The current issue of Canoe & Kayak magazine carries my work in a seven-page feature article by friend and writer
Conor Mihell.
It's a tale of woe. A tale of a doomed (almost) trip to find a wilderness lake in Northern Ontario named for Conor's family. Mihell Lake. Yes, pronounced "my-HELL." My guard should have been up immediately, right?
Anyway, we had a lovely time kicking and dragging heavily laden canoes through the still frozen (8 inches of ice in some places) lakes of the Temagami region. I say lovely because, although it was mostly a sufferfest, we had the place all to ourselves. Well almost. There was a crazy beaver that wouldn't leave us alone one night.
Point being, if, like me, you ache from your painters to your tumblehome (canoe talk) for quiet, wild and rugged country--then you owe it to yourself to check out the Temagami region.
Just don't go quite as early as we did! Here's the piece:
And, like a parent, I love every image the same--but realize some just aren't going to fit in. Here's to the images from the trip that landed on the cutting room floor:
 |
Paddling in ice is a...wait for it...drag. |
 |
Conor and his namesake lake. |
 |
Twilight portage. |
 |
Sure the fire is cool, but did you notice the moon? |
 |
The Mihell's, Kim and Conor |
 |
Pre-trip dinner on the back porch. |
 |
Tools of the trip. I love that axe. |
 |
Smoothwater Lake |
 |
Assisting. |
 |
Beast of Burden, the Nova Craft Prospector 16. This boat is STOUT. |
 |
Giving thanks for situations that allow you to do things you otherwise would never try. |
 |
so...cold... |
 |
This is the official Canadian ice testing technique. |
 |
Marina Lake. |
 |
More frozen lake---but sunshine...and hope. |
 |
Conor gets his paddle on. |
 |
My wingman, the Jimmer. |
 |
Moose? Check! |
 |
Carnage. My hand after pulling the boat with the axe. |