Archive for the ‘Outdoors’ Category
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23
May
2010
Myth or Reality? The Omajinaakoos
We’ve all heard of Big Foot, the Loch Ness Monster, and other creatures of myth from around the world. But what about the Omajinaakoos? Translated, the word means “The Ugly One” and comes from the Northern most reaches of Ontario. The little monster is believed to be a bringer of bad omens when seen, which according to the locals of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug hasn’t been for no less than fifty years. Fifty years until earlier this month when a pair of outdoor tourists found a rodent-like creature floating face down in the local waterways (pictured left).
The little fella has been described as “part beaver/part river otter” and does display many similarities between a variety of semi-aquatic rodenesq creatures of Ontario. Similar to, but not exactly replicating, that is. Most of the locals, who still live largely off of the fruits of the land and water (as it is a very highly isolated region) and are familiar with all the forest has to offer, believe it to be “The Ugly One.” Skeptics in the media and in homes alike aren’t exactly convinced.
When the animal was discovered, it was discovered floating face down in the water with its paws in the water as well. The images below (click “Read the rest of this entry,” but be warned they are somewhat graphic) of the animal show that the areas covered by water are completely bald. This is where much of the skepticism comes in as once an animal carcass has been in the water for a while, the fur becomes loose and simply falls out. Others, however, beleive that the little animal should have decomposed far more by the point that it would be bald.
24
Oct
2009
Chris McCandless – A Reflection
Most of us live our lives tightly woven in the embrace of modern society. There are people like me who do manage to get away a few weeks in the year to the wilderness and throw off the shackles of technology and the conveniences of indoor plumbing and soft memory-foam beds, but even I am guilty of punching the clock and watching the world go by. Chris McCandless was an idealistic young man who shook off his shackles for good and set out to find himself and ultimately meet his end in the place he held so high.
Many of you will have probably read the Jon Krakauer book or seen the Sean Penn docu-drama film “Into The Wild” and know the general basis for this article while some of you may be reading about this for the first time. This amazing story (the film being based on the book) chronicles Chris McCandless from his comfortable suburban life and University education and follows his travels across America. Having given all of his money to charity, abandoning his 1970s Datsun B210 after it (and nearly he) was washed away in a flash flood, he set forth to his ultimate destination of Alaska. It was his ambition to live a period of solitude in the Alaskan countryside before returning to his life in society. Chris had no survival experience, very little money, and no means to get there. But that wouldn’t stop him.
Chris, renaming himself to Alexander Supertramp (a direct reference to the 1908 book The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp by William H. Davies), would make his way on foot to the far North. Along his way he would take any opportunity for exploration that he would encounter, almost always going into dangerous situations (such as canoing down the Colorado River into the Gulf of California) with very little preparation, experience, and equipment. For a time he worked in South Dakota in a grain mill where he began to prepare for his final destination and acquiring hunting and meat preservation tips from local hunters and friends. Having prepared, at least in his eyes, for his “Alaskan Odyssey,” he set for Fairbanks, Alaska where he bought a Remington Semi-Automatic .22LR (with 400 rounds), some very basic camping supplies (such as a sleeping bag, cooking pot, etc.), and a book on the local Alaskan flora and fauna.
21
Aug
2009
Hurricane Bill Precautions & Tips
Hurricane Bill is shaping up to be a strong storm by the time it hits Nova Scotia and the rest of the Atlantic Sea Board. At it’s peak, Bill was a Category Four hurricane (on an overall sale of one to five) with winds reaching upwards of 220 kilometers per hour. At this point, the hurricane has died down to a Category Three as it passes around the island of Bermuda on its North Western journey, and as it hits the even cooler waters of the Northern Atlantic it will continue to lose force.
But that doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods, in fact it’s quite the opposite. The North American “jet stream,” an invisible stream of air in the atmosphere, will interfere with Hurricane Bill and effectively steer it up the coast line and toward Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. At this point it’s far too early to predict where the hurricane will strike, which even with the difference of a few degrees can make a very different impact, but all models point to the hurricane getting uncomfortably close.
The hurricane is expected to get within striking distance in the morning hours of Sunday, August 23, with large swells (two or three meter high waves) reaching the coastlines on Saturday. The heaviest rains in the hurricane are to the left and closer to the eye (center) of the hurricane with expected amounts ranging from 50mm in the more distant reaches to up to 150mm the closer to the storm you get. Different sources are citing the hurricane may die down to a tropical storm level (much weaker winds, but still significant), but may retain a category one or even category two force of winds by Sunday. With having a hurricane at this point in the hurricane season (which officially lasts from June 1 until November 30) with the warmer waters and coupled with the more active weather we’ve been having as of late, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility to have the more powerful of the possibilities.
12
Apr
2009
Blomidon Provincial Park
I was born and raised in Northern Ontario, and as such mother nature has been an integral part of my life since before I could remember. Any opportunity I have to spend time outdoors I’ll take, and if it’s an extended trip into the woods, then I’m even happier. Recently my buddy Danny G and I went for a day hike up the Blomidon Provincial Park trail system, a 12km journey up snow and ice covered hills that changes thousands of feet in elevation on the coast of Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundy. I loved it.
Every region of Canada is vastly different then the last, from the East coast to the West, North to South, you’ll never find the same scenery twice in a row. Even within a few square kilometers in the Maritimes, the scenery and weather can be completely different. We started from sea level, we actually parked our car beside a beach, and we began the steep trek up the mountain face. Once we hit the treeline we began punching through waist-deep snow on what normally are well-groomed trails. When it came time to start climbing, we were doing so on, at times, a 30+ degree slope that was covered in ice from the spring thaw, so needless to say this leg of the journey was treacherous and challenging, but that’s exactly what we were looking for.
The trails at Blomidon are well-marked, though be it a little worse in the winter with the added dead fall and the lack of park staff. There are over 12 kilometres of trails in the park that offer coastal scenery (there are also several look-off points for such picturesque views) to marsh lands, mountainous terrain, and Canadian boreal forest and are beautiful year-round for hiking. I do caution, with this recent trip in mind, that if you plan on starting from the bottom of the trails and work your way up in the winter or spring, make sure you go with an experienced hiker with emergency materials. It was more than once when Danny G and I had a few slips and could have easily hurt ourselves.
