Time to "out" myself...

I consider myself a real "Guys guy", so believe me when I say, what I am about to admit flies in the face of many of my beliefs about what a man is all about. For the past 3 weeks I have been doing YOGA and worse yet, I like it! But before you revoke my Guys club Membership let me explain...

For the past couple of months I have been getting "runners stitch" when doing my 20 km+ runs. While at the gym lifting big heavy weights (...very manly) I ran into a fellow runner who suggested the problem was most likely due to my breathing and suggested that yoga would benefit all aspects of my running. I have always said I would do anything if it helped, so I started researching.

I stumbled across a great yoga website where you can download an hour long instructional video. It is an easy to follow, high quality production and best of all it's free!

I have been doing the program for a few weeks and have noted the following improvements:

• Smoother breathing while running


• Increased flexibility


• Improved stress control


• Absence of the dreaded "runners stitch"


• Increased felling of well being

I encourage everyone to try it once...like me you may be surprised by how much you enjoy it, despite what my buddy's might say.

In the spirit of admitting the embarrassing/Non-guy things, here are a few more:

• I sometimes I intentionally watch movies that will make me cry


• I sing in the car and imagine myself performing the song on stage
  


• I have had a facial...it was only once, but I did like it
  


• I have waxed body parts


• I watch and enjoy, "Dancing with the Stars" and "So you think you can Dance"..ouch!


• I have no less then 4 books from Oprah's book club

.....and I don't care who knows it!

A new member of our family

After considering it for the last few years, last fall we decided to get a dog. Tanyia and I have always liked yellow labs and after meeting with several weird breeders decided on one from Peterborough. We want a male and have decided on the name "Jack", after Jack Bauer from 24 and yes, I know I am a geek. The next liter will be ready to be brought home in March and with we are all very excited. I have attached a picture of Jack that the breeder was kind enough to send us.

Meeting breeders was an eye opener and I learned something about "dog people". For the most part, dog breeders don't have kids, but love to compare having a dog as being the same as having children. Yeah, you heard me correctly. These folks need a reality check. I found it a bit offensive that someone would compare having a dog to raising children and no matter how many times I heard it, it still ate at me. My solution was to just nod and smile, then change the subject ASAP! I think these people should have a child, that way their dogs can become pets again and restore the natural order of things. I love dogs, but in our house pets (although deeply loved) are still pets!

In the years to come I hope to bring Jack on our Canoe Trips, but for now we will be happy just to have him come home.

Running Update

I received an email over the weekend asking if I had given up running, as I had not mentioned anything about it in quite a while. After scanning my previous posts, you are right, it has been a long time since I updated my status, so with that in mind...

After I completed my first half marathon, I stopped running for a week to give my body a break and then started a lite speed program.

All the running leading up to the marathon took a real toll on my lower back and this time off would give me some time to heal...or so I thought. Once I started running again, my back started to get bad after any runs over 15 km. Over the next month, this pain continued to escalate until it was so bad I could not even stand in one spot for more then a few minutes without overwhelming pain. Nearing my breaking point, I reluctantly made an appointment with my wife's Chiropractor and knew that if this didn't work, I would have to give up running for good.

Despite being sceptical of Chiropractic, I continued to go and within 2 weeks almost all of my pain was gone, despite running every day! It has now been 3 months since my first treatment and I am happy to report that I am 100% pain free and running faster then ever before. The problem was caused by a few factors: not enough stretching, I have a flat lower back and I pushed myself way too hard without enough rest days.

As a result, I have changed my training program a great deal since I started running almost a year ago. I now run 5 and 10 km for speed once a week and run for a distance of 20 - 25 km once a week at a more relaxed pace. On my off days I cross train for intense, low impact cardio using a stair climbler or stationary bike for a 30 minutes. In addition to this, I am continuing my weight program and proud to say this is my fifth year doing the program!

My next half marathon is February 25th in Petebourough Ontario and this will be my first cold weather race. I have found training in the winter can be allot of fun, provided you have the right clothing. I wear two layers at all times to keep warm and block the wind. For head gear I wear a winter skull cap and face mask. But I found out the hard way what the most important piece of gearis... wind briefs.
I went running one day in minus 18 weather and forgot the to put them on. While running into the wind on a busy highway, it got so cold down there it started to hurt. After a few minutes it continued to get worse and I had no choice but to shove my hand down my pants just to warm things up. So try to picture this... I am still running down the street, but now I have my hand in my pants, wearing all black and a ski mask. I am lucky I wasn't arrested.

I have not forgotten my "wind protection" since and will be sure to report my results from the Peteborough Half Marathon next month.

A pub right out of the twilight zone

Last Friday Gerry and I decided we needed a guys night out. After we batted around a few ideas, we thought we would try out the new pub that opened just a few blocks from us. Although the pub is named The Black Knight, if it were called "The Strange Confused Babbling Night" it would have summed up our evening.

We met at Gerry's around nine and were quickly on our way. We decided to walk since it was fairly close and despite the extreme cold, it felt great to be outside. As always, the conversation flowed as we exchanged updates on the good and bad of each others days, the way only good friends can. As we shuffled along our voices grew more boisterous, the only competition was the crisp sound of the snow being crushed underfoot as we weaved through the side streets that lead to the pub.

Until recently, the pub had been a condemned building. I have no memories of the derelict building, other then often wondering if someone would ever cut the badly overgrown lawn. As we approached the pub it looked clean and inviting, with any lawn care problems of the past hidden beneath a blanket of ice and snow. As we entered the restored two story pub, my first impressions were mostly of the "..this is way to small" variety. The entire first floor of the pub might have been 300 sq/ft and was filled with a few tables, a makeshift stage and of course, the bar.

There were only a handful of people in the pub and they all stared at us without saying a word. It was as though the conversation stopped the moment we entered. I was feeling a little uncomfortable, as I made my way to the bar where John the owner, introduced himself and took our order. Like the other people in the bar, John's faded black leather jacket, bushy mustache and long hair screamed of a man desperately holding on to the 1970's. He looked like the kind of guy that would have a collection of REO Speedwagon concert shirts and drive a van with a half naked lady riding a tiger airbrushed on the side. As he continued to pour us a beer, I leaned over to Gerry and made reference to him looking like Cheech Marin. We were barely able to contain ourselves and stood there smirking at each other like a couple of idiots until "Cheech" handed us our draft. I commented how it was about time Newcastle had a pub and Cheech responded "...guys our age need a place to go to". Was he serious? This guy was easily 10 -15 years older then either of us, but I shook my head in agreement trying to hide my shock. He then told us there was a pool table upstairs, hoping for a little privacy we headed to the second story half wondering what decade awaited us and mouthing to each other "...Guys our age"?

The upstairs seemed even smaller with the pool table in the larger room and the remainder of the space for washrooms and what we would find out later was a kitchen. Neither Gerry or I are any good at pool, but it was fun to see who was worse (Gerry) as we played a few games.

This is where the evening turns odd. Every so often, Cheech would come in and try to strike up a conversation , then offer to get us more drinks. A very friendly guy, but it was obvious that I had barely touched my beer and Gerry's draft was only a few sips ahead of mine. We politely told him we were fine and he would leave us only to return 1o minutes later and go through the same routine with food. Over the next hour we went through this dance about 5 times, but the best was yet to come. He approaches us this time with menus and starts to recite the entire thing to us...no kidding the whole thing! After 10 minutes of this it is all I can do to stop the grim on my face from exploding to laughter. I felt like when I was in grade 3 and the teacher would tell me not to laugh and it makes stopping almost impossible! When I heard "....the roasted rack of lamb for two is two $38..." I couldn't hold it in any longer and had to pretend to play pool to avoid him seeing my laugh so hard I could have wet myself. All the while, Gerry continued to listen patiently, not a smirk to be found...he was much better at this then me. After 15 minutes Cheech's performance was finished and we felt obligated to order something, so we settled on wings and nachos.

The kitchen is next to the room we were in and before too long, a different guy delivered our nachos and wings. Not to sound like a complainer, but the Nachos were ice cold and the wings had less meat then Rosie O'Donnell's honeymoon. I don't recall that being mentioned in Cheech's 15 minute infomercial?

Undeterred, we made quick work of the Nachos and Ethiopian chicken wings. As we started to play our third bad game of pool new visitors arrived, a couple in their early 40's. She did all the talking while her husband stood and waiting. She was very friendly...too friendly in fact. It was as though she was trying to hit on us subtly enough that her husband wouldn't notice. Nothing really overt, but enough to make my skin crawl. Gerry would later correctly describe the experience as "...she was rapping me with her eyes".

With the wings, nachos and most of the beer gone, we collected our things and settled our bill with Cheech. The flirty cougar spied us and gave it one last try as we shoved a few twenties to the owner and bolted for the door. The walk home was cold, but at least it was quite.

Things that drive me crazy

I am going to do something here I have never done before...I am simply going to complain about a bunch of things that have been eating at me for a while. This rant is not directed at anyone and I am not even in a bad mood, I just have to get this stuff off my chest.

Now for those of you that came here looking for information about Algonquin Canoe trips rest assured you are in the right place, but this post will be of no help to you. Feel free to read below or click here to get out of here and go to a random blog.

Here we go....

1)Smokers- If you people want to kill yourselves that's fine, but the problem is you don't just die, you linger in our health care system for years costing everyone money for sure, but also the lives of people that are ill by no fault of there own. If you smoke then you should be forced to the bottom of any surgical waiting list...end of story. People, you can not treat your health with total disregard and then expect all that abuse to be undone by the taxpayers. These are the same people I see driving, with a smoke hanging out of their mouth and 2 kids strapped in the back seat...all but guaranteeing the next generation to have the same health problems as the first. Oh...and stop smoking outside the entrance to every building I want to enter. It is all I can do to hold my breath while I walk through the putrid fog.

2)Heavy Drinkers- Same rant as above....just substitute "drinking" for "smoking".

3)Littering out of your car window- When driving you will have to stop eventually and that garbage is not going to explode before you get there. So unless you have just found a bomb wrapped in a McDonald's bag under your seat, keep your crap in the car until you get to a garbage can.

4)Teenagers Walking out in front of cars- It blows me away how young people will walk in front of a moving car, expecting the world to stop 'cause they want to cross the road. It is just a matter of time before one of these ipod toting idiots gets killed....but no worries, the next day there will be 10 others to their place.

What length of a bent shaft paddle is best for YOU ?

Ever since I became interested in owning a bent shaft canoe paddle I have been unable to find some form of a guideline on how to size for the correct length..until now. I found the text pasted below at another paddle makers site. To my knowledge, it is the only bent shaft sizing guide one on the net. Enjoy!

"As with all things in life, there are no absolutes. Some paddlers kneel (shorter paddle works best)--some paddlers sit most of the time (longer paddle) and some canoes are deeper requiring more paddle to get into the water.

Here however, is a good system. Sit on a flat,hard chair and look straight forward without lifting or lowering your head. Have someone measure the vertical distance from the BRIDGE of your nose to the seat surface. Add that to the 20" of predetermined blade and that will be a pretty good length for you."

Capsized Canoe 2008?

As I have mentioned many times before, Gerry and I really enjoy trip planning. We have a few weather beaten maps that have served us well over our 2 years. Every wrinkle and water stain on our canoe routes maps stand testament to the countless hours happily spent planning. In fact just the thought of pouring over maps makes me smile.

Now, our trip for CC 2007 has been planed for some time (see ORIGINAL PLAN and UPDATED PLAN )and although this is good, it also leaves be with very little trip related things to do. With this in mind, I stumbled across some pictures while doing an Google image search and before I knew it...I was planning CC 2008.

Capsized Canoe 2008 Plan


Goals- To complete a large loop, large portages and lakes we have not visited before.

Route- The map shows our proposed route.


Highlights

• Radient lake- a shallow lake that (from pictures) looks stunning. There is also a grave site containing casualties of the log drive in the south ease shore that will be worth taking a look.

• Big Crow lake- has many features that make this lake the primary goal for this trip. The lake itself is one of the crown jewels of the park and I would love to spend 2 or 3 days here enjoying and exploring. There is an old ranger station that is now rented out, but exists now as it did when it was built in the 1920's. Just behind the ranger station is a path that leads you on a 15 minute uphill hike. At the end is one of the most breathtaking views imaginable. There is also a decommissioned 100 foot fire tower on this site. Although the bottom 20 feet of the ladder have been removed, I have read that it is still possible to climb the frame up to the point where you can reach the ladder. This is something I will have to check out, but reserve the right to bail on any plans of climbing the tower.

Know Your Bear Poop

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources is advising hikers and campers to take extra precautions and keep alert for bears while in the field. They advise that outdoorsmen wear noisy little bells on their clothing so as not to startle bears that aren't expecting them. They also advise outdoorsmen to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a bear.

Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear poop. Black bear poop is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear poop has little bells in it and smells like pepper.

Litter sucks

As Gerry pointed out in his most recent post, somethimes people just don't get it. Here is a classic reminder....

New Links

I am always looking for new sites to check out and thought I would post some links to some of the best Trip Logs on the web.



Mark in the Park - Mark Rubino's incredible Algonquin Park canoe trip logs
Chris Lawson - Chris' personal website, great read
Darren's Outdoor Pages - some excellent canoe trip logs here
Algonquin Park Weblog - a good example of a blog
Canoe Trips - Dave Harmen's Algonquin canoe trip logs
Nadine Lake Trip Report - a good trip log with large photos
Algonquin Adventures - A great site with an abundance of info and photos on trips to all sections of the park, highly recommended

Oh....and if you know of a good website please post a link in the comments and I will add it to the list.

Hockey Night in Newcastle

Here is a little video I put together of Jacob's first hockey game.

TURN ON YOU SPEAKERS!

New Calander and I love my wife

I meant to mention this before now, but better late then....well, you know the rest.

Ironically, my copy of the 2007 Ontario Outdoor Adventure Calendar arrived the very day I wrote about taking down last years version. It always has some incredible photos and 2007 is no exception. The two that stand out for me are a stunning shot of a dog sled on the South River in Algonquin and a little girl ice skating on lake Wawa. If you would like to get a copy call 1-800-ONTARIO.

Another item on my mental to do list is a word of thanks to my wonderful wife. Tanyia and I have been together for about 12 years and she has never failed to amaze me with her ability to get almost anyone that "Wow" gift. This year was no exception, as Tanyia absolutely blew me away putting together a collection of mementos from my marathon in a boxed frame. This is one of many areas where Tanyia is just so damn good. Not only did she get me a gift I would never have thought of, but it is also the single most thoughtful gift I have ever received! I have posted a pic and just wanted to let her know how much it means to me.

What is your favorite Alonquin route?

One of the things I enjoy almost as much as the trips themselves is choosing the route. Over the last few years Gerry and I have spent many cold winter evenings pouring over the Algonquin route map dreaming up new challenges for the warmer days to come.

Gerry and I have decided on the route changes perviously discussed here. and on our return route will be doing the low maintenance portage routes. These routes will take us out of Robinson Lake to the east too Junco -> Hayes -> Macoun -> North Cuckoo before we rejoin the Pettawawa. This will add about 5500 meters of portaging to our return route, but will also quench out thirst to see something new on every trip.

With all of the planning we have done it has me wondering about the favorites routes of others?

So I am asking what Algonquin route is your favorite and why?

Canoe trips can put life into proper perspective

As most of us in Southern Ontario are starting to wonder if we will ever get any snow, I find myself reminiscing of the sunny days spent on CC 2006. We were lucky to have excellent weather for the trip last year, but one of the other pleasant, yet unexpected things that occurred on the trip had nothing to do with trip at all. Let me explain...

It is easy for me to get lost in the daily grind of work, chores and routines. Although this makes day-to-day life easier, it also makes loosing site of what is really important almost inevitable. But while on our canoe trips, I am forced to stop and take a hard look at my life without any of the distractions of everyday life. It is this difficult look in the mirror that reminds me that the little things are just that and what really matters are the people that make my house a home. The result...by the end of our 5 day trip I miss my wife and kids so much I could almost cry. Maybe not one of the most "guy" things I have ever said, but it is true and even stranger, I would not trade that for anything. It's that rekindled feeling of excitement as I catch my first glimpse of my wife and kids that makes our canoe trips so special.

Our trips are for fun and adventure, but to quote Gerry "...it's a time to recharge the batteries", both emotional and spiritual.

Hard to throw out my 2006 calendar

I am sitting in my office and look up to notice the that my 2006 Ontario outdoor adventure calendar is still faithfully hanging above my desk. With the month of December still staring me in the face, I take down the calendar and begin to flip through it one last time before placing it in the recycle bin. As I do, I notice all the important dates circled or written in and start to reminisce about what a great year it has been.

-My kids first day of school- (Lauren grade 1, Jacob J/K, Ethan Montessori School)
-Family trip to Nova Scotia
-Weekends at my parents house
-Jacob starting hockey
-Me and Gerry camping with our kids
-My first Marathon
-All the kids first soccer games of the year
-My Go-train trip fiasco getting to the Outdoor show
-Birthday Parties
-My 8th anniversary with the lovely Tanyia
-and our Algonquin Trip

Maybe this is why I am having such a sentimental attachment to this calendar. It is less about the lovely pictures and more to do with the events that occurred this year that defined who I am as a person, parent, husband and friend.

Of all the things that happened this year, there is one that will stand out as having the most direct impact on my life. It occurred while Gerry and I were on our trip last August, while on Burntroot lake and it permanently changed the way I look at myself as a father and husband.
It was a time where I completely let my guard down and unburdened myself of years of emotional baggage. Gerry was there for me, as only a best friend can be. His advice and unwavering support, further cemented our incredible friendship while helping me cope with things I had kept secret for years. The details are unimportant, but he made me realize that it is what I do now that defines who I am and that despite appearances, everyone has secrets.

Although I had Gerry promise never to speak of what was said that day, I could not let 2006 pass without letting him know how truly lucky I was to have him there that day and as my best friend every day.

Calendar recycled...

Questions Answered...

When I sent out my request for comments, I had no idea that you would respond in the numbers you have. Another surprise was the numerous questions people asked in the This is where I beg for your help post and the now infamous "Yoke Pad" Video. I will now do my best to address all of your questions and comments.

All References to Andy Kaufman- When I first read these I was not sure how to take it. I remember thinking, "Are they making fun of me?". I simply did not get why anyone would find my video remotely funny. Astonished, I turned to Gerry, Marie and Tanyia and asked there opinion. As tears welled up in there eyes and they struggled for the breath to mock me I finally got how nuts I look...just standing there for 30 minutes. Also, Gerry made a good point that it is more about the way I edited the video that made it humorous. example " ..it has now been 30 minutes" . Thanks to all of you for the reference to the great Andy Kaufman, but he is a comedic genius... I am just a goofy, awkward guy who likes yoke pads.

What do you do for a living?- I am guessing this stems from people wondering what job would allow me to have that kind of free time. Well it is a great job I assure you. As for what I do, I am a Registered Nurse and co-owner of a small chain of medically supervised weight loss clinics called Diet Wise. You can check us out at www.dietwiseclinics.ca

Too my Older Readers May and Orville- Your posts touched me the most and I would love to swap Algonquin stories with you both. Please email me!

Mrs. Stromnecker- She was the one that chose to criticize my spelling and grammar. Spelling has always been a weakness for me and something that I have always been ashamed of. Even as I write here, I will ofter avoid words if I am unsure how to spell them....sad, but true.When I first read your comments it made me a bit angry, but that was more because I knew that you were right. I wish I could spell better and welcome any suggestions anyone may have.

The Gimmick Guy- To the guy the suggested that Yoke Pads are "the worst gimmick ever"....have you seen my video?

All the positive feedback and good wishes- To all of you that posted posted praise for my blogging efforts....thank you! As many of you can attest, my interest in posting has been up and down over the past year, but knowing that there are so many of you reading will be great motivation if I am ever hesitant to post.

Thanks again to to all and please feel free to post a comment or question.

Thank you!!!

Two big thumbs-up to all of you that responded to my request for comments! It was so great to see the remarks from the people that actualy read my blog and I will do a seperate post to respond to all of your questions.

I was able to get the 20 comments just in time and I am pleased to tell you that Steve will be reluctantly delivering me a bottle of Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 early next week.

Since I would not have won without your help, I will be sharing this bottle with all of you. We will meet in Algonqin Park August 2, 2007 @ 8;30 pm on Robinson Lake . We will share the bottle while we enjoy another Algonquin sunset.

In the event that no one else is available, Gerry and I will be forced to drink your share, but will be thinking of you while we do...

Thanks again!

This is where I beg for your help...

Hey everyone!

Today I was just blown away by the traffic on the blog...OVER 100 page views today(and counting) ...simply amazing!

I was talking about it with a work friend and they took a look at the site, counted the number of comments and were quick to point out how almost nobody leaves a comments. From this he (falsly) concluded that the traffic is being generated solely by Gerry and me.

I then bet him that I could have at least 20 comments posted by Christmas eve and this is where I need your help!

PLEASE POST COMMENTS I am begging you!!!

RULES:

1) Gerry and I do not count
2) Each reader can only post once
3) Comments must include your name and comments on the blog


Thanks in advance for your time....oh and Steve if you are reading this, you better have that bottle ready 'cause you are going down!

Testing our New Bolt-on Yoke Pads

Weekend Update:

This was another good weekend.

Like many others, this time of year always has me feeling a little better then normal and I try to use this time to focus on my family. I can be a fairly intense person and with that, I often fall into a "can't see the forest for the trees" state of mind. With all the things that have to be done, it is easy for me to get lost in tasks and not appreciate what little time I have to enjoy my family. This weekend I put aside my usual routines and devoted all of my time to my kids and it was a real eye opener...in the best way possible.

We all went to Jacob's hockey practice on Saturday and for a practice, he was much more excited about it then usual and it showed. He has done very well and next Saturday is his first real game. He and I went to get him a new stick on Sunday and he was very happy that he got to pick any stick he wanted. For my part, I was very happy that he chose the $12 one.

Lauren and Ethan are just as excited as there Brother and will be in the stands cheering him on.

Below is a short clip of him at a practice a few weeks ago.

Dealing with Wind and Waves

Although the canoe is a reasonably stable craft, it is definitely affected by wind and waves. A brisk headwind can turn a leisurely paddle into a grueling battle, and a tricky cross wind can mean you spend as much energy trying to keep the canoe on course as you do propelling it forward. This is a lesson Gerry and I learned last year when we left the calm waters of the Nipising River and were suprised by the pounding we took while crossing Cedar Lake.

Large swells from the side can potentially dump you into the drink. Breaking waves from the bow or stern can fill and swamp your canoe in a hurry.

Avoiding Prevailing Winds

Some local winds are caused by sunlight warming air over the land, which rises, drawing in cooler air from over lakes and other bodies of water. This cooler air also warms up over the land mass and rises. This local wind effect can sometimes be avoided by paddling early in the morning or late in the evening.



Heading into Open Water from a Lee Shore

Any time you leave the sheltered lee shore and head into a large body of water, caution is advised. Even on a windy day, the water immediately adjacent to the shoreline will always seem calm, since the land mass is blocking the winds.

As you get a little further out into the lake, the winds will begin to drop to the lake surface and cause some waves. A bit further, the sheltering effect of the land becomes non-existent and you may find yourself in huge rollers or breaking waves. At this point, it is very difficult (sometimes impossible) to turn the canoe around and head back to the shore without taking waves broadside and swamping or tipping it.

Black Bear or Grizzly?

Most people know that black bears are excellent tree-climbers, and grizzly bears are not.

It was recently suggested that this might be a good way to differentiate between the two species if I were to run into a bear.

The approach suggested upon encountering a bear was to immediately climb a tree.

If the bear climbed the tree and ate me, it was a black bear.

If the bear knocked over the tree and then ate me, it was a grizzly.

Trip Related Updates and News

Route Changes?

I have been looking at changing our route for CC 2007. The change would be to the return route and would prevent us form having to retrace the path we will take in....that is the good part. The bad...the alternate route would take us on some serious "low maintenance" portage routes totaling 5895 meters. Although change can be good, neither Gerry or I are sure this would be a good idea and I can not even find a single person that has done our alt. route before. You can check it out on the map to the right.


New Water filter

We have used the MSR Mini-works and it did a great job, but the time we spent pumping the water and worse yet, cleaning the filter was unwanted, frustrating work. For that reason we will be replacing our MSR Mini-works with the H2O Amigo Gravity Filter This simple filter requires no pumping, filter a liter/minute and weighs less then half a pound. For $50 US including delivery, my only regret is that we did not buy this one first!

Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show

Frankly, this show really sucked last year. It will be here again in February and they have made some changes that may make us take another look. You can check it out here. Even if the show is terrible it will give us an excuse to have a night out and maybe grab some BB-Q.....ehhh?

FREE Calendar

The 2007 Ontario Outdoor Adventure Calendar is now out and you can get your free copy by calling 1-800-ONTARIO. It is a beautiful calendar featuring the best photo's of 2006. (...and just in case you are wondering, I already ordered you one Gerry)

New Stove?

We are still thinking about selling our MSR Whisperlite International and moving up to the Dragonfly. The main reason is the lack of any sort of simmer setting on the Whisperlite. This one is still up in the air.

It's a Girl!

As most of you may already know, my best bud and canoeing partner Gerry is now the proud father of his first girl! You can read about it in his latest post.

A BIG congratulations to Both Gerry and Marie!

Great Weekend!

This weekend was one of the best in a while.

I had wanted to get together with Gerry Friday night, but he was going to start finishing his basement Saturday and wanted to get a good nights sleep so he passed. I have to say that Gerry's plan to complete his basement has me standing in the center of my unfinished cellar dreaming of what could be. I already have an almost completely finished bedroom there, but if I could finish the rest it would add so much more living space. Tanyia and I agree that the space would be perfect for a home theater...she is such a cool girl! Before I could do that though I would have to learn some basic framing...maybe between a trip to the library and some help from a good buddy this dream could be my big screen reality.

It is now one week before I re-start my marathon training and although the 2 month break has been good, I am looking forward to getting back to the heavy routine. Since my last half marathon I scaled back my running to 3-4 times per week, but increased the intensity/speed and at the same time continuing with my 3 days/week of weights. My diet I have let slip a bit during the break and put on 10 lbs of "unhelpful" weight. So yesterday I started my high protein/moderate carb/low fat training diet and feel better then I have in a while. For those that don't know me, I love ice cream and it is the only thing I miss when training. I can say no to everything else and don't care a bit, but I do miss having a daily helping of the cold stuff. So during my off training times I always indulge in obscene quantities of ice cream, while keeping the rest of my diet in check. Well for now, those days are over so have some for me...I highly recommend the Presidents Choice Candy Cane Ice cream...ummmm ice cream!

On Sunday I took the kids to the Newcastle Santa Clause Parade. It was great...even had fireworks! Below is a short clip of my kids seeing Santa.

Wilderness Canoeing is Bad for your Health?

Yes, I know ... you've always felt that wilderness canoeing is a healthy activity. The outdoor types who paddle our wilderness areas are all robust, strong, hearty types who are the very picture of good health. They spend long hours in the fresh air, getting above-average levels of exercise from paddling into headwinds and portaging heavy packs and canoes from lake to lake.

I hate to disillusion you. I've been doing some research and have found out the the potential for dangerous and serious medical conditions far outweighs any benefits that may result from the fresh air and exercise.

Impossible you say? I'm sorry, but my research has been detailed and meticulous. I have scoured back issues of the most prestigious medical journals and it is on the basis of this data that I have some surprising results.

Still doubtful? Read on and like me, you'll be discouraged to find out that we're killing ourselves by engaging in this activity. This is just a small sample of the serious medical conditions I've found that are directly attributable to canoeing.

GNS(Gawker's Neck Syndrome)
A potentially serious spinal problem caused by repetitive twisting of the neck. It is the result of the continual turning of the head while driving to gawk at every creek, lake and river that sits adjacent to the highway to gauge their potential as a possible canoe route. It is also worth noting that canoeists have a statistically higher than average incidence of involvement in head-on collisions, since they are always looking at water levels in waterways along the road instead of watching for oncoming traffic.

TF(Terminal Flatulence)
Caused by over-consumption of packaged dehydrated meals with high levels of beans and grains. There is also a theory (unproven) that this condition is exacerbated by the speed with which canoeists eat their meal, due in part to the fact that they are always hungry, and also because they have to wolf down their food before they are completely eaten by mosquitoes and blackflies.

CIIV(Chef Interference Induced Violence)
A psychological condition in which a normally peaceful person will suddenly snap and commit a violent act upon another. The condition seems to occur when a person is designated chef or food-preparer for the evening, and cannot cope with the persistent interference of the other paddlers, who hover around like vultures, asking over and over when supper will be ready. The worst cases seem to take place in situations where the paddlers are continually reaching over the shoulder of the chef and sneaking bites of the food during the preparation process.

FRC(Fear Related Constipation)A debilitating condition which affects those who are afraid to take the nighttime trek back in the bush to answer nature's call due to fear of being eaten by bears, wolves or other local wildlife.

BFICE(Blood Flow Induced Cranial Enlargement)
An serious condition manifested by gradual cranial (head) enlargement. The theorized cause of this problem is sleeping on sloping ground with the head at the low end of the Thermarest. Not seen much in the prairie provinces or the barren lands, where all ground is flat, but a common and serious affliction in other parts of the country.

SIH(Snoring-Induced Homicide)
Obviously not a disease or syndrome, but still a serious risk factor for paddlers. Statistics compiled by life-insurance companies show a 30% higher risk of death by homicide among tent partners where one person snores and the other doesn't. Watch for a question about this to appear soon on life insurance medical questionnaires.

Source

Gerry and I on our first Canoe Trip together...

Protecting your Food!

If it smells good to you..it smells GREAT to them!

Animals will do anything to get to your food or to get into a place that smells like food. Take wildlife seriously. In Algonquin, hang all food and food-related items to protect your food against bears, mice, skunks, porcupines and other hungry critters.

Outsmart mice and other small critters

Mice can scale walls and climb down the rope that leads to your hanging food bag. Put in their path an obstacle they can't get around; a tin can or plastic lid usually works. Cut a small hole in the bottom of an empty can or in a plastic coffee-can lid and thread stringor rope through the hole. Tie a knot in the string so the can or lid rests on the knot. Attach your food bag to a stick on the bottom of the string. Most mice cannot get around the lid or can. You should also leave zippers and pockets on your backpack open so the critters can explore without chewing holes through your pack.

Capsized Canoe 2006 The Movie!

After much editing and re-editing here is the final version of the CC 2006 video. Basically, this is a compilation of the best pictures taken by Gerry and myself, put to a fantastic music soundtrack.

I am very proud of how this one turned out, especially how the music blends so well with the photos. It really captures the mood and feeling of being there. I also made a real effort to have most of the changes timed with the music...I think it makes it much more dramatic. One of the best examples is in the first minute when the pictures change from the blurry "old film" affect, too the crisp digital pictures and at the same time, the tempo of the music changes...very effective in my opinion.

Music Included:

1)Guster - Keep it together
2)Ottis Redding - Siting on the Dock of the Bay
3)Jack Johnson - Upside Down
4)Alexi Murdock - Blue Mind

I think it is pretty good, but I want to know what you think! You can check it out by clicking below and PLEASE don't forget to leave your comments!

...and Turn on your speakers!

I am as bent as my paddle

I have been looking at these bent paddles for a while and have decided that I am going to have to get one before our next trip.

There are some big advantages ..mostly the increase in the forward motion on the power stroke. When used on flat water (as Gerry and I do) this can make long distance paddling easier as the paddle does more of the work and at the same time, you move much quicker through the water. All of the details are explained better then I ever could HERE

For Gerry and I this means you end up taking shorter strokes at a slightly faster pace. Add up thousands of faster, more efficient strokes over a day, and we will cover more ground with less effort.

As luck would have it, one of the largest producers of paddles in Ontario is located about 30 minutes from my home. They are called Red Tail Paddles and are sold everywhere...even our beloved MEC carries there entire line. You can check out there site by clicking HERE

Everything I have read has said, that when comparing straight to bent shaft paddles,it is no contest.....the bent paddle wins every time. The best comparison is the one I read in "The Wilderness Paddler's Handbook",so I have included it below.

The first canoe trip I took using bent-shaft paddles was in northern Quebec. They were light, a little strange at first, shorter than I was used to, and I wasn't entirely sure which way the blade should face.

We like the paddles almost right away. They seemed efficient, and our backs and shoulders felt less fatigued at the end of a long day on the water. We didn't know how truly great they were until we met a couple of guys from Montreal and traveled with them for several days.

"You ever use these bent-shaft paddles before?" I asked them one afternoon.
"We heard about them, I guess, but they didn't seem worth it."
"Want to trade for a bit?" I asked.

We handle over the light, short bent paddles in exchange for he heavy straight-shaft boards they were using. They took a few strokes. With-in half a minute they suddenly stopped.

"We have to give these back now," the stern paddler said.
"If we don't, you'll have to fight us for them."

It's a Secret...shhh!

So I am on lunch at work reading the Wilderness Paddlers Handbook, by Allan Kesselheim...specifically, a chapter about little things you can do to make any down time on a canoe trip fun. One of the suggestions really strikes a cord with me.
So much so, that I even find myself saying aloud ..."what a great idea" and the person in another office responds "are you talking to me?"Anyway here is the idea...

Both Gerry and I allocate...hmmm...let say $10, to a secret treat and bring it on the trip. Now neither of us will know what the other has brought until actually there! It could be anything...liquor, pastry, gag gifts...you get the idea. I want to try this next year, provided Gerry is cool with it.


RULES:

1. We can not tell each other what we are bringing


2. It has to be something we can both have, use or wear

What do you think?

BLOG UPDATES

After re-examining the Gear and Meal lists from last year, I have updated both to reflect all the changes and both are available for download. (In M/S word format)

GEAR LIST CHANGES: From the Gear list, I have removed some of the heavy objects that I thought would be useful, but were not used on the trip at all. Like the GPS we did not need and the solar battery charger that works great, but not needed when I also have 3 sets of triple A's for the digital camera. Oh...and least I forget about the full water bladder then seemed to work well for Gerry, but I just did not want to add another 5 lbs of weight. The other changes are mostly of the extra pair of socks....one less t-shirt variety.

MEALS LIST CHANGES: Added some more complete meals, while eliminated much of the food we did not touch. For the most part we are bringing what we need, plus an extra days food and snacks.

TO DOWNLOAD THE Updated GEAR LIST CLICK HERE:

TO DOWNLOAD THE Updated MEAL LIST CLICK HERE:

Capsized Canoe 2007 Meal Plan

On C.C 2006 we brought WAY too much food. After it was over we calculated we had taken over 10 lbs of food, we did not eat on a 5 day tour of Algonquin. A great vacation for the food, but it made a tough trip a little harder then it had to be for the two guys lugging it around. The flaw in last years meal plan was how we overestimated how hungry we would be...of all the things we learned last year, this might be the most important.

For this year our meals will be less fuss, but very good and filling. After taking a quick look at the food, I would guess that we have about half the food we brought last year...but I am sure we will add to it over the next 10 months.

C.C 2007 Five Day Meal Plan

Day 1:

• Breakfast- ON THE ROAD
• Lunch- Bagels with deli meat, cheese, tomato
• Dinner- Spicy Sausage on a bun, Red wine, carrot cake

Day 2:

• Breakfast- English Muffin, eggs, bacon, hash browns, coffee
• Lunch- Bagel, bacon, tomato, cheese
• Dinner- Ham Steaks, instant mashed potatoes, Red wine

Day 3:

• Breakfast- Pancakes, maple syrup, coffee
• Lunch- Tuna Wraps, Soup
• Dinner- Steak Rice

Day 4:

• Breakfast- Protein/Oatmeal , coffee
• Lunch- English Muffin, Bacon
• Dinner- Outback Oven Pizza

Day 5:

• Breakfast- Protein/Oatmeal
• Lunch- ON THE ROAD

Snacks:

• Jerky
• Dehydrated Mango, Watermelon
• Flakies
• Granola Bars ( the ones Gerry brought last year were the best..can't remember the name)
• Oatmeal/Protein
• GORP
• 1 Brownie , Outback Oven

Liquids:

• Coffee
• Gatorade Crystals

Summery of Best Trip Tips from Kein Callan's The Happy Camper:

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I read the book again and after doing so, have decided to post the best tips from the book. There is a tone of info. packed into it's 320 pages, so don't think that this is all the book has to offer, but these are the things that I found insightful and hope you do as well...

The Best Tips:

1)Things to include in your trip Log:

Ever read a trip log and after finishing you know more about the person the the trip? The tips below will give a great balance of information and personality.

• Where you camped
• How you like the Site
• Wildlife Sited
• Unique features visited
• Fishing success
• Difficulty finding portage/ camp sites
• Condition and difficulty of portages
• Approximate times from point to point
• Funny stuff, mistakes made , laughs shared
• Description of events and feelings they evoked...the best ones always have you feeling like you are experiencing it with the writer.

2)Clean stove with carburetor cleaner before winter storage:

• Fill tank to the brim with fuel and add one cap full of carburetor cleaner
• Burn tank dry
• This will do a great job cleaning the fuel jet on most MSR stoves

3) Don't Use Old fuel:

• In the spring don't use that old white gas that has been sitting in the garage all winter. Buy some new stuff and dispose of the old gas at a recycling center, as using the old fuel could cause your stove to fail, when you need it the most. So don't be cheap!!

4) Tent Zipper Maintenance:

• Rub the zippers with a bar of soap before a trip. This lubricates the teeth and avoids decreases the likelihood of having a problem while in the interior.

5) Bring "On the way Home" clothes:

• After days in the bush, you no longer smell yourself...but trust me, the people at Tim Horton's will, so always bring a change of clothes for the drive home and just leave them in the car.

6) Colour coded food Bags:

• This is another one I liked. Instead of digging around in the food bag for that elusive last flakie, be sure to separate food into 4 different bags: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Snacks. At least you only have to look through a quarter of the food!

7) Keep Meat fresh:

• Bring Sausage/bacon, as they will last much longer then other meats 'cause they are loaded with preservatives.
• Ask you grocery store too vacuum seal you meats. This has them last 4 times longer then normal and most will do it for free.
• Meat can be kept bacteria free for up to 4 days by wrapping it in cheese cloth that has been soaked in vinegar. The vinegar taste/smell vanish the second the meat is cooked!

Canoeing Quote of the Day:

"Campsites are punctuation marks for a voyageur, signifying the end of the day . I may forget portages, rapids, and lakes, which merge into a bevulous montage of country traveled over, but there are some campsites that stand out vividly in my mind as special places to be remembered."

Sigurd F. Olson, Of Time and Place

Portaging = Pain

Let's face it. As Gerry and I learned last year, portaging really hurts. Whether you are carrying over from one lake to another or avoiding nasty rapids, each trail has some painful characteristic: slippery rocks, steep inclines, but-infested hollows, shoe sucking mud and wrong turns.

So why do it? Well it's one of those necessary evils that comes with canoe tripping. That brief moment of pain is the only thing standing in your way of absolute solitude. In the end, the moment you spot that bit of blue peaking through the thick canopy of green, and realize that you're alone in this wonderful place, it all becomes worth the price.

Quote of the Day:

"I always think rating rapids is sort of a silly thing, because if you tip
over in one, that's a five to you."

Robert Perkins, Talking to Angels

Our next Must Have: Clamp-on Yoke Pads

One of the things that came out of the post mortem after CC 2006 was that we wanted to make the canoe carries more comfortable. The distance of the portages was never a problem, but the pain from the yoke digging into our necks was and this was one of the big things we wanted to correct before CC 2007.

The solution was simple...buy a basic yoke pad. Now my first thought was to buy one that was flat and would match the curves in the yoke, but these seemed nothing more then a piece of foam and we wanted something better.

After refining my google searches I stumbled across this canoe accessories site and knew that this was exactly what we have been looking for!

This is a sling type yoke pad (sold in pairs) that bolt on to the yoke and rest between your shoulder and neck. It is designed to wrap around the shoulder, spreading out the weight load over a much larger area, avoiding the painfull pressure points associated with an unpadded wood yoke.

Availablle in original or thick padding sizes, after discussing it with Gerry we decided to go with the original, as the thick looks like you would have to give up some balance for comfort.

The bolt on original size pad are $50 US/ pair....but will be worth there weight in gold next year if they are even half as good as they look.

Required Reading" The HAPPY Camper", by Kevin Callan

I read this book earlier this year and decided to take it out of the library again while there with the kids last weekend. I can not believe I had not posted this book here before, but for anyone that has not read it....get it! It is brimming with the stories, experiences and hands on how to's that only decades of experience can teach. All of this combined with Kevins humor make this by far the best book I have read on canoe trips to date.

Rating: 5 canoes (A Must have)

Full Review:

The Happy Camper and Essential Guide to Life in the Outdoors, by Kevin Callan

The Happy Camper is a comprehensive, heavily illustrated, highly entertaining compendium of basic wilderness instruction and well-tested campsite advice. One of North America's top canoeing and outdoors experts, Kevin Callan explains how to get the most from your camping experience--no matter where you pitch your tent, what you forgot to pack or what the weather.

Step-by-step, the book shows:

• How to plan a trip for a day or even a few weeks
• How to pack only what is needed
• Choosing the perfect campsite
• Using maps and compasses
• Camp cooking
• Camping with dogs and kids
• Canoe and kayak camping
• Cold-weather camping
• How to beat the bugs, stake a tent, build a fire, ward off unwanted wildlife, paddle a canoe and much more.

"How far did you travel?"

The quote below can be found HERE and although it is a little long, in my opinion...this is why we love Algonquin...

Looking up, I saw another canoe approaching the
landing near where I had dropped my borrowed Duluth sack and "loose" gear. I was
stretching my body and mind before the paddle back to the links with the "other
world". Lost in thought, feeling the excitement of nearly completing my first
solo wilderness canoe trip, I don't remember my answer.

I know now that I had traveled "farther" than at any other time in my life
but not because of the distance paddled and walked. While planning this trip I
must admit that the measurement of distance using rubber bands, string and a map
wheel was almost ritualistic. Yet by the time I reached that landing on my last
day, I no longer measured distance in miles or portage trails over which I had
to carry my canoe and gear from lake to lake or around rapids too difficult to
paddle.

Each of us face life that is somehow defined for us by others or by other
factors. Sometimes those definitions are enhancements while at other times we
find ourselves confused by the ideas or limiting framework which others provide.
We often get drawn into a pace or a way of life which is detrimental to life
itself. Much of life for western society has become a rush. At times it is a
headlong rush toward an unclear horizon which shrouds any goal which may have
been seen at one time.

While navigating white water stretches it often is necessary to position the
canoe with a "back ferry" or by paddling in such a way as to force the canoe to
go slower than the current. At times the proper positioning of the canoe is a
matter of determining to not give in to the urge to "rush" with the current.
When asked what was the most important piece of advice he could give,
mountaineer and wilderness preservation advocate Harvey Manning responded, "Slow
down."

Capsized Canoe 2007...our plan is set!

With the 2007 trip being over ten months away, it may seem a little funny to some that we are planning it already, but we enjoy the planning almost as much as the trips themselves. In fact , the only reason we had not decided on the route while on C.C 2006 was for a lack of time (and energy) after our long travel days.

So with no further delay, here is the route and itinerary for Capsized Canoe 2007!

Capsized Canoe 2007: Thursday Aug 2nd - Tuesday Aug 7th

Day 1 (Thursday): Gerry and I depart Newcastle at 2 pm and arrive at the Voyageur Hotel in Mattawa by 6:30 pm. After checking in we will drive to the Ontario Parks Ranger Station at Brent and pick up our park passes (as we will be here before they open the next morning) and then return to the Mattawa for another entertaining evening at McCools.

Day 2 (Friday): Plan to be on the dock at Brent for 7:30 am (this means being being up, fed and at park entrance by 6:40 am...hope McCools was less fun then last year or this could hurt..but we will manage).
This is a travel day and we will be going even further on this leg then we did last year , all the way to Robinson Lake. It will be a very long day, (10-11 hours of paddling/portage), but this will allow us to have the next 2 days for relaxing...something that was absent from last year. The 06 trip was great, but we were so tired that we did not have much time for some of the little things that make the trips fun...like photography, the journal, watching the sunset or laving a few laughs.

Days 3 and 4(Saturday, Sunday): Rest days! Unlike last year, we want to be able to have some non-travel days and these will be spent on this beautiful spot we passed on last years trip, it is an island site that has great views in all directions and because it is off the beaten track it feels far more isolated. I would guess that the fishing will be good as well. ( I have included some pics we took when we stopped to check out the site last year, note the pic of my taking in the view while using the facilities...thanks for that one Gerry!)

Day 5 (Monday): We leave today and travel double back the way we came in until we reach upper Catfish. There we break off to the left and make our way north to Lucckless Lake where we will make camp for our last night in the park.

Day 6 (Tuesday): Plan to break camp early and be on the water by 7:30 am, our biggest challenge today is the massive 2835 P from Luckless Lake too the Nippising River. After that we have a few more smallish P's and we are back in Brent. After we stop and have our annual traditional luch at Dixie Lee we head home for another year.


NOTES:

1. Are we doing almost the same trip?- Yes, we know the trip is very similar to the one we did last year, but although we enjoyed last years trip we both agree that it was harder then we thought it would be and so we want another shot at it knowing (hoping?) that it will be a little easier now that we have our 2006 experience to draw from...plus we did enjoy the route.
2. Same work, but more fun: Last year I was so focused on getting from point to point in "good time" that it distrated from the real reasons we do the trip. This year I still want to work hard, but we will stop to enjoy ourselves more and worry about the pace less.
3. I may be yella' but eI still want the Yoke...pad: We will be getting these bolt on yoke pads. The portage distance was never the problem last year, it was the weight of the canoe on the back of my neck that made it much harder then it had to be....this should make it much more tolerable.
4. Staying on Robinson Lake: We are both looking forward to spending 2 days on this site. It is almost perfect and is the best combination of Interior Camping and our "Car Camping" island site.
5. Bring Less Food: Last year we brought way too much food ( enough for 2 weeks?). I guess I thought we would eat more due to the the increased activity, but in fact we ate less. So this time we will bring what we need, plus one extra days supply (in case we get wind bound). We will also be bringing food that requires less prep work, like the Oatmeal/protein powder combination that we had for our daily breakfast.
6. Water Filter Problems: The MSR Mini Works water filter worked great, but the constant cleaning of thefilter was a pain. This year we will add a pre-filter ( Fuel Filter from Canadian Tire) to the system. This should cut our filter cleaning in half. We will bring 2-3 of them.
7. Hotel Change: We will be changing hotels this year to the Voyageur Hotel located in Mattawa. Last years hotel was good, but it was a 10 minute drive outside of town and this meant Gerry could not drink much, as he is the driver. The Voyageur is across the road from McCools, so I am sure we could manage that trip...even if we had to crawl.
8. Other Gear List Changes: We have made many other changes to the gear list we posted last year and it will be available by CLICKING HERE! (NOTE: When I post the new list I will change the updated date on the file and as last year, it is available for download in M.S Word format)

Blog Updates:

I have made some changes to the template and added some new stuff:

• Added "Capsized Canoe Trip Logs" section to the links list and put a link to the 2006 trip and to the CapsizedCanoe.ca HOME
• Updated the Countdown Timer
• Updated the Flikr picture viewer with pics for Capsized Canoe 2006

Enjoy!

Half Marathon Results

Ok...it has again been WAY too long since I last updated, so I will start with an update on my quest to complete the half marathon in under 2 hours.

As most of you already know, I completed my first half marathon on Saturday September the 9th. I trained for 6 months for the event and when the day came I felt ready...albeit a nervous ready.

I finished 84th out of 275 runners in a time of 1 hour, 50 minutes, 21 seconds and my entire family was there at the finish line to cheer me on. This was one of the greatest feelings of my life and although I am very proud of my time,I hope to shave off 10 minutes off my time in my next half marathon on Febuary 25, 2006 in Peterbourough.

Here are the Port Perry race results .

Many of you have supported me in some way over the last 6 months and I wanted to be sure that you know how much I appreciate your help and encouragement.

I would like to say a special word of thanks to the following:

-To my Mom, Dad, Jo-Anne, Hayley, Kate, Jeff, Leah, Emma, my wife Tanyia and our 3 kids Lauren 6, Jacob 4 and Ethan 3 for coming out to cheer for me on race day...it means more then you can know!
-To Brian and Lena Bradley for your advice, encouragement and the stack of running magazines.... that I promise to return!
-To Gerry and Marie for your friendship and constant encouragement
-Again To my Mom and Dad for looking after the kids while I trained on the weekends
-To my sister Kate for suggesting the Port Perry Marathon in the first place
-To Kevin, for encouraging me to start running, answering all my many questions and designing my training program. It is you that started it all buddy....thanks.

Thanks again everyone....I could not have done it without you!

Capsized Canoe 2006 was amazing!

The trip was more then I thought it would be in many ways. This is it, the full trip description and summary of the trip highlights.

At the end I have added a section of things we will change for next years trip.

You can find all the pics from this years trip by following this link.

Thursday Aug 3, 2006

Gerry and I left Newcastle by 4:00 pm and arrived at the Welcome Inn Motel by 8:00 ($50 a night..great deal and only 15 minutes from the Brent access point)

It took us all of 30 seconds to move our gear in the room and we were in the car again heading for a local watering hole. We found the bar on the main strip and it was called McCools. Despite the lack of draft, it was just what we needed and was full of lots of "local colour". I had one beer and noticed that it was hitting me really hard. Before I knew it , Gerry ordered a second and once we killed those we decided it was time to leave. On standing I remembered that I had been taking muscle relaxants for my back and was not too mix them with alcohol. Well needless to say, with in 10 minutes I was pretty much hammered and was having problems walking. After some laughs at the expense of some locals, we made our way back to the hotel and I were asleep before 11:00.

Friday Aug 4, 2006

We were checked out of the hotel and on our way by 7:00 and after breakfast at a greasy spoon restaurant next door to the Dixie Lee in Mattawa we made our way to Brent.

Erin (from Ontario Parks) was at the main gate again this year and she was very pregnent. Judging from Gerrys smile , you would think he had something to do with it. Erin told us how the storm the had caused all kinds of damage several weeks ago in Algonquin had blocked the road going into Brent, trapping her there for 4 days. As for the trail conditions, she was quick to assure us that all of the trails have been cleared of storm damage....we would find out later that she was somewhat misinformed.

We were in Brent talking to Jake by 8:30. Always an interesting guy, Jake seemed to like the idea that we had managed to get up early to beat the long weekend crowds. He told us a poem that sums up his personality

JAKES POEM :"Here I sit by the fire starring at a log, the more that I meet people the more I like my dog"

The entire trip from Brent to Burntroot took us 10 hours and 15 minutes, ( 2 hours over my original estimate). The longest portage of the day was the 2380 and it felt even longer. I had planned on carrying the canoe for the entire distance, but needed to exchange it with Gerry after the first 1/3 and then carried it again for the final 1/3. This took the wind from my sail a bit, as I realized that I had underestimated the difficulty the portaging was going to be. It was not the weight, I was having trouble finding the right balance with the canoe and so the yoke was causing some pretty severe pain at times as it dug into my neck.

Catfish Lake was very rough and this had me feeling fear for the first time on the trip. We also met up with a pair of younger guys named Matt and Graham that Gerry nick-named "The Frat Boys". After talking with them, we discovered they were gunning for the same Table Top site that we were. The huge waves combined with the fire of competition had us cowboy up another notch and kept us within a few hundred yards of the speedy Frat Boys. In the southern part of Catfish we saw a moose of in the distance (Moose #1) and

We ran into the frat boys again as we reached the portage on Pearley lake and this would prove to be the last we would see of them, they were just too fast. Once we had conceded the site and as the fatigue of 8 hours of tough canoeing set in, our stroke was a little slower and our smiles all but absent. Near the end of Pearley we saw another moose and this managed to raise our spirits a bit (Moose #2)

By now I had started to find a good balance with the canoe and Gerry helped me to adjust my pack a bit. Between the two, I had found a comfort zone and this made the long portages much better.

At the end of the portage going into Burntroot Lake both of us were happy to finaly be there, but also silently cursing the Frat boys for beating us to the site we so badly wanted. We then geared up and started to paddle towards our secondary site, located at the opposite end of the preferred table top site island.

As we approach the island, Gerry suggested that we go to the other site to check to see it it is indeed occupied. I was reluctant to do it, as the last thing I wanted was to see the frat boys enjoying our site. As we paddled up to the site to our surprise the site was empty! We happily made short work of setting up camp and within the hour we were sitting down to sausage on a bun and a cup of a very nice Pino Noir. After a late night skinny dip (that would become our trip ritual) we were both in bed by 9:30

Saturday Aug 5, 2006

We were up, fed and on our way to the south or Burntroot by 8 am. Our mission was to find the Barnet Farm and the Aligator.

After a 2 hour paddle we found the farm easily and took lots of picks of the what is left of the buildings. We took a short hike around the clearing that would have been used as the garden and found overgrown strawberries and raspberries everywhere. The strawberries were gone, but there were many raspberries and as we ate them it was amazing to think that they have survived over 130 years.

We then set off to find the alligator and it proved a little harder to find, but after 30 minutes of searching I spotted the roof of it through the brush. This was an amazing site and we spent a lot of time exploring it and taking countless pics.

We then set off home and after another 2 hour return paddle we were back on the table top site.

The rest of the day was spend swimming and resting ourselves, as we would be on the move again in the morning. Little did we know how much we would need the rest on Sunday.

Sunday Aug. 6, 2006

We were fed, broke camp on our way out of burntroot by 8:30. Our goal today was to make it to the high falls site, make camp and then travel up river to see the POW camp. By now both of us had all but perfected our portaging skills and so it was no longer a task either of us dreaded. I carried the canoe for the first three and Gerry carried it for the entire 1900 (talk about crushing it...way to go dude!).

We arrived at the Nippising River by 11:30 and made our way up river to get to the high falls site. We were paddling against the current and the closer we got to the falls the more difficult it was to paddle, but it was manageable. Once we turned the final corner and were with in 100 feet of the portage, the current really started to whip our buts, but we kicked it up to 10 and were making some headway, but the 2 steps forward one step back was really tiring. Now only 20 feet from the portage and paddling all out, that feeling of fear came back as the current started to pull us sideways. This would capsize us...the overwhelming fear enabled us to kick it up to a level neither of us thought we had and as the foam from the rapids sprayed all over us we managed to pull into the portage....Barely!

After some nervous laughs about what had just happened we geared up and made our way to the beautiful high falls site. This is where the Saturday started to go wrong...the site was awfull! No cover, no room just a firepit and a place to drop the tent. Worse yet, with the current being as strong as it was, there was no way we could swim. So we decided to have lunch and look at our options.

I should mention that our MSR mini-works water filter has been working well. On burntroot lake the filter needed to be cleaned after every liter or two. On the Nippising River however, the water is much dirtier, in fact in looks like dark tea. Here we were lucky to get 500 ml of water before the filter would clog and when your thirsty that filter is a lot of work. Just remember this for later...

Back to the lunch on high falls...we looked our options a) Stay at the shitty site with no shade, no room and no swimming b) Leave and shoot for the Nippising Hill top site that we had planned on spending Monday night on. Well we choose the later and after a much needed lunch of tuna wraps, granola bars and filter tea water, we were off again by 1:30

The Nippising River was long and the first hour was cool, but I have to admit that after 3 hours of the same high banks and never ending winding river, it got a bit boring. At one point I was so sick of having to clean the water filter after every 500 ml that I announced to Gerry that I was going to just drink it straight from the river. I know it seems crazy now, but at that time I was tired and the filter had become work..10 minutes work for 500 ml did not seem worth it. Gerry managed to talk me out of it and I worked on filtering the water while Gerry paddled. After 20 minutes, we had added Gatoraide to 2 liters of filtered tea water and were happily straining silt through our teeth.

We came around a corner near the site and were stunned to see a moose less then 10 feet from us (Moose #3). He turned out to be a great model as he stood there for 5 minutes and let us snap away. All the time we were almost close enough to touch him. This made the tea water seem not as bad.

We arrived at the Hill top site Near the end of the Nippising at 7:00 and made short work of making camp, dinner and hanging our first bear bag of the trip. The site was another bad site unlevel ground, a hike to the water and not much of a clearing, but at this point neither of us cared. After our ritual skinny dip, we decided two things: 1) Despite being only 8:15, we would go to bed 2) In the morning we would break camp and head for Brent

This had us coming home a day early, but because we had traveled so much distance the previous day, we were a day ahead of schedule. We considered spending the last night on Cedar Lake, on the island we were on for last years trip. But in the end we decided we had out grown the island and it would have to wait at least another year for a visit form us.

We then went to sleep for the last night of Capsized Canoe 2006.

Monday Aug. 7, 2006

With military percision we broke camp and were on the water by 8:00. As we approached the end of the Nipising River where it starts to widen, we saw another moose (Moose #4) that charged across the water in from of us. Gerry and I stood back in awe of this powerfull animal, all the time knowing that our trip was coming to an end. We watched as the moose slowly disappeared into the brush and without a word Gerry and I new it was special moment.

The Nippising widened into Cedar Lake and despite being so close to the end, the park would not let us have and easy crossing. The wind had picked up and the waves forces us to paddle hard in to stop being pushed off course.

We arrived at 10:30 took a few pics, loaded the car and set off home. We did however, stop for lunch at the Dixie Lee in Mattawa (another tradition) before winding our way back through the highway congestion of long weekend traffic. We arrived home just before 4 pm filled with rediscovered appreciation of our family's and a feeling of accomplishment. We had done it!!!

Things to Change for next year:

1. Bring less food- We brought enough food to last us 2 weeks and it added a lot of weight.
2. Outback Oven- It works great, but at the end of hard day it is just to much to spend 20-30 minutes preparing a meal. Next year more simple meals and leave the oven at home
3. More protein - Next year we will bring more protein powder and textured vegetable protein
4. Just spoon- Not a big deal, but why did we bring a knife and fork?
5. Solar battery Charger- Did not use it once
6. Clothes - Bring one more t-shirt and another pair of Merino wool socks, by the end I was getting too smelly

I am sure I will add to this later, as I do not have my trip notes with me.

Lastly, I just want to say something too my buddy Gerry. Thanks for being there brother!

P.S- Capsized Canoe 2007 is only 336 days 5 hours and 6 minutes away!