Issue #8 - Ottawa Outdoors Magazine

Your guide to the local outdoor adventure scene

HIKING

The trekker’s third leg

CAMPING

Water purification techniques

CANOEING

Skills: The Canadian and J-strokes

KAYAKING How to pick a paddle

MT. BIKING

New trails in Montebello

CAVING

Exploring Lusk with the family

WINDSURFING SUMMER/FALL 2004

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Still crazy after all these years

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InsideOttawaOutdoors

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Hiking

Canoeing

Camping

3 Trekker’s third leg – the energy-saving staff 5 Kid’s killer backpacks – what they want versus what’s good for them

6 Straight ahead – two canoe strokes to move you forward 8 The Great Whale River expedition – journey with the spirits in Northern Quebec

12 Camping Tips for novices and experts 14 Purification techniques can beat the nasties – filtering your water 16 Wilderness first-aid can deliver you home alive 17 Destination:Camping on Crown land

25 Scuba diving

34 Golfing

34 Getting out of those rough 25 Diving on the situations Lillie Parsons 37 Find the right near Brockville club for your swing 38 Teed off at being unprepared?

2 Publisher’s letter Getting good equipment 12 Survival Kids means better 21 K-9 Common Scents golf 27 28 32 41 49 50 51 52 54 56

Photography Tips Adventure Travel Profile Photography tips Business Profile Urban Spice Urban Grape The Green Pages Calendar of events Bug Juice

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Kayaking

20 Choosing a paddle – no need to break the bank for a double-blader

22 Biking

22 Getting ‘bent for the fun of it – are recumbent bicycles a passing fad or wave of the future?

24 A rough ride in Montebello – new trails nearby

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Adventure racing 41 More than just a bride – support crews can elevate teams to the podium

Windsurfing

43 Windsurfing still crazy after all these years

Caving

46 A lust for Lusk caves – a great activity for the family

28 Filming on Mount Everest The straight line from Ottawa to Kathmandu

By Ben Shillington Algonquin College graduate

PUBSLIHER’S LETTER

Play for keeps.

I

F YOU’VE EVER WONDERED where to windsurf in the morning after golfing, or how to scuba dive after lunch before you head for an Adventure Race on your recumbent bike, this is the issue for you.

We also suggest how to take photos of all those activities before you settle down with the perfect food and wine combo. Want some water with your meal? Look for our story on how avoid gastric nasties with different water purification techniques.

We at Ottawa Outdoors Magazine believe that it’s wise to diversify. No one can possibly participate in all the activities we feature in this issue, but we’re pretty sure there’s something here for everyone. Fact is, we hope our adventure potpourri will help you walk a mile in someone else’s hiking boots. See what other folks do to make life worth living.

If you haven’t tried windsurfing, scuba diving, golfing, camping on Crown land, climbing Mount Everest, perfecting your canoe stroke, biking at Montebello, kayaking, caving, buying a kid’s backpack, or canoeing in Northern Quebec, this issue may give you some exciting ideas.

We also hope readers will consider the goods and services offered by OOM advertisers. Their support is essential to keeping OOM on the coffee tables and in the bathrooms of the nation. Don’t forget to tell our advertisers that you saw their ad in Ottawa Outdoors Magazine.

Have a relaxing summer and a sweet fall in the greatest outdoor hinterland there is!

MAILBAG “I have picked up a copy of Ottawa Outdoors and I am impressed — lots of great information and it’s Canadian!”

Tanya Gaffney “Great magazine — definitely what Ottawa needs.”

Troy Glasner “I would like to first of all say that your magazine is great!

I have just recently discovered it, and I am a loyal reader now!”

Kristina Walker “Hi — I recently read the last issue. The margin cartoons are excellent!”

Jonathan Thibeault “Wanted to send a quick note to say I thoroughly enjoy your magazine. I live in Hamilton, but I pick up a copy every time I am in Ottawa. I love that it is a ‘jack of all trades’ outdoor magazine.”

Owen Webb

Happy trails,

Dave Brown, Publisher and Editor-in-chief

CONTRIBUTORS

Paul Mason

Ben Shillington

Bruce Hollands

Paul Mason is the son and former paddling partner of the late Bill Mason.

Paul went on to a career as a canoe instructor and guide. He won a bronze in OC-1 at the Whitewater Freestyle Worlds in ‘93. He co-authored the instructional canoeing book Thrill of the Paddle and is a freelance illustrative cartoonist.

Ben is an Algonquin College graduate out of journalism. He’s also an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys a wide variety of pursuits. Look for additional articles from him in future issues of Ottawa Outdoors.

Bruce shares a canoeing destination piece for the swift of paddle and strong of heart. The Great Whale River expedition is an awe-inspiring journey you won’t soon forget. And when he’s not paddling these waters, you’ll find him fighting for them... and for all of us.

Ken Whiting In 1997, Ken Whiting won the World Championships and has never looked back. With best-selling books and instructional videos, Ken is the leader in bringing the latest skills to paddlers world wide. Look for his publications around the city or find out more at www.playboat.com.

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Dave Brown Managing Editor Allen Macartney Editor Brant Scott Contributing Editors Jim Hargreaves, Consulting Editors Scott Shailer, Stepen Seabrook Design and Layout Terrence Terrade, Dave Brown Graphic Illustrators William Jessup, Keith Milne, Paul Mason Contributing Writers Mike Lomas, Tara Tasker, Richard Doherty, Paul Mason, Bruce Hollands, Angie Brown, Ryan Brown, Chantal Macartney, Dora Boersma, Scott Shailer, Harry Gallon, Ken Whiting, Cathy Brown, Tim Landon, Michel Gratton, Chuck Beattie, Allen Macartney, Ben Shillington, Heather Burke, Gord Percy, Kevin Pidgeon, Jon O’Coin, Brian Appel, Tom Guerquin, Brant Scott, Julie St. Jean, Joe Hatz Contributing Photographers National Capital Commission, Frontier Adventure Racing, Bruce Hollands, Harry Gallon, RiverRunners, Paul Villecourt, Tim Landon, Tom Watson, Allen Macartney, Ben Shillington, Dave Brown, RaidPulse, Steve Slaby, Julie St. Jean ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Dave Brown Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Ottawa Outdoors Magazine is an independent publication published every four months.

Email: Advertising@OttawaOutdoors.ca Tel: 613-860-8687 / 888-228-2918 Fax: 613-860-8687 SUBSCRIPTIONS See attached sub.cards in this issue or visit www.OttawaOutdoors.ca Ottawa Outdoors Magazine 2706 Alta Vista Drive, Suite #107 Ottawa, ON K1V 7T4 Tel: 613-860-8687 Fax: 613-860-8687 Email: Info@OttawaOutdoors.ca Internet: www.OttawaOutdoors.ca CONTRIBUTIONS Ottawa Outdoors Magazine welcomes story and photo contributions. All photos should ideally be shot with colour slides or high resolution digital camera, but otherwise scanned at 300dpi resolution and burned onto a CD-ROM or emailed. No unsolicited contributions will be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork.

CANADIAN / U.S. POSTMASTER: Return undeliverable covers to 2706 Alta Vista Drive, Suite #107, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1V 7T4. Return postage guaranteed.

Indexed in the Canadian Periodical Index ISSN No. 1204-69556. © Copyright 2004.

All rights reserved. Reproduction of any materials published in Ottawa Outdoors Magazine is expressly forbidden without consent of the publisher unless otherwise agreed between partners. Printed in Canada.

ARE YOU AN OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST WHO WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE? If you would like to submit photos or w wto w Ottawa . O t t a wOutdoors a O u t d omagazine, ors.ca articles please email us: Editor@OttawaOutdoors.ca

Hiking

Trekker’s third leg: An energy-saving staff

By Mike Lomas

T

rekking up Gatineau Park’s long, steep trails? Crossing a slippery stream or traversing a beaver dam beside the Rideau Canal? Climbing a slippery grass hill in Rockcliffe Park? Wearing a heavy packsack?

Wherever you walk, you can go sure-footed with the balancing, stabilizing effect and energy boost of a staff.

It’s your “third” leg. Call it what you will (walking stick, stave, finger stick or pole), it amounts to the same thing: a friend you can lean on, and never hear a protest or complaint in return.

In dense brush, or steep, muddy and irregular terrain a sturdy staff will give you extra balance, agility and energy.

Even on a straight and level path, a staff will add extra “push” through your arm, contributing a pleasant balance and rhythm to your stride.

Aside from the energy you gain from using a staff, you may tune into its mystical vibes; there’s a profound aura of history embodied in this humble limb. For thousands of years the staff has been a tribal and religious symbol. The stone was not human’s first tool. It was the staff, used to lever out that stone.

Images of staff-wielding leaders abound through the centuries: Moses, Pharaoh, Cleopatra. From Shakespeare to Hollywood, the walking stick has risen to a symbol of high office and authority.

Travellers’ tales attest to the staff as effective for work or self-defense.

(Picture Robin Hood and his Merry www.OttawaOutdoors.ca

Men, staffs in hand.) Or take a pilgrim’s hike through France and Spain along the 1,700-kilometre trail of the Camino de Santiago; you’ll see plenty of staffs at work.

For thousands of years they served as weapons in war and then to commemorate the battles. In a more peaceful role, they continue to serve as crooked tools for shepherds. Eskimos refer to staffs as “oonoks” – their hunting poles.

On the trail to adventure

Staff firmly in hand, you can boldly go forth with confidence. Crossing a narrow bridge without rail supports?

The staff serves as your rail. Sprained your ankle? Here’s your sturdy crutch.

Somebody too sick to walk? A longsleeved garment (turned inside out and threaded on two staves) makes an emergency litter or stretcher. Not sure if the early winter ice will take your weight?

Carry a staff. If you fall through, use it to bridge over an ice hole, and then gain leverage and escape from the deadly, chilling water. (Caution! Never venture out on ice if you aren’t confident in its ability to support you.)

Canoeing or kayaking? Voila! It’s your depth gauge, mast or a punt pole – even a Huckleberry Finn-style fishing pole. Facing a stream, almost wide enough to jump over? Here’s your vaulting pole. Got three staffs? Make a tripod

over your campfire.

No wonder people grow fond of their staffs. A personalized staff embodies the travelling, adventurous spirit of its owner.

It becomes your witness to journeys, perils and encounters. Your hand knows its knots, grooves and bends. It is like the security blanket you dragged around the house as a kid – a dependable friend.

If you consider a walking staff just another unnecessary weight to carry, think again. According to some authorities, a walking staff or two trekking poles distribute the weight of a heavy pack to your arms, thereby increasing your endurance. A walking staff also reduces pain in joints, and increases your power on hills. When you’re descending, a staff reduces stress on thighs, legs and feet.

Some studies claim that using a staff during an eight-hour backpacking trek, while carrying a medium-heavy pack, can save your legs the equivalent of 75 tonnes of pressure. Using two trekking poles can double this!

Good reasons to carry a walking stick A walking stick: • Helps you maintain balance when crossing streams, hillsides or slippery rocks.

• Reduces stress on your back, knees, legs and feet.

• Helps you maneouvre over obstacles on the trail (e.g. a fallen tree), or break a fall.

• Makes an excellent place on which to lean for a short break.

• Doubles as a crutch, or even a pole for a tarp.

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Buy or make one

You can buy an excellent staff in an outdoor store for $20 to $200. Or, if you have time, why not make your own?

Almost any type of wood will serve, but hardwoods, such as ash, oak or maple, are probably best. Bamboo is strong and light, but for some, bamboo doesn’t “feel” strong.

Where do you get the raw stick?

Never cut it from public parkland. Obtain permission from someone who has farmland, a private woodlot or a garden, then find a straight limb growing in a thicket.

Or, locate a deadfall tree.

If you cut a living branch it will still contain sap. Dry it slowly for several months in a damp-free environment, and you’ll find it much lighter. Can’t wait?

Then be sure to wrap wire tightly around it, a little way in from each end. The wire reduces its chance of splitting as the wood dries during use in fluctuating temperatures.

How thick a stick should you choose? Find one about 2.5 to 4 cm (1 to 1½ inches). Your staff should be fairly even through its length, tapering towards the bottom. If you can find a stick with a knot at the top (widest end) it will fit nicely in your hand.

What about length? Although tastes vary, for good leverage, find one that reaches about eye-level. Once you find a good staff, whittle anything you want

into it (your name, animal figures, etc.).

Some people use their staff as a portable diary. They carve into the wood the names of places they’ve visited. Finally, to secure your grip, drill a hole near the top of the staff, and thread a leather bootlace thong through it.

Then head out on your favourite trail. Happy trekking.

— Mike Lomas often takes off for a quiet day hike with his staff in hand. He wouldn’t be seen on a trail without it.

The All-terrain walking staff Glen Chafe of Baie D’Urfe, QC, provides this interesting idea for an all-terrain, every-situation walking staff. Glen says he has lots of fun experimenting with “survival” gear additions to staffs.

Note: Park officials don’t like metal base tips on staffs, which can erode trails.

The staff can be as heavy as you want it. (Someone suggested adding a global positioning system.) Just make sure that if you make one of these staffs you attach all items securely. Otherwise, the path behind you will be littered with outdoor paraphernalia.

If you want to make your walking staff more interesting, use a sharp penknife to remove some or all of the bark. A soldering iron is great for burning intricate patterns into the wood. Some people decorate staffs with ribbons, strips of leather, coloured rope or string cords, strips of fir, even embedded stones or beads.

If the bark has a pretty texture, don’t remove it. Just smooth it with sandpaper around where your hand grips the wood.

The oil from your hand will naturally smooth and lubricate the area of the staff where you grip it.

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Kids’ killer backpacks have to go What they want vs. what’s good for them

By Tara Tasker and Richard Doherty

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IDS NOWADAYS head off to school lugging all their worldly

possessions in their backpacks. Books, binders, shoes, snacks, water

bottles, toys, clothes, deceased amphibians, car parts and the neighbour’s

lawn sprinkler can all end up in little Johnny’s or Judy’s pack. And, most kids are keen to share the load-bearing duties on camping trips or day hikes.

A group of grade five students in southern Ontario has helped researchers discover how kids typically view and use their backpacks. Understanding backpacks from their perspective is helping researchers at Queen’s University to devise an educational program called “Pack it Light, Wear it Right,” which aims to promote proper backpack use.

The Ontario Chiropractic Association (OCA) provided funding, and joined with the Queen’s Ergonomics Research Group (QERG) to research and create an educational backpack design program to improve children’s back health.

Researchers interviewed 120 students to find out what they carried in their backpacks, if the packs felt heavy and what features they deemed important when they purchased them.

Students reported the following: • 89% carry their belongings to and from school in a backpack • More than 50% say that their backpacks were heavy or sometimes heavy

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• 20% carry non-school related things in their backpacks • Most picked out their backpacks with the help of a parent.

QERG provided the student group with a wide variety of backpacks to gain a deeper insight into what kids wanted in a backpack.

Only a few students indicated that it was important for them to purchase a backpack with good padding and soft shoulder straps. The most important factors were colour and the number of compartments or pockets to help them to organize their belongings. These features did not lead them to choose the more expensive backpacks; many of the more expensive backpacks ranging from $75 to $100 with better suspension systems and load-bearing characteristics were passed over by the kids. A $24 backpack was the clear winner. This might be easy on the wallet, but what guidance can adults offer when it’s time to purchase a backpack?

The OCA recommends that students not carry more than 10 to 15 percent of their body weight. Students should leave unnecessary items at home or at school, and adults should set realistic load carrying limits for camping trips or day hikes.

Parents and children should buy backpacks made of lightweight material with two wide, well-padded shoulder straps and a waist strap. The backpack should be no longer than the child’s torso, which eliminates substituting adult backpacks.

A good kid’s pack should have a padded back for extra comfort. Many of these characteristics are not selling points for

kids, so adults need to combine these characteristics with the features that kids look for, like those all-important compartments. And herein lies a not-soveiled message to manufacturers who want to nail down this lucrative pre-teen demographic.

Before buying, try it on. Children should be encouraged to try on backpacks in the store for a proper fit. During the fitting session, you may even want to fill it up with items from the store to simulate walking to and from school.

If you’re overwhelmed by all the detail that goes into properly fitting your child with a backpack, take a hike to your local specialty outdoor shop. Most will have a good selection of quality packs and the knowledge to properly fit your child.

In the meantime, be prepared to watch your pre-teen Sherpa still trying to carry the world on his back. It’s our job to remind them to “Pack it Light, Wear it Right.”

—Tara Tasker is a teacher and the creator of www.bonfieldpublicschool.com, a virtual Web site that provides free resources for the Ontario Curriculum.

—Richard Doherty (a sustainable communities management consultant) owns an outdoor specialty store.

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Canoeing Straight ahead Two canoe strokes to move you forward

By Paul Mason

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VER THE YEARS, my forward stroke has been transformed.

I learned a canoe-tripping-style stroke from my late father, Bill Mason. Later on, my stroke became more orientated to whitewater from paddling with, and observing, whitewater freestyle champion Mark Scriver.

I’d like to think that by now it is perfect, but I readily admit that it will continue to change. If you have a unique method of steering that is not mentioned below, that’s okay — as long as it is better than my stroke!

Canoeing is always an educational experience, and fortunately, learning is what makes it fun.

THE J STROKE There are two correction strokes that make the canoe go in a straight line that we’ll look at in this article.

The first is the J stroke. Near the end of the power stroke, turn out the power face of the paddle — the side that pulls against the water — and pry it away from the canoe to bring the canoe back on course with a minimum of zigzagging.

The path of the paddle describes the shape of a “J.” Use your upper grip hand to control the angle of the paddle blade, while letting the shaft rotate freely in your lower hand during the steering component of the stroke. Steering is accomplished at the end of the stroke.

The clue to whether you are doing the J stroke correctly is to freeze at the end of the stroke and look at your upper grip hand. If the thumb is pointing down, you’re doing it right. If it’s pointing up, you’re doing the “goon stroke.” Another common problem when learning is not rolling the paddle over far enough. The blade should be parallel to the side of the canoe. If necessary, pry the paddle off the gunwale for maximum leverage.

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THE CANADIAN STROKE At the end of the J stroke, the paddle is knifed forward underwater with the power face of the paddle almost flat and facing up.

Steering is accomplished by pulling up on the blade as it is arced forward.

About halfway through the recovery, the paddle is allowed to slip out of the water in readiness for the next power stroke.

The trick is getting a very slight angle on the blade as it arcs forward. If the angle is wrong, the paddle will plane out of the water or dive too deep. The angle is controlled by the upper grip hand.

How hard you pull up on the blade and how long you knife the paddle in the water during recovery determine how much the canoe turns toward the paddling side. It’s a very efficient stroke because you have to bring the paddle forward to begin the next power stroke, so why not do your steering along the way?

The J stroke works fine, but with the steering done at the end of the stroke, time and effort are wasted. A well-executed Canadian stroke is the pinnacle of perfection in motion, but it can take years to master.

EFFICIENT PADDLING USES THE WHOLE UPPER BODY A good paddling technique requires the use of the whole body. Your back, shoulders, and stomach muscles are a lot bigger than your arm muscles, so why not use them?

The secret to tireless paddling lies in complete relaxation during the recovery.

Your upper hand drops very low and the paddle is brought forward in the feathered position (flat) to cut wind resistance on the blade. Just remember that if you are going to average 14,400 strokes a day on a wilderness journey, good form makes for efficient use of your available energy.

To help follow written or oral instructions for the various strokes, it helps to identify which side of your paddle blade is the power face that pulls against the water in a forward stroke. To facilitate the learning process, mark one side of your paddle and then always use that side as your power face. This helps to avoid confusion when following instructions.

Whether you use the J stroke or the Canadian stroke, always bring the paddle back feathered (flat) to cut wind resistance. It’s amazing the difference this can make during a day’s paddling against the wind.

—Paul Mason is the son and former paddling partner of the late Bill Mason. Paul appeared in his father’s Path of the Paddle series of films and books, and has pursued a career as a canoe instructor and guide. He won a bronze in OC-1 at the Whitewater Freestyle Worlds in 1993. He co-authored the instructional canoeing book, Thrill of the Paddle, and is a freelance illustrative ­cartoonist.

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The Great Whale River expedition

Journey with the spirits in Northern Quebec

By Bruce Hollands

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W

e camped about a kilometre down river from the gigantic waterfall.

The portage was tougher than we had anticipated. Were we on the wrong side of the river?

It was nightfall by the time we set up camp. The wind and rain ripped at our faces all evening.

Leaving the shelter of the tarp to wash the dishes was like leaving the womb — this place was desolate and unforgiving. Without our equipment we would surely perish. I looked forward to getting into my tent. Tomorrow would bring new wonders, and more challenges.

As the deafening, gale-like wind pounded the tent from all sides, I could here the roar of the Great Whale River a few metres away. For the first and only time in my life, I had stood at the base of a rainbow on this river. There was no pot of gold, but there were so many things here that money could never buy.

Witness the wolverine tracks, caribou, bears, hundreds of waterfowl and raptors, sunsets, the northern lights, the unbelievable scenery. There were the otters who lived in a gentle rapid in one of the remotest parts of the river that cut through the tundra, punctuated by occasional 13-metre-high birches.

There are spirits in northern Quebec that live in the oldest rocks on Earth.

Rock is one of the foundations of life, perhaps the very essence of life itself.

And the other is water. The Hudson Bay and James Bay watershed account for a third of the total flow of all of Canada’s river systems.

When we left Ottawa, the humid 30-degree weather had our shirts sticking to our backs. We drove. We plied our way northward for 1,200 kilometres to Radisson, Quebec, where we boarded floatplanes. They punched us another 400 kilometres into the bush northeast to Lac Bienville. When we reached the big lake, the temperature had plunged to eight degrees on its way to dipping below zero

that night. The chafing cold helped to keep the insects in their dark, wet places, but it made the going rough at times.

My journey along the Great Whale River began on August 31, 1991. The trip etched the minds and spirits of Bob Pygas, Eric Kujala, Benny Preusser, and me. We were touched by the awesome power, beauty and majesty of the river.

Its headwaters begin in the Quebec plateau at Lac Duralde, near the Caniapiscau Reservoir in central Quebec. Locals, however, claim that the river’s source lies in vast, island-studded Lac Bienville, 400 rugged kilometres from Hudson Bay. The drive to Radisson lays bare the grandeur of the James Bay watershed.

The immense volume of fresh water

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flowing into the bay makes the water brackish, and less saline than the ocean.

The Quebec government has a plan to tap this resource by creating a huge freshwater reservoir that would quench the thirst of the U.S. south and mid-west. In the newspeak of Hydro Quebec, this proposed project has been dubbed the “Great Recycling and Northern Development Canal.”

With so many challenging and magnificent rivers, I never understood why so few canoe enthusiasts have explored the region. Shortly after Val-d’Or, there is the Harricana, the first of the major rivers of the James Bay watershed in Quebec.

At Matagami, the majestic Nottaway River, replete with spectacular rapids and waterfalls, begins her journey northwest to Canada’s inland sea. Next comes the Broadback River, rated average to difficult, with lots of class II rapids. A little further on is the historic Rupert River, whose Cree name (Nemiscau) means, “where fish abound.” The bridge that crossed it was built beside an imposing waterfall, but its voice was silenced when the river was diverted upstream.

The Eastmain is the last large river (read: riverbed) before Radisson. The river runs dry where there was once a beautiful gorge of raging rapids. It has been diverted into the James Bay Project’s LG 2 Reservoir. The Eastmain springs from the heart of the Otish Mountains, which are at the centre of Quebec’s hydrographic hub. Some of the lakes in these mountains are surrounded by 650-metre cliffs. Cree legend dictates that the spirit world intersects with our world in these mountains. The Eastmain begins its course beneath the stark gaze of the Mountain of the Lost Cree.

From Lac Bienville to Hudson Bay, the Great Whale boasts more than 100 major sets of rapids and 30 waterfalls,

numerous gorges, long tracts of flat water and endless portages, with the longest about 15 kilometres. Expect strong winds and very cold water. The river is potable except for the salinity in the last few kilometres before Hudson Bay. Be prepared for strong, fast and deep current, complex and violent rapids, huge canoe-swallowing eddies, counter currents, large whirlpools, and demanding, irregular portages festooned with sharp rocks and steep shoreline. What’s not to love?

Paddling in icy rapids

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UR FIRST four days went flawlessly. An interesting effect, however, is created by the winds that batter the coast of Hudson Bay. The onshore breeze from the west/northwest combines with the eastern flow of the river to create huge standing waves — sometimes two metres high — in the main current. We grew to hate this dreaded combination, but we paddled straight into the stacked water to derive some benefit from the strong current.

On day five it happened. Bob and I capsized at the top of a powerful rapid when his seat broke. The bitterly cold river sucked us six metres under and tumbled us below the surface for more than a minute. My lungs burned as the main current pushed me safely past any dangerous obstacles. Breaking the surface, we sucked air hard and went about collecting our gear. Although it was still early afternoon, we quit for the day and built a fire to stave off hypothermia.

Though frightened while blasting head over heels deep in the river’s gut, I felt oddly serene about my fate. The river god could be benign, and sometimes even benevolent.

A palpable fear slowly did take hold of every member of the expedition. We’d

have to be much more cautious if we wanted to survive our journey. Though we were skilled whitewater canoeists, our capabilities were piffling compared to the mighty Great Whale. Our close call helped illustrate why North American natives ascribe supernatural powers, or Manitou, to natural elements.

The next five days consisted of strenuous paddling, portaging, lining and negotiating fearsome rapids in a stubborn rain. Even our waterproof clothes and equipment couldn’t keep us dry. It felt like the river was testing our resolve: “You wanted to come here, so deal with the consequences.”

A couple of days later, it was Eric and Benny’s turn to go for a swim. We scouted a class III/IV rapid but remained wary about our ability to run it. It was a horror show of seriously large waves, rocks and souse holes, with little room to manoeuvre. Since Eric and Benny were tired of portaging and eager to find a campsite, they decided to run it.

Sometimes trying to save time has exactly the opposite effect. Halfway through the torrent they crashed against a huge cross-wave and catapulted into the drink. After assisting with gear-recovery, Bob and I decided this was an excellent stretch of river to portage. Sadly, Benny lost the caribou antlers he had been carrying for 10 days.

We could hear the Great Whale’s majestic 25-metre waterfall from 20 kilometres away. Incredibly, the river makes a sharp left turn after the falls, and its water jets through a small canyon no more than 10 metres wide. We took a moment to behold one of nature’s wonders and were amazed to feel the ground shaking beneath our feet. Over 10,000 years of spring run-off had carved out holes in solid rock two and a half metres deep and one metre across.

We encountered an area of scattered islands with so many sets of rapids — both staggered and parallel — we couldn’t determine the direction of the river’s main flow. From one vantage point, we could only see rapids. We felt transported through some sort of portal into another world and another time. It was like nothing we’ve seen before, or since.

Another section of the river ran through a gorge of small hills with water www.OttawaOutdoors.ca

as black as a moonless night, frothing and boiling, tugging and yanking at our paddles with every stroke. It was an eerie and haunting place. You could feel the river’s immense energy here and we were glad to have it at our stern. Later, Cree elders told me that, according to their legends, monsters inhabited this part of the river. No argument here.

Our last day was one for pushing hard if we were to get off the river and sleep in a warm bed that evening. Snow blanketed the ground. We were still more than 30 kilometres from Hudson Bay with some significant portaging to do, but we were ready to get off the river.

Getting up at 5:00 a.m., we forged ahead like crazed voyagers until we reached the last set of rapids. We stared, mesmerized like rabbits gazing into the yellow eyes of a wolf. We had scouted and assessed so much whitewater over the last 18 days that we had exhausted our decision-making capabilities.

Nevertheless, we pressed on. Suddenly our group found itself in the grip of two to three metre high waves, bisected by ripping cross currents.

Alas, our arrival at Hudson Bay was bittersweet — we would miss the beauty of Great Whale, but we were relieved to be beyond her fury.

On our flight home we mused about the experience, the fragility of nature, and the despoiling activities of Hydro Quebec. Hydroelectric proponents claim that only a small percentage of a river is affected by dams, but they cause valleys to flood and affect the most productive

segments of a river’s ecosystem. Today’s greed is setting the scene to destroy an area the size of France. We must put an end to the blind and irresponsible exploitation of our hinterland. Future generations should have an opportunity to experience the wonders of the Great Whale, and other rivers like it.

Shouldn’t they?

Bruce Hollands is founder of the Canadian Association for the Preservation of the James Bay and Hudson Bay Watershed (CAPJHW). The CAPJHW is seeking financial support to produce a documentary on the activities of Hydro Quebec in this threatened region. Funding is also being sought to establish a legal defence fund that will be used to protect the remaining wild rivers of this precious watershed.

For more information, call (613) 745-5182 or e-mail: hollands0357@rogers.com

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Coming next issue:

A look at how to build your own canoe!

Sponsored by:

The Last Canoe Company #1 Caesar Avenue , Ottawa, ON Tel: (613) 296-0828 www.LastCanoe.com

Camping for kids

By Angie & Ryan Brown SCHOOL IS over and we are ready to party!

We made several suggestions to mom and dad for our summer vacation — Disney World, rafting down the Colorado, an African safari, or a surfing vacation in Australia. After carefully considering our suggestions, they made one of their own — camping.

To make things worse, they even gave us homework. We did some research and came up with a list of equipment a family needs for a two-day camping trip: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

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Tent Airbeds or other form of mattress Sleeping bags and a few blankets Pillows Chairs and a table Cooking and eating utensils Gas cooking equipment (fires are not always permitted) Cooler for food and drink Plenty of food Water containers Flashlights or lantern Beach toys

Cooking for kids (and dad)

Here are a couple of delicious recipes we found that kids can cook, with adult supervision of course.

Smores

Put marshmallow(s) on stick. Place over open flame. Brown marshmallow, place on Graham cracker with a piece of chocolate over hot marshmallow. Place Graham cracker on top.

Cheese dogs

8 to 10 hot dogs ¼ pound cheese 8 to 10 sourdough rolls 4 tablespoons butter Split hot dogs, and brown split side down. Remove from heat, spread cheese on split, and brown skin side down. Brown sourdough rolls, add butter and serve with hot dogs.

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Trout on a stick

There is nothing better than cooking food on sticks over a fire.

We found that the key to success with this is to let the fire burn down to the coals, and use a pointed green willow or hardwood stick. If these types of sticks are not available, use hot dog forks or hamburger holders.

Light a hardwood fire or some charcoal at least 30 minutes before you plan to cook. Thread the stick through the cleaned trout (or bass) and start to cook it with the back down, so the thickest part of the trout gets the most heat. Then cook both sides. When the trout flakes with a fork at the thickest point, it’s done.

www.OttawaOutdoors.ca

Camping Camping tips for novices and experts Helping children feel comfortable in the wilderness

By Chantal Macartney

AS A CHILD, camping with my family was the highlight of summer.

I loved getting out into the wilderness, carving walking sticks with my brother, and learning to build fires with my dad. Here are some ideas that can make your canoe trips and camping experiences more enjoyable.

Camping with children

Kids love camping, and it’s great to be able to bring your children out to experience wilderness for themselves.

When camping with children, there are a few extra precautions to take because they don’t share their elders’ zeal for selfpreservation.

Always make sure that older children stay in earshot, and younger children within eyesight. With all its attributes, the wilderness serves up potential danger for the unwary, including sharp stones, roots, and fallen trees. Children can wander out of sight and become disoriented in the time it takes to have a coffee, so constant monitoring is required.

Watch for happy wanderers

Teach children what to do if they get lost. Tell them to choose a nearby tree, and stay with it until they are found.

Make this into a fun activity by giving the children whistles and showing them the standard three blasts that signify a distress call. This is an exercise you can practise even before you leave home.

Adults stay warmer than children do because they’ve built up a small layer of fatty tissue. But it’s easy to keep kids happy during camping or canoe trips; just

dress them in layers. (And, unlike some adults, wee ones don’t equate discomfort with the amount of clothing they’re wearing.) Before heading out on the trail, help your children to choose comfortable layers of clothing to wear that suit the predicted weather. When the day warms up, your little ones can peal off a layer and stuff it into their backpack, or add a layer from the pack to suit their needs.

Light up their lives

Flashlights are among a kid’s favourite toys. Make sure each child has one.

Children can make shadow puppets, defeat evil aliens with their light sabres, or read before bed. A flashlight can make a child feel safer about being out at night, or during those midnight trips when nature calls. Even adults feel more secure at night when they have a good beam at their disposal.

Games that you enjoy at home can take on a whole new dimension when played by flashlight. Try playing simple games like cards or Snakes and Ladders, and see how the night time atmosphere adds intrigue to familiar family fun.

Good habits start early

Childhood is the best time to teach humans to respect the outdoors. Children are information sponges and they’ll readily adopt their parents’ good and bad habits in the outback.

Show them the proper way to dispose of garbage, especially when hiking or going on day trips. Tell them why you shouldn’t burn Styrofoam in the fire, and why you shouldn’t take glass into the back-country. Your guidance will last them a lifetime.

And, it’s always more fun for kids when they have a playmate in camp. Two children can amuse themselves more easily then a single child, but that doesn’t mean adults are off the hook for constantly monitoring their whereabouts.

Don’t feed the fauna

Feeding wildlife is risky. Enticing animals with food can lead to atypical and perhaps even dangerous animal conduct. At worse, it can alter an animal’s behaviour by making it dependent on humans for food.

Never corner a wild animal, no matter how small. An animal without an escape route can become aggressive and attack. If the animal does not run off, back away slowly.

When camping in a park or conservation area, make sure you inform officials of any sick or aggressive animals that you see. This will make the environment safer for others in the future.

Beware of any animal that shows no fear or apprehension in your presence.

It could have rabies. Foxes, skunks and raccoons are the most common rabies carriers in Ontario, particularly in the southern part of the province. Rabies has also affected small populations of the big brown bat, woodchuck and muskrat.

Summer is a terrific season to introduce little ones to camping, so take a little bit of time to plan for your outdoor adventures. With an extra splash of creativity and adventure, your little ones will be pleading for more camping trips, not just in summer, but fall, winter and spring!

—Chantal Macartney is an avid camper, canoeist and backpacker.

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Purification techniques can beat the nasties

By Dora Boersma

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE. You’ve hiked for hours and the hammock is rocking in the gentle breeze. Can things get better than this? Let’s see…a drink of water would be nice after that long trek.

You set out with the recommended two litres per person, but you drank that long ago. The lake water is as clear as a bell with no visible signs of pollution, so you can just dip your cup in and drink, right? Besides, we’re not talking the Rideau Canal here — you’re out in the middle of nowhere.

You just might wish to heed Health Canada’s no-nonsense directive instead: “No surface water can be considered safe for human consumption without treatment.”

Unfortunately, water from lakes, rivers, mountain streams and ponds may contain invisible but harmful microorganisms called pathogens. They include bacteria, viruses and cysts that can transform the sweet dreams in that hammock into a nightmare. You could display a range of symptoms from mild nausea and fever to severe diarrhea and hepatitis.

So where do these little beasts come from? The most common parasitic cysts in Canada are Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia (sometimes called “beaver fever”). Both are caused by animal fecal matter washing into water by heavy rainfall or spring run-off. At three to 12 microns (a millionth of a metre), these cysts are too small to see.

They reproduce in your body, building up their numbers until they make you sick.

The symptoms of both of these cysts include cramps, diarrhea, gas, fever and fatigue. One to two days after drinking water infected with Cryptosporidium,

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you can begin to experience symptoms that can last from one to two weeks. The symptoms of Giardia usually appear five to 10 days after infection and can be hard to diagnose by then, because you’ve had time to forget drinking that unpurified water. Once Giardia is diagnosed, it usually lasts a week or two with proper medical treatment. The sickness can occasionally become chronic, however, and last months or even years.

When unpurified water gives a free ride to bacteria and viruses, they can cause symptoms similar to stomach flu, food poisoning and hepatitis. Bacteria range in size from 0.3-0.9 microns. The good news is, some filters are effective against them.

Toxic chemicals may also be present in lakes, rivers and streams. Runoff from agricultural and forestry operations are a common source, as rainfall washes pesticides and fertilizers into nearby bodies of water. Contaminants may include heavy metals like cadmium, mercury and lead.

Still thirsty? Let’s see how ancient science and modern technology can help turn on the tap.

Get rid of the pathogens

Prevention is always better than the cure. Everyone should practice good hygiene around water so we don’t pass pathogens on to others. Indeed, there are many options for ensuring that our drinking water is clean and safe. The most popular include boiling, chemicals and filtration.

Boiling: This method has been used for hundreds of years and is very effective against Cryptosporidium, Giardia and most bacteria and viruses if the water is boiled for between three and five minutes (there is no agreement on the exact time required). Don’t forget to add one minute for every 300 metres that you are above sea level. All you need is time and fuel to make this method work.

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Chemicals: Chlorine and iodine are frequently used chemicals for disinfecting water. They can leave an unpleasant taste in the water that can be masked by adding juice crystals, tea, soup, or other flavours (but remember most additives accelerate dehydration). Chemical reactions slow down in cold environments, and chemicals may not be effective in the presence of contaminants, such as organic matter. Check to ensure that the expiry date of your tablets/solution hasn’t passed. Chlorine dioxide, a third option, is easier to keep and very effective. Keep all of these away from children because they can be toxic when not used properly.

Filtration: Filtering systems physically remove dirt, dust and other dangerous material by pumping water through a canister containing a screen.

People have used cheesecloth for centuries to filter out floating particles in water. More recently, manufactured filters are relatively easy to obtain, and they provide a nice alternative for those who enjoy the backcountry.

If you are going to be using your filter in North America, get one with a maximum pore size of 0.3 microns. If you are going to other countries, beware that filters do not stop viruses and you should therefore use a chemical purifier in addition to a filter.

Filter pores are generally made from polypropylene, ceramics or charcoal.

Muddy water or other impurities can quickly clog the filter. It is a good idea to take the directions for cleaning the filter into the field with you. For some filter systems, you can use an old toothbrush to clean the filter, some can be backwashed, and others can be wiped clean.

Before you buy a filtration system, look for a product that addresses these elements: • Where do you plan to use it?

• How easy is the filter to use?

• How long does it take to filter a litre of water? www.OttawaOutdoors.ca

• How easy is it to clean and maintain in the field?

• How available and expensive are replacement filters, membranes, cartridges and pumping mechanisms?

No filtration method will absolutely guarantee pure water, but by keeping your water bottles and pumps clean and in proper working condition, you will be well protected.

For more information, check out the Health Canada Web site at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs-sesc/water/factsheets/away_home.htm —Dora Boersma is a biologist with Environment Canada, and an avid canoeist.

Did you know…?

An average adult human loses approximately three litres of water a day through perspiration, respiration, urination and defecation — even more when active.

By the time your mouth feels dry, you have waited too long to drink water; your body is already more dehydrated than it should be.

Fatigue, lethargy and whining are all symptoms of dehydration.

Drink regularly.

Many additives, such as tea, coffee and drink crystals, contain enough dehydrating substances and salts that your body will need both the water in the drink and reserves held in the body to dilute and eliminate it.

Canadians use about 1,650 cm3 of freshwater per capita each year, which is more than double the average European rate.

www.OttawaOutdoors.ca

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BUSINESSPROFILE

The dope on chemicals Chemicals can effectively control pathogens, but they may not be effective against organic contaminants. Here’s how they work: • Iodine: Iodine is lightweight, reliable and trouble-free. It is available as a liquid, crystals or tablets. The directions on the label will tell you how much to use and how long to wait; more iodine and longer waiting periods are needed in cold or dirty water.

Health Canada advises that if Chryptosporidium is suspected, water should be filtered first. Do not let the iodine-water sit for more than a few days at a time.

For health reasons, it is not a good idea to use iodine for days on end, but having some on hand could help out if the weather turns bad or you are tired and a fire is hard to start.

• Chlorine: At room temperature and in clear water, add two drops of chlorine bleach to every litre of water. After shaking, let the water stand for 30 minutes, or longer if the water is very cold. This should be effective against most pathogens. Health Canada advises that if Chryptosporidium is suspected, water should be filtered first. Keep in mind that chlorine loses its effectiveness more quickly than iodine does.

• Chorine dioxide: The extra atom in chlorine dioxide results in a chemistry that is very different than that of chlorine. Chlorine dioxide kills up to 99.9999% of the bacteria that are present and does not leave a bad taste in the water. It has a very long shelf life and it’s sold in a two-part system that you mix, then shake or stir, then let stand for 15 minutes. For Chryptosporidium, as it is a hardshelled organism, you need to double or triple the amount used and let it sit for at least six hours, or filter the water first. When used as the label directs, chlorine dioxide poses no significant adverse risk to human health.

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Wilderness first-aid can deliver everyone home alive

By Scott Shailer IT’S A BEAUTIFUL crisp fall morning and the sky is raining mountain bikes.

You and your friends jump the fallen slash at the edge of the forest, all knobby tires and glinting spokes.

Suddenly, your buddy does a swan dive over the handlebars and smashes his helmet open on a piece of granite the size of a fridge. He’s unconscious, you have no phone, extra clothing or medical supplies — what do you do?

This is a tough situation, but having some knowledge of wilderness first-aid will allow you to adequately assess the situation and arrive at the most appropriate course of action.

There are many levels of wilderness first aid available. I took a Wilderness First Responders course from Sirius Wilderness Medicine, which is fast becoming the standard level for outdoor adventure guides. Each level of proficiency empowers you to deal with a wilderness accident more efficiently.

While on course, we were informed that venturing more than two hours from immediate care places you in a wilderness setting. This means the far reaches of Gatineau Park and many summer cottages are considered remote because it takes so much time before professional services can arrive.

As the old proverb goes, an ounce of prevention is better then a pound of cure. In addition to maintaining equipment and emergency supplies, it’s important to keep your body and mind in top shape. Ensure everyone gets ample rest, fluids and fuel to remain vigilant and alert.

Accidents do happen, but you can guard against fatigue-related mishaps. It’s recommended you carry at least one first aid kit with enough supplies to accommodate the size of your group and the duration of your adventure. Carrying the kit is not enough — knowing how to locate its contents quickly and using them effectively is essential.

Wilderness first responder courses develop several other important skills.

There is an old saying that should be changed too: “perfect practice makes perfect.” The course teaches how to deal with multiple medical conditions and it’s fortified with supervised practice sessions, with and without standard medical supplies. We learned how to make improvised splints and neck braces when required.

This subject matter is important, but it is also fun to learn.

The Wilderness First Responder course is more than just practicing first aid.

It imparts knowledge in medical terminology and complications. It’s good to learn how to both subjectively and objectively assess a patient’s needs relative to your environment and the problems you may encounter.

In the backcountry or out at the cottage, I feel more confident that I can help out in the case of a medical mishap. I’m not a doctor, but the course has prepared me to deliver a reasonable standard of care in a wilderness setting. I wish others would take the course, so I can feel safer in the outback, too. Hope to see you in the lake, on the trail or against the cliff.

For more information about this and other courses, please contact SiriusMed at Tel: (819) 242-2666 • Email: info@SiriusMed.com

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www.SiriusMed.com www.OttawaOutdoors.ca

Just 45 minutes from home Camping on Crown land makes times stand still Story and Photos by Harry Gallon

I

LEFT MY watch at home.

Here there is no itinerary. My actions are measured by body’s need and boyish want, free from clock and commitment.

Morning light bronzes the water as it has for generations of flora, fauna and man who marked their days here. Stomachs rumble, demanding the first offering of the day. Time to prepare breakfast.

We are weekend squatters. Tent stakes are driven between rocks, and for two days and nights we claim this island our own. It’s on the upper Ottawa River and like hundreds of other islands, it’s owned by the Government of Canada.

Crown land is our collective legacy — a real-time museum, open and accessible to all. To adventurers past, it served a practical purpose. To my sons Nick

and Quinton, our friend Ian, and our dog, Thunder, it is an interactive playground.

We are a mere 45 minutes removed from our west-end Ottawa lives. Here we live as free, natural men.

Eggs poach in orange rinds wrapped in foil. Cedar smoke curls over the mortared fire pit and spreads across the campsite. I brew coffee and cook bacon in an iron pan on the Coleman stove. The boys’ feud over a makeshift swing built from flotsam and jetsam, and Thunder, snout to the ground, sniffs out discarded morsels between twigs and rock.

We ready mind and body for a day of real living. www.OttawaOutdoors.ca

We eat silently at a table made from pine barn board. Nick and Quinton wash down their fuel with fruit juice, Ian and I with coffee and Bailey’s. Yes, natural men, with cultivated tastes. We chew, swallow and survey. Each of us calibrates the signs and measures the opportunities.

The horizon is scanned for rain, the wind gauged for velocity, the sun for heat.

We meet at the water. There is something about the junction of land and

water that draws people. It is a memory lodged in our collective human psyche, the site of welcomes and send-offs, celebrations and rituals. The sound of water lapping shore evokes disparate feelings of contentment and restlessness. Nature’s perfect rhythm — the ebb and flow of humans coming and going.

The river was once the means of transportation, trade and commerce, but now serves as a playground and classroom for boys young and old. Nick skips a small shard of Canadian Shield in the river and asks, “Are you older than this stone, dad?” I am pleased to tell him

that it’s about six billion years of age, and yes, older than I. He and Quinton toss pebbled, glassy stones, the igneous debris left by retreating glaciers.

I explain to them that a shallow sea (the Champlain) covered this area about 100,000 years ago. Quinton can’t quite get his head around standing on the bottom of a sea.

“Where’s Nemo?” he asks. We will not be finding Nemo, but bobber fishing with a hook and worm will yield a variety of indigenous fish. The boys take turns reeling in catfish, stout and whiskered. Smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, perch, muskellunge, pike, pickerel and many species of nongame fish share the waters of the Upper Ottawa River.

Lunch is prepared on a slab of shale that protrudes into a bay on the south side of the island. A mile further south lays the Ontario shoreline, partially obscured by smaller islands. The rusted smokestack of the closed Tembec lumber mill rises in the east, the Braeside dock where we launched to its right, and a line of homes in Sand Point directly south.

Beneath the ridge in Sand Point runs the Canadian Pacific Railway line. The crown jewel of the Industrial Age, it supplanted the river as a mode of travel, trade and commerce. Freight cars still

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rumble down the line, day and night.

The thunder of steel on steel carries across the water. The rail and river are parallel acoustic lines, creating a perfect harmony.

Lunch time. Meat and fire go together like land and water, offering sustenance. Our hands did not make this kill: we are modern men and have our own means. We wash down hamburgers and sausages with lager or pop chilled in ice, and recline in our chairs, anesthetized by the sun.

An afternoon hike leads us to trees rooted stubbornly in a thin layer of soil. We stroll beneath the boughs of cedar, pine and oak, the seedlings of preceding generations. Beneath our feet is limestone, shale and sandstone — the stratified layers of geological history. Scattered across it are forgotten bits and pieces of human history.

Rivers served as the original TransCanada highway and their shores served as the by-ways. Nick has found arrowheads that date back to the original inhabitants, the Algonquin nation, and tools left by the first European explorers, the voyageurs, the courier de bois.

We have found hand-blown bottles and rusted scraps from the Industrial Age, machinemolded bottles, cans and miscellaneous debris from the turn of the last century.

As twilight darkens into night, the constellations assume their

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www.Jenda.com 826-0922 appointed places in the heavens. Orion the Hunter, the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper align and sparkle. With no ambient light and less pollution in the air, they appear brighter and closer than in the city.

“Are the stars alive, daddy?” Quinton asks. Measured in context of land, water and sky, our lives are a mere blip in time.

We stare into the fire. It certainly lives, taking breath and growing where it can.

Warm and full from supper, our slow slide down the chair culminates in bedtime.

The wind strums the water and the water plays the shore. It is a stony melody, structured and familiar. Ian’s snoring competes with that of Thunder. Nick and Quinton are deeply entrenched at each shoulder. The fire spits sparks into the night, the stars burn on. It’s all alive.

Though we do not possess the island, I feel in a sense that we can claim ownership. As Government of Canada land, it is a resource and treasure open and accessible to those willing to undertake the necessary planning and effort. Crown land is a shrine and sanctuary, an interactive environment in which to play and learn. Living our legacy is time well spent in the present and an investment in my boys’ future. Here we do not mark our day, we live it.

Leave your watch at home.

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—Harry Gallon is a resident of Ottawa who works as a freelance writer and photographer. He enjoys camping, fishing, canoeing and biking with his two boys. For information about camping on Crown land in Ontario, visit the Ministry of Natural Resources web site at www.mnr.gov.on.ca or call (800) 667-1940.

www.OttawaOutdoors.ca

ADVERTORIAL

ENJOY WHITEWATER RAFTING THIS SUMMER!!!

EXPERIENCING the Ottawa River is something you will never forget. Spectacular rock formations, sandy beaches and waterfalls line the river’s edge. Not only is it beautiful, but it is also offers heartpounding excitement as you raft some of the best rapids east of the Colorado.

The Ottawa River is a paddler’s dream. There are many rapids that will challenge you and the water is warm all summer long.

Our location is superb not only because of it’s beauty, but also because it’s just footsteps from a warm shower, hot sauna and cold drink after your river adventure.

Our amenities include: - over 7 kms of wooded trails - private sandy beach - 5 beautiful campgrounds - hot showers / toilets - licenced pub with pool tables - kids arcade - sauna - hot tub - accommodations RiverRun Whitewater Resort is (cabins, cabanas and chalet) located smack dab on the edge of the Ottawa River below the last set - kids games and activities of rapids. Nearby good food, a cozy - volleyball, horseshoes - half court basketball sauna, and a friendly campfire.

To find out more, contact us RiverRun has the advantage of at 800-267-8504 or on the Web at being located right at rapid’s end.

There’s no need for bus shuttles or www.RiverRunners.com. extended boat rides to get back to the resort property. After running all the rapids, your guide will help steer your boat directly into our beautiful private bay.

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Kayaking Choosing a paddle No need to break the bank for a double-blader

By Ken Whiting Photos by Paul Villecourt

I

N WHITEWATER KAYAKING, the paddle is an extension of your upper body, so it’s important that you find one that feels good to you.

You’ll be happy to hear that you needn’t buy the most expensive paddle on the market. Although you can spend up to $500, there are good paddles available for as little as $200.

Paddle designs do vary, but their general anatomy is the same. The two blades are attached to a shaft that can be straight or bent in various ways, and each blade has a concave power (front) face and a non-power (back) face that may or may not be symmetrical in shape. Asymmetrical blades are designed to ensure equal resistance on both halves of the blade in water, which makes for a smoother stroke by avoiding flutter.

The most influential factor in choosing a paddle is your size. You need to consider the length of the paddle, the width of the shaft, and the size of the blades. Smaller paddlers should look for a paddle with slightly smaller blades and with a narrower shaft for easier grip. The stronger you are, the larger the paddle blades you will be able to control. Using a paddle that is too long or too large will cost you some control and could place too much stress on your body.

Paddles are conventionally measured in centimetres. In general, a paddle 196–200 cm in length is good for paddlers between 5’8” and 6’1” in height. Paddlers between 5’3” and 5’8” will find that a 192–196 cm paddle works well.

Next, you need to consider the offset of your blades. The offset, or “twist,” refers to the difference in angles between the two blades. Traditional kayak paddles have blades that are offset at 90 degrees so one blade pulls through the water as the other slices efficiently through the air. For whitewater kayaking, a 30- to 45-degree twist is most popular. Many of us are even using paddles with no offset at all. A lower offset means less repetitive twisting of the wrist, which can help prevent tendonitis and better facilitate certain manoeuvres.

Paddles come in a variety of materials, ranging from aluminum and plastic to fibreglass and carbon fibre. Finding the right one for you is a personal choice that depends on your budget and weight preference.

Durability is also a concern, so we recommend staying away from aluminum for whitewater paddling.

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Until you’re immersed in the sport of whitewater kayaking, you’re unlikely to notice much, if any, difference between a $500 paddle and a $200 paddle with the same length, blade size and offset.

That’s why I encourage novices to buy a good, but affordable, paddle for the early stages of their development. As you paddle more and more, you’ll learn which features you like and dislike in a paddle, and you’ll have the opportunity to test other styles.

Next time you’re looking for an excuse to get out on the water, try telling the sales staff that you need to test out a $200 paddle that you’re thinking of buying, rather than the $500 that you were going to buy. I guarantee they’ll usher you out the door!

—Ken Whiting is a World Champion Kayaker, and the author and producer of an award-winning series of instructional kayaking books and videos, which includes his new book, The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Kayaking. He teaches at the Liquid Skills Kayak School on the Ottawa River and leads kayaking trips to Chile in the winter. For more info, check out www.playboat.com

K-9 Common Scents

How well do you know your dog?

By Cathy Brown THERE ARE MANY popular myths about canine behaviour that only serve to confuse pet owners.

It is important to know as much as we can about our dogs so we can provide them with what they need to get along in the world. How well do you know your dog?

Take our simple quiz to find out:

3.

4.

5.

6.

True or false?

1. A well-socialized dog is always friendly.

2. Growling indicates an aggressive or vicious dog.

7.

3. Children should never approach a dog that is unattended by an adult.

4. A dog on a leash or tied out may be more of a threat than a dog running free.

8.

5. A wagging tail means a friendly dog.

9.

6. New experiences are fun for dogs.

7. Dogs’ mouths are cleaner than humans’ mouths.

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8. Dogs and cats cannot live together peacefully.

12.

9. Dogs who do live with cats will not chase other cats.

10. Dogs get sunburn.

13.

12. To truly bond with your dog, you must get him as a puppy.

13. If your dog is stuck with porcupine quills, you should clip the quills before you pull them out to release the air for easier removal.

14. A good dog is a good dog is a good dog.

ANSWERS 1. False. A well socialized dog will act appropriately, but not all appropriate responses are friendly. Ex., a senior dog may reprimanding a younger dog’s inapprropirate behaviour.

2. False. A growl is a warning that the dog perceives a threat. It is best to turn sideways in a neutral position and do www.OttawaOutdoors.ca

14.

not initiate eye contact, which could be misconstrued as a threat or a challenge.

True. Even if the child pets the neighbours’ dog everyday, that same dog may not feel as secure without its owner on hand. The likelihood of the child being perceived as a threat can increase dramatically if dog and child are alone.

True. A dog that is restrained has its escape route removed and may feel cornered. This may prompt a defence mechanism, whereas a dog that is loose and feels free knows he can leave if he needs to.

False. A friendly tail wag is a quick movement with the tail lower than the dog’s back. A broad, sweeping tail wag is a sign of arousal or agitation, much like a cat’s tail when he is watching prospective prey.

False. Dogs enjoy what they are used to. They need experiences with good consequences before they recognize them as fun. Be patient and expose shy dogs to increments of change to avoid overwhelming them.

True. Dogs have a mild antibiotic in their saliva and tears called lysosome. But, if you’re the type who likes to kiss your dog, you might want to consider where his nose has just been!

False. Dogs and cats often form strong friendships given the opportunity.

False. Just because your dog likes your cat does not mean he will accept a strange cat.

True. Don’t forget your dog’s sunscreen.

Single-coated dogs with minimal protection from the sun are most at risk.

False. Just like people, relationships are established and nurtured based on trust at any age. Often a dog that has been rescued makes the most devoted pet.

False. There is no air in porcupine quills.

The only thing cutting the quill does is give you less to hold while removing them. Or worse, they could travel further into the dog. If a vet is not nearby just grab the quills with a pair of pliers, one at a time, and pull straight out. Run your fingers along the inside and outside of the dog’s lips so smaller quills aren’t overlooked.

False. Dogs are more like us than we think — every dog has its breaking point.

Our tolerance levels are influenced greatly by factors such as health, environment, hunger and how safe we feel.

—Cathy Brown (and Wanda Purton) are professional dog trainers. They wish to thank internationally renowned dog behaviour specialist Cheryl Smith for her help with the quiz.

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Biking Getting ’bent for the fun of it Are recumbent bicycles a passing fad or the wave of the future?

By Tim Landon IT LOOKS A bit like a reclining chair with spokes.

We’ve all seen a recumbent bicycle by now, but these comfortable and efficient mechanical wonders continue to languish in obscurity. Are you intrigued by the relaxed and aerodynamic riding position that gives recumbent bikes their name? Or, perhaps you’ve gone one step further and considered joining the growing numbers of recumbent enthusiasts.

If you’re yearning for some pragmatic information to help you decide if a recumbent is right for you, here’s the scoop from a cyclist who enjoys both uprights and recumbents.

Recumbent bicycles (or ’bents) have been around nearly as long as the bicycle itself. Early experimenters found that recumbents could be comfortably ridden for long periods of time, and noted performance advantages under certain conditions.

Riders on unfaired ’bents competed successfully with upright riders, while fully faired (streamlined) recumbents shattered speed records by a wide margin. In 1934, amidst a flurry of press and controversy, the UCI banned recumbents from competing with uprights. Recumbent design stagnated until the 1970s, when interest in the potential of HPVs (human-powered vehicles) as alternative transportation was reborn. Today, highly sophisticated HPVs built by scientists, artisans and aerospace engineers (and piloted by elite cyclists) are attaining speeds of 130 km/h!

There are several good reasons to ride recumbents, and there are both advantages and disadvantages compared with their upright cousins. Comfort, especially over the long haul, can be far superior on the ’bent. Experienced riders are well aware of this, and a few disparagingly refer to upright bikes as “wedgies” for reasons that become obvious when a typical racing saddle is compared with a recumbent seat.

And, the comfort factor goes far beyond the nether regions. Hands and wrists are pain-free at the end of a long ride and tingling fingers are but a memory. On a ’bent, the rider’s weight is supported by the relatively greater

expanse of the derriere and lower back, instead of the feet, crotch and hands.

Neck pain is also alleviated because the head tilts slightly back, providing the added bonus of a superior view of the whole sky up front. For these reasons, recumbents make great commuters and superb touring rigs. Many riders, having savoured the pleasures of touring on a ’bent, would never go back.

Recumbents have the potential to be very fast and efficient machines, depending upon design, the rider’s fitness level and the terrain. Recumbents can be very fast on flat or rolling roads and perform well in headwinds due to their aerodynamic superiority. A ’bent rider usually presents less frontal area and “pushes” less air, and the difference becomes even more pronounced as speeds increase. So, a rider will often have a slightly higher average cruising speed on a ’bent with less effort than an upright bike requires.

Fairings are popular accessories because they further improve aerodynamics and overall performance, even though they add weight. Fairings also offer significant protection from the elements, and tailboxes or full streamliner kits are also worthwhile options to consider.

In hilly terrain, however, the pendulum swings back to giving the advantage to conventional bikes. In the mountains, upright riders have the option of shifting up a gear, standing on the pedals, and using body weight to quickly power up. Recumbent riders have no such option. Once the pressure on the knees reaches a certain point, they can only gear down and spin. Body weight on the downstroke doesn’t work when the pedals are way out front, although some riders can generate additional force by pressing harder into their seat backs or pulling on the handlebars. Training for a smooth spin and higher cadence does improve climbing ability.

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Another major difference between uprights and recumbents is the near-total lack of “body English” required for the latter. Athletic riders who enjoy jamming up hills and throwing themselves into corners may be disappointed in the static nature of riding recumbents. On a ’bent, you basically plant your butt down and pedal, with virtually no weight shifts. Wheelies are next to impossible and bunny hops are a distant dream, so recumbents are not usually on the harddriving mountain’s biker’s Christmas list.

While there are plenty of full-suspension ’bent models available, going off road is not particularly recommended. Do yourself a favour and ride a mountain bike instead.

Recumbents come in a variety of design configurations and classes. Long wheelbase bikes with the front wheel ahead of the crankset are available from Rans, Easy Racers and Linear. Generally, these bikes are preferred for loaded touring because they boast increased straight-line stability and an abundance of room to carry gear.

Short wheelbase bikes have the front wheel behind the crankset. Athletic riders prefer these bikes for their lower weight, climbing ability and sporty handling.

Like any good road bike, these virtues manifest themselves when accessories are kept to a minimum. Ultimately, any bike’s handling characteristics come from frame geometry. Many recreational riders tend to enjoy the lower cost mid- or compact wheelbase models, such as the Rans Tailwind for its all-round utility. ’Bents may have over-the-seat steering (OSS) or under-the-seat steering (USS).

The OSS bikes can have an aerodynamic advantage and mounting a fairing is simpler. They may be more intuitive to steer and ride, especially for new recumbent enthusiasts. USS bikes can be more comfortable, with the arms in a natural position down by your sides and provide a unique riding experience akin

to a “street luge.” You may also be able to pull harder on the handlebars of USS bikes to increase your pedalling force. Beware of USS bikes with poorly designed linkages connecting the bars to the fork. Some linkages are very solid, while other USS bikes have the handlebar stem connected directly to the fork (ATP/Vision).

Recumbents come with a variety of seat types. Performance bikes will usually have a solid seat shell made of carbon fibre covered with foam padding.

These seats enable a rider to push hard into the seat back with little or no flex.

However, mesh-backed seats allow sweat to easily evaporate from a rider’s back. These can be very comfortable and recline angle is more easily adjustable.

Buying a recumbent is much more involved than buying an upright. Take plenty of time to research models and remember the Internet is a reliable source of information to assess what’s available.

A good place to start is www.hpv.on.ca with links to manufacturers. For in-depth product reviews and all things ’bent, subscribe to Recumbent Cyclist News at www.recumbentcyclistnews.com.

There are excellent, knowledgeable retailers in the Toronto area, including Sandy’s Cycle, Urbane Cyclist and The Bicycle Spokesman that stock models from several respected builders. In Ottawa, a few bike shops also stock only one or two recumbent models (Cyclo Sportif/G. M. Bertrand). Bike shows and demo events hosted by recumbent clubs are great places to see and test-ride ’bents. Many builders sell directly to the consumer, and new recumbents are often purchased this way.

Recumbent bikes are well suited for commuting and make excellent touring rigs. If you ride mostly on pavement and are looking for a comfortable and versatile ride, consider buying a recumbent. Far from being a passing fad, you’ll be joining legions of riders who’ve added a new dimension to their cycling experience. They can often ride longer, farther and faster with fewer aches and pains. Grab the bars and ride feet first into the future!

—Tim Landon is a youth counsellor and facilitator at International School for Earth Studies near Ladysmith, Quebec (www.earth-studies.ca). He is also a Can Bike Instructor and Certified Mountain Bike Trail Guide.

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a rough ride in montebello New mountain bike trails only 45 minutes from Ottawa

By Michel Gratton

I

t’s easy to figure out why Montebello was the site of the 1988 Canadian mountain biking championships.

These newly re-vamped trails are a serious challenge. North of the Ottawa River, the trails reach high into the breathtaking landscape very quickly.

Departing from open fields, the cardio workout kicks in right from the beginnning. You negotiate a few ravines and cross some small waterways before you disappear under the canopy of the woods. The view is very open initially, so you get a good sense of what lies ahead.

As you start making your way up into the labyrinth of well-marked trails, however, your immediate future becomes a sweet mystery.

Remember those Subaru commercials where the SUV bounces over all that great mountain biking terrain?

They could shoot that commercial in Montebello. The variety of trails almost overwhelms — it can be rocky going up and down, or hard gravel that invites gobs of speed as you blast through fields and traverse abandoned farm buildings.

Elsewhere, a single track on hard earth is buried under a thick carpet of pine needles.

A local club has been maintaining and upgrading the trails for the past three years, so this summer looks very prom24

ising. The use of the trails is free, but donations are welcome at the entrance.

In 2001, these trails were used for an outback mountain bike race known in Quebec as Raids. The Montebello trails really squeezed the juice out of those Raiders three years ago. The Raids tend to attract bikers who eat up speed on hard-packed, smooth track trails, but Montebello threw them a curve. The workout was very physical and riders had to yield to the terrain and slow down to stay on their bikes.

Portions of these trails are tough and should not be used by beginners. Riders who are new to the sport could take the smaller circuit, which is more forgiving.

Completing the whole 40 kilometre circuit is best left in the domain of those with good hearts, strong legs and tough tires.

So put the bikes on the car and head for the north side of the river. Take Highway 50 east in Gatineau towards Buckingham and when it ends, take Route 148 towards Montreal. When you get to Montebello, instead of turning left on Route 323 to Mont Tremblant, keep going into town and take the second left on Ste-Dominique. You’ll find the trails at the end of this street, over the railroad tracks.

For a map of the trails that you can print, see www.petite-nation.qc.ca/sentiers/montebello.html or get the site map at the tourist kiosk in Montebello on your right as you drive into town along Route 148. The drive from Byward Market takes about 45 minutes. Although you can get pretty much anything you need in Montebello, you won’t find a bike store for parts or repairs. If the trails mess up your bike, you might as well just go sit on the great patio at the Zouk and share your stories.

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Scuba diving Diving on the Lillie Parsons near Brockville

An unlucky lady teeters on the edge of oblivion

By Chuck Beattie Photos by Tom Watson

T

OURING THE waters around Brockville, Ontario and the surrounding Thousand Islands, it’s easy to feel safe and comfortable in modern boats.

Modern craft outfitted with radio and cell phones permit instant ship-to-shore contact when emergencies arise. This was not the case in the latter part of the 19th century when the waters of the Brockville Narrows were treacherous and difficult to navigate under sail.

Vessels that plied the St. Lawrence delivered most of the produce and finished goods to shops and communities along the St. Lawrence’s banks.

The Lillie Parsons was one such vessel. On August 5, 1877, she was heading to Brockville with a load of coal. The Lillie Parsons was a workhorse, having conveyed lumber, wheat, barley, railroad iron and salt since she was built in September 1868. But this August day was to be her last.

A sudden squall swept up the river and drove the Lillie Parsons into the rocks as she tried to sail through the Brockville Narrows. The shoreline wasn’t festooned with cottages and homes as www.OttawaOutdoors.ca

it is now — it must have been a lonely place under black skies all those 127 years ago.

Her crew of six must have known her fate was sealed when her cargo shifted and the vessel took on water.

They likely worked the pumps with all their might to save her, but it was not to be.

Fortunately, she went to the bottom alone, with all of the crew scrambling to safety. From that day until 1963, the Lillie Parsons lay undiscovered just off Sparrow Island.

When you dive to the wreck of the Lillie Parsons today, it is easy to forget how she ended up sitting precariously on a ledge below the surface of the St. Lawrence River. Divers often visit the site, but strong currents make it out of bounds for novices. Divers placed her anchor on Sparrow Island to help provide access to the wreck. Scuba enthusiasts who visit the Lillie descend along the links of her anchor chain. The current is strong and a good grasp is necessary to avoid being swept downstream. Boats

passing the island in the shipping channel can see her large anchor on shore.

The anchor and chain was placed on the shore by divers, but the entry is difficult when dressed in equipment — the rocks are slippery and there are several large steps to be made getting in. Given the tricky entry from shore, charter boats often drop divers upstream so they can drift down to the island, find the chain, and head down to the wreck.

Divers who see the wreck for the first time are astonished by her size, at approximately 130 feet long. She rests upside down. Her cargo can still be seen around the wreck — use caution when you grab a rock to stay yourself against the current. These large chunks of coal are almost weightless and look like the granite of the island.

As you swim against the current to the stern of the Lillie, you will notice a long tray placed on the side of the wreck. Save Ontario Shipwrecks (SOS) — a group devoted to preserving shipwrecks in Ontario — placed this tray there so that items from the wreck could be viewed by visiting divers. The SOS tray encourages divers to return items taken from the wreck for all the inspect and enjoy. A surprising number of artifacts have been returned to the wreck over the years.

At the stern of the wreck, you can see the ship’s stove and other cargo littering the bottom. Access into the vessel can be gained from the stern area, but it is not advised because there is very limited space in the interior. Swimming down the Lillie’s starboard side from the stern, you can move down the mast into deeper waters. From there you can see the precipice that the Lillie rests on. Each year she slides a few inches closer to falling off the edge and into water too deep for sport scuba divers. She continues to shift ever closer to the abyss and we’ll soon lose her to the depths forever.

Upon reaching her bow, you can see most of the remaining chain from her chain locker. It’s time to make the decision on whether to fight the current back to the stern of the Lillie or end the dive by drifting with the current and around into the anchorage bay. Going against the flow provides adventurous divers with the chance to “Fly the Keel.”

Flying the keel is exhilarating. You begin at the Lillie’s stern and ascend over the lower gunwale. With the current at your back, it propels you along the white oak planking of the Lillie’s hull. You can stop at the keel if you’re quick and grab hold. The drop keel can be seen where it came to rest after the ship capsized. The current will send you along the entire ship and then it’s a short drift at a depth of 20 feet along Sparrow Island’s northern shore where you swim to where the boats are docked for a ride back to the mainland. Be careful as you drift — this area has a great deal of boat traffic exiting and entering the Sparrow Island dock area.

Dive Charter Boats of the Upper St Lawrence Charter Association often visit Sparrow Island and getting there by boat is required. Ottawa area dive shops regularly organize dives to the wreck site. More information is available using search engines on the Internet and at www.saveontarioshipwrecks.on.ca/ Diverguides/dguide1.html When you dive the site, imagine the crew’s valiant efforts to save this fine, yet unlucky lady and treat her kindly.

JUMP IN & enjoy local

scuba diving • beginner courses • equipment rentals • specialty instruction • advanced/technical “What an amazing experience!

I had never scuba dived before, and after taking the beginner’s course... well let’s just say I can’t wait to make this a new sport in my life.

I’m seeing a whole world I never knew existed. I love it!”

— Chuck Beattie is a member of the Canadian Armed Forces and he is certified by the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI).

He has taught diving for 18 years.

L I L L I E PA R S O N D I V E N O T E S • • • • • • • •

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Bring a light to see under the wreck Prepare for strong currents (2-3 knots) Follow the anchor chain to the wreck Lillie Parsons lies upside down – penetration is possible but not recommended for novice divers The wreck lies between 40 and 50 feet with wreckage extending to 90 feet.

Visibility is 8 to 12 feet Entry is down a gradual, rocky slope As with all wrecks in Ontario, the Lillie Parsons is property of The Province of Ontario and removal of any material is illegal.

Burton’s Dive Service 196 Beechwood Avenue Ottawa, ON K1L 8A9 Tel: (613) 745-6444 Fax: (613) 746-5426 info@burtonsdive.com www.burtonsdive.com

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Top quality training and equipment from Ottawa’s only NAUI Training Facility

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Photography Tips Change those evening washouts into spectacular sunset photos

By Allen Macartney

Step 1: Avoid the centre “Dead centre is deadly.” The old saying among photographers tells you never to put the sun or any other main subject in the centre of your frame. By placing it off-centre, you’ll draw the eye into the image, giving your photograph a three-dimensional feeling. The same holds true for the horizon. Place it either very high or very low.

Step 2: Lens and Filters If you’re shooting a picture where the sun glows blood-red just above the horizon, use a telephoto lens to make the sun appear larger. Through a wideangle lens (e.g. 28 mm or 35 mm), it will appear pea-sized and not very impressive.

If you do use a wide-angle lens, use it to emphasize a foreground object that will add impact.

Zoom in on different parts of the same scene: a sailboat making for harbour or a bicyclist pedaling along a bikeway.

Buy a red and orange filter. One heavily overcast, rainy evening while I was photographing along the Yukon River, the sun found a thin place in the clouds and brightened the dark grey that permeated the entire scene. I attached a red filter to my lens and shot 10 to 12 spectacular images. Without the filter, the result would have merely resembled www.OttawaOutdoors.ca

lifeless and leaden cloud cover. These pictures proved some of the most satisfying ones I’ve ever taken. They appear as if a massive forest fire is back-lighting a solid ridge of black spruce.

Step 3: Vital foreground objects A sky filled with spectacular colours makes a nice photograph, but if you position an interesting object in the foreground, your “nice” photo will become a knockout. Trees, canoes and hikers all impart interest to the foreground.

Step 4: Interesting cloud cover Sunset shots on slightly cloudy days often prove more interesting than sunsets taken on cloudless evenings. The vivid reds, oranges and yellows will highlight interesting shapes in the sky. Wispy clouds, broken stratus clouds or billowy cumulous formations all evoke different feelings.

Step 5: Multiple exposure settings By shooting on automatic and using your camera’s built-in light meter, you’ll usually reap a dark image, but one with lots of colour saturation. The solution involves “bracketing,” or shooting the same image at higher and lower-thanrecommended exposures. For instance, if your meter tells you to expose the scene at 1/60 of a second at f/8, take the photograph and then take another frame at 1/60 and f/5.6, as well as 1/60 at f/16.

You’re almost guaranteed a perfectly exposed picture.

Step 6: Breathtaking silhouettes I love silhouettes. Golden red hues of a sunset over a lake or river highlight the shapes I want to capture. Look for shapes with bold, simple, distinctive forms. Take multiple images at different exposures to ensure you get the exact photograph you envisage.

My favourite silhouette came as the result of a Canadian Geographic Magazine photo assignment. A lot of thought went into the images before I arrived at the Ottawa River with my camera. Just as the low-setting sun was about to dip below the horizon, I asked a friend to paddle his canoe directly toward the camera. Standing high up on a bank, I caught the entire canoe silhouetted by liquid, golden sunset. (See photograph) Step 7: Creative mosaic images Once you have several high-contrast sunset images, scan them into a computer and create an artistic composite photo using montage software. What is a montage image? It’s a picture (your sunset) that a computer divides into a matrix, then breaks down into hundreds of shades. It then drops other images into the matrix to recreate your original sunset.

My favourite software is ArcSoft Photo Montage (www.arcsoft.com). It’s easy to use, and you’ll get outstanding results on your very first try. This inexpensive program comes complete with thousands of multi-coloured images that will recreate your sunset with dynamic creativity. (The photograph published in Canadian Geographic took about three minutes to make with ArcSoft Photo Montage software.) Don’t stop with sunsets and silhouettes; create montages of portraits, still life and landscape shots.

Allen Macartney is an accomplished photographer, as well as the Managing Editor of Ottawa Outdoors Magazine. His images appear in many books, calendars and magazines.

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Photo by Allen Macartney

SUNSETS. Something about them appeals to everyone. Vivid colours bleed along the horizon like a painter’s palette.

A fisherman casts from a beach at dusk; a couple strolls along a boardwalk; a child pedals her tricycle in silhouette: the resulting images can be magical.

Unfortunately, when those photographs return from processing, the once-incredible sunset shots often appear flat, washed out and boring. The following seven steps will inject pizzazz into your sunset images.

Filming on Mount Everest The straight line from Ottawa to Kathmandu

By Ben Shillington

W

HITEWATER GUIDES love a good joke. n I was well into my second season as a whitewater raft and mountain

bike guide with Wilderness Tours on the Ottawa River when one of my cohorts popped a bizarre question. n “Do you want to be my climbing partner on an expedi-

tion to Mount Everest?” asked Marc Leblanc. Yeah right, I thought. The jokes never end around here. n “That’d be awesome, man — let’s do it right after we summit the tallest mountain on Mars,” I laughed. n “I’m serious,” said Marc, without the slightest trace of levity. I listened in rapt disbelief, waiting for him to crack up and chide me for being so gullible. Instead, he was gushing expedition details in a voice rising with excitement. He

explained that local mountaineer and former Wilderness Tours raft guide, Ben Webster, was going to be leading a two-month expedition on Mount Everest,

split between the fall of 2003 and a summit attempt in spring 2004. Did I want

to accompany the team in 2003? n Webster’s goal was to begin filming a six-hour Discovery Channel documentary on Mount Everest using Panasonic mini-digital

video cameras. The team would shoot high-altitude footage while climbing to the advanced base camp situated at the top of the Western Cwm at 6,500 metres.

n Expedition sponsor Algonquin College was looking for someone to represent the school on the mountain. Marc was an instructor for the Algonquin College Outdoor Adventure Program

in Pembroke and I was a program graduate, so Webster decided we were good candidates for the expedition. n How does one prepare to be part of a film crew on Mount Everest?

Being technically prepared for climbing in the Western Cwm was important, but the true test was overcoming the rigourous mental challenges. While physical conditioning puts the odds in your favour, it’s your mind that ultimately controls your body and that’s what will either carry you all the way or leave you stranded.

When athletes prepare for a calculated risk, they often encounter two types of reaction from friends and acquaintances: some people will doubt your abilities to succeed, and others have one hundred percent faith in you. Both groups help you to keep the drive alive because you are determined to prove the first group wrong and you refuse to let the second group down. So, blessed are the naysayers, too. It also helped me to visualize far worse conditions than I could encounter to make the reality seem less grim.

I figured that rafting and mountain biking eight hours a day at work was a good start on physical training. I ate as many river burgers as I could to put on some extra fat, but my metabolism was too fast and I didn’t gain an ounce. The technical training came naturally after spending two years as a student in the Outdoor Adventure program. I trained in many areas of wilderness travel and completed many rescue courses from water, rock, mountain and ice. To simulate crevasse rescues, Marc and I ascended a 150-foot rappel line that hung off of a bungeejumping tower using prussic cords. We also spent lots of time clambering around local sand pits — a perfect snow alternative — to practice crevasse rescue, haul systems and travelling roped together.

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Ants on an icefield

It took two days to get to Nepal’s capital city of Kathmandu, and we started feeling supercharged from just being in the same corner of the world as Mount Everest.

The team finally assembled on the side of the world’s mightiest mountain, mere ants on a vast icefield shattered by cracks and dangerous crevasses. My training was over.

Lightweight aluminium ladders lashed together with thin climbing cord formed wobbly makeshift bridges across crevasses 150 metres deep. The width of the ladder was only as wide as both boots and the spaces between the rungs just far enough apart to catch the spikes on your crampons.

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I approached the ladder and clipped on the safety leash that ran from my harness to a rope screwed into the glacier on both sides of the crevasse. Even elementary school physics could demonstrate that falling on that ladder would yank that rope hard enough to pop those screws straight at the sky; if that happened, I would face an early demise.

My partner tightened the ropes by pulling back on them as hard as he could.

I committed myself to the abyss, aligning one crampon onto the ladder rung, and taking one big, deep, smooth breath to relax myself. I could feel that my backpack was acting as a sail, catching the powerful bursts of wind and snow that constantly raked the mountain. I tried to ignore the buffeting blasts, and tried not to look down between the rungs into the black void.

Concentrate, I ordered myself. The ladder was very flimsy. As I got closer to the centre, it flexed downwards almost a metre and twisted from side to side.

I took cold comfort in knowing that my “safety” line was a laughable misnomer.

The snow muffled most of the sound, except for my heart pounding in my head. I existed in a pure state of concentration, focusing on balance and trying to rein in the effects of adrenaline with controlled deep breathing. Finally, I could hear snow crunching beneath my crampons on the far side; my thigh muscles twitched like crazy.

I was part of a team carrying 20 hockey bags filled with everything from video cameras, filming gear, climbing gear, food, personal belongings, computers and tents. We spent five days filming in Kathmandu and visiting many sacred temples and stupas, which are places of worship for most Nepalese people.

We chartered an Otter twin-engine plane to Lukla, the typical starting point for the trek up to base camp. The landing strip is a short uphill path that clings to the side of the mountain in a lush-green, horseshoe-shaped valley. Bad weather and a low ceiling made it impossible to land in Lukla, so we made an unscheduled landing on a tiny airstrip in the middle of the Himalayas. Our plans to spend the night in the small village near the airstrip were foiled when we heard that our safety could be in jeopardy at www.OttawaOutdoors.ca

the hands of the Maoists, a rebel political party that was roaming the nearby hills.

We headed back to Kathmandu for the night. Typically, it takes from nine to 12 days for most teams to make the trek up to Mount Everest base camp. We took 14 days to allow for side trips to film footage for the documentary.

Our group also needed to set aside a few extra days for rest and acclimatization. As the air gets thinner at higher altitudes, the body needs to produce additional red blood cells to carry more oxygen. You deprive the body of that chance at your own peril; serious health problems can occur, including high altitude pulmonary or cerebral edema. If not treated in time, you can end up on the mountain forever.

On our way to the base camp, we followed alongside gigantic raging rivers and hundreds of waterfalls that seemed to pour out of the clouds. Our team consisted of a camera operator, director, four climbers, a full kitchen staff and a main cook. We were kept on the straight and narrow by six Sherpa guides and over a dozen porters and yak herders. Climbing teams hire Sherpas and porters to carry equipment as far as Base Camp III. The porters carry hand-weaved bamboo baskets on their heads with a strap to carry equipment. Lots of these bullet-tough men make the trek in bare feet.

The strength of these hardy souls is as surreal as Everest itself. Westerners can’t compare with them on any scale, especially while climbing. The Nepalese support team can make or break an expedition’s success. I’ll never forget a porter who passed us travelling uphill in bare feet and sporting a one-metre-high basket on his head laden with five cases of beer, a few cases of pop and a bunch of other gear. He couldn’t have weighed more than 100 pounds. There is no training for that kind of determination.

As we ascended the mountain a bit more each day, I closely monitored my health and anticipated the next phase of the climb. I felt very strong and made sure to stay hydrated. And take

it nice and slow, I told myself. It’s actually easy to get moving too fast without realizing it. Thinner air makes it easier to lose your breath if you move too fast.

The first time I felt the effects of high altitude was in a small village called Laboche at just over 4,900 metres.

It started off with pains in the back of my neck, which were easy to write off as stress-related from carrying my backpack and the video camera. But, the pain crept up the back of my neck and into my skull where it bloomed into a full-fledged headache. I knew there was something wrong when I lost my appetite. I became very nervous and all I could think about was not being able to climb on Everest or Laboche East. I wasn’t sure if these feelings were normal because I had never been at this altitude before.

By the next afternoon, I had acclimatized and felt a lot better. Arriving at Base Camp at 5,300 metres at the bottom of the Khumbu Icefall was such an amazing, but somehow unreal feeling. There is only a third as much oxygen here as at sea level. We spent five days acclimatizing and gearing up for our first trip into the icefall.

You can only climb this mountain one stage at a time. The rule of thumb in the mountains is climb high and sleep low. Our first trip into the Khumbu Icefall was a climb from 5,300 metres to 5,800 metres and back down in one day.

Mountaineers know they have to give the body a taste of higher elevation and then let it recover before spending the first night at that higher elevation. After resting a few days back at base camp, we were ready to spend our first night at Camp 1 at an elevation of 6,100 metres.

Climbing in the icefall is like climbing on another planet. You are completely surrounded by mammoth, towering blocks of snow and ice called “seracs.”

Some of them are the size of small apartment buildings, ready to collapse and flatten anything in their path. There are constant avalanches breaking off all around and every rumble makes you wonder if that one will end up in your lap. And if you manage to dodge that icy bullet, there are yet more ladders to cross over myriad yawning crevasses throughout the icefall.

Mount Everest is all about con-

trasts. You wake up in the morning to temperatures so cold you can’t imagine ever being warm again. Minutes after the sun peaks over the mountaintops, you are sweating profusely and struggling to keep hydrated, trying to take refuge from the stifling rays in any available shadow.

Above the 6,400-metre mark, there is little air to filter the sun’s true brutality. You can severely burn in minutes or get heat stroke. At that altitude, it takes a lot of protection to keep your lips from drying into cracked slabs of jerky. And without proper glacier sunglasses, your eyes can suffer permanent injury. Then, as soon as the sun ducks down behind the mountains, it plunges to subzero again and the whole process begins anew. Anyone who has spent any time on Everest knows, too, that clear skies can be gobbled up in a tent-flattening blizzard in seconds.

We took every precaution to secure our tents and gear when setting up at Camps 1 and 2. Rope was at a premium as we weaved and tied all our tents together and anchored them using all of our alpine axes and snow pickets (long aluminium rods with holes to tie in to).

Many teams in the past have been literally blown off the face of mountain in their tents.

My mandate didn’t include going to the top of the mountain. After my second successful night some 6,500 metres in the air at Camp 2, I was nearly at the end of my journey. All that remained was to summit on Laboche East later in the week. Tucked deep into my down sleeping bag with the tent flaps snapping like gunfire in a ripping wind, the excitement gave way to fatigue as I enjoyed the dreamless sleep of the dead.

When I awoke, I realized that one day soon, I will return and try to climb to the top of the world.

—Ben Shillington graduated from the Outdoor Adventure program at Algonquin College in 2002. He works with Wilderness Tours on the Ottawa River as a whitewater kayak, canoe and raft guide and a mountain bike guide. He has taken a solo bike ride across Canada, and a desert bike trip throughout the southwestern United States. Ben was on the mountain climbing team with the Discovery Channel during the Fall 2003 Mount Everest Expedition. He spent two months climbing and filming the Western Cwn of Mount Everest up to Camp II. He also summited a 6,400-metre peak at Laboche East in the Himalayas. Ben is 21 years old.

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PROFILE

Becky Mason:

An artist and her inspiration

By Heather Burke

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ECKY MASON is a Jill-of-all-trades.

She’s a painter, canoe instructor, filmmaker, writer, and environmental activist. Becky is also the daughter of Canada’s most famous canoeist — Bill Mason. Ottawa Outdoors Magazine interviewed her in her studio in Chelsea, Quebec.

OOM: What materials do you use for your art?

BM: I use watercolour on handmade Japanese paper. When I’ve finished a painting, I draw a line with water along the edge of the paper and pull it apart for an uneven edge. The technique is called ragging. This way I incorporate the edge of the paper into the design of the painting. Then I mount the piece by floating it on a solid mat.

OOM: What inspires you to paint?

BM: I find my inspiration in the natural environment and how I interact with it. I paint my reactions to nature and in doing so, I hope to learn more about myself and the world we live in.

OOM: How do you like to work? What is your process in the creation of a new piece?

BM: I like to go out and experience the land and the feelings I have for it. That percolates through my mind for two or even ten years. At some point I feel compelled to do a series. Then I take those experiences, capture those feelings and paint. For two to three years I will paint that one series. With my process, I tend to do my paintings very quickly. I may think for two days, have it all in my mind and paint it in half an hour. It’s like writing a poem, line by line. I know what the structure is by that point, so the actual painting is very easy for me to do.

OOM: So you don’t work from sketches or photographs?

BM: No, I’m not that interested in reality. I am interested in the reality of the feelings I have for the land – the tranquility, the quiet and the peace I find out there. I want to transfer that to my art. If I accomplish that, I’m happy. I don’t just see a scene and paint a picture.

I have a very long memory for images.

I’m dyslexic, so words don’t mean as much to me, but I think in images. That’s how I can paint a series years after the experience that inspired it.

OOM: Describe some of the images that repeat throughout your artworks.

BM: Trees, water, stones, swamp grasses, the Gatineau Hills, and waves crashing onto a pebble beach.

OOM: What are some of the locations that have inspired you?

BM: The north shore of Lake Superior: it’s a rugged, beautiful land, with the pounding of the waves on the shore.

My Dad loved that land, and took us there. That was really special. And Reid (my husband) and I have returned and gone tripping there. I did a series on the Lake Superior Provincial Park Pits — mysterious stones arranged on the beaches. They figure it was First Nations that built them. I did that series for about three years. Just stones. I did 35 or 40 paintings of stones. Right now, I’m excited about the Boreal forest in northern Ontario, and the rivers that run through it. Last summer I went on a trip on the Berens River with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. We went to raise awareness of the boreal forest.

It was not only a beautiful and inspiring adventure but an eye opener as I learned more about the significance of this “green halo” that encircles the top of the globe. It filters water, is a huge carbon sink, helps cool the planet and provides habitat for

tons of organisms. My current series on swamp grasses is based on my memories of journeying through the Berens River and other boreal experiences I’ve had. I think swamps are growth. It’s a fascinating theme — even when things are dying, they are actually feeding growth.

OOM: Why is canoeing so important to you?

BM: Canoeing is an extension of my artistic expression. I love the beauty of the paddle going through the water efficiently. It gets me to places I couldn’t get to otherwise, helping me to connect to my environment.

I want to paint and remember those places.

And by gliding on the water, I don’t leave footprints on the land.

OOM: What is your first memory of canoeing?

BM: My Dad suggested I go out for a paddle in a canoe. I didn’t know if I was strong enough. But he must have thought I was or he wouldn’t have suggested it. It was an 11-foot birch bark canoe. Before I launched I said, “I hope I don’t get blown away,” so he got me a long 100 foot rope. I spent the summer having a grand time, exploring my little world. Splendid little adventures, however small and great they were.

OOM: Most readers of this magazine will know of your Dad — Bill Mason. What lessons did he teach you?

BM: My Dad taught me to stop, listen and watch. Otherwise, you could be in the most beautiful place, but if your mindset was to be in a rush you could miss the whole point why you came in the first place. My Dad taught me that if I was miserable, do something about it. Put on a raincoat, or stop and make a cozy camp. He taught me to

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live outdoors, instead of trying to conquer it. Yes, it was fun and we did exciting things but what he really taught me was to respect the land and what it offers.

OOM: What is your idea of a perfect day?

BM: Being eight days into a canoe trip and knowing that there are eight more days to go in deep wilderness. Just Reid and myself traveling through lakes with dancing whitewater to look forward to. I get in a rhythm, and I’m looking forward to the next eight days.

OOM: You wear a lot of different hats: artist, canoe instructor, writer and video producer. Are there connections between your different occupations?

BM: Yes, they spark and feed off each other. It’s like building blocks that fit together. I take the time to learn a new creative craft because I know it will develop me as a whole.

OOM: Is it difficult juggling the different activities in your life?

BM: It’s hard to juggle creative projects. I have to really apply myself. Sometimes I become too passionate about a project and it will take up all my thought processes.

For example, filming is draining. I might only do one more film, but that’s it. But painting is nourishing to the soul, like being out on the land on a wilderness trip.

And I’ve learned that sometimes I have to say no and close some doors to be able to open new ones.

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OOM: Let’s talk about your video: “Classic Solo Canoeing.” Did your artistic side play a role in the production of that video?

BM: Yes, but it was mostly hard work and staying power, not to drift from my vision. I talked to my Dad’s friends, and read books on filmmaking. I did a budget and drew 250 pictures for my storyboard.

You may consider that stifling, but it’s a structure to hang on to. If there are any idiosyncrasies captured while filming that you can leave in, that’s great. I put a lot of hard work into the script and pre-recorded the commentary. I got up at 5 a.m. to set up the shot. Then my cameraman and I shot from 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. as I only wanted morning light. We did three shots of everything for editing purposes. Some people think with art you just do it but you have to be methodical. When there is a desire to get the feeling across in the film, the passion drives that. It’s planned creativity.

OOM: What awards has the video won?

BM: It won the instructional category in the Waterwalker Film and Video Festival.

That film festival was created in my Dad’s memory. Because of that, it was very gratifying to win.

OOM: Do you feel there are similarities between the art of solo canoeing and the art of painting?

BM: They are two creative endeavors.

Canoeing is steeped in history. We can trace it back to when our Canadian

wilderness was opened in a little dugout or birch bark canoe. And painting is as old as time. They are two primitive vehicles: one is the vehicle of inspiration and the other the vehicle to capture those inspirations.

OOM: What is your latest project?

BM: I’m feeling compelled to start planning part two of “Classic Solo Canoeing.” I have to start writing, but I plan to start shooting next year.

I’m launching my season for canoe instruction. And I’m working on the Boreal forest and swamp series.

OOM: What else would you like people to know about Becky Mason?

You didn’t cover my passion for ball hockey. In those circles I’m known as “One Timer Mason” for my point shot. I stand at the point, somebody fires a ball and I smack it in the goal. Many people don’t know that about me. But seriously, I’d rather people think about their environment, and the impact they have upon it. I’d love it if people, after viewing my work, seeing my slide presentation or watching my movie, would stand in their yard, have a look around, and think, “Wow, I never noticed that before.”

To find out more about Becky, canoe lessons and her art, please visit her Web site at www.redcanoes.ca.

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Golfing Getting out of those rough situations

By Gord Percy Kevin Haime Golf School

WHLE PLAYING GOLF at many of the local courses, no doubt you’ve probably yourself in a predicament. No worries.

The tips below are sure to assist you in a few parts of your game. Commit them to memory and you’ll be out of the rough and enjoying this quality low-impact exercise.

Grip

If you are righthanded, your left hand is the one closest to the end of the club. The grip is more in the fingers than in the palm with the heel pad of your left hand on top of the club, with the thumb down the center or slightly to the right side of the grip.

Grip pressure should not be tight or tense, just snug.

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Pitching from the rough

The right hand grip is in the fingers and not the palm. You can overlap/interlock one finger or have all on the grip so long as both hands are together. Your right hand should feel more on top of the grip with no sign of your left thumb and right thumb slightly over to the left side of the grip.

If you have a good grip, you should see two knuckles in the left hand with the heel pad on the top of the club.

The creases formed between the thumbs and index fingers should point toward your right shoulder.

If you have a good grip, you should be able to hinge the club up towards your nose – this is how they work during the swing.

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This shot is often required to get the ball out of, or over, trouble such as rough, sand, or water.

The ball is placed closer to the middle of your stance and your weight should be 50/50 to start with.

Hold down on the club a bit for control.

This setup and shot are just mini-versions of your normal full swing.

The backswing should not be as long as a full swing. You want to control distance by how far back you take the club.

You should feel some wrist hinge and your weight should shift to your back foot, just as you should in a full swing. If you are in trouble on the course, use this technique to get yourself back

safely to the fairway.

You should feel some ground contact as you come forward to the ball. Accelerating past the ball is a must to ensure you get the ball up into the air and the club through the rough. Your follow-through should at least match the length of your backswing and you should finish with most of your weight on the front foot.

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Chipping to the green

Putting

Chipping is a low shot required only to go far enough in the air to get on the green so it can get rolling along the ground. To do this, the ball must be off your right toe (for RH), hands in front of the ball, and more weight on the left foot. Hold down on the grip for better control.

In a good setup for putting, it is essential to have your shoulders and eyes aligned parallel to the target line.

Right-handed putters should have their left eye directly over the ball. Precisely aim the putter — most golfers are too casual and do not aim anywhere near their target.

On the back swing, the weight must not shift like on a normal swing. The weight stays on the left foot and your stroke must be controlled by the arms and shoulders.

Using your wrists when you chip only leads to disastrous shots. If you need to go past waist height, you are likely to far away for chipping.

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It is essential when moving forward to keep the weight on the left leg and not try to lift or scoop the ball using your wrists. Your hands must remain ahead of the club head in the follow through.

Your forward motion should be short and crisp, never decelerating.

On the backstroke, do not allow the putter to rotate open. Keep it square to the target line. Your stroke should be controlled by the rocking of your shoulders and therefore you should not have any wrist action or leg movement/rotation.

The distance you hit should be controlled by the length of your backswing.

In your forward stroke, like the backstroke, you should keep the putter square while not using your wrists or turning your lower body. If you have done a correct stroke, the putter will accelerate but remain close to the ground and your followthrough should be as long as or longer than the backswing.

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Calabogie Peaks Resort Stay & Play Escape is just a “nice drive” away!

Just 50-minutes away from Ottawa, you can escape and enjoy the sport of golf in a fun, relaxing environment at the right price. The Stay & Play package combines the joy of golf in a vacation atmosphere. You’ll be staying at the beautiful Dickson Manor and basking in the on-site spa if you’re not savoring the delicious meals prepared by our own Cordon Bleu chef.

Combine that with swimming in the lake or indoor pool, our outdoor hot tub, and the local mountain biking and hiking trails...and you’re all set.

Our “Flex” packaging gives you control to make your vacation as “all inclusive” as you’d like, and as we provide the perfect family setting, it’ll be an escape for the whole family. Remember, the golf-trio includes Calabogie Highlands, Renfrew Golf Club and The Oaks of Cobden Golf Club. Mix and match your Stay & Play package with other resort activities and enjoy the summer! Packages begin as low as $79.00 per person, per night.

Find out more at www.calabogie.com

WOMEN’S

MEN’S Available at the following local stores: Armstrong Shoes, Glebetrotters on Bank, Golf Town, Chuck Brown’s, J E Letellier Ltd. • Fitted with Eclipse cleat from Softspikes • The outsole has been specially designed to allow additional grid during all the phases of the swing • ECCOs own patented tanning process has rendered the leather water-resistant, and the addition of GoreTex XCR makes the shoe waterproof

• Just like a real golf course • Lazer-measured yardage for each player • 25 well-groomed grass hitting stations PLUS! • A real chipping green, a putting green, and a sand bunker to practise your short game!

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The guessing is over!

Find the right club for your swing

By Kevin Pidgeon Tommy & Lefebvre

How Flight Trajectory Analysis works

I

NDIVIDUAL BIOMECHANICS make every golfer unique. Many golfers, regardless of skill level, are limited by ill-fitting equipment that does not take into account their optimal launch angle, ball spin rate and flight pattern.

Flight trajectory analysis records your vertical, ball spin, back spin, side angle, flight time, max height and total distance.

Sophisticated computer software and high speed camera equipment allows our certified golf pro Gord Percy to capture, analyze, display and store vital information about each hit you do. Since it is done in an open air setting “at the range” it gives a true picture of what is going on with your swing that a pro alone or an indoor swing simulator cannot.

Many of the PGA and LPGA pros benefit from flight trajectory analysis of their swings to find the exact driver, wood, iron and ball combination that maximizes their performance. Now you can too! Accurate club and ball fitting gives any golfer a competitive edge.

• It’s simple. Sign up to book your one hour Flight Trajectory Analysis session with T&L Pro Gord Percy at the Kevin Haime Golf Centre.

The cost is $65.

• Have your scheduled Flight Trajectory Analysis session with Gord and receive your personal analysis printout.

Sign up with T&L Golf Pro Gord Percy at 591-0006 for your session time at the Kevin Haime Golf Centre and start your summer on the right foot.

C

ome play at the semi-private Emerald Links Golf & Country Club, a challenging course that weaves in and out of beautifully landscaped wooded areas and lakes. The “Bent Grass” greens, tees & fairways have been blended with its natural beauty making it ideal for golfers of all levels. The semi-private course was created by Architect Graham Cooke and the Patterson family.

Looking for new clubs?

Get ones that are tailor-made for you!

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613-727-1721 855 Industrial Ave. www.golfworks.com Manotick Station 6357 Emerald Links Drive Greely, Ontario K4P 1M4 Tee-off times: (613) 822-4653 Administration:(613) 822-6353 Fax: (613) 822-7801 Email: elgolf@magma.ca

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Teed off at being unprepared?

Good equipment means better golf: the basics

By Jon O’Coin The Golf Works

S

O YOU’RE KEEN to improve your golf game, or perhaps you’re taking up the sport for the first time? Read on as we spotlight a variety of golf-related equipment, the basics about each piece, what to look for, and how the latest technology will get you out of the rough and onto the green over and over again.

WOODS

Although most golfers have followed technology and now use metal or titanium drivers and fairway heads, we still refer to them as woods.

The driver is the club that hits the farthest and is usually the club hit from the tee on par 4 and 5s. Driver heads are getting larger, giving golfers extra confidence and forgiveness with a bigger “sweet-spot.”

There are a full range of fairway clubs allowing use from different distances or lies, but most sets include a 3 and 5 wood. There are many different styles and head designs available to meet almost any golfer and their swing.

IRONS

These are our accuracy clubs and help get us on the green.

There are long irons that have less loft and short irons with more loft. The longer clubs are used from further distances from the green and the shorter clubs are used when closer to the green.

Like the woods, there are numerous designs do fit different players and their swings.

A typical set of clubs include 3 through 9 irons and a pitching wedge. Most players add higher lofted wedges to their set for a better opportunity to score from around the green and in the sand.

PUTTERS

Putter are the most-used club in the bag and having one that fits your putting style and level of skill is important.

Recently, the rave in putters is high moments of inertia, which means the putter is forgiving on off-centre putts. Selecting a putter with good heel and toe weighting is usually a step in the right direction for most golfers. After selecting the head that suits you, the next fitting variables to consider are the length, lie and even the loft of a putter.

SHAFTS

The golf shaft is an extremely important component of the golf club — perhaps the most important. The shaft is responsible for delivering the head to the ball, so the wrong shaft prevents the head from hitting the ball in the correct position. That can mean poor ball flight or direction.

Because of the variances in swings, there are a few factors to consider when selecting a shaft. The swing speed and tempo are important in selecting a shaft’s flex, which range from junior to x-stiff.

Golfers should play the club length that suits their heights and swing styles — these adjustments are made in the shaft. There are graphite and steel shafts that offer both advantages and disadvantages, depending on the golfers swing.

The average golfer might have difficulty selecting the best shaft for them, but spending ½ hour with a qualified club fitter will prove beneficial. The cost is minimal and the information is priceless.

Another method of determining which shaft is correct for you is using a five-step questionnaire available through companies like GolfWorks Canada that will make shaft recommendations based on your answers.

GRIPS

Most golfers don’t realize the options they have when choosing their grips — there actually are hundreds of styles and sizes.

Having the correct size grip is important to a golf club’s performance and can be determined in less than a minute by most component suppliers at no charge. The style of grip you select is personal and is made almost completely by feel and look.

BAGS

Golf bags are relatively simple to select but there are a few things to consider other than just appearance.

If you regularly carry your clubs, it is important to have a bag that is light. Carrying your clubs around the golf course for four hours is enough without having to carry an unnecessarily heavy bag, too.

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Most carry bags come with dual straps making it easier to carry. If your bag doesn’t already have dual straps, they can be bought separately and added to almost any bag. Having a carry bag with a stand is important in extending the life of both your clubs and bag.

If you regularly use a cart, there are cart bags available that don’t have the stand because it gets in the way when using a cart.

Most bags have lots of pockets for all your golf accessories, wallets and purses, cell phones and more, but it seems you can never have too many pockets.

CARTS

A common term used when referring to carts is “pull” cart, but that term is quickly changing with increasing popularity of “push” carts. Pushing a cart is much easier than pulling, and the addition of a third wheel has made it even easier.

A push cart is a little more expensive than a pull cart, but most people who have upgraded to a push cart say they will never go back.

GOLF BALLS

Golf balls of today have changed dramatically from years past — two-piece balls have given the ball more durability and distance.

Balls with more spin are popular with better players. For people looking for additional control on and around the green, high spin balls are easier to manipulate around the green and easier to stick on the green.

Balls with lower compression are great for juniors, ladies, seniors or slower swingers by allowing them to achieve maximum distance, spin and control. Distance balls are just that — they are great for distance but not for control or feel.

GLOVES

Gloves are popular and beneficial in offering extra gripping power, but it is important to have a properly fit glove. A glove is worn on your top hand — the left hand for a right handed golfer — and should be a tight fit.

There are different styles of gloves.

Leather gloves are soft and great for regular use and synthetic are less expensive and good for wet conditions. There are also wet gloves designed for the diehard golfer who plays in the rain.

Mesh and half fingered gloves are popular with women and allow air to circulate, keeping the hand cool and dry.

UMBRELLA

Golf umbrellas are larger than regular umbrellas for more coverage.

Golf umbrellas should be able to withstand heavy wind and come with a lifetime warranty.

BALL RETRIEVER

Although nobody plans to lose a ball in the water, it is inevitable, so having a ball retriever is important. With the cost of balls, you can easily justify the retriever purchase. When fishing for your ball, you often find a few others, but don’t spend too much time because you will slow the play of the golfers behind you.

TEES

There has recently been a new introduction in tees. Long tees are now available and are popular because most drivers today have deeper faces — to hit the ball with the sweet spot, you will need to tee the ball up higher.

There are anti-slice tees that have a unique cupped design that reduces spin and eliminates sliced tee shots. Tees are available in many different colours and materials, such as plastic, bamboo, etc and are selected to fit personal preference.

GOLF ATTIRE

Golf attire is important because different courses have different dress codes.

You are usually safe if wearing a pair of pants or long shorts and a golf shirt with a collar. If there is any question, simply call the course and ask what the dress code is. Golf shoes are popular because they offer better traction than running shoes and this is important when taking a swing.

Check the weather forecast before heading to the course to be sure you are ready for whatever Mother Nature sends your way.

Happy golfing!

—Jon O’Coin is the manager of The Golf Works in Ottawa. If you’d like more information on clubfitting, or golf gear and swing analysis, please contact them at 727-1721.

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8th Kunstadt Open Tennis Tournament Soon July 21-25th at Glen Cairn Tennis Club

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MORE THAN JUST A bridesmaid

Adventure racing support crews can elevate teams to the podium

By Brian Appel INTERESTED IN adventure racing but don’t have the gear or time to train? Come and get your hands dirty by joining a support crew.

Support crew members work with the racing team before, during and after an event and can make the difference between a podium finish or disqualification.

By way of example, Gear Racing had an unfortunate mishap at the start of the Canadian Championships and all four participants’ bikes were seriously damaged. Their day was nearly over before it started. But, as they canoed the first leg of the race, a support crew member fired off to the nearest bike shop and had the bikes waiting at the first transition area by the time the team hit solid ground. Their amazing secondplace finish was made possible by astute supporters.

Races that include support crew members allow race organizers to focus on performance and safety. The crew also allows racers to focus on the unique challenges of the course. Good racing teams know that many hands make light work; most crews have two to four people.

Solo crewing isn’t recommended for the same reason a restaurant needs more than one person to properly serve customers.

Lots of teams use spouses as crew, too, so races tend to be a real family affair.

The best support crew members are jocks-of-all-trades who are willing to www.OttawaOutdoors.ca

endure nearly as many hours as the racers, but without the same level of fatigue or hardship. You adopt the roles of chauffeur, navigator, gear repair specialist, chef, hydrationist, first aider, master organizer, mover, photographer, friendly face and spirited motivator. Support crews in adventure racing are like the pit crews in auto racing, but without all the noise.

With support crew helping to pack, check gear, and drive the racers to the starting line, the racers can arrive rested, relaxed and ready to focus on the course’s

in the pouring rain.

The fun begins in the transition area. Equipment needs to be unloaded, organized, positioned, and double checked. Too often, adequate hydration is overlooked in adventure racing.

Athletes must drink enough liquids, even when it’s cold, or they will jeopardize a podium finish. The crew keeps it flowing — water, E load, Gatorade, Boost, or the personal liquid of choice — so they’re readily available to athletes throughout the course. As the race wears on and power

ups and downs. Crew members help racers make sure they’ve packed all the gear and address spare items like bike tubes and flashlight batteries. Adventure racing is all about making detailed lists, and a dedicated crew constantly compares those lists against the gear to minimize nasty surprises.

At check-in time, crew members prepare for the race officials’ inspection of all mandatory equipment, like first aid kits, climbing gear, bikes and waiver forms. It is a real plus if you can assist in map reading to follow the course and predict racers’ progress. Pinpointing transition areas is crucial — racers depend on you to be there so they can switch gear, load up and head out fast. Being a good navigator comes in handy when you need to find that deserted gravel pit at 4:00 a.m.

bars start to taste like plywood, a warm meal or quick snack is most welcome by fatigued racers. Team Taiga, the adventure racing team I crew with, goes nuts for my shrimp casserole on wild rice, or a hearty bowl of chili.

Finding some transition areas is a challenge in itself and getting organized is a real art. Providing easy access to food, water, a rest area, a change area, and a gear drop is essential to a fast, smooth transition. Time gained or lost in transition areas can make the difference in overcoming other teams or preserving a lead. Refueling vehicles should not be left to chance either, as race courses may be remote.

When racers vacate the transition area as quickly and efficiently as possible, the crew packs up and proceeds to either the

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Photo by RaidPulse

Adventure racing

next transition area or the finish line. After a race, tired athletes appreciate a stop at a coffee shop, maybe a car wash to hose down bikes, or a laundry mat to freshen up clothes.

It’s a real thrill to be among the chosen few to celebrate a successful race at the finish line. Crews may not be as achy and sleep-deprived as the racers, but they’re a far cry from mere spectators. Racers are

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the first to say that crew members are an integral part of the team. The crew brings the team closer to that elusive winner’s circle by repairing broken gear, caring for blisters and adopting the role of sports psychologist.

This is teamwork in the raw.

—Brian Appel is the father of four children who have helped whip him into shape as a crew member for Team Taiga. Brian teaches outdoor education and physical education at Woodroffe High School in Ottawa.

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www.OttawaOutdoors.ca

Windsurfing

At the whim of the wind

By Tom Guerquin

R

emember the wind in your face when you were a kid?

Your school teachers always hated windy days for good reason — the class was always too revved up and overstimulated to sit and recite multiplication tables.

Fast-forward a decade or two and nothing has changed. Wind definitely rules, on both land and water.

It should come as no surprise that windsurfing has become a summertime mainstay across North America. As the name of this popular water sport suggests, it’s just a board with a sail attached to it and powered by the wind. Lots of people know sailboarding as windsurfing, from the brand name of the pioneering sailboard company, Windsurfer.

This sport started in the late 1960s, and was so huge by the early ’80s it became an Olympic sport at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games.

The trend that swept a continent has deep roots in Ottawa. Alex Millen, 45, saw the need for a board shop in the city and he’s filled the void for more than two decades.

“I opened Surf Side in 1982, when windsurfing was starting to get popular in Ottawa,” said Millen. “I remember one year I sold over 600 boards — now it averages about 60 boards a season.”

Though the sport isn’t as popular as it www.OttawaOutdoors.ca

once was, Surf Side is still committed to the sport. It’s the only windsurfing store in Ottawa, located on Carling Avenue at Ullswater Drive.

Windsurfing is an accessible sport for pretty well anyone who has the desire, and it’s the perfect summer exercise sport for the whole family.

“As long as you can walk, you can stand on a windsurfer,” said Joe Finisterre, 38, instructor and owner of Mr. Joe’s Boardsailing Academy in Ottawa. Neither age nor fitness level are impediments to picking up the sport. “As long as you have the right equipment, everything will be a lot easier to learn,” said Finisterre, who competed in the Caribbean for 12 years before moving to Canada.

Another instructor, Mike Fabbro, 44, of Mike Fabbro Clinics and Coaching in Ottawa, learned how to do a forward loop on his board off towering waves last year in Maui.

“This is a sport where you are constantly

learning new things,” said Fabbro. Both of his parents windsurfed, and once his kids are old enough to take the plunge, they will too.

Windsurfing works well in the Ottawa climate from the beginning of May to mid-October. “I don’t need to pay for a lift ticket or a golf tee time,” says Fabbro. “The wind is free and you can just go. Instead of sitting on the beach and roasting, we go sailing. We get physical activity out of it, we get a tan, you’re on the water, it’s fun, and you’re always practising and learning.”

Proper technique is not that hard to learn. Some upper body strength is required — mostly forearm strength — and you need to use your leg muscles at the high performance level. Balance is also very important in this sport, especially when there’s a chop on the water.

“I do a lot of drills where I stand on a stability ball and do weights and squats for balance,” said Fabbro. “Windsurfing is good for fitness, and contrary to popular belief, it’s actually very gentle on all of the joints and back.”

Lots of people who haven’t tried this sport might be surprised to learn they’ve already been training for it. Many activities complement windsurfing and it works the other way around, too. If you have ever sailed before, for instance, the theory is the same — a tack is still a tack on a windsurfer. Or if you prefer the snow,

snowboarding and skiing both improve balance on a windsurfer. Snowboarding and skateboarding especially, are two sports that mimic the foot position on a

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Photo by Steve Slaby.

windsurfer. If you’re adept at any of these sports, windsurfing will be a slam-dunk.

Like all of life’s worthwhile endeavours, practice is key to success.

Windsurfing is one of those sports where good lessons are essential.

“Usually some guy goes to the cottage and borrows a friend’s windsurfer sitting on the beach,” explains Fabbro.

“He goes right down wind and ends up in the bullfrogs and leeches and weeds. So he has to be towed back, he’s humiliated and never windsurfs again. It’s like parachuting — would you go parachuting without a lesson? No, and it’s simple: jump and pull. But, there are a thousand things you have to think of in case something goes wrong.”

Good instructors provide students with the tools they need to appreciate the sport instead of surrendering to frustration.

Finisterre works mostly with beginners, either one-on-one, or in groups of four. “We first spend about an hour on land going over positioning on the board and some sailing theory,” he says.

“Once they learn the fundamentals, we head out on the water for the rest of the lesson. It isn’t a hard sport. As long as you understand the fundamentals, you can pick it up within three hours.”

Fabbro’s clinics help intermediate windsurfers advance to the next step. He, too, begins the lesson on land by going over the equipment and examining body position.

“I tell them how high their boom should be at low winds and at high winds, and mark it on the mast,” said

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Fabbro. “Then when we go on the water everything clicks, and they get it.” The windsurfer will learn how not to get stranded in the middle of the river or end up sharing the weeds with those leeches.

Tried it, liked it, want to play? You’ll need equipment. The essentials are a board, a sail rig and a personal flotation device (PFD). Many experts recommend a wider board for beginners to advanced windsurfers. Boards like those from Starboard — the biggest sailboard manufacturer — provide more stability and go faster in lower winds.

“I sold one to an intermediate windsurfer a few years ago because I knew he’d like it,” said Millen. “He came back the next season to the store and thanked me. Instead of going out six or seven times, the wider board allowed him to go out more than 30 days.” The board has a fin on the underside to prevent sideslip. The choice of fin is usually contingent upon the weight of the board user and the type of windsurfing they enjoy. Advanced windsurfers may wish to compete in races or try wave jumping.

Windsurfers will also need a complete rig that consists of sail, mast, and boom. Sails come in different sizes, from three square metres for kids, to 12 square metres for the pros.

The choice of sail may vary with wind velocity — smaller sails are easier to uphaul (pull upright) and control on those hurricane days.

Experienced windsurfers usually own at least a couple of sails because wind conditions change constantly.

A six square-metre sail is the average

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for 15 knot winds. The mast comes in one or two pieces and is fibreglass or carbon fibre. The boom, which is the horizontal piece you hold onto, acts like a steering wheel as it stretches the sail and gives it its full shape.

Sporting equipment can be expensive and windsurfing is no exception.

A complete set starts at about $2,100, however, many newbies start out buying used equipment until they see if they’re in for the long haul. Surf Side holds three swap weekends in the summer where windsurfers buy and sell their gear. And since windsurfing can be a family affair, you can always share the equipment.

For more information on windsurfing in Ottawa, you’ll find all you need at: www.OttawaWindsurfing.ca —Tom Guerquin is an Ottawa Outdoors Magazine intern from Algonquin College who has spent more than a few hours avoiding the weeds on his windsurfer.

CONTACTS

For windsurfing instruction or new or used equipment Joe Finisterre Mr. Joe’s Boardsailing Academy (613) 224-6137 Mike Fabbro Clinics and Coaching (613) 746-8710 Lots of used equipment swapped at: www.OttawaWindsurfing.ca Surf Side 2B Ullswater Street (613) 726 7873 www.surf-side.ca

WHERE

are the best windsurfing spots in the Ottawa area?

Britannia Bay is the most popular and has a large rigging area and launch site.

• Constance Bay • Aylmer Beach Gatineau launch (where the Gatineau river meets the Ottawa river). Please be considerate as you pass over private property • Range road (close to Lake Deschenes sailing club) • Mooney’s Bay

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HOW TO GET STARTED: 1. While still in the water, position your board perpendicular to the wind, with the tip of the mast 90 degrees to the board.

2. Once on the board, with your back to the wind and placing one foot on each side of the mast base, grab hold of the uphaul cord and start to pull it towards you, hand over hand. Keep your back straight and knees bent. As you pull the sail out of the water, it will become lighter.

3. Raise the entire rig fully and bring the mast up close to you, as if you were about to kiss it.

Using the hand nearest to the nose of the board — the mast hand — grab the beginning of the boom and slowly twist your upper body and leading foot towards the nose of the board.

4. Place your other hand — the sheet hand — two to three feet from your mast hand. By pulling and pushing the boom (sheeting in and out) with the sheet hand, you control the amount of wind in your sail and its angle to the wind.

5. Tilting the whole rig towards the nose of the board will turn you into the wind. Once you feel the wind starting to blow on the sail, move your body back a foot or two on the board.

6. Now you’re windsurfing; go straight on ’til winter!

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Caving

A lust for Lusk Caves

By Heather Burke

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park at Parent Beach parking lot, and follow the beach west to the end of the lake. From there you’ll be able to locate easily the Lusk Lake trail and signs to the caves. It’s a 4.5 kilometre hike. Just when you start to work up a sweat, you’ll arrive at the caves and the comfort of their natural air conditioning. Spend lots of time wandering, crawling, splashing and swimming through the ancient cavities, appreciating the quiet beauty.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Lusk Caves began 12,500 years ago with a rush of glacial melt-waters. Water, trapped under a two-kilometre-thick sheet of ice forced itself into cracks in the rock. That water eroded the soluble marble, leaving intact outcroppings of harder rock. Eventually, the gushing flow of icy water eased, but its eroding action continued at a slower pace. The tunnel’s distinctive keyhole shape provides evidence of this evolving history. The upper portion of the tunnels is wide, from the heavy flow of melt-water that formed them; the lower portion of the tunnels is narrow, caused by slower stream erosion that continues today.

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Photo by National Capital Commission

T

HE AIR hangs hot and still. A tired bird chirps listlessly in the distance, and deerflies buzz around our heads with determination. We walk up the final hill and stop before a gaping hole in the ground. We’ve arrived at Lusk Caves.

Descending into the outer pit, we notice a refreshing dip in air temperature. My energy picks up after the humid hike.

As we enter the cave, the temperature drops again. I pick my way along the edges, avoiding the gurgling stream that created these caves many thousands of years ago. I don’t know why I bother to keep my feet dry. Soon I’ll be wading through waist-deep water. We turn the first corner, then the second, and I can no longer avoid stepping in the water. We shut off our flashlights, stop, and experience true darkness. The stream continues babbling around our feet. Voices echo through the caves. The yellow beam of a flashlight darts across a wall up ahead and voices grow louder. Oh well… you can’t expect such an inspiring locale to remain a secret from others.

A trip to Lusk Caves makes an ideal excursion on a hot, summer day. How do you get there? Drive to Lac Philippe,

The cave system stretches for 150 metres; its maximum depth reaches 10 metres below the surface. You won’t find stalactites and stalagmites in Lusk Caves; the caves are too young. You will, however, discover calcium carbonate formations growing from the ceiling in some parts of the system – beginnings of baby stalactites.

Versatility: that’s what I love most about exploring the caves. The subterranean tunnel system will entrance young children and hard-core adventurers alike.

Is there risk of getting lost underground? None at all. You can push the limits without worrying about marking the route you took.

The first time I experienced the caves, I stuck to the main tunnels.

Because my hiking partners refused to venture through the darkest tunnel, I attempted it alone. When I reached the section where the roof dropped down to 30 cm above water level, I lost my nerve.

You’ll find a convenient “chicken tunnel” along the right side; it allowed me to complete that section of the cave.

On my second time visiting the caves, other group members proved a little braver. We waded through the deepest section of water, then ducked under the low ceiling I had avoided before. We also explored the largest side tunnel. The low ceiling forced us down on hands and knees, but the tunnel is wide so we didn’t feel hemmed in.

The next time, we forged ahead as real adventurers looking for new territory to discover. We explored side tunnels and climbed up onto ledges – another new experience.

The fourth time I went, our group members didn’t expect the caves would offer anything new. We’d already explored every tunnel, or so we thought.

But we were persistent, and shone our flashlights into the far reaches of every tunnel, finding passageways we hadn’t known existed. Slithering through the

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hard to find the trailhead for the longer trail at Lac Philippe, so it’s best not attempting it in reverse the first time you hike to the caves. At the end of your hike, a refreshing swim in Lac Philippe awaits you. What could be better on a hot day?

The National Capital Commission encourages adventurers to explore Lusk Caves. The NCC won’t go as far as recommending any of the side tunnels though, probably because they want people to remember that caves can be dangerous. In other words, like so much in this world, use them at your own risk.

—Heather Burke is an avid hiker who loves exploring new trails and tunnels.

Minimum impact caving • Don’t smoke or make fires in the caves (even at the entrance).

• Don’t break or disturb cave formations; they have taken thousands of years to form.

• Don’t mark surfaces.

• Don’t discard anything in the caves.

• Don’t take anything away from the caves.

• Avoid trampling unique or unusual sediment accumulations.*

* Adapted and used with permission from the British Columbia Speleological Federation (http://www.cancaver.ca/bcsf/)

dirt on our stomachs, elbows brushing the walls, and heads bumping the ceiling, we squeezed through the smallest of tunnels. If we had had any claustrophobic tendencies, we would have learned about them that day. Luckily, we suffered no permanent damage to anything except our T-shirts. At one point, I emerged out of the ground from a jumble of rocks, startling a woman sitting nearby. (From the surface, you would never suspect that the rocks hide a cave entrance.)

When you’re ready to head back, you can either retrace your earlier route, or take a slightly longer, looping trail – a 5.4 kilometre distance. I enjoy the variety offered by this less-travelled route, along which you may see deer and otters. It’s

What to bring on your caving adventure • Flashlight. A headlamp is perfect for exploring, and will keep your hands free for clinging to cave walls and maintaining your balance. A waterproof flashlight is nice if you’re going to swim, but not necessary. Take one flashlight for each member of your group.

You’ll be walking single file, so you can’t share a flashlight beam.

• Extra clothes. Bring these for your hike home. You can explore about half the cave by getting wet just up to your knees. But if you plan to do the entire length of the cave, you will get wet from at least the waist down. An extra T-shirt offers protection against scrapes you might acquire wearing only a bathing suit.

• Water shoes. Sandals don’t protect your toes from scuffs on rocks, and wet sneakers weigh too much in your backpack on the hike home. Get water shoes.

• Protective headgear. Although I’ve done my caving without a hard hat, it would be a nice addition if you plan to tackle some of Lusk’s smaller tunnels. A crack on the skull can hurt.

www.OttawaOutdoors.ca

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ADVENTURE CONSULTING COMES TO OTTAWA

Great Experiences offers extreme fun and pampered leisure

By Brant Scott IGNORANCE IS BLISS, unless you like a good adventure.

Ever been bewildered when someone asks who offers the best local services for whitewater rafting, or scuba diving, or rock climbing? Some folks have no idea where to rent a good fighter jet to pull a few Gs before breakfast. Imagine there could be one source of information with access to the best adventure packages in the National Capital Region.

Imagine no longer.

Great Experiences has just opened its doors to counsel Ottawa’s thrillseekers, adventure enthusiasts and patrons of the good life. For the first time, a local company is taking the concept of one-stop-shopping to extremes. Company founder Sarah Bifield has monitored the success of “adventure consultants” in the U.K. and Europe for years, and she

believes the time is ripe for the concept to jump the pond.

As a municipal recreation organizer in England until six years ago, Bifield came to Canada and hit the outdoors with a vengeance. She took karate lessons and learned how to ski, fly a plane, paddle a canoe and ride horses. When Bifield noted the lack of coordinated, tactical information available for local activities, the seeds were sown for Great Experiences.

“I was originally thinking about opening a business that would cater to British tourists in the region,” explains Bifield. “As I started meeting with local adventure suppliers, I quickly realized this service will fill a void locally, too.

We are actually adventure and leisure agents, who can help individuals and groups find suitable activities they mightn’t consider on their own.”

Although her company’s services are not limited to Ottawa, Bifield says this is fertile ground for adventure consulting with hundreds of small businesses offering excellent adventure experiences in the region. There is also a pent-up demand from vendors who are delighted to have a company selling their services on their behalf.

Great Experiences has negotiated exclusive packages with suppliers that are available for personal use or

gifts. Bifield says the packages could be especially appealing for employee retreats and team-building exercises.

For example, her company can arrange for a group to go climbing in the morning, enjoy a BBQ lunch, go snorkeling and kayaking in the afternoon, and then relax over a catered gourmet meal and wine-tasting lesson at day’s end.

“Great Experiences is about sharing ideas,” says Bifield. “You can’t choose an activity if you don’t know it’s out there or where to find it. We provide the facts, the access, and the bookings. And we can arrange for transportation, equipment, accommodations, facilities, a post-event session at the spa, and even gift baskets.

We’ve taken the time to find the best partners with the best experiences.”

When people are undecided about which experience to buy for someone else, the company provides the option of transferable adventure vouchers.

They can be used as business “perks” for customers and employees, or as gift certificates. With voucher in hand, recipients can discuss their needs with a Great Experiences consultant or browse though the activities menu for something that appeals. They might choose a champagne hot air balloon flight, a raucous ride through white-

water, or a trip to the ranch for some horsing around. It provides people with a chance to revisit an activity they already enjoy, or they can choose to receive basic instruction on how to get started in a brand new endeavour.

There are currently more than 50 activities to choose from on the Great Experiences menu, and the list grows daily.

“We need to be just as versatile as our clients,” explains Bifield. “I’m working with companies that offer race car driving, 1000 Islands sightseeing, parachuting, jet boating in the Niagara Gorge and scuba diving to Ontario shipwrecks. But, we also provide access to a Reiki Master, makeover and health consultants, lifestyle coaches, interior designers, and others. We know that the extreme thrill-seeker needs to relax on occasion and we know that the sedate office worker enjoys a good, heartpumping thrill. We cover them all.”

For more information on Great Experiences, see www.

GreatExperiences.ca, email Info@GreatExperiences.ca or call (613) 745-6962.

—Brant Scott is the editor of Ottawa Outdoors Magazine and a mostly vicarious thrill-seeker.

GRILLED SWEET POTATO SALAD

Serve with black beans seasoned with fresh lime juice and cilantro for a vegetarian meal.

Don’t sweat it with this easy summer grill

By Julie St. Jean Photo by Julie St. Jean

I

n hot climates, spicy food induces sweating to cool the skin. Some believe it creates a sense of well-being as the brain releases endorphins to ease the burn.

So, cool down with a spicy southwestern style dinner hot from the barbeque!

Vegetables are the star of this grill, and are sure to impress guests and excite your tastebuds. The smoked, spicy dressing complements the mild flavours of sweet potato, pepper and onion. Although we feature it here with grilled pork tenderloin, it also works well with a whole roast or grilled chicken.

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4 cups (1000 mL) diced one-inch (2.5 cm) sweet potatoes (approx 2 large)* 1 cup (250 mL) red onion, 4 thick slices in rings (1 large) 1 cup (250 mL) each red, green, yellow peppers quartered (1 each) 4 cloves garlic, minced ¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil pinch kosher salt** pinch fresh black pepper 1 bunch watercress*** ½ bunch fresh coriander/cilantro 1 recipe chipotle lime dressing

Preheat grill to medium high. Clean and prepare vegetables. Mix olive oil with garlic, salt and pepper. Toss vegetables individually in olive oil mixture. Using tongs, grill peppers and onions approximately three to four minutes per side, or until tender crisp with grill marks. Set aside. Reduce heat to medium.

Grill sweet potatoes approximately three to four minutes, or until grill marks appear. Turn with metal flipper and continue grilling with the lid down for two to three

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minutes before turning again. Repeat until potatoes are cooked through, approximately 12 minutes in total.

Meanwhile, cut grilled vegetables in approximately one-inch (2.5 cm) cubes. Toss warm sweet potatoes and vegetables with chipotle lime vinaigrette, watercress and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes four to six servings.

CHIPOTLE LIME DRESSING

1 tbsp (15 mL) garlic 2 tbsp (30 mL) chipotle chili in adobo sauce**** 2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh lime juice (1 lime) 2 tbsp (30 mL) white or rice wine vinegar pinch kosher salt** pinch fresh black pepper ½ cup (125 mL) vegetable oil or light flavoured olive oil

Mince garlic in a food processor. Add chipotle chili and process. Add lime juice and wine vinegar. Process briefly.

With the processor running slowly, add the vegetable oil To make this by hand, mince the garlic and chipotle with a knife. Combine in a bowl with the juice and vinegar. Place a towel under and around the bowl to keep it in place. Wisk while slowly adding vegetable oil. Makes 225 mL (almost 1 cup)

SOUTHWESTERN GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN

1 (375g) tenderloin of pork 2 tsp (10 mL) each ground cumin, paprika, garlic powder 1 tsp (5 mL) each cayenne, chili

powder, cinnamon, kosher salt** 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) ground cloves 3 tbsp (45 mL) vegetable or light flavoured olive oil

With a sharp knife, remove the excess fat and silver skin from the pork tenderloin. Combine all of the spices in a bowl. Stir in the vegetable oil to form a thick paste, and rub it all over the tenderloin. Marinate up to two hours in the refrigerator. Bring tenderloin to room temperature 1/2 hour before grilling Preheat grill to medium high. Sear pork two minutes on both sides. Reduce heat to medium or place on upper grill while grilling vegetables.

Cook pork for approximately five to six minutes, flip and cook another five to six minutes more over indirect heat or until medium rare (meat thermometer reads 150º Fahrenheit/65º Celsius). Set aside, and cover with foil for 10 minutes before slicing.

Makes four servings.

FRUIT PUREE One of the greatest pleasures of summer are warm-from-the-sun fresh berries. When they are plentiful, simply blend them with a touch of liquid (any kind will do), until thin enough to pour over ice cream, into a refreshing beverage. Or make a vinaigrette. Push through a sieve or cheesecloth to remove seeds. *Substitute sweet potatoes with new baby potatoes. **Substitute with kosher sea salt. ***Substitute with baby greens or arugula. ****Canned smoked jalapenos available in major grocery stores in the Mexican foods section.

—See more about Urban Spice and Julie St. Jean at www.UrbanSpice.ca.

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URBAN GRAPE

Wine on a canoe trip is “paddling oil”

By Joe Hatz “…A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread… and Thou Beside me singing in the Wilderness…Oh, Wilderness…”

— Omar Khayyám

I

magine you are going canoe tripping with a group of friends to a beautiful wilderness campground. All the important decisions have been made.

The meals are planned and packed, the equipment is organized, and you’ve even decided who will sit in the stern.

But, who has been chosen to be the trip bartender? Every good trip needs someone who can prepare the appetizers and cocktails before dinner, and find the right wine to go with campfire cuisine.

Maybe your approach is more laid back. No one planned the wine, but somebody manages to “find” a bottle in a backpack for all to share and enjoy.

Either way, there are plenty of enjoyable wines that will travel well in a canoe and enhance an evening meal or sunset shared with friends.

On a canoe trip, keep wine in a cool part of the boat and out of direct sunlight.

Red and white wines are easily transportable, but can be damaged by excessive heat.

When matching wine to campfire cuisine, consider wines that are fruity and light- to medium-bodied. Three versatile choices would be wines made from Riesling, Gamay or Pinot Noir grapes.

Riesling is a white wine with refreshing acidity that would be an excellent match with any fish you catch. This wine will need to be chilled, so you’ll have to innovative to submerge the wine into the deeper, cool water of the lake. Pick one of the excellent Rieslings from Canada’s Niagara region. Riesling can be dry, or off-dry for a slightly sweeter wine. The 2002 vintage was fantastic and there are many good wines to choose from in the $10-$12 range. www.OttawaOutdoors.ca

The Gamay grape produces light, fruity red wines that have strawberry and raspberry flavours. It can be enjoyed on its own, with burgers or a vegetarian stew. Look for Gamay wines from Ontario, or wines from France made with the Gamay grape, like Beaujolais, or the higher quality, Beaujolais-Villages.

Gamay wines are often served slightly chilled, which makes them even more refreshing on a hot day.

If your meal is going to have some earthy flavours from mushrooms or root vegetables, then a Pinot Noir may be a good red wine match. Expect some ripe fruit flavours like cherry and strawberry, mixed with some earthy, mushroom scents. One wine that is great value and typical for Pinot Noir, is Mission Hill’s Bin 99 Pinot Noir from Canada’s Okanogan Valley. It is excellent on its own, or served with grilled salmon or light stews.

The weight of the bottles becomes a concern on a canoe trip with long portages, and glass in the outback is generally discouraged. Wine in cans would be handy, but they aren’t yet available in the Ottawa area.

“Bag in box” wines are an even better solution for canoe trips. You can drink the wine, start a fire with the box, and the only thing left to carry out is a small plastic bag. No corkscrew needed, but do hang on to your corkscrew-equipped utility knife. You never know when another camper will need assistance.

The dilemma with “bag in box” wines in Ontario is that the selection is small and limited to budget wines, so it might be hard to find one that satisfies your tastes. The selection is likely to stay

small, too, due to Ontario legislation, VQA rules and the way wine is marketed.

In Australia, however, a wide selection of budget and medium-priced wines are available in the “bag in box” format.

If you haven’t found a “bag in box” wine that you like, you can always prepare your own “bagged” wine. Purchase wine-dispenser plastic bags at a home winemaking store and fill the bag from bottles. Or, if you have an appliance that can heat seal plastic bags, you can make your own wine pouches.

One way to do this on a tight budget is to recycle carefully washed milk bags.

They are tough, and you can seal one or more servings of wine into a single bag. The only caution is that exposure to oxygen causes wines to deteriorate, so transfer the wine quickly, and be careful to squeeze all the air out of the bag before sealing.

Whether you call it “a glass of medicine” or “paddling oil,” a glass of wine can transform a meal into a celebration on a canoe trip. But, do practise moderation so you don’t give “tipsy” a new meaning.

—Joe Hatz is a sommelier and teaches courses on better understanding and appreciating wine.

On-premise winemaking and wine accessories.

CONTACT PAUL TO HELP YOU GET STARTED 203 Colonnade Rd., South Nepean Tel: 725-0498 Email:vinhaus@rogers.com

O T TAWA O U T D O O R S S U M M E R / FA L L 2 0 0 4

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7-Jul Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Wednesday Evening Trips Lac Meech Teresa B 236-9307 ohoc.ncf.ca

Hey! Every week there are tons of outdoor activities planned that you probably didn’t know about! Take a look below and plan your Summer & Fall outdoors!

MISCELLANEOUS 24-Jun – 4-Jul Jazz Festival 2004 Confederation Square/City Hall 21-25 Jul Kunstadt 8th Annual Open Tennis Tourney Glen Cairn Tennis Club

ADVENTURE RACING 18-20 Jun Quest for a Cure National Capital Region 290-9481 info@questforacure.ca www.questforacure.ca 16-17 Jul Raidpulse Endurance Race Val des Monts, Outaouais, QC Thierry Raymond (819) 669-9708 thierry@raidpulse.com www.raidpulse.com 31-Jul Equinox Adventures Ottawa River 1-800-785-8855 info@equinoxadventures.com www.equinoxadventures.com 14-15 Aug Equinox Adventures–Ascending and Rappelling Specialty Clinic Ottawa 1-800-785-8855 info@equinoxadventures.com www.equinoxadventures.com 21-22 Aug Outlast 24hr Endurance Mnt. St. Marie www.outlast.ca 21-22 Aug Equinox Adventures–Paddling and Navigation Clinic 1-800-785-8855 info@equinoxadventures.com www.equinoxadventures.com 8-10 Oct Raidpulse Expedition Race Arundel / Laurentians, Qc Thierry Raymond (819) 669-9708 thierry@raidpulse.com www.raidpulse.com

CANOE/KAYAK 5-Jun Ottawa Outing Club 1/2 Day Trip Meech Lake 729-0507 trips@outingclub.com outingclub.com 19-Jun Ottawa Outing Club Day Trip Charleston Lake 729-0507 trips@outingclub.com outingclub.com

54

1-Jul Ottawa Outing Club Day Trip Ottawa River 729-0507 trips@outingclub.com outingclub.com 4-Jul Ottawa Outing Club 1/2 Day Trip Ottawa River/Duck Island 729-0507 trips@outingclub.com outingclub.com 17-Jul Ottawa Outing Club Day Trip Long Sault/St. Lawrence 729-0507 trips@outingclub.com outingclub.com 14-Aug Ottawa Outing Club Day Trip Murphy’s Point 729-0507 trips@outingclub.com outingclub.com 28-Aug Ottawa Outing Club & Travel Gatineau River 729-0507 trips@outingclub.com outingclub.com 11-Sep Ottawa Outing Club Day Trip Madawaska River 729-0507 trips@outingclub.com outingclub.com 18-Sep Ottawa Outing Club Day Trip Tay River 729-0507 trips@outingclub.com outingclub.com 2-Oct Ottawa Outing Club 1/2 Day Trip Meech Lake 729-0507 trips@outingclub.com outingclub.com

CANOE 27-Jun Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Sunday Day Trip St. Lawrence River Jim B 827-0706 ohoc.ncf.ca 30-Jun Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Wednesday Evening Trips Full moon potluck paddle at Meech Lake Diane V 669-7912 ohoc.ncf.ca 4-Jul Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Sunday Day Trip Lac Philippe Shaelah R 723-5342 ohoc.ncf.ca

11-Jul Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Sunday Day Trip Ottawa River / Aylmer Island Nancy L 234-9739 ohoc.ncf.ca 14-Jul Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Wednesday Evening Trips Lac Meech Ken Z 228-8553 ohoc.ncf.ca 18-Jul Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Sunday Day Trip Lac La Pêche Robert A 744-7985 ohoc.ncf.ca 21-Jul Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Wednesday Evening Trips Lac Meech Nick B 236-9307 ohoc.ncf.ca 25-Jul Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Sunday Day Trip Low (Gatineau River) Sergei U 724-2511 ohoc.ncf.ca 28-Jul Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Wednesday Evening Trips Full Moon Potluck Paddle, Lac Meech Patrick A 521-6846 ohoc.ncf.ca 30-Jul Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Multiday Trips Frontenac Park Nancy L 234-9739 ohoc.ncf.ca 4-Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Wednesday Evening Trips Lac Meech Jim F 234-4548 ohoc.ncf.ca 7-14 Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Multiday Trips Temagami Chris McD 371-8358 ohoc.ncf.ca 8-Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Sunday Day Trip Ottawa River, From Shirley’s Point to Aylmer Island Greg G 747-6785 ohoc.ncf.ca 11-Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Wednesday Evening Trips Lac Meech Tara C 878-5139 ohoc.ncf.ca 13-20 Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Multiday Trips Georgian Bay, Britt – Killarney Richard T 770-8575 ohoc.ncf.ca 15-Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Sunday Day Trip Lac La Pêche Tim and Monica 721-6394 ohoc.ncf.ca 18-Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Wednesday Evening Trips Lac Meech Annette O’Y 747-2043 ohoc.ncf.ca 20-22 Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Multiday Trips Bonechere Provincial Park Boris S. & Greg G 729-3516, 747-6785 ohoc.ncf.ca

O T TAWA O U T D O O R S S U M M E R / FA L L 2 0 0 4

21-29 Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Multiday Trips KillarneyDetails Richard T 770-8575 ohoc.ncf.ca

4-Jul Ottawa Bicycle Club Carlsbad, Limoges, Casselman Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

21-Jul Kanata-Nepean Bicycle Club Wednesday Night Mystery Tour Ronald Simard 224-8276 www.knbc.ca

22-Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Sunday Day Trip Lac Philippe Shaelah R 723-5342 ohoc.ncf.ca

4-Jul Ottawa Bicycle Club Group Riding Clinic 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

24-Jul Kanata-Nepean Bicycle Club Kemptville Day Trip Ronald Simard 224-8276 www.knbc.ca

4-Jul Ottawa Bicycle Club Montebello Century Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

24-Jul Ottawa Bicycle Club Spencerville, Iroquois Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

4-Jul Ottawa Bicycle Club Gatineau Park Loop Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

25-Jul Ottawa Bicycle Club Stittsville, Ashton, Almonte, Pakenham Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

25-Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Wednesday Evening Trips Full Moon Potluck Paddle, Lac Meech Joan R 595-3634 ohoc.ncf.ca 27-29 Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Multiday Trips Baskatong Reservoir Boris S. 729-3516 ohoc.ncf.ca 29-Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Sunday Day Trip Ottawa River / Back Bay area Chris C & Clive P 254-7002, 722-7998 ohoc.ncf.ca 1-Sep Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Wednesday Evening Trips Lac Meech Marie-Reine F & John B 749-1469 ohoc.ncf.ca 3-6 Sep Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Multiday Trips La Verendyre John G 238-1468 ohoc.ncf.ca 8-Sep Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Wednesday Evening Trips Lac Meech Rosemary K 235-7776 ohoc.ncf.ca 12-Sep Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Sunday Day Trip Lac Philippe Robert A 744-7985 ohoc.ncf.ca

CYCLING 19-Jun Ottawa Outing Club Athens Cycle Trip and BBQ 19-Jun Ottawa Bicycle Club Wendover, Plantagenet, Alfred Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 20-Jun Italian Festival Grand Prix Doug Corner 596-9697 20-Jun Ottawa Bicycle Club Calabogie Challenge Century Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 30-Jun Kanata-Nepean Bicycle Club Wednesday Night Mystery Tour Ronald Simard 224-8276 www.knbc.ca 1-Jul Ottawa Outing Club Beachburg Cycle Trip and BBQ 3-Jul Kanata-Nepean Bicycle Club Old Chelsea Odette Regimbal 224-5723 www.knbc.ca 3-Jul Ottawa Bicycle Club Arnprior, White Lake, Burnstown Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 4-Jul Kanata-Nepean Bicycle Club Perkins (L2) Peter Scott 729-9557 www.knbc.ca

7-Jul Kanata-Nepean Bicycle Club Wednesday Night Mystery Tour Ronald Simard 224-8276 www.knbc.ca 10-Jul Ottawa Outing Club Balaclava to Mt. St. Patrick 10-Jul Kanata-Nepean Bicycle Club Manotick (L1) Ronald Simard 224-8276 www.knbc.ca 10-Jul Aztech Associates Inc. Aztech Grand Prix Geoff Salter 389-9400 x24 www.aztechinc.com/grandprix 10-Jul Ottawa Bicycle Club Balderson, Lanark Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

31-Jul Kanata-Nepean Bicycle Club Prescott Overnight Tour TBA www.knbc.ca 31-Jul Ottawa Bicycle Club Bishop Mills, Heckston Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 1-Aug Ottawa Bicycle Club Blackburn, Cumberland, Rockland Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 7-Aug Ottawa Bicycle Club Calabogie Loop Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 8-Aug Ottawa Outing Club Bonnechere Caves

11-Jul Kanata-Nepean Bicycle Club Fitzroy Harbour Don MacIntosh 721-1980 www.knbc.ca

8-Aug Ottawa Bicycle Club Perkins, Navan, Carlsbad Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

11-Jul Ottawa Bicycle Club Thurso, Montebello Remote Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

8-Aug Ottawa Bicycle Club Group Riding Clinic 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

14-Jul Kanata-Nepean Bicycle Club Wednesday Night Mystery Tour Ronald Simard 224-8276 www.knbc.ca

14-Aug Ottawa Outing Club Murphy’s Point Cycle Trip and BBQ

17-Jul Kanata-Nepean Bicycle Club Swan on the Rideau (L1) Ronald Simard 224-8276 www.knbc.ca 17-Jul Ottawa Bicycle Club OBC Grand Prix Bob Hicks 230-1064 www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 17-Jul Ottawa Bicycle Club Portage du Fort, Renfrew Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 18-Jul Kanata-Nepean Bicycle Club Norway Bay Challenge (L3) Mesfin Mirotchie 836-6290 www.knbc.ca 18-Jul Kanata-Nepean Bicycle Club Norway Bay Short Tour (L1, L2) Stella Val 225-8879 www.knbc.ca 18-Jul Ottawa City Criterium 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 18-Jul Ottawa Bicycle Club Manotick, Osgoode, Kemptville Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

14-21 Aug Kanata-Nepean Bicycle Club Niagra Region Tour Stella Val 225-8879 www.knbc.ca 14-Aug Ottawa Bicycle Club Thurso, Montebello Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 15-Aug Ottawa Bicycle Club Lanark Challenge Century Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 15-Aug Ottawa Bicycle Club Stittsville Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 15-Aug Ottawa Bicycle Club Lanark Remote Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 21-Aug Ottawa Bicycle Club Sparkle City, Brockville Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 22-Aug Ottawa Bicycle Club Alfred Challenge Century Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

22-Aug Ottawa Bicycle Club Navan Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 22-Aug Ottawa Bicycle Club Wendover, Plantagent, Alfred Remote Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 28-Aug Ottawa Bicycle Club Lanark, Perth Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 4-Sep Ottawa Bicycle Club Spencerville, Johnstown Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 5-Sep Ottawa Bicycle Club Britannia, Carp, Dunrobin Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 11-Sep Ottawa Outing Club Burnstown Cycle Trip and BBQ 11-Sep Ottawa Bicycle Club South Mountain, Winchester Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca 12-Sep Ottawa Bicycle Club Gatineau Park, Wakefield Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

HIKING 27-Jun Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Swimming and Caving Mary-Anne O 523-2169 ohoc.ncf.ca 27-Jun Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Lac Phillipe to Lusk Lake Mary-Anne O 523-2169 ohoc.ncf.ca 27-Jun Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club From P13. Lunch at Western Henry L & Sue B 829-1849, 237-6843 ohoc.ncf.ca 1-4 Jul Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Hiking White Mountains in New Hampshire Chris McD 371-8358 4-Jul Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Pink Lake and Mackenzie King Estate John B 835-3079 ohoc.ncf.ca 4-Jul Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Eardley Escarpment from Churchill Falls Area Richard T 770-8575 ohoc.ncf.ca 11-Jul Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Discovery Trail Danielle B 595-9979 ohoc.ncf.ca

17-19 Sep Kanata-Nepean Bicycle Club Allumette Island Weekend TBA www.knbc.ca

11-Jul Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Escarpment from Pilon Rd. John O 599-1304 ohoc.ncf.ca

19-Sep Ottawa Bicycle Club Russell, Club Picnic Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

11-Jul Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Charleston Lake Prov. Pk. Sandra R 692-4401 ohoc.ncf.ca

25-Sep Ottawa Bicycle Club Arnprior, Fitzroy Harbour Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

18-Jul Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Lac Phillipe and Lusk Caves.

Brian S 232-8279 ohoc.ncf.ca

26-Sep Ottawa Bicycle Club Fall Reliability Rides 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

18-Jul Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Western Gatineau Park Peter Q 820-7722 ohoc.ncf.ca

3-Oct Ottawa Bicycle Club Perkins, Anger, Masson Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

25-Jul Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Pink Lake and Gatineau River Ruth T 827-4292 ohoc.ncf.ca

10-Oct Ottawa Bicycle Club Carlsbad, Limoges Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

25-Jul Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Luskville Falls area.

Elaine T 745-3352 ohoc.ncf.ca

17-Oct Ottawa Bicycle Club Manotick, Richmond, Munster Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

1-Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Marlborough Forest.

Paula T 247-8696 ohoc.ncf.ca

24-Oct Ottawa Bicycle Club Greely, Russell Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

8-Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Morris Island Conservation Area.

Mark H 733-9295 ohoc.ncf.ca

31-Oct Ottawa Bicycle Club Osgoode Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

15-Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Rideau Falls, Rockcliffe Park and Ottawa River Bike Path.

Margot G 722-3482 ohoc.ncf.ca

7-Nov Ottawa Bicycle Club Riders Choice Tour 613 230 1064 office@ottawabicycleclub.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca

15-Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club TBA Sandrine K 234-7776 ohoc.ncf.ca

15-Aug Ottawa Outing Club Lusk Caves 21-29 Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Canoeing and hiking, Killarney Richard T 770-8575 http://opuspocus.ca/skyabove/trips/ Trips2004.htm 22-Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Carman Lake area.

Kevin M 764-2943 ohoc.ncf.ca 22-Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club O’Brien Beach, Ruins, Pine Rd, McD Bay Loop.

William C 234-4394 ohoc.ncf.ca 29-Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Gatineau Park Diana/Tim I 241-7394 ohoc.ncf.ca 29-Aug Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Hay Lake Loop.

Jim F 234-4548 ohoc.ncf.ca 3-6 Sep Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club White Mountains Hiking Trip Chris McD 371-8358 5-Sep Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Mer Bleu area.

Heather M 736-0948 ohoc.ncf.ca 5-Sep Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club La Blanche Forest.

Elisabeth G 789-6713 ohoc.ncf.ca 6-9 Sep Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Backpacking Algonquin Park, Western Uplands.

Richard T 770-8575 http://opuspocus.ca/skyabove/trips/ Trips2004.htm 12-Sep Ottawa Outing Club Luskville Falls Hike 12-Sep Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Lac Phillipe and Lusk Caves.

Boris S 729-3516 ohoc.ncf.ca

1-12 Oct Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Backpacking. Killarney Park: La Cloche Silhouette Trail Richard T 770-8575 http://opuspocus.ca/skyabove/trips/ Trips2004.htm 3-Oct Ottawa Outing Club Ridge Trail 8-10 Oct Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Thanksgiving trip to Stowe, Vermont Jessica T 237-0870 237-0870

KAYAKING 5-Jun St. Felicien Rodeo, Quebec Cup Series 15-16 Jun Ottawa Outing Club Basic Kayak Instruction 729-0507 trips@outingclub.com outingclub.com 20-Jun Ottawa Outing Club Basic Kayak Instruction 729-0507 trips@outingclub.com outingclub.com 29-30 Jun Ottawa Outing Club Advanced Kayak Instruction with Rolling 729-0507 trips@outingclub.com outingclub.com 30-Jun Trailhead Summer Kayak Series Kitchissippi Beach/Wesboro Beach Cafe 722-4229 scottst@trailhead.ca www.trailhead.ca 3-Jul Quebec Cup Series, Rouleau du President Rodeo Pont-Rouge, QC www.kayak.qc.ca/rodeo3-4 Jul Gull River Festival Minden, ON www.whitewaterontario.ca 10-Jul Ottawa Outing Club Basic Kayak Instruction 729-0507 trips@outingclub.com outingclub.com 11-Jul Ottawa Outing Club Advanced Kayak Instruction with Rolling 729-0507 trips@outingclub.com outingclub.com 11-Jul MKC Annual Whitewater Kayak and Canoe Slalom Race (613) 756-3620

12-Sep Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Gatineau Park.

Tim C 729-8471 ohoc.ncf.ca

13-Jul Trailhead Summer Kayak Series Gatineau River/Blacksheep Inn Wakefield 722-4229 scottst@trailhead.ca www.trailhead.ca

19-Sep Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Wolfe Trail Christina D 761-7988 ohoc.ncf.ca

16-18 Jul Jimicup 2004 Ottawa River www.ottawajimicup.com

19-Sep Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Carman Valley Nancy P 730-6172 ohoc.ncf.ca

24-26 Jul Canada Cup International Mooney’s Bay, Ottawa Graham Barton gbarton@canoekayak.ca www.canoekayak.ca

24-Sep Ottawa Outing Club Algonquin Wilderness Lodge Weekend Hike

28-Jul Trailhead Summer Kayak Series Kitchissippi Beach/Wesboro Beach Cafe 722-4229 scottst@trailhead.ca www.trailhead.ca

26-Sep Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Stoney Swamp Denise M 241-5316 ohoc.ncf.ca

4-5 Aug Ottawa Outing Club Basic Kayak Instruction 729-0507 trips@outingclub.com outingclub.com

26-Sep Ottawa Hostel Outdoor Club Gatineau Park.

Robert A 744-7985 ohoc.ncf.ca

4-5 Aug Ottawa Outing Club Basic Kayak Instruction 729-0507 trips@outingclub.com outingclub.com

7-Aug Ottawa Outing Club Basic Kayak Instruction 729-0507 trips@outingclub.com outingclub.com 8-Aug Ottawa Outing Club Advanced Kayak Instruction with Rolling 729-0507 trips@outingclub.com outingclub.com 10-Aug Trailhead Summer Kayak Series Gatineau River/Blacksheep Inn Wakefield 722-4229 scottst@trailhead.ca www.trailhead.ca 24-Aug Trailhead Summer Kayak Series Lac Leamy/Gatineau Point 722-4229 scottst@trailhead.ca www.trailhead.ca 28-29 Aug Upper Gatineau Whitewater Festival Maniwaki, QC Alain Bonin outrage@total.net 28-29 Aug Quebec Cup #4 Jonquiere, QC www.kayak.qc.ca/rodeo 4-Sep KSF Festival Lachine Rapids, QC www.kayak.qc.ca/rodeo 4-5 Sep Equinox Adventures Ottawa River Rodeo Calumet Island, Ottawa River, ON Paul Sevcik paul@equinoxadventures.com 4-6 Sep Ottawa River Festival Beachburg, ON www.ottawakayak.com 4-6 Sep Ottawa Kayak Rodeo McCoy Chute, Ottawa River, ON www.ottawakayak.com 10-12 Sep Canada Cup National Freestyle Championship Garberator, Ottawa River, ON www.ottawakayak.com 12-Sep Ottawa Pumphouse Slalom Ottawa, ON Ron Ridley cridley@rogers.com 12-Sep Gull River Open Canoe Race Minden, ON Beth Kennedy beth@wepaddle.com 9-10 Oct Quebec Cup #5 Mont-Rolland, QC www.kayak.qc.ca/rodeo Every Wed night Trailhead Demo Nights Westboro Beach 722-4229 scottst@trailhead.ca www.trailhead.ca All Summer Liquid Skills Beginner to Advanced 2, 3 and 5 Day Clinics Ottawa River 582-3340 liquidskills.com All Summer Madawaska Kanu Canoe Centre Whitewater Kayak and Canoe Madawaska River (613) 756-3620 www.mkc.ca

MT. BIKING 20-Jun Father’s Day CFMBA Day Ride (Public Event) 30-Jun Tommy and Lefebvre Sunset Series 2004 Camp Fortune (819) 827-1717 campfortune.com 28-Jul Tommy and Lefebvre Sunset Series 2004 Camp Fortune (819) 827-1717 campfortune.com

11-Aug Tommy and Lefebvre Sunset Series 2004 Camp Fortune (819) 827-1717 campfortune.com 25-Aug Tommy and Lefebvre Sunset Series 2004 Camp Fortune (819) 827-1717 campfortune.com

ROCK CLIMBING 4-Jul Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) Pub Night Manx Pub Calvin Klatt 234-2072 cklatt@sympatico.ca http://www.angelfire.com/on2/accottawa/ 12-16 Jul Equinox Adventures Women’s Only Climbing Week Ottawa River 1-800-785-8855 info@equinoxadventures.com www.equinoxadventures.com 5-Aug Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) Pub Night Royal Oak (Echo Drive) Calvin Klatt 234-2072 cklatt@sympatico.ca http://www.angelfire.com/on2/accottawa/ 14-15 Aug Equinox Adventures Coming Out of the Gym, Rock Climbing Course Milton, ON 1-800-785-8855 info@equinoxadventures.com www.equinoxadventures.com 16-20 Aug Equinox Adventures Women’s Only Climbing Week Ottawa River 1-800-785-8855 info@equinoxadventures.com www.equinoxadventures.com 4-5 Sep Equinox Adventures Women’s Only Climbing Week Ottawa River 1-800-785-8855 info@equinoxadventures.com www.equinoxadventures.com 11-12 Sep Equinox Adventures Rig, Rescue, Rappel, Haul Systems, & Aid Climbing Milton, ON 1-800-785-8855 info@equinoxadventures.com www.equinoxadventures.com 11-13 Sep Equinox Adventures Climbing Wall Instructor Course Milton, ON 1-800-785-8855 info@equinoxadventures.com www.equinoxadventures.com 18-19 Sep Equinox Adventures Coming Out of the Gym, Rock Climbing Course Milton, ON 1-800-785-8855 info@equinoxadventures.com www.equinoxadventures.com 25-26 Sep Equinox Adventures Pre O.R.C.A. Instructor Weekend Milton, ON 1-800-785-8855 info@equinoxadventures.com www.equinoxadventures.com 2-3 Oct Equinox Adventures Women’s Only Climbing Week Ottawa River 1-800-785-8855 info@equinoxadventures.com www.equinoxadventures.com 23-25 Oct Equinox Adventures O.R.C.A. Instructor Certification Weekend Milton, ON 1-800-785-8855 info@equinoxadventures.com www.equinoxadventures.com Every weekend Equinox Adventures Introductory Rock Climbing Weekend Milton, ON 1-800-785-8855 info@equinoxadventures.com www.equinoxadventures.com

O T TAWA O U T D O O R S S U M M E R / FA L L 2 0 0 4

55

BuG Juice Tall (but true) tales from the woods

by Jim Hargreaves

In league with a professional poacher HIS NAME is Norman Carter and he’s a poacher.

He’s also a bit of a character.

They say he’s a stocky, muscular man with a swarthy face etched with deep laugh lines. He has a cocky, devil-may-care swagger, dancing steel blue eyes and a very cheeky grin. His hands are enormous. He never buys a fishing licence and he only fishes private waters stocked regularly with trout, thus ensuring longevity for the species and plenitude for his freezer. He normally fishes at night, with worms, on fly-only waters, but he never fishes out of season. You could say that in his own strange way Norman Carter is a man of principle.

Apparently, he also has a wicked sense of humour.

It was mid-June and I was casting my line on some private waters owned by a friend. I am no lover of live bait; the artificial fly is my lure of choice. There had been an evening hatch of Brown Drakes and my creel was weighty with a brace of fat rainbows. It was time to go home for a fresh trout supper, so I made my way back up the rough track that led from the water’s edge to my car. By now it was pitch black. As I swung around the first bend in the road a short, broad figure came into my headlamps. He was carrying a wheel. I past him, pulled over, and leaning across to the passenger side I wound down the window and waited for him to catch up.

“Got a problem?” I asked.

“Flat tire,” he replied looking shiftily left and right.

“No spare?”

He shook his head.

“Where’s your car?”

“Back down the road.”

“Do you live around here?”

He nodded, obviously a man of few words.

“Jump in I’ll give you a ride,” I offered.

“Nah, it’s okay. There’s nobody open at this time of night around here. I’ll just walk to my friend’s place and borrow one until the morning.”

“You can borrow mine if you like. I haven’t got far to go and you can drop it off tomorrow after yours has been fixed.

Jump in and I’ll run you back to your car.”

“Okay, but I’d rather walk if you don’t mind,” he replied in a low voice.

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O T TAWA O U T D O O R S S U M M E R / FA L L 2 0 0 4

I jumped out of the car and rummaged in the trunk for my spare.

“Okay. There you go,” I said cheerfully, handing him the wheel. “Here’s my business card. I work from home. Just drop the wheel off when you have time tomorrow.” He was obviously embarrassed and I didn’t want to make things worse. There’s got to be some trust in this world, so I didn’t ask him any more questions. Then, hardly giving the incident a second thought, I set off once again for home and a hearty supper.

The next day I gave the owner of the water a call just to thank him and to describe the way in which the butter-baked meat had fallen off the bone. In passing I mentioned the guy with the flat tire. My host seemed puzzled.

“Can’t think who that could have been, unless it was that damned poacher. Norman they call him. Norman Carter. I’ve never been able to prove anything, but I know he’s pulling fish from my water. He won’t be able to get away with it if I come across him. All my fish have a little red tag on their adipose fin.”

Intrigued, but too busy to give too much mind to our discussion, I decided to get down to another chapter of my book and there on the keyboard I got lost for the rest of the day. It was late evening when I heard a knock at the front entrance. I went downstairs and opened the door; there was nobody there. I stepped out onto the porch and peered left and right. Not a sign of a soul. I turned back to examine the items that had been left on my doorstep. There was my wheel. The very wheel I had lent to the stranger the night before. There was a crumpled piece of paper pushed into one of the bolt holes, so I tugged it out and read it in the half light of the doorway. The writing was large and scrawled, but legible. There was only one word and some initials.

“Thanks. NC.” Beside the wheel was a plastic bag, which I picked up.

It was quite heavy. Taking a quick glance inside I saw that it contained several very nice rainbow trout. Now this is getting interesting I thought. I went back inside and emptied the trout into a bowl. They were fine fish indeed. Six of them, all around a pound and a half. Every one had a little red tag in their adipose fin. One good deed deserves another I thought, and decided upon trout for the second night in a row.

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GREEN PAGES Reference Guide Your contact listing for all your outdoor adventure needs

CANOES, KAYAKS, PADDLES • Trailhead – 722-4229 • Mountain Equipment Coop – 729-2700 • Bushtukah – 792-1170 • Dimension Kayak – 888-884-5925 • Langford Canoe & Kayak – 725-5259 • Wenonah Canoes – 507-454-5430 • James Bay Wilderness Equipment – 745-5182 • Jenda Paddlesports – 826-0922

MOUNTAIN & ROAD BIKES • Tommy & Lefebvre – 236-9731 • Kunstadt Sports – 831-2059 • Bushtukah – 792-1170 • Mountain Equipment Coop – 729-2700 • Cycos – 567-8180

CANOE & KAYAK LESSONS • Liquid Skills Kayaking – 582-3340 • Down to Earth Kayaking – 827-5905 • Wilderness Tours – 800-267-9166 • Equinox Adventures – 800-785-8855

OUTDOOR CLOTHING AND GEAR • Tommy & Lefebvre – 236-9731 • Trailhead – 722-4229 • Mountain Equipment Coop – 729-2700 • Kunstadt Sports – 831-2059 • Bushtukah – 792-1170 • Ginn Photographic – 567-4686 • Expedition Shoppe – 722-0166 • Scouts Canada – 224-5131 • Glebetrotters Footwear – 231-6331 • World of Maps – 724-6776 • True North Satellite Phones – 796-3874

ADVENTURE RACING & TRAINING • Equinox Adventures – 800-785-8855 • RaidPulse – 819-669-9708 • Outlast – 728-0826 • Corpsynergy – 222-7943 • Quest for a Cure – 290-9481

HOME FURNISHINGS • The Last Canoe Co. – 296-0828 • Casa Luna Latin American furniture – 730-3561 • SleepTek Mattresses – 727-5337 • Bill Mason Productions – www.redcanoes.ca

WHITEWATER RAFTING • Wilderness Tours Resort – 800-267-9166 • Riverrun Whitewater Resort – 800-267-8504

ADVENTURE TRAVEL / GETAWAYS • Wakefield Mill Inn – 888-567-1838 • Calabogie Peaks Resort – 800-669-4861 • Great Experiences – 745-6962 • Sam Jakes Inn – 800-567-4667 • Outing Club – 729-3034 • Ecotourism Mngmt Program – 705-457-1680 • World Expedition Travel – 241-2700

OUTDOOR VEHICLES • Westboro Subaru – 728-5813 • Tony Graham Lexus Toyota – 225-1212

Available at these Sierra Designs retailers: Trailhead 1960 Scott St. Ottawa, ON K1Z 8L8 613-722-4229

Bushtukah 203 Richmond Road Ottawa, ON K1Z 6W4 1-888-993-9947

Base Camp Relay 540 Boul St-Joseph Gatineau, QC J8Y 4A3 819-771-2267