Bon Echo - Kishkebus Canoe Route

      Bon Echo is a great Provincial Park in Ontario.  Not only does it have the majestic cliffs right in front of the park in Mazinaw Lake, it also has 17kms of backpacking trails (or backpacking-lite), and also the introductory canoe camping lake Joe Perry Lake, which you park your car, portage down to the water, load it up, and canoe across the lake to one of the 23 campsites lining the perimeter of the lake.  I have never been there, but I hear many are very nice, some with their own private sandy beach!

     In any case, I was there yurting with some friends for the 2013 May 24 weekend recently and we decided to tackle the Kishkebus route, a 16 km canoe route that essentially encircles the Mazinaw Cliffs, through a series of portages, lakes and rivers.  It is rated moderate to hard and takes 4 hours according to the woefully insufficient information in the campground info. booklet.  In fact they label it as a 21km route which it isn't anywhere near, and I would call it a novice to intermediate day trip, closer to the novice side, but it depends how heavy a canoe you have.

  The weather wasn’t all that great – overcast, spitting rain very lightly and a little windy but we decided to go anyways.  In the end, it took us about 4 hours.  I had my new canoe and my other friends rented a canoe from the lagoon at the park - $25 for 8 hours.  We got started around 12:30.  Clockwise is the preferred direction, to get the longer 1.5km portage out of the way early on.  From the Lagoon at the park where the canoes are rented you head northward, go through the narrows near Mazinaw rock, along the rock to check out the pictographs, Walt Whitman inscribing, and the ancient cedars along the face of Mazinaw cliff.   Just around the corner is the beginning of the long portage, after a small bay that you probably think is the portage, but it is not. There is a sign indicating the portage is to the left.  

      Right next to the portage, to the right is a hut belonging to the alpine club for the rock climbers.  A few steps up from the shore to begin the 1.5km portage.  I had not much trouble portaging with my new canoe, as it is light and nicely balanced, but the others had more trouble with the much heavier rental canoe that was also not balanced properly and was nose heavy.  I didn’t really look at the map much beforehand, so the length of the portage was a little longer than I expected, but it was not much of a problem.  The portage ends at Kishkebus lake, a nice serene lake, part of Bon Echo park with no motorboats or cottages on it.

                At the end of Kishkebus lake, there’s a short portage to Shabomeka lake, where you’re back into cottage country again.  Rounding the corner to the right we came to a small dam where there is a portage to the left side.  There’s a small signin not very visible brown with yellow lettering, with ‘TRAIL’ written on it, not really marked well. We stopped for a quick lunch here, but then it started raining moderately so we started off again.  At the dam, the water looks a bit shallow to put in just after it (probably even much more so in mid summer).   But, there was no obvious portage farther downstream… we found out one does exist if you go left a bit and straight, but we didn’t see any from the dam’s perspective.  We put the rental canoe in just after the dam, but my new canoe I crossed the dam, and put in in a swampy area to the right of the dam, which worked well in the water levels we had.  As we rounded the first corner we saw were we were supposed to put in. 

     Just after that bend, there’s a recently built short beaver dame we ran just by paddling quickly up to and over it.  Otherwise, there doesn’t seem to be a portage on either side, probably because of the recentness of it.   This opens up into strangely named semicircle lake, as it isn’t a semicircle at all.  The bottom is shallow and silty on this lake.  Heading left out into Campbell creek there’s a low bridge you either had to duck under or portage around.  The next part is a nice paddle, down a meandering stream with lots of beaver activity, we saw quite a few lodges in this area.

Then comes the last portage at the mouth of Campbell Creek and Mazinaw Lake.  As you approach, it looks like the portage is on the right, although there’s no signs.  But after you get out ans scramble up a small bank, you don’t know where to go.  There’s an ATV path that just follows the Mazinaw shoreloine quite a ways away, but doesn’t go near the lake.  If you follow the creek past 2 beaver dams, there is a put in after going down a short but steep bank, but there is still another dam past that one.  There is a portage sign facing the other way but no proper trail or no obvious way to go.  I figure the beavers had just built the last dam recently, this portage could use some cleaning up and proper signage.  We paddled to the other side then got out to portage around the last dam and in again….  while getting eaten alive by mosquitoes in late May.  Then we rushed out to Mazinaw for a good breeze to blow the bugs away, and it’s a 2km paddle northward in Lower Mazinaw back to the campground.

    The Kishkebus route is a nice half day adventure trip in Bon Echo for someone that wants to get acquainted with canoe tripping and portaging without carrying gear, or just to get away from the throngs of powerboats and paddlers along the Mazinaw cliffs.

Everytrail Trip

Bon Echo Provincial Park

Mazinaw Cliffs

Friends of Bon Echo Park

Garmin Gpsmap 62S Screen Cover Replacement

     So I broke my screencover on My Garmin 62S last fall when I fell while hiking.  It was cracked but still remained waterproof.  I talked to Garmin’s terrible customer service to see if I could just get the screen cover – a small $2 piece of plastic to repair my cracked screen myself.  They told me I would have to send the whole unit in for the flat fee repair/replacement for $120 + tax + I would have to ship my unit back to them.  That would end up around $150 just to repair it.  No thanks.

     Luckily I looked around and found some dude from Russia on eBay selling a kit specifically for the Garmin 62 series to replace the screen cover.  Apparently other people have experienced this issue and the same frustration from Garmin’s customer service.  Go figure.  So I bought one.  Although for what you get it still is a bit expensive – around $30 shipped, you get a waterjet cut piece of Lexan or similar, cut to the exact profile of the 62 screen, some adhesive strips, and a screen protector.  Not too bad. 

     I didn’t really like the idea of using 4 separate strips for the adhesive, as I don’t think it would be as watertight as a one piece adhesive.  I use my GPS frequently around water and wanted maximum protection.  So I ordered for $1(including shipping!) a sheet of 3M 300LSE double sided adhesive for IPhone screens off of eBay from China as well.  It is a good OEM spec adhesive good for adhering to plastics.

     So I replaced the screen in all of about 7 minutes.  I opened the case, removing the 8 torx screws and sliding the electronics out. I used a heat gun to soften the adhesive on the cracked screen cover and took the screen cover and all the remaining bits of adhesive off.  I used the replacement screen cover to tracer and cut the300LSE adhesive sheet to the same outer profile, then placed it in the shell to trace the inside of the screen window and cut out the inside. 
   I put the adhesive on the replacement screen cover and installed it, pressing firmly in place to get maximum contact and adhesion.  Over time, and in the heat, the adhesive will adhere even better.  Then I reinstalled the electronics, reassembled the case, and lastly I cleaned the outer surface of the screen cover with rubbing alcohol and installed the screen protector using soapy water to eliminate the bubbles (this is a good trick for installing any screen protector!).  Done.  New screen and saved myself about $120, over what Garmin wanted, just to fix my cracked screen cover.  The only thing iis, it doesn't have the pretty black bezel with garmin lettering on the bottom, but I am OK with that, it is just as functional as when it was new.
 Really, Garmin and their lame repair policy can suck it... and I would encourage you to find your own replacement parts and fix your own unit, since Garmin would prefer just to replace your entire GPS instead of bothering to sell customers repair parts.

   

New Ride - Swift Kipawa Kevlar Fusion with Carbon-Kelvar trim!!

     I went to the Swift spring sale today at Guelph Lake, and ended up coming back with a Swift Kipawa Kevlar Fusion with carbon-kevlar trim.  I needed something to accessorize my new paddle I just carved, right?  I seriously need a new house now, I don't have enough room for my outdoor toys.   Their Kipawa model is supposed to be a great tripper boat for short to medium length trips.  With a narrow waterline profile, it is very fast, although a tad more unstable unloaded than your typical canoe.  It'll be more stable when gear is in the boat.

     And this one is light.  No lame skid pads or other accessories, just straight up.   I haven't weighed it myself, but it is supposed to be in the 38lb range.   To be honest, I originally wanted to check out their carbon fusion model partly made of carbon fiber at 3 lbs lighter, but they didn't have one at the sale.  I think probably now, the Kevlar is light enough and has a bit more strength than the carbon.  I don't think I'm that much of wuss yet that I need a mega ultralight canoe on a portage.  Typically I am not a fan of the all Kevlar clear coat boat aesthetic.  It's not like the cool texture of the carbon fiber - the yellowy Kevlar texture just puts me off a bit, perhaps it simply the yellow color that appears like sunbleached newspaper.  But this one is two tone with a white bottom gelcoat, which seems to balance the aesthetics, and I think it looks good.  The sides are translucent, which many of the ultralight canoes are.   The full-on gelcoat weighs an extra 3 lbs or so, which I didn't want to add just for the sake of aesthetics, this one is likely half that for the weight.  The gelcoat bottom will help protect against abrasion as well, so it is partly functional to boot.

  The Carbon-Kevlar gunwales (edge that goes around the top of the canoe) are a cool option that Swift puts on their lightest canoes.  Traditionally, gunwales are two pieces of wood sandwiching the and screwed together, or aluminum riveted to the main canoe body material.  But this design is carbon fiber and Kevlar cloth weaved and wrapped around a piece of foam to give a T shape at the top of the canoe.  The cloth is bonded directly to the kevlar body of the canoe.  The advantages are that it provides a very stiff, form keeping shape, while being very lightweight as well.  it distributes stress evenly since the seam is bonded continuously.  It also requires no maintenance, unlike wood. 

    Other than that, the boat has cherry seats and handles, the front seat is adjustable, a nice feeling yoke, and vinyl caps.  The flotation tanks have valves in them to let them breathe while in storage and not in use to prevent the air space from expanding or contracting.

     Normally these are quite pricey for a canoe  but I got a bit of a deal on this one.  It does have 4 patches on the inside along the right side.  The wind caught it and it fell off a vehicle (not while moving) while in Swift's possession.  The patches are all done professionally of course, since the OEM did it and are not visible from the outside.  I think the patched areas are likely even stronger than the unpatched areas.  If that knocks $1000 off the cost of the canoe, that's fine with me.

   This is a fine piece of tripping gear and I am excited to try it out this summer.  I just have to treat it gently, not play pinball with some rocks and not drag it over things, like I would my polyethylene kayak.

Making my own Paddle Workshop Part 2 – Done Woodworking

     So another 4 hour session last weekend at the Evergreen Ranch with Bruce Smith resulted in an almost finished canoe paddle that certainly exceeded my expectations.  We worked on the transitions and handles and fine tuned the profiles, thinning out areas that needed it, and sanded it progressively with 60 grit, 120 grit, and 180 grit sandpaper, and even steel wool.  I must say that my paddle looks really amazing, and this is even before I finish it or oil it.  And normally I am not even one to say this.  I am bothered by even slight blemishes, and my expectations going into this paddle making session was that I would end up with something that would look at least somewhat home made.  But this does not, it looks very professional.  My cherry wood has some beautiful coloring to it, streaks of heart wood and sap wood with some decorative blemishes in it.  I suppose my surprise is heightened by the fact that I have not used a real crafted canoe paddle before.  I am used to the $30 thick, soft wood rental special paddles with a layer of crappy, chipping off varnish on it and frayed paddle tips from past abuse, likely made in China, not one made out of quality hardwood that someone has spent 10+ hours crafting.

     I thinned the blade as much as I would feel comfortable with – it is flexible yet reasonably strong.   I wanted it light enough for long paddling days while tripping.  I just need to take care in shallow areas and when the canoe is grounded not to hit things with it or push off the bottom much, although some of that is inevitable when paddling small rivers and shallow areas.

       First is whether to stain it or not.  I do like the natural oiled wood look, but at the same time a darker color that still shows the grain would look great as well.  Then there comes the oil or finish.  Seems like everywhere you look there’s different recommendations for finishes, although the general consensus is Tung oil and/or varnish is a good protector for paddles.  Linseed oil was also recommended, but this yellows with age, whereas Tung oil does not.  Tung oil comes from the seed of a tropical tree.   But when you start looking into Tung oil, it is also very confusing, some are polymerized Tung oil (treated for better drying), some are natural 100% both of which are hard to get, I would need to get them from lee Valley or some specialty store.  The ones at hardware stores labeled ‘Tung Oil finish’  aren’t really Tung oil, they are a  mixture of oils and solvents with varnish and may not even contain Tung oil.  There’s also sealers too, which I don’t really know the purpose of, that you apply before the Tung oil itself.  Then there’s spar varnishes for marine use which may not necessarily be what you think either since the formulas have changed much recently due to volatile organic chemical limitations.  Sheesh, seems like I need a degree in chemical engineering just to figure out what finish to get.

Now I just need to decide on how to finish it, which seems like a daunting task in itself.

     Then there’s the application method.  I hear mixing oil with a solvent like Turpentine to thin it, and letting it stand upright in a bucket of it will have it wick throughout the material.  Then you can gradually apply thicker coats of oil in between drying and sanding.  Some coat the lower blade portion with varnish and leave the handle just oiled as this would create less blisters.  Some would just leave the whole thing oiled and that’s it.  Some people mix an oil with varnish and solvents to create a custom blend with a combination of properties.

     Bruce Smith recommends finishing with a boiled linseed oil. thinned with mineral spirits.  The applications start thin (higher spirit to oil ratio) to penetrate the wood to the inside, and get gradually thicker, about 9 applications worth over the course of a week.  After researching, I understand linseed oil gets yellower with age, whereas Tung oil does not, so I think I will opt for the tung oil and finish it this way.  Unfortunately I have to get some from Lee Valley, since I have no idea who has it around here, certainly the standard hardware stores don't carry real Tung oil.

Filtering out the BS

     Traditional photographers think they need to outfit their lenses with UV filters.  Do yourself a favor and skip that.  It just ends up costing you some money and it also makes for worse photos.  In the ancient times, some film had strange effects due to the photoreactive chemicals reacting with the UV light, and hence the UV filter.  Digital camera sensors all have been developed so the sensor is not affected by UV.  All the filter does, is create more lens flare and I also found that it traps moisture more.  There are rare occasions that if you are in a hostile environment, you know.. photographing a volcano, dirt bike race, or in the mist of a waterfall, then it might be beneficial to protect the lens, but for practically all other situations it is not needed despite many people still thinking they need to buy these things and put them on all of their lenses.  Standard Nikon lens coatings are actually very robust.  I sometimes have no choice but to wipe my lens with whatever shirt I am using.  Shocking, yes I know.  Some photographers treat their cameras like their first born and baby them, but to me they are simply tools, and sometimes I have only what I have with me.  Even with this, my old 18-200 lens that has joined me on many adventures has no visible scratches on the outer lens.

     One of the more useful filters I like to use is a circular polarizer.  It makes for better photos especially outdoors by increasing the contrast, increases the color saturation, and reduces or eliminates glare from reflections on water glass, wet leaves, etc., provided you can afford the lower light that it lets through to the sensor.There’s many, many brands of these circular polarizers you can buy cheap starting in the low 20s.  The problem with a low cost one is, while they will be a polarizing lens, they are also likely to cause negative effects too, so what’s the point?  Circular polarizers are difficult to manufacture to get the desired qualities.   And a good one will also have antireflective coatings on them.  Without them, there will be more ghosting and lens flare induced by the filter itself.  Finally, for an outdoor photographer, you are going to get dirt and dust on the lens, so the final coating needs to be scratch resistant.  

     Sorting through many pages of internet wisdom regarding circular polarizer filters leads me to find that the Marumi Super DHG Circular polarizer filter is, if not the best, one of the best circular polarizing filters you can get, so I got one.   The DHG in the name refers to the antireflective coating.  The super refers to the outer coating that is supposed to be very hard, scratch resistant and also has very low surface tension, so it rejects water and oil, beading up on it instead of smearing all over.  Sounds just what I need.  It’s not very cheap, the lowest cost I found was around $100 from my friend eBay… likely much more at your neighborhood store, if you can even find it, but I think it’ll be worth it in the long run for the better quality photos it will be helping with.