A Canadian in California giving you the skills to get outside. Sign up for gear, trip reports, how-to guides and all things canoeing, kayaking, backpacking and outdoor adventure travel!
🏕 Monthly Round Up: October/November 2023
Hello hello Reader!
Originally I was going to start this email off with "Hey, long time no speak!".
But then this morning, as I was testing out a new "Welcome to Trip Reports" email draft, I accidentally sent it to half of my newsletter subscribers and about 200 other people instead of myself. Oops 🥲
So if you got that random email this morning, very sorry about that!
ANYWAYS, I'm overdue for a Monthly Round Up. Let's dive in.
What's New With Me?
Very little actually, but I did spend a week in Vancouver for US Thanksgiving (perhaps my favourite part of living in the US is getting half a week off just one month before Christmas). While I was in Vancouver, I went on a boat ride and saw SO MANY ORCAS. They were engaged in a hunt and it was very cool.
I also finalized some holiday plans and worked a lot. I'll be back in Ontario in exactly two weeks!
Announcements
Route Planner Updates!
A lot of changes have been made to the Route Planner lately and I'm really excited about them. For starters, I'm calling it the 'Route Planner' now instead of the 'Canoe Route Planner' because I added backpacking capabilities (it's still glitchy - bear with me while I tweak)
Also, Frontenac Provincial Park has been added as a destination for both backpacking and canoeing.
For both backpacking and portage trails, I've added elevation profiles (so you can see an estimated elevation profile for your portage trails to gauge how strenuous they might be).
And I'm slowly (oh so slowly) adding photos and reviews to campsites, portages and other features.
River Roots: How to Become a Wilderness Guide
For anyone looking to get into wilderness guiding (be it for a summer job or a new career), the process isn't exactly easy. There are a LOT of certifications. When I was guiding, I had to have my Wilderness First Responder, ORCKA Canoe Tripping III, Whitewater Rescue Technician, Swiftwater Paddling II, NLS and more. Plus, it's hard to get a job when you don't already have experience.
So I want to share a really cool opportunity with you. MHO Adventures (an outfitter I've been working with since 2020) is hosting their River Roots Program for the third year in 2024.
The program is 42 days long and during this time, you'll spend one month getting all of the certifications I listed above. And the second month on a canoe trip to James Bay, either on the Missinaibi or Harricanaw River. In addition to technical skills, there's a focus on other skills like backcountry cooking, risk management and route planning.
This is a fantastic way to kick start a job in canoe guiding!!
If you're interested in learning more, reply to this email and I can get your questions answered!
Click here to read more about the River Roots Program
See below enticing photos from my last trip on the Missinaibi ;)
Latest Blog Posts
As you may recall from prior newsletters, I've kind of been on a blogging hiatus for a couple of months (err... more than a year at this point) because work had been so busy and the Canoe Route Planner was consuming all of my free time.
Well, I'm slowly getting back into blogging. There are a couple of new posts below, and I'm updating some older blog posts that are in dire need of a refresh. Thanks for your patience while I get back to the site!
New Blog Posts:
- Mount Diablo Camping: Everything You Need to Know
- Ultimate Guide to Frontenac Provincial Park Camping
- Via Ferrata Whistler: My New Favourite Way to Climb a Mountain (as a Non-Climber)
New Trip Reports:
Just a quick reminder that I'm always accepting new Trip Report submissions. If you'd like to share your trip experience with others (and earn some money for new gear), please send me a message!
Some photos from Mount Diablo:
Happy adventuring!
Well, that's all from my end. Expect a few more emails from me in the coming weeks as the new resources come out and my favourite season draws closer.
Happy adventuring,
Mikaela
Mikaela | Voyageur Tripper
A Canadian in California giving you the skills to get outside. Sign up for gear, trip reports, how-to guides and all things canoeing, kayaking, backpacking and outdoor adventure travel!
Hello Reader, I hope you're having a great day so far! Apologies for being two days late delivering my weekly email to you - I was travelling for work this week and it was much busier than I expected! I've often written that Killarney Provincial Park is one of my favourite places in Ontario (and one of the most beautiful as well). And it's no secret that securing a reservation here, especially in one of the more popular destinations, can feel like trying to snag tickets to a Taylor Swift...
Hello Reader, I hope you're having a great day so far! This isn't a new report (written about a trip from 2020, it's actually one of the oldest reports on the website) - but it happens to be one of my favourites. I absolutely love Temagami. It was the destination for my first real canoe trip, and I've loved revisiting it each time I've gone over the last 15 years. Temagami: Maple Mountain & The Old Growth Quick Facts 🛶 143 km over 14 days 🥾 13 portages (6.2 km total) + 6 km Maple Mountain...
Hello Reader, Welcome to the first day of May! Now that paddling season is upon us, I'm resuming my weekly newsletter showcasing lesser-known destinations - and lesser-known routes in popular destinations - for backcountry camping. We'll start this series with the Nipissing River. Although it stretches some ~100 km through Algonquin Park, the Nipissing River contains some of the park's least frequently travelled sections. So if you want Algonquin, but want to avoid the craziness of Hwy 60,...