A Word in the Woods

I occasionally wonder if I talk too much about the woods. I probably do, but that doesn’t deter me in the least. It warms my heart to see evidence of that sort of passion elsewhere, too, and makes me feel less like a deviant.

I’d like to share a recent example of just this type of thing.

I have two friends that have recently become backcountry hiking partners. They’ve both taken quite readily to the outdoors, and are as passionate as I am when it comes to hiking and canoeing and, if it can be believed, gear. One of them recently got married, and the other was a groomsman at his wedding.

I submit, for your pleasure and perusal, his wedding toast:

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Tags: algonquin, Gear, hiking, learning, Special Ops Mosquitos, Speech, wedding
Posted in editorial, Gear, Guest posts, Personal | No Comments »

On January 15, 2011, I had the distinct pleasure of spending the day with Pinock Smith, a master builder, known for his traditional canoe-building methods.

I first heard of Pinock in the second season of Ray Mears’ Bushcraft, where he and Ray built an authentic birchbark canoe in a week. They worked on screen again in Northern Wilderness, to build a set of snowshoes. They are both great shows, but nothing can come close to meeting and talking with someone who has that knowledge, and being able to ask the questions that are important to you.

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Tags: algonquin, building, Canoe, first nations, native, pinock smith, ray mears, traditional
Posted in Canoe, HowTo, Personal, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

So, I’m long overdue on the trip reports. I started a new job last year, and I’m coming up on my first anniversary in a week. The time has flown by, and the crunch of new responsibilities has died down a bit. I’ve gone on a few trips, and I’m ready to start keeping up with the photos and reviews and trip reports. This is a bit of a year of firsts.

The first first on this trip was going to an entrance point I’d never been to: Entrance 16, on the East side of Algonquin.

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Tags: algonquin, Canoe, canoeing, Entrance Point 16, flickr, Gear, Little Hay Lake, summer, Trip report
Posted in Canoe, Gear, Trip Reports | 2 Comments »

It was a bit of a rainy weekend on our favorite Algonquin park lake, but fun nevertheless. The unfortunate and undesirable part of camping is the drying out of gear after you get back. Right now, I’m just going to throw it all on the balcony, and hop in the shower.

I’ll update with a full trip report when I get a chance – it may be a bit of a busy week.

Tags: algonquin, rain
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This was a good trip for my friend Keith’s first time into Algonquin, in terms of what to expect for canoeing, since the Tim River to Rosebary, and then on from Longbow to Sitting Man Lake (our final destination) is a good mix of winding rivers, grassy marsh, ponds, and nice, open lakes with deeper water — a good distance to cross all of it in one day.
read about the rest of the trip – boobs, beavers, moose and strange fingers.

Tags: algonquin, Canoe, canoe pack, injuries, Moose, portage, Sitting Man Lake, Tim Lake, Tim River, Trip report
Posted in Canoe, HowTo, Trip Reports | 2 Comments »