Rainbows and Sunshine

Chipmunk Photo Op July 18 2007

2009-06-11T01:23:00.005-04:00

Going back in time a couple of years. I took these pics while in the beginning stages of building this shelter. According to the information on the digital shots, I followed him around for 40 minutes. Heh.

Snowmobiling April 02 2009

2009-05-31T20:21:00.004-04:00

Went out for a while on a cloudy day in April. Never did get to go as far as I did down the river in past years this season because of the fucked up temperature fluctuations throughout the winter.

Chris McCandless

2009-05-29T01:48:00.016-04:00

Here is a collection of photos of and relating to Christopher J. McCandless. I found most of these on the web the last couple of years, and recently a number of previously unavailable pictures surfaced. Quite an interesting look into his past. The defining characteristic of the photos is the elation in his expression.. Even when he was facing death.

McCandless as a young child.

Family.

A young Chris hiking. Likely from the yearly trips with his father referenced in the book.

Grinning, teenage McCandless.

High school photo.

Eerie shot.

Chris circa 1990.

Chris with the Datsun.

Denali, AK & the Stampede Trail

Self portrait at Bus 142.

Satellite view of Bus 142.

A big game kill. Possibly a caribou, definitely not the moose referred to in the book and pictured below.

Teklanika River.

Aerial view of bus.

Stampede trail.

The thin, ragged mattress in which McCandless spent his last moments.

Last photo taken on Chris' camera. Disturbingly thin and weak, resigned to his fate but smiling as clear as ever.

The suitcase of emergency supplies left by McCandless' parents in the bus.

Memorial plaque installed by his parents in Bus 142.

Chris' mother, during their visit to the bus a year after his death.

Snowmobiling December 6 2008

2009-01-27T04:08:00.003-05:00

I took out the XC for the first ride of the year. Snow was falling in masses, but the temperature was still low. Trails ungroomed and overall unpleasant conditions.

Dawn Biking October 10 2008

2009-01-27T04:04:00.002-05:00

Had a spontaneous urge to go out in the early morning to enjoy what was left of fall. Cold air and clear sky.

September 18 2008

2009-01-27T03:58:00.003-05:00

I was going into the woods the hour before sundown daily September-November.. Fall sunsets are beautiful.

Hiking July 24 2008

2009-01-27T03:49:00.003-05:00

I headed into the woods for a few hours around 5 PM. Lit a fire using natural tinder and a firesteel. Watched the sunset in silence for a long time and smoked a joint. Amazing atmosphere for me..

Dawn cycling July 20 2008

2009-01-27T03:41:00.004-05:00

I left early one summer morning to bike the 15 miles. Stopped for blueberries and almost got hit by a truck. Exhausting.

Dawn

Empty highway

Canoeing June 9 2008

2009-01-27T03:36:00.002-05:00

Having acquired new glasses, I returned to the river for a short trip and to stash the canoe better. The wind was against me but the sun breaking the clouds was beautiful.

Epic Fail June 7 2008

2009-01-27T03:16:00.002-05:00

June 7 2008 was my first decent canoe trip. I left the house at 4:30 AM, paddled the canoe a few hundred yards parallel to 3' wakes and a overcast sky towards the mouth of the river. Once I floated under the bridge, I beached the canoe on the sandy eroded shore next to the large concrete base of the bridge.

The mosquitoes were terrible. I ran up the highway embankment, over the railing and ran down the highway home. I went back inside to get some bug repellent and a bottle of water, then into the garage where I rode my bike back to the river. I set the bike on the canoe, put a 30lb rock in the bow and began paddling down the cold river still swelling from the spring run off.

Paddling efficiently was difficult while being swarmed. The insects weren't completely affected by the bug spray. The sun was rising, ducks were flying across the meadows and the river was glassy with a light breeze.

I intended to paddle a few kilometers down the river to an old mining road where I would stash the canoe nearby, and bike home from that point. I was nearing the road, and had put on headphones, playing Mike Oldfield's Incantations Part 4. I was sitting on the edge of the canoe and it was beautiful. A mosquito landed on my temple and delivered a particularly startling bite. I freaked and hit myself in the side of the head, causing my $400 prescription glasses to be knocked into the river.

My vision without glasses is worthless, I can discern little more than giant blobs of homogenous color of what is around me. I managed to get the canoe to the road, hid it in a noneffective manner and was able to bike home without sight. Scary experience.

Setting off around 5 AM

Macfie May 15-17 & 19-24

2009-01-27T03:09:00.003-05:00

Cold and wet weather this year. Fishing was not very fruitful, only 3 lakers were caught. The suckers were spawning in Robbie bay which has a history of being bad fishing time. The truck's rear universal axel got fucked over on the ride home after the first few nights. I made the trail hugging the lake a decent amount further. Getting into dense bush.

Clouds over Macfie

White suckers in Robbie bay

Campsite

Canoeing in Ice April 20 2008

2009-01-27T02:59:00.003-05:00

Went out again in the aluminum on April 20, used an electric motor this time. Less ice, river was navigable and flooded substantially. Wind and the wetness in the early spring air made for a chilled ride.

Hundreds of twittering birds occupied a patch of forest and there were plenty of ducks and geese.

Canoe & flooded river

Birds

Sunset

Life-Risking Behaviour April 17 2008

2009-01-27T02:47:00.003-05:00

April 17th I took out my less than ideal aluminum canoe out onto the river, which still had 1-2 inches of ice in areas. I neglected to bring a PFD, and was down the river in short order stuck on ice using body momentum to move the canoe. Dumb as shit! The canoe almost turned over with a breaking panel of ice.

Dusk - Deathly cold water

Hike April 16, 2008

2008-12-06T11:31:00.004-05:00

After my first attempt at going through the woods in the beginning stages of spring a week prior, I tried to visit an old camp. Although the temperature was 15 degrees warmer, it made the snow covered environment worse for travel and simple being. Despite the beauty of a new spring showing itself in the shrinking masses of snow and cold streams of winter melt, it meant going in and dealing with moisture in the air so thick you can taste it. I left with 20lbs of additional weight & showing signs of the onset of hypothermia. I must like nature having her way with me because I tend to get myself into very similar situations repeatedly without much change in my preparations...

Small networks of spring melt run under the snow in low areas.

My incomplete shelter ravaged by the weight of wet snow

Late Winter April 09, 2008

2008-11-14T16:24:00.005-05:00

April 9th, spring was approaching, the snow penetrated by the sun was granulated but a stiff chill still in the air. I had a hike on my mind, but didn't get much further than a kilometer before i ran out of exposed rock and was forced to walk waist deep in slightly wet snow with a snow-cone like consistency. Within a half hour my legs were feeling quite like rubber and my pants and light clothing became soaked. Slightly under freezing temperature, overcast evening with calm winds. Utterly silent.

Some dry lichen and birch bark caught a flint spark easily.

Three times in one day April 1st 2008

2008-04-01T21:19:00.006-04:00

A big snow storm blowed through here last night, leaving two feet of powdery drifts and leading to road closings. What better time to take out the snowmobile and start making new trails? I went ripping down a power line and was pretty surprised at just how deep the snow was. I kept on the gas because if i were to stop it'd end there. A while later after being misdirected by a particularly large drift I collided with a small spruce tree. Didn't have the camera, but the snow was up to the windshield and the tree was wedged between my ski and belly pan. I didn't mind digging it out alone in a blizzard and spending a half hour packing a trail so I could turn around and get back on my own track.

At about 7:30 PM i decided to go and check out an old network of hunting trails i had been to last year. Started out well, there was a track ahead of me so I didn't worry too much. However he had turned around a short while in, and I decided to keep going..

Click to Enlarge

DOH.. Quite a while later working in a sweatshirt that turned to this:

And I managed to get it out after working in the pitch black. Wish I had a shovel.

Snowmobiling Continued March 07, 2008

2008-03-07T18:41:00.003-05:00

I went out again today with the sled and brought the tripod along. I got a few shots of some water crossing, it was quite a bit colder than yesterday. I put together a short video, the second location was cut off a bit, but you get the idea.

Water-skipping and related shenanigans March 6, 2008

2008-03-06T19:28:00.004-05:00

After a long, hard, irritating, useless and completely regrettable day at school, I decided to get on my machine and engage in some early march open water tomfoolery. For the past three years I have ridden my old Ski-Doo Tundra 250cc, I had mastered the control of it in just about any circumstance. I went further down the narrowing and partially frozen river than anyone else I knew. I could literally cross open stretches of water in excess of 40', and often would. It was such a great machine for accessing areas off the trail, for its light weight, reliable engine, and ease of maneuverability. It floated on top of snow whether it was a foot or five feet deep. You couldn't beat it for the price and gas mileage, but it did have its shortcomings: The pistons rattled the machine so badly any attempt at keeping a headlight was futile, it was extremely easy to tip over, it took 43 square miles to make a 360 degree turn on hardpack, and it was as loud as anything. It was the kind of machine you didn't worry about where you went with it or how you treated it. Sadly, I said my final goodbye to it this winter in place of a newer, faster machine.

Until recently I hadn't taken many risks with it. The power of it intimidated me and I also had the thousands of dollars in engine repair if anything went terribly wrong to worry about. Now I am familiar with handling it, and I decided to take a rip down the open stretch of water under the highway overpass. It's been a weird and inconsistent winter weather-wise, and the river hasn't really frozen over like it normally does. There is a nice 70' or so open section that was a breeze to cruise across. It's like riding a jet-ski and turns amphibious on contact with the calm steaming water. I proceeded down into safer sections, frozen over due to the current slowing in pace. I took five at an old power line where I frequently stop in the summer on canoe to take some pictures. There's something about the alien form of the lines that contrasts with the beauty of the surrounding forest that makes for a good shot. Snow was falling lightly, the bright sun was behind a translucent bit of clouds, which made it seem like I was looking at the horizon through a luminous lens. Colour seemed to have more significance. Or was that the marijuana?

Winter Shelter Site February 28, 2008

2008-02-28T19:20:00.008-05:00

Since I haven't really done much in terms of survival this winter (It's too cold!) I decided I wanted to build a new winter shelter. I had the site in mind before I even left, and after a short trip on the snow machine I arrived there. It's on a rocky outcrop that is much higher than the surrounding forest. The actual shelter site is shielded from the wind by the trees as well as it being situated in a concave. The surrounding snow is close to four feet deep.

I want to try and model the shelter after the lean-to Les Stroud built in the first episode of Survivorman. The shelter was pretty large and had an opening for a fire:

Mine would be a bit larger, and covered with a layer of spruce boughs and then 1' of snow. I originally wanted to build a tipi but I think I'll go with a lean-to.

Here are a few pictures of the area. The dead silence was a bit spooky.

Rabbit tracks.

Snowshoeing February 18 2008

2008-02-22T19:29:00.011-05:00

I decided to take my snowshoes out with my Polaris for a walk down the river. It had snowed 10" the night before, and was still coming down moderately. Breaking a trail was hard going even with the shoes, as i was sinking a half foot or so every step. The way back was considerably easier.

I almost fell through the ice a couple of times. I attempted to cross the river like an idiot in a narrow section, but thankfully the telltale creaking of the soft ice told me to go back. Even on an overcast day like this the light reflecting off the snow like a mirror into your eyes is inconvenient. The pictures suffered as well from the cloud cover but still turned out OK.

I don't really like this section of the river. It's too open to the wind. The same section gave me the most trouble when i canoed the entire river last spring. The wind was gusting directly into the bow and it took a lot of power to get past into the more intimate stretches down stream. I think I'll make my next trip start out a little farther down. Maybe tomorrow?

I can't beleive i'll be canoeing this in a little over a month. I'm sick of school sucking all of my energy and controlling my life.

Click Image to Enlarge

Sketchy river crossing

I left the machine beside this not often used trail.

Snow was falling lightly

I fell over trying to turn around. I think i need more experience.

Christmas Day Snowmobile Ride

2007-12-25T17:58:00.000-05:00

Today I went for the first decent length solo trip on my new Polaris XC 500. I have no pictures which is a shame considering how beautiful the trails were. I haven't had acess to a camera since i dunked BOTH my sony camcorder and my HP digital, which are now useless. My family got a expensive Canon digital which i won't be able to sneak often but i'm going to try my best. The winter scenery is too great to be missed. It actually rained here 2 days ago, and then snowed, so all of the puffy white snow sticks to the branches and everything in sight.

I went from my house to ice chest road, which is down through the groomed trails about 30 miles. The trails are in good shape, and i kept an average speed of 50 mph.

I'm thinking of taking a trip to Dugwall pit and icefishing for the stocked speckled trout. I've fished there a few times in the winter without sucess, but every spring i can easily catch fat healthy red specks. Maybe try a new technique.

PS: I managed to make it three days into my fast, which was a great experience, but i couldn't hold out a week my first try. After a couple days you get a nice natural high kind of like waking up after smoking a ton of weed. I'll have to try it again.

7 Day Fast - Preparation

2007-09-04T01:06:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow, September 4 2007, I'll start a 7 day fast, consuming water only throughout week. A brief synopsis of fasting: Fasting is the process of abstaining from food, whether for a single meal or over a month. In history, fasting was a religious practice used by many cultures to bring themselves closer to God. Today, it's also seen as a detoxification of the digestive system and the body as a whole. As your body looks for sustenance, dead cells and toxins are purged from the system. It's a time of headaches, moments of euphoria, and pain.

I decided that I'd make a little log here on my experience, mainly for my own benefit and future reference.

Over the past two days I've been on a 100% fruit diet: apples, pears, peaches, plums, oranges, grapes and juices. Tonight I had a meal of straight pasta with garlic and seasonings for carbohydrates, and 2 litres of water. Tomorrow morning I'll have bacon & eggs, toast and orange juice, then the fast will begin. wish me luck.

Moose Island August 24-25

2007-09-03T22:41:00.000-04:00

A few days later we went back to Moose for a couple of days, now there's a new coat of paint on the bottom section of the camp, and we almost got our limit in Walleye. I had a little too much to drink that night, and I managed to tear open that big axe gash on my leg. I had taken out the stitches myself a couple of days before, and that was a big mistake. Back to the hospital AGAIN on the 26, and waited 2 hours only to be told there was nothing they could do. It has scabbed over now, and thankfully I'll have a bigger scar.

Click Image to Enlarge

I made the trail a few metres longer along the edge of this bluff

Standing on an overhanging poplar, 30' above the beach

Perfect eating walleye

7lb Pike.

Moose Island August 19-21

2007-08-21T23:07:00.000-04:00

Went back over to the island for a three day stay, half of the camp has been newly painted, we are doing some work on the place but there's still no guarantee we're going to own it.. It would be really shitty if after we did all this work, somebody else came and bought it.. Ah well, I'm hoping for the best.

We caught about 15 2-3 lb Walleye, which is pretty unusual for late August, though certainly welcomed. Three rods out with pickerel rigs and live minnows and a bobber was the setup.

Click to Enlarge

Brush pile - Before and After

I canoed up to this bluff, and made a trail along the edge. I want to build some sort of dwelling on the highest spot. (30 ft)

A few good sized eater walleye

Upstairs

Moose Island August 15-16 2007

2007-08-17T00:04:00.001-04:00

Went for a two day visit on Nighthawk lake on Wensday. We went over to use the sauna, clear brush, work on a set of stairs and a few other things. In a year or two time it's possible we may own the property, for the sum of $40,000 to $50,000 with a inboard boat. We'd have to sell our Citation, a 26' mammoth with bunks, stove, fridge and other things that I personally deem unnecessary.

It's a nice sect of land, 3 acres, a two story camp, three sheds, and a good bit of landscaping. What's special about the land is it's the only bit of property on the entire lake and tributaries where the owners actually own the property. All of the other dozens of cottages are renting from the government, and the land could be seized at any time. Plus there's no concern of being attacked by wild animals, no bears or moose (ironically) on the island.

But the first night there was a little bit of a conundrum, when I was gathering wood for the sauna up in the woods. I took a brutal blow to a log on a slope, and it glanced off and nailed me right in the foot. Cut cleanly through my sock, and went a good ways into the flesh. 4 hours later I was out of the hospital with stitches, and no sauna. Fuck! Went back today from 11 AM to 7 PM, and got the stair set and a good bit of brush cleared. I also acquired a Cold Steel Bolo machete, and an old, excellent bone handled knife.

Big Cedar. Lots of old, massive Cedars on the Island.

The set of stairs put in at the beach. The foot traffic was eroding the fine soil.

Always good to have a pack of cigarillos in the bush
(-Correction, never good to have tobacco at any time. I regret ever touching these.)

Cold Steel Bolo Machete, bone handled custom made knife

The implement: Wetterlings 19" Axe. Victim: My foot. Millimeters from a major ligament.

Exhibit A. The axe cut clean through the sock.

Unique tree

Twilight Hike August 9 2007

2007-08-10T00:32:00.000-04:00

Today I went for a short jaunt up the rocks, planning to just relax and brew up some tea.. I brought along my coffee can air draft cooking stove, and once I got to my vantage point I lit a fire in the stove with some Spanish moss and twigs. I was in a slight daze from the two Tylenol 2's I had taken a half hour before for my pains, and I set the blazing coffee can on my day pack, and in short order it was on fire. Ah well, eventually got it out and was on my way.

Click to enlarge

Tundra Escapades on the Rocky Power line March 5 2006

2007-08-07T03:47:00.001-04:00

This is the day I discovered one of my favourite spots, while roaming the country on my 250 snowmobile, the amazing Ski-Doo Tundra. A moderate March day, clear and windless.

From the other side. Climbing steep inclines on a 250cc is an experience.

Rock Walkin' July 24 2007

2007-08-07T03:37:00.000-04:00

Went over to the bedrock to continue a project, really hot and humid day. The forest was still, that unnerving silence that plagues the hot summer days in the bush.

Unidentified bird

Humid- look at the haze over the spruce woods

Dawn Rock Walkin' June 29 2007

2007-08-07T03:22:00.000-04:00

Although it doesn't happen often, I cherish the oppurtunity when I'm actually awake at sunrise, and it's much better spent in nature. I biked over to my favourite vantage point, and had a little hike around on the rocks.

The local squirrel- Up to his usual brand of tomfoolery.

Saw this on the way back, initial thoughts: "O RLY?"

Power Line Voyage June 28 2007

2007-08-07T03:04:00.000-04:00

June 28 was a beautiful, clear spring day with the bluest sky and the nicest clouds. I decided to take a hike down one of the old routes I hadn't been along for a few months. The ground was still soggy from the melt, and new foliage made travel a little harder. Insects out in full force, luckily the smoke of my cigar drove them away. I made my way down an old clearcut surveyers road, and then joined onto the power line and eventually the river. The camera worked extrodinarily, maybe it was the perfect setting. Enjoy the pictures.

Orange butterfly, Orange spruce needles

Even the ugly power line looks good on a day like this.

Reflective beaver pond

Black birds on vacation- Too nice to pillage dumps and feeders today.

Day Trip, April 21 2007 Hike down the River

2007-08-07T02:38:00.000-04:00

This April I biked a few miles into the bush, and then got on my feet and traversed off the beaten path, through the dense tag alders, and soppy spring ground. Once I got through the couple kilometers of thick bush, and a swamp where I soaked my boots, I emerged on the bank, that was much clearer looking, and conceivably easier to traverse through. It actually turned out to be a half a foot of thick, boot eating muck. Each step was a challenge, and once I got through, I had left my boot in the mud a few times, and lost a can of $40 bear spray I still haven't found. I started a fire on the bank and cooked up a lunch. I made my way to a power line a few kilos down, and made my way back to the road. Half the way back was walking through thigh deep, ice cold river that had flooded the banks. Having your extremities that cold is just excruciating. Great trip, I love these kind of unpredictable hikes.

Hiked along the riverside, through the dense forest & muddy bank in the distance

Swamp I had to walk through- Treacherous!

Shore lunch- Everything tastes better off a fire

Flooding spring melt, gnarled cedar

Looking back

Crazy Power line Hike April 24 2006

2007-08-07T02:13:00.000-04:00

What a zany adventure I had on April 24, 2006. I took out the old10 speed narrow tire bike, and drove it over to a power line a couple miles down the highway from my house. Here I wheeled it down the uneven, damp muddy earth and eventually ditched it when I came to a rock outcrop. 6 miles later, I came to the destination, a area I had snowmobiled to a couple months earlier. I turned back, and took an alternate route. By now it was cold as hell, the sky darkening, and rain was starting to fall. Five miles later I was reunited with my bike. Miserable, I got out of there and made it home, soaked, freezing and terrible hunger pangs. Great trip, I love these kind of meaningless journeys.

Mile after mile, exposing the landscape covered by thick boreal forest.

The destination

April 24, snow still on the ground.

Bike Behind the Resource Center, July 13 2007

2007-08-06T22:21:00.001-04:00

Went for a little trip, met up with a couple of assholes on ATV's, and another in a truck. Overcast, nice and breezy. I stopped by the river and just layed down on the bank to think. That is my favourite thing in the world to do. The setting was perfect.

Surreal scene

Bike Behind the Resource Center, July 2 2007

2007-08-06T22:09:00.000-04:00

Got some cool photos, and saw some scat. All in all, a worthwhile journey.

Highway, Cop in the distance

Road

Mineshaft

Bike Behind the Resource Center, August 22 2006

2007-08-06T21:59:00.001-04:00

Back in August 2006, I took a ride in the dirt roads behind the Ministry center. This is the day when I got into hobby photography.. Nice summer colours.

Bike & River

August

Contrast

The Beaver Pond

Ride May 18 2006

2007-08-06T21:49:00.001-04:00

Back in May 2006, a buddy came by and we went on a tour of a couple dirt jumping/technical riding spots. The first was a ghetto ass trials set up, in the woods off the highway, and the second I'd been many times before, a crazy dirt jumping spot up on the man-made hills of the slime dam.

Click to enlarge

Ghetto ass trials

Bedrock spruce forest

The slimes, nice view of the ugly mine site.

Bike to Dugwall Pit, April 17 2006

2007-08-06T21:39:00.001-04:00

Back in April of 2006, I took my then-new Giant STP 2 on a 15+ mile trip to a trout lake down the highway. I went to check on the ice, it was mostly intact.

Click to enlarge

Arrival at the Pit

The bike and boardwalk

The Porcupine River, 28 miles from it's source on Porcupine Lake.

Moose Island July 21-22 Weekend

2007-08-06T21:21:00.000-04:00

On the weekend of July 21, we went to a friend's camp on Moose Island. Fished off the dock for a few Walleye, had a few visitors, and I ended up staying up all night reading, then set off in a canoe at 4:00 AM. Beautiful to see such a large lake calm in the early morning. I canoed around the island, a few good miles.

Google Maps Link

Click to enlarge

The Sand bar

My dog enjoying her only leash freedom in years

Half way around the island, 4:30 AM

Pushing off the dock

Sunrise over the lake, 5 AM

Short Thunderstorm Outing June 3 2007

2007-08-06T21:15:00.000-04:00

June 3rd, I carried the canoe to the lake, and just about 5 minutes after I was waterborne, it started pouring.. a minute later, crazy lightening and thunder. I hadn't even gotten to my fishin' spot and I had to turn back in fear of my life.

Fishing on the Rocks May 8 2007

2007-08-04T16:20:00.001-04:00

On May 8 I took a ride over to the bedrock along the lake, and casted for a half hour. One bite, alot of weeds, and the mosquitoes were horrible.

In the Trees

Sundown

Canoeing July 14 2007

2007-08-04T02:13:00.002-04:00

On July 14, I took the longest voyage down the river since I did the 28 mile journey in May. Still only 6 or 7 miles, but it was much harder without the denial-sourced adrenalin I had on the 28 mile trip. Thought I was lost many times.

Summer was definitely starting to show it's face, and the dead silence with the unique cloud's above set my mind wandering. Is it healthy to have a conversation with yourself without saying a word? I was in deep thought about the legendary LSD chemist and Dead sound man, Augustus Owsley Stanley III, and how he had been eating meat EXCLUSIVELY for 40+ years.. in his seventies and is as intelligent as they come. I find it hard to believe how his body can flourish with the apparent lack of vitamins? An interesting story.

Unidentified Spruce Fungi

Family of ducks. Saw several along the way.

Twilight over the calm

Boreal Sunset

Canoeing June 2 2007

2007-08-04T02:05:00.001-04:00

On June 2nd, I took a little trip down the Porcupine, to the slime dam about 3 miles up. Calm, beautiful day with a blue sky and the occasional puffy white cloud. A couple of assholes on fucking jet-skis ripped by me, what a bunch of fucking dummies. STAY ON THE FUCKING LAKE, GOD DAMNED MORONS!

My friend the red winged blackbird

This is why I love spring.

Afternoon Canoe, May 13 2007

2007-08-04T02:00:00.000-04:00

On May 13 I took a little trip down the Porcupine, 4 miles. The water level was going down, and there were a couple of iffy spots. Nothing particularly interesting of note here.

My most common company, a beautiful red winged blackbird.

The biggest "rapids" you're going to find around here.

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

2007-08-01T15:39:00.000-04:00

My Side of the Mountain
By Jean Craighead George
Original Publication 1959, 177 pages

Summary: Sam is a teenager living in a crowded apartment in New York with his parents and numerous siblings. He gets tired of the noise, air and crowdedness of the city. He tells his father he is running away to great-grandpa Gribleys farm on the Catskill Mountains to live off the land. He leaves with a pen-knife, a ball of wire, an axe, flint and steel and $40.

He hikes around the Catskill Range looking for his Great-Grandfather Gribley's farm, and eventually comes upon the ruins of the old farm, and a patch of ancient hemlocks nearby. He decides to dig out a home in one of the larger trees.

Throughout the next few months, Sam lives in the wilderness, having visitors, learning new skills, making friends with animals and avoiding law enforcement. It's labeled as a childrens story, but anybody with a yearning for primitive/wilderness living will enjoy the story.I've read the book over 10 times, and it's better every read.

5/5

Blueberry Syrup

2007-07-30T00:49:00.000-04:00

Here's a recipe for blueberry syrup, I made some tonight and it tastes great.

1 & 1/2 cup of blueberries
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
dash of salt
dash of cinnamon
1.5 teaspoon cornstarch
1.5 teaspoon cold water

In small saucepan, combine blueberries, corn syrup, lemon juice, salt and cinnamon. Place over medium heat. Mix cornstarch with water. Add to blueberry mixture. Bring to boil. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Serve warm. May be made ahead, refrigerated and reheated.

Lost in the Barrens By Farley Mowat

2007-07-29T03:38:00.001-04:00

Lost in the Barrens/Two Against the North
By Farley Mowat
Original Publication 1956, 244 Pages

Summary: Orphan Jamie, lives in a remote trappers cabin in the Canadian north with his uncle Angus Macnair. When Jamie and his Cree Indian friend Awasin tag along on a deer hunt with a band of Chipeweyan hunters, they wander from base camp and have their canoe and most of their supplies destroyed in a rapid many miles away. They must learn to fend for themselves in the harsh Barren Lands of the Arctic, and stay the winter planning to make an escape in the Spring.

Mowat first entered the Barren Lands after serving in WWII. He was forever attached to the lands harsh but beautiful landscape. He spent much of his time in the Barren arctic learning skills from the natives, who were still living apart from civilization. He wrote many other books on the Barrens and it's inhabitants as well.

This book is a MUST READ for anybody interested in the outdoors, and was this that sparked much of my own interest in the natural world. It's a classic of it's kind and i think it deserves more recognition.

Blueberry Pickin July 25 2007

2007-07-25T23:27:00.000-04:00

I went over to the mossy rocky area and picked a couple of cups of lowbush blueberries. Two tablespoons of frozen bloobs & a teaspoon of sugar into a glass of milk.. Mmmmm..

Canoe Trip to the Creek May 2, 07

2007-07-23T22:26:00.000-04:00

On May 2, 07, I went and crossed the lake in a windy afternoon, and canoed a few kilometers up, until it got too shallow. Went home.

Click to Enlarge.

Down the creek

Mine Tailings

Fire

Moose Island Fishing June 21 2007

2007-06-30T00:47:00.000-04:00

Though it rained all day, we still went out for a few hours to fish for walleye off shore. Three lines, we only caught about 4 small saugers. Looks to be too far into the summer and they've moved out. Was pretty cold and windy all day.

Google Maps Link

Break in rain, cloud activity

Whitecaps

Boat docked

Canoeing June 17 2007

2007-06-30T00:21:00.000-04:00

Took out the motor, clamped it onto the side of the canoe.. Won't do again in the future because it pretty much shifted the whole framework of the canoe and scared me a little. Really deafeningly quiet, the humidity and the heat of summer resulted in pretty much total silence, and the sky above was covered in a dull but luminous grey. Saw a weird formation beside the sun, kind of like a smaller version caused by some kind of reflection.

Weird sun thing

Sunset

Bicycle Ride June 16, 2007

2007-06-18T23:04:00.000-04:00

Took a few good pictures, really sunny and humid.

Unfortunately they are only old mine tailings, look nice though.

Saw my first fox of the summer on the road, wasn't very afraid of me.

Possible Future Home?

2007-06-08T22:31:00.000-04:00

My dad bought this Ford Club Wagon a couple years ago off a friend for a mere $500. I think it's a '95 model, and is in relatively good shape, though it needs a lot of body work, the fuel pump needs replacing, and a few other small repairs. We got it to convert it into a camping van, for weekend trips. It's going to take a couple grand to repair, hopefully it will be outiftted for camping by next spring.

Spacious interior. The two back seats will be removed.

The interior of the van, from behind the driver and passenger seats is 9' long, 5'6" wide, and 4'5" tall. This equals a 226 square feet of space. I've been reading up on the "contemporary nomadic" lifestyle, by outfitting vans, campers, trucks and sometimes box vans to contain all the necessities of living. Depending on your gas consumption and luxury spending, it's not hard to live on $300-$500 per month. It's neat looking at the ways people organize and outfit their vans, gas stoves, sinks, bunks, storage space and even a porta-potty can easily fit in a space the ford has.

Propane burners, microwave, sink, oven and water in a compact space.

Some even outfit their vehicles with electricity, a large deep cycle marine battery, AC inverter and charging from solar panels or/and from the motor when driving. Some unique things I have in mind if I were to convert the Ford: Custom, small wood stove for heating and cooking for the cold, small butane burner for convenience, roof rack for the canoe, mount a black five gallon container on the rack, running water and bathing, one of the 14"x14" roof vents with fan for venting, drop down bunk from the side, and storage to support it.

When I graduate high school I've always had my mind set on traveling for a year or two, then college, and get into forestry. So far it's just a dream, but I can definitely see it being a good, cheap way to live when I'm out of school and broke. My sister shares a house with 4 other friends down in Ottawa for her schooling, and has to pay thousands per year to rent. I've spent many nights out in the woods with the truck camper, and I prefer it greatly to rotting away in my comfortable house. Gives you a sense of independence and self worth.

These website gave me a few good ideas. A lot of good information.
http://cheaprvliving.com/howtoconvertavan.html
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Van_Dwelling

Second Power Line May 26 2007

2007-05-28T15:50:00.000-04:00

I took out the sportspal and the electric motor for a 3-4 hour ride down the river. The increase in activity compared to a couple weeks ago is great. Vegetation is growing on the banks, hundreds and hundreds of various species of waterfowl, a fuckload of songbirds, 4 or 5 beaver, and a scary encounter with four adult black bears. I need a tripod for my cameras badly.

A Local high school made wooden duck boxes in their woodshop, to attempt to help the wildlife scene and work with the ministry trying to make the river a canoe route.. I think it's great they're doing this, but theres one part of it that is really unnessecary and unfortunate.. They pounded 8 feet lengths of 2" iron tubing to hold the duck boxes. This means that when the wood of the box rots away, there will be rusty old fucking iron poles sticking out of the ground everywhere.

Here's an older duckbox, put in about 25 years ago.

I'd say they had the right idea here, work with the wilderness to make it easier on the eyes for the humans and less depreciating to the forest.

Fresh river greens

Two ducks in flight.

The indifferent beaver. I had to swing the bow sharply with the motor to avoid smacking him right in the head.

One of the bears. This guy stood up, at least 8'. The others were laying down behind the growth.

Sunrise May 27 07

2007-05-27T20:15:00.000-04:00

Stayed up all night, left at 5:10 AM to go see if there would be a nice sunrise for a few shots.. I was not disappointed. I made my way over to the few sets of rocky areas, climbed to the peak and took these. Unfortunately the pictures don't do it justice, actually being there and seeing it was bliss.

Click Image to Enlarge

Annual Fishing Trip '07

2007-05-25T00:34:00.000-04:00

From The 17th to the 22th me and my dad went on our yearly fishing trip to a set of lakes about 100km into the timber. Sometimes we go twice a year, this trip was my 6th. The two lakes are in a beautiful shrouded forest dominated by evergreen trees and birch trees. The fishing pressure is low, only a few groups fish there every year. There is an abundance of waterfowl, squirrels, songbirds and the occasional bear and bald eagle to be seen. My dad started going there in 1982 then stopped at the end of the eighties, we started going again in spring 2004. We fish for lake trout and splake,this year we got a decent haul, all around 5lbs.

Click image for larger version

Looking out on the smaller lake from one of the banked shorelines

The resident pair of loons of the larger lake. They like to swim close to the boat in the calm bays.

The water in the glacial lakes is quite clear and clean. You can see to depths of 40 feet quite clearly.

A nice sized lake trout

The squirrel I saw frequently when walking the trail I blazed

One of the two hippie gulls that prefer the peace and tranquility of the wilderness to the average dump.

A small group of mallards with a gull in the background

The calm was beautiful.

The bald eagle we saw on the first night. Snapshot from the video I shot with my new camcorder.

I liked this shot of the fire. Boiling water for tea.

Porcupine River 05/03/07

2007-05-03T22:46:00.003-04:00

Went for a trip 5:30-9:30 today, first I went to the first power line and cooked up some soup and tea. Went a little further down, tried fishing, I floated into a small hip where an old beaver dam used to be, and there is a little current.. first cast and I caught a 16 inch walleye. Let it go, they're spawning right now. Was approached and examined by an otter in close proximity, heard some assholes blasting geese/duck out of season, another fucking dick came down the power line on a ATV. Got a few nice shots today.

Click image to enlarge

Cloudular turbulence!

16 inch Walleye

The hip where I caught it

Little birdie under the bridge

Hoyle 04/30/07

2007-05-01T22:01:00.003-04:00

On Monday I took my longest Canoe trip so far, starting at the lake and eventually ending up on the highway crossing 28 miles down river. 8 hours of paddling, and I few times I thought I had taken a wrong turn. (There are a few different creeks down there) It started raining about half an hour out, and continued in shifts for about 4 hours. The wind was really, really powerful and inconvenient particularly in the first few hours. 100's of ducks, 3 close encounters with beavers, a few more beavers and otters, and what I beleive was a Whooping Crane, which are now an endangered species. The wingspan of the thing was atleast 6 feet. It followed m down the river for quite a ways. I remember it swooping down after being spooked quite near me, and I yelled out loud "Holy fuck".

It was a great trip but pretty long and tiring. Will do it again.

6:30 AM Sunrise shot

The only set of "rapids" on the whole river.

After a second river runs into it, the river turned very wide and nice.

8 hours and 30 miles later (Got a new canoe by the way)

Porcupine River Canoe Trip 4/26/07

2007-04-26T23:03:00.001-04:00

Today i went a bit further, a total distance of 10 miles. The wind was not a problem at all today and paddling downstream was completely silent aside from the birds. Saw 2, beaver, quite a few geese and duck, and twice heard a moose snapping large branches nearby. Runoff is still in progress and the current is quite strong. The canoe took in about a gallon of water from the leak in the back, though i only had to bail twice and the leak is small.

Click image to enlarge

Brewing tea in my Hobo Stove while drifting in the current.

Sunset on Shallow lake

First Canoe Trip of the Year 4/24/07

2007-04-25T23:23:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I took the bathtub-like craft on a 7 mile paddle, nearly to the train crossing and back. The paddle downstream was great, although the wind pushed around the bow quite a bit. The way back was brutal, took me three times as long fighting the current, thankfully the wind was at my back. Ran out of water mid trip and had to fill the cooler with a patch of snow i found to eat on the way back. Total paddling time was 5 hours. I saw 100's of geese, loon and duck, & 3 Otters/Beavers. On Saturday or Sunday I'll hopefully be heading to Fredrickhouse Road crossing (about 30 miles).

Click image to enlarge

Need to stop to stretch legs and eat

Otter

When the wind went home and the going got good

The Addition of a New Hurtin' Watercraft

2007-04-23T20:15:00.000-04:00

Although this Sportspal aluminum canoe is in rough shape, with some fixing up it should be an excellent craft. Length is 13 feet 4 inches & a width of 38 inches. Unfortunately it's a transom model, but under 40 lbs and a total cost of $0.00 I can't complain. I'm planning my maiden voyage for Saturday, to at least the second power line (about 4.5 mile trip)

The front bow support is ripped, handle torn off, leaky seams, water-logged transom boards, dirty foam and dented aluminum, but with a bit of fixing it will look and perform excellent.

Click image for larger view

Profile

Front View

Bottom

Improvements to be implemented as follows:

1. Drill out the aluminum sheet on top of the bow, add a varnished plywood board with carrying handle
2. Replace water-logged stern board with varnished thick plywood
3. Replace rivets on thwarts
4. Remove outer foam, clean, dry and replace hardware
5. Remove tar, re-apply clean and concise repairs
6. Sand and paint thwarts & gunwales

Rock Walkin' April 18 2007

2007-04-18T22:18:00.000-04:00

Went to see if the road to the river was thawed, after confirming it was indeed I took a detour off route and hiked for a while on one of the larger rocky areas in this type of forest. Saw either bobcat or lynx tracks along with spectacular views. Neat to see the almost division of pine and spruce forest to poplar and birch.

Click to enlarge

Rock face contrast with Sky

Sun passing through the spruce

Wild cat track

River Camp 4/14/07

2007-04-15T15:28:00.000-04:00

Biked a kilometer in, had to stash the bike and walk the rest of the way. Came close to an otter, a lot of chickadees, and a few rabbit tracks. Added a new roof pole and completed about 1/4 of the pine bough thatching.

Click thumbnail to enlarge image.

Cedar tea

Back wall coming together

Pine bought thatching. Water and wind will run off it

Bike to the River Camp April 11 2007

2007-04-11T23:38:00.000-04:00

I went out for a bike ride after supper today, to work a little bit more on the shelter and get some pictures. It took almost an hour each way, so I was only able to make small progress before turning back because of the impeding darkness. A few wildlife encounters, a small bird on a branch let me walk within 4 feet of it before it flew to a larger tree 2 feet away, examined me as i whistled, then left. I was walking up to the river, and was shouting to warn any possible animals to get the hell away, and spooked a family of loons than swam a few metres away and left. The baby was playing in the river while the parents watched. The baby loon doesn't look quite as majestic as an adult. It's flying pretty well already. Saw a few new tracks in the snow.

Click photos to enlarge

Biking along this road for 2.5 km was slightly difficult but better than walking.

The family of Loons. Beautiful picture.

Addition to the bench area. Will add cross lengths and pine boughs on the slants.

Two sets of tracks.

Boreal sunset. Should have left sooner.

Hike to the river, April 8 2007

2007-04-08T23:23:00.001-04:00

Today I took a 8km hike into the back left side of the forest surrounding the river, and initially was going to fish there. It turned out to be a very hard thing to do, there was about 3 feet of snow, and under that snow the 1' of water from the flooded river. I only got in one cast, then spent my time making a small shelter that I will turn into a resting point for my canoe journeys in the summer.

I started by securing a 5ft length of 2.5 dia balsam to the two small balsam trees which are about four feet apart. I then cut another 5 foot length, and two smaller 2 foot supports. I secured the supports to either side of the 5 foot length, to form a 3 sided rectangle. I attached the supports to the underside of the existing length. I drove two pegs into the ground at the intersection of the free hanging half of the bench, and secured them to the pegs. A couple of under supports, and a third length on the bench, and the rough version was done. I thatched 3 inches of pine boughs on the top for comfort.

Click to enlarge

Roughly completed bench

Top view

Brewing pine needle tea

River is directly in front of bench

I'll build a small 15ft dock to pass the bit of cattail and vegetation between river and shore for easy canoe landing.

When the bench is done, it will have a roof and enclosed sides. Here's a rough sketch of how it'll look. (side view)

Alot of Snow, and Plenty More Coming.

2007-04-06T20:25:00.000-04:00

This is my view from my doorway. April 6th, 9pm. We've had about three feet of snow dumped on us in the past three days, gone from summer conditions and clear dry streets to this. Amazing for this time of the year.

Last River Running Session- Spring is Coming

2007-04-04T22:52:00.000-04:00

Throughout the winter I took trips down the nearby river on my 250cc snowmobile, often skimming lengths of water 50 feet in length, and occasionally running rapids and just barely escaping the grasp of hidden springs. It was a worthwhile venture each time, as I probed the forests deeper and discovered new scenes in the perfectly still river snow. Only managed to sink it twice, both easy fixes. This summer I'll be taking the same route farther, when I get my canoe. Here's a capture from Google Maps, the yellow line showing the area covered by snowmobile.

Here are some pictures of the area, including more from a seperate hike in the trails along the side of the river I took a week or so after.

Click on the thumbnails for larger images.

In the marsh

One of the smaller river crossings. About 12'.

Damn beavers. Decent turbulence to boot over.

Spades in the ice and water.

From the hike on 03/29/07. The sky was massive and clear that day.

The thick-looking northern forests are more spacious on the inside.

Edible Berries of Northern Canada

2007-04-04T21:13:00.000-04:00

I compiled this little ID guide for myself, after a few hours of research through various databases, the most helpful were Plants for a Future and Wikipedia's List of Wild Foods. I chose the ones that I believe to grow in my area and passed through my criteria of usefulness. Some were old friends, like the raspberry and blueberry, but others like the Cloudberry and Crabapple are ones I will be enjoying safely in the future. I would like to make a similar list for edible greens, but I don't have the knowledge required to ID them properly, I think I would be waiting to die when I tried a new leaf. Going to have to wait for personal guidance on the salad material.

Canada Buffaloberry

· A Low shrub growing in the undergrowth of taller species, growing up to 3 m tall
· Green, oval leaves with silvery, hairy underside
· Yellow flowers and reddish berries with a bad taste
· Berries are high in vitamin C, Can brew to make tea to remedy nausea
· Grows near Shores, riverbanks, dry slopes, moist north slopes, open rocky woods, and occasionally in calcareous marshes
· Useful for making a flavouring paste similar to cranberry sauce- Crush, remove pits, add water

Cloudberry

· Berries grow in solitary, very low lying
· Flowers in June and July, fruits in August
· Berries are high in Vitamin C, Can brew the leaf into a healing tea
· Grows near bogs, marshes, wet meadows and requires sun exposure
· Makes excellent jam or jelly, or as an addition to wild salads or fish dishes

Saskatoon Berry / Juneberry

· Ripen in late June/Early July
· Oval leaves, grow in clusters
· Grows near woodland gardens, sunny edges, dappled shade
· Eaten raw, can be dried, tea can be brewed from leaves

American Elderberry

· Poisonous leaves, stems and unripe fruit. Ripe fruit can be cooked as a precaution to remove toxins
· Grows in Rich moist soils along streams and rivers & woodland margins
· Flower in July, ripen in September
· Ripe berries can be eaten raw, cooked in bread, pie, jelly, or dried

Blackberry

· Grows near dry thickets, clearings and woodland margins
· Ripens in August and September
· Berries can be eaten raw, dried or cooked. Spring shoots can be peeled and eaten

Blueberry

· Grows in Dry open barrens, peats and rocks
· Berries ripen in July
· Berries can be dried, cooked, raw. Tea can be · brewed from dried berries and leaves

Raspberry

· Grows near moist neglected land, hedge rows, depressions and woodland edges
· Berries ripen July to September
· Tea can be brewed from leaves

Crabapple

· Grow in thickets, usually 4-12' in height
· Tart taste, best in combination with other berries for juices or jams