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My Spring loop didn't end up being what I originally planned, but I had a great time and spent a night on a lake I'd never been to before. Any trip that adds a pin to my map is a good trip! Here's Days 1 and 2, which covers Canoe Lake to Brule, and Brule to White Trout. I hope you enjoy it!
I think I ended up cutting all mention of it from my video, but I was not feeling well at all. For more than week before I left I'd been feeling just... wrong. Weak, lethargic. But Algonquin cures all, and by the second day I was feeling more like myself. I also replaced the 'back of the kayak' camera I'd been using with a wide angle camera, and I'm super happy with how that turned out. Instead of that footage being mostly of my back, now it shows so much more of the scenery I'm travelling through.
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Hi Bob,
You say you don't take time to stop and take it all in, I seem to do the same as you and focus on the destination, at least you take some really great videos and pictures to document your adventures. I really need to start taking more pictures and video. As always good job! I love Grassy Bay and White Trout Lake!
Cheers!!
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Great video Uppa! A few things I can really relate to:
1. Rushing on the travel days and forgetting that the journey is half the fun...I too need to do a better job of slowing down on these days and just enjoy being where I am
2. The feeling of disappointment when you roll up to a site you have your heart and mind set on and it's occupied
3. The fact that 1 burger is not enough but 2 is too much!
4. I too never have fires in the morning except when winter camping. I might change this up a little bit as it relates back to my point 1 - taking the time and enjoying all of the moments.
5. An appreciate for Arc'Teryx gear 
Love that stuff...
6. Is there anything more relaxing then sitting under a tarp or in your tent, listening to a gentle rain drip down on it?
Thanks again for sharing!
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@Abe: when I started taking video it was exactly about that - documenting my trips for myself. Over time my past trips would degrade in my memory to just a few snippets - now I can re-live my trips anytime I want. Definitely worth the time (and weight!) to do so.
@Steve: I may have turned a bit of a corner on this trip when it comes to slowing down a bit, as I was consistently good about not being in a crazy rush to get going in the mornings. Okay... on my last day I was on the water as soon as it was light enough to see, but let's keep that between us. I also had morning campfires another time or two on this trip!
Arc'Teryx I have a massive weakness for. Pretty much everything they make is well designed and well built. I left my Arc'Teryx hiking pants home on this trip for no other reason than to avoid wearing the same brand head to toe.
I had plenty of rain to appreciate on this trip, but it all happened exactly when it should have. I never had to set up or take down camp in the rain (not much anyway), but I set my tarp up on every campsite after Brule, and needed it on every campsite. On a couple of sites I was sitting under a tarp, in the rain, with a campfire going protected by the tarp. It was perfect.
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Lol we're very similar. On our last days we always say we're going to wake up, make breakfast and slowly make our way out. What ends up happening 100% of the time is we wake up and instantly start packing stuff up. We've broken camp within the hour and seem to race to get out. I find by that time in my head the trip is done and I start thinking of all the stuff I need to do at home after the trip....
I bought an Arc Teryx hardshell 14 years ago and last year the taped seams started coming off. I emailed them and asked how much it would cost to repair and they told me they would ship me out a brand new jacket..under warranty! I love their stuff too
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I think a lot of folks can relate to the rushed feeling of a travel day. You carve out time for a trip, then hustle through it. In my youth, tripping was about motion and progess, with long travel days. Then I had a 16-year window without a trip, and somehow got older. Go figure. On a travel day now, it is still all about motion and progress. I can't stand eating lunch at portages, and won't do it unless it is absolutely necessary, I just want to keep moving. I can still do a long day, and sometimes plan one if it makes sense, but prefer not to. Long days leave little space for relaxation, are tiring, put you are risk for a campsite, etc. These days I like enough travel to put me into a site in time for a late lunch. To me, washing up on the shores of a campsite at 1:30 or 2:00pm is ideal. After a little I'll explore on foot or by boat, and yes, I end up pacing around a campsite attending to little unnecessary chores, but I really enjoy watching a day unfold, and to me that's the battery recharger. I'll go stand and watch the view from a place for a few minutes, and revisit that place a dozen or more times during the day. Different critters are active at different times of the day, the wind changes, the temperatures change, the sounds change. Such a big difference between 25-30-year old me and 50+ year old me. If I was any older, well I'd be 54.
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Another great video Bob, like Steve I can relate to rushing around on day 1 ,I also think way too much about getting to the next lake because I have a certain campsite in mind. Any campsite in Algonquin is better then the daily grind of the city. Look forward to the next video.
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The look on your face on Potter lake says it all!!!! As I was watching you breathe deep and grin I could almost recapture the feeling for myself. At the very least it is to me a call to remind me why I love the wilderness.
I can't wait for the rest of your trip to be posted; I really enjoy watching your videos on your youtube channel on my TV.
Thanks so much and keep posting!!
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Always inspiring to see your vids Uppa! I'm working on my own first real trip video right now (have been filming a lot over the past couple of years but nothing has been good enough to package before now--hopefully this time it will at least partially come together). Great to get some ideas for different production and filming techniques. Haven't watched all of this yet as I was too excited to get working on my own project. But I really like the way you're able to get that rear-mounted cam to serve dual purpose--filming on portages as well as in the water. With the wide angle it almost looks as though you've got another person filming for you. Well done!
Interesting to see your comments on morning 1 re. extra time warming up, etc. as my spring trip this year was the first time I can remember really relaxing in the mornings myself. There were days I didn't get on the water until nearly noon! On previous trips it was always get out first thing, get going, no stopping to fool around.
When it comes to travel days, I totally understand the angst about "getting there"; but truth be told in spring and summer daylight lasts forever and even if you had to pitch in the dark, headlamps work wonders. I'm inspired by those who can really settle in and relax, recognizing it's all there to enjoy and it sucks to rush and miss all the good parts. But I'm still working on it for sure. And of course there are other factors like weather that really affect one's ability to relax, but I think it all comes down to experience: the more you get, the more relaxed you become out there. At least that's how it's working for me.
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Enjoyed your TR, Uppa! Thanks for sharing.
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@dontgroandaddy: Yeah, I think I'm maybe in the midst of that 'transformation' myself. I think maybe I'm ready to start carving out more time for relaxation, instead of seeing how far I can push in a day.
@R2: I imagine I'll always want to rush on Day 1, as much as I'd prefer otherwise. Too many people close to the access points ;). But yes, any day in Algonquin is a good day!
@oldboyscout: Thanks! I haven't started working on the next part yet. Sometimes I'm hyper motivated to work on trip videos, other times I'll fire up the editing software and immediately close it again.
@Paddlerunner: The wide angle camera is definitely a big improvement. I'd literally never used it before this trip, so when I got in the door the absolute first thing I did was connect that camera, grab a video off it, and look at it. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I realized it was exactly what I was hoping for.
The cold mornings were definitely a big factor in my 'lazing' about the campsites. As it was the Spring opener, I had my wetsuit along for the journey. Which means at some point you have to take off your warm cozy clothes in order to put on a cold, wet, wetsuit. Suddenly a morning campfire sounded like a great idea ;). Looking forward to seeing your video!
@R2: thanks - I appreciate it!
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How much longer are you going to leave us waiting for the next part?
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A lack of motivation and time lately. I’m on my way to the park now. If the bugs drive me out early I’ll have time to crank out part two!
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