Everyone was on high alert, and while the crew sailed and fretted, we watched the parading wildlife
I left you last time off the coast of Baffin Island, where we shared the shore with polar bears and followed the tracks of early explorers. Let’s see what happened next on my 20-day journey northward. Nunavut was separated from the Northwest Territories in 1999, as a result of the enactment of the Nunavut Act…
I left you in Hebron, Newfoundland and Labrador, where an eye-opening tale from the past brought home that the stability of home and property we enjoy hasn’t always been a reality for northern people. From Hebron, we travelled ever northward to a place I’ve never been before – Torngat Mountains National Park. This vast expanse…
Venturing to rarely-visited sites along the Newfoundland and Labrador coast on the way north
I get to travel to some great places as an expedition guide. A few months ago (pre-COVID-19), I travelled to parts of Canada I had never seen before and filled in gaps on my lifelong adventures in Canada’s remotest reaches. I thought I’d share some insights about Canada’s northern regions as we celebrate Canada’s 150-plus…
Visitors just have to be prepared to go with the flow, consider unconventional approaches and be flexible enough to adapt to travel with no reservations
To say it is a challenging year to travel out of province is to put things mildly in the extreme. With the enduring COVID-19 threat, most provinces have residents-only campsite reservation policies and national campgrounds have been booked tight for months. Yet with a little ingenuity and adventurous spirit, we discovered that British Columbia is…
The best little K-Country Lodge you may not know about, three mountain lodges made for escapism, Icelandic dreams
The best little K-Country Lodge you may not know about Mount Engadine Lodge has the warm feeling of walking into an old friend’s cabin: knitted slippers in a basket for guests and a roaring fire in the main entryway are the backdrop for the beautiful mountain views from the dining room. The lodge is located…
Ten friends, a rustic lodge and days spent on the pristine waters of Great Bear Lake
By Grady Semmens “Well, I guess I actually have to do this now that we’ve come all this way,” says Jeff warily as he eyes the cloud of mosquitoes that tracks our every move and bounces off the nets that cover our heads. And with that, he casts off every stitch of clothing save for…
A fall road trip to Canmore and Kananaskis Country is the best escape from the craziness that comes with September. A quick drive from Calgary, the Bow Valley offers its eye-popping mix of greens and flashes of gold dazzling in the perfect light of late September and October (and maybe even early November.) The big…
All was ice, white curving fingers spilling from mountain valleys. Dark lines of ground rock defined each icy highway
KLUANE NATIONAL PARK AND RESERVE, Yukon – I’ve been a geography nut since I was a kid. My noggin is full of useless facts. In pre-metric days, I memorized details of the world’s highest and lowest: Mount Everest, 29,028 feet; Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, 35,814 feet. As a proud Canadian, I knew that…
Historic, colourful, quaint and sleep-deprived Dawson City; and up the perilous, muddy Dempster Highway
Upon our return from six weeks exploring Canada’s north, friends enquired, “So what was your favourite place?” And each time, gazing distantly while recalling the amazing scenery, people and places we encountered, I answered: “Haven’t a clue.” But Dawson City, Yukon, is a good start. I love Dawson. Unlike cruise-ship destinations on the nearby Alaska…
Historic, colourful, quaint and sleep-deprived Dawson City; and up the perilous, muddy Dempster Highway
Upon our return from six weeks exploring Canada’s north, friends enquired, “So what was your favourite place?” And each time, gazing distantly while recalling the amazing scenery, people and places we encountered, I answered: “Haven’t a clue.” But Dawson City, Yukon, is a good start. I love Dawson. Unlike cruise-ship destinations on the nearby Alaska…
Blackberries, figs, grey and humpback whales, and spawning salmon all herald the arrival of autumn
As August turns the corner to September, some notable and familiar signs of change occur at Skelhp, which is known as “The place where the ancients dropped down from the heavens and taught us how to make canoe paddles out of yew wood.” The blackberries that have been thriving over the past three weeks start…
Discovering Virginia Falls, a remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Site – and learning a little German
ON THE ALASKA HIGHWAY – In German, weichei means soft egg. It defines a person’s character. In Canada, we call them wimps. Charly Kudlacek is from Frankfurt in the German state of Hesse and, as eggs go, is hard-boiled. We met Charly and his wife Marion in a remote campground at Summit Lake on the…
Comfy beds and incredible food await after a long, fulfilling day
As we gaped in awe at Talc Lake, a deep blue expanse hanging above Egypt Lake in the distance, a passing hiker said to us, “It only gets better.” Better than this? we wondered. How is that possible? In the vista before us, a waterfall ribbon from Talc seemed to put the cherry on top…
Go early, be prepared for any eventuality, plan well, concentrate on strong paddle strokes and keep your destination dead off your bow
It’s the classic ocean kayaker’s dilemma: should I wait or go now? You’re all loaded up. It’s probably early in the morning and you don’t want to delay others as your trip unfolds before you. Some or all of your trip-mates may have taken kayak water rescue courses and have at least some confidence in…
Whistler, or Whistler Blackcomb as the resort is known,is located in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia near the foot of Garibaldi Provincial Park's 10,000 foot peaks (3,000 meters). Located only about 78 miles (125 km) north of Vancouver, it was once a sleepy little ski town, but now it's been developed into a world…