Canoeing in Wabakimi PP, ON, CANADA

The WORLD"S Largest Wilderness Canoeing Region ... and Gerry caught fish every day!

LOGISTICS 
Private Vehicles: All our homes to Armstrong, ON

First Night's Accommodation:
Air Charter: Air Mattice
Planes: Single Turbo Otter & Beaver
Pilot(s): Don Elliot, unknown
Tandem Flatwater Tripping Canoe(s): some CI+, high water, some travel on the Allan Water & Caribou rivers
Paddlers: Karen, Gerry, Heather, Fred, Helen, Dann
DVD Available: Get copy from Store

We booked an air charter with Mattice Lake Outfitters and flew into Granite Lake. Flight time was 08:45 am. First time in a single-engine Turbo Otter for both of us. We found out at the end of the trip that this plane was built in 1956. The two Beavers used by Mattice Lake Outfitters are built in 1951 and 1953. All aircraft are in fine shape.  The flight in was about ½ an hour.  Staff load all the gear and secure the boats to the aircraft pontoons. We’re with Fred & Heather and Karen & Gerry will fly in one of the Beavers. The flight in gave us a good aerial perspective of the type of terrain we’ll be paddling through over the next 2 weeks …… the Northern Boreal. Gear and boats were offloaded on the water – a first for me. Thankfully we had calm conditions.

Canoeing in Frontenac PP, ON, CANADA

Jan & Keith's FIRST Canoe Camping Trip

LOGISTICS 

Private Vehicles: A short, approximately 10 km drive from home to the park.

Tandem Tripping Canoe(s): lake paddling, no portages

Frontenac PP Photography

Point Pelee NP, Leamington, ON, CANADA

To The Southern Tip of CANADA 

  

Helen stayed behind to care for her father who was recovering from shoulder surgery. I was joined by friends Karen & Gerry and Margo & Cary for a couple of days of walking, birding and some paddling.

Point Pelee NP Photography

Crusty ...

Melia Cayo Santa Maria, Jardines del Ray, CUBA

A Favourite Country

We felt isolated at this resort and for that reason alone, we would probably not return. I would recommend it to others though – it ranks quite high when we compare it to all the others we've stayed at. It’s a perfect location for anyone who doesn't need to do any tours or leave at all. The closest towns are back on the mainland – a journey back across the 48 km causeway. Most activities are focussed on the resort. Any tours that leave the resort are for full days or in some cases multi-day. We weren't able to travel the Cuban countryside or visit the small towns and villages like we did in 2003 because of our isolation.

Rooms On The Beach, Ocho Rios, JAMAICA

Ja Mon!

Wikipedia: JAMAICA

This may be our last chance at a quick getaway for awhile ... we'll begin construction of a new home when we return. We hesitate to commit to only one week trips, because there is never enough time to do anything other than become moderately acquainted with any area. This last minute hotel based trip to Jamaica was certainly no exception. But we did experience enough wonderful Jamaican scenery, people, food and music to convince us to return someday.

Ocho Rios, JAMAICA Photography

Crusty ...

Punta Cana Princess Resort, Punta Cana, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

               
 

Santo Domingo is an ancient Caribbean seaport city of firsts, discovered by Christopher Columbus it became the first capital of the new territories, the first to have Spanish coinage, a fort, a monastery, a cathedral, a university, a hospital and a palace.

Santo Domingo is where Madrid's rulers in 1512 set up the highest level of its judicial system since the Middle Ages, the Spanish Colonies' first royal appellate court.

Canadian National Adventure Racing Championship

Safety Boat

LOGISTICS 

Private Vehicle: Home > Timmins

Wanapitie Suburban / Boat Trailer: Timmins > Lady Evelyn PP 
Partner(s): Unknown bow paddler & co-driver

Shuttle: Moved 15 canoes in a single load to the start of the paddling segment

Portage: One miserable portage, poorly marked & documented, partly by atv through heavy marshland 

Tandem Canoe: lake paddling

Wanapitie Suburban / BoatTrailer: Lady Evelyn PP > Wanapitie Outfitters Base 
Private Vehicle: Wanapitie Outfitters Base > Home

                        

Shawn Hodgins from Wanapitei Canoe contacted me to work this race. 

Drug Smugglers

  We had no problem getting here, but this was sure a difficult country to get out of. 

We drove the highway along the island’s Atlantic Coast and got to the airport just as the ZOOM Airlines plane was landing. Flying empty from Canada, allowed the pilot to gain time and arrive an hour and fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. Our GO Travel representatives, Stephanie and Juan were traveling home with us and warned everyone that the ‘line-up’ system that was employed in the Venezuelan airport could be confusing at times … little did we know. 

Pedro

 Comme la Jeep de Pedro

   
Carlos informed us that all Jeeps and Landcruisers were full and that he had made arrangements for another driver (Pedro on left)  and Jeep to meet us at the first stop. Unfortunately, we’d be ‘crammed in’ somewhere until we were able to get into a vehicle of our own …

… the ensuing brief drive with 6 other people, in the open rear, sans ‘safety equipment’, of a small Toyota Landcruiser, that bounced, ricocheted and bruised it’s way along a narrow, pot-holed highway ... 

... turned out to be the calmest and safest segment of the 200 plus kms we would drive that day!!!

Isla de Margarita, Neuva Esparata State, VENEZUELA

Wikipedia: VENEZUELA

This trip marks our first time in South America, although barely. This was a typical resort based vacation. We were quite idle, didn't move around much and to be fair we never got more than a brief tasted of the culture of Margarita Island, let alone any exposure at all to the mainland of Venezuela. Only the Dominican Republic was explored earlier than this island (Simon Bolivar landed here 2nd) and yet there is hardly any evidence of 500 year old Spanish history.

Terry, Mike and Frank: Rescue in Paddle Prairie

We expected to fuel up with gas for the day at a 24 hour station in Manning, but it had stopped selling gas … so, … we moved to a lodge a few kilometres down the road. We pulled in and immediately realized that ...

Gas Pumps covered in plastic wasn't a good sign! 

Bobby Dodds ... a Brief Encounter

Bobby is the resident Information Centre 'Greeter' here in Grimshaw, Alberta. Bobby is an ex-trapper and he's in his 70's. We didn't ask, but he volunteered to tell us some of his life's story.

... he made a couple of fortunes (we never did find out how) ... he and his wife blew the last of it all in Australia ... he's not with the wife any-more ... she's in southern Alberta ... somewhere! Somewhere where it rains most of the time and he likes that!!!

Dave's World

Dave swears he saw one, two, three ... at least a dozen caymen. Well OK!, maybe just their eyes, so that's six. But they were big ... the eyes were BIG and they looked right at me!

KAYAKING: Organos River, COSTA RICA

Guides: Kat & Nate

Van Shuttle: With Crystal Seas from Costa Coral Resort, Playa Tambor > ORGANOS R., Playa Organos & return

Single & Double Kayak(s): Up the Organos for several kilometres and return - C1+ (surf landings)

View 2005 Organos River, COSTA RICA in a larger map

COSTA RICA: The Pacific Coast

We travelled the Pacific Coast from PANAMA north to NICARAGUA. We stayed at several different locations and had a few different travelling companions a couple of times throughout the trip. We were in 4 of the 7 provinces: Alajuela, Guanacaste, Puntarenas and San Jose. The weather was terrific . In general, we had sunny, hot, clear conditions for 51 days straight.

There isn't as much cultural diversity as in Panama and Cuba. The major cities of San Jose and Liberia aren't all that interesting ... architecturally, culturally or socially. There is no active indigenous Indian population left in CR. Most Indian artwork is imported from Panama. Local artisans create beautiful hand-painted ceramic tiles and pieces in exotic woods. Sunsets are always breath-taking. Driving can be an adventure - some dirt roads are extremely poor, mountain driving skills are a necessity. There are too many dogs and ATV's in this country. The indigenous breed of Spanish descended horses is beautiful.

Activities: sea-kayaking, hiking, cultural, snorkelling, catamaran sailing, swimming
Vehicle: Toyota Terios (rental)
Average Fuel Cost: 370 colonnes / litre (a bit more than $1 CDN)

Days: 51
Dates: January 10 - March 1
Activities: Cultural, Hiking, Photography

Distance: 3083 kms

COSTA RICA Photography

Demonstration Canoeing, Mississippi River, Burnstown, ON

My 2 Seconds of Fame

Cameraman: Al Joyner 
Solo Canoe: Langford Nahanni @ the dam in Burnstown, Ontario

A friend, Al Joyner, needed a demonstration paddler to contribute and participate in some footage he was shooting, for an educational video for the Canadian government ... I was asked and accepted, I got to pose a bit and it was fun.

Mississippi 2004  Photography

Crusty ...

Canoeing the Dumoine River, PQ: Lac Benoit > Driftwood Provincial Park

One of the Better Whitewater Training Rivers

LOGISTICS (ON / PQ, CANADA)

Partner: Greg Fox
Private Vehicle: Kanata > Deep River > Driftwood PP, Ottawa R., ON

Bus Shuttle: With Wanapitei CANOE from Driftwood PP > Lac Benoit, DUMOINE R., PQ

Tandem Canoe: Lac Benoit > OTTAWA R. confluence > Driftwood PP - CII+ / CIII, 5 days, 64 kms.

Private Vehicle: Driftwood PP > Perth & Kanata

View 2004 DUMOINE / Ottawa in a larger map

Frontenac PP, ON

A Day Hike

Frontenac PP Photography

Crusty ...

Lake Superior PP, ON

LOGISTICS 

Route: Mississagi PP > Site#35, Cresent Lk. CG, Lake Superior PP > Gargantua Bay
Paddlers: Chris, Heather, Fred, Helen, Dann

Visited the Agawa Rock pictographs, hiked a section of the Coastal Backpacking Trail near Sinclair Cove, hiked near Gargantua Harbour, paddled to Warp Bay, hiked the Gargantua Bay portage trail.

LAKE SUPERIOR PP Photography

Crusty ...

Canoeing the Petawawa River, ON: Cedar Lake > McManus Lake

LOGISTICS (ON,  CANADA)

Partner: Laird
Private Vehicle(s): Kanata > Cedar Lake, Algonquin PP, ON

Tandem Canoe: Cedar Lake > McManus Lake, PETAWAWA R., - CII+ / CIII, 8 days, 89 kms

Private Vehicle(s): McManus Lake, Algonquin PP. > Kanata

View 2004 Petawawa River in a larger map