Mark's Paddling Blog

Paddling in January

2012-01-13T10:06:00.001-06:00

On Sunday (Jan. 8th) my good friend Bryan and I decided to take advantage of the warm weather and headed out onto the South Saskatchewan River for a short paddle. It was a sunny day with only a bit of a breeze. By the way Bryan is a Paddle Canada certified kayak instructor so if anyone is interested in learning to kayak head over to Coldspring Paddling and check out his scheduled lessons.

Bryan kayaked while I paddled may homemade canoe

The ice along shore made getting in a bit tricky

We are very lucky to have such a great river flowing through our city

Almost New Year's Eve camping trip

2012-01-02T16:34:00.000-06:00

This year we had a small group for our xmas / new years eve camping trip, it was just myself, Zoe, and Jeff and of course Taiga. Zoe had to be back a bit earlier this year so we moved the trip dates forward a day or two and ended up coming home on the 31st rather than spending New Year's Eve in the woods.

Our destination was the Nipekamew Sand cliffs which I had visited a number of years ago in the summer so I had a rough idea as to what the area was like. But when we arrived we found the forest to be an immature stand of birch trees. We had arrived later in the day than we had planned and with the decreasing day light I was beginning to become concerned about finding a suitable camp spot. After a few km's of pulling the pulks through the deep snow we came to a mature stand of jack pine. The forest floor was level with lots of firewood available. This was to be our home for a few days.

We couldn't have asked for better weather. This year we lucked out with very mild conditions for what seems to becoming an annual New Years Eve camping trip. I didn't check the thermometer very often but when I did it read -13 degrees C the first night and -5 degrees C during the day. It seems that in the deep cold, temperatures matter more and I check the thermometer more often and when it's warm, well, it just doesn't matter. The days were sunny and warm and the nights were star filled and warm next to the fire.

Taiga is our 8 months old Lab and she did very well. She was very obedient and stayed close to camp. While on our day hikes she enjoyed running and playing in the deep snow. Our original destination was the McKay Lake area (same as last year) but with all the mild weather the lake ice was marginal at best so we had to look for an alternative location, preferably one that was on land. We decided on the Nipekamew Sand Cliffs which are located on the Nipekamew River near where the river crosses highway 165.

The trail winds through thick deciduous forests as well as open coniferous forests. In some places the trail passes close enough to the Nipekamew River and afforded a great vantage point from high above. The scale of the forest really makes a person feel small and insignificant.

Night time comes early at this time of year and we spent many hours sitting around the fire visiting, eating good food, and enjoying warm beverages. Food is always a highlight of our camping trips and this time was no different. We enjoyed a tasty sort of stew Jeff made from left over xmas dinner. Taiga particularly enjoyed the warmth of the fire after a day of hopping through the deep snow.

During the day the forest was lit up with the warn rays of the sun, it was very impressive. The sunny days also made for good hiking conditions and we took advantage by exploring in the afternoons. All the fresh snow made traveling by snowshoe a delight.

The Nipekamew sand cliffs are very picturesque during the summer but there is something special about them in the winter. Maybe it's that very few people make the effort to visit places like this in the winter. It takes a lot more work and preparation to make the journey during the winter. Often the risks are much higher and this trip was no different. Highway 165 doesn't see very much traffic and hadn't been plowed prior to our arrival or the whole time we were there, there are no residences between highway 2 and the Nipekamew River so if we had run into trouble or got stuck it could have been a long wait for help.

Finding the first of the three sets of cliffs is no problem, the trail leads right to them. Finding the second and third cliffs however requires some bushwhacking. We set off to find the cliffs on the second day and just followed the trail to the first, after a few quick photos we headed off to find the other two. We had a vague idea as to where they were located, a photo of the crude map on the plaque in the parking lot, a topographic map, and with that we set off in search. We wandered for and hour or so in the direction we thought they would be. Trying to match the crude map with the topo was difficult and inaccurate and it was no surprise that we we ran out of day light before we located the cliffs so we headed back to camp to prepare enough firewood to last the evening.

After we got the maps and our direction sorted out we easily found the third cliffs. We had brought a lunch and some tea with us so we stopped for a break and enjoyed the view of the cliffs.

The sand cliffs are really quite spectacular, they were deposited 140 million years ago when sediments were laid down by a river that flowed, to what was then a large gulf on the arctic ocean. From our view across the river, cross bedding could be seen in the cliff walls from when the sediments were deposited. From these marks the direction of the river can be determined. We didn't dare venture across the river for a closer look because of the thin ice. The fresh snow made it looked almost safe but some discoloration of the surface snow gave away the dangerous truth.

Our camp was situated in a mature and open stand of jack pine. The well spaced trees made finding a tent site easy. With all the recent mild weather in the area the sphagnum moss on the forest floor was still soft and spongy. This location had lots of standing dead trees that could be used for firewood.

This was Taiga's first winter camping trip and she did pretty good. She is very well behaved and listened pretty good, most of the time. She is only eight months old and is still learning the ropes but always came back when called. The first day she wasn't really sure about what was going on, she isn't used to spending all day outside and I'm sure she was constantly wandering when we were going to go inside. By the last day she was fairly content and didn't look disgusted with us all the time. In addition to the four sleeping bags that we bring for Zoe and I, (we would have been fine with one each due the the mild temps) we brought an old sleeping bag for Taiga to sleep in. She also had a foam pad and a wool blanket to sit on next to the fire.

During our last night it had started to snow in the evening and continued all night and the following day. That morning we woke to 5 inches of fresh fluffy snow. Luckily we had gathered all of our gear the night before and kept it in a central location that made it easy to find even after it had been buried by the snow. Though we were to travel along the same well packed trail that we made coming in all the fresh snow made the trek out seen almost as difficult as the trek in.

All in all I'd have to say we had a great trip with fantastic weather, which I think we deserved after the last couple of -30 trips. Everyone seemed to have fun, there was lots of good food, drinks, laughter, and visiting. I'm already looking forward to the next one.

Zoe's new camp stove

2011-12-11T23:20:00.000-06:00

Well our new camp stove just arrived in the mail a few days ago. Now we'll have a way to heat the hot tent that I just made. Our tent is much smaller than the standard hot tent so we decided that a smaller stove would be sufficient to heat it. We eventually settled on the Packer Jr. made by Kni-co manufacturing. The fire box dimensions are 10 x 10 x 12 inches, with the legs fully extended it stands 14 inches high. We purchased the package that includes 3inch tapered stove pipe, a flew, and a spark arrestor. To keep it from rusting I painted the outside with a high temperature BBQ paint.

The first burn gets rid of any oil or residue from manufacturing

Stove painted black

Amadou

2011-12-05T14:19:00.000-06:00

Amadou is the soft, spongy, and flammable fibers prepared from the horses hoof fungus. It has been used for hundreds and even thousands of years as tinder for fire starting. Amadou was found in Otzi the Ice Man's tool kit (5000 years old). It has even been used as a felted material for hat making.

Looking for distractions to occupy myself with rather than studying I decided to try making some.

While walking along the river bank with Taiga I harvested a few fungi. Horses hoof fungus can be found on dead paper birch trees. The amadou is a layer of spongy material just below the skin and just above the fibrous pores of the horses hoof fungus, so the first step is to shave the skin off. The amadou shows as an orange spongy layer so I took care not to slice any of it off. I next Sliced the amadou off in large thin slices. The next step is to soak and boil the pieces in an ash slurry, use equal parts water and ash. I used an old pot that I found along the river bank while on another walk with Taiga. After boiling spruce roots for her birch bark basket in Zoe's good pot I was instructed NOT to boil anything else in her pots. After soaking the pieces in the ash slurry over night I boiled them for 45 minutes. The pieces are then left to dry. I left them over night which may have been a bit too long because they turned stiff. Any way the next step is to pound each piece to break the fibers apart which softens the material, I used the back of my hatchet and an old 2x4. The final step is to role the pieces between your hands, to again soften the material and, to slightly fluff it up. Using a fire steel to produce a spark and a small piece of the prepared amadou a fire can easily be lit. The amadou doesn't flame up but instead smolders and produces a hot ember which can be used to ignite dry tinder like dry grass.

Horses hoof fungus can be found growing on dead paper birch trees

Here I'm shaving off the outer skin or bark of the fungus. The amadou is the brighter orange colors stuff near the end of the blade.

Amadou is very spongy and flexible and comes off in thin slices.

This image shows how much amadou I was able to get from one medium sized fungus.

Here the pieces are soaking in the ash slurry. I noticed that the ash wanted to settle out of solution unless it was boiled then the ash particles tended to stay suspended.

Boiling the amadou on a camp stove in the shop. Too stinky for in the house.

This photo shows the boiled and dried piece on the right compared to the finished piece on the left. The fluffy texture of the finish material catches the spark really well.

A spark from a fire steel is all that is needed to ignite it. I was actually quite surprised at how easily this stuff actually ignites.

This little piece smoldered for almost 5 minutes.

Knife Sheath

2011-11-23T11:37:00.004-06:00

I just finished making a sheath for the Mora Belt Knife that I made a couple of months ago. I first made a paper pattern then traced it onto the back side of the leather. After cutting the piece out I wrapped it around the knife using small clamps to keep it in place. Wrapping leather around a knife is a bit trickier than I originally thought. You have to take into account the transition from the flat blade to the wider and rounded handle. When I was satisfied with how it looked I used contact cement to glue a third piece of leather in between the outer cover, along the edge where the stitches were to go. This extra piece will protect the stitches from being cut by the blade. The whole thing was stitched together then Sno-Seal finish was applied at the very end.

I used Sno-Seal to water proof the leather. Sno-Seal is made from bees wax and is nontoxic.

I used 4 - 5 oz leather, a heavier leather could have been used but I wanted to keep it as light as possible.

The snap closure in the front allows the sheath to be added to a belt without having to remove the belt in order to thread the sheath on.

Here you can see how the leather conforms to the handle with some heat and firm pressure.

The Sno-Seal changes the color quite dramatically. On the left is a left over piece of leather. Personally I like the color of the leather after treatment.

Zoe's hot tent

2011-11-18T23:12:00.003-06:00

I realize it has been a while since my last post, school work has kept me busy but I have managed to make a hot tent for winter camping. After the stupid "F"ing cold of our New Years Eve trip last year Zoe informed me that she requires a tent with a wood stove. Well, I made her one. A tent that is, it’s based on some photos that I found on the internet. I didn’t have any plans or drawings to work from so, drawing on my experience as a graphic designer I made up my own plans using Corel Draw. Before I begin many of my projects I design them first on the computer. After making many, many, many small paper models I made a 1:25 scale model from an old bed sheet to be sure of all the dimensions. Some of the design features are the silicon stove jack, zippered vents front and back with no-seeum netting, 12 inch snow flaps, large zippered door, and many guyline anchor points. I had thought about more neutral colors like green, blue or tan but bright colors can lift a person’s mood on the days that we are forced to stay inside for hours on end due to blizzard conditions. It has many inside tie loops for hanging mittens to dry or to hang a candle lantern. The front pole is made of metal and is adjustable; in the future I intend to make a carbon fibre pole which should save some weight. The rear pole is an adjustable hiking pole. The first time we set it up nothing seemed to fit properly, none of the panels were taught and some of the snow flaps didn't even touch the ground. I thought I had screwed up but after about 45 minutes of adjusting and head scratching, it finally looked like a tent. I’m happy to say that it now only takes about 10 minutes or less to set up.

I choose to use 7.5 oz coated rip stop nylon rather than the traditional cotton canvas for a number of reasons.

Nylon pros:

· Water resistant for use in spring and fall damp weather conditions

· Shouldn’t leak when snow melts on the warmed material

· Wind proof

· Rot resistant

Cons:

· Doesn’t breath so condensation may be an issue

· Melts

· Spark holes

Cotton canvas pros:

· Breaths

· Less condensation

· Bright color

· Spark resistant

Cons:

· May leak when snow melts on the warmed material

· Rots

Specs:

Length 139”

Width 113”

Height 80” (front pole)

31” (rear pole)

Weight not sure yet, haven’t weighed it

View of the large door

One of the many guyline anchor points. (13 all together)

Front view, Zoe is standing near the back of the tent. This image shows the stove jack cover in place.

Side view, shows the modified tipi design

The front vent has no-seeum netting and zippered closure from the inside.

The silicon stove jack with the cover rolled up and secured with velcro. Now all we need is a stove.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-10-12T23:25:00.007-06:00

Our camp site is on the west shore right where the channel opens onto Crean lake

For this years annual Thanksgiving canoe trip we paddled to the camp kitchen on Crean Lake in the Prince Albert National Park. The group from left to right; Zoe and Taiga, Dave, Karen, Cathy, Cathy, Shaun, and Valery in front centre

Taiga is 5 months old and had lots of fun on her second canoe trip.

The first day (Saturday Oct. 8) was VERY windy. Environment Canada was forecasting winds of 30km/hr gusting to 50km/hr. Here we are stopped on the lee side of a point for a break from fighting the head wind. We ended up eating lunch here. It may have been windy but at least the air temperature was warm and it stayed that way for the entire weekend.

Taiga is very well behaved in the canoe, she usually just goes to sleep. Her PFD is getting too small for her. She is a lab and is a very good swimmer, she only has the PFD because it has a handle that makes it easier to haul her back into the canoe if she decides to jump ship. (which she hasn't done yet)

The evening of the first day saw the wind die down. This photo shows the view from my tent the following morning, fantastic! When I got up the temperature was 3 degrees C. Frost on everything was evidence that the temperature dropped to below freezing that night.

On the second day we set out in the canoes to explore an area called lost lake. It's a lake that is pretty well hidden from the main lake and separated by a small beach. We found an inviting beach that made a great lunch spot. There were many wolf tracks (large and small) in the sand. Notice the interesting purple sand.

Here Shaun is very serious about taking a photo of our wood pile.

When we returned from searching for lost lake Valery set to work setting up his sauna and heating large rocks over a fire. Water is poured over the rocks to produce the steam and heat. After a good soak we jumped in the lake for a cool down. I didn't take the inside temperature of the sauna but the lake water was 11 degrees C.

We usually have a large potluck style thanksgiving meal. This year it consisted of chicken cooked in a dutch oven, cauliflower, beans, mashed potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and apple crumble, all accompanied by lots of wine. Everything is baked fresh in the woods even the pies!

Here Taiga is ready for bed tucked into her blanket inside the tent.

Shaun's rather unorthodox but effective method of packing his dry bag.

On the last day the wind had completely died and the lake was calm and warm. We took our time paddling back to the vehicles. The distance that had taken 4 hours to paddle in the wind now only took us 2 hours. We stopped to rest, we stopped for lunch, and we stopped for a second lunch.

Varnishing Snowshoes

2011-09-28T18:20:00.003-06:00

Ojibway style snowshoes

While the warm weather holds I thought it would be a good time to do some maintenance on my homemade wooden snowshoes. The photo shows my snowshoes (long set) and my mom`s snowshoes (short set) which she just finished building, hanging to dry after a thick coat of varnish was applied. We put down a double layer of poly to keep the mess contained then using a good brush we liberally applied the varnish. We used a good quality spar varnish which should provide an adequate protective coating.

2011-09-25T20:51:00.004-06:00

I woke up yesterday morning and felt like making a canoe paddle, so I went out the my shop and prepared the pieces. I had an extra cedar / ash shaft made up from the last bunch of paddles I made so I used that and laminated walnut pieces on for the blade and top grip. I left it to cure over night. The following day (today) I did the shaping. Everything went well, I haven't played in my shop very much since I started back to school so I took my time and really enjoyed the carving process. For this paddle I choose what I call my Trapper blade design with a modified northwoods top grip. The cedar/ash shafts are very light and with the addition of the walnut blade I was concerned that the paddle would unbalanced so I decided to add the northwoods grip because it would provide more weight on the shaft and thereby balancing the paddle. I'm happy to say, it worked! The finish is oil.

Close up of my logo and the interesting light and dark grain in the walnut.

Here's a look at the modified northwoods top grip. This grip is 11" long

I cut two strips of wood off of a larger 8/4 piece of walnut that I had. I book matched the grain patterns but as I carved away the material the lighter grain pattern on the one side became less and less. I ended up with a paddle with an asymmetric grain pattern.

Mora Belt Knife

2011-08-29T23:08:00.005-06:00

I just put the finishing touches on my latest project. I've wanted to make a knife for years but just haven't got around to doing it. Back in February I purchased a Mora knife blade from Lee Valley tools and have finally got around to making the handle for it. The handle I chose is inspired by Sami craftsmen that incorporate bone, leather, and wood in their knives. Traditionally reindeer antler would be used because of its denseness, but since there aren't many reindeer in my part of the world I used a white tail deer antler that I've had for years. The marrow isn't as dense as a rain deer's but it should hold up fine. I chose leather and walnut because their colors provide a striking contrast with the bone. I began by cutting thin slices from the antler using the band saw. The leather was cut to size along with the walnut. Holes were drilled in each piece and filed to the proper size in order to produce a snug fit. The whole works was coated with thickened epoxy and all the pieces were slid onto the tang. I used a mallet and a short piece of tubing to tap everything down tight. After letting the epoxy cure I used a belt sander to rough out the shape and finished it up by hand sanding. For the finish I used Tried & Trues varnish oil which incorporates pine resins in its formula.

Here I have a piece of antler clamped down while I drill and file the hole that will accept the tang.

All of the handle pieces are drilled and ready for assembly.

Thickened epoxy holds everything together. The blade comes sharp enough to shave with so the tape is to keeps my hands from getting cut up.

The white tail antler that I used had some interesting colored rings inside.

The handle is oiled with a varnish oil that produces a pleasing feel in the hand.

Everyone meet Taiga

2011-07-22T18:59:00.005-06:00

I just got a new paddling and hunting buddy. On Monday July 18th Zoe and I picked up our new puppy. She`s a 10 week old yellow lab. We`ve named her Taiga which is Russian for boreal forest. It`s been a while since I`ve had a puppy and I`ve forgotten how much work it is to do the house training. She is very smart and has learned her name already and is beginning to catch on to the preliminary obedience training (come, sit, stay, fetch) that I`m doing with her. We`ve put the canoe on the ground so she can get used to it and I`m happy to say she has taken to it quite well, she`ll jump in on her own and hang out for a couple of minutes. I like to think she is a natural born canoe dog. Both Taiga and I can`t wait to begin retriever training.

Paddling with Dragons

2011-07-14T20:13:00.006-06:00

Zoe and I spent the day paddling on the Hillsborough River which flows through the Wilderness Park Wildlife Preserve in Tampa Florida. The preserve occupies 16,000 acres right in the middle of Tampa and is recognized as one of Florida's best places to view wild life. We rented a canoe from the local canoe outfitter Canoe Escape and decided to paddle 8.5 miles on theHillsborough River from the put in at Sargeant Park to the Trout Creek Park. The trip started out sunny and dry but after just 10 minutes on the water it started to rain. It poured again!!!! It seems that each time I go paddling it rains. What is with that, Sheeesh. We remained soaked for the rest of the day but fortunately the temperature was warm, around 80 degrees F (26 degrees C) so we stayed warm. Despite the rain we had a fantastic day on the water. The river is very picturesque as it winds lazily through swamp land. Much of the river runs under a thick canopy of vegetation, trees thick with Spanish Moss and vines hanging down into the water. There were many trees that had fallen into the water that we had to maneuver around and a couple spanned the entire river. One we had to get out and drag over and the other we were able to lay down in the canoe and float under. We saw lots of turtles, alligators, and many different species of birds. All in all this was a great way to spend the day and Zoe and I enjoyed it a great deal.

Long the river we came to a nature center called, Natures Classroom. There must have been 50 or 60 Black Vultures in the trees and on the ground.

There were many cormorants along the river. This one was particularly cooperative and stayed still as we floated by.

I am not sure what this one is but he was very focused on his fishing.

We saw many alligators on the river. This was one of the largest. The only way past him was around the end of the log he is on. He was not happy with us as we approached. He slowly slipped into the water and was not seen again.

The vegetation was amazing with all the Spanish moss hanging from the trees.

We got close enough to this alligator that we could have tapped him with our paddles. We didn't but he was still not pleased with us and he started hissing. At this time of year is their breeding season and the male become very territorial.

We found these little guys sunning themselves on a log. We didn't stick around too long cause we didn't know where the mom was. Female alligators take care of their young for up to 5 years.

Spanish moss on a tree.

We saw many turtles sunning themselves along the way. This guy was close to 12 inches long.

We had to maneuver around and under many fallen trees.

Google Earth image of the Wilderness Park Wildlife Preserve.

I got wet! Again!!!

2011-07-06T17:26:00.004-06:00

Thunder storms and torrential down pours seem to be a running theme for most of my out door pursuits this year. This time I wasn't paddling on a river, rather I was out scouting for deer. Actually it was more of an excuse to get out of the city. We had just got out of the car at one of my favorite hunting spots when I noticed a couple of nice white tail bucks only 75 yards away and as we were watching them threw the binoculars a cotton tail scampered by so close that he could have tripped over our feet. We took these two sightings as a good omen as we excitedly organized our selves. We had anticipated a bit of rain later in the evening but what we were in for was entirely different. As I made my way to a little clearing in which I wanted to sit I flushed out a nice looking doe that didn't seem all too concerned about me. She busted out of the brush and stopped maybe 75 yards away and stayed there for nearly 10 minutes watching me.

I had just settled into a nice little hiding spot when the rain began to fall. It started as a few drops and slowly increased until the rain seem to be coming in sideways. Man it rained hard. By the time I ran the 1 km back to the car I was soaked! We decided that we should get out of there before the field got too soft to drive on.

The storm however was short lived and when it passed the sky was quite amazing. There were interesting cloud formations as well as a great sunset. In total we saw 15 deer, one bunny, and a couple of coyotes and a really great sunset.

An amazing sunset after the storm had passed

Some interesting cloud formations

At times the rain seemed to be coming in sideways

This doe stood and watched me for nearly 10 minutes. I wonder if she had a fawn near by.

Maliceet Paddle

2011-06-23T22:59:00.003-06:00

Here are a few photos of the Maliceet paddle I just finished this evening. It is made of the same stock (cherry and ash) as the voyageur paddle that I posted a couple of weeks ago. I haven't weighed it yet but it measures 59" long and has a 28" blade. The finish this time is a combination varnished blade and oiled shaft and top grip.

Two Rivers and a whole lot of rain

2011-06-21T22:34:00.004-06:00

On Sunday June 12 myself, Grant, Thorsten, and his dog Yagger drove the 2.5 hours to the Torch River for a day of paddling. The forecast called for a chance of showers that was only supposed to amount to two or three millimeters of rain. Boy were they wrong! It absolutely poured on us, we were like a bunch of drowned rats. There were thunder clouds all around us but none were close enough to cause us to get off of the water. Now the grid roads in this area were a bit rough on the drive up, when they were dry. But the whole time we were on the water i had a nagging concern in the back of my mind that they would get worse with the rain. A couple of years ago while paddling the same river it rained so much that the roads turned to slop and we had to wait for an entire day for the roads to dry out before they were even close to being passable. Luckily, though, we had used the put in on the north side of the river where the roads were somewhat better and after a bit of slipping and sliding we got both vehicles off the dirt track that runs from the grid to the put-in and back onto the road. There were lots of wildlife on the river that day, we saw 4 moose, a couple of deer, bald eagles, and many ducks.

Yagger wasn't at all happy about the rain.

Even though it rained for most of the day I still think we got luck with the weather, it could have been windy as well.

It absolutely poured.

The sky over the Torch River.

The following weekend, June 18th, I joined a small group of paddlers from La Ronge for a day trip on the Montreal River. The day started off relatively nice with only a few drops of rain and a bit of a tail wind. As the day progressed the wind got stronger and seemed to switch directions. As we were nearing the take-out the clouds darkened the thunder began and without warning, for the second weekend in a row the rain came down like crazy. It rains so hard that the surface of the water became blurred. Again, the wildlife was abundant, this time we saw 3 moose, bald eagles, and many ducks.

Martin and Ellen paddling in the rain.

The Montreal River from the top of a high embankment.

Martin's hand built 15 foot Bob's special weighs 35 lbs

Rachel and Cam

2011-06-14T22:18:00.004-06:00

Here are a few photos of a traditional voyageur paddle I just finished. It's based on the paddles displayed in Frances Anne Hopkins painting "shooting the Rapids" The blade shape of these paddles tends to be long, narrow, and curved as apposed to the more modern paddle with the same name which tends to also be long but has straight lines and is much wider. My version also has a modified northwoods grip. This time I chose to use ash for the shaft and cherry for the blade and grip. The paddle weighs 24 oz and has a blade the measures 32" X 4.5", the over all length is 63". It is a very long paddle so it will be interesting to see how it paddles. The finish is oil-varnish, which I have not used before so it will be interesting to see how well it stands up to the elements. As with all my paddles the edges of the blade are very fine to allow for silent paddling.

The overall length is 63". The blade is long an narrow at 32" X 4.5".

Here's a close up of the modified northwoods grip.

Shooting the Rapids by Frances Anne Hopkins

Carbon Fiber Paddle

2011-05-21T10:52:00.006-06:00

I just finished my latest paddle. It's a modified ottertail with carbon fiber laminated blade. The 5.7 oz carbon cloth allows for just enough flex in the blade that should reduce impact on joints. The core material is cedar with a 1/4" strip of ash running the length to give it some rigidity. As with all my paddles the edges of the blade are very fine for silent paddling. It weighs 470 grams.

Here's a close up of my bear logo and the great 3D effect that the twill weave gives.

The over all length is 56.5 inches, the blade is 5.5 X 25 inches

Here's a close up of the top grip and the book matched grain patterns

Torch and The Garden

2011-05-18T23:36:00.007-06:00

On May 14 - 15 a small group of friends traveled to the Nipawin area to paddle on the Torch River and Garden River.

A washed out bridge over the Garden River.

The Garden River is a low volume river with many shallow rapids

Grant surfing one of the many waves on the Garden river. The Saskatchewan Watershed Authority's website said that it was flowing at 6 - 7 cubic meters per second.

Gord and Judy maneuvering through the rocks on the Garden River.

Around almost every bend there is a sweeper or over hanging trees on the Garden

Grant on the Garden, there wasn't a cloud in the sky all weekend

Thorsten on the Garden

At the put in on the Garden

My home away from home for the weekend. The temperatures dropped to below freezing.

Bear, Moose, and wolf tracks were found in the mud not too far from where we camped.

Gord and Judy relaxing on the Torch River. The river was running at 40 cms

The put in on the Torch

The Cruising Canoe and its Outfit, 1880

2011-05-08T23:09:00.005-06:00

Here is an article titled "The Cruising Canoe and it's Outfit" that was published in the August 1880 issue of Harper's New Monthly Magazine. The article describes canoeing and canoeing culture at that time. What interests me is the differences in perceptions between present day and 130 years ago. A passage in the article reads "The Indian birch and dug-out, it is true, belong to the canoe group, but they are, at best, crude craft, unfit for general cruising..." Present day opinions of the birch bark canoe are that of revelry and admiration for a craft that opened up a nation. Most serious canoeists would do just about anything to paddle a bark canoe let alone own one.

Enjoy.

Sun, spring flowers, and a bunch of laughs

2011-04-25T21:43:00.005-06:00

On Thursday April 21st a small group of paddlers and I opened the canoeing season on Eagle Creek. It was a fantastic day for a paddle, the sun was warm, there was very little breeze and best of all the creek was the highest that I've ever seen it.

Grant sitting in an eddy

The creek was the highest in years. Steve and Jeff skirt the edge of 2 foot standing waves

I counted many barbed wire fences like this one. One fence actually spanned the entire creek and was just inches under water. These are very dangerous places.

We stopped for lunch on a hill side that was protected from the breeze and warmed by the spring sun. We found lots of crocuses blooming, a sure sign that spring is here to stay.

Our lunch spot on the hill side.

The creek claimed it's first casualties. Steve is emptying his canoe after an unintentional swim. The banks were made of ankle deep mud.

Jeff is scooping up the last bit of carnage after their swim.

We took out at the final bridge before the creek dumps into the North Saskatchewan River. It was just a short walk to our waiting vehicle. Which happened to be hung up in a ditch. Way to go Jeff.

The truck is out of the ditch and loaded with all three canoes.

Solo Expedition 2006 Wood Lake to Cumberland House

2011-04-20T22:11:00.008-06:00

When the winds died down and the water sat motionless, that was my time. After all my camp duties were finished, the gathering of wood, making the fire and cleaning up after supper, I was free to explore my surroundings and soak in the natural environment.

On many evenings, I was treated to the best light show nature had to offer. I never got tired of watching and photographing the sun as it slipped below the horizon.

Fantastic sunset over Wood Lake

I had just been driven off the water by a thunder and electrical storm that had chased me all day. At this stage of the trip, the wind and rain was starting to wear on me. I had never experienced a year with some many intense storms. The constant battle to make progress was relentless and exhausting.

Traveling alone, I had only myself to encourage and pick up my spirits so I got a little funny sometimes. A lot of the rapids were swollen and so were the portage trails. Over a particular trail was a boat ladder that spanned a large gap between two large outcroppings of rock. Where it was normally dry, water filled the gap to with in inches of the ladder, which was wet from the rain. Had I slipped, I could have easily broken a leg or been trapped under the ladder, under water. This was a very dangerous portage.

The constant fight against the wind and rain is enough to drive anyone a bit nuts

Mirond Lake is a huge lake with shorelines of rugged cliffs. Lingon Berries grow on many of the granite rocks, which I picked by the handfuls. In camp, I would reduce the berries over the fire to make a great sauce for my bannock. As I made my way along the shore, I spotted a group of otters swimming near a small island, but they spotted me at the same time and dove out of sight before I could get my camera ready. Late that evening, the winds came up again bringing with them rain that continued all night.

Now I'm not going to say it was the best decision I had ever made but the following morning the wind seemed to have calmed somewhat. So I quickly broke camp after eating a cold breakfast, packed my boat and hit the water. One thing that I failed to remember was that the waves always look smaller from shore. So when I got out of the protection of my peninsula I was exposed to the full force of the waves. More accurately, they were four foot swells that tossed my small canoe up and forward before rolling under me. I would then slide down the backside of the huge wave only to have the next pick me up again. What made things even worse was the fact that I couldn't keep the waves at a forty five-degree angle to the boat. I had to keep them at a much shallower angle or risk being swept into a large bay at the south end of the lake. I can't express my relief when I made it across the lake unharmed.

A typical shoreline on Mirond Lake

Scoop Rapids is an amazing place to visit. The Sturgeon-weir River is forced into a narrow gorge and drops over a number of large ledges. Standing next to the rapids and feeling it's power was a very humbling experience. The more time I spent on this trip, traveling through the wilderness, the more insignificant I felt. I was but a little man; how could I possibly fight against or conquer this land, not that I wanted to or was trying. I wasn't out here to conquer anything. But why was I doing this and alone to boot. Many people had asked me that very question and now here I was asking myself. Maybe I had come all this way to find some answers. Maybe I was looking for something.

I think it is vitally important for myself to head off into the woods, on my own. I find, over time, that I start to know myself and become a little more grounded.

Scoop rapids is famous for the many pelicans that sit in the eddies

Of course the wind came up as I was crossing Amisk Lake. The waves seemed to be spaced too close together. One would pick the boat up and toss it forward, while still on the crest of the first wave, another would come from behind and push the boat again. This would cause my canoe to do a little bunny hop while still on top of the first wave. It was a very strange feeling.

Amisk Lake is a neat transition stage in the geology of the area. To the north, is the granite that the Boreal Shield is famous for, and to the south is limestone. Many fossils can be found in the limestone outcroppings.

I spent one night at T&D Cabins. There I met a group of fishermen from Iowa who have been coming to Amisk Lake for the last twenty years. They were very friendly people and even invited me to their cabin for a visit. The following day, as I was loading my canoe, they all stopped by to say goodbye and to do the typical tourist thing, take pictures. They all lined up in a row and pointed their cameras at me all at once. As the flashes went off, I felt a little self-conscious. I'd never been the center of attention before, but I could get used to it.

Limestone cliffs of Amisk Lake

Namew Lake is a large and exposed lake. I was lucky that it was calm on the day that I had to cross it. It was one of the few calms days I had so I took advantage of it and paddled many kilometers. There were only days left to the end of my journey. Every paddle stroke took me closer to my goal, yet the end still seemed far off.

The south shore of the lake is lined with lime stone cliffs and perfectly level shelves; perfect for camping on. In areas like these I felt alone, not lonely, but just alone. I felt as if I was the only person for hundreds of kilometers and it was a very satisfying feeling.

Looking out over Namew Lake from inside one of the many large crevasses in the limestone cliffs

Throughout the entire trip, locals, fishermen and other canoeists had asked me if I'd seen any bears. I had no bear sightings to report, which kind of surprised and disappointed me. On the second last day of the trip, I was sitting in camp resting with a bag of granola, after a tough day of fighting the wind. I was relaxing when a medium sized black bear appeared at the edge of the trees. I was sitting down wind and could tell that he was just as startled to see me, as I was to see him. My bear spray and camera were in the tent so all I was left with was the bag of granola and it didn't make a whole lot of noise. I didn't want him to get too comfortable around my camp because I had to sleep there that night so I stood up and yelled at him. He turned and took off into the forest like a canon ball. I could hear him breaking branches as he fled. The interesting thing about bears is that they are silent, you can't hear them coming.

My final day on the water was windy again! I was, of course, sad that it was all coming to an end but to tell the truth, I wasn't going to miss the wind. Cumberland House is on a island which is surrounded by reeds. Finding the open channel through the reeds was no problem.

My journey ended as unceremoniously as it had begun. There were no cheering crowds or fan fair. There weren't even any locals at the boat launch where I was to meet my ride home. I guess it was a fitting way to end the trip; I started alone, traveled alone and finished alone. There was just the dirt boatlaunch and me. After an hour of waiting, my mother finally arrived to pick me up. It was nice to see a friendly face again.

After the slow pace of canoeing all summer, the drive home felt like reckless abandonment. I kept asking her to slow down.

Self portrait with the Cumberland House boat launch in the background

Solo Expedition 2006 Sandfly Lake to Frog Portage

2011-04-19T21:52:00.004-06:00

On calm and clear evenings, I enjoyed spending all evening cooking various dishes over the open fire. After a feed of fish I'd cook an apple crisp or possibly a mango crisp. Then I'd stoke the fire once more to bake a loaf of bannock.

Some of the campsites were very small and had a limited amount of level ground to set up the tent. At this particular site there was just enough of a grassy spot to set the tent. As I was lying in my sleeping bag, I could hear something rustling under the tent. I grabbed my headlamp and sat up to see a small lump under the floor of the tent moving. I'm not sure what exactly it was but a light smack sent it scurrying away not to return.

Campsite on Kavanugh Lake

One month earlier, in June, large forest fires ragged through the east end of Black Bear Island Lake and the west shore of Trout Lake. Great tracts of the forest were burnt. As I paddled close to shore and smelled the charred remains of once lush green trees, I could only imagine what it would have been like to live off the land and to have your cabin and your livelihood in danger of going up in smoke. This is exactly the story that a long time trapper in the area told me. He told me a great tale of how he had single handedly fought the fires back and how he had triumphed.

East Shore of Black Bear Island Lake

I had traveled through the Rock Trout area twice in the past with other groups. Both of those times, there were many people around, not only the group I was with, but also other groups passing through. This time, however, the land felt very lonely. There were many camp sites spread out on the level rocks but none were occupied. The only sounds were the constant roar of the rapids that I slept next to.

Throughout the trip I kept in touch via satellite phone with CBC radio, I was glad to have the chance to talk to someone even if it was only for 5 minutes and they were hundreds of miles away. The host on the noon edition asked the usual questions about loneliness and fear but I also had the opportunity to tell the listeners about some of the great places we have in northern Saskatchewan.

On the phone with CBC Radio next to Rock Trout Falls

Missinipe was to be my re-supply point, rest stop and a place to get cleaned up. After bathing in cold lakes and rivers for over month, a hot shower felt great! I met up with Jo Ann Johnston who had done me a big favor by bringing my food boxes to Missinipe. It was nice to see a familiar face again.

Along the way, I met some of the nicest people, locals as well as other canoeists. They continually invited me to sit with them around their campfires, if we happened to camp at the same location. One such group was Cliff Kienlen's group, which was staying at Robertson Falls. Jens and Sybille van Vliet, from France and Duane Stroeder, from Calgary made up the rest of his group. Because of rain no one felt like traveling so we spent a day and a half together sharing stories and having a good laugh.

Even though this trip was to be a solo endeavor it was nice to have people to visit with now and then. Inevitably, I had to be on my way again and loneliness would slowly creep in again. But I would take with me good memories.

Cliff Kienlen's group in the rain at Roberston Falls.

After leaving Robertson Falls, I stopped at Twin Falls Lodge and spoke to the owner. He told me that there were large bits of land that had burnt around Stanley Mission. He also told me that the lake level had risen two inches from the rain the day before.

Nearing Little Stanley Rapids, I ran into a father and daughter on the water in their canoe. As usual, I was questioning them about the rapids ahead (Little Stanley Rapids). The water was high this year, which completely changes the rapids. The father said that is was a bit pushy and that they had ran it once or twice and got worked over. When I got there, I watched a group of not-so-experienced paddlers run it. I really didn't feel like portaging, and I was planning on staying at the bottom of the rapid for the night, so I ran it loaded with no troubles at all.

The sunset over Little Stanley was one of the best I had seen in a while.

Sunset over Little Stanley Rapids

Portaging, the pain in every canoeists neck, literally and figuratively. To tell the truth I enjoy portaging. As canoeists we pass through the land and see it from water level, but it's nice to get out of the boat and get up close to the trees and possibly see something you would have otherwise missed. Like a pair of three toed woodpeckers working their way up an old spruce looking for grubs.

On every trip there comes a time when I realize that I am truly enjoying myself, and that I'm at ease with everything. That time usually comes at the end of a long portage, after having hauled all my gear in the rain.

While portaging my canoe around Grand Rapids the carrying yolk broke and the boat fell to my head. It didn't feel good! I spent the next half hour searching for a suitable tree branch and used the rest of my duct tape to securely brace the yolk. I only hoped it would hold for the rest of the trip.

To haul all my gear across I had to make about 4 trips for each portage

Frog portage is an important historic site. It is here that a small bit of land only a few hundred meters across separates two major watersheds. The Churchill River and the Sturgeon-weir River. It got it's name from an event which took place years ago. When the Cree entered the land, they had great contempt for local natives. They thought the locals couldn't prepare beaver skins and, as a sign of their dislike, they stretched a frog skin an hung it on a post.

For weeks I had a reoccurring dream of rain flooding my campsite and tent. At Frog Portage that dream came true. That night there was a terrible thunder and electrical storm. It produced a lot of rain and soaked the ground I was camped on. In the morning could hear the water squishing around under the tent. It rained so much that the lake level rose two inches over night!

Too bad about the vandalism on the monument

To be continued

Solo Expedition 2006 Ile a la Crosse to Sandfly Lake

2011-04-04T13:45:00.012-06:00

Map, Ile a la crosse to Sandfly Lake

Good camping sites are limited on Ile a la Crosse Lake; they are few and far between. I had just paddled over 40 kms into a strong head wind and arrived at a small island near Sandy Point. I was extremely exhausted and could hardly stand. On the island was a beautiful, level, manicured lawn which would have made a great place to spend the night. The only problem was a mangy dog, which inhabits the island, looked like he would have bit a chunk out of my leg the minute my back was turned. I opted not to become puppy chow and moved on to sandy point.

The next day, leaving Sandy Point was not a smart thing to do. There were gale force winds coming down the lake from the north. I paddled hard and only made 4 km's before I decided it wasn't worth busting my ass. I was lucky to come across a long sandy beach, which I set up camp at the edge of the trees. I was stuck there for the day and spent my time walking along the beach and snacking on gingersnap cookies.

Wind bound on Ile a la crosse

The waves on Lac Ile a la Crosse were large again, only this time they were in my favor. I was able to ride white-capped waves half way up the lake to an island, which sports the same name, Halfway Lake. This island marks the unofficial boundary between the fishing territories of the Dene and Cree. There happened to be a native summer cabin that I stayed in for the night rather than be battered by the wind in my tent. I stayed comfortable while the wind blew outside. There was a table and a few cots, which had mouse droppings on them. After doing my map work, I lifted the musty smelling mattress and dumped the droppings onto the floor, set out my sleeping bag on the mattress and fell into a deep sleep. Some time in the night, I could hear mice scurrying around the cabin, even on the bed with me.

In the spring the locals move to their cabins to fish, then abandon them for the summer. This cabin was on Half Way Island. Ile a la Crosse Lake

The first sign that you are entering the Boreal Shield is at Deer Rapids. Here you will find the first bit of granite on the upper Churchill River. After so many less than suitable campsites, I decided to stop early on this day and camp on the rocks. It was a warm and sunny day, which was exactly what I needed. All my batteries were running low and the sun would provide all the energy I needed to charge them using my solar panel.

Now I'm not sure, but in my opinion the locals have lost touch with the river. Sure they use the rivers as their roads, but along my travels, I've asked locals for information on the river ahead. The most common response I received was "you better portage, stay away from the rapids, those waves are too big". They may have been trying to get a rise out of me or maybe they were being serious but when I arrived at said rapids, I found them to be very tame. Possibly having given up canoes for modern fishing boats with outboard motors, they have lost the intimate knowledge of the water they once had.

Before leaving in the morning, I was able to catch a wave and do some surfing with my loaded canoe.

The first granite on the the Churchill River, Deer Rapids

Bear signs! There were way too many bear signs along the portage trail bypassing Crooked Rapids. I had thought about camping at one end of the trail but after walking the trail and seeing all the piles of scat, over turned logs and boulders, I decided there was no way I was going to spend the night there alone! And to top it off, the mosquitoes were horrible!

Crooked rapids are really a set of three separate rapids. The first is easily run without scouting. The guidebooks say that the second set is runnable down river center, between a small island on the right and large waves on the left. Yeah right! With this years high water levels, the large waves were monstrous! There was no way I was going any where near them. I opted to run down river left scouting as I went. The route I picked was a good clean run with a few large boulders to dodge. Just missing the monstrous waves by a matter of feet, I eddied out behind a bunch of willows to get a good look at the wave.

The force of the water and vastness of the wilderness was truly humbling and left me feeling like an insignificant speck in the great scheme of things.

Monstrous waves in Crooked Rapids. Missed this one by a matter of feet.

Here the Churchill River takes on a whole different feel and flattens out again into a wide, marshy valley. I stopped at a number of places in search of a place to camp. The hillside was covered with big juicy blue berries making it a good year for the bears. All the berries were early and there were lots of them. I spent a lot of time picking and eating Saskatoon Berries, Goose Berries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Lingon berries and Blueberries. I had blueberries in my hot cereal, in pancakes, with bannock, as blueberry crisp, reduced as a spread, and of course fresh by the hand full.

The days had become hot and the head seemed to radiate from everything, rocks, trees, soil

I hadn't seen or spoken to another person for over a week so when I got to a small boat launch near the outflow of Sandy Lake and met three men and one boy, I had a tough time keeping up with the conversation. The four of them reminded me of a bunch of hillbillies on vacation. They chattered back and forth with each other and fired off question after question at me. Now I'm not sure if it was because I had just spent so much time alone or if that was the way they always talked, but there was no way I could hold up my end of the conversation. Luckily they were camped at a different camp ground, so after they wandered off, I was left to my own devices again. The day was well over 30 degrees C with little shade to take refuge in. The designated camp sites were 100 meters up a hill, I was the only person in the recreation site and had my pick of sites but I couldn't bear to be that far from the water, so I decided to pitch camp in the parking lot only feet from the water's edge.

During long journeys on the water you become dependent on the water. It becomes your constant companion and your worst enemy. You long for it when you are apart and depend on it for your very survival. Later, when I returned home after the trip, I felt as though something was missing within me, I would feel empty. I had accomplished my goal and completed the journey, what was missing was the water and the forest. I missed them terribly.

A fantastic sunset over Sandy Lake

Entering Sandfly Lake, I met a small group of people from Pine House Lake, just out for a day cruise. As I paddled by them, a man called out to me. He asked, "where's your real boat"? He couldn't grasp the idea that I was traveling by canoe.

Sandfly Lake has long been in the back of my mind as a place to explore. The many rocky islands provide great fishing and there's also Alexander Mackenzie's Bear. When Mackenzie was passing through, he paused long enough to take note of a large boulder, perched alone, which is in the form of a black bear's head. In the past, sacrifices were offered here, but when I passed through, there were none. It was a great place to stop for lunch.

In the past, a bears face was painted on the bolder but there was no visible sign that it had been painted. Sandfly Lake

Lac La Loche to Lac Ile-a-la-Crosse

2011-03-20T17:29:00.022-06:00

Right now we've had a small relapse back into winter but it can't last long so my thoughts turn to canoeing. To help things along I've decided to post about my 2006 solo expedition. In 2006 I paddled solo across Saskatchewan from La Loche to Cumberland House. The trip was 1000 km's and took me 50 days. I'll post the trip in segments. What follows is actually taken from my previous website which is no longer published. Hope you enjoy.

Happy paddling

Solo Expedition 2006

There was no fanfare, no cheering crowds, only a couple of friends standing on a small gravel beach waving as I paddled into the distance. We had driven to Buffalo Narrows the day before and were able to enjoy the Canada Day fireworks through the screen door of our tent.

After finding a small beach, a couple of friends helped me unload my jeep, creating a large pile of gear on the sand. In my haste in preparing for the journey, I hadn't test packed the canoe with all the gear. I was sure my 16 foot prospector would hold it all but finding the proper placement was a challenge.

It was a surreal feeling as I paddled along the shore of La Loche Lake. It seemed like I was just out for an afternoon paddle or maybe for a weekend like I've done many times in the past.

I had no idea what was in store for me.

Leaving La Loche, Lac La Loche

The confluence of the La Loche River and the Kimowin River is an interesting place. The La Loche comes in on the left and the Kimowin on the right. The area is full of waterfowl. On the point of land at the confluence stands a trappers cabin. I had planned on camping at this point, not realizing that there was a cabin there. No one was home so I set up camp in the front yard. On the front porch, there were two chairs cut from large logs. On one of the chairs was a note from a German couple who had stayed in the same spot two weeks earlier. As it turned out, I would almost catch up with them by the end of the trip, They were paddling the same route as me. In many places I could tell that they had used the same campsites that I was using by the small stone fire pits that they built to cook their meals on. By the time I got to Amisk Lake I was only 2 days behind them. Forest fires were a huge concern for the first week and a half of the trip. The smoke hung in the air so thick that it blocked out the sun and stung my lungs. I even tried calling the RCMP for an update on the fire situation but the satellite phone couldn't get a strong signal.

The confluence of the La Loche River and the Kimowin River. Smoke from forest fires was so thick it stung my throat and caused my lungs to ache.

Big Buffalo Lake (Peter Pond Lake) is a huge lake. From the north end where you enter the lake to the narrows half way down, the lake is an unbroken stretch of water spanning 58 km. As I entered the lake, I attempted to please the spirit of Big Buffalo by tossing a spruce bough into the water and saying the words "Shake hands, Big Buffalo". This old tradition seemed to have worked and I was allowed safe passage.

The shoreline on the north west part of the lake is typically sandy and unobstructed. After a half day of paddling you can still see where you had camped the night before.

Alone, I felt like a castaway stranded on some tropical beach.

Typical campsite on Peter Pond Lake.

While on the water I could see thunderheads beginning to form. As time progressed they just kept getting larger and larger. When I noticed the clouds were starting to turn shades of green I knew it was time to get off the water, quick! I had been told that a green sky means trouble. No sooner had I set up the tarp, the skies opened up. The winds came up and blew everything around. It poured rain and hailed hard! I set my kettle at the end of tarp to collect the rain and hail to cook supper with. After the storm had passed, I came out from under my tarp to survey the damage. Walking down to the beach I noticed that my boat wasn't where I had left it. The wind had gripped it and tried to toss it away! It was turned right side up and flung to the end of the rope. If I hadn't tied it to a bush, I would have lost it!

Round two of the storm came a short while later. Sitting in my tent, I could only tremble with fear as the thunder rumbled the ground and lightning lit up the sky. I was terrified of forest fires. Just a week before I started my journey, a storm in this same area started 55 new fires overnight. I later learned that there was a fire burning just 10 km south of my location.

58 Km's of open water, with no islands to slow the wind, Peter Pond Lack can get pretty rough.

Rain fell from the sky like liquid bullets. Thick smoke filled the air and stung my lungs; smoke so thick it blocked out the sun, and the approaching storm. Three foot rolling waves pounded my swamped canoe and all I could do was sit, soaked and shivering, only a foot from the ragging water, with my head down trying will the storm to pass. Bolts of lightning ripped the sky while cracks of thunder shook the ground. Thoroughly dejected, thoughts of quitting the trip filled my head and I was disappointed with myself. I knew quitting was not an option but I still entertained the thought.

As the storm approached from the north, the waves rolled in from the south. I knew the worst of the storm had passed because the waves had changed direction and were now rolling south, with the storm. I was desperate to get off the small stony beach, which measured only 8 by 2 feet, so I bailed out the swamped canoe and headed out onto the water. I can't say it was the best decision I've ever made but there just wasn't a clearing large enough to sit in let alone set up a camp for the night. I had to find suitable shelter so I pushed on.

2006 was one of the worst years for forest fires. Peter Pond Lake

All day long, as I traveled, I could hear a low humming coming from the forest. Mosquitoes of epic numbers! I had never seen mosquitoes that bad in my entire life! Even the locals said it was the worst they had seen in along time. This section of the fur trade route passes through low marshy land, perfect for bloodthirsty insects to breed. Even wearing bug repellent, long pants, a long sleeve shirt and a bug jacket wasn't enough to keep them at bay. My daily routine consisted of paddling all day. When I stopped for the evening, I'd set up camp, eat supper and retire to my tent for the duration of the evening. Even a sweltering tent in 30 degree C temperatures was better than being eaten alive. At night the bugs could be heard pinging off the inside of the fly of my tent.

The shoreline for the first couple of weeks was low, wet and lined with willows. If a person wanted to stop or had to for some reason, there just wasn't any place to pull ashore. I ate many meals in my canoe floating on the water.

A typical shore line along the MacBeth Channel. Lac Ile-a-la-crosse

To be continued

Eagles of Hornby Island

2011-01-30T13:44:00.007-06:00

As an effort to avoid studying I thought I would let everyone know that the Eagles of Hornby Island are still live on the web and will hopefully be successful in their efforts of raising a couple of eaglets after last years disappointments. (one egg didn't hatch and the other chick fell from the nest)

Live TV : Ustream

Into the Cold - New Year's Eve in The Woods

2011-01-08T10:59:00.008-06:00

If you ask anyone of us about the trip, the first thing they will tell you is that it was cold! Stupid “F-ing” cold! Even I had to admit that the first day and night was a tough one. I’m sure that almost everyone was beginning the wonder what the hell we were doing, heading off over a frozen lake into a head wind that was gusting to over 40 km per hour that dropped the temperature to below -30 C. Though these thoughts were on everyone’s minds, no one wanted to be the person to give in to the cold.

The previous month and a half was spent in anticipation and preparation for this camping trip with the intention of spending New Years Eve in the silence and solitude of the boreal forest in northern Saskatchewan. We were to drive up to our star point on December 29^th and return on January 1^st. Many conversations and emails bounced back and forth between Bryan and I as to the destination. We knew that it had to be in the north, with very little possibility of encountering anyone else; we were looking for peace and quiet. After spending many hours pouring over maps and after changing the destination half of a dozen times it was agreed that we would head to McKay Lake which is 60 km’s north of La Ronge. Actually the deciding factor was some very good local advice from my good friends Mick and Ellen who live at Lamp Lake and a chance internet meeting with the good folks at Paws n Paddles. If you are at all interested in canoeing or dog sledding Miriam and Quincy offer guided canoe tours in the summer and customized dog sled tours in the winter. They proved to be an invaluable source of information about areas to watch for unsafe ice in the McKay Lake area and ultimately inspired us to choose that area.

Like I said it was dam cold pretty well the entire time we were in the woods. The warmest temperature I saw was on the last day when the thermometer read -22 C. The nights were consistently hovering around the -32 C mark. Even with the extreme cold I still feel that we lucked out with the weather. The first day was very windy making it feel much colder than it really was but the wind died down for the duration of our stay and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. If it had remained windy we could have been much worse off. Out of interest, upon returning from the north, Bryan and I tested the accuracy of the thermometer that I had along. It is accurate to within .5 of a degree C.

As it so often does on camping trips, the weather dictates our behaviour and this trip was no different. After traveling the 6 km’s across McKay Lake we came upon Miriam and Quincy with their dogs, they were shuttling supplies to their cabin at the north end of Bartlett Lake. We had no intentions of going further and had started searching for a suitable campsite when Quincy suggested that a clearing only 100 ft along the winter portage would make as suitable place to camp. After a quick scout around we realized that this spot was about the only spot that wasn’t choked with deadfall. Our decision was made easy, by all the readily accessible fire wood; we would be able to keep the fires burning and stay warm. On December 29^th at Latitude 55 degrees 28 minutes, there is only 7 hrs and 46 min of day light and we were running out quickly. Tents were set up in short order and much firewood was brought in and cut to length. The evening was spent around the fire, visiting.

The nights were very comfortable for Zoe and me. Our sleeping bag system worked fantastic, almost too well. We had two -20 degree mummy bags which we zipped together, inside that we each had our own -7 degree bag, and inside that we had a vapour barrier. Being wrapped in 6 inches of down sleeping bags is very warm, so warm in fact that the vapour barriers just made us sweat. Though we were warm, our main concern was the morning; it was going to be very unpleasant emerging from our bags damp to great the extremely cold morning temperatures. We pulled the barriers off and tossed them aside. I’m sure that they would have worked if we hadn’t had the -7 bags.

Day two was spent staying warm, preparing an adequate amount of fire wood that would see us through the day and long evening. It’s amazing how the cold robs you of your desire to do things that you would otherwise think nothing of. Most of us were content with just staying around camp and staying warm. Andrew did a bit of ice fishing but didn’t catch anything; he must have had a bite because his bait was gone. Shortly before supper Bryan and Rob went for a short snowshoe to have a look around while the rest of us stayed back in camp to prepare the evenings meal. For this trip we decided to divide into two groups, each group preparing a group meal. I like this arrangement since it means that I don’t have to cook every night. When our trips are planned as a base camp style trip Bryan and Rob usually bring their hot tent and stove, so after supper when the temperatures began to drop we retreated to the tent to stay warm, share some beverages, and share some good stories.

New Year’s Eve (day three) brought blue skies, calm winds, and a sense of relaxation. I’m not sure about the others but I was starting to become acclimatized to the cold, I wasn’t feeling it as much and I was feeling quite relaxed and content. Everyone else must have been feeling it also because during the day the whole group went out for a snowshoe. Our destination was to have a look at Bartlett Lake. What little energy the sun had in it warmed our faces as we made fresh track in the snow. On days like that there is no better place to be than in the north. Upon arriving back at camp we set about tidying up and preparing for the new year. Miriam had stopped by the day before with a dog sled load of pre-cut wood and a jack pine candle. A jack pine candle is a 5 foot jack pine log which has two cuts, made with a chain saw, running the length forming an “X” in the end. Birch bark is stuffed in the end with the cuts and the whole thing is set in the snow like a candle and the top is lit. We lit it after dark and watched it burn to celebrate the new year. As I wandered in the woods the day before I came across a rabbit trail so before dark Andrew and I set a few snares to see if we could catch anything. The following morning we checked the sets and as luck would have it, we caught two. We quickly field dressed them and cut them up. In addition to the curried dishes that Bryan, Rob, and Valerie provided for supper that night, everyone contributed whatever fixings they could to the pot, and I made rabbit stew. The funniest quote came from Andrew while eating his rabbit, “ah, with every bite I feel more like a man.” Again, the evening was spent sharing beverages and stories in the hot tent. Living out doors takes its Toll and we didn’t make it to midnight to see the new year in. At around 10:30 we figured it was 12 somewhere so we packed it in for the night.

As it often seems to happen, the nicest day is always on the last day and this trip was no different. Clouds had moved in overnight which insolates the earth and made for a fantastic morning sky. The entire eastern sky was painted with amazing reds, yellows, and oranges but soon after the sun had risen the clouds dissipated and it was sunny and calm once again. We would be returning home that day which meant it was a travel day and we needed to get an earlier start. I hate these days, the days when the camp is taken down, I always feel sad to be leaving. The north is where my interests lie and it’s in the north where I am the most comfortable, I feel healthy and strong and my mind is clear. There are no distractions of society and no hoops to jump through, just a pure life and sense of being. I can’t stand to be apart from it.

It’s interesting but when it comes time to pack up camp, nothing seems to fit like it did when you packed at home. It must be all the frost/moisture in the materials that makes most items more bulky, for this reason, Zoe and I purposely loosely pack the gear at the beginning of the trip; that way at the end there will still be enough space to fit it all for the return trip. The return trip was sunny and warm and the group took their time, pausing for breaks and to savour the last few sights along the way. The group was an eclectic mix of people with varying levels of outdoor skill and I enjoyed everyone’s company and the laughter that was shared.

Thanks for making the New Year’s winter camping trip so much fun; Zoe, Bryan, Rob, Valerie, Tara, Andrew, and of course Kaya.

Zoe and Tara staying warm by the jack pine candle

Stirring the rabbit stew

Andrew is cutting potatoes for the stew

The scenery in the narrows of Bartlett Lake was amazing

We made fresh tracks in untouched snow on Bartlett Lake

Bryan is cutting butter for his breakfast

My new ice chisel made quick work of chopping holes through the 20" of ice for fresh drinking water and fishing

I couldn't resist fooling around in the snow with the camera

This was our view from Urton Bay on McKay Lake

We took advantage of the warm sun and dried our sleeping bags

Preparing fire wood was a popular pass time, you warmed up while gathering it, again while cutting the it, and again when it was burned.

Zoe hauling wood back to camp

It got damn cold at night, down to -32 degrees each night

Bryan is preparing tea while supper cooks

Old vs New

The folks at Paws n Paddles stopped by for a visit

Spending time near the fire was a popular pass time

Following a dog sled trail, we made our way across the lake into a 33 km/hr wind

Spirits were high despite the cold

The group is preparing to set out

The sun rise over McKay Lake on January 1st, 2011

The misadventures of rabbit stew

2011-01-03T19:13:00.002-06:00

Steps to preparing a hearty rabbit stew while camping in the dead of winter.

· Go for a walk through the woods on a cool winter day to locate a rabbit trail, this can be done while you are.....say looking for a suitable place to use the loo
· Set snares in natural bottle necks along the trail, ie where the trail passes under a log or between two close trees
· Go to sleep and dream of fuzzy little woodland creatures
· Check snares first thing in the morning, the excitement of checking the “trap line” is even better than Christmas
· After skinning and field dressing the rabbit; debone the meat, we skipped this step and had legs and bits sticking out the pot
· Grill meat over an open fire, being careful not to drop any in the fire
· Place the grilled meat in a pot with whatever fixins you can rustle up in camp, we used potatoes, carrots, fresh and dried onions, green chillies, bay leaves, Montreal steak spice, salt & pepper, beef & vegetable broth bouillon cubes, and about a litre of water
· You can use snow but you’re going to need a dogsled full of the white stuff to make a litre
· If your fixins are frozen solid, use whatever’s on hand to cut them. A camp saw works great for this
· When the liquid reduces add some frozen wine slush (Start thawing the wine first thing that morning, it takes longer than you would expect to thaw 1 litre next to a fire)
· Only add half as much wine as you may think is required, the water portion of the wine may be frozen so all you are really using to cook with is concentrated alcohol
· When the liquid has reduced by half stir in some flour or corn starch to thicken
· Serve and enjoy

Rabbit stew over an open fire and a stir stick cut from a branch

First Snowshoeing of the year

2010-12-12T17:08:00.004-06:00

Today was my first opportunity of the season to head out side and make tracks in the snow with my new snowshoes. Earlier in the year, actually it was in August, I had made a pair of Ojibway style snowshoes. Read the post here. I had been dying to try them out.

We don't really have a lot of snow on the ground right now but there is enough for snowshoeing. I was very pleased with the way the snowshoes performed. I found they were light under foot, tracked straight, and kept me afloat on what little snow we have. They are much longer than my new style GV's so I was concerned that I was going to have to walk with an extra long stride but that wasn't the case at all. While walking normally the shape of the frames fit together very well and there was no stepping on the sides of one shoe with the other.

There is, however, a bit of a learning curve. My GV's are much shorter in the toe area making it easy to cross step in front of one foot with the other. Not even thinking about it, I had turned to talk to Zoe and stepped on the front of my own snowshoe and down I went. Snow was tossed in all directions and in the end I was covered in the white stuff.

Home made Ojibway style snowshoes

It was very windy -18 degrees C (-28 degrees with the wind)

The Voyageurs

2010-12-09T12:38:00.003-06:00

I was digging around in the National Film Board of Canada's film archives this afternoon, (avoiding writing an essay) and came across this reenactment of the fur trade area. The film describes the life of the Voyageurs.

Acid Snow

2010-12-07T21:50:00.003-06:00

I've heard and read that snow is more acidic than regular lake water and I've often wondered if that is true. I know from experience on winter camping trips that drinking water made from melting snow certainly has a different flavor. It's a known fact that acids taste sour but I'm not sure that I would call the flavor of snow, sour. So I thought I'd look into this a bit with a quick Google search.

Essentially acid snow is just acid rain in a solid form rather than liquid. As a droplet of water falls through the atmosphere it removes water soluble particles such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide and combines with them to become more acidic. Typically acid rain has a pH of 4.4 and snow 4.8. My guess would be that the higher pH level of snow can be explained by the fact that a solid will absorb particles less readily than a liquid and will therefore be less acidic.

The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 with 0 being purely acidic and 14 being purely basic, a pH of 7 is neutral.

While winter camping I used to melt snow for all of my water needs (I don't mind the flavor of snow) but in recent years we have started chopping a water hole in the lake ice so we can have access to fresh liquid water. It is much more convenient to have liquid water available and it saves a lot of time that used to be spent on making water from snow.

Photosynthesis, respiration and decomposition tend to lower the pH levels in lakes and typically the pH of natural water is between 6.5 and 8.5.

So I guess there is some truth to snow being more acidic than water but I'm not sure that this explains the difference in flavors.

Our water hole on the lake ice

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/plants/management/joysmanual/ph.html

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/wea00/wea00123.htm

http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/Acid+snow

Cold weather sleeping system

2010-11-17T23:38:00.004-06:00

Lately I've been giving a lot of thought to my sleeping system for winter camping. In the past I've used a MEC Hybrid -20 down/synthetic mummy bag with a home made fleece liner for those cold nights. But with the arrival of Zoe's new Hybrid -20 there are a few more options.

1. For those very cold nights the two -20 bags zipped together provide lots of room, maybe too much room with a fairly sizable air pocket between us. But with the addition of our MEC Raven -7 down bags the air pocket is reduced. The benefits of this system are that we are in our own bags but still able to benefit from shared body heat. (Actually I'll likely be the one producing heat) The down side to this would be the added moisture produced by two bodies in the same bag causing them to ice up quickly during a multi day trek. This could be addressed with the addition of a couple of vapour barriers which I don't have at the moment but intend to make before out next camping trip. (which is planned for New Years eve) With the bags in this configuration I measured the loft to be around 11".

2. A second configuration would be to not zip the bags together but still have the Raven inside the Hybrid. Advantages are less moisture due to only one body, disadvantages are no shared body heat. A vapour barrier would add to the warmth of this system.

3. If I was on my own in an extremely cold situation I have a Marmot -5 synthetic bag that is an extra wide that can be used as an over bag. My original thought was to put all three bags together but when I did this and got inside, it was certainly warm but I found that there was very little room to move around and the down bags were being compressed, reducing the insulation value.

I guess I'll have some fun this winter testing these ideas.

Let it snow!

Raven -7 inside the Hybrid -20. 11 inches of lot!

MEC put some thought into these bags. The zipper on Zoe's regular is in the same position as my long. The difference in length is made up in the foot box. Great!

My Raven -7 inside the Hybrid -20 which is inside my Marmot -5 extra wide. All I need now is a vapour barrier.

Cree Hunters of Mistassini

2010-11-15T16:16:00.002-06:00

I came across a link to this film on Murat's Paddle making blog. The film was produced by the National Film Board of Canada and depicts three Cree families and how they survive the winter in the James Bay region of Quebec. There are some fantastic images of the tools used and the men using them while hunting and trapping. Of particular interest to me are the variations of snowshoes that were used as well as the hand carved snow shovels that everyone seemed carried with them, their ice chisels used to open holes for fishing and trapping beaver. Their use of the canoe is also interesting in that they paddle well into the winter season even when there is slush and some ice on the water. As a paddle builder and canoeing instructor I found their paddles and paddling technique interesting. The film also portrays the Cree peoples feelings, beliefs, and rituals regarding the land.

I must warn those with weak stomachs about the graphic nature of some of the images in this film. The film portrays real hunting and trapping practices.

We got skunked!

2010-11-07T20:50:00.004-06:00

For today I had planned the ultimate hunting day, I would sit with my buddies Reg and Dave for a goose hunt in the morning, then spend the last part of the day looking for deer. As it turned out I only got one nice mallard and I didn't see a single deer. However the day wasn't a total bust, I got to explore some new country and ended up seeing and hearing some wildlife. While sitting in my deer blind a squirrel came over for a visit and sat in a tree just 5 yard back from me and ate his nuts or what ever he had stashed in the dead tree that he was sitting on. Shortly after the squirrel left a lone coyote showed up out of no where and stopped to look at me for a few minutes trying to figure out what I was. All he could see was my head poking up from behind the blind. Just as the sun was setting I could hear a small heard of Elk just 50 yards to the east of me start calling. Unfortunately they didn't show them selves for a photo.

The squirrel was a bit of a character, often he nearly fell off of his branch while enjoying his meal.

This Coyote stopped just long enough for me to get a blurry (low light) photo of him.

Make'n holes in ice

2010-11-05T16:17:00.004-06:00

I just finished putting the finishing touches on a new piece of equipment for winter camping. To make collecting water for drinking while winter camping easier I decided to make an ice chisel. Now I'll be able to open a hole in the lake ice, provided we are camped near a lake to obtain fresh liquid drinking water. For the last few years I've been melting snow which works fine but is time consuming and uses a lot of fuel if a stove is used. Plus there really isn't much moisture in snow so it takes a lot of it to fill the water bottles. Another draw back of melting snow is that the area right next to camp can get a bit messy with ash from the fire and saw dust from cutting wood, making it difficult to find clean snow. On recent trips some of the fellas have used an axe to open a water hole which works also but they got very wet and inevitably iced up from the spray. One of the benefits of collecting lake water is the opportunity to star gaze with an uninterrupted view from the lake ice.

Specifications:

Measures - 10" X 3" X 1/2"

Weight - 5 lbs

Handle - 60" hardwood with a lanyard

Blade - high carbon steel with 45 degree bevel

The chisel is big and heavy so there will be some trade offs. On the plus side it will open a hole in the ice in short order but on the negative side it is a bit too heavy to use as a probe while traveling on dangerous ice. (which I tend to avoid anyway)

A dusting of snow but still no ice

2010-11-04T22:55:00.003-06:00

The above MODIS Rapid Response System image, dated November 3rd shows a light dusting of snow in the La Ronge area but no ice can be seen on any of the lakes. The yellow arrow pointing to Lac La Ronge shows no ice, which is to be expected on such a large body of water. The red arrow points to Lamp Lake, and to my surprise there is no ice on this smaller lake. Blue arrow points to Kingsmere Lake in P.A. National park.

The MODIS Rapid Response System provides near-real time satellite (Terra and Aqua) images of much of North America in true color.

An interesting side note; the red 'X' is located over Montreal Lake and the geographic centre of the province.

The Bear Man of Kamchatka

2010-10-30T11:02:00.004-06:00

Saskatoon snowshoe club

2010-10-28T20:10:00.004-06:00

The Saskatoon Snowshoe Club is getting geared up for the coming winter and snowshoeing season. If you are looking for a group of people to explore the winter landscapes around Saskatoon, then head over the the SSC's website and check out all the group tours that are planned. A membership to the club is free so be sure to fill out the online membership form in order to receive updates for up coming group tours and be sure to tell all your friends.

Let it snow!

Bears asleep in the woods

2010-10-25T22:12:00.004-06:00

The first snowflakes or 2010 fell on Saskatoon this evening. And as always the first snow fall brings thoughts of winter adventures that put me in a good mood.

At this time of year the bears are good and fat and likely looking for a den to spend the winter in. I often wonder, as I wander through the winter woods, where 'do' the bears hibernate. What does a bear den look like? There are many more bears in the woods than we are aware of and they have to go somewhere for the winter. My guess is that they are closer by than we might think.

I came across a youtube video of the Rick Mercer Report. In it, Mercer is in Algonquin Park tagging black bears. This video shows clearly what a black bear den looks like and just how docile, even a sow with clubs, really are during the winter.

The snowshoes Rick is wearing are the Ojibwa style. From what I can tell, most of the researchers are wearing the new style snowshoes.

Pulk Tarp

2010-10-14T20:15:00.002-06:00

I just finished making a tarp for my pulk. It'll be used to wrap my gear in to keep all the odds and ends from being lost on the trail. I usually pack my gear into large duffel bags so there aren't too many odds and ends but it will be nice to have everything contained nice and neat. The tarp can also double as a ground sheet or as a wind break. It's just a piece of ripstop nylon with webbing loops on all four corners. It measures about 13 x 5.5 feet. It's a bit too long but that shouldn't be too much of an issue. To test it out I wrapped up a bunch of sleeping bags. It looks like it's going to work well.

Made a new sheath

2010-10-09T00:07:00.003-06:00

I just finished making a new leather sheath for my Gransfors Bruks small forest axe. The one that comes with the axe is very nice and fits well but it only covers the bit. I wanted something that would cover the entire head. I take my axe on all my canoe trips so it's going to get wet and corrode. To prevent this I like to season the metal head with bore butter which is actually used to season muzzle loader barrels but works just the same on any metal surface. If I used the original sheath that came with the axe bore butter would get everywhere and make a mess of everything. By covering the whole head it keeps the butter contained and eventually the butter will build up in the sheath and season the axe every time it is placed in the sheath.

Finished sheath made of oiled leather for moisture protection

Shows the snap and stitching detail

I first drew out the pattern on the computer and printed it off, then transferred it to the leather piece.

Paddle socks

2010-10-03T13:08:00.003-06:00

I just found a great buy. While making my usual rounds through the sporting goods section at Canadian tire I came across a rack containing Gun Socks made by Yukon Gear. The label on the package said that they were 54" long, silicone treated and will fit guns with or without scopes. For some time now I have been thinking about getting something to protect my paddles while in transport to the lake and back, and possibly while out on trips. The best part is they were under $12 each. I bought all that was on the rack.

Gun Socks as paddle socks

Package label

Sydney Castel's Pukatawagan Song

2010-09-28T19:11:00.005-06:00

Sidney Castel, the Cree pop music phenomenon, lived in the remote northern settlement of Pukatawagan, Manitoba. He was most famous for his Pukatawagan Song and the Thompson Song. He had just finished recording a new CD, Live at the Beaver Lodge, released by Sunshine Records, when he passed away at age 68. (worldwidesunshine)

I ended my 2008 trip in Pukatawagan and found the people to be very friendly and helpful. There are no roads to Puk, the only way in or out is by plane, boat or train. I chose to take the train back to the south but didn't know where to purchase a ticket. When I asked a local where the post office was, thinking that a ticket could be purchased there, the fellow responded "what post office, there is none, this is the north." In speaking with another local I was advised to just toss my stuff on an open rail car and hitch a ride when the train came in a couple of days. As it turned out I caught a ride with a fellow that worked for the rail company. He was driving a high rail (suburban with train wheels) back and forth on the track.

Super sized cord lock

2010-09-25T22:38:00.004-06:00

I've added the following to the Pulk v4.0 post but here it is again.

I think I'm going to use a shock cord lashing system to secure the load into my pulk. It took nearly 35 feet of shock cord to "lace up" my pulk and the way I secured the ends was to use a super sized cord lock. Now the cord locks that are available for purchase are way too small! The 3/32" shock cord would never fit so I decided to make my own. I cut a one inch piece of pvc pipe to 4 inches. I then sanded down a wooden dowel to just fit in side the pipe. A 3/8 inch hole was drilled in through both. A very stiff 2" spring was sent down the pipe from the end that didn't have the dowel sticking out. To cap off the end I used a 1/2inch piece of pvc pipe. It just happens to fit very snug inside the 1 inch pipe. This plug was driven in with a mallet until the desired tension was reached. Now I am able to pull the shock cord tight and secure it with the cord lock.

super sized cord lock

Nut Point Hiking Trip

2010-09-13T15:59:00.010-06:00

On the Labour Day long weekend Zoe, myself and our friend Shaun hiked the Nut Point Trail which is located just on the north edge of La Ronge SK. The trail head is located in a parking lot at the Nut Point Provincial camp ground.

The trail follows a the Nut Point that extends 15.6 km out into Lac La Ronge.

Our plan was the hike a portion of the trail on the first day and set up camp.

Along the trail we hiked through mixed forests of deciduous and coniferous trees, over high granite outcroppings and descended into dark, damp bogs. Many of which have a boardwalk over the wettest areas. The trail also passes through the Mallard fire that burnt in 1999.

Much of the trail follows exposed bedrock. This section was comprised of some interesting metamorphic rock.

Being a point that has development on both sides doesn't lend itself to viewing wildlife but we did flush this Spruce grouse out of the under brush.

The weather on the first day was very nice though windy. Luckily our campsite was on the lee side of the point.

The view from the Nut portage was impressive as well as the small but comfortable camp site that is located there.

On the first day our plan was to hike part way and set up camp. We ended up stopping at the Nut Portage and as it turns out it is one of the best spots on the trail to camp. Second only to the point itself. Then the second day we did a day hike to the point and back to our camp where we stayed another night. On the third day we packed up and hiked out. This spot isn't used much by campers so fire wood was in abundance.

The saying goes "Pink sky at night is a sailors delight, Pink sky in the morning is a sailors warning". I guess sailors doesn't always know what they are talking about, though we enjoyed a great sunset and magnificent starts that night. The weather wouldn't hold.

The wind on the second day continued to blow and the clouds gave up their contents for most of the day as we hiked to the point and back as a day hike.

The view from the point the day that we arrived.

Despite the rain, wind and cool temperatures our spirits were high as we walked along the trail back to camp.

I asked Shaun if we should still go even if the forecast was calling for rain. He said that he likes the rain.

We were lucky enough to have cut and stashed a small amount of fire wood under the tarp before it began to rain. Upon arriving back at camp we moved the fire under the tarp and began to dry out. We only had a small amount of wood so we were only able to have a small fire but we managed to keep warm and enjoyed our second evening around the fire drinking two of the three litres of wine we packed in as well as smores.

Where's the snow???

2010-09-09T18:13:00.004-06:00

I know it's only the begining of September, and as far as I'm concerned summer lasts until November but I just finished building a pair of traditional snowshoes and I'm dying to try them out. My first pair of snowshoes were the new style with aluminum frames and Olefin decking. I like them but the problem is they are very loud. The deck material produces a defening crunch on the snow reducing any chance of seeing wildlife. A number of people that I snowshoe with use the traditional wooden / rawhide style of which are much quieter which is why I've decided to go that route. Another reason I chose to use wood as the material of choice is that I'm trying to, somewhat, revert back to more traditional materials. I'm trying to come up with a blend of new and old, low tech and high tech. Some of the materials of old perform just as well as the new space aged materials so I see no reason to use them.

Using Gilpatricks book Building Snowshoes as a reference, I chose the Ojibway design mainly for its simplicity in the construction. Unlike many Ojibway snowshoes which are symmetrical I've decided to make mine asymmetric with the widest point forward of center. They measure 62" X 12". The filling for the main body is 3/8" nylon webbing. For the toe and heal sections I used 1/8" nylon cord. Three coats of Spar Varnish was applied to seal the wood and filling. As for the bindings, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. For now I'm thinking about just using lamp wick but am concerned that it will not hold my foot secure. I am seriously considering the MM 103-U binding from American Mountain Man. Or may make my own.

The form

Frame strips soaking in water for a couple of days

Frame strips steaming or 2 to 3 hours

Frame bent on the form

Near disaster when one frame strip split (I repaired it with epoxy)

Repaired split

Cross braces

Mortis and tenon joins the cross braces to the frame

Finished snowshoes 62" X 12"

Song of the spokeshave

2010-08-06T14:02:00.002-06:00

Graham Warren, author of Canoe Paddles, A complete guide to making your own, has posted the following video on Youtube.

It doesn't get any better

2010-08-02T20:06:00.005-06:00

Zoe and I spent the long weekend down at Lake Diefenbaker on her parents sail boat. John and Ginnie have a Nonsuch 26, the Valhalla, that will sleep 6. They met us at the Elbow marina on Saturday morning and after tossing our sleeping bags and cloths aboard and a quick hello we were off. Now this is the second year that we've spent a weekend on the boat and this is also the second time in a row there has been perfect weather for being at the lake but not sailing. There was no wind! The lake was perfectly calm so we had to motor around, not my favorite way to travel but it was still nice to get out on the water. Because of the lack of wind we couldn't sail so we had a very relaxing weekend reading, eating, visiting, swimming and napping (sometimes two naps a day). A little bit of down time was much needed, Zoe had finished her last final that Friday and needed a break and though I haven't been studying I have kept pretty busy. We spent the entire weekend on the boat and only set foot on land once to go for a walk along the top of the coulee in which we were moored. Our walk was cut short by an approching storm and we just made it back onto the boat and got everything battened down before the wind and rain hit. John and Ginnie are active divers and sailers so every year John goes down to the lake bottem and anchors a line into the sediment to which a large float is attached. These are located in sheltered bays and in deep coulees and serve a safe place to spend the night. The first night we spent in Massy Sputoon, a very nice and quiet coulee the second night we moved to Sage coulee which is a nice spot but well used by fishermen. All in all it was very nice to get out of the city for a while.

Sunset over the coulee

Self portrait from under water, I love the water proof and shock proof cameras

John is checking something next to the boat while we cooled off in the lake

View from below deck

John is transporting Ginnie and Zoe in "little Tote" to the main land for our walk along Sage Coulee

The Valhalla, 26 foot Nonsuch

A new whitewater paddle for Zoe

2010-07-26T22:22:00.004-06:00

In a couple of weeks Zoe and I will be joined by a group of friends in the Barker Lake area on the Churchill River for a weekend of instruction and playing in moving water (rapids). Being new to paddling Zoe didn't have a whitewater paddle so as usual I decided to make her one. I used a bunch of Ash pieces that were left over from previous paddle builds. This is a heavy and study paddle, the blade measures 8 1/4 X 20 inches and the shaft is 35 inches for a total of 43 1/4 inches. It weighs 989 grams. To make it durable the shaft is 1 1/8 inches in diameter and the blade was left much thicker than any other paddle that I've made. One evening I found myself standing in the 3-5 year old isle in Walmart try to decide which color of play dough describes me.... actually I had decided to add an epoxy tip to the blade and needed the play dough to make a dam along the tip that would contain the epoxy until it hardened. I decided on neon orange for the color. To the epoxy I added as much walnut sawdust as I could produce from the small scrap pieces left over from the Peruvian Walnut Otter Tail that I made earlier this summer. The sawdust adds color as well as makes the epoxy stronger. Epoxy on it's own tends to be a bit brittle.

Every time I make a paddle for Zoe I tell her "keep it off of the rocks!" but this one she can bang on the rocks all she wants (I still hope she doesn't), I also added 6 oz fiberglass to the blade.

Barker Lake area.

Play dough dam around the tip contains the epoxy/sawdust until it cures.

Whitewater paddle 43 1/4" long.

Close up showing the epoxy resin tip and the fiberglass blade.

The "T" grip ensures a secure grip as well as good control over the pitch of the blade. And of course the Cree syllabics.

Thanksgiving in June

2010-07-13T23:16:00.006-06:00

Google Earth view of the route, 62 km's.

Thanksgiving in June, what a great idea! The weather is good, the water is warm and the fish are biting better. Actually, due to snow and cold temperatures last October we decided to postpone our plans to spend Thanksgiving in the wilds of northern Saskatchewan.

I had heard many things about the Weaver River, some of them good and some not so good and as it turned out all the stories were true all except the rumored clouds of bugs. The start of the Weaver River is not a river at all, it is actually a small, nondescript, pond on the side of the road. A bit of water that you would miss if you blinked. A small dirt track from the road to the water’s edge was our starting point and after a long day of driving it was nice to finally be near the water. By the time we had arranged the shuttle, leaving both of our vehicles at the Devil’s Lake campground, the evening was growing late but with the spring equinox just a couple of days away we had plenty of light to load up our boats and paddle the short 400 meters to the first (of many) portages and our first campsite. We opted to carry our canoes across the portage that night in an effort to get a head start on a day that would turn out to be the longest and toughest day that many in the group had faced to date.

The following morning was clear, calm and warm it would have been the perfect day for paddling but paddling was not on the agenda for day two. Eleven hours, 13 portages and 17 km’s sums up day two. The group started the day with an early start, being on the water by 8:30 am and after a short paddle we found ourselves wading in the shallows to a short, grassy, pull over (portage #1). The boats acquired a few new scratches but everyone was upbeat and ready to carry on. The approach to the next portage (portage #3) wasn’t quite so straight forward. A narrow channel through a mat of floating vegetation was the approach to the portage. The channel was too narrow to paddle in so we had to walk our canoes while standing on the floating vegetation, which at times wasn’t enough to hold the weight of the paddler and we would sink up to our hips in stinky, mucky water. As the day wore on we began the wonder if we were on a canoe trip or a portaging trip. After 6 hours of traveling we had only gone 5 km’s! We came to a pond that simply ran out of water, a beaver dam must have let go because, at best there was a mere 5 inches of water sitting on top of stinky mud that was more than knee deep. Dave and I briefly looked for a better, more dry, route but in the end we decided that pushing and pulling our loaded canoes through the mud would be easier than trying to portage through the maze of dead fall that lined the shore.

Surprisingly spirits were high until the tenth portage which happened to be a particularly long one, but for the most part, in fairly good shape. At this point people were getting tired but we still had many km’s to go until we would reach Laroque Lake and the first decent campsite. After 3 more portages we had finally arrived on LaRoque Lake. Everyone was exhausted and after quickly setting up camp, cooking a quick supper and hitting the lake for a quick bath, most of the crew went to bed. There would be many hours of solid ZZZZZ’s coming from the tents. Karl and I stayed up and endured the mosquitoes to set up our fishing rods and get in a couple of casts.

Thanksgiving in the woods is always a treat but Thanksgiving in June can be fantastic! On the menu this year was stuffed turkey breasts, wrapped in bacon and seasoned with a pepper medley, wild rice, stir fry and of course for dessert pumpkin pie and chocolate cake. The weather as we pulled into our campsite was beginning to deteriorate with the odd rain drop but what really made us nervous was the large and dark thunder clouds that were approaching from the west. We managed to set up camp and settle in for the evening before any significant rain came down. We managed to stay dry under a couple of tarps and between showers the sun would come out to dry everything just in time for another light shower.

The 18^th portage brought us to the bottom of Cark Falls and onto the Churchill River. We had spent all that day in smoke and to the east it could be seen rising from the forest. My guess is that the storms that passed through the night before had started the fire. No sooner had we made the crossing of Hayman lake, a large water bomber started to circle a long open stretch of the lake, checking to see if the water was free of obstructions like a floatilla of canoes. Once the pilot was satisfied he made one last circle to set up for his approach. As the plane touched the water the pilot would fully open the throttle as the plane glided across the water filling to capacity. We watched for a half hour as the plane made big circles picking up water, dumping it then circling low over our campsite. As is customary on our Thanksgiving trips Valery brought his sauna and after super everyone enjoyed repeated hot steams and soaks in the lake.

The following day was our last day on the water and we took our time as we paddled the final few kilometers to the vehicles. As we passed Sluice falls, Corner Rapids, Coke Stop we noticed many insects in their nymph stage crawling out of the water. Apparently we had time the trip just right to coincide with the morphing of millions of dragon flies. It was amazing to watch an alien looking creature surface from the water, slowly clamor its way up onto the rocks and, in the warm June sun, from a split in its back as brilliant green dragon fly would emerge. After its wings unfolded and dried it was ready to take flight and become the mosquito eating machines that we appreciate so much.

Mother nature has an odd sense of humor for after the 21^st portage and only a short paddle across Devils Lake the wind came up and the skies opened up. It rained so hard that at times the boats ahead of me were lost in the spray that was coming up, off of the lake. All that could be seen was two people floating above the water and by the time we arrived at the dock it had quit raining all together and I think the sun actually came out briefly.

Karl at the beginning of the trip, he doesn't know what he is in for.

Up to our knees on the approach to one of the portages.

The large rock on the far shore is the end of the previous portage. We thought we were on a portage trip rather than a canoe trip.

Some times we just ran out of water.

Pulling over a beaver dam.

Karl is catching flies.

Lilly pad from under water.

Our first campsite.

There were some interesting fashion statements made.

Every day the lakes were like glass.

No portage around this rapid and too shallow to run.

Karl watching the water bomber fill up.

With a view like this it's hard to take a bad photo.

Dragon fly busting out of the nymph stage.

A couple of canoe related projects

2010-07-11T23:06:00.003-06:00

Today I finished up a set of canoe stands that I had started a couple of days ago. They are made from a couple of 2 X 2's and 1 X 2's with nylon webbing to make a sling. Now I won't have to crawl around on the ground when I want to work on my canoes.

I also took some design ques from Gnarlydog and added a couple of permanent canoe anchors under the hood of our sunfire. The Hood/trunk canoe anchors that I made earlier in the spring work well but I was always worried about a strong wind (which there has been a lot of this year) pulling on the canoe which in turn would pull up on the anchor and possibly deform the hood. Now with the anchors bolted under the fender bolts I don't have to worry about that.

My 17 foot solo tripping canoe on the canoe stands that I built today.

The anchor fastened under the fender bolt.

Zoe's Otter Tail

2010-06-26T14:56:00.003-06:00

Modified Otter Tail with squared tip

My latest paddle is a modified Otter Tail design with a squared off tip. This time the shaft is ash and the blade is laminated with Peruvian Walnut which was fantastic to work with. The board that I bought was the color of dark chocolate and felt as though I was carving chocolate. I'll have to do more projects with it. As I shaped and shaved the blade down the grain really came out and shows as fantastic golden streaks throughout the darker wood. In the sun light I really takes on a rich color. The weight is 690 grams.

I just got back from a canoe trip in northern Saskatchewan where I had an opportunity to use this paddle and was thoroughly impressed with it. It's light, flexible and quiet. The blade measures 25" X 5". The long and narrow blade allows for long paddling days without the muscle pains.

Bear logo

Large, old bear (Cree Syllabics)

Pulk v4.0

2010-05-31T18:35:00.006-06:00

I'm adding this as an update. I think that I'm going to use a shock cord lashing system to secure the load into my pulk. It took nearly 35 feet of shock cord to "lace up" my pulk and the way I secured the ends was to use a super sized cord lock. Now the cord locks that are available for purchase are way too small! The 3/32" shock cord would never fit so I decided to make my own. I cut a one inch piece of pvc pipe to 4 inches. I then sanded down a wooden dowel to just fit in side the pipe. A 3/8 inch hole was drilled in through both. A very stiff 2" spring was sent down the pipe from the end that didn't have the dowel sticking out. To cap off the end I used a 1/2inch piece of pvc pipe. It just happens to fit very snug inside the 1 inch pipe. This plug was driven in with a mallet until the desired tension was reached. Now I am able to pull the shock cord tight and secure it with the cord lock.

Super sized cord lock

This may seem like a strange time of year to be thinking about winter pursuits but my studies have me too busy to even day dream about grand adventures let alone work on equipment. This past weekend I completed another pulk. This is the fourth version that I've made, the first was made of a 3 foot toboggan. It had molded in runners which was nice for anyone that was skiing behind me because the runners were spaced far enough apart to set a fairly decent track. The problem with it was that it was too small and I had to wear a 30 L backpack in order to bring enough gear. My second version was a 5 foot toboggan which proved to be wide enough to keep from tipping over but still not enough space. The third version was the same 5 foot sled with another attached to the top which opened like a clam shell. I had just enough room to fit gear and food for a weekend trip but anything longer than a couple of nights and I wouldn't have space and would have to resort to using a backpack again. All four pulks use a ridged pole system that is made of metal electrical conduit with swiveling brackets at the pulk end and a clasp that attached to my harness. My goal is to eventually go on extended winter camping trips that are two or three weeks in length. A friend and fellow winter camper, Bryan Saurer, even suggested a fly in trip. In order to bring enough gear for an extended trip I will need a bigger pulk which is why I build a fourth. This one measures 16" X 8' and has a 7" up-turn on the front end and weighs 21 lbs (which is more than I'd like but the supper slippery sliding surface will make up for it, at least that's what I tell myself). The sliding surface is a piece of UHMW polyethylene plastic, 1/4" thick. This material is nearly friction free on snow. In February, on a snowshoe trip to Nistowiak Falls, Bryan and I traded pulks for a while, I pulled his 10' sled which was loaded with 140 lbs of gear and he pulled my 5 foot pulk loaded with only 50 lbs. Bryan's pulled better, even with nearly three times as much weight! I was convinced at that point that I had to build a new a better pulk of my own.

The frame pieces laid out on the shop floor

Showing the rise in the front end, frame weighs 6 lbs

UHMW polyethylene plastic before being cut to length

UHMW clamped and ready to be screwed in place

Caster bracket for an attachment point for the poles

My snow shovel. Emergency ropes extend from holes in the top board in case the poles fail.

Paddle from Poplar Bluffs

2010-05-24T22:19:00.004-06:00

We finally had a break in the weather today so Zoe and I seize the opportunity and headed out for a paddle. We wanted to go for a little bit longer paddle and decided to put in at the Poplar Bluffs canoe launch. Poplar bluffs is a nice little conservation area managed by the Meewasin Valley Authority and is located 7 km south of Saskatoon. Directly across from the put in is Wilson Island, formerly known as Shepley Island. From 1943 to 1951 the island was used as a Sea Cadet Training Camp. The cadets were transported to and from the island on a current driven scow and activities included swimming and rowing. I've been on the island a number of times and haven't found the location of the old cadet camp.

It was good to get on the water again and spring was certainly in the air, all the trees are really becoming green and all the little goslings in their fluffy yellow down were all over the place. It's always good fun watching them scurry around on the shore.

I had a chance to try out my boat tie down anchors that I made a couple of weeks ago. I'm please to report that they work great and held fast as long as they are near a secure point under the hood. I looped the front one around the hood latch and the back one around the trunk latch.

Zoe and I stopped on a sandbar for a quick lunch.

Google Earth image of our route. The distance is 7.5 km.

Google Image of Wilson Island. About 6 years ago when the river flooded the channel through the middle of the island (which is normally dry) had water in it. A friend and I paddled through the island which was interesting and something that I may not get to do again.

Voyageur Paddle

2010-05-23T19:40:00.014-06:00

I just finished carving a voyageur canoe paddle. This paddle came together much quicker than the sugar island paddle I finished a week ago, mainly because the learning curve is starting to level out. This time I used lacewood (Grevillea Robusta) for the blade and laminated it to an ash shaft. Lacewood or Silky Oak, is an exotic wood that grows in Eastern Australia. The color can very from pale brown to walnut. It has a very irregular grain that made it tough to plane because the grain tends to switch directions, forcing me to work the plane in an unorthodox manor from all directions. Having wood chip out was a constant occurrence and a lot of extra sanding was needed to sand some of the deeper chips out. Lacewood is hard and heavy, making ash seem as soft as basswood, perhaps its Latin name gives a hint to its qualities. I had purchased a 4/4 board (4 quarters or one inch) but because of the way the lumber is stored at the retailer the board had obtained a curve that had to be planed out. (I don't own a thickness sander) This meant that the final thickness of the board ended up being a little over 3/4 of an inch which isn't a problem for the blade because it was going to be shaved down to 3/8" anyway but I had intended on using the offcuts for the top grip, which were now too narrow. The solution was to laminate two pieces together to make a thick enough block and while I was gluing things anyway I decided to add a strip of ash between for an added bit of design detail. The blade measures 30" by 6" and the shaft is 31.5" long for a total of 61.5" in length. (long paddle) It weighs 902 grams. Even though the lacewood is much heavier than the ash the blade was shaved down enough to even out the weight and in the end I ended up with a paddle that is fairly well balanced.

This time I learned:

Using small finishing nails to align the blade while gluing helps a great deal to keep the pieces of wood from slipping around
Had to sharpen the plane often while working with the lacewood
Careful preparation of the lumbar in the beginning saves a lot of time later on when trying to work out a bend in the wood half way through the carving process
Handles that clamp to the ends of a strip of sandpaper keep fingers from getting shredded
A short piece of 1x2" with a notch cut into it works well for clamping down the rounded shaft of a paddle.

Small finishing nails used to align the blade pieces while gluing

The blade is half rough cut out, I'll go over it with a plane, rasp and sanding block to true up all edges.

The grip is roughed out, I usually leave the shaft for the end. Leaving it square provides a convenient way to clamp the paddle to the work surface.

Here I'm starting to round off the shaft by first shaving the corners down to form an octagon

A close up of the extra ash strip in the top grip

A close up of the various grain patterns in the top grip

Here you can see the irregular grain pattern in the Lacewood

The finished paddle measures 61.5 inches long

Computer drawing I made of the paddle before I started construction.

I just built a canoe rack!

2010-05-15T13:54:00.003-06:00

It's a hot and sunny day (Finally!) and I was lucky enough to be outside in the backyard to enjoy it. Actually being on the water or any where away from the city would be better. I just finished building a canoe rack to hold my canoes, to keep the boats off of the ground and to keep the grass underneath from dying. As you can see from the photos it was built to hold three canoes, at the moment I've only got two but I intend on building another in the not too distant future. The rack is nothing fancy, rather utilitarian in design but then it's just going to sit there in the elements. I used utility grade 2 X 4's were used to keep the cost down. While I was purchasing the lumber it occurred to me how low the price of some lumber is, granted I was buying utility grade lumber at under $2 a board, (most of the stack were bent like boomerangs) but none the less in some respects it seems as though it is under valued, considering how long it took the tree to grow to a sufficient size, then was cut in a matter of minutes. But from a consumers perspective I can appreciate a reasonably priced piece of lumber. It's just a thought that's been playing on my mind for a few days.

The rack spans 8', stands 64" tall and has 20" of clearance between the supports.

Top, is my TrailHead 16' prospector, bottom is the 17' solo boat that I built in the spring of '08.

Hood / Trunk canoe anchors

2010-05-09T20:46:00.004-06:00

While many newer vehicles have an anchor point underneath that is used to pull the vehicle out of a snow bank when it gets stuck, but often times this is not a convenient place to tie a rope to when securing a canoe to the top of your vehicle. This morning I made 4 canoe anchors, they are made of a 4" length of 3/4" PVC tubing, a metal ring and a loop of nylon webbing. I don't remember where I got the idea, I think that I saw it in a magazine or on the net or something like that. The PVC tubing goes just inside the hood/trunk of a vehicle. On our Sunfire there is a recess that the tubing fits nicely into. The hood/trunk is then closed with the ring end of the nylon webbing on the outside. This should provide a convinient place to secure a canoe to.

I tried them out this afternoon when i picked up my canoes and found that if they were placed near the latch on the trunk or the hood they worked well but anywhere else there was too much give in the metal. I was concerned that the force would deform the hood/trunk. On vehicles like my old jeep Cherokee that have a latch at both corners of the hood and are made of sturdier material, these would work good.

The anchor worked well when it was looped inside the trunk and around the latch.

The grey PVC tubing can be seen under the hood.

Sugar Island Paddle

2010-05-08T15:28:00.005-06:00

I just finished my first canoe paddle. I decided on the Sugar Island design found in Canoe Paddles, A Complete Guide to Making Your Own by Graham Warren and David Gidmark. It gets it's name from the island in the St. Lawrence that is owned by the American Canoe Association where international canoe races between European and North American paddlers were held. I made it for Zoe so, more accurately, I guess she decided on the design. As any one who knows me, knows that I can't leave well enough alone and have to modify or add my personal touch to everything and this project was no different. The offsets in the book produce an 8" wide and 24" long blade. In my opinion that is a very wide paddle, I subscribe to the school of thought that a long narrow paddle will allow you to paddle greater distances with less fatigue. Keeping in mind that Zoe is new to paddling and I felt that the 8" of blade would catch too much water causing her to tire quickly so I reduced the width to 7" X 22". I also believe that a shorter paddle shaft reduces stress on the shoulders so the length of the shaft, from the shoulder to the end of the top grip is 31.5". The edges are very fine, finer than I had intended because I had some issues with warping of the blade and had to take more material off one side to compensate. In the end I was able to work out the warp and achieve a paddle that is straight and true. Because of the warping I had to erase the guidelines that I had painstakingly marked out and continued with the project shaping the blade by eye, which I guess is a more traditional approach.

I learned a lot during the build, here is a list off the top of my head:

It's not easy finding a suitable piece of wood with little warp to it and a straight grain
A ten inch plane works great for thinning the blade
Aluminum oxide sand paper is way better than anything else, it lasts long and cuts fast
The use of a flexible straight edge would help greatly in marking out the centre lines on uneven surfaces such as the shoulders and throat
A wood rasp works great for shaping the top grip
Marking out guidelines can be very time consuming
building jigs and sanding blocks takes a lot of time away from the actual building of the paddle (but they only need to be made once)

Laminating the blade and grip

The blade and grip are cut

Thinning the blade with a plane

Rough shaped grip (you can see the course marks left by the rasp)

Shows how fine the edges are

The paddle is ready for a coat of varnish

Path of the Paddle - Bill Mason

2010-05-06T23:26:00.002-06:00

The Path of the Paddle (Solo Basic, Solo Whitewater, Doubles Basic and Doubles Whitewater) series of films produced by Bill Mason in the 1970's and 80's continue to form the foundation of paddling technique and show the skills required by any canoeist to safely navigate on the waterways of the Canadian back country.

Solo Basic

Solo Whitewater

Doubles Basic

Doubles Whitewater

Domain name update

2010-05-02T11:09:00.004-06:00

The domain name www.wildpaddler.ca is now directed to my paddling blog. Don't worry, wildpaddler.blogspot.com will still get you to my paddling blog.

Birch Bark Basket

2010-05-02T09:55:00.009-06:00

Last autumn Zoe took up knitting so I decided to make a basket to hold her knitting. In keeping with a hand made theme I decided to make a birch bark basket. Collecting the materials for any project is half the fun but it takes on a whole new experience when the materials are found in nature and forces you to get outside.

On a recent outing to the Fort a la corne forest I spent some time digging in the sandy soil for roots that would be used to lash the basket together. The natives traditionaly prefered Black Spruce roots but White Spruce and Jack Pine were also used in emergencies.

A bracket with a slot in it clamped down worked well for peeling the roots that were no more than the width of a pencil and after splitting the roots were rolled for storage until they were ready for use.

Peeling the roots

Before and after peeling (black spruce and jack pine)

At the time that I collected the bark it was 1/8 of and inch thick and much too stiff to work with so I thinned it by peeling layers off until it was half of its original thickness. The next step was to make a template from a piece of paper, I then traced the pattern onto the inside of the bark.

Birch bark and pattern

After cutting the bark I soaked it in boiling water to soften it and to prevent it from cracking while bending the sides up. It's amazing how quickly and how flexible the bark becomes. (I wasn't able to get any photos of the soaking and bending process because I had to work quickly) I used clothes pins to hold everything in place.

Clothes pins holding everything together while drying

When it had dried I used a three sided awl to work holes in the bark, along the corners so that I could lash the end flaps together. From what I've read a three sided awl is supposed to work better for making holes in birch bark, it doesn't split the bark like a round awl would. I quickly made an awl out of a punch that was part of a screw driver set.

Three sided awl made from a punch

The spruce roots that I had collected earlier had dried out and were very stiff and brittle. To make them pliable again I boiled them for 5 to 10 minutes. Again it's amazing how boiling water can soften wood. (Zoe was not happy with the sticky residue that was left in the pot after I had boiled the bundle of roots) I used a double thong lashing to lace up the corners.

Boiling roots in Zoe's good chili pot

End flap secured with a double thong lashing

For the rim and handle I collected red willows which had sections that were around 1/2 inch in diameter, I peeled them and cold bent them initially to attain the rough shape then held them in place with clothes pins while I lashed them on with roots.

The finished basket

Things that I learned:

when selecting bark look for a tree that is completely free of imperfections, ie. small branches, bruises, blisters, splits in the bark, any little imperfection on the outside shows on the inside.
an ideal birch tree can be very tough to find in the woods
black spruce roots are very easy to split, they grow in the shape that is similar to a figure 8 and splits easily along the groove that is made between the upper and lower portions of the 8.
if I were to make another basket I would thin the bark even thinner, maybe to 1/32 inch.
birch bark and roots become very pliable when warm and moist
Spruce roots make a very strong lashing material and are relatively easy to dig up

Strop

2010-04-29T22:52:00.004-06:00

For my birthday this year Zoe gave me the small forest axe from Gränsfors Bruks. Gränsfors Bruks is located in Bergsjö, Sweden and is committed to producing the finest axes and cutting tools with as little impact on the environment as possible. Every axe head is forged from a quality piece of steel by a skilled blacksmith in the old style. There are no mass production lines here just the craftsmen, a 1200 degree C oven and a forge. Each axe head is branded with the Gränsfors Bruks label and crown as well as the blacksmiths own initials. The small forest axe is a great axe that is perfectly balanced and very sharp. From the manufacturer it is sharp enough to shave with but it could use a bit of extra work to make it scary sharp. On a students budget, I can't afford a set of Japanese water stones, so I'll have to make due with a leather strop. I've decided to make my own from a piece of pine I had laying around the shop and and old leather belt. With the addition of some polishing compound I should be able to achieve a very sharp blade not only on the axe but all of my other hunting and fishing knives. In the photo the white polishing compound is has a medium abrasive and the rouge is finer.

Water Walker - Bill Mason

2010-04-25T23:30:00.003-06:00

In his final film, Water Walker, Bill Mason takes us on journey along the north shore of Lake Superior and tells the tale of his great passion and love for the region. He considered this film his masterpiece and this comes across in his video footage as well as the dialogue. Bill Mason is probably the most influential and charismatic character in Canadian canoeing culture, you can learn more about Bill at redcanoe.ca

I'm free at last!

2010-04-24T16:13:00.004-06:00

I just finished my last final exam and can now have my life back! For those that do not know, I've quit my job and gone back to school. I am attending the U of S, majoring in Geology.

Now I can get on with some of the projects that have been on hold for the past eight months. This is just a short list of what I've got in mind:

Zoe needs a paddle so I'm going to carve her a paddled based on the Sugar Island design with a few modifications
I know it's a strange time of the year to be thinking about winter persuits but I'm going to build a new pulk, 8 to 9 feet long made of the UHMW plastic. And a new harness and pole system to go with it
Snowshoes, I have been using Arolites from GV they are the new style with the aluminum frames. They are a good snowshoe but they are loud. The deck material that is used crunches very loudly on top of the snow so I thought I would make a pair of old school snowshoes from wood and rawhide with updated bindings
I would like to build a canoe rack in an effort to keep the lawn from dying under the boats
An Ice chisel for opening holes in lake ice to gain access to drinking water while camping

Like I said this is just the short list. (very short)

Eagles of Hornby Island

2010-04-23T22:52:00.003-06:00

Zoe and I and a couple of friends have been watching a nesting pair of Bald Eagles for the past month on Wild Earth TV, via a live web cam mounted just above the eagles nest. The eagles live on Hornby Island in the Georgia Strait off the west coast of British Columbia. It has been fascinating to watch the birds come and go from the nest, though there are long periods of time with a view of a feathery side or other part of a motionless bird. But the humdrum of sitting and incubating eggs should come to and end soon. The first of the two eggs is scheduled to hatch any day now, perhaps Sunday or Monday, then the secret life of eagle parents will get more interesting with the care of the eaglets.

Wild Earth TV is an "ecosystem" of live webcams and broadcasters that combine the benefits of community driven webcams with the high production values of a presenter led TV series. Click here to learn more about Wild Earth TV or to view the other live channels.

Cesar's Bark Canoe - Bernard Gosselin

2010-04-22T21:53:00.003-06:00

César Newashish was 67 years old when this film was made. On the Manawan Reserve north of Montreal, Cesar demonstrates the dieing art of building a birch bark canoe from only the materials that can be found in the forest. This film has not narrated but has titles in Cree, French and English. This film was produced in 1971 by Bernard Gosselin and the running time is 57 min 55 sec.

Wanderings in the Fort a la corne forest

2010-04-19T11:16:00.004-06:00

It was much too warm and sunny on Saturday afternoon to stay in the city so Zoe and I headed to the Fort a la corne forest for the afternoon. Fort a la corne provincal forest is 132,502 hectares of forested land that stretches from 40km east of Prince Albert to Nipawain Sk. We were there during the mid day and the hottest hours of the day so we didn't see too much for wildlife. We did however see a giant beaver patrolling his pond and a curious squirrel that didn't seem all that afraid of us. We also heard a ruffed grouse thumping in the distance. After a long winter it was nice to finally get out of the city even if it was just for a short time.

He lived the way so many of us only dream of......

2010-04-10T20:13:00.008-06:00

In 1968, at the age of 51, Dick Proenneke packed up his belongings and moved to a remote area in Alaska called Twin Lakes where he spent the following 30 years living with the land. Alone, Dick filmed and documented his experiences living from the land, building a cabin from the surrounding forest. In his films Alone in the Wilderness, The Frozen North and Alaska Silence and Solitude, Dick gives a no nonsense account of life in the Alaskan interior and demonstrates a great deal of practical knowledge traditional methods and resourcefulness relating to life in the north. He fashions everything that he needs on site with only hand tools, a log cabin built with only an axe, handsaw and a homemade wooden mallet, he also builds a furniture, bowls and buckets, a kick slay and snowshoes. Here is a short clip from his film, Alone in the Wilderness that I found on youtube.

Alone in the Wilderness

Did the Squirrel see his shadow?

2010-03-13T15:59:00.005-06:00

One day last fall I noticed the silhouette of a small bushy tailed critter at the back of the yard. I didn't get a good look at him but I thought that it was a squirrel so I put out some peanuts for him. I put food out for him all winter with hopes of getting a glimpse of him, it didn't happen. He must have been visiting his cache of peanuts in the night. I fed this little guy for five months without seeing him only tracks in the snow and and empty cache. He finally made an appearance this morning in the back yard searching in the exposed grass for peanuts that the blue jays might have dropped.

I don't know if he ever saw his shadow but I think that spring is on its way regardless.

Opening the paddling season

2010-03-04T22:37:00.003-06:00

Monday, March 1st was a gorgeous day for a paddle, the temperature was only -4, the sun was warm and the breeze was light, how could I resist. When Zoe got home from work we went down to the boathouse and I took one of the Saskatoon Canoe Club boats out on the river.

It had been a very long time since the last time I paddled due to a broken wrist last summer (which took close to 7 months to heal) so this little outing in the afternoon was great, but I could tell that I was out of condition because soon after we were on the water my muscles began to burn.

Zoe and I were not the only ones out enjoying the warm weather, along the bank we saw 2 Robins flying in and out of the trees. It's always nice to see them, I always take it as a sign that we've made it through the worst part of the winter and spring is just around the corner. Some might think that I'm being a bit optimistic and spring is still months away but as far as I'm concerned summer begins on April 1st and lasts into November.

No matter which way you look at it, winter is on it's way out and spring is on it's way in and now is the time to switch daydreaming of winter adventures to anticipation of cold running spring creeks and then the long hot days of summer.

Valentines day and Nistowiak Falls by Snowshoe

2010-02-18T12:29:00.013-06:00

Everyone's attention was on the weather as each group arrived in La Ronge the night before we were to leave for a three day snowshoeing trip to see Nistowiak Falls in northern Saskatchewan. Over the previous three days the forcasted temperatures were dropping dangerously close to the groups agreed upon temperature at which we would rethink our plans. The weather network was originally forecasting highs for the weekend of -5 C and lows of only -15 C. Boy were they wrong! Saturday morning we woke in La Ronge to -25 C but it was too late to turn back now, we were already packed and on our way to Stanley Mission where our adventure was to begin.

After some mis-communications with the folks that we were to leave our vehicles with we decided to try the RCMP detachment to see if we could leave our vehicles with them. Mathew, the Constable that I talked to was very friendly and helpful and full of questions about our trip. He agreed to let us leave the vehicles at the detachment and gave us a ride down to the lake in the northern version of a police cruiser which was a great big 4X4 Chev quad cap. Bryan and Bob ended up sitting in the back behind plate glass and bars where there the doors have no inside handles.

We quickly organized our equipment, dawned our harnesses and after a quick group photo we headed off into the wilds. As usual on winter trips such as this there is the inevitable equipment failures and breakdowns that occur once you're underway, knots come untied, loads shift, and adjustments need to be made to clothing in order to regulate your body temperature. The last thing you want to do is to start sweating when it's well below freezing.

Stanley Mission is situated on a constriction of the Churchill River which means there is a fair bit of current that flows past the town site. In the summer this current is hardly noticeable but in the winter it prevents the lake from freezing over completely and a large patch of open water could be seen from a good distance away. A thick dark grey fog hung in the air just above the open water which is sign in the high arctic to that suggests that an open lead is located under the fog patch. It's funny how the same signs can be applied further south.

The trial was in good shape considering the lack of snow on the ground this year. As we plodded along we had to be careful not to step on roots, dirt and rocks that were hidden by only a skiff of snow. These obstacles are hard on the new style of snowshoe with metal crampons. In the beginning the trail follows a creek that winds it's way through the hills but eventually turns from the creek and heads over land. Traveling in the north in the winter allows you to see that land from another perspective. We are so used to paddling by in the summer in our canoes not really thinking about what's behind the curtain of trees at the waters edge but in the winter you have the opportunity to travel over the land and see the places that would other wise be missed. Places like the Beer Bottle Bog that isn't named on the map but has the shape of a beer bottle. We finally stopped on the lee side of a point on Bow Lake for lunch. This point is the 2/3 point between the start of the trip and Iskwatikan Lake where we were camp for the next 3 days. Even though we were about 2/3 of the way to our destination for that day we still had a large granite outcropping that would provide a 40 meter elevation gain, that extends for km's in a north-easterly direction that was blocking our way. It was a long slow climb.

Once on the other side we entered Iskwatikan Lake where we met a nice local couple and thier children. They were on their way from Stanley to their cabin on Big White Moose Lake where they were to spend the week smoking and drying moose meat. We talked for a while and gleaned some information about the ice conditions and some areas that we will want to avoid due to thin ice. Always take the advice of locals when it is offered not just as advice but as a sign of respect for the people that live in the land that you are traveling through.

The day time temperatures were warm especially with the sun beating down on us and reflecting off of the snow. Many of us managed to get sun burnt faces but as the sun began to set the temperatures began to drop. We had found a great place to camp in a small cove on the north shore of Iskwatikan Lake with an abundance of standing dead black spruce for fire wood but we were unprepared for the cold evening to come and had to keep cutting and splitting wood for the fire. On the second night we were better prepared and we all spent time gathering, cutting and splitting wood that would last that evening as well as the following morning. That first night the temperature dropped to -30C and the following morning was pretty rough with many people chilled to the bone.

But after a slow start we were ready to head for the falls. Again the sun was bright but the air was still cold, we were lucky that the wind stayed down or it would have been very cold. We had traveled 12km to our campsite yesterday that left 16km's from camp to the falls and back. We were lightly loaded and made good time as we made our way long the lake ice.

What can I say about Nistowiak Falls in the winter other than it is truly stunning! If you have seen it in the summer you know how beautiful it is but that's nothing compared to the falls in the winter. The water pounding down on the rocks below produce a great deal of spray that covers everything, the trees, the rocks and the shear rock face on the other side. Words can not describe it. The day was continuing to warm and we stayed long enough to have a quick lunch. We also saw two mink swimming around in the open water above the falls.

The sun rises and sunsets were amazing. The sun set in the west was very different to the sunrise in the east due to the difference in skylines that lent to their different characteristics. The second night was much milder but even so we decided to spend it in the warmth of Bryan's hot tent that was heated by a wood stove. It was warm and comfortable inside and between the bouts of laughter the odd comment was made "why didn't we spend last night in here?"

The third day was our last day in the woods and we woke to much milder temperatures, the weather had turned and the day was to be warm, sunny and nice for our trip out. Unfortunately we couldn't spend too much time making our way out. It was family day and we didn't know how late the RCMP detachment would be open if at all, in order to retrieve the keys to our vehicles. After a long, hard day of pulling, the hills are steeper on the way out, we made it to the detachment with 20 minutes to spare. All was well. All there was left to do was pack up our gear and head south to our warm beds.

Our group consisted of Bob, who pulled a pulk with our food and water all the way to the falls and back from camp; Laurie who contributed some of the best cookies around even though they were frozen; Mike, the ice chopping machine; Bryan who brought the hot tent which was much appreciated; Zoe, my girl friend, whom I'm very proud of for enduring the cold and a machine when it comes to sawing wood for the fire and myself.

The laughter around the camp fire sounded far into the night and even the wolves came by to check out what they were missing.

Click here to go to a picasa album to see all the photos

Moose team broke to pull

2009-12-30T15:21:00.004-06:00

Zoe and I spent the afternoon, yesterday, wandering around on the trails of the Little Red River park just north of Prince Albert. With snow on the trees and very little wind , it was a great day to be in the woods. At the end of the day we stopped at the Cosmo Lodge. As I was reading some of the postings on the wall I came across the following newspaper clipping pinned to the wall. I don' t know which paper it came from but the photo intrigued me. It's not every day you run into a little known piece of the past, and in a ski lodge of all places. I did a quick search on the internet for the names mentioned in the article and didn't come up with much but did find some information for the town of Makinak, Man.

Feathery visitors

2009-10-17T17:23:00.006-06:00

These are just a few of the feathery visitors to our backyard feeders. Blue Jays were going nuts over the peanuts I put out for them. The Dark Eyed Junkoes were having a blast hopping through the leaf litter. Chickadees, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers and White Breasted and Red Breasted Nuthatches paid regular visits to the feeders and later in the day a pair of House Finches made off with a bunch of black oil sunflower seeds. Even a pair of Northern Flickers stopped by.

On such a sunny day you'd have to be crazy to be inside.

The sky is white with Snows!

2009-10-05T12:55:00.006-06:00

After a weekend of hard studying I thought that I'd take a break and head out into the country. I stopped the vehicle on the top of a hill and quickly glassed over the landscape. I was looking for anything interesting to check out and today was my lucky day. From one kilometer away I could see a large, white patch in the field ahead. It was a large flock of Snow Geese. As I got closer the flock lifted off and flew about a km to the north east. I drove as close as dared, stopped, and slowly slipped out of the vehicle. I wanted to see how close I could get to them, so I slowly crawled on my stomach along the wet ground. I was only able to move a couple of meters before I was spotted and they took off once again. This time I decided to observe from a distance and I watched as flock after flock of geese joined the others in a feast of peas. I don't know what spooked them but the whole flock took off in a mass of white beating wings. It was truly an amazing site. The fall migration is obviously in full swing, there were hundreds of thousands of Snows, Canadas, White Fronted geese and a bunch of Sandhill Cranes. I even saw a lone coyote cross the road allowance.

All in all it was a productive morning.