tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15131972482234796282024-02-22T12:28:29.423-06:00Mark's Paddling BlogWildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.comBlogger142125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-88143647304650234832014-01-20T20:39:00.000-06:002014-01-20T20:39:00.105-06:00Stripping and Fairing<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve made good progress on the canoe over the past few
weeks. After the strong back and
stations are set up it’s time to start stripping the hull. The first strip is the most important and
will eventually become the sheer line.
The strip is stapled to the center station and allowed to curve, down, naturally
at the ends and is then stapled in place at the ends. The sheer strip is then stapled in place on
the other side of the canoe using a four foot level to match its location with
the first strip. Again these are the two
most important strips, if they do not describe a smooth curve, any abrupt angles
will be transferred to the rest of the strips that come next and the canoe will
not have smooth, graceful, lines. So
after spending a good deal of time looking at the sheer strips from every angle
possible, and even having my girl friend (Zoe) look at them I was satisfied
with their placement. Now the fun part
can begins. </div>
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Up to this point the process of building the canoe has just
been setting up. Now with each strip
added the boat truly begins to take shape.
The process of stripping a hull is quite simple, just run a bead of glue
in the cove of the previous strip, set the next strip in place, making sure it’s
fully seated in the cove of the previous strip and staple in place. Always work from amidships toward the ends of
the boat. In an effort to somewhat book
match the strips on each side of the hull I would glue two strips in place,
trim the overhang on the ends then move to the other side and add two strips
there. Moving back and forth from side
to side keeps any tensions that may build due to the twisting, gluing, and stapling
of the wooden strips distributed evenly throughout the hull. </div>
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Progress slows once the bilge is reached; at this point the
cedar strips are forced into compound curves as well as twisted vertical to align
with the inner stems. It can be tough to
get each strip to sit flush against the station. Also, once the bilge is reached, one side of
the bottom is stripped past the center line.
After the glue is allowed to dry a line is drawn along the center and
the excess strips are trimmed off. This center line is then planed flush and
true. To fill in the other half of the
bottom I had some help from Zoe.</div>
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Next I turned my attention to the stems, the outer stems
have to be fitted and glued in place using epoxy thickened with wood
flour. Originally I wasn’t planning to
use screws to attach the outer stems but I was concerned about durability and
decided that screws hidden under wooden plugs would be much more durable.</div>
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Once the glue was dry I removed all the staples and planed
the entire hull to take down the high spots in preparation for rough sanding
and fairing the hull. The entire hull
was first rough sanded using 80 grit paper then sanded again using 120
grit. The hull was wetted to raise the
grain and sanded again with 120 then 220.</div>
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Making sure the sheer strip describes a smooth arc. Any weird angles here will be transferred to all the strips that follow.</div>
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This photos shows the two by two stripping process I used.</div>
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Here I'm approaching the bilge where the strip at the center of station begins to turn to create the flat bottom of the hull. At the stem the strip must be twisted vertical to match the inner stem.</div>
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Another view of the sheer line.</div>
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The above sequence shows the process of stripping the bottom.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cEMOJP9XTjU/Ut3XgjHdwQI/AAAAAAAAEoM/ppK26X9Nz8I/s1600/PC221710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cEMOJP9XTjU/Ut3XgjHdwQI/AAAAAAAAEoM/ppK26X9Nz8I/s1600/PC221710.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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The outer stem is held on with ratchet straps while the thickened epoxy cures.</div>
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The outer stem is then shaped.</div>
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I used a hand plane to shave down the high spots.</div>
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Wooden plugs hide the screw heads.</div>
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I wetted the hull to raise the grain and sanded with 220 grit sand paper three times.</div>
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Next step, fibreglass.</div>
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Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-29171847206509019192013-12-27T21:20:00.000-06:002013-12-27T21:20:13.111-06:00Prep, Set Up, Stripping.........<div class="MsoNormal">
Ok, like I said, I had prepared the strips earlier in the
fall while the weather was still warm.
The next step was to prepare the station molds. I could have lofted the measurements from the
<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Canoecraft-Illustrated-Guide-Woodstrip-Construction/dp/1552093425/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388198130&sr=8-1&keywords=canoecraft" target="_blank"><b>CanoeCraft</b></a> by Ted Moorse but decided to purchase
the plans from <a href="http://bearmountainboats.com/" target="_blank"><b>Bear Mountain Boats</b></a>. This way the lines would be professionally faired. By the way, Canoecraft is the main reference
source that I am using along with the forum on <a href="http://bearmountainboats.com/phpBB3/" target="_blank"><b>Bear MountainBoats</b></a> and the <a href="http://www.greenval.com/builders_notes.html" target="_blank"><b>builders notes</b></a> on Green valley
boat works website. </div>
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The prospector style
boat has a symmetrical hull meaning forward and after of the centre line are
identical. For this reason I was able to
make two stations at once rather than one at a time. To make the stations I screwed two sheets of
5/8” plywood together, trace the station outlines onto the wood, then cut it
out with the band saw, and faired the edges on the belt sander. Then unscrewed them. </div>
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There are definate steps to building a
canoe. Preparing the materials, setting
up, stripping, sanding......... The more
time you spend in prepping the parts and setting up, the better each step will
go along the line. As part of the
preparation step, after the stations are made, the inner and outer stems have
to be made. This involves steaming, and
bending 6, 1/4 inch strips for each stem.
The strips are steamed to make them pliable then bent and clamped in
place on the stem stations that were prepared along with the rest of the
stations. After letting them dry for a
week the strips were laminated together in groups of three to produce the inner
and outer stems.</div>
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On to the set up.
Each station as well as the stem stations are now screwed to the strong
back with 12” spacing. This step in the
process will make or break the whole project.
All stations must be aligned carefully to ensure the boat will have fair
curves to the hull. If even one station
is out of alignment the the boat will have a funky shape and it won’t perform
properly. Now is the time to slow down
and take your time. After spending hours
staring at imaginary lines, taking careful measurements and attaching temporary
strips to get a feel for the shape and curve of the craft, it is time to start
stripping.</div>
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This is the stem station screwed to a set of saw horses. The inner and outer stems are made of walnut and are parepared longer than needed. They'll be cut to length later. The white duct tape helps keep the stems from sticking to the station if any glue runs down. I used a sacrificial strip of pine to protect the walnut from being damaged by the clamps.</div>
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The strong back is basically a 15 foot long saw horse that the stations are attached to. The stations are typically set 12" apart. </div>
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Temporary strips are attached in key locations. Sighting along these strips will quickly reveal any stations that are out of alignment. </div>
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This photo shows the string line along what will be the bottom of the boat. This is used to centre everything. Here I'm sighting along what will become the sheer line. This is the most important line on the boat. If this first strip isn't right then every one after will be wrong. It also defines the look of the canoe. At this point I spent hours staring at the imaginary boat.</div>
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Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-35349280926970640232013-12-03T00:02:00.001-06:002013-12-03T00:02:45.773-06:00Maskwa Paddle Co. Chestnut Canoe Build<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Earlier this fall I began another boat build. This time I decided to make a cedar strip
chestnut prospector 16. This is the same
style of boat that Canada’s canoeing guru, Bill Mason, paddled. Only his was a wood canvas. Actually the dimensions for this boat were taken
by Bill Mason from his own canoe. I
purchased the station plans from Bear Mountain Boats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Here are a few specs:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Length 16'</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Maximum beam 35"</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Beam waterline 33.25"</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Bow height 19.25"</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Centre depth 13.25"</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Displacement 420 lbs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Draft 4"</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Wetted surface 27.2 sq.ft.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Prismatic coefficient 0.510</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Like I said, I began this build earlier in
the fall. I wanted to mill the strips
before the snow fell. The strips are 17
feet long so I would need at least that much space on either side of my table
saw. My shop is only 24 feet long so
that meant I would have to feed the lumber in through the overhead door. I had purchased around 60 board feet of 4/4
clear rough cut cedar from a local lumber yard.
Milled it to the required ¾” with a thickness planner. After setting up the table saw and router
table with a 16 foot out feed table I got to work ripping and milling strips. The strips are ¾” wide by ¼” thick, 17 feet
long, with a bead milled on one edge and a cove on the other. It took me a couple of full afternoons to
mill 1700 feet of strips. Once finished
I bundled and stored them on a temporary shelf until it was time to begin
building.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ripping 1/4" inch strips is a dusty job.</div>
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In order to have enough length in the shop for the 16 foot out feed table I had to move the table saw close to the over head door. An old pallet with a roller worked well to support the portion of the board that extended into the alley. I actually had to temporarily block off the alley so that vehicles passing by wouldn't hit the end of the board.</div>
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Milling the bead and cove. Here's the temporary router table with 16 foot out feed table attached. Feather boards help guide the strip into the cutter. Produces a more uniform strip.</div>
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Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-65647378965083380162013-02-09T18:49:00.003-06:002013-02-09T18:49:48.297-06:00New Web Site AnnouncementI'm pleased to announce the publication of my latest website, <b><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://canoelessons.ca/"><span style="color: red;">CanoeLessons.ca</span></a>.</span></b> I am a Paddle Canada certified canoe instructor and have been teaching tandem and solo canoe lessons every spring. Now I've made it easier for those interested in canoe lessons to register for one of my courses. <a href="http://canoelessons.ca/"><b><span style="color: red;">CanoeLessons.ca</span></b></a> is an online source that allows people to register for one of my scheduled canoe lessons or to contact me to arrange private lessons.<br />
<br />
<b>Spring 2013 Canoe Lesson Schedule</b><br />
<br />
Learn to Canoe Clinic - June 9th<br />
Learn to Canoe Clinic - June 23rd<br />
Learn to Canoe Clinic - June 30th<br />
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Intermediate / Advanced Tandem Certification Course - July 13 - 14<br />
<br />
For more information visit <a href="http://canoelessons.ca/"><b><span style="color: red;">CanoeLessons.ca</span></b></a> or email <b><a href="mailto:wildpaddler@gmail.com"><span style="color: red;">wildpaddler@gmail.com</span></a></b><br />
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<br />Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-36175262549308993162013-02-09T18:14:00.000-06:002013-02-09T18:14:25.100-06:00Canoe TrippinWell, it's been a long winter and even longer since my last post but since spring is just a couple of months away I thought I'd share my canoeing adventures from last summer. <div>
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As usual we did our annual thanksgiving canoe trip. This time we went to a long time favorite, Robertson Falls on the Churchill River in northern Saskatchewan. We've camped at this spot many times for Thanksgiving and on more than one occasion it has snowed on us and this trip was no exception. The weather was cool and damp pretty well the whole weekend, if it wasn't raining it was snowing. Finally on the last day, half an hour after we broke camp, packed the canoes and headed for home the clouds disappeared and the sun came out. Again this weather pattern has happened on other Thanksgiving trips.</div>
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We pretty well stayed close to camp and even closer to the camp fire for most of the time, staying warm and dry for the most part. The rain was mostly mist so as long as we had a large fire burning it evaporated before it hit the ground. We had three tarps set up to duck under in case the rain came with force and we even had a wind break set around the fire which helped deflect some of the heat.</div>
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In order to maintain a large warm fire we made several wood runs with the canoes. In all we brought in 5 canoe loads of wood, of which we burned around three. </div>
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We did venture out one afternoon, when the drizzle stopped, to take a tour over to Twin Falls for some photos.</div>
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As usual the food was second to none, we usually have a large pot luck style Thanksgiving meal. As usual everyone out did themselves.</div>
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The fog offered some very nice views considering the cool temperatures.</div>
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As a distraction from the cold I taught the group how to light a fire in the soaking wet woods using a fire steel.</div>
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Our camp showing the many tarps used as wind breaks and to store items under. We had a full days worth of wood stashed under the orange tarp.</div>
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Zoe and Taiga in front of Robertson Falls.</div>
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Taiga had a great time exploring the woods around camp. Here she is recovering a bone that she buried earlier.</div>
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Group photo in front of the fire. </div>
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Chocolate chip cookie carnage.</div>
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Thanks giving meal.</div>
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Resting in the warm sun on the trip back to the vehicles.</div>
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Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-83048337531182620152012-07-06T23:17:00.000-06:002012-07-06T23:17:18.104-06:00Trapper Paddles and snowshoes<span style="background-color: white;">Lately</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span>I've been keeping busy in the shop working on another small order of paddles. These all have the same blade design as well as a modified north woods grip. The lengths vary from 55 inches to 59 inches.<br />
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I've also been working on a pair of Ojibway snowshoes for a client in Fond du lac. The frames are ready for the filling.<br />
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<br />Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-53776508181981913002012-06-17T00:38:00.001-06:002012-06-17T00:39:43.245-06:00ArtworkI was digging around in some old papers the other day and came across some drawings that I did between 2001 and 2003and thought I'd post them here. Hope you enjoy<br />
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Fly fishing reel</div>
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Green Tree Frog</div>
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Mountain Chickadee</div>
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Old Prospector (concept sketch for a drawing that is hanging on my wall)</div>
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Owl</div>Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-83797043057500730322012-06-09T17:50:00.001-06:002012-06-12T13:34:01.303-06:00A bunch of paddlesIt has been a while since I last posted so I thought I'd show some of the paddles that I've been working on. These are to fill an order that I received, they are available to purchase at <a href="http://www.classicoutdoors.ca/" target="_blank">Classic Outdoors</a>, a paddle sports store in Saskatoon. They are made of walnut, cedar, and birch and have an oiled finish.<br />
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<br />Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-73735731740012057222012-05-21T22:48:00.000-06:002012-05-21T22:48:17.238-06:00Fun in the Sun with good friendsOn Sunday May 20 a group of us headed up to the Torch River for a day of paddling. We do this trip almost every year as long as there is enough water in the river. Most of the water in the Torch River is run off from snow melt. So getting there at the right time is important. <br />
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This year there were 12 of us on the water. We really lucked out with the weather, when we left Saskatoon at 7 am the local temperature was -4 degrees but by the time we drove the 3 hours and shuttled the vehicles to the take out the sun was high in the sky and warm. The wind was very strong but luckily it was from behind. I was very surprised at the amount of green on the trees. Most years the trees are almost bare with only a hint of green. Spring certainly came early this year.<br />
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On the drive up in the morning we saw two black bears in the Fort a la Corne forest. The first one ran across the road and into the forest before we could get a photo, but this guy didn't mind us at all. Both had very light colouring, brown almost like a brown bear.</div>
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Here's the entire group (minus myself, I'm taking the photo) From left to right: Eddy, Thorsten, Grant, Valery, Gord, Judy, Jeff, Bryan, Zoe, Taiga, and Karrie</div>
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This was Zoe's first white water trip other than a weekend we spent a couple of years ago paddling white water. By the end of the day she was doing very well, we only left green paint on a couple of rocks.</div>
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The day was sunny and hot and by the end quite a few of use were the colour of lobsters. We got real lucky with the water levels this year. The water has been a little high the last couple of year but this year it was just about right. There were tons of rocks poking up out of the water creating hundreds of eddies and waves to practice our white water skills with.</div>
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It was difficult finding a suitable spot to stop for a snack. All along the river the banks were strewn with debris. At this particular spot there was a lot of moose sign (droppings and tracks in the mud). </div>
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Bryan and Karrie sitting in one of the many eddies on the river. In the back ground Gord is enjoying his usual paddling position.</div>
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Taiga is a perfect canoe dog! She just turned one and loves swimming and chasing sticks in the water. In the canoe she spends her time laying nicely in the boat, soaking up the sun.</div>
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<br />Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com2Put in camp ground53.657254106327343 -104.2632579803466853.652549106327342 -104.27312848034668 53.661959106327345 -104.25338748034667tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-61154959733206716592012-03-11T17:52:00.000-06:002012-03-11T17:52:30.810-06:00Wandering in the Nisbet ForestI took a break from my studies today to take advantage of the fantastic weather. Taiga and I headed to the Nisbet Forest to spend the day snowshoeing and exploring. Zoe is in Fond du lac right now so she couldn't join us. It was a great day for wandering in the forest the sun was warm and there was no wind, the only problem is the lack of snow. There really wasn't enough to warrant snowshoes but I used them anyway. For lunch Taiga and I found a nice little sunny spot among a stand of jack pine and made a small fire to boil up some tea. The lunch menu consisted of cheese biscuits, maple smoked salmon, and cheese. Taiga had some treats. While we ate lunch we sat quietly listening the the chickadees, blue jays, gray jays, squirrels, and crows. Taiga loves to run in the forest and would run as fast and as hard as she could, then she'd dive head first into the snow and plow to a stop. She's going to sleep well tonight.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyS3SClt_r2vbsLORW9oYvPzHOXXzVn1iecfPLSEdEbIHni3Emc3ecs8n2qrE8d8CxtAZg0K6fqceUEK6U7R8kl9MBap_UKFiAY4Hv1Ps9i2_-_0LVPDPBxHHHeYkQx8rP3TdZwtWu-GQ/s1600/P3110082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyS3SClt_r2vbsLORW9oYvPzHOXXzVn1iecfPLSEdEbIHni3Emc3ecs8n2qrE8d8CxtAZg0K6fqceUEK6U7R8kl9MBap_UKFiAY4Hv1Ps9i2_-_0LVPDPBxHHHeYkQx8rP3TdZwtWu-GQ/s320/P3110082.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I took this picture to show how little snow there is in the forest</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkmdd_oaxhOaSVgszk8BGnZ9BOGCPOtxH2xY12zZLnyUdNkaKcGIdo7ZXOAFgvzmadYTuvg796kGJKMltTN3kwV7Xdntyoh-WddQ__jkM_dvQ7hEEmUHjHdEgbdPKRPWwryRimljgEgKw/s1600/P3110086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkmdd_oaxhOaSVgszk8BGnZ9BOGCPOtxH2xY12zZLnyUdNkaKcGIdo7ZXOAFgvzmadYTuvg796kGJKMltTN3kwV7Xdntyoh-WddQ__jkM_dvQ7hEEmUHjHdEgbdPKRPWwryRimljgEgKw/s320/P3110086.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> One of Taiga's favorite things is to chew and sticks.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K4z0NE7Nw8Q/T103VNdn1iI/AAAAAAAABv8/uiNSOqHM6nU/s1600/P3110096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K4z0NE7Nw8Q/T103VNdn1iI/AAAAAAAABv8/uiNSOqHM6nU/s320/P3110096.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Taiga doesn't have opposable thumbs so she finds it difficult to operate the camera, so this is a self portrait</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhoP6ZpL3thcEeC4pWlTX3Me5hjgzil_0kWs8uVaFimLd0ptuP0xN_RiAgjJgozFskmlUSAjezEBChcxMJLQ_YeBS2COAHdtsakxc7C3_V-bp2ERarQHGxSRTBazsz7mmXqFVX66f-BY/s1600/P3110100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhoP6ZpL3thcEeC4pWlTX3Me5hjgzil_0kWs8uVaFimLd0ptuP0xN_RiAgjJgozFskmlUSAjezEBChcxMJLQ_YeBS2COAHdtsakxc7C3_V-bp2ERarQHGxSRTBazsz7mmXqFVX66f-BY/s320/P3110100.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">She had fun in the snow</div>Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-31671838235531732902012-03-04T22:12:00.000-06:002012-03-04T22:12:17.366-06:00Happy People: A year in TaigaI came across this fantastic film by Werner Herzog a German film maker, producer, screen writer, actor, and opera director. The film is an excellent portrayal of life in the Siberian Taiga and how traditional craft skills, and perseverance are needed to make a living from the land.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/V26jauHZgtw" width="640"></iframe>Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-74663188166933410682012-01-13T10:06:00.001-06:002012-01-13T10:06:46.860-06:00Paddling in JanuaryOn Sunday (Jan. 8th) my good friend Bryan and I decided to take advantage of the warm weather and headed out onto the South Saskatchewan River for a short paddle. It was a sunny day with only a bit of a breeze. By the way Bryan is a Paddle Canada certified kayak instructor so if anyone is interested in learning to kayak head over to <a href="http://coldspringpaddling.com/" target="_blank">Coldspring Paddling</a> and check out his scheduled lessons. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fHHbON1OCDs/TxBU52K8ZHI/AAAAAAAABZ0/G3B8tPy2HYQ/s1600/P1080010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fHHbON1OCDs/TxBU52K8ZHI/AAAAAAAABZ0/G3B8tPy2HYQ/s320/P1080010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Bryan kayaked while I paddled may <a href="http://www.wildpaddler.ca/2008/02/paddle-to-bay-canoe.html" target="_blank">homemade canoe</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yf2bjz7-kxA/TxBU8N0nrfI/AAAAAAAABZ8/Kzc3wwtzKho/s1600/P1080012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yf2bjz7-kxA/TxBU8N0nrfI/AAAAAAAABZ8/Kzc3wwtzKho/s320/P1080012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The ice along shore made getting in a bit tricky</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7PL3Huz_-P4/TxBU-oPvjzI/AAAAAAAABaE/MZGxJq5u8JA/s1600/P1080015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7PL3Huz_-P4/TxBU-oPvjzI/AAAAAAAABaE/MZGxJq5u8JA/s320/P1080015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">We are very lucky to have such a great river flowing through our city</div>Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-85929715659233777452012-01-02T16:34:00.000-06:002012-01-02T16:34:21.007-06:00Almost New Year's Eve camping trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This year we had a small group for our xmas / new years eve camping trip, it was just myself, Zoe, and Jeff and of course Taiga. Zoe had to be back a bit earlier this year so we moved the trip dates forward a day or two and ended up coming home on the 31st rather than spending New Year's Eve in the woods.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-57Dk3P6XqtI/TwDVOjjAqCI/AAAAAAAABZc/7a4sr88fyfE/s1600/PC280025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-57Dk3P6XqtI/TwDVOjjAqCI/AAAAAAAABZc/7a4sr88fyfE/s320/PC280025.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Our destination was the Nipekamew Sand cliffs which I had visited a number of years ago in the summer so I had a rough idea as to what the area was like. </span> But when we arrived we found the forest to be an immature stand of birch trees. We had arrived later in the day than we had planned and with the decreasing day light I was beginning to become concerned about finding a suitable camp spot. After a few km's of pulling the pulks through the deep snow we came to a mature stand of jack pine. The forest floor was level with lots of firewood available. This was to be our home for a few days.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qmWp37fXqog/TwDVSjMl9tI/AAAAAAAABZs/W1fv1vk3NhM/s1600/PC280015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qmWp37fXqog/TwDVSjMl9tI/AAAAAAAABZs/W1fv1vk3NhM/s320/PC280015.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">We couldn't have asked for better weather. This year we lucked out with very mild conditions for what seems to becoming an annual New Years Eve camping trip. I didn't check the thermometer very often but when I did it read -13 degrees C the first night and -5 degrees C during the day. It seems that in the deep cold, temperatures matter more and I check the thermometer more often and when it's warm, well, it just doesn't matter. The days were sunny and warm and the nights were star filled and warm next to the fire.</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M3yOMX6k1AY/TwDVQyqfN6I/AAAAAAAABZk/jxgPGXB1Wig/s1600/PC280022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M3yOMX6k1AY/TwDVQyqfN6I/AAAAAAAABZk/jxgPGXB1Wig/s320/PC280022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Taiga is our 8 months old Lab and she did very well. She was very obedient and stayed close to camp. While on our day hikes she enjoyed running and playing in the deep snow. Our original destination was the McKay Lake area (same as last year) but with all the mild weather the lake ice was marginal at best so we had to look for an alternative location, preferably one that was on land. We decided on the Nipekamew Sand Cliffs which are located on the Nipekamew River near where the river crosses highway 165.</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9R0pzzqQnzY/TwDVM5_nozI/AAAAAAAABZU/CH1hxrz1RBM/s1600/PC280031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9R0pzzqQnzY/TwDVM5_nozI/AAAAAAAABZU/CH1hxrz1RBM/s320/PC280031.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The trail winds through thick deciduous forests as well as open coniferous forests. In some places the trail passes close enough to the Nipekamew River and afforded a great vantage point from high above. The scale of the forest really makes a person feel small and insignificant.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PU1e6s9tu2w/TwDU8PZsTfI/AAAAAAAABYM/2xGZ-qn6vM8/s1600/PC300102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PU1e6s9tu2w/TwDU8PZsTfI/AAAAAAAABYM/2xGZ-qn6vM8/s320/PC300102.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> Night time comes early at this time of year and we spent many hours sitting around the fire visiting, eating good food, and enjoying warm beverages. Food is always a highlight of our camping trips and this time was no different. We enjoyed a tasty sort of stew Jeff made from left over xmas dinner. Taiga particularly enjoyed the warmth of the fire after a day of hopping through the deep snow. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lj_rxM0G5G8/TwDVBtovX8I/AAAAAAAABYk/bNYuJHs3PCE/s1600/PC300075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lj_rxM0G5G8/TwDVBtovX8I/AAAAAAAABYk/bNYuJHs3PCE/s320/PC300075.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">During the day the forest was lit up with the warn rays of the sun, it was very impressive. The sunny days also made for good hiking conditions and we took advantage by exploring in the afternoons. All the fresh snow made traveling by snowshoe a delight.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fnl2cNiX4bQ/TwDVDRAiuKI/AAAAAAAABYs/Y6hyITr8f7o/s1600/PC290065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fnl2cNiX4bQ/TwDVDRAiuKI/AAAAAAAABYs/Y6hyITr8f7o/s320/PC290065.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Nipekamew sand cliffs are very picturesque during the summer but there is something special about them in the winter. Maybe it's that very few people make the effort to visit places like this in the winter. It takes a lot more work and preparation to make the journey during the winter. Often the risks are much higher and this trip was no different. Highway 165 doesn't see very much traffic and hadn't been plowed prior to our arrival or the whole time we were there, there are no residences between highway 2 and the Nipekamew River so if we had run into trouble or got stuck it could have been a long wait for help. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cvyVfLe3KIE/TwDVFExJE1I/AAAAAAAABY0/CXB3hQzllOY/s1600/PC290061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cvyVfLe3KIE/TwDVFExJE1I/AAAAAAAABY0/CXB3hQzllOY/s320/PC290061.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Finding the first of the three sets of cliffs is no problem, the trail leads right to them. Finding the second and third cliffs however requires some bushwhacking. We set off to find the cliffs on the second day and just followed the trail to the first, after a few quick photos we headed off to find the other two. We had a vague idea as to where they were located, a photo of the crude map on the plaque in the parking lot, a topographic map, and with that we set off in search. We wandered for and hour or so in the direction we thought they would be. Trying to match the crude map with the topo was difficult and inaccurate and it was no surprise that we we ran out of day light before we located the cliffs so we headed back to camp to prepare enough firewood to last the evening. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LO3eEOPtpCU/TwDVHG6SbKI/AAAAAAAABY8/XzXqFMUhZ5E/s1600/PC290055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LO3eEOPtpCU/TwDVHG6SbKI/AAAAAAAABY8/XzXqFMUhZ5E/s320/PC290055.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bMsBEJSKazY/TwDU_qHBznI/AAAAAAAABYc/RywKHSUTsTM/s1600/PC300086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bMsBEJSKazY/TwDU_qHBznI/AAAAAAAABYc/RywKHSUTsTM/s320/PC300086.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After we got the maps and our direction sorted out we easily found the third cliffs. We had brought a lunch and some tea with us so we stopped for a break and enjoyed the view of the cliffs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RBFpXKQKd8g/TwDVI3cwXDI/AAAAAAAABZE/efL99LRTW5k/s1600/PC290051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mZzBum59g14/TwDU9rvMaAI/AAAAAAAABYU/zGorMDfdSF8/s1600/PC300096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mZzBum59g14/TwDU9rvMaAI/AAAAAAAABYU/zGorMDfdSF8/s320/PC300096.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The sand cliffs are really quite spectacular, they were deposited 140 million years ago when sediments were laid down by a river that flowed, to what was then a large gulf on the arctic ocean. From our view across the river, cross bedding could be seen in the cliff walls from when the sediments were deposited. From these marks the direction of the river can be determined. We didn't dare venture across the river for a closer look because of the thin ice. The fresh snow made it looked almost safe but some discoloration of the surface snow gave away the dangerous truth.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RBFpXKQKd8g/TwDVI3cwXDI/AAAAAAAABZE/efL99LRTW5k/s1600/PC290051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RBFpXKQKd8g/TwDVI3cwXDI/AAAAAAAABZE/efL99LRTW5k/s320/PC290051.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Our camp was situated in a mature and open stand of jack pine. The well spaced trees made finding a tent site easy. With all the recent mild weather in the area the sphagnum moss on the forest floor was still soft and spongy. This location had lots of standing dead trees that could be used for firewood.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GgFgWyrdO98/TwDVLMR64jI/AAAAAAAABZM/ZjQdFrIJB28/s1600/PC280049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GgFgWyrdO98/TwDVLMR64jI/AAAAAAAABZM/ZjQdFrIJB28/s320/PC280049.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This was Taiga's first winter camping trip and she did pretty good. She is very well behaved and listened pretty good, most of the time. She is only eight months old and is still learning the ropes but always came back when called. The first day she wasn't really sure about what was going on, she isn't used to spending all day outside and I'm sure she was constantly wandering when we were going to go inside. By the last day she was fairly content and didn't look disgusted with us all the time. In addition to the four sleeping bags that we bring for Zoe and I, (we would have been fine with one each due the the mild temps) we brought an old sleeping bag for Taiga to sleep in. She also had a foam pad and a wool blanket to sit on next to the fire.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vm0Yuxz2ZbE/TwDU6AEsPiI/AAAAAAAABYE/bfmZ4WM6G6c/s1600/PC310111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vm0Yuxz2ZbE/TwDU6AEsPiI/AAAAAAAABYE/bfmZ4WM6G6c/s320/PC310111.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">During our last night it had started to snow in the evening and continued all night and the following day. That morning we woke to 5 inches of fresh fluffy snow. Luckily we had gathered all of our gear the night before and kept it in a central location that made it easy to find even after it had been buried by the snow. Though we were to travel along the same well packed trail that we made coming in all the fresh snow made the trek out seen almost as difficult as the trek in.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All in all I'd have to say we had a great trip with fantastic weather, which I think we deserved after the last couple of -30 trips. Everyone seemed to have fun, there was lots of good food, drinks, laughter, and visiting. I'm already looking forward to the next one.</div>Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-28476226023966891432011-12-11T23:20:00.000-06:002011-12-11T23:20:19.399-06:00Zoe's new camp stoveWell our new camp stove just arrived in the mail a few days ago. Now we'll have a way to heat the <a href="http://www.wildpaddler.ca/2011/11/zoes-hot-tent.html" target="_blank">hot tent</a> that I just made. Our tent is much smaller than the standard hot tent so we decided that a smaller stove would be sufficient to heat it. We eventually settled on the <a href="http://www.kni-co.com/packerjr.shtml" target="_blank">Packer Jr.</a> made by Kni-co manufacturing. The fire box dimensions are 10 x 10 x 12 inches, with the legs fully extended it stands 14 inches high. We purchased the package that includes 3inch tapered stove pipe, a flew, and a spark arrestor. To keep it from rusting I painted the outside with a high temperature BBQ paint.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hdFDKoEvjq8/TuWOFrkv-8I/AAAAAAAABX4/2ybIVofJXBA/s1600/PC060001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hdFDKoEvjq8/TuWOFrkv-8I/AAAAAAAABX4/2ybIVofJXBA/s320/PC060001.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The first burn gets rid of any oil or residue from manufacturing</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-66elBL4RCR8/TuWODZ7UawI/AAAAAAAABXw/WJ-VSfmY2h8/s1600/PC110002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-66elBL4RCR8/TuWODZ7UawI/AAAAAAAABXw/WJ-VSfmY2h8/s320/PC110002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Stove painted black</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-43733978583056180092011-12-05T14:19:00.000-06:002011-12-05T14:19:19.409-06:00Amadou<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Amadou is the soft, spongy, and flammable fibers prepared from the horses hoof fungus. It has been used for hundreds and even thousands of years as tinder for fire starting. Amadou was found in Otzi the Ice Man's tool kit (5000 years old). It has even been used as a felted material for hat making. </div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Looking for distractions to occupy myself with rather than studying I decided to try making some. </div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">While walking along the river bank with Taiga I harvested a few fungi. Horses hoof fungus can be found on dead paper birch trees. The amadou is a layer of spongy material just below the skin and just above the fibrous pores of the horses hoof fungus, so the first step is to shave the skin off. The amadou shows as an orange spongy layer so I took care not to slice any of it off. I next Sliced the amadou off in large thin slices. The next step is to soak and boil the pieces in an ash slurry, use equal parts water and ash. I used an old pot that I found along the river bank while on another walk with Taiga. After boiling spruce roots for her birch bark basket in Zoe's good pot I was instructed NOT to boil anything else in her pots. After soaking the pieces in the ash slurry over night I boiled them for 45 minutes. The pieces are then left to dry. I left them over night which may have been a bit too long because they turned stiff. Any way the next step is to pound each piece to break the fibers apart which softens the material, I used the back of my hatchet and an old 2x4. The final step is to role the pieces between your hands, to again soften the material and, to slightly fluff it up. Using a fire steel to produce a spark and a small piece of the prepared amadou a fire can easily be lit. The amadou doesn't flame up but instead smolders and produces a hot ember which can be used to ignite dry tinder like dry grass. </div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n4OSrOqD-wc/Tt0jaU4TjII/AAAAAAAABWY/g01OmhISO0g/s1600/PC020109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n4OSrOqD-wc/Tt0jaU4TjII/AAAAAAAABWY/g01OmhISO0g/s320/PC020109.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horses hoof fungus can be found growing on dead paper birch trees</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hg258v5Iiac/Tt0jcnOdUrI/AAAAAAAABWg/RRcZoUg0G3w/s1600/PC020112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hg258v5Iiac/Tt0jcnOdUrI/AAAAAAAABWg/RRcZoUg0G3w/s320/PC020112.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here I'm shaving off the outer skin or bark of the fungus. The amadou is the brighter orange colors stuff near the end of the blade.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k5d5E-32cos/Tt0je3HZl4I/AAAAAAAABWo/uNKxXt1gXvo/s1600/PC020113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k5d5E-32cos/Tt0je3HZl4I/AAAAAAAABWo/uNKxXt1gXvo/s320/PC020113.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amadou is very spongy and flexible and comes off in thin slices.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xmjVyzUvqEm_l3IeVYnC2lAsn-9TX1Kt65HD2UsfS0Q1rq-6jE5fafd7p2JOLOm4AqJ2pAsb_Uy0nKq98sQtjd5rwhyphenhyphenQ7hIgZ8ALKj1o1lsBKoVtCHESeV4MpBOKOv_zvywdApDpCgQ/s1600/PC020116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xmjVyzUvqEm_l3IeVYnC2lAsn-9TX1Kt65HD2UsfS0Q1rq-6jE5fafd7p2JOLOm4AqJ2pAsb_Uy0nKq98sQtjd5rwhyphenhyphenQ7hIgZ8ALKj1o1lsBKoVtCHESeV4MpBOKOv_zvywdApDpCgQ/s320/PC020116.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This image shows how much amadou I was able to get from one medium sized fungus.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P_Zs8gLDDZA/Tt0jjwtDspI/AAAAAAAABW4/YsHk5bvNk1s/s1600/PC030117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P_Zs8gLDDZA/Tt0jjwtDspI/AAAAAAAABW4/YsHk5bvNk1s/s320/PC030117.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here the pieces are soaking in the ash slurry. I noticed that the ash wanted to settle out of solution unless it was boiled then the ash particles tended to stay suspended.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zIqrMYyrN9g/Tt0jmMI4v0I/AAAAAAAABXA/sLg7qTNfPTA/s1600/PC040118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zIqrMYyrN9g/Tt0jmMI4v0I/AAAAAAAABXA/sLg7qTNfPTA/s320/PC040118.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boiling the amadou on a camp stove in the shop. Too stinky for in the house.</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBgQqXjSU50pwgqQMShzC0uD21_oGGvPOYb6r-acN4yUbO7WZU0O2Gg6ayVxSeEwuZGofziIk2932xbIVwXXMtSHVizfogwi3JTtkVxhrLBl10hgCsre5f-ZUNcvYAutm5HkLIArz6Qc/s1600/PC050121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBgQqXjSU50pwgqQMShzC0uD21_oGGvPOYb6r-acN4yUbO7WZU0O2Gg6ayVxSeEwuZGofziIk2932xbIVwXXMtSHVizfogwi3JTtkVxhrLBl10hgCsre5f-ZUNcvYAutm5HkLIArz6Qc/s320/PC050121.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo shows the boiled and dried piece on the right compared to the finished piece on the left. The fluffy texture of the finish material catches the spark really well.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-07hUeQ8pMJ4/Tt0jtcGuxyI/AAAAAAAABXY/MjO2wDr0_Ak/s1600/PC050123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-07hUeQ8pMJ4/Tt0jtcGuxyI/AAAAAAAABXY/MjO2wDr0_Ak/s320/PC050123.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A spark from a fire steel is all that is needed to ignite it. I was actually quite surprised at how easily this stuff actually ignites.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6jKntYK8-NE/Tt0jvxuDxjI/AAAAAAAABXg/E9JWFxjSp6Q/s1600/PC050125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6jKntYK8-NE/Tt0jvxuDxjI/AAAAAAAABXg/E9JWFxjSp6Q/s320/PC050125.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This little piece smoldered for almost 5 minutes.</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-75690034230483236892011-11-23T11:37:00.004-06:002011-11-23T12:02:31.406-06:00Knife Sheath<div>I just finished making a sheath for the <a href="http://www.wildpaddler.ca/2011/08/mora-belt-knife.html">Mora Belt Knife</a> that I made a couple of months ago. I first made a paper pattern then traced it onto the back side of the leather. After cutting the piece out I wrapped it around the knife using small clamps to keep it in place. Wrapping leather around a knife is a bit trickier than I originally thought. You have to take into account the transition from the flat blade to the wider and rounded handle. When I was satisfied with how it looked I used contact cement to glue a third piece of leather in between the outer cover, along the edge where the stitches were to go. This extra piece will protect the stitches from being cut by the blade. The whole thing was stitched together then <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Sno</span>-Seal finish was applied at the very end.</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzCgpwV4IUuGHKVzjns7Npbhfr7Rk1w53LhrizjhZADfGy8PD2niZlTcjIfe3VevUF3W81dsjlcuugTbGfy7LoDpehLuzOQKoIskwV4gDMt6-521myLNk3FWw_aQ0Suo2TfXBeceoZg4/s1600/snoseal.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 228px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzCgpwV4IUuGHKVzjns7Npbhfr7Rk1w53LhrizjhZADfGy8PD2niZlTcjIfe3VevUF3W81dsjlcuugTbGfy7LoDpehLuzOQKoIskwV4gDMt6-521myLNk3FWw_aQ0Suo2TfXBeceoZg4/s320/snoseal.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678248798195550978" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">I used <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Sno</span>-Seal to water proof the leather. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sno</span>-Seal is made from bees wax and is nontoxic.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TtWqCVGF3RM/Ts0xMLeU04I/AAAAAAAABWI/QgsVi0A7IvI/s1600/photo%2B%25289%2529.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TtWqCVGF3RM/Ts0xMLeU04I/AAAAAAAABWI/QgsVi0A7IvI/s320/photo%2B%25289%2529.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678248790492238722" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">I used 4 - 5 oz leather, a heavier leather could have been used but I wanted to keep it as light as possible.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUDfq5A3uwimwCb31-BFkeENSvbxF4CLTayq0Puj3btOqXyZdTI8JPQZJ4F2w3nCd3_pcROzmZ0NC0WX1JPlMyuaHFbssRZegUbFHvXDTb6XgoU7AwbMNC-19-_G3KvQzHQY8Xt0pv-5Y/s1600/photo+%25288%2529.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUDfq5A3uwimwCb31-BFkeENSvbxF4CLTayq0Puj3btOqXyZdTI8JPQZJ4F2w3nCd3_pcROzmZ0NC0WX1JPlMyuaHFbssRZegUbFHvXDTb6XgoU7AwbMNC-19-_G3KvQzHQY8Xt0pv-5Y/s320/photo+%25288%2529.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678248784240475554" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The snap closure in the front allows the sheath to be added to a belt without having to remove the belt in order to thread the sheath on.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-18IlJ21w4xU/Ts0xL5IXo1I/AAAAAAAABVs/5hNsZuEj7-s/s1600/photo%2B%25286%2529.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-18IlJ21w4xU/Ts0xL5IXo1I/AAAAAAAABVs/5hNsZuEj7-s/s320/photo%2B%25286%2529.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678248785568310098" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Here you can see how the leather conforms to the handle with some heat and firm pressure.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aPSb2wksUtI/Ts0xLpD4QGI/AAAAAAAABVg/gQlYL4cAveg/s1600/photo%2B%25287%2529.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aPSb2wksUtI/Ts0xLpD4QGI/AAAAAAAABVg/gQlYL4cAveg/s320/photo%2B%25287%2529.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678248781254508642" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Sno</span>-Seal changes the color quite dramatically. On the left is a left over piece of leather. Personally I like the color of the leather after treatment.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-44394787779213948712011-11-18T23:12:00.003-06:002011-11-18T23:29:23.623-06:00Zoe's hot tent<div><p class="MsoNoSpacing">I realize it has been a while since my last post, school work has kept me busy but I have managed to make a hot tent for winter camping. After the stupid "F"ing cold of our <a href="http://www.saskatoonsnowshoeclub.org/2011/01/ssc-new-years-eve-2010-2011.html">New Years Eve</a> trip last year Zoe informed me that she requires a tent with a wood stove. Well, I made her one. A tent that is, it’s based on some photos that I found on the internet. I didn’t have any plans or drawings to work from so, drawing on my experience as a graphic designer I made up my own plans using Corel Draw. Before I begin many of my projects I design them first on the computer. After making many, many, many small paper models I made a 1:25 scale model from an old bed sheet to be sure of all the dimensions. Some of the design features are the silicon stove jack, zippered vents front and back with no-seeum netting, 12 inch snow flaps, large zippered door, and many guyline anchor points. I had thought about more neutral colors like green, blue or tan but bright colors can lift a person’s mood on the days that we are forced to stay inside for hours on end due to blizzard conditions. It has many inside tie loops for hanging mittens to dry or to hang a candle lantern. The front pole is made of metal and is adjustable; in the future I intend to make a carbon fibre pole which should save some weight. The rear pole is an adjustable hiking pole. The first time we set it up nothing seemed to fit properly, none of the panels were taught and some of the snow flaps didn't even touch the ground. I thought I had screwed up but after about 45 minutes of adjusting and head scratching, it finally looked like a tent. I’m happy to say that it now only takes about 10 minutes or less to set up. </p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p>I choose to use 7.5 oz coated rip stop nylon rather than the traditional cotton canvas for a number of reasons.</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">Nylon pros:</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Water resistant for use in spring and fall damp weather conditions</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Shouldn’t leak when snow melts on the warmed material</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Wind proof</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Rot resistant</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">Cons:</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Doesn’t breath so condensation may be an issue</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Melts</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Spark holes</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">Cotton canvas pros:</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Breaths</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Less condensation</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Bright color</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Spark resistant</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">Cons:</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span><!--[endif]-->May leak when snow melts on the warmed material</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Rots</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">Specs:</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">Length 139”</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">Width 113”</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">Height 80” (front pole)</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"> 31” (rear pole)</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">Weight not sure yet, haven’t weighed it</p></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ay_v7a_cNbE/Tsc7nzl2L0I/AAAAAAAABVU/Ielbr46V0fc/s1600/photo%2B%25285%2529.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ay_v7a_cNbE/Tsc7nzl2L0I/AAAAAAAABVU/Ielbr46V0fc/s320/photo%2B%25285%2529.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676571410373685058" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">View of the large door</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2_RFSvpG1Lw/Tsc7g7RzhiI/AAAAAAAABVE/jdJurQCxpUg/s1600/photo%2B%25284%2529.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2_RFSvpG1Lw/Tsc7g7RzhiI/AAAAAAAABVE/jdJurQCxpUg/s320/photo%2B%25284%2529.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676571292178023970" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">One of the many guyline anchor points. (13 all together)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PFRRMcfW3Hs/Tsc7gtzP_4I/AAAAAAAABU0/4BEx-LO8y3g/s1600/photo%2B%25283%2529.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PFRRMcfW3Hs/Tsc7gtzP_4I/AAAAAAAABU0/4BEx-LO8y3g/s320/photo%2B%25283%2529.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676571288560205698" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Front view, Zoe is standing near the back of the tent. This image shows the stove jack cover in place.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ytcWxFIAO9g/Tsc7gmNgDlI/AAAAAAAABUo/9IvdaCfXFhs/s1600/photo%2B%25282%2529.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ytcWxFIAO9g/Tsc7gmNgDlI/AAAAAAAABUo/9IvdaCfXFhs/s320/photo%2B%25282%2529.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676571286522826322" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Side view, shows the modified tipi design</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NRdVjygjYOU/Tsc7gepHhWI/AAAAAAAABUg/GQMsiZNpJnc/s1600/photo%2B%25281%2529.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NRdVjygjYOU/Tsc7gepHhWI/AAAAAAAABUg/GQMsiZNpJnc/s320/photo%2B%25281%2529.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676571284491175266" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The front vent has no-seeum netting and zippered closure from the inside.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J7VIv7gJLcc/Tsc7gRX7VoI/AAAAAAAABUY/OcVE6JYCB48/s1600/photo.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J7VIv7gJLcc/Tsc7gRX7VoI/AAAAAAAABUY/OcVE6JYCB48/s320/photo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676571280929412738" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The silicon stove jack with the cover rolled up and secured with velcro. Now all we need is a stove.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-45656147035043949922011-10-12T23:25:00.007-06:002011-10-13T00:19:02.079-06:00Thanksgiving 2011<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZfG3Mh1l91GwJ-cULyYIMLiTmJ7iaOHbds4IUGvFsR4_B0scYDBrI9F_u75gJ3HInzN2blsEpNzr5KqhUtsxRq62TezRJEGcXvzhGsMELOZg3ZWr8oabj2MNK4zx8t0DqHCcqWZh2wM/s1600/hanging+hearts+lake.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 315px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZfG3Mh1l91GwJ-cULyYIMLiTmJ7iaOHbds4IUGvFsR4_B0scYDBrI9F_u75gJ3HInzN2blsEpNzr5KqhUtsxRq62TezRJEGcXvzhGsMELOZg3ZWr8oabj2MNK4zx8t0DqHCcqWZh2wM/s320/hanging+hearts+lake.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662847146640276818" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Our camp site is on the west shore right where the channel opens onto Crean lake </div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_9_-F8Dw8dPuSD0In0oxTM4G_6w2t1x3EKUym03JL_jHCzoTLKp1mivEI88CKwWw7Y7XR1KBpBmAi_iwPlRXtennZnOLs3aRh2qi4feb1Ahj986pKJAp3ncJcvQbmKv2uhOx5u3nG4g/s1600/PA080064.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_9_-F8Dw8dPuSD0In0oxTM4G_6w2t1x3EKUym03JL_jHCzoTLKp1mivEI88CKwWw7Y7XR1KBpBmAi_iwPlRXtennZnOLs3aRh2qi4feb1Ahj986pKJAp3ncJcvQbmKv2uhOx5u3nG4g/s320/PA080064.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662845865247786930" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">For this years annual Thanksgiving canoe trip we paddled to the camp kitchen on Crean Lake in the Prince Albert National Park. The group from left to right; Zoe and Taiga, Dave, Karen, Cathy, Cathy, Shaun, and Valery in front centre</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgzXpfC20Dn8FLrlJb_AWNUU4yKLl6zSeY8C7nByPNgSo5vPpFoSijhewZ1kSAFzbodQZS2HF63mEPLcCR2O5awnV1PT6GK6kjXiN2X5wSALTP0vbB1g_OAoaoZRbSn3IB5bUn-cT6Hg/s1600/PA080070.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgzXpfC20Dn8FLrlJb_AWNUU4yKLl6zSeY8C7nByPNgSo5vPpFoSijhewZ1kSAFzbodQZS2HF63mEPLcCR2O5awnV1PT6GK6kjXiN2X5wSALTP0vbB1g_OAoaoZRbSn3IB5bUn-cT6Hg/s320/PA080070.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662845860015932978" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Taiga is 5 months old and had lots of fun on her second canoe trip. </div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoe1z-HcwHXlc8_nVJmyn3Hr-DgWjF2iysZoIRs6OaBD03qAB7N9O-6pAfGdniwAATObWZK3JGGCNK_pOw4W-OB4dVwDhRahYi9kRkcwlfArrIf8yxiZKYWfRHo_pdvFPT5bw7uIIkvn4/s1600/PA080072.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoe1z-HcwHXlc8_nVJmyn3Hr-DgWjF2iysZoIRs6OaBD03qAB7N9O-6pAfGdniwAATObWZK3JGGCNK_pOw4W-OB4dVwDhRahYi9kRkcwlfArrIf8yxiZKYWfRHo_pdvFPT5bw7uIIkvn4/s320/PA080072.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662845541256766402" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The first day (Saturday Oct. 8) was VERY windy. Environment Canada was forecasting winds of 30km/hr gusting to 50km/hr. Here we are stopped on the lee side of a point for a break from fighting the head wind. We ended up eating lunch here. It may have been windy but at least the air temperature was warm and it stayed that way for the entire weekend.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYM06f3UwD18UFFxgjqjY7l_U_ms1p9_NNqC2j8vDlQNkUPIuEmHguqOWk_bZK38FwwbZPMWGdf5GNrD6njOgTxamZnitYa6m2arUuJM0eyQp5Tu70KL8QyrNio-V5U6f2YQu6Sk-YcvQ/s1600/PA080076.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYM06f3UwD18UFFxgjqjY7l_U_ms1p9_NNqC2j8vDlQNkUPIuEmHguqOWk_bZK38FwwbZPMWGdf5GNrD6njOgTxamZnitYa6m2arUuJM0eyQp5Tu70KL8QyrNio-V5U6f2YQu6Sk-YcvQ/s320/PA080076.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662845536820831842" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Taiga is very well behaved in the canoe, she usually just goes to sleep. Her PFD is getting too small for her. She is a lab and is a very good swimmer, she only has the PFD because it has a handle that makes it easier to haul her back into the canoe if she decides to jump ship. (which she hasn't done yet)</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tMztg4lkpy0/TpZ4AHtmbTI/AAAAAAAABRg/hXn7F9qp5Hg/s1600/PA090089.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tMztg4lkpy0/TpZ4AHtmbTI/AAAAAAAABRg/hXn7F9qp5Hg/s320/PA090089.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662845524930620722" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The evening of the first day saw the wind die down. This photo shows the view from my tent the following morning, fantastic! When I got up the temperature was 3 degrees C. Frost on everything was evidence that the temperature dropped to below freezing that night.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-499ysUosjOY/TpZ3_ZJlEiI/AAAAAAAABRQ/yNbnmeCyMNA/s1600/PA090102.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-499ysUosjOY/TpZ3_ZJlEiI/AAAAAAAABRQ/yNbnmeCyMNA/s320/PA090102.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662845512431505954" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">On the second day we set out in the canoes to explore an area called lost lake. It's a lake that is pretty well hidden from the main lake and separated by a small beach. We found an inviting beach that made a great lunch spot. There were many wolf tracks (large and small) in the sand. Notice the interesting purple sand. </div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGGkFdGwhiq8ruk5kbhVlyPG1ddDu19AckfWDDSPqbeAe97sUoE1r0NZvBZbStqhafMGcEw4uCYChOrRWnfi9LxY5WcEdPG3CQPJFNslLVEluMQNpQgJibUk-ozzH2pf6hwoIe0YNr10/s1600/PA090105.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGGkFdGwhiq8ruk5kbhVlyPG1ddDu19AckfWDDSPqbeAe97sUoE1r0NZvBZbStqhafMGcEw4uCYChOrRWnfi9LxY5WcEdPG3CQPJFNslLVEluMQNpQgJibUk-ozzH2pf6hwoIe0YNr10/s320/PA090105.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662845507027191522" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Here Shaun is very serious about taking a photo of our wood pile.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6CeX3fiZXSKAf1EB52LZ6SWpXcRcvgXJqKnhwocAvnqlRjjnkd2j9aRZtPeRXT-DTAVM_TOFYg780UMZhmrEo0_tWvLuMTMkb6JFPzebAix3imIkOGOQclKvNnJtKUnhKnk6gZL07PQQ/s1600/PA090122.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6CeX3fiZXSKAf1EB52LZ6SWpXcRcvgXJqKnhwocAvnqlRjjnkd2j9aRZtPeRXT-DTAVM_TOFYg780UMZhmrEo0_tWvLuMTMkb6JFPzebAix3imIkOGOQclKvNnJtKUnhKnk6gZL07PQQ/s320/PA090122.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662844796459362098" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">When we returned from searching for lost lake Valery set to work setting up his sauna and heating large rocks over a fire. Water is poured over the rocks to produce the steam and heat. After a good soak we jumped in the lake for a cool down. I didn't take the inside temperature of the sauna but the lake water was 11 degrees C.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a29hEuK5fRw/TpZ3U3w1j5I/AAAAAAAABQs/ONUPRKgOMyM/s1600/PA090127.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a29hEuK5fRw/TpZ3U3w1j5I/AAAAAAAABQs/ONUPRKgOMyM/s320/PA090127.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662844781914853266" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">We usually have a large potluck style thanksgiving meal. This year it consisted of chicken cooked in a dutch oven, cauliflower, beans, mashed potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and apple crumble, all accompanied by lots of wine. Everything is baked fresh in the woods even the pies!</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcPzbonvPaAgHXdj476pAH29S3HfEVGBSO_fswWEj4nASv9WeFF_F37m4f9g32MCGSW9Ad8rEvbIr01AsSKAJ6gLWQSFVjA2JN_jND2yWZt93SLWF-egjcWmJL-l21tEmLq4KaCpD9to/s1600/PA090137.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcPzbonvPaAgHXdj476pAH29S3HfEVGBSO_fswWEj4nASv9WeFF_F37m4f9g32MCGSW9Ad8rEvbIr01AsSKAJ6gLWQSFVjA2JN_jND2yWZt93SLWF-egjcWmJL-l21tEmLq4KaCpD9to/s320/PA090137.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662844771374039506" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Here Taiga is ready for bed tucked into her blanket inside the tent. </div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QX4zz4WclT8/TpZ3TTEAzGI/AAAAAAAABQY/HKsqiMaJwus/s1600/PA100139.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QX4zz4WclT8/TpZ3TTEAzGI/AAAAAAAABQY/HKsqiMaJwus/s320/PA100139.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662844754883300450" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Shaun's rather unorthodox but effective method of packing his dry bag.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8gCuo41dn00/TpZ3S4mqIFI/AAAAAAAABQI/SlDc5LMQTLA/s1600/PA100146.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8gCuo41dn00/TpZ3S4mqIFI/AAAAAAAABQI/SlDc5LMQTLA/s320/PA100146.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662844747780857938" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">On the last day the wind had completely died and the lake was calm and warm. We took our time paddling back to the vehicles. The distance that had taken 4 hours to paddle in the wind now only took us 2 hours. We stopped to rest, we stopped for lunch, and we stopped for a second lunch. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><br /></div></div>Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-10105714560130249402011-09-28T18:20:00.003-06:002011-09-28T18:35:23.638-06:00Varnishing Snowshoes<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eJqQZGkYZA4/ToO79K10tnI/AAAAAAAABPo/LxbRqQaP7tQ/s1600/P9260064.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eJqQZGkYZA4/ToO79K10tnI/AAAAAAAABPo/LxbRqQaP7tQ/s320/P9260064.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657572216463996530" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Ojibway style snowshoes</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>While the warm weather holds I thought it would be a good time to do some maintenance on my homemade <a href="http://www.wildpaddler.ca/2010/09/wheres-snow.html">wooden snowshoes</a>. The photo shows my snowshoes (long set) and my mom`s snowshoes (short set) which she just finished building, hanging to dry after a thick coat of varnish was applied. We put down a double layer of poly to keep the mess contained then using a good brush we liberally applied the varnish. We used a good quality spar varnish which should provide an adequate protective coating.</div>Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-37726269734430332052011-09-25T20:51:00.004-06:002011-09-25T21:12:26.070-06:00<div>I woke up yesterday morning and felt like making a canoe paddle, so I went out the my shop and prepared the pieces. I had an extra cedar / ash shaft made up from the last bunch of paddles I made so I used that and laminated walnut pieces on for the blade and top grip. I left it to cure over night. The following day (today) I did the shaping. Everything went well, I haven't played in my shop very much since I started back to school so I took my time and really enjoyed the carving process. For this paddle I choose what I call my Trapper blade design with a modified northwoods top grip. The cedar/ash shafts are very light and with the addition of the walnut blade I was concerned that the paddle would unbalanced so I decided to add the northwoods grip because it would provide more weight on the shaft and thereby balancing the paddle. I'm happy to say, it worked! The finish is oil.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Axj6xQjqq84siz4RZG_rmYtAGu4BXiaVwoU6ONVnrVdM57yzWmWWfxmyZ4GXyhhO4pqZhEPzHdK4v4KlpRbOaa3QUW3Bx_ERrAE9jNUFXfP_ZSpUx6I_NJg0o35mfTThZdt3PZO5IPg/s1600/P9250070+copy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Axj6xQjqq84siz4RZG_rmYtAGu4BXiaVwoU6ONVnrVdM57yzWmWWfxmyZ4GXyhhO4pqZhEPzHdK4v4KlpRbOaa3QUW3Bx_ERrAE9jNUFXfP_ZSpUx6I_NJg0o35mfTThZdt3PZO5IPg/s320/P9250070+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656498536893400898" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Close up of my logo and the interesting light and dark grain in the walnut.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Lh4vSpubbc/Tn_rcfgqvKI/AAAAAAAABPY/ASaxVVCeepE/s1600/P9250069%2Bcopy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Lh4vSpubbc/Tn_rcfgqvKI/AAAAAAAABPY/ASaxVVCeepE/s320/P9250069%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656498531728014498" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iK0scfU4DSc/Tn_rcTfQqJI/AAAAAAAABPQ/OOC8awzOfuY/s1600/P9250066%2Bcopy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iK0scfU4DSc/Tn_rcTfQqJI/AAAAAAAABPQ/OOC8awzOfuY/s320/P9250066%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656498528500885650" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Here's a look at the modified northwoods top grip. This grip is 11" long</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3gk1oQ3ng_E/Tn_rcAduATI/AAAAAAAABPI/kLKeG7zJp5E/s1600/P9250065%2Bcopy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 219px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3gk1oQ3ng_E/Tn_rcAduATI/AAAAAAAABPI/kLKeG7zJp5E/s320/P9250065%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656498523394146610" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I cut two strips of wood off of a larger 8/4 piece of walnut that I had. I book matched the grain patterns but as I carved away the material the lighter grain pattern on the one side became less and less. I ended up with a paddle with an asymmetric grain pattern.</div>Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-54886990798743950432011-08-29T23:08:00.005-06:002011-08-29T23:51:26.605-06:00Mora Belt Knife<div>I just put the finishing touches on my latest project. I've wanted to make a knife for years but just haven't got around to doing it. Back in February I purchased a Mora knife blade from <a href="http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=31078&cat=1,130,43332,43393">Lee Valley tools</a> and have finally got around to making the handle for it. The handle I chose is inspired by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Sami</span> craftsmen that incorporate bone, leather, and wood in their knives. Traditionally reindeer antler would be used because of its denseness, but since there aren't many reindeer in my part of the world I used a white tail deer antler that I've had for years. The marrow isn't as dense as a rain deer's but it should hold up fine. I chose leather and walnut because their colors provide a striking contrast with the bone. I began by cutting thin slices from the antler using the band saw. The leather was cut to size along with the walnut. Holes were drilled in each piece and filed to the proper size in order to produce a snug fit. The whole works was coated with thickened epoxy and all the pieces were slid onto the tang. I used a mallet and a short piece of tubing to tap everything down tight. After letting the epoxy cure I used a belt sander to rough out the shape and finished it up by hand sanding. For the finish I used Tried & Trues varnish oil which incorporates pine resins in its formula.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>
<br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EUPWJm4NyQ4/Tlx4LhTKPJI/AAAAAAAABO0/7UnNy4gD_GA/s1600/photo2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EUPWJm4NyQ4/Tlx4LhTKPJI/AAAAAAAABO0/7UnNy4gD_GA/s320/photo2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646520172128386194" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Here I have a piece of antler clamped down while I drill and file the hole that will accept the tang.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfL6ANgpuTeijMw-dhJ7nbhg47B-NzLZD43mCtjPFDoX50VJ2Z67dznuoEZsKIr6A62tc39AndZ2mVwwnSWoz7gDzCXoo4SK3XS5nx28XBpnyNy3-bI5rqtKLqnwvMOh5SUi8hyphenhyphenb9450/s1600/photo4.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfL6ANgpuTeijMw-dhJ7nbhg47B-NzLZD43mCtjPFDoX50VJ2Z67dznuoEZsKIr6A62tc39AndZ2mVwwnSWoz7gDzCXoo4SK3XS5nx28XBpnyNy3-bI5rqtKLqnwvMOh5SUi8hyphenhyphenb9450/s320/photo4.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646520168452418690" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">All of the handle pieces are drilled and ready for assembly.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-as7ar8d_7b8/Tlx4LDEs9vI/AAAAAAAABOk/otJzrPc2wp0/s1600/photo5.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-as7ar8d_7b8/Tlx4LDEs9vI/AAAAAAAABOk/otJzrPc2wp0/s320/photo5.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646520164014683890" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Thickened epoxy holds everything together. The blade comes sharp enough to shave with so the tape is to keeps my hands from getting cut up.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cAam3MhCjzY/Tlx4LOrH-TI/AAAAAAAABOc/xLLmcNSd0nk/s1600/photo3.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cAam3MhCjzY/Tlx4LOrH-TI/AAAAAAAABOc/xLLmcNSd0nk/s320/photo3.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646520167128627506" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The white tail antler that I used had some interesting colored rings inside.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nLrfNdR48gE/Tlx4Kw3nAyI/AAAAAAAABOU/fRKAYp78NWA/s1600/photo1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nLrfNdR48gE/Tlx4Kw3nAyI/AAAAAAAABOU/fRKAYp78NWA/s320/photo1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646520159127929634" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The handle is oiled with a varnish oil that produces a pleasing feel in the hand.</div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div></div>Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-878885390508025702011-07-22T18:59:00.005-06:002011-07-22T19:31:22.030-06:00Everyone meet Taiga<div>I just got a new paddling and hunting buddy. On Monday July 18th Zoe and I picked up our new puppy. She`s a 10 week old yellow lab. We`ve named her Taiga which is Russian for boreal forest. It`s been a while since I`ve had a puppy and I`ve forgotten how much work it is to do the house training. She is very smart and has learned her name already and is beginning to catch on to the preliminary obedience training (come, sit, stay, fetch) that I`m doing with her. We`ve put the canoe on the ground so she can get used to it and I`m happy to say she has taken to it quite well, she`ll jump in on her own and hang out for a couple of minutes. I like to think she is a natural born canoe dog. Both Taiga and I can`t wait to begin retriever training. </div><div><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UXsFAuASARw/TiojrcviJKI/AAAAAAAABOM/vpAszL2ZKVs/s1600/P7190079.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UXsFAuASARw/TiojrcviJKI/AAAAAAAABOM/vpAszL2ZKVs/s320/P7190079.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632353513337136290" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkoCUGzQpnk7fJjsAnENg0jepRQeTdIv_SfZwh9r4URCx19dYJ_D8hQM1oVJ-QKQy7p4pRaDfyinimc2Fcn9BXD9P2JlQFp2P9EN70dlwyGOxu01mGuDlILePfVAoPMTlyq1dmeB27mw/s1600/P7190071.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkoCUGzQpnk7fJjsAnENg0jepRQeTdIv_SfZwh9r4URCx19dYJ_D8hQM1oVJ-QKQy7p4pRaDfyinimc2Fcn9BXD9P2JlQFp2P9EN70dlwyGOxu01mGuDlILePfVAoPMTlyq1dmeB27mw/s320/P7190071.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632353508520038770" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCr-icfZVDkA6PVbfPbUOWdC_wW0B7deCIwTrUlhFT9ggcsJE5xgGJf7cHvOJm5oQRKUFpdEIVo_n8fBV6x2c0iYwLofXITR613kheBldMdVRDfBStgIGxLlTJc9KrtZt5pAD4DvDy2U/s1600/P7190060.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCr-icfZVDkA6PVbfPbUOWdC_wW0B7deCIwTrUlhFT9ggcsJE5xgGJf7cHvOJm5oQRKUFpdEIVo_n8fBV6x2c0iYwLofXITR613kheBldMdVRDfBStgIGxLlTJc9KrtZt5pAD4DvDy2U/s320/P7190060.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632353499593565970" /></a>Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-6700806772882768882011-07-14T20:13:00.006-06:002011-07-14T21:07:59.178-06:00Paddling with Dragons<div>Zoe and I spent the day paddling on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0); ">Hillsborough</span> River which flows through the Wilderness Park Wildlife Preserve in Tampa Florida. The preserve occupies 16,000 acres right in the middle of Tampa and is recognized as one of Florida's best places to view wild life. We rented a canoe from the local canoe outfitter <a href="http://www.canoeescape.com/welcome.htm">Canoe Escape</a> and decided to paddle 8.5 miles on the<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0); ">Hillsborough</span> River from the put in at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0); ">Sargeant</span> Park to the Trout Creek Park. The trip started out sunny and dry but after just 10 minutes on the water it started to rain. It poured again!!!! It seems that each time I go paddling it rains. What is with that, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0); ">Sheeesh</span>. We remained soaked for the rest of the day but fortunately the temperature was warm, around 80 degrees F (26 degrees C) so we stayed warm. Despite the rain we had a fantastic day on the water. The river is very picturesque as it winds lazily through swamp land. Much of the river runs under a thick canopy of vegetation, trees thick with Spanish Moss and vines hanging down into the water. There were many trees that had fallen into the water that we had to maneuver around and a couple spanned the entire river. One we had to get out and drag over and the other we were able to lay down in the canoe and float under. We saw lots of turtles, alligators, and many different species of birds. All in all this was a great way to spend the day and Zoe and I enjoyed it a great deal.</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDY8Sb6xrbhNb-nZmDZirti94JBYqinyn9J3Ob_KrBcm7-9LPhOzHVBHjq0D_gUDx7JJ_Mo0j1HWcatm2mEulf_efwGOEa2xWVhikrzYU3SYkh8RTtPY7wQV8nwNFvkkhFrZutAN4iQw/s1600/P7140069.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDY8Sb6xrbhNb-nZmDZirti94JBYqinyn9J3Ob_KrBcm7-9LPhOzHVBHjq0D_gUDx7JJ_Mo0j1HWcatm2mEulf_efwGOEa2xWVhikrzYU3SYkh8RTtPY7wQV8nwNFvkkhFrZutAN4iQw/s320/P7140069.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629404679593089586" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Long the river we came to a nature center called, Natures Classroom. There must have been 50 or 60 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Black_Vulture">Black Vultures</a> in the trees and on the ground.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscTGjj3GUxJfHrNksZsrefUEq25QdnEtL5R3lFKhbN4ZeviIQ4YWTgwoGaUYYbRzHAXAbQfLPSYlBljmcFyGXCmovXoiZI6pZzhVKW9Mnq8Wn1oywNtcqXS90wT0Um0FhVHwyck0adxE/s1600/P7140056.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 234px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscTGjj3GUxJfHrNksZsrefUEq25QdnEtL5R3lFKhbN4ZeviIQ4YWTgwoGaUYYbRzHAXAbQfLPSYlBljmcFyGXCmovXoiZI6pZzhVKW9Mnq8Wn1oywNtcqXS90wT0Um0FhVHwyck0adxE/s320/P7140056.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629404587930752562" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">There were many cormorants along the river. This one was particularly cooperative and stayed still as we floated by.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5TtNzMGqTgM/Th-ppFb3t6I/AAAAAAAABNk/641Zkd7TjhU/s1600/P7140051.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 245px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5TtNzMGqTgM/Th-ppFb3t6I/AAAAAAAABNk/641Zkd7TjhU/s320/P7140051.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629404582535215010" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">I am not sure what this one is but he was very focused on his fishing.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rMWNV_st6W0/Th-po7onf2I/AAAAAAAABNc/evHcKKrgnpA/s1600/P7140047.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rMWNV_st6W0/Th-po7onf2I/AAAAAAAABNc/evHcKKrgnpA/s320/P7140047.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629404579904323426" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">We saw many alligators on the river. This was one of the largest. The only way past him was around the end of the log he is on. He was not happy with us as we approached. He slowly slipped into the water and was not seen again.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2HTmt5HSVqo/Th-pohMqoXI/AAAAAAAABNU/AAEn455iVPM/s1600/P7140044.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 217px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2HTmt5HSVqo/Th-pohMqoXI/AAAAAAAABNU/AAEn455iVPM/s320/P7140044.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629404572807766386" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The vegetation was amazing with all the Spanish moss hanging from the trees.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ToAw4qoyFOs/Th-poWcsxPI/AAAAAAAABNM/miWBCRUaPhU/s1600/P7140041.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ToAw4qoyFOs/Th-poWcsxPI/AAAAAAAABNM/miWBCRUaPhU/s320/P7140041.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629404569922225394" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">We got close enough to this alligator that we could have tapped him with our paddles. We didn't but he was still not pleased with us and he started hissing. At this time of year is their breeding season and the male become very territorial.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgff1nHfB39Qyupy33vF66XUYFTog0dfkZvBaadb67EUVEekvf-n2CWVlgxKe_yEKd67CwpdosXFqua2EL0UnEkghfEyJe5zM3SlI2cn7nP8VyK3XVwstlqoEerjKQlexNPa8L9wzTviZg/s1600/P7140035.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgff1nHfB39Qyupy33vF66XUYFTog0dfkZvBaadb67EUVEekvf-n2CWVlgxKe_yEKd67CwpdosXFqua2EL0UnEkghfEyJe5zM3SlI2cn7nP8VyK3XVwstlqoEerjKQlexNPa8L9wzTviZg/s320/P7140035.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629404305694314002" /></a>We found these little guys sunning themselves on a log. We didn't stick around too long cause we didn't know where the mom was. Female alligators take care of their young for up to 5 years.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRhX-bN2Bb1ca8L0c3ijwj03Vi7M7v3qy9uEmIGiCDxY2Ks7xzhMo2JQdCMYl1aqGgfsM-wOAN4AZ_IWkvI5OzRP34gVJ15a08VSPrv2BbXIX0CdGY0Ni7n56Xp6oDPqOt49uUOONyx4/s1600/P7140027.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRhX-bN2Bb1ca8L0c3ijwj03Vi7M7v3qy9uEmIGiCDxY2Ks7xzhMo2JQdCMYl1aqGgfsM-wOAN4AZ_IWkvI5OzRP34gVJ15a08VSPrv2BbXIX0CdGY0Ni7n56Xp6oDPqOt49uUOONyx4/s320/P7140027.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629404301858523730" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Spanish moss on a tree.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZrO8ootJOpA/Th-pX2X1qKI/AAAAAAAABM0/qU0kPhqefyA/s1600/P7140022.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZrO8ootJOpA/Th-pX2X1qKI/AAAAAAAABM0/qU0kPhqefyA/s320/P7140022.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629404286433994914" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">We saw many turtles sunning themselves along the way. This guy was close to 12 inches long.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aZtC3AMQyaw/Th-pXou9MGI/AAAAAAAABMs/OKt482_6yWY/s1600/P7140017.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aZtC3AMQyaw/Th-pXou9MGI/AAAAAAAABMs/OKt482_6yWY/s320/P7140017.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629404282772861026" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">We had to maneuver around and under many fallen trees.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kxyBVzOrMTQ/Th-pXbuzPKI/AAAAAAAABMk/7RDxKLL6IiY/s1600/Hillsborough%2BRiver.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 173px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kxyBVzOrMTQ/Th-pXbuzPKI/AAAAAAAABMk/7RDxKLL6IiY/s320/Hillsborough%2BRiver.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629404279282547874" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Google Earth image of the Wilderness Park Wildlife Preserve.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-34591096922630624602011-07-06T17:26:00.004-06:002011-07-07T17:29:28.469-06:00I got wet! Again!!!<div>Thunder storms and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">torrential</span> down pours seem to be a running theme for most of my out door pursuits this year. This time I wasn't paddling on a river, rather I was out scouting for deer. Actually it was more of an excuse to get out of the city. We had just got out of the car at one of my favorite hunting spots when I noticed a couple of nice white tail bucks only 75 yards away and as we were watching them threw the binoculars a cotton tail scampered by so close that he could have tripped over our feet. We took these two sightings as a good omen as we excitedly organized our selves. We had anticipated a bit of rain later in the evening but what we were in for was entirely different. As I made my way to a little clearing in which I wanted to sit I flushed out a nice looking doe that didn't seem all too concerned about me. She busted out of the brush and stopped maybe 75 yards away and stayed there for nearly 10 minutes watching me. <div><br /></div><div>I had just settled into a nice little hiding spot when the rain began to fall. It started as a few drops and slowly increased until the rain seem to be coming in sideways. Man it rained hard. By the time I ran the 1 km back to the car I was soaked! We decided that we should get out of there before the field got too soft to drive on. </div><div><br /></div><div>The storm however was short lived and when it passed the sky was quite amazing. There were interesting cloud formations as well as a great sunset. In total we saw 15 deer, one bunny, and a couple of coyotes and a really great sunset.</div></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KKAgSTN0bPE/ThT0CeqnTuI/AAAAAAAABMc/_y75GUpHSYI/s1600/P7030180%2Bcopy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KKAgSTN0bPE/ThT0CeqnTuI/AAAAAAAABMc/_y75GUpHSYI/s320/P7030180%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626390157921308386" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">An amazing sunset after the storm had passed</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GRNyeeIfLVc/ThT0BjoB6LI/AAAAAAAABMU/mf521f0LAW8/s1600/P7030169%2Bcopy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GRNyeeIfLVc/ThT0BjoB6LI/AAAAAAAABMU/mf521f0LAW8/s320/P7030169%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626390142072776882" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Some interesting cloud formations</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BNW-tjqxork/ThT0A6h0-kI/AAAAAAAABMM/VL5KRxxbYb0/s1600/P7030165%2Bcopy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BNW-tjqxork/ThT0A6h0-kI/AAAAAAAABMM/VL5KRxxbYb0/s320/P7030165%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626390131040909890" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">At times the rain seemed to be coming in sideways</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3q7_6MdkMfU/ThT0Af0XyqI/AAAAAAAABME/cLb3CcQ8fWI/s1600/P7030161%2Bcopy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3q7_6MdkMfU/ThT0Af0XyqI/AAAAAAAABME/cLb3CcQ8fWI/s320/P7030161%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626390123870931618" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">This doe stood and watched me for nearly 10 minutes. I wonder if she had a fawn near by.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513197248223479628.post-34531124597355650892011-06-23T22:59:00.003-06:002011-06-23T23:09:37.343-06:00Maliceet Paddle<div>Here are a few photos of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Maliceet</span> paddle I just finished this evening. It is made of the same stock (cherry and ash) as the voyageur paddle that I posted a couple of weeks ago. I haven't weighed it yet but it measures 59" long and has a 28" blade. The finish this time is a combination varnished blade and oiled shaft and top grip.</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LA_eyqVhIjaqVaSJ1B7DvrWnOnciR_qv4MF3mZWtqohMdAprPt8fnBrH2CqZmJs6uziZjgDcjzkyqX8JIuWIsCtWXRLTZC9BrGiLCinusRG_vNVxbOxHbsQBw08gI9BkkYIR8MyJRdY/s1600/P6230158.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LA_eyqVhIjaqVaSJ1B7DvrWnOnciR_qv4MF3mZWtqohMdAprPt8fnBrH2CqZmJs6uziZjgDcjzkyqX8JIuWIsCtWXRLTZC9BrGiLCinusRG_vNVxbOxHbsQBw08gI9BkkYIR8MyJRdY/s320/P6230158.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621647900907392114" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8cIikHoNSzF5hlowse75_PUSmwvDYB-jYvLSajCXmxaNQkvc9yTl0w8AF7fip_1pFeIPlo7XAEhsR39I-h2TtPptPzB7V4jwtyLTWhrlRQvs_kAW9yDjj3jPLqUHrA9z34WigEUeyDk/s1600/P6230160.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8cIikHoNSzF5hlowse75_PUSmwvDYB-jYvLSajCXmxaNQkvc9yTl0w8AF7fip_1pFeIPlo7XAEhsR39I-h2TtPptPzB7V4jwtyLTWhrlRQvs_kAW9yDjj3jPLqUHrA9z34WigEUeyDk/s320/P6230160.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621647880861277122" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUInqbLlUXiEF9MOYUIPrRLprs9p3Whfe32GohyccRS8atiiom71KTFbrdNLYMc7ROF60bOFvq-btlZ0sbYct8ZS4JlcUh9GuPXgI06zt-ZnN4qRDMB-UhmHjQExS5qDmZCEjO3df1jG8/s1600/P6230159.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUInqbLlUXiEF9MOYUIPrRLprs9p3Whfe32GohyccRS8atiiom71KTFbrdNLYMc7ROF60bOFvq-btlZ0sbYct8ZS4JlcUh9GuPXgI06zt-ZnN4qRDMB-UhmHjQExS5qDmZCEjO3df1jG8/s320/P6230159.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621647853922958450" /></a>Wildpaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04190148150709845912noreply@blogger.com1