The spring kept us busy getting things ready for the 2012 kayak season. The biggest thing we needed to do was hire a new guide. Fred, who was with us for four years, decided to take the summer off. This was a decision he did not take lightly, as he and his family love Grand Manan, but due to family obligations felt it best they stay in Ontario.
Fred left a big void and we were concerned about finding someone who could step in and fill it. Fortunately, we found Ryan (or he found us) and he has done a fantastic job. While we definitely miss Fred and his wicked sense of humor, the business didn’t suffer. Ryan proved himself to be a great guide/leader and everyone who went on one of his tours have commented positively about him.
Mark Mykytyn was also back for the summer and it was, as always, great having him around; if for no other reason than to have him cook! His restaurant experience was put to good use, both on the multi-day trips and at home. We had a record number of multi-day trips this year and that was Mark’s domain. Everyone enjoys Mark’s chef skills on these trips.
Along with the multi-day trips we had our day trips. It proved to be a great season when we had to reschedule people due to full trips – a positive problem! We had excellent kayaking weather this summer and I’m sure that also contributed to our success.
Linda’s brother, Perry, pitched in and helped as an assistant guide and he did a great job. Everyone was kept extremely busy and the summer seemed to fly by. Elliot and Susan were both back this summer and helping out whenever schedules allowed. Elliot shines when we have the Rhode Scholar groups and they all love having him as a guide, especially since he has so much local knowledge to share with them. Susan also helped out as an assistant guide and her love of the island and paddling is contagious!
Along with the kayaking, we did lots of maintenance, renovation and repair work on both the cabins and the kayak shop. Ryan especially is looking at this winter as a chance to relax.
We haven’t sat down to figure out exact numbers yet, but we think it’s been a the best summer we’ve had in recent years. That being the case, shouldn’t we have more money than what we have??!! Maybe because we spend it as fast as we make it??
The cabins also did well this year. July and August were both full and while we had some vacancies in September, we were pleased with our bookings. Just to let you know for future reference, some of our best weather is in September (if you’re planning a vacaton for next year).
If we weren’t busy enough, we decided to upgrade and update our website – which has turned into a full-time job! We’ve added Facebook and Twitter to our website, figured we may as well tap into the social networking scene. Also on Facebook we have our Adventure High Cabins and Adventure High Sea Kayaking pages. Feel free to check it out and “like” us, as we are always looking for more friends. We want to expand and build our friend list, so please send it along to your friends – it is all really appreciated.
You can click here to like Adventure High Cabins and click here to like Adventure High Sea Kayaking.
We’re also adding more pictures to our picture gallery, so if you have any pictures or comments you’d like to share of your adventures with us, please send them along and we will add them for all to see.
The last week of October, which is quickly approaching, will have me heading back to Antarctica for another season of kayaking. I will be blogging about my experiences there and adding pictures, so check out our new blog page.
Just on a side note, all of the pictures on this site are protected by copyright. If there is a picture that appeals to you, please ask as I am sure we can work something out. The picture of the penguin sliding down the hill has been stolen a number of times and use on other sites, as well as calanders!
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