Travel

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Lumina Borealis

For the most part, this blog is dedicated to the outdoors and related pursuits.  At times it feels like it is solely dedicated to fishing, and in the fall, hunting seems to take the driver seat.  Regardless of the season, this blog does one thing consistently; It promotes Ontario, with a specific geographic focus on the Kingston area.  Its this focus that prompts me to write about non-outdoor related activities from time to time, and this blog entry is a prime example.   Enter Lumina Borealis.

What is it? Lumina Borealis is an interactive, multimedia, multi sensory art display located at fort Henry in Kingston Ontario.  The event began late 2016 and continues on into the winter of 2017.  Tickets are available online or at the visitors centre inconfederation basin, where a shuttle is also available to take you to Fort Henry.

That’s a great description but, what exactly is this event like?  What can you expect when you visit this event?  Here is my account.

We headed west on Highway #2 towards Kingston downtown and made a left at the RMC intersection. After the turning, we began our ascent up the hill towards fort henry and were immediately greeted by gentle music drifting down from the fort.  Despite the cold, this is worth rolling your windows down for as it is wonderfully composed and adds to the build up of the event.   The volume will build and gently beckon you upward towards the parking lot and event entrance.

For those of you not familiar with the fort at night, it offers a spectacular vantage point to view a scenic vista of the city of Kingston.  The view is quite something on its own, but is enhanced by the gentle background music emanating from the venue.

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We presented out tickets which we purchased online  at http://www.luminaborealis.com/ and proceeded down the gangway where we were greeted by the impressive display below.  You can decide to enter the lower fort immediately or follow the slow trickle of people as they disappear into the dark of the moat.

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Encouraged by these cryptic signs we chose to enter the moat.

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Although the whole experience is something to behold, I personally enjoyed the light displays and irregular shapes that immediately greet you in the moat.  It is here where the music, light, dark meet to instill an unshakeable sense of wonder.

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As we progressed, the wonderment grew, amplified by the addition of another sense.  The scent of wood smoke filled the air occupying the area as well as our noses.  This is a full sensory experience that is immersive and reminiscent of winters gone by.  This triggered, as I’m sure it does for many, memories of feeling the warmth of the wood stove at my grandparents house and the overwhelming scent of campfire from many a camping trip gone by.

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For those of you who have come to expect pictures of animals from my posts, fear not, the next pictures are for you.

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The displays are often interactive triggered by standing in a specifc place or by gathering around the fires that demands a group effort from you and surrounding strangers.

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Some are triggered by voice.

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Some require more physical efforts.

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Spend enough time and energy in the centre of the lower fort and you will eventually witness the grand finale.  Another one for you animal lovers. 

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The installation is quite spectacular to behold.  Not many shows or other events play to  your senses like this one does.  Over all, well worth the money to see.  In addition this event is about as kid friendly as you can get.  In fact, its probably better with kids, as their child like wonder at the displays will, I’m sure, be contagious.

Cheers from the Fort,

Albert

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Beginners Guide to Backcountry

At a glance, back country trips can seem mystical and awe inspiring.  Photos of your friends or “favourite blogger”… cough.. retracing the steps of explorers and voyageurs long since gone can be mesmerizing.  The concept of becoming “one with nature” on these trips, is not only mystical and romantic, but quintessentially Canadian.  After all, our country was built on hardy folks who had an unhealthy penchant for spending most of their lives in the backwoods.  Unfortunately when it comes time to actually plan one, the weight of the task can leave you feeling inadequate and unconfident.  Especially if these sorts of trips weren’t part of your youth.

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So how do you go about planning and actually executing one of these trips? I’m sure there are many folks out there who are infinitely more qualified to answer this question, but I’d like to weigh on with a beginners/intermediate’s point of view on the subject.  Here is what I have learned.

Have a Good Plan

Decide how much time you want to spend on a trip. Decide where in the province, country, or even world you want to go. Once you have answered these questions narrow down your search to a specific route.  In Canada, Canadian Canoe Roots  would be your best option.  Alternatively you could look up Trails.com  for trails in the states.  Once you have narrowed it down to a specific route, get your hands on  a map of your route showing the path, portages, portage distances, and topography.  I’m a big fan of Jeff’s maps http://jeffsmap.com/ .  They guy has seen a good portion of the parks in Ontario and has lots of handy notes on his maps.  Not to mention they are fairly current, and best of all made available through donations.  Thanks Jeff!

If your still deciding on what route to take consider your level of physical fitness when selecting a trip that’s right for you.  Consider choosing a trp that is well travelled if your new.  There may be others present should you get into a bit of trouble.

Don’t be a hero and don’t bite off more than you can chew.  A two day trip may not sound as epic as a week long excursion, but its definitely easier and safer. Every year lots of people decide to head into the woods with very little gear or food expecting things to just work out.  News flash, they wont, unless you prepare for it.

Choose Experienced Trip Mates

Personally, I prefer learning by doing and by seeing.  So it worked out when I was invited on my first trip by some seriously experienced trekkers.  I got to learn the ropes with minimal risk to myself.  I recommend this method of grafting yourself onto a trip.  I bet there is nothing worse that being in the middle of a trek running out of food and having no idea how your going to get back and no one to ask for help.

Plan Your Meals

Understand what your dietary needs are and pack accordingly.  Its important to watch your weight here though, and I don’t mean your waistline.  I’m taking weight of your pack.  Bringing a case of beer and fresh steaks may work for a 2 day canoe in trip where you don’t mind packing it in, but that wont really fly on a long haul 7 day trip with numerous portages.  Your not going to want to haul that crap in or haul the remaining garbage out. Consider meals that are light and full of calories like wraps and peanut butter or oatmeal.  Dried meats are a favourite as well.  Basically anything that doesn’t require refrigeration and is light.  Remember, its not the food that usually weighs a lot, its the water present in your food.  Try to avoid bringing meals that contain lots of water and rely more on things like pasta, rice, or oatmeal.  They have a high calorie/weight ratio.

Water

Consider how you will get your water.  A couple Nalgene bottles wont cut it for a long haul trip.  Bring a water filter designed to remove all the lovely bacteria and parasites or use purification tablets/drops.  Simply boiling your water wont save you from a severe case of “beaver fever”.  Oh and avoid drawing water from swampy boggy areas or from near shore.  These areas can be teaming with parasites.  If in an emergency you need to drink untreated water, get it from a fast moving stream or from the middle of a deep cold lake.

Gear

Gear needs are tied directly to the trip you plan to take.  You’ll need at least: a compass, your map (preferably in a water proof case), fire starting equip, pack, sleeping bag, therma-rest or sleeping pad, water filtration or purification equip, minimal cooking gear (preferably pots that fit within one another), a stove or way to cook (something light is great like a whisperlite or similar), life jacket (if canoeing), and assortment of medication (ibuprofen, Benadryl, antihistamines, personal meds).  A bit of rope and a good knife are never bad things to bring along.  Try to minimize gear and reduce redundancies.  Discuss equipment with your group to avoid duplicating gear.  No need to haul 6 camp stoves in when one will do the trick.

Resist the urge to bring along your favourite axe, clunky propane BBQ, or other gear that has no direct use on trip.  Believe me, you’ll only make the mistake of over packing once, especially if you have a few long portages to deal with.

Maintain a dry set of clothes, but don’t bring the whole wardrobe.  Accept that you wont have a fresh set of clothes to wear each day unless you pack them in.  I keep one set of dry clothes for camp and one for the hard day of paddling and hiking.

Organization

Reduce clutter and loose items. Make sure you reduce items that need to be carried in your hands or that are loose.  This makes for easy portages and minimizes lost items.  You will tire quickly of having to pick up a ton of crap each time you move.  Also, one pack containing all your gear is easer to pick out of the water than a mess of gear if you capsize.  As a plus, your pack will likely float minimizing loss of equipment!

Read Trip Reports

Although you may be hoping to experience your very own Lewis and Clark moment once you are in the woods, its likely someone else has been there before.  Use resources such as myccr.ca folks on that sit have piles of information for the new adventurer.  Don’t forget to use Google and read posts like those you may find on your favourite outdoor blog based in Southern Ontario “wink, wink”.  If there is a problem with a trip, someone somewhere is likely to mention it.

Weather

Be prepared for it or plan around it.  Remember as nice as a light rain shower is in the summer, the same rain can be deadly if your travelling in cold temperatures.  Staying dry is key when the mercury drops.

Stay off the water during thunderstorms or in high winds. Likewise, learn your route and constantly be looking to landmarks that indicate where you are. Stay alert!  you don’t want to be the person who misses the portage only to head into a class 5 rapid un-expectantly.

Well that’s my two cents.  I’m not a pro by any stretch, but hopefully this information will help you make some good decisions up front about your trip.  If I can leave you with one thought its this: don’t be intimidated.  This may seem like a lot of things to think about when tripping, but you’ll learn quick.  Start small, be eager to learn and humbly take advice for more experienced trippers.

Lastly, and above all else, enjoy the experience.

Cheers from somewhere in the middle of nowhere,

Albert

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Ontario Craft Beer, Cheese, Liquor, and Food

The Wilderness across Ontario is my favourite thing to write about.  But a close second would have to be the province itself.  The area is rich in diversity and is currently nurturing a healthy “farm to table / locavore” movement.  For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, I’m talking about artisanal meats, cheeses, food, beer and liquor made locally with local ingredients, fostering local economic benefits.  I could go on here touting the benefits of supporting this way of life but really, what’s more beneficial than eating and drinking something that a fellow Ontarian has poured their life into?  In my mind, its a no brainer.

So how do you set about finding all these hole in the wall places? I’m sure many of you may have a favourite craft beer you like or perhaps you’ve stumbled upon a some amazing cheese that’s made in the farmhouse down the road.  That’s great.  Now imagine having access to each and everyone of these places across southern Ontario.

Actually better yet, don’t imagine.  This ability already exists in website form.  Check out the following link and discover the taste of Ontario.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0645/5925/files/DiscoveryRoutes_2016_Full_insert.pdf?16132010561433434178

Cheers

Albert

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The Wilds of…. Alberta?

The primary focus of this blog has always been showcasing the natural beauty of Ontario and its wilderness.  However, at times I have been known to write up posts on my travels to other provinces of Canada. This article happens to be one such post which describes my recent trip to Alberta.

I love Ontario and don’t think I would be as happy living any where else.  But if I had to choose a close second, the Albertan Mountains would definitely make the short list.

Our trip began on the last days of June, 2016, with a flight out of Ottawa.  We landed in Edmonton, spent a few days with my cousin and attended a wedding of a college friend.  Edmonton was interesting in its own right, however, aside from the river valleys, the area is quite flat.  Not to mention the only wildlife to be seen in the area where we were staying was the multitude of magpies which plagued the neighbourhood trash bags.   After a few days we were itching to head west and find some elevation.

The approach to the mountains was gradual.  They started as shadows on the horizon shrouded in the mists of distance, and slowly became clearer.DSC_0838DSC_0850(ii)

The mountains were large, silent giants.  Some appeared sloped and weather beaten while others maintained their aggressive peak and shear faces.  The Rocky Mountains are some of the youngest mountains in the world, and when compared to old ranges like the alps, the difference is obvious.   The mountains were above all impressive, and each seemed dwarf the highest peak in Ontario (the Ishpatina Ridge, located in Temagami, some 693 metres).   These mountains are even more impressive up close, and during our drive down the Icefields Parkway, we often felt like we were at the feet of these giant monuments.  At times it can actually be difficult to drive and sight see at the same time as the mountains are so sheer in places.

Although the mountains were impressive, the rivers were also majestic.  Each river we passed seemed to be swollen with water from the mountains, charged by the hydraulic head.  The colours ranged from milky white to deep emerald green.  Made white from the deposition of silts and minerals from the nearby moutnains and glaciers which turned a deep emerald green once the minerals oxidized.  The latent trout fisherman in me was screaming insults at me and chided me for not bringing a line and lure.

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These rivers often fed into large powerful cascades such as the Sunwapta and Athabasca Falls.

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The park has countless hiking trails, bike trails, picnic areas and lookouts.  Scenic views are in no shortage in the park, especially along the Icefields Parkway.  There are even glaciers that you can walk up to and walk on if you have the cash and are so inclined.

DSC_0092Sadly, global warming is very obvious here as signs indicating the previous extents of the glaciers are placed periodically along the hike to the foot of the glacier.

The scenery was breath taking, but so was the plethora of animals which inhabit this majestic landscape.  Some of the more recognizable species include mammals like elk, white tail and mule deer, moose, caribou, mountain goat, dahl sheep, black and grizzly bears, as well as wolfs and a wide variety of other species.  We were lucky enough to see several on our trip including elk, black bear, white tail and mule deer in full velvet and several cheeky ground squirrels.  We were even lucky enough to have a cow elk and her calf visit our cabin in Jasper!  They stopped, grazed a bit, and then just moseyed in towards the middle of town.

Although amazing to us, I’m told occurrences like this are old hat to residents.

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Much of the wild life we encountered was along the Ice fields parkway.  This stretch of highway between Jasper and Banff is renown across the world as place where wildlife can be seen with ease.  As easy as it is to encounter wildlife it is important to remember they are just that. wild.  So feeding them or trying to interact can be both dangerous for you and the animals.

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The sheer size of the mountains did a good job of making me feel insignificant in the presence of their vastness.  Luckily the unique opportunity to see such a variety of animals up close reminded me of how diverse the landscape is and how much these species depend on habitat protection and conservation efforts from humans for their continual survival.  So although we may be insignificant next to a mountain, we make a mountain of a difference to an elk or bear when we protect areas like jasper and Banff.  Coming from Ontario, a place where elk are rare and only present due to restocking efforts, I can appreciate what these parks represent.

So I urge you to take a drive through the Rockies and experience the significance of a place like this.  Admire the animals and diversity from a distance.  See this natural wonder for yourself.  I’d be wiling to bet that seeing these wonders will give you an appreciation for the natural resources we as Canadians can take for granted.

Cheers from the wilds of Alberta,

Albert

Special Thanks to http://icefieldsparkway.com/maps for providing details on where to slop and sight see.