Booth Lake Basecamp, Algonquin PP, ON

Second Annual O'Kane Family Canoe Trip

Booth Lake Basecamp Photography

Tea Lake Basecamp, Algonquin PP, ON

Brooks Family Camping Weekend

Tea Lake Basecamp Photography

RAFTING : Ottawa River, ON

Sport Rafting Daytrip

Ottawa River Rafting Photography

Louisa Lake Basecamp, Algonquin PP, ON

Basecamp Canoeing

Louisa Lake Photography

INSTRUCTION: Open Tandem WW Canoe Course: MKC, Barry's Bay, ON

INSTRUCTION

Open Tandem White-water Canoe Course Photography

Grande Lake, Algonquin PP, ON

Basecamp Canoeing

Grande Lake Photography

Madawaska River: Snake Rapids

A Whitewater Daytrip

Paddlers: Karen, Gerry, Helen, Me
Location: Lower Madawaska River
Accommodation: The Cabin, Norcan Lake

River Description: Snake Rapids - 9.5 km long, 8 sets CII/II+, several swifts

Madawaska 2000 Photography

Florida: Clearwater, Silver Springs, Key West

Visiting With Mae & Earl

Dates: February 19 - March 05

Days: 16

Activities: Cycling, Hiking, Kayaking, Snorkelling, Walking, Cultural, Photography
Photography: Old, poor quality, scanned images ... sorry!

Post Description: This happened too long ago and I can't remember the details. Read the photo captions, the story is in the photography and it's 'mostly chronological'.

Photography

Algonquin PP: Winter Hiking

Winter Hiking

Accommodation: Blue Spruce Cabins, Oxtongue Lake, ON
Hikers: Janice, Dave, Helen, Me
Location: Algonquin Provincial Park
Trails: Mizzy Lake, Fen Lake, Blue Spruce, Whiskey Rapids, Bat Lake
Distances: Hiked 20.2 kms, Skied 27.5 kms

Photography

Hiking in Algonquin PP

Long Weekend Hiking & Cycling

Accommodation: Mew Lake Yurts
Campers: Sue, Chris, Helen, Me
Location: Algonquin Provincial Park
Cycling: Rail Trail (25km)
Hiking: Centennial Ridges (10km), Hemlock Bluff (3.5km)
Other: Visited the Haliburton Wolf Centre

Photography

Canoeing the Barron River

Family Canoe Trip

Campers: Peggy, Tom, Helen, Me

Description: 18 km round trip, several portages under 500m, 1.5 km hiking trail, a spectacular canyon

Photography

Backpacking the Itijjagiaq Trail, Katannilik TP, Baffin Island, NU

Katannilik Traverse - Exploratory

LOGISTICS
Hikers: Wendy Grater (guide, Blackfeather), Sally Manning (guide), Karen Tippett, Gerry Irving, US
Pack Weights: Helen 56 lbs, Dann 86 lbs (From scales prior to trek). Everyone carried equivalent amounts.
Location: Katannilik Territorial Park
Photography: All from K&G. scanned analog
DVD Available: Get copy from Store

Publicity: Our trip was featured as article " Meta Incognito " by Sally Manning, Up Here Magazine, April 2000

Petawawa River: Whitewater Training

Basecamp Canoe Camping

Private Vehicle: Kinburn > Lake Travers, Algonquin PP

Campers: Chris, Rick, Helen, Me
Rapids: Big Thompson several times for practise

Photography

INSTRUCTION: Canoeing the Dumoine River, PQ: Lac Robinson > Stonecliff, ON

Our FIRST Whitewater Course

LOGISTICS (ON / PQ, CANADA)

Private Vehicle: Kinburn > Des Joachims, PQ

Bus Shuttle: Des Joachims with Blackfeather > Lac Robinson, DUMOINE R., PQ
Course: Blackfeather Canoe Clinic
Instructors: Kristen Hayes, Scott, Jamie Gupthill, JF Carrey

Tandem Canoe: Lac Robinson > Dumoine R. > Stonecliff, ON - CII+, 4days, 30 kms.

River Speed: 5-7 kms/hr
Private Vehicle: Stonecliff > Kinburn
Certification: ORCA Level 1A

Our first day was spent travelling to camp and setting it up, we arrived late. Second day we practised a number of strokes at a set of CI where the Dumoine empties into the lake. On the third day we shuttled further upriver a few kilometers in the van. We ran a CII just below Le Grande Chute and then continued downriver through several more sets, ending back at Lac Robinson and camp for the night. On the final day we paddled out about 25 kms more, running a dozen sets of rapids; CI > CII+ ... never dumped.

DUMOINE Photography

N'Awlins

Microsoft Conference ... Gertie, Helen and Me

Photography

THIRD Road Trip NORTH of 60

Logistics: Kinburn, ON > MB SA AB BC YT AK MO WY SD WI MI

Vehicle: 1994 F350 RC LB SRW 4x4 7.3l diesel with 1988 Maple Leaf Camper

Days: 50

Dates: August - September

Activities: Overlanding, canoeing, biking, hiking, photography

Distance: 16000 kms (est.)

Photography: Old, poor quality, scanned images ... sorry!
CANADA Territorial Park: Tombstone YT
CANADA National Parks: Banff, Glacier, Jasper, Kootenay, Yoho 
CANADA National Historic Site: Barkerville BC

Post Description: Read the photo captions, the story is in the photography and it's 'mostly chronological'.
Event: 24th Wedding Anniversary

We headed across Canada and met up with Mae, Earl, Sue & Chris at a Provincial Park near Prince George, B.C. We travelled together for a few days, then Sue & Chris headed back to Vancouver while the rest of us travelled on to Whitehorse. Mae & Earl headed back East from Whitehorse while we continued North. 

We did some of our best hiking ever in the Rocky Mtn Parks of Banff, Jasper, Kootenay, Yoho and Glacier. One of the most memorable trips was the Glacier Crest Trail in the Illcillewaet Glacier. This was a 9.6 km return trip and it took about 4.5 hours to complete - this included a lunch break at the 'emergency' cabin at the summit. A series of increasingly steep switchbacks to the top and a final elevation of a little over 2000 ft. We met several hikers from Holland at the top and during our lunch break we were scolded by the resident 'marmot' and 'pika' populations.

Photography

Round Lake PP, ON

A Weekend With Mom & Dad

Photography

Visiting Five Parks in Twenty-One Days

Five Parks

Logistics: Travel around Ontario

Vehicle: 1994 F350 RC LB SRW 4x4 7.3l diesel with 1988 Maple Leaf Camper

Days: 21

Dates: September

Activities: Overlanding, canoeing, hiking, photography

Distance: 4500 kms (est.)

Photography: Old, poor quality, scanned images ... sorry!
Canadian Provincial Parks: Killarney, Sleeping Giant, Algonquin, Lake Superior
Canadian National Park: Bruce Peninsula

Post Description: Read the photo captions, the story is in the photography and it's 'mostly chronological'.

We travelled around the province and camped, biked, hiked and paddled. We have pictures taken at Killarney Provincial Park along the Bruce Trial in the Bruce Peninsula NP and Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. Mom and Dad O'Kane were staying at the Blue Spruce in Dwight and we stopped in and visited with them for a night on our way home.

Touring The Atlantic Provinces

Logistics: Kinburn, ON > then East through ON NY VT NH MA NB NS NL QC PE

Vehicle: 1994 F350 RC LB SRW 4x4 7.3l diesel with 1988 Maple Leaf Camper

Travelling Companions: Mae & Earl in a Volkswagen Van
Days: 35

Dates: August - September

Activities: Overlanding, canoeing, hiking, photography

Distance: 6000 kms (est.)

Photography: Old, poor quality, scanned images ... sorry!
CANADA National Parks: Gros Morne NP
UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Red Bay, Gros Morne NP

Post Description: This happened too long ago and I can't remember the details. Read the photo captions, the story is in the photography and it's 'mostly chronological'.
Event: 22nd Wedding Anniversary

Mid-August, we were packed and departing for points East. Our 1994 Ford was loaded with camper, canoe, food and wine. Mae & Earl loaded up their VW Van, once again assuming it still had many more kilometres to go. We plan on about a 5 week trip. We decided to travel through the USA on the trip out and return home through Quebec. The trip resulted in more ferry crossings than we had done before, a visit to L'Anse aux Meadows ( the oldest known Viking settlement in NA), hiking trips into Gros Morne NP, a stop at Cape Spears (NA's most easterly point of land), one inland and one coastal boat tour, A Farley Mowat sighting during a ferry crossing and our most amazing wildlife sighting ever ... 30,000 nesting pairs of Northern Gannets at Cape St. Mary's ... and one Moose.

Photography

SECOND Road Trip NORTH of 60

Ontario to Alaska and Places In Between

Logistics: Kinburn, ON > in a north-westerly direction into ON MB SA AB BC NT YT AK

Vehicle: 1994 F350 RC LB SRW 4x4 7.3l diesel with 1988 Maple Leaf Camper

Travelling Companions: Mae & Earl in a Volkswagen Van
Days: 56

Dates: July - September

Activities: Overlanding, canoeing, hiking, fishing, photography

Distance: 16000 kms (est.)

Photography: Old, poor quality, scanned images ... sorry!

Post Description: This happened too long ago and I can't remember the details. Read the photo captions, the story is in the photography and it's 'mostly chronological'.
Designation: World Heritage Site
Event: 20th Wedding Anniversary

                     

Mid-July saw us packed up in our brand new 1994 Ford F350. Our new to us, 'used' truck camper was loaded up with food, wine, clothes, firewood and our canoe. Mae & Earl had loaded their VW van and together, the four of us set out on our first trip north 'by vehicle'. We were delayed briefly by the first of three flat tires that M&E would have. Earl had convinced himself that his tires would last until Edmonton ... they didn't. The adventure has begun.

Photography