Be Thankful, Always

So with Thanksgiving coming up and seeing all the posts about what people are thankful for, it really got me thinking about the past couple years that I've been in Alaska.

This happened yesterday, and it just happened again today. I was bored and ended up looking through my summer photos of all the cool stuff I've seen since moving to AK. It reminds me how truly blessed I am to live in the most beautiful place on the planet and be surrounded by such awesome friends. 

I miss being on the water every day. I've always loved boats and the ocean, but being here and having the opportunity to work on a boat every day in the summer has taken that love to a whole new level. Words can't even begin to describe the excitement I feel every time I see a pod of orcas, or a humpback whale breaching, or a huge chunk of ancient ice calving off a glacier, or even the view of snow covered mountains as far as the eye can see. I know some people get 'burnt out' in the whale watching business, but I don't understand how that could be possible. Every job, business, and industry has its ups and downs, but to me, the little bit of bad doesn't even come close to how awesome the good is. Being in the presence of such beautiful, mysterious creatures is a blessing I'm grateful for every day. 

I also miss the SNOW. Why hasn't it freakin snowed yet?! Gonna have to take my snow dancing to a whole new level. I don't think I've ever been so excited to get on my snowboard as I am right now. This weekend is our returning instructor training, and I'm stoked to see everyone and get the good winter vibes flowing even more. I am glad I work for such an amazing ski area. Eaglecrest is truly a community ski area where you don't just have co-workers, you have a family of friends who care about each other and have a passion for what they do. Winters here are amazing to me, even with all the rain that comes with it!

I've said this a million times already, and I'll say it a million more. I LOVE Alaska. I truly feel like I am meant to be here. If someone would've asked me 5 years ago if I'd be where I am now and seen the crazy shit I've seen, I'd have told them they had lost their marbles. I thought I would never in my life get to hang out with orcas and whales on a daily basis, see massive glaciers calve, shred crazy mountains via helicopter, gaze at the northern lights more times than I can count, this list goes on... 

No matter where you are, make the most of it and be thankful for it. There is always a worse situation you could be in. Even if you think you have hit rock bottom, it could ALWAYS be worse. Some people think my life is just rainbows and sunshine, but believe me, I've seen my fair share of heartache, grief, and struggle. All the bad and the good has made me who I am today, and I wouldn't change a single thing. I truly believe in the law of attraction. If you stay positive and put out good vibes and energy, the universe will send it back to you. 

For example, just as I was typing those last few sentences, I started thinking about my dad and my papaw, and how I've lost the two most important men in my life in the past three years, but then I thought about what amazing lives they led. In that same moment, the sun came out just enough to create a beautiful bright rainbow in the channel, right outside my window. It instantly made me smile.  So I suppose sometimes life IS rainbows and sunshine if you put your mind to it. Even in those times of struggle, as hard as it may be to keep a smile on your face and stay positive, do it. Even if it's a fake smile, it will eventually turn back into a genuine one :) 

Don't forget... 

Be thankful, always. 

Winter is Coming!

This is gonna be short and sweet. I wish I had more time to update this blog, and honestly I probably do if I put more effort into it, but I'm working on that :) I've started the Insanity workout routine and I'm in my second week. It's a lot different than P90X and I love it. It keeps me engaged and busts my ass, which is what I need to get in shape for winter. I've also still been working on the boats, which I love! It's mine runs, which means we shuttle miners to and from the Kensington Gold Mine in Berner's Bay when their own boat breaks down. I've seen some incredible sunrises and sunsets doing these, and even saw the northern lights from the boat on one early morning run! It was absolutely incredible! I love Alaska so much, and even though I miss my family a mega ton, I can't ever justify leaving here permanently. This is where I am meant to be :) 

Oh, and there's SNOW on the peaks now! Woohoo! Winter is coming and I'm SO FREAKING STOKED to get on my snowboard again! This winter is going to be ahhhhmazing! 

Dall's Porpoise!

Dall's Porpoise Humpday Takeover from Jessica Davis on Vimeo.

So this was made on my iphone using my new favorite video editing app, Perfect Video Pro. These Dall's porpoise were EVERYWHERE yesterday during our tour. They put on more of a show than the humpbacks did. It was pretty rad :) They look like mini killer whales, but unfortunately they are one of the most hunted cetacean in the world. Over 15,000 are killed every year during the Japanese whale hunts. To learn more about these amazing creatures, check out www.dallsporpoise.org

Until Next Summer, Tracy

So today was our last Tracy Arm trip of the season for our crew. It was a great one! We got dipped into Ice Falls and it was sooo much fun! Surprisingly not as cold as I'd imagined, so we kept going back for more :) Here's the gopro footy... 

Ice Falls Shower! Tracy Arm Fjord from Jessica Davis on Vimeo.

We also saw some cool stuff the past few days, so here's some of my favorite recent photos...

^Ice fishing catch of the day. Fishin' for bergs! 

^This cutie has a mustache! And fat rolls for miles! haha 

^Brown bear on the shore in Tracy Arm

^The nook! What a gorgeous spot among an already gorgeous fjord!

^Yeah, I took a selfie at Sawyer Glacier.

^Orca spy hopping in Lynn Canal on a beautiful sunny day. 

^Flame! One of my favorite humpbacks.

^Humpback whale jumping for joy.

^They let me drive these things... haha. Might as well make it comfortable! 

Long Overdue Rambling...

Holy cow. Almost the entire summer has passed without a post! I need to be smacked. I'm a horrible blogger, I know. Sorry friends and family who use this to keep track of me! This has been a summer of mega change. Lots of things have happened, all for the better. Since the end of May, I've been a single lady. Sometimes, as much as you want things to work, they just don't. And you have to accept that and do what makes you happy. I've grown and realized more of what I want, and what I don't want, but seriously... do we EVER really figure that out? I want to work on ME before I even think about being in a relationship with someone else. Happiness starts inside, and although I'm pretty darn happy most the time, there's always room for improvement. Work has pretty much owned my soul all summer, which is perfectly fine when you love your office and the people you work with are awesome :)

Speaking of work and being out on the water, a lot of cool shit has happened! Our captain took a couple of us out fishing, and I caught my first halibut... or three. We also had the most incredible whale encounter ever. I will never, ever forget the feeling of my heart nearly beating out of my chest from excitement of over a dozen bubblenetting humpback whales diving all around us. I also got splashed (more like soaked) by an orca... attempting to make a sea lion (RIP Frank) his dinner. That was nuts. I always wanted to see an orca kill, but after that experience and gazing eye to eye with a sea lion literally begging you to save it's life, I don't know if I want to see that again. Yeah yeah, it's nature and the circle of life, but seeing the last moments of a being's existence and doing nothing to help it is a bit disturbing.

I also got my first tattoo! I'm super happy with it and now I want more :) Yes, it really is addicting! This one has a lot of meaning to me though. It's an anchor with a snowflake and a heart. It combines my two loves... snow and being on the water. I've always loved snow. It's crazy how no two snowflakes can be the exact same. Out of ALL the snowflakes that have fallen in the world, no two are alike. Isn't that something to ponder? Nature is amazing. I've also always loved being on the water, and in it. I've been lucky to have grown up boating around the lakes back home, and having many, many trips to the beach to swim in the ocean. Especially since moving to Alaska, I've grown to love the water even more. It's a unique feeling to be out there with the whales, eagles, seals, sea lions, orca... and know it's all connected. We are all connected to one another, as people and with all the beings of the earth. Without the ocean and the water, there would be no snowflakes.

Here's my tat:

As much as I love summer, whales, being on the water, warm weather, etc... I cannot wait till winter! I've been dreaming of snowboarding all summer, and now the itch is hitting me hard. This season is going to be the best one yet, I can just feel it :)

I'm sure I can sit here and ramble on about more exciting things that's happened this summer, but right now I want nothing more than my head to hit my pillow. 

Sweet dreams friends.

Fresh Kicks // Glitter Water

So Friday evening we met up with some friends out the road for a night of camping fun. Oh boy did we have fun! I decided to bring some whiskey as an early birthday celebration drink, and I think I had a little TOO much fun. We were lucky enough to see bioluminescence in the water. If you don't know what that is, just google it. It's awesome. The water was literally glowing with plankton that gives off a blue-ish light show. Our friends dog was splashing around, and underneath him was a cloud of light. We could walk through the water and kick it around and see what looked like blue glitter lighting up the night. It was pretty rad.

Camping was a blast. Humpback whales surprised us close to shore, and we could hear their blows close by in the wee morning hours. Otters, sea lions, and eagles were a usual sighting. Good friends and a campfire always makes for a good night!
 

Today I had an impulse buy... some new kicks! I've been wanting these shoes for a while, and today when we were in Sequence Boardshop, I said what the hell and bought them.

Intro to Summer

Wow where has this past month gone?! Lots has happened since my last post. Went snowboarding up at Eaglecrest a few times, all of which were great. Work at Allen Marine has been amazing as always. I'm stoked on my crew this season. I also got to go HELI boarding again! :) Our friend Bill informed us about the Sheep Mountain trip, and of course we couldn't pass it up! It was so much fun!

Here is a short vid I made from the trip footage.
Sheep Mountain Heli Trip 2014 from Jessica Davis on Vimeo.


Here are a few photos from the trip.

2014 Winter is a Wrap! Hello Summertime!

Who wished the winter away so fast? I sure didn't. It seems like this season flew by faster than ever. It was a great one though! Yesterday was closing day at Eaglecrest. My riding improved a ton, both in the park and all over the mountain. I reached a goal I never thought I'd reach: passing my AASI Level 2 Certification. Stoked to get that Burton pro deal now... among many other educational reasons, of course. :)

I did manage to injure myself a few times, although nothing super serious. First, my knee... then my chest/ribs. It was all worth it though. I'm still feeling the pain of a cracked sternum and ribs, but I am quite content with the way the season turned out. It was a great season with some great people, and I'm already counting down the days until next season!

Today was my first day back at Allen Marine. Yeah, HUGE break between jobs, right? It's ok though. I like making money and I'm stoked to get back into the summer routine. After the awesomeness of last summer, I can't wait to get back out on the boats and make this amazing wilderness my office once again. 

Our friend from back in North Carolina has been visiting us for a week now. It's nice to see a familiar face from back home and I hate to see him leave. It's been a fun week though!

I'm tired and don't feel like posting any photos at the moment, but you can see any recent photos on my Facebook page by clicking HERE.

The Most Insane Urban Edit You'll Ever See...

...until the next bionic snowboarder comes along. 

Seriously though, Seb Toots is killing it these days... and has been for a while. This edit = mind blown. 

Well done, sir. Well done. 

Jib Jam & Slopestyle Events

I'll get to the exciting stuff first! I just realized I never got around to posting the Jib Jam edit! Sonny Pittman, who has been videoing and making awesome edits of the events, just posted the Slopestyle edit form last weekend so I'll post them here as well. I got a few clips in the Jib Jam edit, and I ended up winning the girls division. Since I cracked my ribs and I'm still out of commission, I didn't get to ride in the Slopestyle contest. Bummer, because it looked like tons of fun and more girls entered this time! I ended up handing out the prizes to the winners, so I have a short appearance in the Slopestyle vid! There is one more event in the Great Alaskan Terrain Park Series, the Wild Caught Banked Slalom, which is happening this weekend. I won't get to take part in that one either :( but I'll be sure and post the video recap of that one on here too!

Here's the Jib Jam edit...

Here's the slopestyle edit...

Thanks again to Sonny for the great edits, and to the sponsors: Sequence Boardshop, Borderline Boardshop, and Aurora Projekt

Great job Dustin and Sarah for organizing such fun events, and of course Eaglecrest for being the heart of it all! 

Late Night Ramblings...

Warning: this post will be a bit long and pointless. Why? Because I'm in pain and can't sleep. Why am I in pain? Because I unwillingly hugged a stump a week ago while riding through a gully. I'm pretty sure I have a cracked/broken/floating rib(s), or something of the sort.

Lesson learned? Yes. Avoid chest bumping small stumps at all costs. 

I've never had a rib injury before, but I've heard how horrible and painful they are, and now I'm a believer. At least it happened at the end of the season. I know ribs take a while to heal, so with only 8 days left at Eaglecrest, I should be ok and not tempted to huck anything crazy and fall/injure myself further. I start work at Allen Marine the very next day after Eaglecrest closes, and I definitely want to be in tip top shape since there's a bit of physical labor that will probably have to be done to help get the boats prepped for the season. 

Today was a good day at work. We had a good, and surprisingly super polite group of 8th graders in the morning. It's good to know that kids still have decent manners these days, and seem just genuinely nice all around. The afternoon was loads of fun. I kept my riding pretty mellow just from the fear of falling and further injuring myself, but I managed to get a couple good speedy gonzales runs in and lots of good carving. 

Winter seems to want to lay on the one of two spots that cause me pain... my chest. I bet if I rolled over, it would be my back... nice and centered on the rib that isn't normal at the moment. Kitty means well though. All she wants to do is lay on me and be loved. The sound and good vibrations you receive when there's a cat purring on you is quite special.

Enough of my pointless ramblings... here are some fun photos from today :)

Tri-pod'n
Photo by Sarah Milks

Groomer slashin'
Photo by Sarah Milks

Reaching Goals

For the past four days a few of us have been in an AASI Level 2 snowboard prep clinic/exam. After learning tons of new stuff, nailing new tricks for the first time, and progressing my riding and teaching even further over those days, I am happy to say that am now a Level 2 certified snowboard instructor! Woohoo! It took quite a bit of studying and dedication, but I knew I could do it if I put my mind to it!

Thanks to all my fellow instructors and friends to helped me through this! You guys rock! 

Here's some eye candy for ya :)

^My shiny new bling :) 

^Starting the last day of the exam with a ridge hike! 

^Looking off the backside of the ridge at the beauty below me. 

^The crew! Photo by Lisa Miles

Surprise!

Thanks to my friend Becca, I now know that one of my Instagram photos was used in a Buzzfeed article! Awesome!

It's titled 'The 17 Most Stunning Places in the World to Take a Selfie'. It's a photo I took of me and Dustin in the back of the ice cave with the big melted hole in the ceiling for the background. 

Check out the article HERE.

Oil Pulling

If you have ever heard of 'oil pulling', you are one of the enlightened. Most people have not, however, so I am going to enlighten you.

Oil pulling is an ancient method of detoxing and maintaining oral health. It has been used for ages among many different cultures and is a very effective natural remedy for all kinds of mouth problems. It's something that most dentists advise against and instead recommend the traditional method of oral care that we've grown up practicing. They advise against it because it works and it's natural. If we can naturally stop cavities in their tracks, reverse gum disease, and maintain a normal, healthy mouth with nothing but simply swishing some oil around, then why need the expensive services of a dentist?

There are thousands, literally thousands (if not more) of people who swear by oil pulling and have the stories to tell you why it works.

What is oil pulling exactly?

Oil pulling is simply swishing 1-2 tablespoons of unrefined, high quality (preferably organic cold-pressed) oil around your mouth for 10-20 minutes, then spitting it out. Sunflower, sesame or coconut oil is the most tried and true oils to use. Olive oil tends to leave a tint on your teeth. I prefer organic, cold-pressed Nutiva brand coconut oil because it has a pleasant taste and I can buy the huge tubs of it from Costco for fairly cheap, plus coconut oil contains lauric acid which is naturally antimicrobial and kills bacteria, fungi, and viruses.

How does oil pulling work?

Just like changing the oil in your car keeps your engine clean and running smoothly, swishing oil in your mouth absorbs all the funk and is removed from your mouth when you spit it out. It removes plaque, pulls out bacteria, parasites, and nasty toxins from places a toothbrush and floss can't reach. It improves gum health, can reverse cavities, and cure gingivitis. It can pull congestion from your throat and loosen sinuses. It also whitens teeth.

How often should you oil pull?

It's most effective if you oil pull daily. If you can do it twice a day, even better! I like to do it in the mornings while I shower. It's also convenient to oil pull while doing dishes, chores, watching a tv show... you get the idea. I just pop a spoonful in my mouth and lightly swish it around and let it do it's work! Since coconut oil is solid at room temperature, it takes about 30 seconds before it becomes liquid in your mouth. It doesn't take much 'swishing'. Just lightly working it around your mouth does just fine.

How has oil pulling worked for me?

I've never really had any oral health issues growing up. Everything has always been fine and dandy, but a couple months ago my tooth start hurting. My teeth were getting super sensitive to hot and cold things. My mouth just didn't feel 'healthy'. Then my tooth REALLY started to give me problems. The pain would sometimes bring me to tears and caused me to have headaches often. Then I noticed the gaping hole in my tooth. I thought the next step would be calling a dentist.

I had heard of oil pulling before, and dabbled with it occasionally but never got in a daily routine. I figured I had nothing to lose, so I gave it a try. After just one session my mouth felt clean and my teeth felt smooth. After a few days, my tooth stopped hurting and the sensitivity went away. After a few weeks, that gaping hole that had me worried was no longer black and nasty looking, but white and clean. It's almost like my tooth is regenerating. My teeth are whiter. My gums feel healthy. I honestly can't believe it. Oil pulling is now a part of my daily routine and I plan on keeping it that way for a very long time.

Don't worry, I thought the feeling of oil in my mouth would just be gross and weird, but it wasn't at all.

What's not to love?! It's easy and it works.

I have been so impressed with the results so far that I decided to write this blog post and share my success with oil pulling, and hopefully convince you to give it a try! 

There are tons of other blogs and articles out there you can research for more info. I just gave you the basic rundown, but the more research you do, the better! Feel free to shoot me an email if you want more feedback from my experience. 

Happy Oil Pulling!

Dan Moller & Dancing Lights

Last 'weekend' aka Tues/Wed we went up to Dan Moller Cabin with some friends. Dan Moller Cabin is located on Douglas Island, at the base of the Dan Moller bowl. Dustin had been there before, but this was my first time. The trek up was pretty fun. Took us about 2.5 hours to get to the cabin. A few of us were on skins and the rest were using snowshoes. I had a blast using my splitboard to slide my way up the trail. Once we got to the cabin and got settled in, some good food and gaming went down... then the real show started. The Aurora (northern lights) came out and stayed out ALL night long, and wow did they put on a show! That was by far the best aurora display I've seen since moving to Alaska. The greens and occasional pinks/reds danced (more like raved!) in the sky for hours and hours, getting stronger then fading to a low glow, then bursting out with brightness again. Jaws were dropped and it held my gaze for what seemed like forever. I tried my hand at taking some photos with my camera, which turned out to be the best aurora photos I've gotten personally, but didn't even compare to the awesome photos that others were taking with their nice cameras. A good professional camera is on my list of things to get over the summer. 

The next morning we woke up, had some breakfast, grabbed our shred sticks, and headed up the mountain for some powder turns. Since most of us didn't have avalanche gear, which is a necessity in the backcountry unless you want to win a Darwin award, we stuck to a gentle slope with lots of trees that we knew was pretty stable. We got some turns, then sunbathed at the bottom for a bit while the boys built a little booter to play on. 

After we were all pretty tired and the sun was fading, we headed back to the cabin to pack our bags and head home. 

Here are some photos from the trip! 

Tessa and I posing for the camera.

On our way up

Dustin and Kyle soaking up some rays.

Dan Moller Cabin

Dan Moller Cabin

Dustin, Kyle, Tessa, and Katie on the way up to get some powder slashes.

Photo op! :)

Dustin sailing over the lil booter the guys built.

Myself popping a little ollie on the way down.
Photo by Pat with Kyle's camera?? I think? lol

Working on our tan...

On our ride back down to civilization.
Snowboarding with camping gear on your back is heavy!

Gazing at the lovely aurora borealis!
Photo by Tessa

We had to get a photo underneath the lights!
Thanks Tessa for taking this awesome photo as well!

 

This is my best aurora photo to date. Yeah, I know it sucks compared to the previous two photos
that Tessa took. It's all my little camera is capable of with aurora shooting,
which is more that most digital point and shoots,
so I'm not complaining!

Playing With Fire...

Last night some friends and I had a bonfire at Sandy Beach. We had eight pallets and a ton of cut logs, so you can imagine what kind of fire we had. You couldn't get within 10 ft of it without your eyebrows melting off.  Since I'm spending today and tomorrow couped up inside resting my knee I figured a little outdoor action would feed my soul for a while. 

Oh yeah, the knee thing... so I tweaked my knee on a hike last Wednesday and it's hindered my snowboarding :( I've been stuck inside being an 'office lady' at the snowsports school window, which isn't all that bad since I get to hang out with some of the most awesome ladies ever! :) It's killing me not being able to ride though. Hopefully I can get back in action by the weekend. My knee felt a lot better yesterday, and hopefully after these next two days of resting it and another day in the office Thursday will give it plenty of time to get back to normal. I was pretty convinced it was my meniscus after doing some research, but now that it's feeling a bit better I'm not so sure. Usually meniscus tears take a lot longer to heal. I don't want to push it too early though. We still have a few more months of snowboarding!

Anyways, I tried some light painting last night at the fire. I got some steel wool pads, created a wire sphere thingy to hold it in, attached it to Winter's leash (couldn't find a cable), set it on fire and hit the camera button! It surprisingly turned out pretty well! I love experimenting with photography, and even though I don't have a nice camera, my Canon point and shoot does pretty well! 

Winter, where did you go?

Winter, oh winter where have you gone? 

This warm rainy trend is getting old. At least we've had some sunshine over the weekend. The snow sucks... it's literally been an ice rink off the groomer, and sometimes on the groomers for the past week. It's been hitting close to 50 degrees, and a couple days over that even at the top of the mountain. The snow is melting away... new patches of mud, rocks, and trees are appearing almost hourly. Mother nature is drunk and needs to sober up! 

It's still just JANUARY and it feels like it's April. Regardless, riding has still been fun. It reminds me of riding back home with all the icy groomers and super hard pack snow.

Dustin has a fun little terrain park built. There's a jump that's about 20ft to the sweet spot, a rail, and a box. If it wasn't for that, I'm sure there would be a lot of bored shredders out there. Hopefully the temps will drop, the snow will return, and we can get back to shredding the awesome AK pow that we all love. 

Our level 2 exam prep clinic was supposed to be yesterday and today. Our clinician's flight couldn't make it to Juneau because of the dense fog that's been hanging around at sea level for the past 3 days. No flights have made it in or out in the past few days. Poor guy has been airport living for at least 2 days and is now on his way back home. :( Even though that didn't work out, all of us that are going for our level 2 went out and clinic-ed ourselves and it was amazing. We are such a good team and we worked on lots of things that we probably would've worked on in the clinic. I feel like I learned more yesterday than I have all season. Hopefully today will be the same trend. 

Group shot!

The beautiful blue sky and sunshine... and that fog that screwed up our clinic! 

 Sarah and I soaking up the sun.

Me taking in some sun...

Had a bonfire last night on the beach. Twas amazing :)