Friday, September 28, 2012
Friday night's canoeing video
Kevin Callan shows us how to make homemade fire starter ... or should I say, how "not" to make homemade fire starter.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Who stole the fish?
It happened two weeks ago on the Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit. We were paddling quietly along the north shore of Indianpoint Lake when we came across a bald eagle perched only a few metres above the water. Since we rarely see eagles perched that low, we let the canoe glide toward the bird to investigate.
We soon noticed a few splashes in the water below the eagle. A mother otter and her two pups were busy pulling a large fish onto a rock. The otters began eating the fish. Engrossed in their meal, they did not spook. While the mother otter and her pup took turns at the fish, the eagle fretted from above. Possession, it seems, is nine tenths of the law not only for humans, but also for eagles and otters.
For the longest of time, the otters did not pay attention to us. The eagle, also focussed on the fish, did not mind our presence. Eventually, though, the mother otter issued a series of grunts, dove in and popped back up ten or so metres from our canoe. We moved on, but not fast enough for her liking. She dove again, and paralleling the canoe, she emerged on our left, again ten metres or so from us. She repeated the manoeuvre until we had paddled a good hundred metres. The pups, apparently deciding that chasing a giant red canoe would be more fun than eating fish, dove in and caught up to mom. From then on, they surfaced here and there, splashing about behind mom.
Once we had paddled a long way from the scene of the crime, the otters vanished. A few minutes later, other members of our paddling group caught up to us. They related how they had seen an eagle flying low with a fish in its talons.
After we told them our part of the story, we all agreed that before the otters had time to swim back to the fish, the eagle had hopped off his perch, spread its wings, and snagged the fish like a thief.
In the end, eagle and otters got a piece of fish. That we know for sure. What remains a mystery is: Who originally stole the fish from whom?
We soon noticed a few splashes in the water below the eagle. A mother otter and her two pups were busy pulling a large fish onto a rock. The otters began eating the fish. Engrossed in their meal, they did not spook. While the mother otter and her pup took turns at the fish, the eagle fretted from above. Possession, it seems, is nine tenths of the law not only for humans, but also for eagles and otters.
For the longest of time, the otters did not pay attention to us. The eagle, also focussed on the fish, did not mind our presence. Eventually, though, the mother otter issued a series of grunts, dove in and popped back up ten or so metres from our canoe. We moved on, but not fast enough for her liking. She dove again, and paralleling the canoe, she emerged on our left, again ten metres or so from us. She repeated the manoeuvre until we had paddled a good hundred metres. The pups, apparently deciding that chasing a giant red canoe would be more fun than eating fish, dove in and caught up to mom. From then on, they surfaced here and there, splashing about behind mom.
Once we had paddled a long way from the scene of the crime, the otters vanished. A few minutes later, other members of our paddling group caught up to us. They related how they had seen an eagle flying low with a fish in its talons.
After we told them our part of the story, we all agreed that before the otters had time to swim back to the fish, the eagle had hopped off his perch, spread its wings, and snagged the fish like a thief.
In the end, eagle and otters got a piece of fish. That we know for sure. What remains a mystery is: Who originally stole the fish from whom?
Friday, September 14, 2012
Friday, September 07, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
Friday, August 03, 2012
Friday night's canoeing video
As promised last week, here is a video on how to perform a Canoe-Over-Canoe rescue.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Friday, July 27, 2012
Friday night's canoeing video
This instructional video contains good common sense information about what to do when tipping a canoe. (Canoe-Over-Canoe rescue is not included -- will be next week!)
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Friday, July 13, 2012
Friday, July 06, 2012
Monday, July 02, 2012
Yin and Yang at Goose Lake
Some of the pictures I take while on a canoe trip turn out well, some don’t. Many are average. This is one of the average ones, yet it holds a special place in my heart.
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| Narrows at north end of Goose (Mohun) Lake |
We were at the north end of Goose (Mohun) Lake on the Sayward Forest Canoe Circuit. The contrast between the light on the left shore and the shadows on the right, the quiet, almost glassy water on this side of the narrows, and the ripples on the other side caught my attention. For some reason, the combination of those elements made me think of Yin and Yang. I grabbed my camera and snapped the shot before our friends disappeared behind the point of land.
Although the picture will never make the cover a paddling magazine, I like to believe that it invites the eye and the soul to “go beyond the narrows.”
Follow this link to see a Google Map of the place.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Friday night's canoeing video
This is a 23-second video of stunning Lanezi Lake, Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit, BC, Canada.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Friday night's canoeing video
Today, we take a look at one of Kevin Callan's videos. Although Kevin has written more than a dozen books on canoeing, he certainly cannot be accused of taking himself too seriously. This video gives you a sample of his great sense of humour. Music by singer/songwriter David Hadfield.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Thursday, June 21, 2012
A day on Darkis Lake
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| Columbine - Photo Geoff Russell |
My friend Geoff and I spent a relaxing day on Darkis Lake. The fishing was slow - we managed to land only one trout between the two of us - but the mood and scenery were great.
Click on this link to see a Google map of Darkis Lake.
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| Launching - Photo Geoff Russell |
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| Geoff in his V-boat |
Friday, June 15, 2012
Friday, June 08, 2012
Friday, June 01, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Rainbow trout feast in the Sayward Forest
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| Rainbow trout |
I caught this rainbow trout two years ago on Beavertail Lake in the Sayward Forest.
After I netted it, Blanche and I paddled to a small island where we cooked the fish and ate it. Yummy!
You can find Beavertail Lake south of the Sayward Forest Canoe Circuit. See Google map for Beavertail Lake location.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Top-notch article on Amor Lake
Richard Powell writes great articles about the lakes of Vancouver Island. He also includes amazing pictures. Follow the link to his blog: 100 Lakes on Vancouver Island: Amor Lake
Amor Lake is part of the Sayward Forest Canoe Route.
'via Blog this'
Amor Lake is part of the Sayward Forest Canoe Route.
'via Blog this'
Friday, May 11, 2012
Friday night's canoeing video
Tandem Canoe Basics.
Paul Mason, the stern paddler in this video, is the son of famous Canadian canoeist Bill Mason.
Enjoy!
Paul Mason, the stern paddler in this video, is the son of famous Canadian canoeist Bill Mason.
Enjoy!
Sunday, May 06, 2012
Calypso Orchids and Chocolate Lilies
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| Calypso orchid |
The calypso orchids and chocolate lilies are blooming on Vancouver Island.
These ones were seen today (May 06) on the north shore of Comox Lake.
Wild orchids and lilies are extremely fragile. They do not transplant. In fact, the simple act of picking the flower will kill the plant. Do not handle.
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| Chocolate lily (also called rice root lily) |
Monday, April 30, 2012
Chuchi Lake – 1½ minute slide show
Chuchi Lake is the second largest lake on the Nation Lakes Canoe Route. There are two extensions of Nation Lakes Provincial Park along its south shore. The north shore, not to be outdone, has three BC Recreation Sites and a number of wilderness sites. Vacationers reach greater numbers here than on the first three lakes of the route. A handful of cottages stand behind the narrows at the east end of the lake.
Click on this link to open a Google map of the area.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Fawn Lilies are Blooming!
Fawn lilies are blooming in the Comox Valley. I photographed this pair at Kitty Coleman Park, on the shores of the Strait of Georgia. They were among hundreds growing at the edge of the forest.
If you want to see the pink variety, your best bet is Puntledge Park in Courtenay.
Follow the links for location:
Kitty Coleman Park.
Puntledge Park.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
One minute on the Nation River - Tchentlo Lake to Chuchi Lake
Located on the Nation Lakes Canoe Route, this section of the Nation River meanders for 3.7 kilometres through an alluvial flood plain covered with evergreen trees. When we paddled it, the water level was low. We had to line our canoes down a couple of riffles. Everywhere else, we floated with the current, manoeuvring only at the corners or to get past debris fallen from the banks.
Click on this link to open a map of the area.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
A minute and a half on Tchentlo Lake
I first saw Tchentlo Lake as our canoe emerged from the mouth of the Nation River. Although I knew from the map that it was the largest lake on the Nation Lakes Canoe Route, I was awed by the expanse of blue water stretching in front of me.
Over the next few days, we paddled along a wild shoreline interrupted only by magnificent beaches. Depending on our position, we caught sight of Mount Alexander to the southeast, Lhole Tse Mountain to the east, Adade Yus Mountain to the northeast, the Mitchell Range to the west, and Nation Mountain to the north.
Click on this link to open a map of Tchentlo Lake and the surrounding mountains.
Monday, April 09, 2012
Sixty-two seconds on the Nation River – Indata Lake to Tchentlo Lake
The Nation River between Indata Lake and Tchentlo Lake runs freer than the stretch upstream of Indata. Shallow riffles, snags, and strainers might still require paddlers to line their canoes, but not as often as on the first stretch.
This section of the Nation River is part of the Nation Lakes Canoe Route. Click on this link to see a Google Map of the area.
On our trip, we spent some time on one of the gravel bars. It was a magic place. The shadows beneath the riffles toyed with the rocks on the river bottom, while at the same time, the chirping of the birds in the willows harmonized with the babbling of the water.
Thursday, April 05, 2012
Fifty-eight seconds on Indata Lake
Indata is the smallest of four lakes on the Nation Lakes Canoe Route. While the other three follow a west to east direction, Indata parallels the Pinchi fault, a north to south geological feature.
This short You Tube montage highlights the intimate quality of the lake. Trout often rise to the surface and gorge on hatching aquatic insects just before sunset. A good way to appreciate the warmth of the fading light is to watch how the reds and yellows shimmer on the concentric rings left behind by the fish.
Click on this link to see a Google Map of the lake.
Wednesday, April 04, 2012
One minute on the Nation River - Tsayta to Indata Lake
The Nation River is part of the Nation Lakes Canoe Route. The section depicted in this short You Tube montage meanders for eight kilometres between Tsayta and Indata lakes.
Most references rate this stretch of river as a Class 1 (requires very little manoeuvring), but because of the many snags, we treated it as a Class 2 (requires occasional manoeuvring and basic moving water skills).
Essentially, we drifted down the river and manoeuvred in and around some tight spots in the corners. The water level was very low. We had to line our canoes over many shallow riffles. A couple of logjams drove us to the portage trail, but they were short. Overall, we enjoyed our time on the river, listened to the babbling water, and watched the dragonflies as they hovered over our canoes, seemingly intrigued by the colour of the spray skirts.
Click on this link to open a Google Map showing the location of the River.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Two Minutes on Tsayta Lake
This short You Tube montage shows the raw beauty of Tsayta Lake, a long and narrow body of water which fills the bottom of a broad valley in the Omineca Mountains.
Click on this link to open a Google Map. You will see how the Nation River links Tsayta to a chain of three other large lakes (more videos to come). Together, they form the Nation Lakes Canoe Route, which is located 170 kilometres northwest of Fort St. James, BC, Canada.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
The Nation Lakes Canoe Route finally in print!
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It took two winters of writing, editing, reviewing, and proofing, but my book on the Nation Lakes Canoe Route is finally in print. I was so excited when I pulled the first copy out of the box, that I pressed Blanche into becoming an official photographer. We drove to Seal Bay Regional Park where she snapped this shot. I was hoping for ducks swimming on the pond behind me, but as you can clearly see, they have no regard for the wishes of a mere mortal.
The book is now for sale on Dogwood Avenue Books’ website. Feel free to share this post on Facebook or Twitter, and help spread the word to the paddling community.
PS: That’s not grey hair on my head. It’s just a reflection. Really … Hmm … I wonder if Photoshop can change spots of grey into black? … Maybe next time.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Book Cover - Nation Lakes Canoe Route
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Choosing the right picture for the cover of my second book was easy once the design of the title bar was set. In my opinion, the dark beach, canoe, and paddler match the black band behind the title to perfection. Of course, I m totally biased!
The official release date is April 12, but I expect the book to be available before the end of March, 2012. I will provide more info as it becomes available.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Going Back to Gosling Lake
I took this photo two years ago at the north end of Gosling Lake on the Sayward Forest Canoe Route. I remember that the log you see in the water sank several inches when I stepped onto it from my canoe. I skeddadled to shore just in to time to avoid wet socks.
Aside from the memory of the less-than-graceful exit, I like this picture. The way the branches of the highbush cranberry point toward the blue spaces always brings my attention to the flashes of light on the small waves. The haze in front of the mountain and (when I zoom in) the berries among the reddening leaves remind me of a warm fall afternoon.
At the time I took the shot, I had a hunch the mountain in the background was Mount Albert Edward, but I wasn’t sure. A quick flyby on Google Earth confirms I was right (see this link).
What the internet cannot tell me, though, is whether the old log has finally become so waterlogged that it has sunk to the bottom since I last saw it, and if I will ever be there again just when the sun heats the cranberries to the point where I can smell them on the breeze.
I guess I have to go back to Gosling Lake this fall.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Great Sundew at Amor Lake
These great sundew leaves are waiting for unsespecting insects to land and get stuck on the sticky drops of gel at the tips of their soft bristle.
Although they are called "great", most of the great sundew plants are only two to three inches high.
Please be mindful of those tiny jewels as you stroll along the shores of our Vancouver Island lakes. Sundews may be carnivorous, but they are fragile.
Here is link to a Google Map of Amor Lake, where, at the height of summer, many sundew plants wait patiently for their next meal.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Praying Mantis and Logging Trains
This picture was taken from a tiny island in the northernmost bay of Mohun Lake, on the Sayward Forest Canoe Route. Some old maps refer to the bay, which is connected to the main body of Mohun Lake by a small channel, as Goose Lake.
A small but functional campsite occupies a rocky headland at the southern end of the island. If you really focus on the picture, you can see the Vancouver Island Mountains showing some of their peaks above the channel leading to Mohun Lake. The pilings in the channel speak of an era when trains loaded with heavy lumber chugged across the narrows, filling the air with steam and noise.
Today, the high-pitched whistles have been replaced by the more natural, yet just as thrilling calls of Mew gulls, ospreys, and bald eagles.
Follow this link to get a satellite view of the island in Google Maps. If you zoom in, you can even see the dead tree hovering over the water like a praying mantis. It is below and to the right of the campsite symbol.
Saturday, February 04, 2012
The Old Log Cabin
When I paddle along the shore of a lake or river, I always keep an eye out for old cabins. Usually, I can spot them from the water, but the one in the picture was hidden deep in the bush. I found it by luck, on the north shore of Tchentlo Lake while on a canoe trip. This is the story of what happened.
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| Author and Steve Flawith exploring the old cabin. Tchentlo Lake, Nation Lakes Canoe Route, BC, Canada. |
To escape an incoming storm, my paddling companions and I landed our canoes on a sandy beach. We climbed up the bank, rigged up a tarp, and waited for the storm to pass. Ten minutes later, a few raindrops bounced off the tarp, but that was all. The storm missed us.
We liked the feel of forest around us, so we decided to stay a little longer. Some of us made tea, others took a nap, I went for a walk.
Not too far from our temporary camp, I noticed an old trail on the forest floor. I began following it. Not an easy task, considering how often it disappeared under the moss, only to reappear when I took a few steps farther into the unknown. The path led me far enough into the forest that I began to wonder if I should go back and get my compass, just in case I got lost. But there was a rise in the terrain, and you know it goes with rises and hills and mountains. I had to see what was on the other side.
Once at the top of the rise, I looked over my shoulder to orient myself. I could still see blue water through the branches of the trees. This puzzled me. At this distance from shore, the sub-boreal forest should have completely shut me in from the lake. "Well," I thought, "at least I won’t get lost. If I come back to this rise, I’ll know where I am." I pressed on.
Soon, I noticed partly decaying stumps sticking up from the ground at regular intervals. An explanation for the semi-openness of the forest began to take shape in my mind. Someone had cut down many of the trees. But why? A few steps later, I saw the cabin. Now I had my answer. The person, or maybe I should say "persons", who had built the cabin had only cut down trees of the right diameter for their purpose. Since they did not damage the trees that were either too small or too crooked, the forest had recovered quickly. As a result, the area around the cabin was more open than the nearby virgin forest, yet it was so well integrated with it that I had almost failed to see the difference.
I returned to my friends and guided them back to the cabin. We pondered over who had built it. How many years ago? Were they trappers or miners? Why had they chosen a spot this far into the bush instead of closer to shore? Had they brought the cast iron stove, now rusty and hidden under the fallen timbers, by canoe, or had they dragged it on a toboggan or a sleigh over the winter ice? Asking the questions seemed to make us appreciate the fortitude of the builders. In the end, though, no clear answers prevailed in our common consciousness.
There was one thing we could not fail to notice—and many of us remarked on it. Nature was slowly reclaiming the cabin. Soon, the logs would be completely gone, and the moss would reach high-enough to cover the cast iron stove. Once that happened, no one would ever again wonder about the people who built this refuge in the wilderness.
I love old cabins. They make me appreciate the temporal nature of my life.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Labrador Tea Bounty
This morning, I was reminiscing over old pictures of the Sayward Forest Canoe Circuit when I came across this one. It is Labrador tea in bloom.
I remember the day I took the shot. Blanche and I were camping at Amor Lake. She was in an exploratory mood, so we went for a stroll along the beach. Before too long, we arrived at the shrub you see in the picture on the right.
Enticed by a hint of perfume floating in the air, we decided we would brew a pot of Labrador tea later on in the day. Careful not to damage the new growth, I plucked a dozen wrinkled old leaves from the base of the stalks. I stuffed them into my shirt pocket.
After I snapped the picture, I bent over a cluster of flowers to take a good whiff. Although I had smelled it many times before, the depth of the tangy perfume surprised me. I stood back, pleased and satisfied with our walk so far.
By now, I was ready to return to camp, but something caught my eye. On one of the clusters, a small reddish beetle dipped its head into the cup of a flower. Suddenly, I saw dozens of the tiny bugs, as if they had just materialized. Each cluster hosted at least one or two. Some of the beetles crept from flower to flower in a funny, robotic fashion. Others stood motionless at the cups, heads buried at the base of the stamens. The shrub was not only giving us a few leaves to make a unique, unforgettable tea, it was also feeding an entire colony of enigmatic little beetles.Nature always gives us a show.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
White Bog Orchid, Writer’s Bloc or Heaven on a Stalk?
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| White Bog Orchid |
The rain batters the window of my study. Bad time for a morning walk, but perfect for editing. I focus on a sentence describing one of the many white bog orchids I saw on the Nation Lakes Canoe Route. This particular one was growing in the meadow surrounding the Tchentlo Hot Springs. Here is what I have written so far: “Take the time to kneel down and smell the flowers on the spike of the white bog orchid, specially in mid-afternoon when they release their spicy perfume.”
The words rekindle memories of the trip. I imagine soaking in one of the pools of the hot springs. Bubbles rise up and touch my skin. Birds tweet in the forest. Monkey flowers, blue asters, and grass of Parnassus show off their blooms . . . but the “spicy perfume of the white bog orchid” does not seem to reach my senses. The description feels aloof, far, unreal. I must be more specific.
Orchids are fragile plants. When I’m lucky enough to find one, I feel it is so perfect, so precious, that I do not dare touch it for fear of breaking its stalk or damaging its bloom. This leaves me with no recollection of its texture and prevents me from using the sense of touch to describe it—which is just as well because I do not want people handling wild orchids just to know how they feel. A visual description is hardly necessary when I have the picture. So I must concentrate on smell.
An orchid’s fragrance is unique. I could never do it justice, but I can try to associate it with familiar smells. I should have done that when I was actually sniffing the flower, but at the time, I was so spellbound by it that I forgot to take notes. Did it really smell spicy? Yes, but with something else, a fruit maybe. What specific spices and fruit am I talking about here? Cinnamon and cloves for sure. The fruit was an orange, but not just any orange. A sweet, plump orange, the kind you only get once or twice a year if you live in Canada, and the smell was not the smell of the flesh, but of the oil in the rind when you peel it off.
Now the collage of memories has more breath. Before I type in the changes, I close my eyes and slide right back into the pool at the hot springs. Tiny bubbles rise in the column of water, so eager to reach the surface, they shimmer. Birds twitter at the edge of the forest. They sound happy, yet subdued, like toddlers playing on a soft carpet. And finally, a warm breeze carries to me the scent of a white bog orchid, a perfect blend of cinnamon and cloves sprinkled over the zest of an orange. For a brief moment, I flirt with heaven.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Lesson from Primary School
Today, my wife and the ladies from her book club meet in our living room to review The Midwife of Venice. Needless to say, I have no intention of staying here while they discuss the literary skills of Roberta Rich. I have at times, been asked to stay and participate. I'm sure I would enjoy the discussion, but I know better. I always answer that I do not wish to intrude. What I really mean, though, is “you would not catch me dead advancing a male opinion anywhere near so much oestrogen.” You know what I mean.
I usually try to leave before the first of them arrives. My usual tactic is to pack my laptop and drive to either the local coffee shop or the library. My official intention is to work on my “stuff”, but what I always end up doing is to read the Globe and Mail and a magazine or two, all the while feeling somewhat flustered at having exiled myself from my own home.
When four o'clock rolls around, I jauntily return to my castle to find it empty of gossip. All the ladies are gone, except for my Queen, who for some reason is always in a particularly good mood. Sometimes, things are better between man and woman when they revert to primary school attitudes. What I mean here is that when all these women invade our living room, Blanche and I abide by “the girls with the girls and the boys with the boys”. It always works.
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