Monday, July 14, 2008
Photos of Bowron
Just in case anyone wanted to see photos from Bowron Lakes - I posted them all to my flickr site. Here are a couple of my favorites.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Bowron Lakes Chain!
I just got back from 8 days of paddling around the Bowron Lakes Chain in Northern B.C. What an amazing trip! I was invited to join my friend Sheri and her family to canoe the circuit. All together, there were 8 of us in 4 canoes. Three generations of her family were there, with her dad completing his 13th trip around and her two nieces and a nephew doing their first.
Bowron Lake Park is a large wilderness area on the Western slopes of the Cariboo Mountain Range. The canoe circuit is a 116 km chain of lakes, rivers and connecting portages. The trip can be completed in 4-10 days depending on how strong your crew is and what the weather's like. There have been a few radicals who have done the whole thing in less than a day - but that involves running the portages, not sleeping and generally not enjoying the spectacular scenery. Not really my cup of tea!
Overall it was a great trip. On average we paddled 6-7 hours a day, with a couple longer days when campsites were full and a couple shorter days when we found somewhere particularly nice we wanted to explore some more. We also completely lucked out when it came to weather, with most days dawning with clear skies and calm winds. The only day we paddled in the rain was the very last day as we were pulling into shore. 3 out of the 4 boats had made it to the end when it began to pour! A great opportunity to test out how waterproof our gear was, without much consequence. Otherwise, we did have the occasional storm blow through in the evenings but thankfully they didn't last long and we typically had tarps set up in time.
If we were lucky when it came to weather, karma caught up to us when it came to the mosquitoes! Never have I seen so many blood sucking critters in one space at one time. Bug spray and long sleeves did little to deter the bastards and I spent much of my time in camp swatting, scratching and bathing myself in Afterbite. At night, we were lulled to sleep by the buzzing just beyond the tent screen. That same buzzing was also a huge deterrent for getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, despite a full bladder!
This was my first trip portaging, and I was pretty happy for the canoe carts when going up and down the trails. Specifically the first section when the canoes were loaded! The parks do have a weight restriction, and when you register to start the circuit, a ranger does come out to weigh all the stuff you're going to be carrying in your canoe. To keep the trails in good condition, all canoes are limited to 60 lbs and whatever is left over, has to be carried on your back. Our group was overweight , but luckily our ranger was compassionate and helped us out. This is contrary to what some members of our group have experienced in the past, so many thanks to her!
We did get to see a bit of wildlife on our journey around the lake, starting with a bear visit to our campsite the first morning. Although he (she?) wasn't easily scared off, he did eventually make his way up the trail allowing us to get packed up and our way. All the campsites on the circuit are well equipped with bear caches but I guess the smell of bacon and eggs in the morning was too much to resist! (Side note - Many thanks to my cousin at Doug's Homestead in Hedley for getting all our meat ready for us! We were the envy of the campsite when we had bbq'ed steaks at the end of day 4, and their beef jerky is the best I've tasted, hands down.) We also came across several bald eagles and a few moose, including the one that Keith and Emilie had to paddle around after running the chute on Isaac river! Loons were often our companions on the water during the day and serenaded us with their calls at night. One night we were also privy to a couple of owls calling to each other across the bay we were camped at. The hoots that followed led us to believe it might have been a mating call. They kept us up part of the night!
We were one of many families we met along the way, and it seems like an ideal trip to take with enough planning and preparation. Even the little guy whose canoe took on water when running the chutes had a big smile on his face at the end of it all. No matter how you look at it, it was the opportunity of a lifetime, and although it was my first, I'm confident it won't be my last.
Bowron Lake Park is a large wilderness area on the Western slopes of the Cariboo Mountain Range. The canoe circuit is a 116 km chain of lakes, rivers and connecting portages. The trip can be completed in 4-10 days depending on how strong your crew is and what the weather's like. There have been a few radicals who have done the whole thing in less than a day - but that involves running the portages, not sleeping and generally not enjoying the spectacular scenery. Not really my cup of tea!
Overall it was a great trip. On average we paddled 6-7 hours a day, with a couple longer days when campsites were full and a couple shorter days when we found somewhere particularly nice we wanted to explore some more. We also completely lucked out when it came to weather, with most days dawning with clear skies and calm winds. The only day we paddled in the rain was the very last day as we were pulling into shore. 3 out of the 4 boats had made it to the end when it began to pour! A great opportunity to test out how waterproof our gear was, without much consequence. Otherwise, we did have the occasional storm blow through in the evenings but thankfully they didn't last long and we typically had tarps set up in time.
If we were lucky when it came to weather, karma caught up to us when it came to the mosquitoes! Never have I seen so many blood sucking critters in one space at one time. Bug spray and long sleeves did little to deter the bastards and I spent much of my time in camp swatting, scratching and bathing myself in Afterbite. At night, we were lulled to sleep by the buzzing just beyond the tent screen. That same buzzing was also a huge deterrent for getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, despite a full bladder!
This was my first trip portaging, and I was pretty happy for the canoe carts when going up and down the trails. Specifically the first section when the canoes were loaded! The parks do have a weight restriction, and when you register to start the circuit, a ranger does come out to weigh all the stuff you're going to be carrying in your canoe. To keep the trails in good condition, all canoes are limited to 60 lbs and whatever is left over, has to be carried on your back. Our group was overweight , but luckily our ranger was compassionate and helped us out. This is contrary to what some members of our group have experienced in the past, so many thanks to her!
We did get to see a bit of wildlife on our journey around the lake, starting with a bear visit to our campsite the first morning. Although he (she?) wasn't easily scared off, he did eventually make his way up the trail allowing us to get packed up and our way. All the campsites on the circuit are well equipped with bear caches but I guess the smell of bacon and eggs in the morning was too much to resist! (Side note - Many thanks to my cousin at Doug's Homestead in Hedley for getting all our meat ready for us! We were the envy of the campsite when we had bbq'ed steaks at the end of day 4, and their beef jerky is the best I've tasted, hands down.) We also came across several bald eagles and a few moose, including the one that Keith and Emilie had to paddle around after running the chute on Isaac river! Loons were often our companions on the water during the day and serenaded us with their calls at night. One night we were also privy to a couple of owls calling to each other across the bay we were camped at. The hoots that followed led us to believe it might have been a mating call. They kept us up part of the night!
We were one of many families we met along the way, and it seems like an ideal trip to take with enough planning and preparation. Even the little guy whose canoe took on water when running the chutes had a big smile on his face at the end of it all. No matter how you look at it, it was the opportunity of a lifetime, and although it was my first, I'm confident it won't be my last.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Overkill!
Wow - I just realized that it's been ages since I last posted here. Guess I felt that I haven't had anything interesting worth posting, which is odd, because there's been quite a bit going on. Anyway - the point of this post is to post the photos of my most recent photo assignment with Jordan. In case you missed it previously - the assignments happen monthly and are just a way to stretch our creative brains a bit in terms of our photography. This month's assignment was of Jordan's choosing and the theme he picked was "overkill". My initial reaction to this was "Damn! Why couldn't we have had this topic when I was in New York?!" I must have seen a dozen things that struck me as overkill while walking a city block. Finding things that were overkill in a small, fairly environmentally-friendly town seemed tough, and I definitely struggled with what to shoot. The number of hippies in town came to mind, as did the oversized trucks with two sleds in the back and a trailer behind with two more - but neither really inspired me. I considered using this assignment as a soap box to discuss consumerism or the amount of waste that could be recycled as a photo essay, but those felt too obvious. St. Patrick's Day was perfect opportunity - as I witnessed plenty of overkill - but posting unflattering pictures of people isn't really my thing either. That said, some element of that did trickle into what I did end up picking for this topic - booze. Believe it or not, Jordan (in a round about way) influenced that when he mentioned that he had had a bit too much red wine the other night. That made me think about a few other evenings of excess that I've experienced lately, and a quick look in my recycling bin provided me with ample fodder. So - below are a selection of shots of "Overkill". Be sure to check out Jordan's submissions as well.
several empty wine bottles...
the top of a Bailey's bottle. What can I say? It goes really well with Hot Chocolate after a day of skiing!
A quick plug for the Nelson Brewing Company!
There is no need for concern - I didn't consume this all in one night, nor did I drink it alone. It was enjoyed in good company!
several empty wine bottles...
the top of a Bailey's bottle. What can I say? It goes really well with Hot Chocolate after a day of skiing!
A quick plug for the Nelson Brewing Company!
There is no need for concern - I didn't consume this all in one night, nor did I drink it alone. It was enjoyed in good company!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Happy Valentine's Day!
Well really it's just an over-marketed retail holiday, but the romantic in me can't help but get warm fuzzies when I think about it.
Came across a couple videos on you tube that I thought were worth sharing. If you have a minute, enjoy!
Eat your heart out
And one that's a bit more bitter sweet...
Post Secret Valentine's
Happy Valentine's to everyone out there!
Came across a couple videos on you tube that I thought were worth sharing. If you have a minute, enjoy!
Eat your heart out
And one that's a bit more bitter sweet...
Post Secret Valentine's
Happy Valentine's to everyone out there!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Through the eyes of a child
Recently, in order to challenge our creative skills, my friend Jordan and I came up with the idea of doing a photo "assignment" of sorts. Each assignment will have a different theme to it. This assignment was "Through the eyes of a child". You can see Jordan's post here. You may need to scroll down a ways on the page since I am much delayed in posting my submission! This is also not to be confused with the photo assignments that he is doing with Jenna, although her photos are definitely worth checking out...
Anyway, I was away in Chicago for work this last week and had a chance to go for a quick walk one morning before going into meetings. I grabbed a coffee, headed off from the hotel and much to my delight came across Millennium Park a few blocks away. I was so excited about it, that I ran back to the hotel to get my camera (not sure why I left without it in the first place!) and dragged my co-worker back so I could take pictures. I was acting like a little kid - so I figured why not look at Chicago through the eyes of a child? So, here it is, my submissions for the first photo assignment. Enjoy!
A cool sculpture in the park
Us underneath the sculpture, looking up.
Ice skating in the city - what kid wouldn't think that was cool?
An ice sculpture
Anyway, I was away in Chicago for work this last week and had a chance to go for a quick walk one morning before going into meetings. I grabbed a coffee, headed off from the hotel and much to my delight came across Millennium Park a few blocks away. I was so excited about it, that I ran back to the hotel to get my camera (not sure why I left without it in the first place!) and dragged my co-worker back so I could take pictures. I was acting like a little kid - so I figured why not look at Chicago through the eyes of a child? So, here it is, my submissions for the first photo assignment. Enjoy!
A cool sculpture in the park
Us underneath the sculpture, looking up.
Ice skating in the city - what kid wouldn't think that was cool?
An ice sculpture
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Cold Snap!
Well it's been clear (and cold) for just about the last 2 weeks. Sadly, not much new snowfall. I've already become a bit of a powder snob, and last weekend decided to go cross country instead of downhill because I thought the conditions would be better (and from what I'm told, they were!)
I'm also becoming a bit soft, temperature wise. Temps here were -10 to -15 as a low last week and it felt chilly! I was joking with a co-worker who lives in Lethbridge that it was feeling like an Alberta day. He promptly replied that it was -28 with the wind chill there! Oops!
Anyway, still hadn't received much new snow this morning, so decided to head out for a morning paddle. I'd never actually been canoeing in the winter, but it was a positive experience. Temperatures this morning were milder than they've been all week, so keeping warm wasn't an issue. Plus, it was super calm and we literally had the lake to ourselves. Many thanks to Dylan for the boat and the guiding skills!
Ullr has finally answered Nelson's prayers though, and a heavy snowfall warning is now in effect (thankfully!) so tomorrow it'll be an all out evacuation of the town to the ski hill for a well deserved powder day!
I'm also becoming a bit soft, temperature wise. Temps here were -10 to -15 as a low last week and it felt chilly! I was joking with a co-worker who lives in Lethbridge that it was feeling like an Alberta day. He promptly replied that it was -28 with the wind chill there! Oops!
Anyway, still hadn't received much new snow this morning, so decided to head out for a morning paddle. I'd never actually been canoeing in the winter, but it was a positive experience. Temperatures this morning were milder than they've been all week, so keeping warm wasn't an issue. Plus, it was super calm and we literally had the lake to ourselves. Many thanks to Dylan for the boat and the guiding skills!
Ullr has finally answered Nelson's prayers though, and a heavy snowfall warning is now in effect (thankfully!) so tomorrow it'll be an all out evacuation of the town to the ski hill for a well deserved powder day!
Friday, January 4, 2008
The eagle has landed!
I did manage to get out a few times over the holidays and got 4 days under my belt between Christmas in Calgary and New Year's in Nelson. The holidays in general were pretty nice. Because our family is growing, this year we decided to pick names. It made for the lowest stress Christmas season I've had in a long time. All my shopping was done in one afternoon on Baker Street. It was also nice to be reminded that being together is the real reason for the season and to not get wrapped up in the retail/commercial side of things. Not to mention, it seemed like each of us invested a decent effort in finding the ideal gift for the person we bought for. Andrew did really well snagging me a camera with a fish eye lens. Practice shots are in progress and I will try and get some samples posted here soon.
New Year's was also nice with Sheri, Roz and Jan visiting from Edmonton. I'm thankful that they were willing to do the 10 hour drive to come visit and ski. They were amply rewarded with tons of light, fluffy powder up at Whitewater. Even Roz, who was just learning to ski, is a powder snob now!
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