Introducing, Ryan Malcolm & Rebecca Luscombe!
From the mountains of Costa Rica to the wilderness of British Columbia; this duo share our love of beckoning landscapes, authentic pursuits and the value of genuine hospitality.  They are an exciting addition to the Callaghan Country team and oh, the stories they can tell...

Ryan started working at his parent’s fine dining restaurant - A Bit of Nostalgia in Kingston Ontario - at a young age, taking on the role of waiter, bartender, and FOH manager for over 15 years as well as entertaining by singing with his father and brothers. In 2004 Ryan won Canadian Idol, after which he released a solo album and toured the world (that's right, he snags celebrity status).   A few years later Ryan started his band Low Level Flight.  They released two albums and toured Canada, Europe and Asia.

Rebecca attended York University’s Glendon College and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts.  During this time she developed a keen interest in the food & beverage industry, cultivating her skills at various cafes and restaurants in Toronto, Ontario as a barista, as a waitress, and most flavourfully, as a cook.  Her proudest tenures include a couple of Toronto’s top independent cafes - Riverdale Perk, and Les Louises Fine Foods.

The couple were introduced by mutual friends at a Broken Social Scene concert in Toronto and they've been together ever since, diving into life's adventures with full vigour.  Their most recent adventure led them to the remote mountain village of El Castillo, Costa Rica to open Tres Cabras Restaurante as a joint effort with Nepenthe Bed & Breakfast.  Here, Ryan ran the front of house, always greeting guests like they were old friends, making people feel at home and often singing for them (how cool is that?!).  Rebecca managed the kitchen, planning nightly menus with the finest locally sourced ingredients to carefully create beautiful dishes that received grand reviews (can't wait to taste some of her exquisite soups!).

For their next adventure, Ryan and Rebecca will be calling Journeyman Lodge home and joining the Callaghan Country crew for an ultimate Canadian winter in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia.  If you haven't already made plans to partake in an overnight adventure at Journeyman this winter, do it!  You can also make a day trip of it and visit them for lunch in the alpine or partake in one of Callaghan Country's social ski events.  What a great winter it is going to be!

Round up the crew.  
Define the group...would these be friends from the highschool or college era? Would it be a posse that's bonded over outdoor pursuits? Hey, some of us even like the people we work with.  At any rate, pitch the idea and feel out the response.  Are spouses/partners joining?  This can be a bit of a double edged sword; if our mates are a natural part of the crew, the social dynamic is likely to flow with ease and the beefier head count can help snag some nice group savings.  On the other hand, a not-so-familiar partner may find themselves particularly insecure among your peeps and as a result, reliably crusty and withholding.  We've all experienced this dark cloud at one point or another, and its a familiar buzz-kill that's easy to avoid when simple group limits have been announced, "Sorry, muffin.  We've storied this trip for ages and now we're gonna make it happen.  No spouses."

Crunch the numbers.  Make a plan. 
How much is everyone willing to spend?  Be thoughtful not to stretch that friend who's only working part-time or still paying off a massive debt.  Friendships can cross financial boundaries.  If some buds are hell-bent on upping the ante on 'rich' experiences, would your group consider a proportional to income approach to the the budget?  Keep the budget in mind as you work out an ideal itinerary and be sure to maintain your priorities...the ski days.  Reference and tally all the costs associated with your itinerary and confirm it's a go with the crew.

Take the money & Lock it in
In taking reservations I know, first hand, you should get your friends to fork it over before booking anything.  It's nice to think that your peeps would be the last leave you hanging but, realistically, until that cash is in your hand...it's a recipe for friendship disaster.  You're going to see way more deals if you pre-book and purchase major trip elements with a credit card; as the trip organizer, that's likely going to be your credit card (think: flights, accommodations, gear rentals, tickets).  At this stage, be sure to seek out group discounts.  Many tourism operators are happy to offer some sort of deal when you are bringing more than a few people to their point of commerce.  Sometimes this is obvious and already laid out; usually, its in the cards if you've got the gumption to ask, "Since I'm booking this as one hefty transaction, can you offer me a better rate?".  Seriously consider trip cancellation and medical insurance.  Print, save, and prepare everything as it happens.

Communicate!  Experiences come with expectations, be sure to manage them
Hopefully you've already read the fine print, but make sure everyone else knows about that stuff too.  It's amazing how commonplace assumptions can be, and they sure have an affinity to make things awkward.  Are you anticipating a scenario where gratuities might be in order?  Are rentals going to be available on at the mountain or in the village?  Do you have vegan bud?  There's an obvious vibe when everyone's on the same page and it's up to you to ensure it's a positive one.

So, now you have the steps.  Make it happen.  Turns out the drive to share our experiences with each other is innate and with the proper execution, your ski vacation can deliver moments that will seem to matter more.  Escaping to the mountains with our peeps makes for the best kind of bonding.  Get to it.  Forge those golden memories.