Above: Nanook and I at the docks in Temagami, ON after completing a 500km, 30 day expedition that began at my trapline cabin in Timmins.
Hello, friends.
First off, I want to express how incredibly humbling it is to have been met with so much support in this latest endeavour. It is rewarding in itself to have others enjoy my work - to have their support behind it is unbelievable. It plays a real, practical role in helping me to devote more time and effort to creating.
I have been doing my best to tell stories visually, through pictures on Instagram and the videos I have put together on YouTube for a few years now and it's been a beautiful journey. Both of those mediums have been very rewarding personally as an outlet for creativity, and for sharing the lifestyle that I am pursuing. However, the written word, for me, has always been the best way to tell stories.
It's also the most terrifying.
I put a piece of myself into everything I create, but with writing it is far more personal and the process is often agonizing(in a good way). To receive so much positive feedback about my latest story, The Old Way, has been incredibly encouraging. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all of the feedback and the financial support. Both will help me to take the time to sit down and distill more of my experiences into digestible story form. It feels wonderful knowing that I have been able to bring enjoyment to others and spread a passion for the natural world - I have much more to share.
This has been an exciting, but difficult time in my life. I have just completed the longest canoe expedition I have ever undertaken, leaving from my cabin in Timmins and ending in the town of Temagami - a journey of about 500 kilometres. This trip saw me crossing the height of land in Ontario that divides Arctic and Atlantic watersheds by way of the historic, "Little Hawk Portage" - the first person to do so in nearly a century. The expedition spanned some 30 days in total and traced a geographical and chronological line through my own history with the North, which began as a child at my grandfather's lodge in the northern reaches of Temagami.
During this time on the land, I faced moments both sublime and terrific. Nearly being dashed against a cliff while sailing one-armed through a storm, falling down a boulder ravine and navigating an improvised route that took me off my maps were just some of the challenges I faced. Certainly the most difficult trial - and one that continues to test my resolve - is the torn shoulder that almost left me stranded 135 kilometres from my goal.
There's a book's worth of stories from this trip - which is exactly how I intend to share it.
It seems Providence, fate or just plain bad luck has seen fit to limit me to a chair and keyboard for the foreseeable future and I plan to make the most of it. Lemonade from lemons and all that...
In spite of my condition, I'm excited to see where these limitations take me and to reach into my past experiences and draw out stories that I hope you all find inspiring - or at least entertaining!
Anyhow, I will end this first post here - thanking you all again. Your support means so much.
Happy trails,
Clint