REVIEWS of COMPANIES and PRODUCTS
Companies and Products ENDORSED
New Companies and Products to AVOID
GIFT SUGGESTIONS
for the wilderness enthusiast
Classic Solo Canoeing video by Becky Mason
Biographical book R.M. Patterson, A Life of Great Adventure by David Finch
Paintings and books by Clarence Tillenius, wildlife and nature artist extraordinaire.
Paintings, books or canoeing videos by authors and artists Becky Mason, Reid McLachlan & Bill Mason, Paul Mason
Black Spruce Journals book by Stewart Coffin
True North book by Elliott Merrick
A Death On The Barrens book by George Grinnell
Sleeping Island book by P.G. Downes
Animal Tracks of Manitoba book by Ian Sheldon & Tamara Eder
Manitoba Birds book by Andy Bezener & Ken De Smet
Mushrooms of Western Canada book by Helene M.E. Schalkwijk-Barendsen
Plants of the Western Boreal Forest & Aspen Parkland book by Derek Johnson, Linda Kershaw, Andy MacKinnon & Jim Pojar
Reptiles and Amphibians of Canada book by Chris Fisher, Amanda Joynt, & Dr. Ronald J. Brooks
Plants of Alberta book by France Royer & Richard Dickinson
Manitoba, Naturally book by Bill Stillwell
Compact Guide to Manitoba and Saskatchewan Birds book by Alan Smith, Ken De Smet, Krista Kagume & Carmen Adams
Canoes, kayaks paddles and camping gear galore at Wave Track
TOP OF PAGE
Black Spruce Journals
Tales of canoe-tripping in the Maine Woods, the boreal spruce forests of northern Canada, and the Barren Grounds.
by Stewart Coffin
Book Review
When the trail peters out in tangles of Labrador
tea, follow a compass bearing onward through unbroken wilderness to an
unnamed lake. You can imagine you are exploring new country in this
land of the beaver and moose. Yet you know in your heart that sometime
in the dim and distant past, your lost lake has seen paddles dipped
into its waters, snowshoe tracks made upon its frozen surface, or
moccasin footprints pressed softly into caribou moss along its shores.
As these ancient trails gradually disappear, a bit of history vanishes
along with them. Herein lies the story of a least a few of them, as
traveled and photographed by the author.
The book includes photos, historical and personal
anecdotes from wilderness canoe trips on the following rivers: The
Rapid, Dead, Kennebec, Kazan, George, Wacouno, Naskaupi, Moisie,
Kipawa, Dumoine, Bow, Ste. Marguerite, Wakwayowkastic, Ugjoktok,
Magpie, Ashuanipi and features other canoeing areas in the backwoods of
Maine and wilds of Labrador.
"Black Spruce Journals is an
account of one man's explorations of wild places. Starting at an early
age, Coffin's love of adventure inevitably drew him from his New
England beginnings farther and farther into the boreal forests of
northern Canada and beyond. His retrospective of forty years of
wilderness journeys, which includes many remarkable photographs,
reveals the writer's deep attachment to the land." -Herb Pohl
"Black Spruce Journals" is available at Heron Dance Press.
Laminated softcover, 6.75" x 9.75" x 0.38"
196 pages, many black and white photos and maps
ISBN: 978-1-933937-40-3
Publication Date: 2007
Price: $19.95 US
Publisher: Heron Dance Press
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True North
by Elliott Merrick
with an introduction by Lawrence Millman
Book Review
In 1929, at the age of 24, Elliott Merrick left
his position as an advertising executive in New Jersey and headed up to
Labrador to work as an unpaid volunteer for the Grenfell Mission.
In 1933 he wrote True North about his experiences
in the northern wilderness, living and working with trappers, Indians
and with the nurse he met and married in a remote community.
The book describes the hard work and severe conditions, along with the joy and friendship he and his wife experienced.
"Merrick's account of life in a harsh and
unforgiving land is a tribute to the hardiness and generosity of the
people whose life he shared. His vividly evocative prose stimulates the
imagination such that the reader becomes a participant in the
exhausting struggles and profound joys of the trail. An absolute
masterpiece."
- Herb Pohl, retired McMaster University biology
department instructional assistant and lab supervisor and a solo
canoeist who paddled extensively in the Canadian North.
"True North" is available at Heron Dance Press.
Laminated softcover, 5.5" x 8" x 0.75"
305 pages, map of the voyage through Labrador
ISBN: 0-9755649-9-4
Publication Date: 1933, republished 2005
Price: $19.95 US, $24.00 CDN
Publisher: Heron Dance Press
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A Death On The Barrens
by George Grinnell
Book Review
by Don Kurt
Once this book is started, you will not want to put it down, especially if you are a canoeist.
George Grinnell published "A Death on
the Barrens" in 1995, 40 years after his ill-fated 1955 canoe trip down
the Dubawnt and Thelon Rivers in Northern Canada with 4 other men in
their twenties, and 36-year-old leader Art Moffat. With spell-bounding
clarity and insight Grinnell recollects the emotions, energy and
timelessness defining the group interaction and events that occurred
such as the canoe upsets in the rapids, death and near death from
hypothermia, societal isolation, interpersonal conflicts, hoarding and
sharing, loving and caring.
I first heard Grinnell introduce the
story and book "A Death on the Barrens" at the Wilderness Canoeing
Symposium in Toronto in 1995. Since then, while preparing for many of
my own wilderness canoeing trips, I would recall George's various
anecdotes about the trip in which Moffat dies of hypothermia following
an unexpected lengthy immersion in a large set of rapids nearing the
end of their journey. The group was not prepared for the cold and had
used up most of their food. What I recalled most from the presentation
was how Grinnell had emphasized the limited food rations for the trip
and how important the rationing of the sugar was to the men.
It seemed a shame that someone would
die due to lack of time and provisions in the North; I would have
expected a Northern expedition to be better prepared. Since then I have
learned that there are many factors that can affect the integrity of a
wilderness canoe trip, even if provisions are adequate. I should have
purchased "A Death In The Barrens" at that Symposium, as well as a
number of other books that were released at the event, but it was not
within my budget. I was President of the Manitoba Recreational Canoeing
Association and was attending the Symposium to hear my friend Victoria
Jason introduce her book "Kabloona in the Yellow Kayak". There were so
many excellent presentations that year, and it was an honour to have
been able to meet all those amazing paddlers, telling stories of their
wilderness adventures; they have all inspired me greatly.
As the story progresses, Grinnell's
spiritual interpretations transform from traditional western beliefs to
those of eastern and also aboriginal beliefs. His involvement in the
events are grounded in his understanding and explanations of his
upbringing, family history, education and work experiences up to the
canoe trip. Grinnell effectively connects the reader to the beauty of
the Barrens, to timelessness in paddling, and freedom from identity
that can be encountered during isolated wilderness travel.
Even though the reader is prepared for
the eventuality of Moffatt's death, the event occurs at an unexpected
time and place, as is typical of mishaps, and with unexpected
consequences. The loss of Moffat has a profound effect on the character
and interaction of each man in the surviving party. They are humbled in
realizing their existence is no more important than the Inuit family
that shares their meager food supply with them in the face of
starvation. The characters are built very well by Grinnell up to the
point in time when Moffat dies, so that the ensuing changes in
character of the surviving party is fully understandable in light of
their need to survive and reach civilization. Their determination to
survive and persistence in reaching their goal, the Hudson Bay Post on
Baker Lake, is admirable despite not having any food or provisions for
the ensuing freeze up.
Grinnell's story does not end with the
canoe trip; he shares with the reader how his life unfolds following
the trip and how he is affected by the experiences of the trip.
Photos of the group are provided at
the start of the book and it is illustrated throughout with maps
showing the progression of the trip. The latest version of the book is
illustrated with wonderful watercolors by Rod MacIver.
"A Death On The Barrens" is available at Heron Dance Press.
Laminated softcover, 6.25" x 9" x 0.45"
188 pages, photos, watercolors
ISBN: 1-933937-17-3
Publication Date: 1996, republished 2006
Price: $19.95 US, $23.95 CDN
Publisher: Heron Dance Press
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Sleeping Island
A Journey to the Edge of the Barrens
by P.G. Downes
Book Review
In an age when bush planes and outboard motors
were opening up previously inaccessible regions of the Canadian North,
Prentice G. Downes, a graduate of Harvard who worked as a school
teacher just outside Boston, chose to travel alone by canoe to explore
the Great Barren Lands. Sleeping Island is the sensitively written and
moving account of one of his trips, a journey made in 1939 to remote,
and at that time unmapped, Nueltin Lake.
In Sleeping Island, Downes records a North that
was soon to be no more, a landscape and a people barely touched by
white men. Downes describes the excitement of wilderness canoe travel,
the delights of discovering the land, and his deep feeling for people
met along the way. His respect for the Indians and the Inuit and their
ways of life, and his love of their land, shine through this richly
descriptive work.
The illustrations and maps are from authentic
sketches; the photos of the Indians and Inuit, of Downes portaging and
of his canoe connect the reader with the era of the story.
With the kind permission of the Downes family Heron Dance has republished this classic.
"Sleeping Island" is available at Heron Dance Press.
Laminated softcover, 5.5" x 8.5" x 0.8"
324 pages, photos, drawings
ISBN: 0-9755649-4-3
Publication Date: 1943, republished 2004
Price: $19.00 US, $24.00 CDN
Publisher: Heron Dance Press
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Animal Tracks of Manitoba
by Ian Sheldon & Tamara Eder
Book Review
by Don Kurt
"Animal Tracks of Manitoba" is a compact field guide useful for identifying tracks of animals common to Manitoba.
Each species is identifed with concise
line drawings of the animal and it's tracks as well as it's front and
rear prints, stride patterns and other important aspects. Each animal
is drawn very well in black and white illustrations including pattern
and print comparisons. The descriptions of each animal are informative
and interesting.
The key at the front of the book helps
the reader quickly identify where to find more detail about each
animal. The rear of the book has very useful indexes.
"Animal Tracks of Manitoba" is
available from many sources, at numerous bookstores, on the web and
directly from Lone Pine Publishing at www.lonepinepublishing.com/ordering.
For more information, go to Lone Pine Publishing web page about this book.
Laminated softcover, glossy, 4.25" x 5.75" x 0.69"
176 pages, 198 Illustrations
ISBN-13: 978-1-55105-316-5
ISBN-10: 1-55105-316-0
Publication Date: 23 February 2001
Price $9.95 CDN, $9.95 US
Publisher: Lone Pine Publishing
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Manitoba Birds
by Andy Bezener & Ken De Smet
Book Review
by Don Kurt
"Manitoba Birds" is a compact guide to the birds of Manitoba.
The back cover has a colour-keyed
quick guide to various bird groups with page numbers to 145 species of
the most common birds found in Manitoba. At the front of the book there
is a 5 page detailed color-coded key as well. This book is not meant to
be a comprehensive book on birds but proves to be a handy quick
reference book.
Each species description includes the
bird's key features as well as the bird's voice (song), size, abundance
status, habitat, nesting locations, feeding habits, similar species and
best sites for viewing. The book is beautifully illustrated with
paintings of the birds, beginning with the cover. A map of Manitoba
accompanies each species, highlighted to show the bird's range.
The end of the book includes a checklist for 405 species of birds identified in Manitoba, grouped by Genera, plus an index of common names and an index of scientific names.
"Manitoba Birds" is available from many sources, at numerous bookstores, on the web and directly from Lone Pine Publishing at www.lonepinepublishing.com/ordering.
For more information, go to Lone Pine Publishing web page about this book.
Laminated softcover, glossy, 5.5" x 8.5" x 0.38"
176 pages, 146 maps, 150 + illustrations
ISBN-13: 978-1-55105-255-7
ISBN-10: 1-55105-255-5
Publication Date: 29 September 2000, Printed 2004
Price $17.95 CDN, $17.95 US
Publisher: Lone Pine Publishing
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Mushrooms of Western Canada
by Helene M. E. Schalkwijk-Barendsen
Book Review
by Don Kurt
Helene M. E. Schalkwijk-Barendsen's "Mushrooms of
Western Canada" contains such wonderful color illustrations of wild
mushrooms that I was inspired to create my own line drawings of wild
mushrooms that I have found on numerous wilderness canoeing trips in
places such as the Yukon, Ontario and Manitoba. Sketching and drawing
the convoluted, irregular, myriad shapes of mushrooms is a wonderful
past-time. However, I can only hope to reach the breadth of experience
and skill that Schalkwijk-Barendsen has attained, as illustrated in
this book.
"Mushroom's of Western Canada"
contains multiple paintings of over 550 species of mushrooms that
Schalkwijk-Barendsen has found in Western Canada. Many of these species
occur world-wide, expanding the useable range of this book. The
mushroom paintings make the book an excellent reference for any
library. However it is invaluable as one of at least two references any
mycophaginist should carry with them when hunting mushrooms in the
wilderness.
The book introduces the reader to
mushroom identification methods, how to obtain spore prints and dry
mushrooms, as well as classification. The reader is introduced to how
mushrooms coexist with their environment, as well as taxonomy or
scientific classification and the focus of the book, Subdivisions of
Basidiomycotina and Ascomycotina comprising the fleshy mushrooms we are
most familiar with.
The book introduces each species of
mushroom, grouped by the Subdivision, Order, Class and Family then by
species. Each Family is introduced with notes related to the common
identifying characteristics of that family of fungi. Each species that
is illustrated in the first half of the book is identified by it's
common name and then by it's scientific name (Genera species)
and is accompanied by a short description of the mushroom. The
mushroom's edibility is generally unedible unless noted as being
poisonous, unedible, or edible. Edible and poisonous mushroom
look-a-likes are noted. Each species has a page reference to excellent
detailed Class, Family and species descriptions in the latter half of
the book, which have cross-references back to the illustration pages.
The end of the book includes: an
illustrated glossary of shapes of gilled caps, fruiting bodies,
universal veil and volva, caps, cap edges, stalks, and gill
attachments; a glossary of terms (including Latin names); References;
Index of Common Names; Index of Species and Index of Genera.
"Mushrooms of Western Canada" is
available from many sources, at numerous bookstores, on the web and
directly from Lone Pine Publishing at www.lonepinepublishing.com/ordering.
For more information, go to Lone Pine Publishing web page about this book.
Laminated softcover, glossy, 5.5" x 8.5" x 0.75"
416 pages, 550 species from Manitoba to the Pacific, north to the Yukon and Pacific, south to California
ISBN: 0-919433-47-2
Publication Date: 1991
Price $26.95 CDN, $26.95 US
Publisher: Lone Pine Publishing
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Plants of the Western Boreal Forest
& Aspen Parkland
by Derek Johnson, Linda Kershaw,
Andy MacKinnon, Jim Pojar
Book Review
by Don Kurt
Plants of the Western Boreal Forest & Aspen
Parkland covers Western Ontraio to British Columbia, Yukon, North West
Territories and Alaska. It includes more than 800 excellent colour
photographs and 900 line drawings.
The book is divided into color-keyed
sections: Trees, Shrubs, Wildflowers, Eating For A Living (carnivorous
plants), Aquatics, Graminoids (Sedges, Rushes, Grasses), Ferns and
Allies (Horsetails and Club-mosses), Mosses and Liverworts, and Lichens.
There is an introduction to each section with an appropriate plant key and description of the species identified in the section.
Each plant is identified by its most prevalent common name, followed by the scientific species name (Genera species)
and then by alternate common names (if Clear species descriptions help
identify plants. When appropriate, there are intriguing notes about
edible plants, native uses of plants and origins of plant names
provided with each plant description. Photos and line drawings depict
overall plant appearance, as well as close-ups of flower heads or seed
pods.
For most readers, the quickest way to
identify an unfamiliar plant is to browse through the illustrations to
find species the plant most closely resembles. The largest section of
the book is the Wildflower section and it provides a very useful color
photo key.
The book often describes differences
in the plant through different regions, ages of the plant, time of
year, weather soil types, disturbances and other factors such as local
variant differences.
I have used this book extensively over
the last 13 years on wilderness canoeing and backpacking trips in the
Canadian Rockies, the Yukon, Manitoba, and Ontario. This reference
book's knowledge-to-weight ratio is very high (it is well worth
carrying).
"Plants of the Western Boreal Forest & Aspen
Parkland" is available from many sources, at numerous bookstores, on
the web and directly from Lone Pine Publishing at www.lonepinepublishing.com/ordering.
For more information, go to Lone Pine Publishing web page about this book.
Laminated softcover, glossy, 5.5" x 8.5" x 0.7"
392 pages, 800 colour photographs, 900 line drawings
ISBN-10: 1-55105-058-7
ISBN-13: 978-1-55105-058-4
Publication Date: 1995
Price $23.95 US, $29.95 CDN
Publisher: Lone Pine Publishing
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Reptiles and Amphibians of Canada
by Chris Fisher, Amanda Joynt,
& Dr. Ronald J. Brooks
Book Review
by Don Kurt
The threatening ground view stare of a Prairie
Rattlesnake coiled to strike draws one's eye to the book and one's hand
to pick it up and explore it's contents. This book provides information
on 84 species of reptiles and amphibians found in Canada today plus
another 9 species that are either introduced, migratory or can no
longer live in Canada. This book is meant to be comprehensive and is
educational for those who are novice and experienced with respect to
reptiles and amphibians.
The Introduction's "It Ain't Easy Being Green"
section provides excellent information regarding the endangered status
of one third of the species in the book, including two thirds of
Canada's reptiles. You will also find excellent guidance and
information for handling, interacting, and respecting the wildness of
these delicate creatures. The introduction also addresses issues such
as global, social-economic, psychological relationships that we have
with our green friends.
The illustrations are informative and attractive, including hand drawn images and photographs.
The book is laid out so that each species
description has sections to address identification, overall length,
distribution, selected sites, preferred habitat, activity patterns,
reproduction, food, call, similar species and the french name. As with
other field guides published by Lone Pine, each species also features
"Did You Know" trivia to test your eco-partners with.
The book is color keyed for turtles, lizards,
snakes, other reptiles, salamanders, and frogs & toads with a key
at the front of the book.
"The Reptiles and Amphibians of Canada" is
available from many sources, at numerous bookstores, on the web and
directly from Lone Pine Publishing at www.lonepinepublishing.com/ordering.
For more information, go to Lone Pine Publishing web page about this book.
Laminated softcover, glossy, 5.5" x 8.5" x 0.5"
208 pages, 93 species of reptiles and amphibians
ISBN-10: 1-55105-279-2
ISBN-13: 978-1-551-5-279-3
Publication Date: 15 May 2007
Price $18.95 CDN
Publisher: Lone Pine Publishing
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Plants of Alberta
by France Royer & Richard Dickinson
Book Review
by Don Kurt
The Western Wood Lily flower blooming
on the book's cover invites the passerby to open the book to examine
it's other enticing images. This book is comprehensive as it provides
information on over 1000 species of plants native to Alberta including
trees, shrubs and vines, wildflowers, ferns, aquatic plants and
grasses. If one book is to be carried as a plant reference in Alberta
without overloading the pack, this is it. Many of the species
identified in the book are also common in neighbouring provinces.
There are over 700 primary species of plants
identified in the book; each species has a very good colour photo,
range map, alternate names, habitat, identification, leaves, fower
clusters, flowers, fruit and at least one interesting note about the
plant or family, such as whether the plant is edible or poisonous or if
there are aboriginal or common uses for the plant. Each plant family is
introduced relative to worldwide information, member types, typical
identification and differentiation, and a "QuickId" description.
Each section starts with a pictorial thumbprint
key relating each species' scientific name to the page number the
description is provided on, along with colour keys related to colours
of the flowers, shapes of the leaves, stems or spores.
Glossary, references and index are provided at
the back of the book. The authors, France Royer and Richard Dickinson,
have been working together operating a botanical and photographic
service company and have authored previous publications about
wildflowers and weeds.
"Plants of Alberta" is available from many
sources, at numerous bookstores and on the web and directly from Lone
Pine Publishing at www.lonepinepublishing.com/ordering.
For more information, go to Lone Pine Publishing web page about this book.
Laminated softcover, glossy, 5.5" x 8.5" x 1"
528 pages, over 1000 species of plants
ISBN-10: 1-55105-283-0
ISBN-13: 978-1-55105-283-0
Publication Date: 02 April 2007
Price $29.95 CDN
Publisher: Lone Pine Publishing
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Manitoba, Naturally
Scenic Secrets of Manitoba
by Bill Stillwell
Book Review
by Don Kurt
This is a nice reference book,
published in 2006, for birders and nature lovers of all species because
it is compact, inexpensive ($14.99 cdn) and provides information on 60
less commonly publicized sites to view nature and wildlife in Manitoba.
The book is not comprehensive in all such sites as it does not address
sites more commonly promoted in Manitoba public relations documents.
The various photos by numerous photographers
often provide the common name of the species in the photo is shown.
Each site description provides a short list of species the author noted
during his visit(s) there. The driving directions and illustrations
provide general directions to the locations and sometimes the reader is
advised to check with locals as to the more accurate location of the
destination. Each location includes a small graphical key indicating
the best time to visit the site.
There are a couple locations for which the
directions provided in the written description do not match the
information in the map or for which the directions are unclear. With
today's general availability of inexpensive and more simple-to-use
Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation systems, the site location
information would have done well to include each site's latitude and
longitude. Also, although rivers, lakes and streams are mentioned,
there is little advice on how to access them, or if there are any
limitations or safety aspects with respect to different modes of travel
in the area, whether it is paddling, skiing, or biking; the book
appears to be oriented to the drive/walk/hike naturalist in this
regard, although those determined enough usually find their will to
push their way through a bog to find a rare glimpse of Manitoba's
scenic nature.
The descriptive information is general in nature
and some history and protected status classification of the area is
provided along with some personal anecdotes, such as the author's
involvement in helping to protect an ecologically important area. The
text and writing is upbeat and encourages the reader to explore some of
the sites identified in the book.
If you are looking for new areas to explore in Manitoba, this is a useful reference to add to your library.
"Manitoba, Naturally" is available from numerous bookstores.
Laminated softcover, glossy, 5.5" x 8.5" x 0.25"
96 pages
ISBN 0-9781001-0-7 (softcover)
Price $14.99 CDN
Publisher: William Street Publishing
P.O. Box 1427, Neepawa, MB, R0J 1H0
204.476.5210
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Compact Guide to
Saskatchewan and Manitoba Birds
by Alan Smith, Ken De Smet,
Krista Kagume & Carmen Adams
Book Review
This is a good introductory birding
book for novice birders because it is compact and inexpensive ($12.95
cdn) and provides information on 80 common bird species a person would
find on short outings in urban and rural Manitoba and Saskatchewan. By
no means is it meant to be, nor is it, comprehensive.
The bird illustrations are informative and
attractive whereas the eggs shown are actual photos. Some readers may
find the illustrations of similar birds helpful.
The descriptive information is of a general
nature, pertaining to area of distribution, breeding, calls, habitat,
etc. Each species has short notes providing "Did You Know" and "Look
For" bird trivia which may be of interest to experienced as well as new
birders.
A general key is provided at the back of the book
and the various species are grouped with an array of color codes to
facilitate finding the species in the book.
"The Compact Guide to Saskatchewan and Manitoba
Birds" is available from many sources, at numerous bookstores and on
the web and directly from Lone Pine Publishing at www.lonepinepublishing.com/ordering.
For more information, go to Lone Pine Publishing web page about this book.
Laminated softcover, glossy, 4.25" x 7.5" x 0.5"
192 pages, 83 species of birds
ISBN 1-55105-503-1
Price $12.95 CDN
Publisher: Lone Pine Publishing
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Classic Solo Canoeing
by Becky Mason
Video Review
by Don Kurt
Classic Solo Canoeing is not
just another shoreline how-to-canoe production; Becky's talent shows
through in the filmmaking, artistic and paddling skills she learned
from her father in the production of his award winning canoeing films Path of the Paddle, Song of the Paddle, her father's autobiographical film Waterwalker and his many other films.
This video is an essential sequel to the Path and
Song videos in the refinement of solo canoeing, which Mason is so
eloquent at teaching. The video introduces solo canoeing strokes so
paddlers can feel comfortable with "jumping" into a canoe for a
leisurely paddle.
The focus is solo canoeing, but most of the
paddling strokes are also pertinent to tandem canoeing with the sage
advice that there are many ways to learn to paddle. Mason also gives
advice on other aspects of canoeing such as lifting a canoe, portaging,
care of equipment and safety. Between paddling lessons she also shares
her views and concerns, learned from her parents, for the environment
and nature.
Classic Solo Canoeing includes some
beautiful scenery, shot in the Gatineau Hills area north of Ottawa in
Quebec, with perspectives from the canoe, from the water and from
elevated or secluded locations. Ian Tamblyn's music anoints the video
beautifully as scenes are transitioned through various shimmering
elements of our natural world.
Mason's finesse with the paddle, which I remember
from several courses I took from her a decade ago, inspired my desire
to improve my paddling skills. She teaches in a down-to-earth manner
that does not intimidate the novice. She shows that it is the pleasure of paddling
that really counts. The finesse comes from attempting to do this
pleasurable activity with less effort and more grace each time you go
for a paddle.
In closing, Mason says, in a wistful tone reminiscent of her father in Waterwalker,
"... and take your time learning ... because I think adding to your
paddling knowledge never ends ..." while she spins eloquent pirouettes
in the mist of Tamblyn's meditative strumming.
It was mesmerizing, like I was out on the water
spinning my own little red cedar canvas canoe, letting the day's stress
float away ... even though it's minus 30 something and the water is
hard like steel! Perhaps I don't have to travel south this winter to
destress myself paddling on "soft" water ... I'll just put on Becky
Mason's new canoeing video ... again and again!
VHS NTSC Format
38:48 minutes
ISBN 0-9688146-0-3
Price $39.95 CDN, $29.95 US plus applicable taxes, shipping and handling
Distributor:kineticvideo.com
511 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1Y4
redcanoe@istar.ca email Becky Mason
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Tillenius
by Clarence Tillenius
Book Review
by Don Kurt
The autobiographical work Tillenius
by famous wildlife and nature artist Clarence Tillenius gives an
intimate view of the octogenarian and his amazing accomplishments
ranging from the huge dioramas in museums across Canada to his thousands of sketches and paintings covering the 85 years of his career.
Tillenius' exciting stories of his wilderness
exploits give insight to the origins of his paintings and expose his
sincere love and concern for the Canadian wilderness. He has many times
put his life at risk so he could obtain visions of wilderness scenes
and wildlife. He vividly remembers these experiences and continues to
bring them to life in his paintings. His fine skills brings the viewer
quickly to the point of action in his sketches and paintings.
Tillenius' other books include Days of the Buffalo (1998) and Sketch Pad Out-of-Doors (1656, reprinted 1962 and 1986) and he has contributed award winning artwork to the book Buffalo (1992).
Tillenius was produced to celebrate the
opening of the Clarence Tillenius Gallery on the second floor of The
Pavilion in Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1998. Profits from
this book go to support The Pavilion Gallery.
Softcover, glossy, 8.5" x 11"
84 pages, over 300 photos and paintings
ISBN 1-55056-618-0
Price $25.00 CDN incl. taxes, shipping, handling
Publisher: Trails of the Interlake Studio
ctillenius@home.com email
www.wilds.mb.ca/tillenius web
TOP OF PAGE
R.M. Patterson
A Life of Great Adventure
by David Finch
Book Review
by Don Kurt
The brilliant colours on the cover of R.M. Patterson, A Life of Great Adventure
wake you up to the potential of this new biographical book about the
famous author by David Finch, cross-country skier, canoeist, canoe
restorer, hiker, historian, father, husband and author of a number of
books about Canada's geology and history.
I have read a number of Raymond Murray Patterson's books, beginning with Dangerous River,
a factual book published in 1954 about his travels on the Nahanni
River/NWT. I was skeptical about the value of a book on Patterson
because I had learned so much about him in his analysis and approach to
the wilderness from his personal stories which form the basis of his
books; I felt I had known Patterson even though I had never met him.
However, Finch has researched Patterson to the T from his birth in
England in 1898 to his demise in British Columbia in 1984 and rendered
him suitably with the eloquent style and manner found in Patterson's
books; Finch shows us a lot more about the makings of this wilderness
and ranch man.
In addition to the best selling Dangerous River Patterson had published The Buffalo Head in 1961, Far Pasters in 1963, Trail to the Interior in 1966 and Finlay's River in 1968 about the Rocky Mountains and Peace River Country of Northern Alberta.
Finch has divulged aspects of Patterson's life
that provide greater insight into the man's desire to experience
Canada's wilderness and ranch/farm life with a zest greater than most
Canadians have. Patterson's daughter helped Finch to write the book and
Patterson's neighbour, friend and publisher, Gray Campbell, provided
additional insight into the wilderness adventurer.
I found the book to be inundated with information about the Nahanni and parts of Alberta and British Columbia (I want to visit).
On March 1, 2000 the Alberta Government has
recognized Patterson's stature by commemorating a mountain in the
Higwood Range "Patterson's Peak."
In the Foreword, Gray Campbell aptly quotes Bruce
Hutchison's description of Patterson as "a mixture of Thoreau and Jack
London."
Hardcover, 6.5" x 9.5"
304 pages, photos and maps
ISBN 0-921102-75-5
Price $34.95 Canadian
Publisher: Rocky Mountain Books
(403) 249-9490 phone
(403) 249-2968 fax
sales@rmbooks.com email
www.rmbooks.com web
TOP OF PAGE
Companies and Products ENDORSED
by Don Kurt
Wave Track
is an excellent place to buy a kayak, canoe or outdoor gear from. Gary
makes sure you get what you want, and offers tips and suggestions
before you purchase your canoe. He will also let you test the boat you
are interested in and takes time to discuss all the options, he is very
personable and provides ongoing support. I have purchased several
canoes from Wave Track and have gotten only the best service and
support.
The We-No-Nah Prospector
was introduced in 2003. I bought two of these from Wave Track in 2004,
one being an ultralight kevlar 40 lb 16 foot version, for lake and
"easy" movingwater trips, and a second one being a 65 lb Royalex 16
foot version for whitewater trips. At 40 lbs, the ultralight is a
delight to carry, you begin to wonder what you can add to it to make up
for the loss of weight compared to the older 58 lb kevlar canoe, but I
am working hard on keeping from adding too much, other than kneeling
pads (made from yellow evazote foam sleeping pads which is not slippery
when wet and is uv and tear resistant, I've use it in my other canoes),
a deep dish yoke, and a kneeling thwart (for solo paddling and as a
third seat). Both versions handle beautifully, with lots of rocker and
excellent tumblehome, you can heel the gunwales down to the water very
nicely and the boat spins with wild abandon. I was going to get wood
gunwales on the ultralight, but kept to the low weight initiative and
went with the standard anodized aluminum gunwales, and kept the color
simple, basic gold kevlar because tinting adds weight (to make up for
the UV protection, I treated the boats inside and out with 303
protectant). The reason I am changing from my Bluewater 16' 56lb Kevlar
Prospector to this canoe is because it has more rocker and is lighter.
The Bluewater Prospector has been a very nice, durable canoe, and is
excellent for someone who wants a canoe that tracks easily, because it
has no rocker and its shape has been modified, so it steers easier than
most other prospector canoes, but I want a canoe that challenges my
steering, and don't mind doing more correction strokes. I am a larger,
heavier paddler, so when I sit midships in the Bluewater Prospector to
do solo canoeing, the stern drags in the water because of the lack of
rocker, even when the canoe is heeled over, and the bow is out of the
water, so this makes the canoe not handle symmetrically so that spins
are more difficult to do as nicely as I can do in a canoe that has more
rocker. The Bluewater is still a beautifully crafted boat, with no
waves in the layup and a very nice shape, it is perfect for someone who
does not want to waste any energy steering, and its weight is still
quite reasonable. I also have a Trailhead 17' Royalex Expedition
Prospector, made by Mad River Canoes that is very nice for whitewater
canoe tripping. An indestructible boat, its only drawback is that is
weighs in at 85 lbs without the extras (like kneeling thwart, knee
pads, thigh straps, tie downs, spray deck, etc.).
303 Protectant is an excellent UV
protectant! I put a coating on all my canoes helps to protect them from
UV and to restore weathered and worn gelcoat and Royalex. A coat on the
inside helps protect the "other side" of the boat, which is normally
facing up to the sun while you are paddling, although you might find it
a bit slippery for the first few times out, it is not noticeable later.
I give my canoes a coating of 303 protectant when new and every couple
years and I also put 303 Protectant on my PFDs, tents, tarps, ropes,
drysuit rubber, car tires, car dash board, paddling jackets,
eyeglasses, Thule racks. It has restored rotomolded plastic caneo hulls
too. It works a lot better than Armorall, which goes grey over time. A
little bit of this stuff goes a long way! Use a small sponge and apply
it over the item you are protecting in a very thin layer. It is
enviromentally safe and is not toxic.
La-Z-Boy Furniture, in Winnipeg,
has provided excellent support to me on a recent purchase. I highly
recommend them for accommodating me with very good pricing and product
support and a wonderful set of furniture for my front room!
Costco has
provided excellent support to me over the past few years. Their product
return policy is excellent and they have provided very good products,
from clothing to furniture to produce and other foods. I have bought
many articles, brought them home to try them or see how they fit in and
have taken them back with no problems! They have excellent pricing on
their photo finishing and dry mounting for posters and pictures. Their
eyecare centres have provided me very good support, providing ongoing
repair and adjustments for eyeglasses I have bought from them. I have
purchased the Executive Business membership and have realized savings
from this purchase. If you watch for clearance items on products they
sell, you can get some very good bargains!
SuperStore
has very good pricing and an excellent variety/selection of products to
choose from, I have shopped there for many years and will continue to
do so. Photo finishing is pretty good, too.
FutureShop
on Leila, in Winnipeg, has offered very good pricing on a number of
electronics and appliances I have purchased the past few years.
The Pentax
Optio 43WR, is a wonderful, rugged, compact water resistant digital
camera. I have used it extensively the past 4 months and have found it
to be very versatile and rugged, too. The only things I would like to
see improved on this camera would be the addition of a remote control,
as is available on the Pentax Zoom 90WR 35mm water resistant film
camera, a microphone which does not pick up the phonic noises from the
camera body (even rain drops hitting the camera case or my fingers
operating the camera make a noise), a larger LCD display on the back of
the camera with better contrast for use in daylight, a jack to connect
an external microphone, and a second lanyard attachment point on the
other side of the camera, so it can be hung horizontally by the cord
(there is only one lanyard attachment point on the upper left corner of
the camera body, so it hangs diagonally). But there is nothing else as
rugged or as versatile and as small or light, so this is the compact
digital camera for me. I have used this camera while standing and
steering at the back of a dragon boat, making a movie clip of the 20
paddlers and drummer paddling in practices and races while in rain and
cold conditions, and there is almost always water being splashed up at
the camera. This little camera takes excellent close up photos and is
easy to use, even if it is a bit pricey.
I love my Apple
G4 Digital Audio desktop computer, and my other Apple computers, like
the PowerMac 7100, they do things my PCs with faster processors can't
do. Mac OS 10.3.8 Panther is great!
TOP OF PAGE
Companies and Products To AVOID
In the spring 2002 I contracted Keystone Landscaping,
of Winnipeg, to excavate and install tiered retaining walls and patios
in my backyard, for a significant fee, which I felt was reasonable
because they offered ongoing support. The work was nice, although there
were a number of finishing issues. They agreed after installation to
return within one year to correct anything that may have changed from
ground shifting from freezing and thawing. Some settling occurred in
the paving stones by the fall of 2002 and they said to wait until the
spring of 2003, so I did, and called them then and they said they would
come out and check it out and fix it. After at least a dozen calls
since 2002 and repeated assurances that they would come and take a look
and fix the settling and unfinished paving stones, they have not
appeared and do not try to contact me to arrange a date to inspect and
try to fix the problems. I suspect that they do not want to waste
effort on someone who has paid them for the work they did, and they are
just too busy for me. I will have to hire someone who can finish the
work they started, if I don't take them to court or if this
notification does not get some action. Beware of Keystone Landscaping!
Here are some photos of the shifting that has occurred, which has
now become a safety hazard, the paving stones have now dropped below
the level of the retaining wall bricks so that someone could easily
trip over them and fall. They also left edging unfinished which they
had agreed to come back and finish properly and one end of the walk at
the back. The arrows point to the problem areas, so that Keystone
Landscaping does not even have to make a site visit to see what they
have to come and fix.
