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Monthly Archives: May 2009
PlatyPreserve: A Little Wine With Your Wilderness?
A hydration bladder for wine? Lemme put it this way: If I were soloing in Quetico for 17 days carrying only a fanny pack — I would still figure a way to cram this inside.
PlatyPreserve is the long-awaited wine storage solution from hydration wizards, Platypus. And for foodies like me, who love the challenge of pulling off ultra-light versions of fine dining, it sounds fantastic: It’s airtight. Blocks out light and UV rays. Washes without soap. Dang, the only thing missing from this lil’ juicebox is the straw.
Stay tuned; if we score one of these (okay, maybe three) it could shape up to be our most enjoyable gear review to date!
Eagle Fight at Voyageurs (Film at Eleven)
Count yourself lucky if you happen to spy eagles fighting for dominance. But if you chance upon an all-out air/sea battle like this — and have your camera handy — count yourself Voyageurs National Park staffer Ed Lombard.
We recently saw these photos in an Outdoor Expo presentation by Chris Holbeck, Conservation Planner at Voyageurs’. While the park’s eagle population is thriving, things like this are still a rare show (quick, pop some popcorn!)
Apparently, Lombard wasn’t even eagle-watching when he came across two males whose talon-locked plunge thru the skies, brought them crashing into the lake, where the action continued. Amazing images, Ed and Chris! Thanks for letting us share them.
On Sporks, Spifes and Other Camping Cutlery
What if those shiny, fancy titanium sporks, actually *weren’t* the End All Be All camping utensil?
Someone’s made an interesting Venn diagram proposing a few ‘nother kinds of hybrid cutlery. Funny. I guess we’ll now have to err on the side of preparedness and pick up all of them at the outfitters. Via Kottke.
Diary of an ExOfficio Underwear Tester
I just about laughed my pants off, reading this: A guy tests the wickability claims of his ExOfficio skivvies, not changing them for a whole week. He puts them through the rigors well enough — creekboating, biking, fishing, etc. — but his greatest challenge is in keeping his little experiment a secret from his wife. That’s right, he’s at home, not on the trail.
Hats off to anyone keeping their shorts on for so long. Hilarious.
Loon print by Eleanor Grosch
This limited-edition silkscreen print caught our eye and just may have us by the pocketbook too. Looks perfect for the walls of any house… or boathouse.
Do You Like Looking at Loons?
With their lovely plumage, haunting calls and graceful poise, who doesn’t love catching a glimpse of loons in the Boundary Waters? If you’re really lucky, you may’ve even seen one of their grisly, bloodthirsty territorial battles.
For years, the MN-DNR’s efforts to keep loon populations stable in Minnesota, have been supported by scores of volunteer loon-watchers. And now they need you to join their flock (even though loons themselves do not typically flock; by now you probably know they’re quite reclusive and mostly live in pairs — I was just being clever and flowery with my prose, give me a break.)
Wabakimi: Canoeing to the ‘Center of the Universe’
The immediately likeable author/paddler Kevin Callan explores Wabakimi Provincial Park, whose history is just as unique as its geography.
Deep within the park lies Whitewater Lake and upon it, Best Island — hermitage of amateur scientist Wendell Beckwith. Dedicating his life to researching everything from astronomy, to human migrations to the pyramids, to the recurrence of the pi formula in nature; he eventually theorized that his island was in perfect triangulation with Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. He lived on the island from 1961 until his death in 1980.
While his scientific work may not be his true legacy, the lovely Best Island is. Still standing are several lovely cabins he built, including one with a floorplan in the shape of a snail’s shell (remember that pi equation?)
A great video of a great place I hope to visit. Thanks, Kevin!
Arrowhead Journey Update: Conundrum in the Canal
The craggy, gelid waters of Lake Superior have sunk more than a few ships in their day. They’re also really cold. So anybody who would meet them in battle, paddling a homemade birch bark canoe, is either crazy — or is someone like Erik Simula. There’s a big difference.
The off-the-grid living forest ranger/wilderness guide/dog sled musher/boatwright (previously posted here) is paddling 1000 miles on what he calls his Arrowhead Journey. Yesterday presented his greatest challenge so far. Despite being covered with a spray skirt, Erik’s canoe became partially swamped as he paddled through the high lift bridge canal in Duluth. The Coast Guard were called in and towed the boat to safety after Erik and his dog Kitigan were brought ashore, courtesy of the Duluth Fire Department.
Simula maintains he could have self-rescued, but conceded to the help. I have no reason to doubt that; after all, what can’t this guy do? After this trip, he could probably go fishing for marlin with his bare hands, just to round out his resumé.
After only a cup of coffee at a friend’s and a gear upgrade from a sponsor, Erik Simula is ready to hit the waves again on the trip of his dreams. Way to go, Erik! BTW, maybe one of your sponsors could really be a help by re-stocking your pine pitch supply;)
A Good Excuse to Read (& Re-Read) The Singing Wilderness
One of the oldest naturalist writings on the Boundary Waters, is still one of the best. Sigurd Olson’s collection of essays The Singing Wilderness belongs on your shelf if you’re reading this post; but if you haven’t read it, now’s the perfect time.
MN Read, the book club of Twin Cities publication Secrets of the City, has chosen Olson’s classic for its next book. You’ve got about a month to read it, but once you start, you’ll be done in about 2.31 days.
Here’s a brief exerpt to whet your appetite:
There is magic in the feel of a paddle and the movement of a canoe, a magic compounded of distance, adventure, solitude, and peace. The way of a canoe is the way of the wilderness, and of a freedom almost forgotten. It is an antidote to insecurity, the open door to waterways of ages past and a way of life with profound and abiding satisfactions. When a man is part of his canoe, he is part of all that canoes have ever known.
Reel Paddling Film Fest
Disclaimer: Not my fault. I did not create this trailer for the Reel Paddling Film Fest. I will not be personally offended if you forego this four-minute advertrailer timesuck (If you’re quick enough with the pause button, you might actually catch a shot of people paddling boats.)
Ahem. That said, the festival itself (in Minneapolis on Thursday, May 21) looks to be absolutely worth your time. It’s the best films on canoeing, kayaking, (sometimes surviving) and protecting some of the most beautiful waterways on the planet.
One highlight is this year’s pick for Best Canoeing Film, Digging Water: A Voyage by North Canoe. A brief synopsis…
In 2008, over 300 paddlers set out to commemorate one of the world’s greatest geographers and explorers, David Thompson. Their 66-day journey retraced Thompson’s historic fur trade route from Rocky Mountain House to Thunder Bay. These modern-day voyageurs traversed four provinces, three drainages and two centuries worth of Canadian history.
Midwest Mountaineering (of course) hosts the event. Tickets are $8 at the store, or $11 online. A pretty good deal, but if I have to sit thru that Teva promo again, I’ll be demanding a full refund.
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