Pure Life Adventures

Sunscreen SPF

2011-06-16T15:38:00.000-04:00

There seems to be some misunderstanding regarding the SPF number on sunscreen bottles. Many people have said to me that the number is an indicator of how strong a sunscreen is when in fact it’s a measurement of time – how long the sunscreen should last. Let me explain. The simple math is like this:

predicted burn time of skin x SPF = actual time your skin will burn.

If the weatherman says that your skin is likely to burn in 10 minutes today, using a sunscreen with an SPF 15 means that your skin is likely to burn in 150 minutes (2hrs 30 min) and an SPF 30 should protect you for 300 min (5hrs). Wait! Before you run off into the sun please read the rest of what I have to say.

This above math is “theoretically” correct. It probably works perfectly in the lab. But the fact is there are many other variables to bring that actual burn time down to a much lesser amount. For example:
1) it takes 20 – 30 minutes for sunscreen to react with your skin to protect you. This means if you apply sunscreen after you’ve already been outside your skill may have burned before the sunscreen has even taken effect. Apply at least 20 min before heading into the sun.
2) the amount of sunscreen you need to apply for this math to work is much more than the average person (I think) actually applies. Your skin should still be white from the sunscreen even after rubbing it in. Wait 10-15 min and then rub the rest in.
3) Sunscreen isn’t a miracle product that’s impossible to remove. Swimming, sweating, and taking clothes on and off can remove sunscreen from your skin. Even if you’re using an SPF 45 or SPF a million, it will have no effect if it’s worn or washed off.

Believe me, I work in the outdoors and I appreciate a nice tan as much as anyone but the reality is that UVA, UVB, and UVC rays from the sun are very harmful to our skin (and eyes). Personally I would rather the slight inconvenience of applying sunscreen to looking like fruit leather in 10 years.

So here are my tips:
1) apply the proper amount of sunscreen at least 20 min before heading into the sun.
2) wear a sun hat (I like cowboy hats or farmers hats)
3) find yourself a rule of thumb to reapply – like every hour and each time you come out of the water.
4) UV (ultra-violet) rays are what sunscreen is protecting you from, not the sun light. And UV rays can penetrate clouds (they can actually penetrate your clothing too). If it’s nice enough for you to be playing outside it’s nice enough for UV to find you.

I hope some of this information helps and that everyone stays safe and healthy this summer. No fruit leather!!

How to make a Weather Stick

2011-06-06T15:32:00.000-04:00

A weather stick can be used to show you the relative humidity. It’s a very simple project as well as a very useful tool. I find mine particularly helpful in the mornings when the temperature is still cool. It may be a comfortable morning but if the humidity is high I’ll know that I should shut my windows or choose lighter clothes to wear. As well, a weather stick, when used in conjunction with other weather inputs (temperature, cloud cover, wind), can be very useful to predict upcoming weather.

Okay now to the construction of the weather stick. A weather stick is made from
the branch of a balsam fir tree. You may have to research how to identify a balsam but rest assured, they’re everywhere in the Ottawa Valley and Pontiac.
1) Find a dead (no need to kill a perfectly good tree) balsam that’s about 6-8 ft. tall. You’ll know its dead because it will have no needles and you’ll be able to pull it right out of the ground. By choosing a tree 6-8 ft tall the trunk will be a good diameter for installing your weather stick.
2) Choose a branch that’s 2-3 ft long.
3) Saw the tree trunk above and below that branch so that the portion of the trunk you just cut is 4-5 inches long.
You should now have a bit of trunk with a long branch sticking out of it.
4) Decide where you’re going to install the weather stick. It needs to be a vertical surface. I put mine on the fascia of a roof in my yard. From my deck I can judge its movement relative a tree that’s directly behind it.
5) Fasten the trunk of your weather stick to the vertical surface. I used big staples but bent over nails or other fasteners will work too.
And that’s it. In the next week you should start noticing the weather stick bending upward or downward depending on how humid it is.

Spring Ice

2011-03-21T09:35:00.000-04:00

You know, we hear the commercials on the radio every spring about ice safety. "Stay Clear, Stay Safe". To me that was an obvious message but it still didn't really sink in. Until last spring. Nothing tragic happened but I did witness the lake that I live on go from ice covered to just water in 3 hours. I'm not joking!
Each year the ice begins melting away from the shore first. And last year it was about 30ft. from shore to
begin this particular day. The wind picked up, just a bit, enough to notice a cool breeze comming off the lake. Then I heard this weird tinkling noise. Like glass was constantly breaking. For the life of me I couldn't figure out what was going on or where the noise was comming from. Eventually I noticed that the lake ice was right up on shore, and the tinkling noise was the ice crushing itself and breaking into bits. I was so amazed at this I watched it the whole afternoon (not constanly though). By about 2pm the whole lake was dark blue water with a million spakling lights on it. Not a trace of ice left.
There was, however, a floating dock that had been deposited near my shore. It traveled about half the length of the lake. It had been frozen into the ice and moved when the ice moved. I later found out that this dock had been tied to a tree by a pretty heafty steel cable. When the ice shifted it snapped the cable. I saw the cable where it snapped. Increadible.
If I may impose my thoughts about this event: I'm constanly amazed at the power of nature.
Think about this: a big strong steel cable (man made) is snapped like a twig when the lake ice shifts. That same lake ice is demolished against itself and against the shore when the wind picks up. My Point is: no matter how intelligent, industrious, and above the laws of nature we think we are, Mother Nature always has the last say.

Build me a Quinzee

2011-03-15T07:26:00.000-04:00

A quinzee eh. What's a quinzee? It sounds like a tv show from the 70's. Really, it's a snow shelter. Now, most of us know what an igloo is right?. It's a dome shaped shelter typically seen in the arctic. While igloos are built using blocks of ice, quinzees are constructed by hollowing out a big pile of snow. The concept is the same for each shelter, it just depends on whether enough snow is available to build a quinzee.
Building a quinzee will take you at least half a day to complete. The actual construction of the quinzee should only take you 1 1/2 to 2 hours. But there's a period of time that the snow has to settle before diggin it out. So leave yourself about 5 hours to complete your first quinzee.
Quinzees aren't always the best shelter to use if you're travelling long distances. It's more of a shelter that you plan on staying in for a couple of nights. If you're going to put energy into building a solid quinzee you may as well use it to rest up.
Once a flat location has been chosen, find the center of that location and just start piling snow with your shovel. Pile pile pile all day long, pile pile pile while you sing this song. Build yourself a great big mound of snow. I usually get myself into a rhythm swinging the shovel back and forth, back and forth like a pendulum.
There is one important thing to note about piling your snow: The snow must mix! When snow falls over days and weeks, it layers up at different temperatures and keeps different amounts of moisture. If there was enough snow on the ground that you could just start digging a quinzee, without mixing the snow it would most definitely collapse. Has anyone heard of an avalanche? Well it's the same concept where one later sheers from another. By mixing the snow you're eliminating the temperature and moisture differences and allowing all of the snow to work together. And the easiest way to mix the snow is simply throw it into the air as you shovel onto the pile.
How big of a pile to we need? Let's do some calculations shall we. I'm 6ft. tall. I would like 1ft of space at my head and at my feet. that's 8ft. The walls will end up about a foot thick. 2 more feet. That's...(beep boop baap boop beep).......10ft. So the base of the snow pile should be 10ft in diameter. Make sense? I told you this wasn't just a quick overnight shelter. Another consideration is how many people that will be sleeping in the quinzee. Keep in mind that the quinzee should always be constructed in a round dome shape. Making it oblong to accomodate extra people may weaken its integrity.
Now that you have your big pile of snow, there are just a few more touches before you can take a break. Round off the top so it's not a peak, and stick it. Find some branches that are at least a foot long. Grasp the branch so that only 1ft of branch is in front of your hand. Stick it into the wall of your snow pile until your hand reaches the snow. Your stick is now 1ft into the snow. Do this all over your snow pile. You may need 30 or 40 sticks. These are measurement tools. When you end up digging the quinzee out the sticks will keep you from digging the walls too thin.
And now it's time to play the waiting game. I mentioned before that snow has to mix in order to eliminate temperature and moisture differences. The second half of that equation is letting the snow settle. Right now the snow is still loose because you just piled it up. Leave your pile sit for 2-3 hours. This will allow the snow to harden. This whole mixing and hardening process is called sintilation. You may want to go for a snowshoe or have a snack or dry out the clothes you just sweat in.
(theme from Jeopardy)

Okay now your back from your hike. It's time to start digging. This always works best with 2 people, each having a shovel. When one person digs the quinzee the other moves the snow out of the way. (note: the snow you dig from the quinzee can be used to build a wind break near the doorway or a kitchen) The door of the quinzee should be big enough that you won't struggle getting in and out, and small enough so that your backpack will cover the opening. Maybe 2ft. diameter.
And that's it. You're the proud owner of a brand new quinzee! Complete with new snow smell.
One last tip: smooth out the inside walls as much as you can. Any snow that melts inside will find an jagged piece of snow to drip from (maybe onto you throughout the night). If the walls are smooth the water will simply flow to the ground.

I highly reccomend you try this in your yard before you rely on this theory while on trip.

Here are the instruction in point form:
- Flat location
- Pile the snow - mixing in the air
- Round off peak
- 1ft sticks in walls
- Let it sit for 2-3 hours
- Dig out

Wind Chill

2011-02-08T13:18:00.001-05:00

Wind chill is something that most Canadians have experienced before. Those cold winter days were the wind “blows right though you”. Its not rocket surgery to realize why the wind makes you feel colder. The wind is blowing heat away from our bodies. However I’m going to explain just what is happening so that we can better understand how to stay warm despite the wind.
It’s true the wind is blowing heat away from our bodies. This happens two ways: removing our boundary layer of heat and removing moisture.
Every person’s body creates a layer of warm air right next to their skin. This is called the boundary layer. When the wind picks up it blows that boundary layer away exposing our skin to the outside air and thus we feel the effects of wind chill. Our bodies will naturally replace the boundary layer but if the wind persists it then becomes a case of the wind continuously removing the protective boundary layer and leaving our skin exposed.
The other way that wind removes heat from our bodies is by blowing moisture away. Whether it’s obvious or not we all sweat. Even in cold temperatures. When the wind picks up it blows that warm moisture away from our bodies.
Both of these conditions force our bodies to move heat from our core to our extremities in order to keep our fingers, toes, ears, nose, etc. warm. The immediate effects of wind chill are cold skin and most likely a chill through our bodies. Longer exposure to wind chill may cause more serious results like frostbite and hypothermia if we are unable to generate new heat.
The simplest way to combat wind chill is to wear a good shell (see blog entry “layering up for winter”) to keep the wind away from your skin and to wear a loose fitting insulating layer (also see “layering up for winter”) in order to allow your boundary layer to work effectively. Also, physical activity will increase our metabolism and allow our bodies to generate heat.

The outdoors are so much fun!!

2011-01-18T15:36:00.000-05:00

Winter isn’t the time to hibernate. No sir. Winter is a time to get outside and explore. For some reason Canadian winters have this reputation of being such an awful time of year where we just bide our time until the snow melts and we can go outside again. As if our houses were snowed in for 3 months straight. You know what, life goes on. We all still go to work. Kids still go to school. It only makes sense that we should continue to enjoy our outdoor adventures too. And just between you and me, I prefer to hibernate during the buggy season.

Now, the Pontiac Region is a gold mine for outdoor adventure; high adventure and soft adventure. There’s dog sledding, horse logging, winter camping, winter survival, snowshoeing, outdoor rinks, skiing, snowboarding, tubing, white water canoeing, flat water canoeing, kayaking, zip lining, white water rafting, wagon rides, ATV tours, and hunting and fishing tours. And if you’re not quite into some of those higher adrenalin activities you may enjoy the Pontiac artists’ tour, various church tours, the PPJ cyclopath, craft stores, cottage country, and rural life.
The Pontiac has plenty of places to eat; from chip wagons to cafes to banquet halls. As well there are many accommodation options; from tent camping to 4 star B&Bs (Quebec uses a 4 star rating system rather than a 5 star).
With all the awareness of Canada’s population becoming more and more inactive it only makes sense that we simply make the decision to get outside. Winter in Canada is unique. We should be proud of it. Others in the world can only dream about what we have. So let’s get outside and have FUN!!

Pet Stress throughout the Holidays

2010-12-20T17:06:00.003-05:00

For some of us Christmas time can be hectic and overwhelming. All the shopping, and wrapping, and “will they like what I got them?”, “is there enough food?”, “will this be a repeat of last year?”. Christmas is meant to rejoice and take time to appreciate all of the good things in our lives. One problem though. Fido doesn’t know any of this. Fido thinks that Christmas is simply busy; more people; more opportunity to find goodies on the floor; more noise. When these two perspectives meet often Fido takes the worst of it. Here are some things to consider to keep Fido’s stress level down as well as yours.
Most dogs are good scavengers. Sneaking around after us to find food that we left behind. So keep an eye on your garbage and how close your food is to the counter’s edge. (My dog was caught one year with an entire turkey carcass at his feet at the bottom of the basement stairs. Luckily he hadn’t eaten any bones yet)
You may have noticed that dogs like to hang out in the kitchen when food is being prepared (most likely to pick up on some presentation tips for their next dinner party). Remember that that if things go wrong and you dry out the turkey or drop the cranberries one the floor and inadvertently shout out loud, Fido will almost certainly take this as a scolding.
Another situation to consider is when the family arrives for dinner. Remember that dogs are pack animals and when faced with new pack members (your visiting family) it’s in Fido’s instincts to sort the hierarchy out. Who’s the top dog, who’s the lowest dog on the totem pole, and where does Fido fit in? So if Fido isn’t familiar with your family maybe make introductions during a more calmer time like during or after dinner.
Fido doesn’t want to disappoint you. In fact it’s in his nature to everything he can to please you. So let’s consider Fido’s way of thinking just a bit and cut him some slack when he’s being “bad” this Christmas. He’s most likely behaving the way he thinks you would expect him to as part of your family.

Layering up for Winter

2010-11-28T07:08:00.009-05:00

This week's adventure tip on 104.9 MyFM was given by Ben Shillington, author of the book Winter Backpacking. Ben is a lifetime adventurer and has an enormous amount of "street cred" or maybe I should say "mountain cred" in the adventure industry.
In his tip he mentions the need for having a good base layer. Before we look too closely at the base layer specifically I'd like to go over the entire clothing system that will keep you warm this winter.
Your layering system has 3 parts; base layer, insulating layer, shell. That's not to say you'll only have 3 pieces of clothing but each piece of clothing you'll be wearing should fall into one of those 3 categories. If it doesn't, maybe save that item for summer time.
Your base layer, or next to skin, is designed simply to keep moisture (sweat) away from your body. These are typically made from a synthetic material and are relatively thin allowing moisture to easily pass through to the next layer.
Next is your insulating layer. This layer is what keeps you warm and will be the bulk of your system. On very cold days you may want more than one insulating layer. I often wear a thin fleece vest under a larger fleece or wool sweater. Note that wearing too much clothing may make each layer fit too tight. Insulating layers should fit a little bit loose. Remember that trapped air is an insulator too.
Your outer layer, or shell, is what weather proofs you. Your shell keeps the wind, rain, snow from penetrating into your layering system. Gortex is popular for this layer. Keep in mind that your shell will offer NO insulating properties. Its purpose is to keep the elements off of you so that the other two layers can keep you warm. That being said, there are a number of dual purpose materials out there that offer weather proofing and insulating properties together.
By now you may have mentally rooted through your closet and chosen yourself a suitable layering system. So just to make things fun I'll add one more critical piece of information. "Staying dry is key to staying warm" is what Ben always says. And from experience I agree. Whenever possible it's best if all 3 layers are able to move moisture, or "wick" it away from your body, to where it will eventually evaporate from the outside of your shell. Now don't think that you have to run out to buy the latest in high tech clothing but next time your tobogganing with the kids or shoveling the driveway think about: Why am I cold? When did I get cold? Am I sweating? And when you get home notice if your clothes are wet. Is that why you were cold?
If you are ready to make a purchase start with a base layer. $15-$20 will get you started on the path to a dry and warm winter full of activity.

Healthy LIfestyle

2010-11-20T09:16:00.004-05:00

I'm sure its obvious to most people that physical exercise is good for you. Because it is. Whether you've read a study, or experienced the benefits of exercise first hand, or neither you just know that it's a healthy life choice to make. It's inherent. We're born knowing it.
For this weeks adventure tip I did quite a bit of research online to find stats and insights on how the average person may benefit from physical exercise. What are the keys and secrets to staying healthy? And what it came down to was
just "do something". Some studies say to exercise 20 min per day, some say 75-115 min per week, some say to give yourself a goal and begin small working up to that goal, brisk walk, sustained heart rate, calisthenics, cardio...AHHHH!!! I couldn't believe how much information was so readily available on this subject just by searching health benefits of active lifestyle. Again, the overwhelming theme that emerged was: get up and "do something".
Now I'm no scientist but I suspect the two biggest "reasons" that people don't exercise is time and motivation. So how about this for an exercise program 1) Choose your least favorite TV show that you watch after work. 2) Pick a spot in your neighborhood 12 minutes away. 3) When that show comes on grab your husband or wife, walk to your spot, and then go home. This even gives you 6 extra minutes for changing clothes and "motivating" your husband or wife to come along.
One last thing, during my research there was an enormous list of benefits that have been linked to physical exercise. And even my genius program above qualifies to offer these benefits. They include: weight control; reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers; strengthening of muscles and bones; longevity; keeping mood swings more level; prevention of depression; and many many more. Those were just some of the perseonal benefits. There are entire lists and websites full of interpersonal and social benefits too.
The bottom line is turn the TV off, set your personal devices to away, get outside, and just "do something!"
P.S. reading my blog 2o min per week is good for your health too...maybe.

Candian Championship Dryland Dogsled Race

2010-11-17T08:36:00.008-05:00

Ho-ly Cow!!! This past weekend (nov. 13/14) was the first ever Canadian Championship Dryland Dogsled Race. And man was it ever exciting!!!
If you've never heard of dryland dogsledding its basically regular dog sledding, but instead of using a sled with runners on snow, they use wheeled chariots on dirt. As you can imagine a rolling wheel on the ground has very little friction and so these carts really move (they've been clocked up to 40km/hr).

The race was held over a 2 day weekend with more than 70 teams entered. There were 6 different catagories that people raced in: Canicross (running with 1 dog), scooter, mountain bike, 4, 6, and 8 dog chariot. A chariot is any rig that your dogs can pull. Most chariots had 3 wheels but some had 4. Add steering, brakes, and a place to attached your tow line and you're off to the races.
This was the first year for this race so the competition was mixed. Amatures and professionals all raced in the same heats. The organizers weren't really sure how many competitors would enter so they didn't separate the pros from the hobbiests. It didn't matter though. Everyone, competitors and spectators, had a great time anyway.
Aside from the actual race there were other activities to experience. 3 food vendors kept us fed and all coffeed up all day, the local touism office had a booth, native dancers were there and performed some traditional songs and ceremonies, another native group was selling hand made souveniers, and I had my Pure Life Adventures booth set up of course, and a wagon pulled by a tractor was giving people rides all over the grounds.
It was a really really fun time. It had excitement, family fun, food, conversation, tradition, fresh air. The general feeling from everyone I spoke with was simply "a fun place to be".
A link to the race's website in in the title of this post. If you'd like some more information about entereing or lcontacting local dog sled clubs or just general information you're welcome to shoot me an email. The race was held at Timberland Tours in Bristol QC which is a partner business of mine and I was very close to the organization of the race too.
Oh man what a great weekend.

The Pontiac Region - Quebec

2010-11-01T14:15:00.004-04:00

The Pontiac Region is Quebec's half of the Ottawa Valley with the Ottawa River being the dividing line. The Ottawa Valley (Ontario side) has been known for quite some time now as a tourist region. However, the Pontiac is definitely making a name for itself as an adventure hot spot. The Pontiac is full of adventure. High adventure like white water canoeing, zip lining, winter travel, and dog sledding, and soft adventure like horse logging, arts tours, fairs and farmers markets.
The Pontiac certainly is lesser known than the Ottawa Valley but that's one of it's assets. Because fewer people visit the Pontiac, often the guest experience is more personal.
About 5 years ago I moved to the Pontiac. I live in a little town called Ladysmith (best chicken wings this side of Ottawa by the way) with a population of 327. And this is where I chose to start Pure Life Adventures. Most people said I was crazy because "there's nothing there". I said "that's right. Nothing except untapped wilderness, rarely traveled rivers, gorgeous lakes and scenery, and safe communities". And really, what adventurer would want any of that?

Here are some stats I rounded up about the Pontiac:
- approximately 14,000km square (most of which is wilderness)
- 14,586 (2006) total population
- 18 municipalities
- 1 of four tourist regions in the Outaouais
- approximately 56.7% english first language
- approximately 41.1% french first language
- average high temperature 27 degrees, average low temperature -17 degrees

At first impression the Pontiac seems like it's lagging beind other nearby regions. But after taking closer look you'll see that the Pontiac is an up and comming region that I tend to equate to Banff or Tremblant. Both of those regions were unknown to the world until a few key people with a vision used the natural surroundings and made something great. Right now the Pontiac is at the cusp of an adventure explosion.

Book Review: the E-Myth - revisited

2010-10-27T18:30:00.004-04:00

title: the E-Myth - revisited

subject: Entrepreneurship, Small Business

author: Michael E. Gerber

harper collins publishing, 1995

The E-Myth is targeted towards those who have recently started a small business or are thinking of starting a small business. The E-Myth begins examining entrepreneurial personalities and why most businesses fail. The book then focuses on the building process of a successful company, starting with the owner of the company. The book asks, "What does the owner want from this new busines?" and then moves forward through target customers, various marketing and management strategies and systems, and how to put all of this information to work.

To be honest I was a little upset with the author at the start of the book. Oh it started out nicely and I could relate to much of what was written. I found myslef saying "I do that" and "me too". But then I realized he was painting a picture of what most people do and how those things lead to a failing business. Oh no! Once I got over that proverbial kick in the pants it was clear he knew what he was writing about.

As the owner of a small business I found that some topics discussed were somewhat redundant (that is to say he wrote about mistakes I had already made); however, a lot of the book did enlighten me to new ways of thinking. None of the book is real rocket surgery, in fact, much of it is common sense, but having it all organized, delivered, and repeated in a logical sequence gave me more real and effective tools to continue on with my business. With this knowledge I feel more confident in the success of the business too.

The E-Myth does not touch on topics such as market research and business preplanning, but the information in this book would most likely be very helpfull if you are involved with those topics.

I recommend this book to anyone who has not yet reached the 3rd year of business.

Why do leaves change colour?

2010-10-24T09:24:00.003-04:00

There is a scientific explanation as to why leaves change colour in the fall. But the short of it is that the green colour you see on leaves in the summer is actually chlorophyll and not the real colour of the leaf.
Chlorophyll is used by trees to turn water (taken from the ground by the roots) and carbon dioxide from the air into glucose. Glucose is a sugar that trees use as food. This whole process is called photosynthesis and sunlight is the catalyst to make photosythesis happen. Think of making pancakes. Put the pancake mix (CO2) and water (water) into a bowl (chlorophyll) and use a whisk (sunlight) to make a great breakfast. (I recommend cooking the pancakes though)
When fall approaches the days get shorter and less sunlight becomes available. At this time a tree also realizes that soon less water will available. Without enough sunlight and water photosynthesis cannot happen and a tree cannot produce food. So the tree begins it's annual winter routine of storing it's chlorophyll and glucose.
When the chlorophyll moves out of the leaves and into the branches and trunk of a tree you'll notice the leaves changing colour. Sometimes the colour you see is the actual colour of the leaf, sometimes it's leftover glucose that remained in the leaf, and sometimes it's waste left behind by photosythesis.
Many people bellieve that a tree becomes dormant in the winter when actually it just grows at a very slow rate. Similar to how a bear hibernates, a tree will live off of it's stores of glucose until spring arrives and it can grow more leaves to produce more food. Proof of this can be seen when a tree is cut. The dark rings you see are simply the slower growth of a tree during it's winter hibernation.
Note: this explanation is true for many types of deciduous trees. Some deciduous trees and many evergreen trees keep thier leaves all year round.

Pontiac Youth Leadership Camp

2010-07-19T09:05:00.002-04:00

It was hot. Really hot to begin a 3 day canoe trip for this year's Youth Leadership Camp. The Table Jeunesse organizes a camp each year for youth in the Pontiac. The purpose is to expose participants to real life leadership situations as well as introduce them to local entrepreneurs. Since I happen to be an entrepreneur in the Pontiac, a youth (technically), and I have the ability to lead this canoe trip it was a great fit for the Table Jeunesse and me to work together on this camp.
Our first day included morning canoe skills instruction, a talk with Jim Coffee of Esprit Rafting, and an afternoon paddle to our first night's camp at Le Patro Day Camp. After some free time and dinner I addressed the group on the topics of Leadership and the story of how Pure Life Adventures came to be.
Day 2 was a long day. It turned out that some of the participants disregarded yesterday's advice to be very wary of the hot temperatures and intense sun. By early afternoon now on the second day it was clear that 2 participants needed to be evacuated due to progressing heat exhaustion. When we arrived at our EVAC point a second major decision was made; the canoe portion of the camp was to end. Decisions made by the group on days 1 and 2 lead us to a slower pace than planned and with increasingly late arrival times at each of our rest points I had to step in and put a stop to the trip. Usually, I try to avoid from handing down a decision like this, especially after the group had decided collectively to continue on but in my best judgment I had to overstep the decision of the group. It was humid late in the day which often means thunderstorms, we were all tired and our pace was slowing, and participant decisions were turning from group focused to personally focused which means their big picture awareness was fading. As it turns out a thunderstorm did move in and everyone was glad to be off of the water when it did. That evening we took it pretty easy. In my mind, enough learning had taken place for one day.
On our last day it was apparent that the idea of leadership was sinking in for some of the youth participants. Food prep and clean up was being taken care of with little resistance, and when planning our teambuilding activities for the morning some of these same people were thinking ahead: Where will people be standing? Do we need to move picnic tables? Should we pull walls down on one side of the tent so that people don't get rained on? I could see the wheels turning. However, only some youth showed this initiative. Our last scheduled event for this trip was an address by Martin Bertrand of Horizon X Rafting. Once our canoeing was cancelled we had shuttled the trip by vehicle the final 2.5km down river to Horizon X. This was our second night's camp.
Overall it was a successful trip in that all participants are alive and safe and I'm sure everyone took at least one lesson away with them. I know I did.

Sea Kayaking 2

2010-07-12T10:36:00.005-04:00

Our Sea Kayaking day went great! We were a bit concerned that we would have to cancel when 3 people backed out the night before. It was about 9:30 the night before when I opened an email saying that 3 people who were driving together planned on not attending. It seemed some sort of relationship trouble put a damper on what was going to be a super fun day. Altogether Pam and Jamie (our instructors) had 6 students. Pam has a lot of experience with larger groups but for our first time running this course at this location the number of participants was perfect.

To begin Pam went over gear, appropriate cloting, boat design, paddle design, boat purchasing, and quite a bit more than what I had anticipated learning. It was very helpful. I've Sea Kayaked before. I've even spent a week off the coast of Maine (guided of course). But I learned a lot from our morning chat. To the water now, we learned how to size our boats, adjust the foot peddals, thigh braces and back rest. Next was entering the kayaks and we were off. We paddled just a short distance to a floating dock where we learned what may be our most important skill: The Wet Exit! What this means is that if you were to roll your boat upside down so that you're hanging from the kayak in the water you'd be able to exit the cockpit without incident. And this is done by simple doing a forward summersault. It's really very easy and works quite well when your submerged. We then practiced with our skirts on. All this really does is add the step of pulling the huge tab on the sirt before doing the summersault. By far this was the most nerve racking skill to do. Until, that is, we all did it and with ease. Everyone went under the water with a nervous expression and everyone came up with a big smile. We all tried it over and over again. It was fun. And it helped that the day was sweltering so the swim was certainly welcome.

From there we practiced entering the boat while still in the water, and many paddle strokes: forward, reverse, sweep, draw, and others.

Our break for lunch was short and sweet beacause everyone wanted to get back on the water. Really I thought people would have rather savoured my BBQed hambergers a bit more but hey what can you do. The afternoon was a nice tour of the lake. Now that we had our technical paddleing skills all Pam had to do was give us pointers and reminders of certain technique. It was great, we explored the lake, chatted and got to know each other. Funny enough my parents (who were in the course) went to dinner the other day and saw another from the course eating with her husband. My parents were invited to join them and they all had a great meal together. Follow the link in the title to learn more about this course.

Calling Young Entrepreneurs!!

2010-06-23T08:27:00.002-04:00

A very interesting evening took place last night. I had been called to attend just hours before it started. They supplied dinner so naturally I aggreed. This was a brainstorming session and the topic was attracting youth (18-35) entrepreneurs to the Pontiac. The Pontiac is a wonderfull region about 100km long right along the Ottawa River, about an hour west of Ottawa, and about 25 min from "the Ottawa Valley". I quoted that because when most people say or think about the Ottawa Valley it automatically means the Ontario side. And for good cause, it's more established with infrastructure, shopping, etc. But, a valley has two sides. And the Quebec side is a clean slate. We have natural beauty and opportunity to spare. Hence last night's meeting. How do we attract the attention of youth with ideas and want an empty page to begin with? I know it seems like nothing is here and to a point that's true. We do have residents, political and civil infrastructure, and demand for goods and services but at the moment most of our residents are driving to Ontartio for their needs. When I say we have a blank page I mean a business minded individual who wanted to identify a demand and supply it would probably make a very good living doing it. All the while surrounded by forrest, lakes, hills, open fields, farms, clean air, freindly people, French and English. I'm telling you, anyone who feels like they want to break out of the daily grind or feels like they just fit in to the 9-5 take a look at the Pontiac. It may not be for you....but maybe it is.
The link in the title will get you to the office responsible for this campaign.

Sea Kayaking

2010-06-18T09:12:00.003-04:00

If anyone is interested in learning Sea Kayaking this may be the time to do it.
Last summer was awfull for weather (much of the time) and many of us were cautious with our money because of the economy. I don't know about you but I was a bit dissapointed in myself not getting out and experiencing the summer. So this year I've orgainized 4 Saturdays of beginner Sea Kayaking. A freind of mine is a professional Kayak instructor and we worked out a schedule. We're offering a full day of instruction. The morning will mostly focus on paddling skills and safety. You'll learn forward, reverse, sweep strokes as well as wet exits. Wet exits are particularily helpfull to have learned when you're upside down in the water and can't hear instructions. If that made you apprehensive don't be. I've kayaked many places and I've never rolled upside down accidentally. But you'll learn the exit just in case. After a BBQ lunch the group will take tour around the lake. There are a couple of little nooks and hidden bays to check out. This will give you a couple of hours on the water to get used to the boats and the paddleing skills from the morning. I've created each date as an event on facebook; since I just learned how important social media is. The title of this blog entry will link to facebook page and you can see more information. If you become a fan you'll be invited to other activities like this one when they become orgainzed. Kayaking really is a lot of fun and I've found it's becomming more popular all the time. Hopfully some of you can come out to one of these dates and who knows maybe Sea Kayaking will become your passion.

Business Meeting

2010-06-17T09:45:00.002-04:00

So last night I was at the Horton Community Centre where a couple of local speakers addresses us on the topic of Using Social Media for Business. Hence this blog entry. It was really informative. Like all of us some of the informaion I already knew but when an expert orgainzes everything and relates puts in into terms that the average person can grasp it really starts to make sense. Simple ideas like linking all of my social media together. This blog is available on my website and can be linked to from facebook and my You Tube videos are now posted on my Pure Life Adventures facebook page. These may seem obvoius to some people but until last night I didn't see the entire connection. Sometimes I wish I was 12 years old so that all of this would be easy and natural. Enterprise Renfrew County put the evening together and the speakers were Matt LeMay and Jay Mclaren. And the food was terrific!

Boys and Girls Club Pembroke

2010-04-20T08:16:00.002-04:00

The other day was hilarious! I was contacted by the Boys and Girls Club of Pembroke to spend some time with the kids exposing them to North American modes of travel. It turns out that there are very few companies in the Ottawa Valley who Dog Sled and Snowshoe. I was reffered to the club by the owner of Go On and Get Lost. It's a gear shop in Pembroke. Look it up. It's about a year old. Great place. Anyway, that's how they got my name and apparently they were glad to find me because someone had promised the kids a dog sledder. That person quite working at the club and the new organizer was sort of under the gun. Long story short I had no probelm spending an hour with the kids and I'll tell you they loved it!
First was snowshoeing and to my surprise every kid wanted to try each different set of snowshoes. They were comparing them with each other and giving reasons why they like one or the other. They were all instant experts. Next we moved to the dog sled. I had brought an older sled that we don't use for commercial trips anymore. Just demos like this. We gave the kids a rundown on some of the parts: runners, basket, snow hook, and those types of things. The kids started getting interested. Then we talked about when and how dog sleds may be used and in what sort of snow and weather conditions. Then we compared to the conditions that snoshoes are usefull in. The kids really started thinking. It was now time for what I had been waiting for all morning. We discussed and practiced dog commands. Gee (right), Haw (left), Whoa (slow/stop), get up/hike/whistle (go). Once the kids were realtively proficient with their commands we tested them. 6 kids were pair up in front of the sled, tow lines were wrapped around their waits and they new what was coming. "Get up!" The kids took off like a shot. Well faster than I thought they would anyways. We were coming to the end of this small field so soon enough they hear: "Gee!" "Gee!" Sure enough the lead dogs (I mean kids) started to veer right and the rest of the pack followed. This was great. Julia (my girlfreind) said that I was calling to the kids just like I do with actual dogs. I suppose that makes sense, I've never had a team of kids pulling me before. So around the field we go and back to the start/finnish. Everyone crowded around like we had just won the Iditarod. "Me next!" "Me next!" And off we go again. 3 times with 3 different teams we circled that field. Once the kids settled down from their sledding experience I did a little demo on how a dog harness works. While I spoke Julia brought Lucky (my dog, a Siberian Husky that I rescued from the pound) over. Lucky is pretty good with kids. So each kid was given a dog treat and one by one they walked over and handed the treat to Lucky. Fingers together, palm up. A quick lick of the hand and it was gone. The morning was quite successful. Julia and I had fun, the kids had a blast, the councelors enjoyed watching, but I think mostly, the kids parents' appreciated a quiet night.

Hosting Onslow and St. John's Elementary Schools

2010-02-24T07:55:00.003-05:00

On Monday we hosted our first school feild trip. Onslow Elementary from Quyon Quebec and St. John's Elementary from Campbell's Bay Quebec organized a fun day for many of thier students. 50 kids of grades 4-5 attended along with about 14 adult chaperones.
The idea was to split the kids into 4 groups, spread the chaperones among the groups, and have 4 different stations for everyone to rotate through: Dog Sledding, Snowshoeing, Winter Games, and a lunch station. This worked very well. It allowed us to manage people and equipment easier as well as give a more personal experience to each person.
I was one of the Dog sledding guides but from what I hear the kids enjoyed snowshoeing just as much. Julia who is a seasoned snowshoer and has spent many years in the forrestry industry taught the kids a bunch of interesting tidbits. Things like how to tell how old a tree is without cutting it down and counting the rings and a couple of species identification techniques too. Of course the kids were pretty hyped about the dogs and I didn't hear about the snowshoeing adventures until things were a bit calmer aroud the fire. The winter games seemed to be just some busy time goofing off in the snow. The facilitator for that station was contracted by the schools and I get the feeling some people were dissapointed in what was offered. No worries though the dog sledding and snowshoeing seemed to make up for any lack of excitement.

Regional Contact - 2

2010-02-18T09:05:00.003-05:00

Well it looks like the whole Regional Contact event will be put on hold for a while. Maybe until next winter. You may have heard that CTV had a fire just over a week ago. They lost a lot of their editing equipment along with cameras and even thier archived footage. It's possible that some of the film was not destroyed but I guess they're to assume all of it is lost. At least until it gets checked out. Too bad eh. So Kathie Donovan and I have been working hard to come up with a date that her and Joel and a camera man can finnish (or rather start over) the show that we started a few weeks ago. But with all of the confusion at the tv station it's been decided that we'll wait until the summer or more likely next winter to do the show. No problem though, this will relieve some of the pressure off of them and maybe I'll have a show on tv at the beginning of the winter rather than at the end. Which would help with business. We'll see though.

Family Skate Day

2010-02-15T08:25:00.003-05:00

Things went pretty well on the weekend. Ladysmith's annual Family Skate took place on Saturday. Just over 100 people showed up which is up from 70 last year. This may not sound like a lot but when you consider that only 427 people live within 50km of hear that's a pretty good percentage.

The weather was gloomy to start the day win clouds and a good breeze but never the less at about 5 after 10(am) the first two families pulled in to the parking lot. Out poped a few excited kiddies with the parents soon behind with thier skates. Public skateing is how this day began just last year but with success of last year a couple of us got on the band wagon. Shawn Pully of 710 Excursions brought a team of draft horses and a hay wagon to offer rides and I brought some snowshoes in the case anyone wanted to try them. Shawn took half a dozen tours or so and I did the same. I think people liked the variety of activities this year. Actually I know some people did because they said so.

At about 2pm as the sun was comming out and the day was drawing to a close the prizes were drawn. 2 pair of snowshoes and 10 toques donated by the Quebec government were given out to some very appreciative Skate Day participants.

From the comments I heard in passing I think everyone really enjoyed the day.

Regional Contact

2010-01-28T10:07:00.006-05:00

Well yesterday was pretty exciting! Kathy and Joel from Regional Contact came out to film me. The show, as you may know, is about people and activities in the Ottawa Valley and one of the activities that I offer is Winter Camping. They were interested in what I had to offer so we set a date and yesterday was it.
If any of you have ever been a part of a t.v. show (or maybe other types of video media) you'll know what I mean when I say that it's all about repitition. Each little shot was done 3 or 4 times from different angles, and distances. Now, that I had thought about before but the funny part was doing the dialogue over for each new shot. It was like rehersing a speach. A speach that I had written about 2 seconds ago.
All in all it was a good time. We filmed some snowshoeing, fire building, a converstion, and lunch. With the magic of a professional camera man (Pete) and editors it should all turn into a new and exciting episode.
The show isn't quite done yet though. They'll be comming back to film either sleigh rides with the heavy horses or a morning of Dog Sledding. I offer both of those activities but they still have to decide which is better for the show.
I didn't get the air date but once I know I'll be posting another message with that informaion.

Valentine's Day Dinner

2010-01-26T11:06:00.003-05:00

If anyone is looking for a fun Valentine's Day you may be interested in what Hotel Ladysmith is putting on.
On Sunday Feb. 14 from 4-8pm they will be serving a special Valentine's Day meal. BBQ Chicken dinner with salad and a desert. They've also teamed up with the company who does the sleigh rides to offer a package. They haven't set a price yet but I know it will be very affordable. Maybe I'll update this message once I get the price.
It would be a very good idea to make reservations. I've missed out on meals there before because I didn't call ahead. Thier phone # is 819-647-5476. They're about half an hour from Renfew ON.
Take is from me fellas doing this would make you a Hero in the eyes of your girlfreind.
See you there!

Horse Logging

2010-01-19T10:52:00.006-05:00

Last weekend we hitched Victor and Mae to do a bit of logging in the bush. If you're wondering Victor and Mae are not human freinds of mine but two draft horses. They're very smart too. Victor is 14 and i swear if he had thumbs he could cut the trees down as well as drag them out of the bush. Mae is younger but she's part of the team in order to learn from the master.
All in all there were 8 of us out that day. Three kids and the rest of us adults. We rode the sleigh into the bush where a couple of trees had been cut down already. We were all able to try to old cross cut saws too. Once the trees were down and limbed the horses were easily backed up and hitched to the log. A few quick commands and the logs were out on the trail. Just like that. I've used trucks and ATVs to pull logs before but Wow, these horses are powerfull! The made it look like they were pulling toothpicks.
Once the work was done we got the fire going and had a great traditional meal. Beans and fresh bread was on the menu. And not the canned beans either. Just like Grandpa used to make. I had completely forgotten about the beans he made but after our day out I remember a lot more about him now.
A realy good day.