Hornet Nest on the Portage Trail

 Portage trails are as much a part of a canoe trip as a paddle.  Some trails are easy to navigate as you trundle along with your supplies, other trails; however, are brutal on the body and mind.

Boulder and root strewn with steep inclines and declines, these trails will test the most experienced trippers.

A misstep on a portage trail could potentially end your trip or worse, leave you wondering how you are ever going to get out of the bush. 

There are other hidden dangers though, like the camouflaged wasp nest shown in this video. These nests are made from the pulp of dead trees. Wasps and hornets masticate the pulp into paper which blends perfectly in with the forest. 

The nest shown in this video was built at the exact height of a canoe bow if it were being portaged, that means you could bump into it and find yourself running for your life from hornets which have awesome eyesight and can fly at well over 30 kilometers per hour - you will never outrun them. 

The secret to having a great trip is to be aware of everything around you. After all, that is why we do what we do. 

Please don't destroy these nests when you find them, take some photos and keep on walking, the paper makers will not bother you. 

They live there, we are only visiting. 

Simply living - Out here. 

 

 

 

Tipi Living - The Old Cook Stove

 In the 1800's, people moved into the Algonquin region hoping to find employment at lumber camps. These homesteaders cleared land and attempted to grow crops in the shallow soil. Their homesteads were built on stone foundations; the beams and wood of the home were cut from the surrounding forest. 

Heating the home was done with wood and their cookstove was the heart of the kitchen. 

There is an old foundation which fascinates me on a quiet piece of land close to where I live. I look at the flat rock, piled, row upon row, to form walls and I wonder at the perseverance of the people who built it. This foundation formed the basement of what was once a homestead. 

A water well, hand dug and lined with round boulders, sits just to the west of what was once the front door of the home. The ground is still, to this day, cupped from the passage of humans who once dragged cool water from the well and carried it in a bucket to the kitchen.  

I was digging around in the detritus in the basement and discovered the old cookstove. It had fallen through the now non-existent floor of the home and lay buried by leaves and dirt. I decided to make use of the old relic and dragged it home.

The stove was in bad shape; however, I was able to convert it to a serviceable firebox for my tipi. 

I had no idea that this old stove, which had serviced a family long ago, would prove itself to be still useful one hundred years later. 

As I sit on my bunk and watch the flames within the old stove, I wonder who the person was that used it to cook their family's meal. I wonder if they are watching me as I use the stove to simply live, out here. 

 

Campsite Setup - The Fire Pit.

 Every campsite requires a fire pit.

Not only is this essential for cooking and heat, it also keeps the fire contained and safe. 

The site in this video was neglected and required some elbow grease to get it back to a functional campsite. 

This site now has a fire pit which will last many years and it will serve as a base camp for this lifelong camper. 

Have fun Out Here. 

Setting up Camp - A Tarp, A Hammock and a Good Meal

 What is the key to setting up a good camp? There are many factors to be considered when setting up camp. Number one; Be sure to set the site up to provide efficiency of movement when the wilderness turns the lights off.

You would not believe how dark it can get when the sun drops below the tree line and disappears beyond the horizon. 

Guy lines and tent pegs seem to reach out and grab you as you fumble and stumble your way to the privy box or to check on your canoe. I can't tell you how many times I have tripped on a tent line I simply didn't see.  

The second ingredient required for a comfortable camp is a bug mesh shelter. This will allow for the enjoyment of eating a well deserved meal without the need to expend energy swatting at the mosquitoes and other biting insects which have found you to be delectable. The shelter in this video is perfect; easy to set up and packable enough to fit into a tripping bag without adding too much weight. 

Cooking on an open fire is the hallmark of camping. Eating the meal while listening to the natural sounds around you imbues the food with a seasoning not found anywhere else but out here. After setting up camp, cook up a classic breakfast meal and sit back and enjoy the company the forest. 

Happy Camping. 

 

Canoe Day Trip - Perfect way to relieve stress

 To a canoeist, the sound of the paddle as it propels the boat across an expanse of water is enough to elicit a feeling of accomplishment and freedom. 

When time does not permit a long canoe trip, a simple unplanned day excursion helps to quell the incessant craving that all experienced canoeists feel. 

Any day that you feel the water flowing under the thin skin of your canoe, is a good day. 

Happy Paddling    

 

A Simple Bench for any Camp.

 I can't help feeling that the world, society, is in a free fall. Everyone is trying to escape to something other than their present situation. In my opinion, the pandemic has increased peoples anxiety to the point where narcissism has reared it's ugly head. 

I have found that using your hands during times of frustration and anxiety can work magic on your overtaxed nervous system. The simple act of creating something, fulfills an ancient need buried deep within our beings. 

My tipi required a simple table which I can use for many camp projects and simple tipi living. 

For the table top, I used a piece of balsam fir which was ravaged by Pine Sawyer bugs (I show one of the larva in this video) and some sticks which were left behind after a beaver had a meal.

Sisal twine bound the lot together and provided me with a sturdy bench which will serve my needs and when rot begins to call the wood to the earth, I will simply use it for firewood.  

In the process of building this bench, I left my anxieties. I soaked in the sounds of the woods and disappeared into the mists of the wilderness where my mind could wander; free of the bindings which society had placed on it. 

If you feel anxious - just get busy. 

That way, you will be

simply living, Out here. 

  

Opeongo - A lake of wind and waves

 Opeongo Lake, situated in Algonquin Park, Ontario, is a sprawling expanse of water with arms pointed north, east and south. She has a tendency to test paddlers regularly by inviting brother wind to blow across her waters. 

The skilled canoeist can average four to six kilometers per hour by trimming their boat and digging in steadily with their paddles. The rhythm developed over years of paddling comes instinctively and adjusts as conditions change. 

When faced with a two to four knot head wind, there is nothing to do but stay on shore or move forward; digging your paddle deep to gain a few inches of travel across a lake which is determined to place you back at your starting position. 

This is no time to pretend, this is now time to step up or step out. Mom (nature) doesn't care if you sink or swim, she only cares about the continuation of a cycle of life started long ago; before humans ever existed. Now is the time to humble yourself and work with her rather than fight her. 

This video was taken when I decided to go for a paddle after dropping my book off to Algonquin Outfitters. I wanted to check out the campsites for potential future adventures. 

The lake taught me what the winter had made me forget. My arms and body remembered the rhythm of the paddle and the wind freed my soul from the chains of society which had ensnared it. 

My canoe responded as she was built to do and my paddle dug deep into the waters of Opeongo Lake.