You can find it here.
It has some of the most useful advice ever to appear on my computer screen.
Tim Irvin Archive: Outdoor Adventure
I found the last page of the internet
Sunday, November 18th, 2012Bruce Kirby invites Stephen Harper on a camping trip.
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012Over the last two decades Bruce Kirby has paddled and hiked in some of the Earth’s most remote places. He has also guided hundreds of people on wilderness trips and written two national bestselling books about his adventures. His breathtaking wilderness images have been published widely and he is a regular columnist with the Globe and Mail.
This Canada Day he invited our Prime Minister to join him for a three day wilderness camping trip - to help Mr. Harper get away from the strain of his demanding job, while also giving him a glimpse of the remarkable wilderness resources that he is ultimately responsible for managing on behalf of all Canadians. Considering Mr. Harpers cozy relationship with large companies intent on extracting the natural resources that abound in our beautiful places, it seems fitting that he should also be given an opportunity to experience and enjoy the wild for himself.
As one of our country’s premier wilderness guides, Bruce has generously offered to treat Mr. Harper and his family to an unforgettable wilderness experience, at his own expense. What kind of fool would refuse such a generous offer?
Over to you Mr. Harper.
Max Finkelstein and the Talmud of Paddling
Monday, June 4th, 2012I was out jogging in the Ottawa arboretum this afternoon, when I spotted a green heron standing at the edge of a small pond trying to eat a frog. I don’t see green herons very frequently, and this one was much more concerned with the frog than with me, so I was able to watch the action at close range. It was a nice surprise since my legs were feeling heavy and I was happy for a break from running.
While I stood there a couple dogs came by followed by a guy with his arm in a sling. I pointed out the heron and we fell into conversation, first about birds (of which he seemed to know quite a bit) before meandering elsewhere. I was thinking how nice it was to randomly meet such an interesting guy. When we got around to introducing ourselves, I was startled and happy to discover I was chatting with Max Finkelstein, a canoeist, writer and river spokesperson of some repute. I have one of his books on my bookshelf and I quoted him in my book. All in all, it was a lovely a coincidence.
When I got home I Googled Max and found a link to a presentation he wrote. It contains some real nuggets of wisdom on life and canoeing , gleaned from many, many years of wilderness paddling and, well, life. If you are a canoe tripper or outdoor adventurer, this is a must read. But even if you don’t paddle, hike or climb, you’ll likely find something worthwhile in Max’s words.
WWF, the Great Bear Sea and the Northern Gateway Pipeline.
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012Last fall staff and supporters of the World Wildlife Fund traveled to the British Columbia to explore the central coast aboard the Island Roamer, and I was fortunate enough to be their guide. To read about one of our grizzly encounters, check out this short blog by Linda Nowlan.
This region, formerly referred to as the Mid-Coast Timber Supply Area, is now commonly known as the Great Bear Rainforest. Here, terrestrial and marine ecosystems nourish each other. Nutrients from spawning salmon feed trees, mammals, birds, insects and amphibians in the forest. Meanwhile the forest acts as a nursery, regulating the waters that rear the next generation of salmon. Ocean and forest are not distinct entities – they are a continuum.
As the public hearings for the Northern Gateway Pipeline get underway, perhaps WWF will help people make the important connections between forest and ocean by referring to this region as the “Great Bear Sea.” The threats from the pipeline are not unique to whales, salmon or bears. Rather, they put a large complex system at risk – a system that includes people (namely First Nation communities) and multitudes of marine and terrestrial species.
According to WWF’s blog:
Upwards of 4,200 individuals and groups have signed up to have their voices heard (at the hearings) – the largest show of concern in Canadian history about the environmental impacts of an industrial project.
If you’re not sure why we should care about the proposed pipeline and the Great Bear Sea, this Youtube video (filmed during our excursion on the Island Roamer) will give you a taste of what is at stake.
To see more gorgeous footage, and to learn about the Northern Gateway Pipeline, watch the award-winning documentary SPOIL.
Shocking, white and wondrous
Monday, December 19th, 2011Many of us in Ottawa are getting edgy, hoping we’ll get snow soon. Without it, I daresay, there will be little to do this winter for those of us who spend time on the ski trails in Gatineau park, skating on the Rideau canal, kite skiing and playing outdoor hockey. Winter without snow around here would be tiresome in the extreme. One can only enjoy so many games of the Settlers of Catan.
I went hiking yesterday reluctantly, wishing I was zipping through the woods on my skis. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find a bit of winter out there. It has been cold enough lately to freeze Lusk falls in Gatineau Park, with the spray and water vapour creating a shock of white ice formations in an otherwise brown and drab forest. I was expecting a lack-luster stroll through the woods but this chance encounter made my afternoon feel like an adventure of sorts. And right about now, I needed that.
Pray for snow.
New Gallery – Coulonge River, Quebec.
Monday, October 31st, 2011I am finally getting around to updating this website, including the addition of new galleries. This one, featuring photos from a canoe trip on the Coulonge River in Quebec, is the first, but there will be more so check back again sometime soon.
Home from the Great Bear Rainforest.
Thursday, October 13th, 2011I just got home from a month of guiding and exploring in the Great Bear Rainforest aboard the good sailboats the Island Roamer and Island Odyssey.
We endured some truly harrowing weather this fall with hurricane force winds and near-monsoonal rains. Nonetheless, watching grizzlies and spirit bears devouring salmon, pacific white sided dolphins racing away from transient orcas, humpback whales erupting from the ocean’s skin and so much more, made up for the cold and wet.
After soaking ourselves with rain, we lounged in hot springs, ate fresh seafood and stayed warm with hot tea and good company. It has been nearly a decade that I’ve been guiding on the raincoast and I just cannot seem to get enough of the place. It simply refuses to be anything but epic.
Now that I’m back home I am looking forward to doing some badly needed updates on this neglected blog, including new photos, a new projects page and other neat stuff. So, check back again soon.
A Spirit Bear shaking water from its white coat after a meal of salmon. Photo by Tim Irvin
And the winner of the 2011 Great Northern Canada Writing Contest is…well, me.
Monday, July 11th, 2011My story, Nowhere but North: a Case for Cornbread and Wolverines, took first prize in this years’ contest, hosted by the Northwords Writing Festival. The story was inspired by a fierce appetite and some unexpected events during a seven-week solo canoe trip in Nunavut.
You can find it on a magazine rack near you, in the July 2011 edition of Above and Beyond: Canada’s Arctic Journal, or on page 42 of the digital edition here.
A wild river flowing through the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo by Tim Irvin
Whoop whoop!
The faces of climate chage: National Geographic photographer, Paul Nicklin, on TED
Saturday, June 11th, 2011Paul Nicklin shows off some of his impressive body of work, the unique challenges he faces and why he is obsessed by telling stories from the poles.
Visit Haida Gwaii with Bluewater Adventures
Wednesday, March 16th, 2011Haidi Gwaii. The names evokes mist and mystery, totems, ent-like trees and swarming sea life. I’ve never been there and I hope to change that. In the meantime, I enjoyed reading this story by Kerry Banks’ about his experiences sailing around the island. Kerry was travelling aboard the Island Roamer, a 68 foot sailboat owned by Bluewater Adventures, who I am blessed to work with as a guide each fall. I’ll have to see about getting myself on board for a trip in Haida Gwaii…