Algonquin Web

Quebec Kayak Manufacturer, Boréal Design Files for Bankruptcy

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:28:42 -0500

Big news from the outdoor industry. I just heard the sad news from Joe O'Blenis and Bryan Hansel that Quebec kayak manufacturer, Boréal Design has closed its doors and will be filing for bankruptcy on Monday.

From La Presse.ca: ... [more]

One Moose, Two Moose

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:06:39 -0500

Counting Isle Royale moose can be a tedious task that requires great dedication. But each moose has its own life story.

Winter Fun Day is coming up on Feb. 11: don't miss it!

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:47:44 -0500

Yes, there is snow in the north! Utah the wonder dog is very pleased: Happy dog on a snowbank this week. If you still don't believe me, check out this picture of my ski tracks from two days ago. I can't reveal the location of this backcountry powder paradise but trust me, it is in Muskoka: Learn to telemark and you too can make turns like this in the middle of nowhere. And because we love

Gray Matter: Is GPS All in Our Head?

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:19:59 -0500

IT’S a question that probably every driver with a Garmin navigation device on her dashboard has asked herself at least once: What did we ever do before GPS? How did people find their way around, especially in places they’d never been before?

Paddlers, photographers team up to help kids in need

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:48:59 -0500

MUSKOKA — Some of the region’s top paddle writers and photographers have come together to help fund a children’s treatment centre. After six years in the planning and production stages, Northern Shores, a coffee-table book of canoeing images and stories, was released just before Christmas.

Shipments of Asian Carp Seized at Ambassador Bridge in Windsor

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:43:06 -0500

Looking Back at Bill Mason’s Old Film Equipment Makes Me Appreciate Modern Technology [Paddling Film History]

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:31:20 -0500

Back before everybody and their brother had small, waterproof GoPro cameras strapped to their head, film makers had to get creative and build their own camera rigging if they wanted to get that unique shot while on the water.

Here is a photo of filmmaker and instruction video pioneer, Bill Mason using a home-made rigging to get overhead footage for his 1977 film and companion book, Path of the Paddle.

... [more]

A Gear Checklist for Winter Day Hikes

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:15:15 -0500

Sun on the Run: 4 Portable Solar Chargers Tested

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:58:30 -0500

Thanks to the ubiquity of USB connections on mobile devices, getting power from a portable solar charger is just as easy as plugging into the wall.

A Wolf-Moose Standoff at Isle Royale

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:34:17 -0500

Kayaking in a Toronto Gale Storm [Photography]

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:45:09 -0500

Here is a small collection of photos from Saturday’s gale windstorm kayak paddle in the Western Gap of the Toronto Harbour.

It ended up being a great day to be on the water as the temperature was a balmy +2c (35f) and the SSW winds (which were blowing at 25 gusting to 45 knots) made for some really rough conditions.

The Western Gap is a favourite location for us when the wind is out of the West as wave energy gets trapped in there jacking them up considerably higher then the surrounding shoreline. It’s bad for sailors but great for us.

... [more]

DIY Tyvek Bivy

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:42:32 -0500

Facebook Images: A Reminder Of The K-W Canoe Symposium….A ‘Standing Pry’?!?!?….The Profit Of Paddling….And Being A ‘True’ Canadian….Or At Least True To Yourself

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:02:43 -0500

So I’m surfing online….checking out my emails and Facebook….I came across the following Facebook photos which I thought I would share here: The first is a poster of the upcoming Kitchener Waterloo Canoe Symposium: Poster by Dave Bain, from Facebook. Hope to see you at the K-W Canoe Symposium on April 14th…. Then there is ... [more]

News From Temagami: Wolf Lake – ‘Howling At The Door’ Summed Up By Another Blogger….Plus New Update On Missing Person

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:36:20 -0500

I was made aware through the Friends of Temagami Facebook page that another blogger, Chris Lawson, had written on the Wolf Lake issue….beautifully summing up the situation in Wolf Lake Wednesday, http://cmkl.ca/2012/01/18/wolf-lake-wednesday/, posted last Wednesday (Jan. 18th) on his personal blog/website. Well worth reading. Also on the FOT FB page is a link, http://ottertooth.com/Temagami/newsbriefs.htm, to Ottertooth’s Temagami News ... [more]

‘The Romance Of The Far Fur Country’….Found And Returned

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:16:52 -0500

Late last night (or more likely early this morning), I found myself listening to CBC Radio. I heard a story about an interesting film made in 1919, to honour the 250th anniversary of the Hudson’s Bay Company. I was fascinated. So I thought I would find out more. From Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Romance_of_the_Far_Fur_Country: The Romance of ... [more]