PAD3O

Mr. Laughton

Alicia Saunders

Top 8 Paddling Destinations for Wildlife

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The Top 8 Paddling Destinations for Wildlife is a brief article containing a list of what Adventure Kayak Magazine considers to be the most exciting paddling routes for those interested in seeing wildlife up close, while furthering their knowledge of either canoeing or kayaking. The article also provides links for interested readers to explore trips to the featured destinations, which is mainly composed of Canadian locations.

The list features: a canoe trip through a collection of rivers and lakes in Manitoba and northern Ontario to catch sight of moose, ranked at number one on the list. Remote trips available in Northern Canada that will likely allow you to spot grizzly bears. Kayak trips on the coast of British Columbia is reportedly a great place to watch Orcas. Canoeing in Quebec could allow you to see wolves at a distance. In British Columbia, when paddling in the alpine rivers and lakes it’s said that you’ll be able to spot mountain goats. In Ecuador, while paddling near low hanging branches you may spot a sloth. While whitewater kayaking in Costa Rica, there’s a good chance you’ll spot sea turtles. Finally, you could spot a woodland caribou if you take a paddling trip to northern Saskatchewan.

This relates to our Outdoor Ed course because although most of us are beginner paddlers if anyone wants to go further into canoeing, or any kind of paddling activity, and if they would like to be near more wildlife, it’s interesting to discover what the most rewarding locations to paddle would be.

Adventure Kayak Magazine. "Top 8 Paddling Destinations For Amazing Wildlife." Rapid Media. Rapid Media, n.d. Web. 21 June 2016.

https://www.rapidmedia.com/adventurekayak/categories/trips/7715-top-paddling-wildlife-destinations.html?highlight=WyJwYWRkbGluZyIsInBhZGRsaW5nJ3MiLCIncGFkZGxpbmciXQ== 

7 Canadian Rivers You Need To Paddle -Kevin CAllen

Mackenzie Lagrove

Mr Laughton

PAD03

As Kevin Callan reviews about his paddling trips around Canada, he recommends some crazy Canadian rivers that you must run if you ever get the opportunity. His first river that he reviewed is called Milk River which is located in Southern Alberta. Milk River is over 3,000 years old, while you paddle the river you get a great sense of the community of the indigenous peoples art and existence. Also the river shows a beautiful view of sandstone cliffs, blowing grass and and outstanding prairie landscape.

The second River that was reviewed is called the Mississauga River which is located in the Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park, Ontario. This river is a very peaceful route, which is  surrounded with  beautiful cottages. This river is very well known for their outstanding 100 year old red oaks and sugar maple trees and the home of the 5-lined skink, which is Canada’s only lizard.

The Petawawa River which is located in the Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario is a very well known river for the people who enjoyed using it like Pierre Trudeau, Bill Mason and many famous poets who wrote about this peaceful river. The landscape is a view of white pine and granite cliffs with moderate but challenging rapids. This route takes 7 days to complete fully.

The Sturgeon River is “ a collection of double rapids mixed with remote atmosphere and gorgeous scenery” It would take you a full week to complete with lots of portages and beautiful mountains to look at. This river is located in Temagami, Ontario, and is said to be the best river trips in the province.

The 5th river Kevin suggested was the Missinaibi River in Northeastern Ontario. It is the longest free flowing river that has two part an upper and lower. The lower part has an incredible look at the famous Thunderhouse falls. The upper part which Kevin recommends has a more technically challenged rapids to run and  a very diverse scenery.    

Kopka River in Wabakimi Provincial Park offers a Amazon feel with seven abrupt waterfalls, (which need climbing gear for portaging) the river itself is genuinely flat but is definitely an adventure you'll never forget.

The last river Kevin suggested to canoe is more of a kayaking trip because of big tides. The river is called Hillsborough/ Pisquid which is located in Prince Edward Island and it is P.E.I’s largest river system. Its is a Canadian Heritage River because of historical and ecological history.

Callan, Kevin. "7 Canadian Rivers You Need to Paddle." Explore Magazine. N.p., 28 Apr. 2016. Web. 07 June 2016.

Ultimate Frisbee Infographic

Ultimate Frisbee Infographic
Rating *****

This infographic  is about the 5 W's (Who,What,When,Where,Why and How) of Ultimate Frisbee and is informative with interesting facts with a neat way of presenting the information .

The infographic explains the basics of ultimate Frisbee in terms of how it is played and what it is.It also explains where it is played (mainly in North America) and why as well as when and who plays it,which the sport is played across 42 countries competitively in the world with players from all ages and levels in the world championships.

I learned alot about ultimate frisbee from reading this infographic,I learned that a 150 lbs person would burn 544 calories an hour playing ultimate frisbee.I also learned that ultimate frisbee is a combination of basketball,soccer and rugby,i never thought about it like that before but its true because if you stop dripping a basketball and start moving or if you travel its the other teams ball,same way in ultimate frisbee its a turnover and the other teams frisbee.Its like soccer aslo because youre constantly on your feet and moving from one end of the field to the other and lastly it has rubgy aspects because you need good aerial passing and receiving skills  to catch the frisbee and your goal is to take the frisbee to your opponents endzone.

This infographic is worth a look if you want to learn or remind yourself how Ultimate frisbee is played,if you already know how to play then you might learn a cool fact like how much a regulation frisbee weighs.

Link to the infographic: http://cache.ultiworld.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/ultimate_infographic1.jpg

Citation:"Infographic Of The Day: Ultimate Primer Edition | Livewire | Ultiworld." Ultiworld. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2016.

Ontario OUT OF DOORS magazine for the outdoors enthusiast.

Ontario OUT OF DOORS Magazine

Rating: ****

Quite often, outdoors activities magazines focus on one or two specific outdoor activities. You have magazines that focus on kayaking, or on rock-climbing, or on hunting, or on any particular outdoor activity that you can name. However, it can be rare to find a local magazine that delivers quality and useful articles on a regular basis for several different outdoor activities and considerations. While the website is predominately focused on hunting and fishing... Ok, so I might have oversold its diversity of topics, but it still provides many interesting articles on travelling and subsisting in Ontario's "diverse" wilderness.

The magazine is much of what I described above, filled with tips not only on the catching of food (although it presumes for recreational rather than survival reasons), but also on its preparation. The magazine also details various excursions to parks and other secluded areas, essentially providing reviews of lovely outdoor spots that other enthusiasts are encouraged to visit. Its local content makes most spots accessible to the mildly intrepid reader with a regular or long weekend to spare, although the site also provides inspiration for longer trips and excursions. Personally, I am not much into hunting or fishing, but I can still enjoy visiting the locations mentioned for reasons similar to those used by hunters and fishers. The spots are often chosen for the enjoyability of getting to the spot, the physical beauty of the location, and the diversity or concentration of animals in a particular area. These qualities might make a hunting or fishing trip enjoyable, but they can also make for a lovely kayak or canoe trip by oneself or with a buddy. I might actually consider going on one of the trips.

While the articles are well written, I have to rate this magazine a 4 as it is not completely relevant to OE curriculum, what with its focus on hunting and fishing, but it does a good job at what it is intended to be. Not necessarily the best magazine, but it is still worth a regular read.

Works Cited:
1) Ontario OUT OF DOORS. Web. <http://www.oodmag.com>. June 10, 2016.

 getting started in  Orienteering
   

     In the article how to orienteer by an unknown author teaches you the basics of orienteering and all you need to know to participate in it. The blog takes you through all the basics he'll need to get started such as what gear you need to bring, maps and usage, as well as markers and how they work.  The blog is expertly combined with wonderful illustrations to help clearly convey points and what you'll need.  For example when speaking about the markers  and how they work the information is With the picture  that illustrates a card mechanism to confirm you have found the marker.  The article also teaches you about making routes to  streamline your process as well as how to correctly use maps and compasses to find the different markers and points. This article is essential for all new  orienteerers  before they get out and enjoy this excellent sport.


 I personally like this article due to its use of illustrations to go with the different points. For me it's very much helps convey what is needed For orienteering.  I also very much like the tips at the bottom of the page. This is great input from actual orienteerers and will help you  as well as make your experience much better. I also really like the small checklist so you know what you need to bring before you head out. The information on using maps and compasses is very important or new  orienteerers or those who are an experienced and is also a good skill to have outside of orienteering. All in all I think the how to  orienteer article is an essential read before heading out and trying orienteering.



http://m.wikihow.com/Orienteer

How to Orienteer." : 13 Steps (with Pictures). N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2016.

500 Mile Journey

Canoeing the Yukon, by Alastair Humphreys
Rating: *****

While it is very impressive that all the paddlers in our class, even the first time rookies, were successfully able to paddle rapids on the canoe trip, Alastair Humphreys has outdone our whole class. He and his (unnamed) companions, with no canoeing experience, paddled 500 miles up the Yukon river to Dawson.

In the article, Humphreys recounts their journey. They were attempting to bike to Dawson (the starting point is not mentioned, it's an excerpt from his novel Thunder and Sunshine), but the Top of the World Highway was closed due to smoke from forest fires, so they decided to canoe to Dawson. They had no canoeing experience, but got a couple of friends to teach them the basics. They were approaching the end of their journey with only minor mishaps when they reached the Five Finger Rapids, rated Class 2. They managed to clear all the rocks and avoided tipping during the run... but took on so much water that just as they exited the rapids they hit one last wave and flipped. The current was so fast and strong that it took them 15 minutes before they finally got into an eddy and got the boat on shore.

I really liked this excerpt. Humphreys effectively captures the spirit and atmosphere of the voyage, and I almost felt like I was in the canoe with him. The writing is very descriptive, and flows like a river. I've never been to Canada's north, but I would like to some day. Whether or not I do a similar canoe trip remains to be seen, but this excerpt helped reinforce my sense that one day I have to visit the Yukon. I also found it amusing to read Humphreys' description of the rapids. He made them sound big and intimidating, so I searched them on Google and learnt they're only Class 2, and many people find them easy enough to paddle. I imagine Humphreys and his team just ran the rapids without scouting them (and with zero experience), so I now appreciate the time we took to scout the rapids on our trip more, as they most likely prevented more people from tipping.

Humphreys' writing style is very effective, and you don't need a good imagination to visualize his paddle up the Yukon River. Anyone interested in canoe trips or Canada's north should check out the article, and maybe even the complete book. And if anyone were to be so bold as to attempt Humphreys' odyssey, at least we all have more experience than he did at the start.
The article can be found here.

 Humphreys, Alastair. Canoeing the Yukon - Alastair Humphreys. Alastair Humphreys Canoeing the Yukon Comments. N.p., 2008. Web. 06 June 2016.