Let us probe the silent places, let us
seek what luck betide us;
Let us journey to a lonely land I know.
Robert W. Service Call of the Wild, 1907

This website is mainly about canoe tripping in places like La Vérendrye Reserve, the Thelon, Wind, Bloodvein Rivers, the Everglades, winter camping, and the gear needed to enjoy it all.

After I retired from Foreign Affairs, I decided that life is all about the journey and not about the destination. In the process of making my journey as interesting and fulfilling as possible, I came to the conclusion that Steve McQueen was right when he said that: "I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth." Since the best "middle of nowhere" is the shield country and tundra of Canada, I've decided to spent the rest my life canoe tripping and winter camping as much as I possibly can. These pages are my attempts to record some of this special time.

This website has lots of pages and photos of my canoe trips, mostly La Vérendrye Reserve in Quebec, and an ever-growing number of special trips into the Far North such as the Thelon River in Nunuvut, the Yukon's Wind River, the Dempster highway and Bloodvein river in Manitoba. There are also photos of Algonquin's Barron Canyon and a sea kayaking trip in the North Channel of Georgian Bay.

I keep getting asked about what to take, what to eat, how to do this and that. So there are pages on ideas of what I take by way of personal gear, tripping gear, what a proper first-aid kit should contain, finding the exact compass declination, and even the best bear bag rig. The lists have a easy-print function which I use as a check list for packing. Although not many, there are a few interesting recipes in an attempt to stay away of freeze-dried.

I love to winter camp so there are many pages on the taking, the using and the building of proper equipment like sled, tents, pulks and quinzees. As with canoe tripping, there are lots of ideas, lists, and tips & tricks on having a successful winter experience. Winter tripping is not the freezing experience some people think it is. Some, like me, consider it be best time to trip as the 3 B's are missing. There are no Bugs, no Bears and no Bodies - you have your world to yourself.

Now if I could just remember to take more pictures and better notes!