Well, it's official... I'm no longer a camper. I got the notice this morning, and called to find out that my tent is hanging, drying in the garage at Canadore College. I knew it was too good to last. It's nice of them to take my stuff down and save me the packing up and carrying it out of the woods, but they could've waited a day longer! Kidding... So anyway, I'm going to pick my stuff up after class, and I'll be sure to take a picture of my tent's final resting place!

The folks who collected my materials were quite friendly, and were more worried that I'd think kids from the houses behind the school had found and taken my stuff!

I swear I didn't intend to sleep inside as much as I have! Circumstances have gotten the best of me... I don't suppose anyone's interested in following my blog this June when I camp for the month? Never mind. Anyway, I've got another three nights to attempt to meet a lynx, and if I encounter any other species of wild cat, I will definitely run as fast as I can in snowshoes.

Last night was so warm that I slept in until 11:30! Woo hoo!

On to the lynx hunt... The first one I found is probably just a dog, but check out the second one!

I think it's almost an exact match, which is pretty cool. I walked up last night without snowshoes in order to be a bit quieter and hopefully see something interesting, but no such luck.

Also, here's a picture of my third and final home - notice the very small entrance. I feel like my tent is giving birth to me every time I crawl out!

Wow! Cool news tonight at my Outdoor Ed. class!

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Christy came to see my set up. On the way there, I was having fun pointing out interesting tracks along the way, when I managed to find a set that stumped/intrigued me. I kept meaning to look up the large, somewhat cat-like prints online, but never got around to it. So tonight, when the class started off with a wild story of a lynx sighting near the residence that I'm camped out behind, I decided it might be time to do that search! Sure enough, I found a picture of a paw print that looked almost identical to the one I saw, and here it is:

I'm going to see if I can find any more on my way down tomorrow morning, and I'll take pictures for comparison purposes. For now, off to bed (and don't worry, the lynx is a very shy and reclusive animal - I'm unlikely - to my chagrin - to see one, let alone get eaten by one!)

Ok, it's working again now - here's the moose and the bear I had to fight off last week. I swear.

Hello again! I apologize for not posting for a while, but first my blog was broken (and it still kind of is - I can't put pictures on it) and then now I'm down in Toronto and not exactly roughing it...

It's ok though, I deserve a rest. My last night out I had to fight off a moose and a bear, and I'd show you the pictures to prove it if I could.

As of right now, it looks like I've got five or six more nights in the tent. I'll set up again Monday after school, and be there until Friday or Saturday night. Sunday's the first game of playoffs in TO, and then Monday's my one and only exam, and then I'll kind of be a qualified teacher (AH!). Also, then I'll be heading to Gravenhurst to open my Grandma's cottage, and not in need of alternative accommodations any more... *sniff*

So I didn't exactly camp for an entire month like I said I was going to, but I console myself with this: I camped more than I have in any other March of my 27 years, and also more than almost any of my friends... I say almost any, just in case someone has been camping without my knowledge in some sort of "I'm better than Schwindt at camping in March challenge..."

So that's all for now. Happy Belated St. Paddy's Day!

Just so everyone knows, 4 hours sleep is not enough. I think I saw a beautiful sunrise this morning, but it may have actually been on my way up to my tent last night.

Another warm, dry night anyway; I'm quite impressed with how water, wind and snow-proof my current configuration is. It amazes me how much and how quickly I've learned. It's helped to regularly get advice from friends, but there's been lots of trial and error too. I'd like to apologize to school for all of the learning I haven't been doing there; my brain is too full of survival thinking. I've just proved (and shown where I am on) Maslow's Needs Hierarchy!

So apparently I slept through quite the storm last night! I woke up dry and rested, so it couldn't have been that bad, right? I woke up to a (greatly appreciated) winter wonderland this morning, and if I can figure out again how to get pictures off of my phone, I'll share it. Looks good to go cross-country skiing this afternoon!

The one concern I have at this point (aside from the number of times I've been warned that bears will be waking up soon) is that the parts of the trail which are somewhat washed away will be covered by a thin layer of snow, and my walk up will be a little treacherous tonight.

Altogether, things are going pretty well though, and tonight I should break my (rather sad) record for consecutive nights spent in the tent.

Another good morning this morning! I'm still migrating somewhat in the night, but not as much, and I was quite warm and comfortable last night. I'm thinking come Thursday that I'll be rather reluctant to take the tent down, but I imagine that four nights (Thurs.-Sun., while I'm in Toronto) would be a little too long to leave my new home unattended.

Last night's walk up to the tent proved to me that I made the right call on Saturday night when I chose not to hike in in the dark. It was a spooky walk, for one thing (weird night, with all kinds of funny noises, and branches where there didn't use to be branches), and it's getting icy in places and dicey in others on the hike up. Had I gone in thigh-deep into a snowbank with my backpack on my back in the dark, I would have been in rough shape.

Just one more thing this morning - does anyone have property they're willing to let me camp on in June? I've decided that on campus would be a little more problematic then, what with the trails actually being a lot more pleasant to walk on...

Well, today's the day to head back out to the woods! The tent is set up, and my bedding is layed out and ready to go. I'm feeling awfully wimpy - out of six days that I should have been out in the tent, I've only spent three out. I'll try to do better this week, although being that I'm leaving for Toronto on Thursday, the most nights I'll be able to spend in the tent is four. When I come back up after that, that'll be the long haul; I intend to stay up right through until after my exam on the 27th.

I think my new configuration, with a tarp over the top of the tent will make for a dryer experience. I'm also looking forward to the nice flat area I made to sleep on; it'll be a welcome change from my previous nocturnal migrations!

Interesting discovery yesterday while I was out setting up - I have a trail fairly close behind my site as well! It will probably start to see more traffic too, as the trail that I used to take up is somewhat underwater. Either way, I don't think I'm in too much danger of being discovered. Or at least, discovered by anyone who would tell me not to camp where I'm camping.

I've also included some pictures from our ice fishing adventure yesterday - altogether a rather successful experience. That is, no one ended up in the lake, the worst health problem encountered was a pair of sunburnt faces, and despite what appears to be happening in the next picture, no one had to eat any bait!

Needless to say, no actual fish were harmed in the making of our enjoyable morning ice fishing, but I think whatever else can be said about the day, the people to blame for its lack of productiveness were the rookie fishermen rather than the one with previous fishing experience. That's all.

Good morning loyal readers!

I managed yesterday to get everything out of camp before there was too much damage to anything. I didn't, however, manage to get camp set up again... My tent is safely cached, and my summer sleeping bag is in the dryer right now; the winter one will go in when it's done, or when I get back from ice fishing.

So my first week featured some challenges and set-backs... It also featured some success anyway. I'm not in any way giving up, just regrouping. I'll learn from my mistakes (tarp ON TOP of the tent), and I think by the end of this coming week, I'll be a seasoned pro. I hate to admit it, but it doesn't hurt my feelings that this week's only going until Thrusday for me (done class at 3:30, and then down to TO for a hockey game, staying there until Sunday). Maybe I'll camp on Baker's balcony next weekend!

Well, that's all for now - hopefully my next post will feature some pictures of monster perch, and a new and improved campsite!

Good morning all... Well, last night was my warmest night so far. Also, my wettest by far. I have some serious drying to do this afternoon, and I'm not really looking forward to it. I also will definitely want to strike camp; the tent's on a rather severe angle, and I don't think I'm going to get all of the water out without taking things apart. I hope I can get struck, and put back together this afternoon, although that will probably depend on the rain stopping.

That's all; wish me luck...

Hello all... Sorry for the delay getting a post up today. It's been a long (and any of you here at Nipissing will agree), boring day, away from my computer. Also, I've been dreading the moment I had to do this, but I'm going to lose some bets for some of you. I slept inside last night.

It wasn't from any fear of weather, or desire for comfort; I simply ran out of time to get back to my tent at a reasonable hour. I was watching a movie, and by the time it was done it was 11:30 or so, and the school (with my snowpants, snowshoes and boots inside) is locked up after 11:00, I'm pretty sure. Either way, I was tired and didn't really want to drive back to school to check, and then potentially have to turn around and start looking for a place to stay.

I know you're all incredibly disappointed in me; if you happen to be walking in the woods and see my tent, I'd understand perfectly if you were to pelt it with snowballs (or slushballs more likely, given conditions today).

Either way, I made it out there this afternoon, and fortunately nothing got too wet in the freezing rain and hail of last night and this morning, so I'll be headed back out there tonight! I spread everything out in the hopes that it would dry before I get back, but that may just mean there are more surfaces available to absorb moisture! Oh well, live and learn.

Final note for the day: I think I may have to pack up and switch sites this weekend; my home's getting to be on more of a slant as snow starts to melt, rather than less, and I'd hate to slide down the hill some night in my sleep. Although I hear that's how most athletes get started towards a career in Skeleton!

Happy Morning #2!

It was a happy morning this morning, as (thanks to a few minor adjustments based on some very timely advice - thanks Craig) I woke up refreshed, mostly in the same place I fell asleep in, and WARM! Yes, the summer sleeping bag over the winter sleeping bag and the towel under the neck were a huge success.

I had my first nocturnal encounters as well, on the way home from school last night. All humanimals so far - first a crew having a campfire, and then three young men who were quite aromatic. Just like with most animals, they seemed just as frightened of me as I was of them... I stopped to talk to the campfire crew, one of whom was quite curious as to why I would be snowshoeing into the woods with a guitar at 9:30 at night; I told her that I walked home through the woods. I didn't tell her that home was in the woods! So now I've got my guitar at my tent; one more thing to amuse myself, although so far it's been too cold at night to do much but go straight to sleep. By the time it warms up enough for me to play some guitar before going to sleep, the guitar should be out of tune enough to match my singing!

I want to work a few key phrases into this entry, so internet savvy students living in the townhouse residence at Nipissing can figure out why there's a guy eating dinner in the parking lot. Admittedly, I was a little shy at first and wondered what people might think of a guy living in his car, but I'm coming to enjoy my meals. Here's a picture of my breakfast nook; I think it's got about the nicest view of any I've ever sat in.

So that's all for now - off to art class.

Some pictures of night #1: (photos courtesy of C. Hughes)











1. Before (note big, adventurous smile)








2. After (note somewhat less exuberant look!)

I'm learning from my mistakes though - tonight the camera's not coming with me! Ha!

Well, I survived one night anyway... To all of you who told me it would be cold, you were right! To all of you who have told me I'm crazy, jury's still out on that one.

So here's the site I picked...

...
...
...

and 45 minutes of swearing later...



...
...
...

here's my new home!


Just back at school for a couple of hours to do homework, and then I'm off to the great outdoors!

Well, tonight's the big night... I never thought this would seem like luxury! Apologies to Turgeon, I had a lovely night on your futon...

Looks pretty good for my first week anyway; here's a link to the weekly forecast for North Bay: http://www.theweathernetwork.ca/weather/cities/can/Pages/CAON0484.htm#longTerm
Perhaps I'm crazy to suggest that lows around -10 looks pretty good, but I'm a fan of the lack of precipitation (at least until the weekend)!

Welcome!

Welcome! This is my first attempt at a blog, however, it's also the first time I'm doing anything that really required a blog, so there you go...

For those of you who don't know, I am entering my final month of teachers' college at Nipissing University in North Bay, ON. Originally to save money, and now just to prove I can do it, I have decided to camp for the last three weeks of school (and my one exam), and this blog will be my way of sharing with family and friends some of the highs and lows of the experience. I'll try to avoid any obvious plagiarism of the Blair Witch Project.

Here's a couple of pictures, with and of my daintily packed car (thank god for station wagons!), for comparison purposes.

One more night until the adventure begins!