Category: OTHER

Lure of the North – short film by Goh Iromoto

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In Ontario, when the lakes have frozen and the forests become silent, there are still plenty of outdoor endeavors to pursue. One such activity I’ve never had the chance to experience, is hot tent winter camping. I found this cool short film about a couple who embark on an expedition in the Ontario wilderness in the heart of winter. The company “Lure of the North” organizes such trips for those that are interested. A quick browse on their website shows pricing anywhere from $400 to $3200 dollars CAD.

I’ve been a big fan of Goh and his work. He is a cinematographer based out of Toronto, Ontario. His works revolve mostly around the natural world, and he has done much to help the canoe culture in Ontario. I particular like the way he captures certain sounds to immerse one in the environment. His shots and framing are always stunning to me.

“In the remote wilderness of Ontario, Canada, two travellers endure the repetitive mental hardship of cold winter tripping. This short film captures the experiences and emotions of their expedition. It’s tough. It’s tiring. It’s lonesome. Yet it’s a beautiful and meditative love affair as you persevere one snowshoe step at a time.”

40 years later, a family revisits their epic canoe trip

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I found this cool short video of a family’s canoe journey on the Inside Passage from Washington to Alaska. It was featured in National Geographic’s Showcase Spotlight. Pretty amazing trip! Would you ever go on a trip like this with family?

“In 1974, filmmaker Nate Dappen’s 20-year-old parents and uncle Andy built their own canoes to travel up the Inside Passage from Washington to Alaska. The voyage took them all the way to Ketchikan and became an epic journey that would later be retold to Nate and his brother. Determined to reinvigorate the legend, Nate convinced his father, uncle, and brother to embark on another trip. In the summer of 2017, the Dappens renovated those original canoes and continued their expedition on to Juneau.”

“Showcase spotlights exceptional short videos created by filmmakers from around the web and selected by National Geographic editors. We look for work that affirms National Geographic’s belief in the power of science, exploration, and storytelling to change the world. The filmmakers created the content presented, and the opinions expressed are their own, not those of National Geographic Partners.

Know of a great short film that should be part of our Showcase? Email sfs@natgeo.com to submit a video for consideration. See more from National Geographic’s Short Film Showcase at http://documentary.com Get More National Geographic: Official Site: http://bit.ly/NatGeoOfficialSite Facebook: http://bit.ly/FBNatGeo Twitter: http://bit.ly/NatGeoTwitter Instagram: http://bit.ly/NatGeoInsta “

Humpback Rocks – Blue Ridge Parkway, Milepost 5.8

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The Blue Ridge Parkway spans a total of 469 miles, weaving though the scenic mountains of Virginia and North Carolina. Millions of visitors flock to the parkway, especially in the fall time, to experience the rich geology, wildlife, history and tradition of this special parkway. Spanning over two states, the blue ridge parkway is divided into four sections: Ridge, Plateau, Highlands, and Pisgah. The Ridge Region (northernmost region) is the region I’ve naturally explored the most by proximity.

A short 1.5 hour drive from Richmond, VA, Humpback Rocks is an easy day trip.

 

It begins in Afton, Virginia at the southern end of Skyline Drive where Shenandoah National Park ends. It runs through the beautiful George Washington and Jefferson National forests and is known for its beautiful rolling pastures and waterways. At milepost 5.8, is Humpback Rock, one of the most popular hikes in the ridge region. It is probably the best bang for your buck hike in the region, a short (but very steep 1.0 mile hike) will take you to the top of the rock formations for a breath taking view of the blue ridge. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has been focusing of late on physician wellness and health” during residency. As a way to combat, burnout and fatigue, they are encouraging residency programs across the country to embark on retreats to discuss difficult topics and to better connect with one another. April 27, 2019 – A short 1.5 hour drive and we were away from the hospital and into the mountains. It was a chilly spring day and the skies were clear. It still amazes me, how nature has the ability to recharge and kickstart that internal engine…..further emphasizing the importance of keeping these special areas preserved for future generations to enjoy.

Before the hike
The crew on top of a mountain

Spring on the Chesapeake Bay

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April is one of the best times of the year to get out on the water in Virginia. The weather is cool, the bugs are not out yet, and it doesn’t feel like a tropical rainforest. We used this opportunity to head east to where the mouth of the piankatank river opens to the mighty Chesapeake Bay. We brought out the ol prospector to hit the salty waters. This was our son’s first time at the beach also sitting in a canoe. He’s still a little too young to get out on the water but he was certainly excited to to get inside the canoe. The blue crabs don’t seem to be out and about yet, but we are getting the pots ready for May. It may also be possible to raise some oysters in these waters as well.This particularly area looks promising for all sorts of fishing. We spent the day, helping my father in law extend his deck, fishing and paddling. Although we didn’t catch anything, it was great to be outdoors, feel the breeze, warm in the sun and hunch over a small fire on the beach.

Chesapeake Bay

I was able to finally take my drone out for its first flight. My in-laws got me a Parrot Anafi drone for christmas, and 4 months later I was able to take it out of the box and take it for a test flight. I don’t know much about drones, but this thing is awesome. It shoots in 4k and would help take movie making to a whole new level. Hopefully I’ll be able to take it some canoe trips in the near future up north. I’m planning to take 2.5 months off at the end of my residency to spend more time with the family and go on some trips. With only 2 more months of training left to go, I find it hard to focus because of the prospect of finally finishing.

The trouble now is deciding where to go with an 18 month old. He’s too young for a backcountry canoe trip although I’ve heard of people tripping with toddlers. One potential is trekking out to Utah to visit the major 5 national parks. Another option is somewhere in western canada for a couple of weeks. Whatever we come up with, I’ll be excited to be away from the hospital. Let the countdown begin….

beach comber
loving this boat
His first beach fire with his uncle.

New beginnings on the Chesapeake Bay

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We explored the lands of my father’s cottage at the opening of the Chesapeake Bay. It has always been his dream to build a cottage and a retreat for all of his kids and grandkids to enjoy. Our quick survey of the land was promising; the area was teeming with wildlife. From herons, egrets and hawks to oysters and of course the Chesapeake blue crab. Back in the 1600s, the blue crab was a crucial source of food for Native Americans and European settlers in the Chesapeake Bay area. Today, this crustacean is an icon of the Chesapeake Bay region and their success in these waters have allowed numerous restaurants and businesses to thrive in the Virginia and Maryland. I don’t know much about trapping crabs, but it’s time to get out there and learn. Maybe even learn to raise some oysters along the way….

An early snow

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December 9, 2018 – We were hit with an early and unexpected snowstorm, accumulating over 13 inches in Richmond, Virginia. This is certainly an early start to the snow season for us and much heavier than in the past. After a review of the Richmond weather records dating back to 1897, the heaviest snow that occurred earlier than Dec 10 was 7.3 inches on Nov 6-7, 1953. The record for December snowstorm for Richmond was 17.2 inches on Dec 22-23, 1908. Stay safe out there.

The summer of rain (2018)

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I’ve lived in Richmond for 16 years now, and this past summer has certainly been the wettest one to date. The month of June saw a total of 13.32 inches of rain (normally an average of 3.94 inches). It seemed to have rained pretty all summer. We were lucky in Virginia to have avoided the heart of hurricane Florence that wrecked havoc in the carolinas. The hurricane did spawn several tornados that made their way through Richmond, causing significant damage and killing one person. There is no denying, that our climate is in flux. Each year, the temperatures are hotter, the storms stronger and the atmosphere more volatile. While mulling about climate change in the rainforest that is our backyard,  I stumbled across a surprise from last year’s planting. Fresh raspberries that somehow found enough sunlight to bloom…..

Here’s to a better autumn!

Save Solace – a petition to protect Temagami, Ontario

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SIGN THE PETITION

Please sign this petition to help the Friends of Temagami stop construction of the Turner Road into the Solace Wildlands, Temagami’s last remaining tract of roadless, virgin forest!   

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) has given Vermilion Forest Management (VFM) license to build a 25 kilometre-long, kilometre-wide primary logging road straight through the heart of the Solace Wildlands.

The Turner Road will destroy a wild, undisturbed forest, erasing campsites and portages in use for thousands of years.

Please help us hold VFM and the MNRF to account and help protect the last intact wilderness in Temagami. Let’s tell VFM and the MNRF that the value of an intact forest is worth far more than its timber.

– The Solace Wildlands contains the last roadless forest tract in all of Temagami and the headwaters for the lakes within Solace Provincial Park and the Sturgeon River Provincial Park

– The Wildlands have never been logged, and likely contain rare old-growth forest

– The Turner Road would destroy intact forest, erase campsites and portages, and eliminate well-used link routes between provincial parks in Temagami

– The road would cross several portages and campsites and include a bridge right above Talking Falls, a remote, well-established campsite that canoeists spend days travelling to reach

– VFM has not included these campsites and portages as Areas of Concern (AOC) on their maps. There has been no ground-truthing of the proposed route and no environmental impact study

– VFM chose the Turner Road route after their application to build a bridge over Sturgeon River Provincial Park to access the Wildlands was denied three times

– VFM currently has no allocated cut blocks in the region and are building the Turner Road ahead of the 2020-2030 Forest Management Plan

– Forestry access roads already exist south of the Wildlands yet VFM wishes to clear-cut undisturbed forest right next to existing protected areas

– The MNRF’s Land Use Policy for this Enhanced Management Area emphasizes “park-based values with emphasis on ecological integrity” over resource extraction, yet the Turner Road has been approved and is already under construction

– The Ontario government and the MNRF continue to ignore calls for greater protection in the Temagami area, despite a federal commitment to protect 17% of terrestrial areas and inland waters by 2020

– Our roadless, intact forests need protection. The Solace Wildlands connects three provincial parks and a conservation reserve and provides undisturbed habitat for wildlife

– Solace Wildlands-area lakes are designated natural trout lakes. Only 1% of Ontario’s freshwater lakes contain lake trout, which represents 25% of all trout lakes worldwide

– Protecting the Solace Wildlands would connect and unify existing provincial parks, creating larger wildlife and recreational corridors and preserving intact canoe routes that have been in use for thousands of years by the Teme-Augama Anishnaabe

The environmental damage caused by building a road through the Solace Wildlands will be irreversible. Of the 16,000 square kilometre Temagami area, only 15% is currently protected by provincial parks and conservation reserves. Every year, logging and development creeps closer and closer to protected areas. Every year, portages, campsites, old-growth forests and cultural history are lost to logging.

VFM has plenty of options for resource extraction without cutting through the Solace Wildlands. These options would not impact wilderness and recreational values. VFM maintains that their license to manage this forest means building a road straight through it and cutting it all down. Friends of Temagami disagrees.

The Friends of Temagami encourage and support greater protection for the Solace Wildlands as part of a larger strategy to create a more unified network of existing conservation reserves and provincial parks within the Temagami area.

#SAVESOLACE

Noatak “Return to the Arctic” – by The Muir Project

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This short film was recently featured on National Geographic in their short films showcase. A story of two canoeists in their 70s who are still out there kickin it. It’s too good not to share.

“35 years after their first visit to the Noatak River in Alaska’s wild and spectacular Brooks Range, two adventurers in their 70’s reflect on a lifetime of outdoor experiences and what still awaits them.

In this 14-minute short film, the filmmakers behind MILE… MILE & A HALF follow these friends along one of the longest rivers in the US unaltered by civilization. The film premiered at the 2016 Banff Mountain Film Festival and has screened with the Wild & Scenic Film Festival Tour and Dances With Films.”

A film by The Muir Project
Directed & Shot by Jason Fitzpatrick, Jen Serena & Ric Serena
Music by Paul Bessenbacher & Matt Bowen
Sound edit & mix by Durand Trench
Color correction by Bruce Goodman

Equipment provided by Canon, Kessler Crane & Osprey Packs.

Filmed in Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska.

sidetracked.com/return-to-the-arctic/