolphins and are known internationally for their expertise. They have been featured on several television documentaries discussing the human/dolphin connection.

We were made aware of Sunlight on Water, and this great adventure, by Tom Barefoot, of Tom Barefoot’s Tours, a provider of discount tours and activities on the Big Island, Maui, Oahu and Kauai. Tom provided invaluable input to us as we were planning activities for our trip, and I am grateful to him, especially for directing us to the Sunlight on Water dolphin swim. (And yes, Barefoot is his real last name.)

Dolphin swim videos included in this blog post were captured and provided by Ryan Leinbach and DolphinDreams.com, a video business that accompanies the adventure and captures underwater footage, which is available for purchase later.

Rendezvous 25-K Ski Race: A Great Experience

March 10, 2010 by Shelli

This is POST 23 of my “fitness journey.” For backstory, see Post 1,
Post 2, Post 3 , Post 4, Post 5, Post 6, Post 7,Post 8, Post 9, Post 10, Post 11, Post 12 Post 13,Post 14, Post 15, Post 16, and Post 17,Post 18, Post 19,Post 20,Post 21 and Post 22.

Last Saturday, March 6, I competed in the 25-kilometer skate ski Rendezvous Race in West Yellowstone, Montana. It was great fun!

Some of you have followed my fitness blogging. The race was a goal and event I had planned in early winter so as to keep me training at a high level and motivated through the winter months.

Winter in my hometown of Lander, WY, has been a generous one so I got lots of skiing in. I am not a super experienced skate skier, and this was my first time to race. It was a fantastic experience! I covered the distance in 1:37 and even placed third in my age group. Trail conditions were pretty soft and not ideal, but no matter –- the scenery and course more than made up for it!

650 skiers turned out for the 31-year-old Rendezvous Race. There were kids, teenagers, young adults, baby boomers and older people who participated in the event. Skiers chose between distances of 2k, 10k, 25k or 50k.

845b-044K — Me, having a good time during the race. (MontanaStars.com photo)

(Photo by MontanaStars.com)

My good friend, Kathy Browning, joined me for the adventure. She just bought skate skis six weeks ago and had signed up for the 10-k. But during our trip to West Yellowstone, she decided to change to the 25-k, which she finished with no problem and even had some energy leftover!

To get there, we traveled through some stunning country, including Togwotee Pass, along the Continental Divide, Jackson Hole, Teton Pass, a beautiful roller-coaster farm country-with-the-Tetons-for-a-backdrop highway, and Targhee Pass before arriving to West Yellowstone, the West Entrance to Yellowstone, the world’s first national park, and my favorite place in the world.

The 25-kilometer race followed most of the Rendezvous trails. What a world-class trail system! Beautiful scenery, thick forests, mountain views and rolling terrain. It was 30 degrees and mostly sunny so conditions were soft.

My training, including the foundation work, metabolic training, high intensity intervals, all the time I spent on ski trails (including many sessions on less-than-stellar conditions and in blizzards), the foods I chose that fueled me and help me get leaner and meaner, my commitment, and the guidance from coach Steve Bechtel/Elemental Training served me well in my first ski race.

It was a fantastic first ski race experience for me. I will definitely return next year, possibly for the 50-k.

Following the race, we enjoyed the pool, hot tubs and water slide at the Days Inn, took a snort of Patron Silver, which was gifted to us from some friends for purposes of celebrating, and then enjoyed too many delightfully delicious desserts at the Rendezvous Race awards ceremony.

Here are some photos and videos captured during the adventure — some serious, but mostly fun. (As you can probably tell, what this was was a great road trip adventure with a friend. The ski race was at times secondary.) Enjoy!

P3050006 — Stopping in Dubois, WY, to ride the infamous Jackalope.

P3050014 — The trip was not only about the ski race. We stopped at the famous Cowboy Bar, in Jackson, WY, for a quick game of pool. Kathy chalks up here.

P3060063 — Rendezvous Race provided an extensive, delicious dessert bar for participants at the awards ceremony. We definitely indulged!

Elemental Gym has a fantastic gym, some terrific programs and classes that will help you achieve better fitness. And, I might add, some great personal trainers: Steve Bechtel, Ellen Bechtel, Jagoe Reid, Sophie Mosemann and Lee Brown.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort: “Legendary”

February 25, 2010 by Shelli

Getting ready for my first run at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort last Friday.

I just returned from a day on the slopes of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, in Jackson Hole, WY.

I’m lucky because this world-class resort is in my backyard, just a 3-hour drive from my hometown of Lander, WY. I grew up skiing its slopes.

On Thursday I left Lander in a blizzard. More than 10 inches of white stuff had already fallen on Lander. I could only hope that it was doing the same in Jackson.

It wasn’t. But that’s okay because it meant that once I was over Togwotee Pass I had more suitable road conditions. And, although there was no fresh pow to enjoy on the slopes of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Friday, we had a stellar, almost-entirely bluebird day. Plus, this would mark my first, and probably only, day to be on the snowboard this winter. Beggars can’t be choosers.

Beautiful scenery on Togwotee Pass, along the Continental Divide, on my way to Jackson Hole.

Well, fortunately, there’s nothing left to want for once at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. The place can be described in just one word: Legendary.

If you don’t believe me, consider these facts: Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) boasts the greatest continuous inbound vertical rise for ski areas in the U.S. –– 4,139′ to be exact. To access this in a single legendary run, ride the Aerial Tram, otherwise known fondly as “The Big Red.” In 9 minutes you’re delivered 4,139′ of vertical. When it comes to skiing or snowboarding, this is about as close as you can get to instant gratification.

My friend, Joel Krieger from Atlanta, GA, and I posing next to trail map sign at top of Bridger Gondola.

The resort partially covers two mountains — Rendezvous and Apres Vous — and provides access to some of the most challenging terrain in all of North America. Perhaps, then, it’s no big wonder that JHMR attracts many of the world’s best free skiers.

Within JHMR alone, skiers and snowboarders enjoy about 2,500 acres of inbound terrain. And while that’s a heck of lot of terrain (plenty for most people), there is an even larger area to be explored off-piste (out of bounds).

Skiers Bill Lewkowitz and Lisa Walker enjoy a run. That's the Tram in the background. (Tristan Greszko/JHMR photo)

The terrain has not only attracted the best skiers in the world but also one of the leading ski film companies, Teton Gravity Research, and Jackson Hole is home to one of the most famous expert ski runs in the world, Corbet’s Couloir.

To whet your appetite, check out the Trail Map. Breakdown of terrain is roughly 50% expert, 40% intermediate, and 10% beginner.

This would normally be my husband, Jerry, getting big air at JHMR's terrain park. But in this case, it is not, as he is recovering from a spine fusion. (Tristan Greszko photo/JHMR)

I know, personally, from growing up and skiing and snowboarding at Jackson Hole and then experiencing other resorts, in Utah, Colorado, and California, that often times people will say a “blue” at JHMR is like a “black” on any other resort. I certainly think this is the case. That said, there is plenty of beginner and intermediate terrain.

I consider myself an intermediate snowboarder who, given great conditions, pursues expert runs. The Hobacks are my favorite. They are black diamond runs and represent backcountry conditions but with the advantage of being delivered direct access to them via lifts.

Laramie Bowl is fantastic. One of my favorite extended runs is the Gros Ventre, accessed by the awesome Bridger Gondola. Get out of the elements and ride the Gondola for only 7 minutes. Your reward: A mile and a half of descent! Unbeatable, in my opinion.

Another favorite of mine is to ride the Thunder Quad Chair and take the black diamond Paintbrush to Amphitheatre. Dogface and Bird in the Hand off Sublette Quad Chair are also favorites.

Exceptional, easy-to-access intermediate (blue) runs can also be enjoyed off the Apres Vous and Casper Quad Chairs.

Beginner terrain is plentiful off the Teewinot and Eagle’s Rest lifts. There is a phenomenal terrain park and halfpipe as well.

During my recent day at JHMR, I snowboarded about 23 miles worth of runs covering about 50,000 feet of vertical. Not too shabby at all!

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has something for everyone. (Photo by Ken Redding)

I had views of the Jackson Hole valley below and met nothing but friendly skiers and snowboarders on all my rides up the mountain.

My snowboarding partner for the day and I enjoyed a fantastic lunch at The Couloir Restaurant, which is perfectly located at 9,095′ elevation at the top of the Bridger Gondola.

Joel had a burger and fries that looked downright delicious and I enjoyed a tasty and fulfilling serving of buffalo chili, all while watching paragliders take off from the slope out our window. The Couloir has been written up in Food & Wine, as well as Conde Naste’s Hot Tables List. The chef is top shelf, and all ingredients are native to the region.

Snow is plentiful, too. The resort receives about 460″ of white stuff every year.

When you ask someone who’s skied or snowboarded at JHMR, who has also skied other major resorts in the Western U. S., about their JHMR experience, often the response is the same. That JHMR is a combination of all the things skiers and snowboarders seek, wrapped into one. The best — most extensive, varied and challenging — terrain, stunning scenery, people who are friendlier than those found anywhere else, and a mountain experience that is 100% authentic.

Like I said, this place is legendary.

Skate Skiing in my Backyard: the Continental Divide & the southern Wind River Range

February 23, 2010 by Shelli

Me, frolicking at Beaver Creek Nordic Area, on South Pass, in the southern Wind River Range, above Lander, WY.

Once again I realized how lucky I am to call the southern Wind River Range of Wyoming home. And how lucky I am to have such good, hardy girlfriends who are willing to go on any adventure with me.

I’m currently training for a 25-kilometer Rendezvous Ski Race in West Yellowstone, MT. The event is coming up in less than two weeks, on March 6.

Road closed? Really? Glad there was a sign...

So, as part of my preparation for the event, and under coaching from my personal trainer, Steve Bechtel, I was to get a 25-k training skate ski run in “at race pace” this past Sunday. My good friends, Kathy Browning, who is also doing a race in West Yellowstone, and Holly Copeland, were along for the adventure.

Due to weather and conditions, we did not cover the distance, but I’m quite certain I more than covered the effort that will be required in the race. I sure hope so. Because our adventure Sunday was no cake walk.

My good friends, Holly Copeland and Kathy Browning, ski along the Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail. (It wasn't easy.)

The wintry, vast landscape on the Loop Road, on Wyoming's South Pass, along the Continental Divide, was a great back drop for our outing.

Our original goal was Louis Lake, about 10 miles in from Highway 28 by way of the Loop Road and Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail.

After about an hour of “trying” to skate ski on what was an un-groomed, drifted and snowy path on the Loop Road, we opted to go to a Plan B.

Plan B was Beaver Creek, a phenomenal Nordic trail system operated by the Lander Nordic Ski Association and located just five miles back down the road toward Lander.

Holly, skating up a hill on one of the trail loops at Beaver Creek.

Thankfully, Beaver Creek contains a huge variety of terrain, beautiful scenery and several kilometers of trails. And, once we arrived, it seemed immediately evident that our luck was changing for the better. At the start of the trail, we discovered it was freshly groomed corduroy. We would have first tracks.

Sure, the trails were soft, which meant we sunk a lot and our effort was high compared to our distance. But no matter, we had bluebird sky, spectacular scenery, great company, and definitely, for 100 percent certain, a good effort.

Here’s a short video clip I captured at the end of our two-hour Beaver Creek ski:

Cowgirl Tuff Jeans or a 1,200-foot Parasail? That is the Question.

February 5, 2010 by Shelli

This is POST 21 of my “fitness journey.” For backstory, see Post 1,
Post 2, Post 3 , Post 4, Post 5, Post 6, Post 7,Post 8, Post 9, Post 10, Post 11, Post 12 Post 13,Post 14, Post 15, Post 16, and Post 17,Post 18, Post 19 and Post 20.]

Those of you who have been following my fitness blogging are aware that I’ve been working hard and have lost 26 pounds and a bunch of body fat during the last 10 months. I have been on this journey for several reasons, but mostly so I could have more energy to keep up with our three young sons and the demands of our adventurous lifestyle, and to be healthier and therefore, happier.

But I’ve discovered another benefit of my weight loss. Jeans. As in, now I can comfortably wear them. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but there are some really hip jeans out these days. I didn’t used to get excited about jeans. Well, recently, a colleague and friend of mine, Bill Garrels, group publisher of American Cowboy and National Parks Interactive, hooked me up with some Cowgirl Tuff Jeans.

This is not my butt, unfortunately. But these are pretty neato Tuff Girl jeans, no?

To be honest, never in a million years would I have thought I could wear these, or that I’d even like them. But now, that’s all changed. I have a pair of 28×31 Tuff Girl jeans in my possession, and frankly, I can’t wait to wear them, blingy pockets and all. At the same time we’re booking our spring break trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, where I hope to do a 1,200-foot parasail.

Parasailing 1,200 feet over the ocean near Big Island, Hawaii. Flickr photo by rjones0856.

Problem is, there’s a weight requirement: single riders must weigh at least 130 pounds. Right now I’m at 132, but I’ve increased my workout volume in preparation for an upcoming 25k skate ski race in West Yellowstone so could be approaching that weight. The parasail company is adamant that, unless I can talk one or both of our older sons into joining me on the adventure, I will only get to fly if I weigh 130 pounds. And yet to be able to wear my Tuff Girl Jeans comfortably, given my body and frame, I probably need to weigh not much more than 130 pounds. I feel like a wrestler.

Hence my dilemma. But I’m not complaining. I never thought I’d not be heavy enough for something, or that I’d consider wearing designer jeans. Thankfully, my very smart coach and trainer, Steve Bechtel, at Elemental Gym says no problem. Just schedule the parasail at the end of the (leisure) vacation. Smart coach, that guy is.

Obviously, though, the best yet would be for our 7-year-old and 9-year-old to go with me as a triple tandemand for me to be able to wear my Tuff Girl jeans. (No, not during the parasail, silly.) Wish me luck on making this happen. : >

(I should state that my husband, Jerry, would normally be on the parasail adventure, but given his spine operation rehab, he’ll be building sandcastles with our 2-year-old while me, and hopefully our two older sons, will be 1,200 feet above them.)