I wanted to share this cool video released by Northmen Guild (formerly known as John Neeman Tools). They are a guild of northern European master craftsmen who use traditional craftsmanship handed down through many generations to create tools, vessels and goods.
“This is a documentary movie uncovering the difficult and time consuming process of making traditional expanded dugout canoe using mostly traditional hand tools and techniques.
The master woodworker in this movie is Richard (Rihards Vidzickis) – an experienced green wood worker, wood sculptor and dugout canoe maker. Richard’s passion to green wood and solid wood creations has grown together with him since his childhood days. Richard’s father is also a wood worker and carpenter and has led his son into the beautiful world of working with wood. Richard has gone through all the traditional steps of becoming a master woodworker – starting from an apprentice, then journeyman and then receiving his Master degree in Latvian chamber of crafts. Richard’s passion to wood is not only sculpturing and carving it but also knowing the wood in a scientific level. So Richard has studied in Technical university as a student and reached his degree of Doctor in engineering materials science, so he has combined the craft, nature and science in his life and work. While working in furniture making during the studies, with making different kinds of difficult wood carving for Jugend, Barrocal, Renesance design style furniture, Richard has discovered that he tends to get back to more rustic, robust and natural forms of wood, so he created a park of massive wooden sculptures, wood crafts museum and live workshop where Richard lives and creates wooden bowls, plates, boats and accepts visitors to share his work and lifestyle.”
During the lingering cold months, I dream of sunsets like this one to get me through cabin fever. Paddling season is right around the corner. (Photo taken in La Verendrye Wilderness Area in Quebec, Canada 2016.)
If you have 26 minutes, check out this beautiful film by talented documentary film maker Goh Iromoto.
“If it is love that binds people to places in this nation of rivers and in this river of nations then one enduring expression of that simple truth, is surely the canoe.”
This film captures the human connection and bond created by Canada’s well-known craft & symbol, the canoe. Through the stories of five paddlers across the province of Ontario, Canada – a majestic background both in it’s landscape & history – the film underscores the strength of the human spirit and how the canoe can be a vessel for creating deep and meaningful connections.
Filmmaker’s Note:
I started paddling around the age of 7, and thanks to the canoe, I’ve made some lifelong friends and connections, not to mention memories and stories, that I’ll never forget.
I wanted to show how several other paddlers similar to me have created strong intimate connections alongside the canoe. It really gave me great joy to see how rich the mosaic of stories I encountered were. Whether they were young or old, or from various cultural backgrounds, individuals were taking the traditional Canadian vessel and seeking new meaning with it. For me, the diverse paddlers I met represented a Canada that has grown and evolved since its birth 150 years ago – and something that I was able to stand proud of today.
I’ve continued to paddle my whole life and plan to do so for a very long time. Seeing and hearing these stories made me appreciate and realize how important the canoe is to my life. To all the paddlers out there (and to those who want to start!), this film is for you. Keep on paddling.
The canoe plays a pivotal role in the history of Canada. It was the vessel that allowed the voyageurs to utilize the rivers as highway systems for trade and expansion. It was the canoe that built Canada into the country it is today. In the modern era, it serves as more than just a recreational vessel, but a symbol of Canada, and our heritage. I wanted to share this trailer of an upcoming film, scheduled to be released on 2/6/2017 called “The Canoe” by Goh Iromoto, which investigates the relationship of the canoe with the Canadian people.
“This film captures the human connection and bond created by Canada’s well-known craft & symbol, the canoe. Through the stories of five paddlers across the province of Ontario, Canada – a majestic background both in it’s landscape & history – the film underscores the strength of the human spirit and how the canoe can be a vessel for creating deep and meaningful connections.”
“Guided profiles the gentle spirit of Maine wilderness guide Ray Reitze, in his element amidst the whispering pines, singing crickets and croaking frogs of the North Maine Woods. Ray shares his philosophy of how to live in harmony with the outdoors to the next generation of guides, grappling with his own mortality as he transitions from the physical world of guiding to a more spiritual understanding of nature and our ephemeral place in it.”
A cool video I came across, with some beautiful shots of the wilderness and canoe culture in Maine. Definitely looks like a place I’d like to paddle one day.
We spent Christmas in a cabin along the Shenandoah River, just west of Shenandoah National Park. The weather was warm enough to paddle, so we paired up siblings and went head to head in canoe races up and down the river. It was rare for all of us to have a holiday break together so we naturally had to make the most of this occasion. I had never been to the town of Shenandoah (population 2354 in 2013) before this outing. And as we drove through this sleepy town, it was hard for me to imagine that this place served a key role during the civil war. There were three iron ore furnaces around this town which smelted raw iron into pig iron. Apparently in the days before the war, this pig iron was shipped down the Shenandoah River to Harpers Ferry in West Virginia. During war time, these goods were transported by wagon to Gordonsville, VA and then subsequently by rail to Richmond where it could have been used at the Tredegar Iron Works. Both of these Virginia mountain towns now are peaceful and quiet as can be. I was especially impressed by Gordonsville’s display of Christmas Lights. It was certainly a welcoming sight while driving through the winding, dark and foggy roads of the mountains.
Trains at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
Christmas lights at Lewis Ginter
Christmas cookies
I just realized that I have not been able to produce any new videos of canoe trips this year. I have several projects in the works right now but they have yet to be polished. I’ve been very happy overall with the performance of the Sony a6000 both as a still and video camera. Lately I’ve been experimenting with different lenses and shutter speeds in videography and have been able to catch some pretty decent footage. For our trip in Quebec, I also brought along an external audio recording device to see how the audio quality would compare to the native mic. Here is a demo reel of random shots I was able to capture in 2016.
2016 Demo Reel: by John Le
As the holidays come to a close and a new year around the corner, I look back at how much time I was able to spend with family and friends and the total number of nights I camped outdoors. While it was a good year for paddling and hiking, the total number of nights I spent outdoors, totaled just five. Four of those nights were in the La Verendrye Wilderness Reserve of Quebec, Canada and the other night was spent camping in St. Mary’s Wilderness. I’ve made up my mind….in 2017, I’m going for double digits. Happy New Years to all!
Gordonsville, Virginia – all decked out for Christmas. In the middle of the Virginia mountains.
St Mary’s Road is very well maintained, with a parking area before the trail head.
Virginia offers a truly diverse landscape to camp. From the sandy beaches of the eastern shore and Chesapeake bay to the blue ridge mountains and highlands to the west. Without a doubt, one of favorite places to camp, is next to a gently flowing stream in the mountains. I was recently on my one week vacation and I knew that at least one of these days would be reserved for some camping. My friend Min and I originally planned on camping at Ramsey’s Draft in the George Washington National Forest however we were unable to find any suitable campsites near the entrance. Ramsey’s Draft is a beautiful wilderness area I have explored previously, where giant hemlock trees once towered by a wild trout stream. The only problem was the hike to Hiner Spring and the campsites was several miles. We planned this trip as a relaxed camping trip, with minimal hiking and mostly focused on just cooking and fishing. So, we cut our losses and booked it for St. Mary’s Wilderness, a place where I knew there would be excellent camp sites along a river bed. We left the canoe at home this time and trekked in the old fashioned way – on foot. The first day was perfect, warm, sunny and dry. It took us only about a half hour to hike in to the first campsite. It was a perfect site situated at the river’s bend and allowed us easy access to clean mountain waters.
This grill, used on canoe trips served as a handy tool to cook steak.
One of the most exciting parts of camping in my opinion is setting up basecamp. There are numerous factors that go in to creating a comfy home in the woods, albeit just a temporary one. The heart of the campsite, the fire pit is the most important part. Building a structurally sound pit that allows for cooking and efficient heat dispersion is a skill that I still build upon. Always remember to take in account, the wind direction, the location of your tent in respect to the fire pit as well as position of your seats around the fire so you are not downwind of the smoke. Finding a suitable location of your tent is also important. Flat ground can be difficult to find in the forest. It is never a pleasant way to sleep when you are sliding down an incline in your tent. Sometimes, you’ll also have to clear a suitable grid, void of sharp rocks, sticks that may damage your tent. Also keep it out of the way of any standing, dead trees that could potential topple in a heavy storm. The pathway to water is one that has to be safely mapped so it can be accessed at all hours. Access to firewood is also important and Min loves collecting and processing firewood, it is something he takes great pride in. A folding saw, and axe are two crucial camp tools that allow a members to live comfortably. It gives you the ability to topple dead standing trees, and also quickly prepare a stack of firewood to last days.
wild flowers
ferrule rod
rocks
workhorse of a tent
After developing a strong base of embers from the fire, we stabilized the portable grill into the fire pit and cooked up some delicious steaks. It cooked perfectly, and we served it with some baked potatoes. As the darkness set it, we threw more wood on the fire and spent the night chilling and catching up about our jobs, families and friends. In the middle of fall, I was surprised to say it felt comfortable in St. Mary’s Wilderness. We were in short sleeve shirts in the middle of the night. Camping in the valley provided us with protection from the wind and we were sitting in low 60s F weather.
Campfire
Trangia alcohol stove
Streams
We slept well that night, however awoke to rain starting at 6:00am. It continued as an autumn shower without any signs of stopping. We packed up our gear and decided to head home. It had been a long time since i had been caught out in the rain, camping in Virginia and although it can be a pain, there is certainly a beauty to it. All around us, we could hear the drops, beating on trees and plants, as leaves drifted in the forest all around. The river beds were fast to fill, especially since we were in the valley. The water was teeming with wildlife, brook trout, frogs, and countless crawfish made their appearance. The rain seemed to awaken the forest. Just goes to show you that if you only camp when the weather is nice, you’re missing half of what’s out there.
I haven’t been to New York City since 2009. I finally came back to the big apple in the summer of 2016 for a wedding and to visit Brian. This city is dope.
It was a particularly hot summer weekend in Charlottesville, with highs greater than 100 degrees F. We were on a getaway from Richmond and despite the heat, we somehow wanted to squeeze in a quick hike in Shenandoah National Park. During this time of year, the popular watering holes like White Oak Canyon, are packed, so we decided it was time to find a new trail.
Shenandoah shrooms
In the heat and humidity, we had to be conservative with what we hoped to accomplish. Naturally, we chose the easiest hike in the park: Blackrock Summit, a quick 1 mile loop around the mountain and back. This was more of a walk than a hike. The elevation was minimal and the trail very well maintained. Despite the ease of the hike, the vistas were awesome. Climbing upon the rock bed at the top allowed a full 360 degree view of the park and surroundings. The formation of the rocks at the top were certainly unusual and even appeared out of place. With the help of some trail signs, we were able to learn that this was once the floor of the ancient Iapetus Ocean that predates the Appalachian Mountains. Over time, geological forces transformed the seabed into solid quartzite rocks. Overtime, this region too will become overgrown with vegetation and will look like the surrounding mountains.
We reached the top in the early morning and descended the mountain just as the sun reached it’s peak. We sought refuge in the canopy of the forest where it was at least 10 degrees cooler. We searched for mushrooms and marveled at the lush forest in the peak summer time. It had been too long since my last visit to Shenandoah National Park, this outing reminded that she always has something special to offer in every season.
It was a particularly hot summer weekend in Charlottesville, with highs greater than 100 degrees F. We were on a getaway from Richmond and despite the heat, we somehow wanted to squeeze in a quick hike in Shenandoah National Park. During this time of year, the popular watering holes like 
WAY NORTH 