I always get a little antsy at this time of year. As the days grow shorter and the weather begins to turn, I ask myself “can I get one last trip in before winter?” In October of 2014 Mike Walker, Mark Highfield and I escaped for one last season trip up to Dividing Lake in... Continue Reading →
Opening Day Etiquette
This Saturday anglers from around the province of Ontario will flock to local lakes and tributaries with the hopes of landing some trophy fish. Yes, what most people refer to as ‘opening weekend’ for fishing season begins at the stroke of midnight on Saturday April 24th. I have personally never really participated in opening weekends... Continue Reading →
Adventure Racing – A Beginner’s Guide
Friend: “Any big plans for the weekend?” Darren: “I have an adventure race in <insert name of small Ontario town>” Friend: “Adventure race? What’s that?” Darren: “My partner and I will canoe, trail run and mountain bike through wilderness terrain while finding our way to checkpoints using a map and compass” Friend: “Ah, OK. Well... Continue Reading →
Tips For A Great “Map and Flap”
As spring quickly approaches many of us will start to set our sights on spring and summer trips. Planning these trips can take a significant amount of preparation and coordination amongst a number of different people; this is where the map and flap comes in. That being said, some of you may be wondering what... Continue Reading →
Maple Syrup Season
**Authored by Mr. Rob DelDuca** It’s a crisp March morning; the sun is just rising as the frost slowly melts away. That warm sun we have been waiting for is not just an early sign of spring, but more importantly, the start of the maple syrup season. Preparation starts long before the warm spring sun... Continue Reading →
A Brief Description and History of The West Coast Trail
Sea lion Point. One of the many great views along the trail. photo by Darren Placido A Brief Description and History of The West Coast Trail Nestled along the southwest shoreline of Vancouver Island lies the world famous West Coast backpacking trail. The West Coast Trail, part of Pacific Rim National Park, attracts over 5000... Continue Reading →
Dick Proenneke – Alone In The Wilderness
Dick Proenneke – Alone In The Wilderness "I have found that some of the simplest things have given me the most pleasure. They didn't cost me a lot of money either.” - Dick Proenneke Have you ever had one of those days when you are just fed up with all human contact and wondered what... Continue Reading →
That Time I Ran 21km
On April 5th, 2013 my grandfather passed away. William "Poppa" De Laat was in his 95th year. For the last decade of his life his eye sight had failed to the point that he was essentially blind. As his health failed further he spent the last 2 weeks of his life in the Collingwood... Continue Reading →
Brook Trout and Blackflies: A Book Review
In this wonderful age that we live in, we have easy access to all types of information right at our fingertips. If you want to plan a trip, you can effortlessly do so from your phone or home computer. There are hundreds of sites dedicated to providing detailed trip logs and there are message boards... Continue Reading →
Ice Fishing – It’s Canadian
Winter in Canada can be a challenge to get through. Extremely cold temperatures, short days and snowstorm after snowstorm (which leads to shoveling) can take their toll and it can seem like winter will never end. While most Canadians pride ourselves on being hearty, winter going folk, deep down inside, many of us long for... Continue Reading →