Gear Trials Along The Missinaibi.

Writing this blog has provided me with plenty of unique opportunities. As you have read over the years, I have been on factory tours, met plenty of new friends and also have had the chance to try out new gear for camping and the outdoor lifestyle. When Andy and I put it out there that we were going to complete the Lower Missinaibi we were provided again with a great forum for trying out some new gear. Below you will find a few of our favorites from this trip.

1. RucPac Hardcase Conversion Strap System ($112).

This one of a kind piece of equipment is a really awesome idea. A fully padded pack system that turns any Pelican Brand case or similar into a backpack. I came across this system when I got my Wanigan (a Pelican 1620). I originally made a backpack system from an old internal frame pack, But the problem was the in order to access the contents you had to unbuckle the whole thing then re-attach and tighten again when finished. The RucPac eliminates this completely and leaves the lid completely accessible any time, Also does not interfere with the laying down of the case as it is just webbing. The shoulder straps are fairly comfortable, mind you my wanigan weighs about 80 pounds fully loaded so is anything comfortable!! The stitching is top notch and well crafted. What little reviews I could find on the web complained about the instructions, I had no issue with the simple pictures and brief words. When I contacted the inventor of the RucPac Laurens Parsons about whether the system can hold such a big case full of gear. His response was "The only limit is ones own strength as the product is rock solid in its construction." And I have to fully agree. The webbing did not let up once the whole trip. The only issues I had was the Velcro tab section that holds the webbing to the case would sometimes flip up into your back when putting on, and the other issue was some time, possibly because of the weight of my case there was a pressure point between the flat back of the case, bottom of the shoulder straps and my shoulders. It caused some discomfort, but a minor issue for the absolute genius of allowing me to carry such a huge case on my back. Any one looking for a amazing camera case or a wanigan, I would stand behind these to make that happen.


2. Kupilka Classic Cup - Kupilka 21 ($22).

 

 

This super-affordable piece of kit really has to make it way into every one's bag. Made in Finland from 50% pine fiber {wood} and 50% thermoplastic {BPA-free}, they looks and smells like the classic Kuksa cups that are favored by Sami folks, but a lot more durable. Also the 7.10 oz cups will not spoil by using milk in them like solid wood kuksa's, and will not break the bank if you want to get a set for the family. We used these as our primary cup the entire trip, coffee, whisky, food, and just looking cool hung from our belts. I also have the smaller "shot cups" which are made from the same materials, but come with a long reindeer lanyard for around your neck.  On my Kuplika cups I changed the strap from reindeer to paracord so we could hand it on our belts as stated above. It looks top notch, will not dent in you drop them. It only is really unfortunate that we cannot just drink the river water with out treatment, because if that was the case I would have just brought these for water. I guarantee you will love these bad boys. I plan on getting the whole set and letting them serve us for years to come.


Teva "Original Universal" Sandals ($55).

Needing a light pair of footwear for around camp? Want them to be tried and true. Then look no further than the Teva Original Universal. These sandals have been around for more than 30 years, pretty much unchanged. Please mind the socks in the sandals as the bugs would have had at my feet within seconds. My primary footwear for canoe trips are me 16" Maine Hunting Boots. The boots are what I wear in the canoe, along the portages etc, however the second we get to camp these Teva's go on. With the socks they become the perfect foot stretching, breathing and protecting platform to perform all camp tasks. I would have loved to have worn these while canoeing, however the bugs alone put an end to that, that will have to be another trial. The quality of these again is tried an true, the webbing is a thick patterned colour, and the sole is a comfortable grippy m is not to stiff. As you know these are meant to go in the water and still be useful, and while bathing and swimming around camp they performed flawlessly, drying quickly allowing me to put y socks back on to protect the tops of my feet again. The one thing where I was not to keen on these sandals is while scrambling up hills at camp, The softness of the sole allowed the straps to flex at their contact point and I would shift and slide all over the place within the foot bed.  A general feeling of not to secure while on a hills. I am sure that Teva has other sandals that address this issue with thicker stiffer soles, but as long as you are sure-footed and take your time they will hold up. Yeah, coming down some hills I thought the foam was going to rip and I would have to carry a busted sandal home, I almost wanted them to, so I could shake my head and be disappointed. However these sandals took a beating from all the scrambling and really held up, No damage what so ever, just some sore feet from sliding around on the hills. These Tevas's are easy to store in a pack, and again quick to dry. They are a great camp shoe for the warmer months, and I am sure you could even stretch them into the Fall if you were so inclined. There are plenty of colour ways to chose from and even some super slick white soled versions for all you "trendy" folks (I want to get them!?!). So if you want so easy cap shoes scoop up some history. If its good enough for 30 years of whitewater guides, I am sure they are good enough for your boring lake travel canoe trip.

Trip Report: Day:6 Lower Missinaibi River - Mattice to Moose River Crossing.

Day 6: July 5, 13.
-Km's Paddled: 23km
-Portaged Meters: 100m
-General Weather: Sunny, No clouds

Early Morning headed towards Moose River Crossing.

So last Morning. After a early rise as we had a train to catch we ate a nice big bowl of oatmeal and some whisky and coffee we packed up ship and we were now officially off of the Lower Missinaibi. We put in on the Moose River and made our way up to Moose River Crossing. The Crossing is the Bridge for the Polar Bear express that runs between Cochrane and Moosonee. The train comes by Moose river twice daily, as it goes in and as it returns.  The Stop is a "flag only" stop and one has to flag the train down to get it to stop and pick you up.

Construction Work Being Done.

As we approached the Bridge we could see a group of men working on the bridge covering the concrete with Steel to prevent the ice from destroying them. We waves as we went under. You have to go past the bridge and come back around to get to the station.  As we landed at the station and brought our gear up to the platform, you could see that the Mover River station is really an outpost for these men. thee is bunk houses, a mess hall, Beer cans everywhere. I was interested in how long these men stay out here at a time. It really seemed like a Klondike outpost, really interesting. a couple of the men came out to say hi, and inquire about our trip. Super friendly, but a rugged bunch of men for sure.

The Main Building.

One Guy came up to use and to let us know that the train will be coming by within the hour and to grab a blaze orange fleece they have hanging to flag it down. Sure enough the train came and as we flagged it down the train stopped and some parcels got dropped off and hands were shaken. A real treat to see some other faces. We loaded our canoe and took the train into Moosonee. The ride took about 1 hour, and when we arrived I had to call Owen from the outfitters to let him know about the early arrival. Owen was out but his wife Denise said that he could bring it in the Morning.

Welcome to Moose River

 After strolling around Moosonee for a couple hours the Train was about to leave for Cochrane. So we Boarded and took the 5.5 Hour Train ride back. Napping, snacking, and reminiscing about the trip the whole way back. It really was amazing, The luck with the tailwinds, The nothing but sun for 6 days. Really a killer trip. Andy and I became closer for sure. Learning, teaching, everything to make a bond stronger. It was an amazing trip and I am glad I got to do complete it with Andy. We arrived in Cochrane with no car to store the canoe in, however the Best Western in Cochrane was oh so kind and let us store it in their lobby for the night and we just got clean and hit a air conditioned bed...It was the perfect end to the trip. We awoke to a great breakfast and my car waiting at the train station. Lower Missinaibi..Complete.

Start Over to Day 1.

Andy Sitting in the Shade.

Trip Report: Day:5 Lower Missinaibi River - Mattice to Moose River Crossing.

Day 5: July 4, 13.
-Km's Paddled: 50km
-Portaged Meters: 0
-General Weather: Sunny, No clouds
-End of day Camp.

Loading the Canoe in the Morning.

Day 5 was a simple day, We started with a simple on the water breakfast as the mosquitoes at the site came out in thousands as there was no wind first thing in the morning. We could not set up the sail right away as we had "Deception Rapids" to deal with right out of the hop. They were not bad at all, at first we were not even sure if we had gone through them. We had notice in the days before the river was dropping about 2" or more every day. This explained to us why all the picture from previous trips of other people had them sleeping on gravel bars and running what looked like streams sometimes. Water goes fast from here, and the opportunity to paddle the Missinaibi is short.

Breakfast Mosquitoes.

 No real highlight, other than a more steady tailwind than yesterday. We are able to Blow through the full 50km before 2pm. The sail held tight and barely ever had no wind in it. It was a solid 3 hours of one continuous breeze. A great sailing day. While just cruising along we come up with this story that our sail, a tarp is a third person named "Tarp". He has a stereotypical whitewater rafting guide personality. He really just goes with the flow and let the wind take him where he wants, we create this whole persona of Tarp. and then create the adventure of Andy, Chris, and Tarp. I guess you had to be there. We were busting a gut.

Tarp just going with the flow.

It was so smooth we were able to bust out the pipes while on the water and just sit back and enjoy the steady pace of the wind and water. Truly a relaxing day. We felt lucky to have been able to have a tailwind, Things would have had to have been seriously adjusted if a headwind came into affect. Conversation was light, the map had just straight lines, without even any swifts, Just flat river travel for today.

Enjoying a Pipe.

The Sun was hot, and the wind was strong as we pulled onto Portage Island. The sight was high above teh water level, so we just brought up the sleeping stuff and decided to leave all other gear down below. I had had enough of the blazing sun for 5 days, and decided to "hide" in the tent. Even thought it was sauna hot, it was out of the sun. Andy went fishing in some of the swifts around the corner. Later we met up and collected some nice fossils and rocks. I was no hungry for dinner, as the heat was a little much, but Andy made himself some Bannock Pizza, which looked amazing! I had a bite, and it was surely tasty.

On to Day 6.

Leg Bruise Started to Heal by The End of The Trip.

Trip Report: Day:4 Lower Missinaibi River - Mattice to Moose River Crossing.

Day 4: July 3, 13.
-Km's Paddled: 80km
-Portaged Meters: 0
-General Weather: Sunny, No clouds
-End Of Day Camp.

Something getting built in the bottom right.

We awoke Fresh after a good sleep. While I break the tent down, Andy gets breakfast going and casts a few lines. We have a quick breakfast semi bug free. The night before Andy had gathered some trees for making a rig. and we lash the Moose shed to the bow deck plate and dub our canoe "Thunder-Moose". It is quite the ship now with its rig and mounts! ready for s full day in the sun and on the water. Today were suppose to paddle 50km, but we knocked off 15 last night so we have only 35 to do.

"Thunder-Moose"

As we push off, maybe 2 km in we notice a slight tail wind. Seize the opportunity, we go ashore and set up the sail. Any chance to try this out, and if it works...not to paddle would be great.  So Andy and I set up and cast sail. we followed the instructions in Haps Book for the solo canoe, and with out hitch it is wonderful. Through the gusts of wind we cruse along, sometimes the gusts are so strong we make a great deal of wake. The only down side is you cannot always see what is in front of you. So we deal with this as Andy opens the sail up to rise like a kite and I being the rudder guy, takes a quick look and navigates accordingly. It works great and in no time we have worked out the big bugs and make out way north in record time.

Tarp Sail, Full Steam Ahead.

As we cruise along the Missinaibi we see on the map the note about a grave site maintained by the HBC, A unique site in the middle of the bush for sure. As Andy mans the sails I keep watch looking above the 20 ft shoreline for any sign of a trial, I catch a glimpse of the gravestone and veer hard to the left to beach "Thunder-Moose". We scramble up the side of the hill and pay our respects. Quite eerie and neat all at one. From another online picture a Gent named Steven Gray left this info possibly about Mr. Marten

According to the Ontario death registry 1869 to 1934 available at www.ancestry.ca, Joseph Martin was born Dec. 16, 1860 in St. Remi, Que., son of F. X. Martin and his wife, Clemence nee Gagne. Joseph was a laborer. He lived in Ont. for 44 years, and the Hearst area for 6 years. He died of paralysis at age 64 yrs., 8 mos. and 6 days at Hearst, Cochrane District on Sept. 6, 1925 and he was buried Sept. 9, 1925. The informant was Ernest Martin of Hearst, his son. The undertaker was N. Darby of Hearst.
There is an error somewhere in the dates of birth and death, and age at death. The dates of birth and death on the headstone differ from the official registry. The surname is also spelled differently. Perhaps someone can check the local newspaper to cross-check when he died. In the meantime priority should be given to the official death registry as submitted by the physician.
In 1891 Joseph Martin, 35, a laborer; his wife, Lizie, 30; and their three children, Yaphen, 6; Ernest, 3; and Josephine, 2; all born in Que. (sic), all Roman Catholic, lived in Springer Tp. (area), Nipissing Dist., Ont. Joseph Ernest Martin was born Jan. 3, 1888 at Springer Tp., Nipissing Dist., Ont., son of Joseph Martin, a farmer, and his wife, Elisabeth nee Simson.

Quite interesting. I have been on other Canoe trips and sometimes you will find shires build in the middle of no where with statues of Mary etc. All very creepy to me anyway. We press on as we have the wind on our side, and we are going to take full advantage of it today. We end up doubling our mileage and clock in a full 80k today. We felt very privileged to have the tailwind and to have the chance to set up the sail and try it out. We end up paddling to 6pm, Spirits high from the great day, and easy on the back. Chatting and laughing all day was great. The Site we find on km 140 is gravelly, no bugs at the moment, but no shade. We set up everything and have a great evening almost bug free. However the second we go to bed the Mosquitoes come ot in full fore. It was so Loud with buzzing it literally kept me up most of the night. I got a lousy sleep, but at least I was rested.

On To Day 5.

Trip Report: Day:3 Lower Missinaibi River - Mattice to Moose River Crossing.

Day 3: July 2, 13.
-Km's Paddled: 40km
-Portaged Meters: 3050m, yup Over 3km.
-General Weather: Sunny, No clouds
-End Of Day Camp.

Getting Ready to Break Camp.

After a great sleep listening to the falls all night, we had our big day in front of us. The last day of portages, and big one at that. We ate Oats and drank Coffee and set off. Along the rest of the Thunderhouse portage there is a log book. Turns out we were the second people through this S/S so far. Portage should be good! We paddle the 2km to the first 700m portage to Stone rapids and breeze through those as water is higher than normal. Which brings us right up to the "Hell's Gate Canyon" Portage. A relatively flat except the super steep ending. At the start of the portage in thick bush I find a old Moose Shed, Quite old from being buried in the bush but what a souvenir for sure. We load up and take off. Bug shirts on as the portage is over grown, we plan of trekking in as far with full gear then duping half and continuing one, About 1km in we both dump half our gear. Sweat pouring down our heads, dripping though the nets and the thousands of mosquitoes in the bush make for a portage you do not want to stop in. Andy and I hike the full 2.3km without a water break and man it felt good to get the packs off our backs.

Hell's Gate Canyon.

We back track to our dumped gear, cooling down and walking fast. It is a nice trail, lots of logs in the way, but manageable. As Andy dropped the Canoe off about 50m behind where I dropped the pack I was waiting and standing still with my bug shirt on, and I kid you not.....there must have been about 3000 mosquitoes on my. I looked like the bee beard guy but with mossie's! Insane, The most bugs I have ever encountered in the bush. I question the heavens above why can't this river be runnable in late fall when it would be o so much more comfortable! We stop on the way back to the end of the portage to over look the Canyon and take some more pictures. Again quite a sight to see back in the bush. We feel very fortunate to have cast these sights upon our eyes.

Owen From MO, mentioned to us, that if you cast your line at the base of Hell's Canyon you will be guaranteed a fish within 5 min. Andy to Owen up on this and needless to say Owen won.  Very Quickly Andy caught a bass, one that would be a perfect lunch for us. After we pressed on from the portage, we were faced with the set called "Long Rapids" we decided to line about half of them and run the rest. It went smooth and again another good learning experience in lining the canoe. Everyday I get more comfortable, and confident. So much fun.

Lunch is served.

We find a nice beach in Bell's Bay for lunch. I get the fire going from the piles of driftwood around. Within Minutes we have a hot bed of coals and just the perfect size for frying up some fish and sweet potatoes with Maple Syrup. Andy Cleans the fish on the shore, and throws the trimmings back into the water for some other animal to enjoy. Within 5-10 min Lunch is ready. Whoa man! It tasted so good. Nothing like fresh fish from a northern Ontario river. We devoured lunch quickly with smiles n our face. After lunch we pressed on, and made it to our campsite, but realized we had tons of time left in the day, and decided to press on. We ended up putting another 15km under our belt.

This Site was high up on the shore, we had to scramble up the ledge to get to it, Very Mosquito-y. We got a fire going and then hung out below. It was shady which was nice. I laid in the tent for a bit to write in my journal and record some info. Andy went fishing on the shallow gravel bars long the river. A quite night. But the mossie's were loud all night, buzzing away like a drone through the night. Quite loud. Again hit the sack around 10. Long tiring day, From here no more portages!

On To Day 4.

Trip Report: Day:2 Lower Missinaibi River - Mattice to Moose River Crossing.

Day 2: July 1, 13.
-Km's Paddled: 15km
-Portaged Meters: 1500m
-General Weather: Sunny, No clouds
-End Of Day Camp.

 This was our short day. From other trip reports that I read, they mention make for it to spend a full day at Thunderhouse Falls. And I will tell you I am glad that we did. We broke camp before 8 am. Running a couple rapids in the morning after some oats and coffee felt great. We killed these rapids with no swampings of any kind and arrive at the beginning of the portage before 10 am.

The Camp sites were all along the portage so it was a matter of finding the one you wanted. We took our time, Andy carrying the canoe and food bag, and Myself with the Pelican wanigan and the sleep bag on top.  There is a huge sign for this portage as to let everyone know that some serious water is coming up, really the only big sign of the park. We make our way mid point to a great site overlooking the falls, with easy access to water and a nice rocky walk to get away from bugs. These sites are well used and the grass is very short, so bugs are not as bag as some of the other back woods one. Horse flies are the worst enemy here, and black flies in the deeper parts closer to the moving water.

Don't Let the Blackflies Bother You.

We set up camp and take in all that Thunderhouse has to offer, amazing rocks, loud waterfalls, and high canyon walls. Thunderhouse is awe inspiring. Andy and I discuss how there are still places like this that can only be seen if you canoe, there is not parking lot, people cannot just drive up and take some pictures. You have to work for it. And man, it is worth it.

The Top of Thunderhouse.

Today was nice, Andy Went fishing at the bottom of the portage and was kind enough to bring the canoe with him so we did not need to bring it in the morning. After dinner we took some pictures, had a pipe and some whisky while over looking Conjuring Rock. Which is a huge Monolith at the bottom of the falls and is really a structure to behold. My overwhelming feelings of the trip have since subsided. The nervousness is fading, But Moose river crossing pull out still seems exciting, and adventurous way to end this trip. A unique way of ending is always a good one. One of the Highlights of the night was the small pool beside the top of the second falls. I perfect sized pool for a "Thunderhouse jacuzzi". As the waves would pour in the pool would fill and be perfectly aggressive to cool you down. Before bed Andy and I were chatting about tattoos and if he would get one. As he shows me where he could on his calve, we see a leech stuck to his foot. Like a while after we finished bathing in the falls. It was hilarious and a god laugh was had.  A great night and day. perfect to regroup and refocus.

On To Day 3. 

"Conjuring Rock" From Another Campsite

Trip Report: Day:1 Lower Missinaibi River - Mattice to Moose River Crossing.

This year has taken off to be a pretty epic one. A lot of good things going on. First and for most the lovely Lady Damnyak and myself are expecting our first little one, and as all people might know things might get a little hectic here for the next little bit. So with that said this year also dealt me the opportunity for my Brother-in-Law Andy and I to run the Lower Missiniaibi River.

This has been a ongoing project,/plan for a number of years (emails dating back to 2010), but with Andy either fresh out of school, or still settling in his position securing time off when the water is flowing has been difficult. However this year the stars aligned and the Lower Missinaibi Adamiak/Seto expedition commenced forth.  For those who do not know the Missinaibi River is and Northern Ontario river that In fur trade days, was the main routes between James Bay and Lake Superior. a Pretty Epic and Historical River for sure.

The Smiley Face in Actually a Missinaibi Pictograph.

A great deal of planning is involved with this river trip, as there is many logistical aspects to it. Shuttling, Long Drives, Train rides, White Water, and water levels. We gathered every resource we could, and from what any other trip report will tell you is that Hap Wilson's Book "Missinaibi: Journey to the Northern Sky" is the be all and end all of resourced. It will guide you through all these aspect even down to what bugs to expect and when.

So rather than getting in to all that business this is my trip report. A general break down of our day to day along the river. I will say that we had originally intended to paddle the Moose River right out to Moosonee, however this did get changed along out trip, reasons will be explained. I hope you enjoy the read and pictures.

Day 0: June 29, 13.
-Km's Paddled: 0
-Portaged Meters: 0
-General Weather: Sunny, No clouds

We drive from Andy's House in Torrance to Mattice (Mah-tyce), and Arrive at Missinaibi Outfitters and are promptly greeted by the owner Owen Korpela. a super-friendly Gent who will be putting us up for the night and shuttling our car back to where we finish the route. Owen shows us our small cabin for the night. a beauty of a hut, with our own water shower, and most importantly bunk beds. Owen says "swing by in the morning to the office and we will settle everything up, details and such", so the rest of our night is filled with anticipation and going over out food, and the rapids we face in the morning. We hit the sack around 10pm.

Statue At Mattice Bridge.

Day 1: June 30, 13.
-Km's Paddled: 45km
-Portaged Meters: 300m
-General Weather: Sunny, No clouds
-End of Day Camp.

Andy and I drive to the put in, unload and I head back to Missinaibi Outfitters (about 3 min away) to drop my car off and settle up the tab. Owen and I chat as we write up the paper work. The break down was as follow for those interested.
 -$75 for the Cabin Rental.
-$270 for the Shuttle From Mattice to Cochrane (3 hour drive)
-$110 from Camping Permits.

Owen then drives me back to Andy at the put in, where Andy is chatting with two gents who split their canoe before they even arrived at the first set of rapids, and now they are not doing their trip. They mentioned they might rent a canoe to proceed forth. I hope they did. So Andy and I shove off the shore to Paddle the Great Miss. Bugs are not bad on the water, the River is as smooth as glass.

Just Before Our Journey Began.

We were told by the fellows with that cracked their canoe that the first set of rapids (Rock Island, CII - CIII) were runnable on the left where one could normally line. They said the flow was good and the line was shorter (100m), compared to the 580 on the right. So we approached gingerly and as we were prying to get to the deep V the current grabbed the Stern and we went in backward.  This resulted in a dumping. Out we went not even an hour in the trip swimming down the Missinaibi. We quickly found an eddy and pulled everything in. Everything was lined in one way or another to the canoe...Except Andy's water bottle and....the maps. While we laugh and looked from the bottom of the rapids it was clearly we should have done it differently, but at the same time we were happy we got a dumping out of the way. Now we knew what to expect.

It was over exposed, but the waves to the left are about 3' high.

After gathering our composure, wringing out socks and sharing some laughs we were off again, About 1/2 km up stream we found our maps floating in the water, then about another km up stream we saw Andy's Bottle bobbing around in the water. Success! On a completely unrelated note: Tie EVERYTHING in, EVERYTHING. After hitting a couple fun swifts we came across our first Moose, one of many we would see on our trip, Always great to see some wildlife.

 

Our Next set of rapids was Black Feather Rapids, and with the higher than normal volume of water flowing currently and seeing as this set is over 1km long we decided to line it down the side, when water was flowing over some beautiful bedrock. This only took a moment, but we scouted the rapids and just took notes of what we could have done if we had chosen to run them. Andy had taken some Whitewater courses and he was very knowledgeable in reading the rapids in a finer detail than me. A lot more detail. I was happy to learn and after dumping the first time realized I know enough to know I don't know. So he was more than happy to explain to me the finer things in this nature. 

The last small but "big" rapids for this day was Beam Rapids. A lot of flow. We scout this bad boy. we picked our line and hit our mark. However we learned another lesson here. Being one canoe, full of gear, and two big/tall guys does make for a low sitting canoe. We get through the rapid, but at the end some of the tall stacks flood our canoe and swamps the bow. Next thing I know Andy is floating away from the canoe and with bow and 3/4 of the rest of the canoe underwater it crashed right into a rock at the bottom of the river.  The impact throws me forward into the thwart. My thigh slams into it with a lot of force, now with the canoe completely underwater, I am fishing for the throw bag as the current takes us down river. My leg throbbing,  I am swimming to shore with the line in my hand as Andy is holding on to the canoe and our gear bobbing around. I finally make it to solid ground where I can pull everything in, wickedly out of breath from swimming to fight a current we make some PB & J wraps for lunch and again wring out our socks and boots. 

Day One Thwart Damage: 9" diameter on thigh.

 After this second dumping We have a short Portage around Kettle Falls then its just some paddling to finish up the day. We were actually able to breeze past out initial campsite on Isabel Island and make it up to Bare Rock Point. Andy and I joked that what it if it was typo and was actually called "Bear Rock Point" and we arrive and there is something like 25 bears on this small point just rubbing their paws together waiting, unable to explain the typo in the book. Ha! The campsite was nice, A rock out crop to beat some of the bugs, a small grassy area for a tent, but full of Mosquitoes. We had some Frozen Steaks for dinner, a nice campfire.

Later in the night I was questioning with Andy whether I had the ability to continue the trip, whether the gear was to heavy and that was a danger, or the fact that it was just us. I explain with these fears that perhaps Moose river Crossing might be a great take out. I had a couple reasons after the first day. In-fact I explained to Andy I had even been pondering this before we left for the trip as a possibility.

Some of the reasons were:
-It would be neat to take out in the middle of nowhere along a railroad in the bush, as apposed to a town.
-If we had a head wind, that could through our days off huge (50km days in headwind = no fun)
-The Moose River is HUGE, and it looses that compact river feel.
-There were some really tricky rapids that I feel after the first day I did not want to do. Safety.

It was a little overwhelming for a first day. Andy was fine with whatever, as I dug deep I could feel the nervousness, but after some on the spot self reflection, I think I was way over tired and a little rattled, and yes a little "wow this is grander then I though". We ended up hitting the sack again around 10pm, but had to do so with the sun still up...Damn you being up North.

On To Day 2.

Eating Dinner with Our Companions. This is nothing.

Hot Tenting Trial - Algonquin Park.

My wife and I recently "invested" in a hot tent. A canvas tent that you can use a wood burning stove inside to heat. We invested in this to make deep winter camping bearable and to open a whole other season of back country travel. In order to successfully do multi day trips in the winter you need to be able to dry out your gear. If you cannot within a couple days it is so full of moisture that it ceases to be warm and that as a whole is no good.

So we found a nice looking 8'x10' wall tent on Wintertrekking.com, in their classified section. For the stove we purchased a Kni-co "Packer" directly from them. Our original plan was to head up to a local conservation area to try out all the new gear and see how it works and to see if we need anything else. However since we had a long weekend here we both took an extra day off and decided to jet up to Algonquin for some winter fun.

Our tent did not come with a internal frame, nor were we going to stay in the back country this trip to be able to find dead fall to construct a frame on the spot, so I had to come up with another means. So what I did is use a 2" x 27' ratchet strap between two trees as the ridge line, and make 4' "pikes" with lags in them for the side eaves. Then it was just a matter of guying out the tent by the "pikes". My wife and I had the tent up with no problem on a beautiful site in Mew Lake within a hour...Remember first time setting up.

The set up wall tent.

As soon as we got the tent up in went the rest of the gear, Stove set up, Chimney out the back, fire wood lit. Setting up the interior is a fun game, trying to maximize comfort and location for ease of access. My wife was going to be staying on a cot, and myself on the ground beside.  Within another hour we were fully ready for the weekend.

Smoke Stack Out The back.

Because this weekend was family day, there was all sort of demonstration and event happening within the campground, it made for quite a lively day, meeting and greeting new people sharing stories about adventures within the park etc. I even had the pleasure of meeting two gents from Wintertrekking.com who were there camping as well.

Relaxing By The Wood Stove.

As the night came to a close and the festivities wound down we retired back to our tent to relax and take in some reading. This is when I had my first lesson on wood stoves. Well as we were relaxing I notices that I could not get a good fire going, and there seem to be smoke coming into the tent. The adjustable elbow was leaking smoke. At first I thought it was perhaps the crimped ridges and perhaps they were not fitted properly. as we explored in a frustrated fury I decided to check the stove pipe and sure enough the Kni-co spark arrester had completely clogged and there was no draft. As I removed this the fire came back to life and we were able to calm down enough to hit the sack.

Seeing as this was a "learning trip" I wanted to see if I could keep the fire going all night for to reasons. One: to keep my wife warm, as she hates being cold, and two: just cause.  Well it seems that the small size of the stove made for hourly firewood installations. Not fun. I got a horrible sleep, if you can even call it that. It was -31 and me constantly trying to keep the fire going in a state of extreme tiredness was not fun. I would get the fire going, fall into a pseudo-sleep and the wake up a hour later cold and worried about my wife. Needless to say I awoke at 5:30 and was up and at em' with the stove making the tent a balmy 25*C

First coffee of the morning.

 We got coffee going ASAP and added twice the amount of coffee, a newly dubbed "Algonquin kick start" drink was invented. Both tried cold but happy we decided on a hike on Hemlock Bluff was in order for the day. One of the most beautiful winter hikes in Algonquin...My opinion.

7 am: Coffee and wool. Warm and ready.

 The hike was wonderful. The trail packed so no snowshoes were necessarily. The temp was about -25 and as we hiked perspiration was freezing on the outside of our clothes. This movement of sweat is great, it brings it to the surface keeping you dry, and with a  quick brush off goes all the moisture. The hike was about two hours and it was just long enough, as we were getting hungry and our lack of sleep made us a little stiff. After the hike we made our way to the visitor center to take a look. Apparently a Moose had been killed by a motorist and the Wardens had dragged the carcass out in to a field visible at the center. They do this in hopes to attract wildlife for people to see and take pictures of. There was only ravens on the moose during our visit. Oh well.

Hemlock Bluff Look out.

 We returned back to camp to relax and again try our hand at working this wood stove. While the wood available by the parks is just hardwood it take some small pieces to get decent flame for heat, It is unfortunate that it is not a mix for good burning. As we chatted and ate snacks around 8 pm we called it a night and again I was persistent to try my hand at keeping the fire. Well again it was -30 and I gave it more attention which only led to me getting colder faster, climbing in and out of my bag. I could not produce the energy to constantly be warming the air within the bag. At one point my wife whispered that she was "toasty" and that I should just leave it alone for the night to get some sleep. That was music too my ears and I was able to get about 4 hours of sleep.

Frost In my Wife's Hair.

 The next morning I was up at 6 am, got the fire going and awoke My wife to say if you want to get dressed up now is the time as the tent was cooking. She arose and we again had coffee on. Before long we had boiled eggs and oatmeal in our stomachs ready for our day. After some conversation we decided because of the lack of sleep we might take off for the weekend and take advantage of the extra day at home to "recoup" before work. So it was about-30 and we started the procession of taking down the tent. Within a hour or so we were packed up and saying good-bye to the wonderful scenery. The drive was beautiful and sunny. We had a great time, and discussed what we had learned while out and about my wifes first experience winter camping.

Along The Trail

Hot tenting is going to be a great part of our outdoors life. It's fun, exciting and such a wonderful time to be out in the bush. We hope to maybe get another small trip in this year. Also during the off season I will be building a internal frame out of 1" EMT conduit for close short back country adventures where perhaps distance is 1-3km and couple trips are do-able if needed.

Frost on my Swanndri Bushshirt.

I hope to meet some like minded people to perhaps have some deep back country trips with. Also we are pondering "renting out" the set up for experienced campers who cannot at this time fork out the funds for the entire set up, this would be great and totally worth while for both parties. So stay tuned folks. Here's to successful winter-trekking trips and learning even more.

Hemlock Bluff Look out.

Klaxon Howl On Kickstarter.

Klaxon Howl, The first store to stock Damn Yak Dry Goods has started a Kickstarter Project this week.  Trying to get funding to open a Pop-up shop in NY with the possibilities of a B&M in the future or if funding is exceeded. If your Canadian and have a passion for amazing locally made men's wear inspired by historic Work-wear and Military clothing then you know the quality Klaxon Howl represents. Owner Matt Robinson has made some stellar quality goods with superior quality fabrics and textiles.

So head on over and lay some of your drink money down and get some great clothing for some great deals, including a limited edition Klaxon Howl Patch (just for this project) and help fund a location for this all Canadian Brand to infiltrate the US.

PS.  Klaxon's Wool watchcaps are something else. The folding is perfect, Fits amazing and the wool is nice and warm (especially for us bald headed gents)

Kickstarter Limited Patch

Klaxon Signature Watchcap - Best on the market.

From The Top.

Hello everyone. Hope you New Years has been great, with upcoming adventures and trips in the works.

Things have been good here, Finally got around to setting up a hot tenting outfit for some winter back country camping. We invested in a 8' x 10' wall tent, a kni-co stove and toboggan (similar to this, but used). within the coming weeks we will make a small weekend getaway to give the set up a whirl.

I have also commissioned world famous Canadian pipe maker Michael Parks, to make me "the ultimate camping pipe". I had drawn some sketches and with his expertise we worked out a final design that should basically blow my mind. So stay tuned for that.

I have been out hiking a lot, usually every weekend consists of at least a 4-5 hour hike. Weather has been great. Good times all! what have you all been up to? highlights?

For those to go way back "Clicking Here" will bring you back to my first actual post, then by clicking "Newer post" you can read this blog like a book.

So thanks again everyone, some new post will be coming up soon, also I am still available in Twitter and Instagram.

Later days.