Border Law Goes Into Effect
And this law went in to effect two days ago.
People traveling to Canada from the U.S. must show a passport or valid passport equivalent no matter if they drive, fly, take a train, boat or ride over on a unicycle.
These valid "equivalent" documents denote identity and citizenship and thereby act as substitutes for a passport for entry into Canada for U.S. citizens. There are some exceptions for children.
But, basically speaking. When it comes to passports - Don't leave home without one.
Information about the passport law is available by clicking here.
Obtaining "equivalent document" information is available when you click here.
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Healing on the Albany
We are counting down to July 11th and are very excited that our plans are taking shape for our second Healing On The Albany Event at our own Miminiska Lodge. At this time a dozen Canadian and US soldiers have confirmed their presence at our event.
As you may recall, the event is fully authorized by Project Healing Waters. We continue to welcome monetary gifts that will enable us to transport these worthy men and women of the US and Canadian military service to our Albany River Lodge. There is more information here at the website:
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Healing on the Albany
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The Moon and Weather
There is a full moon this coming Sunday. Is there a connection between the phases of the moon and the weather we Earthlings experience?
Some gardeners do planting according to the moon and the full moon is associated with frost. The moon obviously affects tides - the record is at the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia where there is a difference in water level of 71 feet, about 22 metres.
And, if we have clear skies, the rising full moon will look huge on the horizon.
The full moon does not cause frost, although perhaps it is easier to see it by moonlight!
Skies are usually clear in frost situations.
The average temperature of the Earth does rise and fall ever so slightly during a lunar month. It oscillates through a range of nearly 0.02 of a degree Celsius as the moon waxes and wanes. This variation is due to the motion of the earth and moon as they travel through space in the course of their solar orbit.
We usually think of the moon revolving around the Earth. Indeed, the effect of our planet's gravity is considerable because the moon's mass (or weight) is only 1/80 of the Earth. However, the moon also attracts the Earth and both bodies orbit around their joint centre of mass, which is within the Earth itself.
This Earth-moon combination rotates in space with the Earth slightly closer to the sun at full moon, and slightly further away when the system has swung through 180 degrees to the new-moon phase. The difference is a mere 14,400 kilometres (9,000 miles), but enough to account for the observed increase in temperature when the moon is full.
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Here Come the Fish !
Here Come the Master Anglers!
...by Alan Cheeseman
Just last week we were wondering if the water or air temperatures would ever warm up. They did! A little bit. However, the day-to-day weather has been quite fickle. In fact last Saturday all of our flights were grounded due to heavy snow squalls and freezing temperatures. To be fair, we've had a sprinkling of warmer days, but the evenings have dropped below 0 (c) while daytime warming has pushed the water temps up enough to get the fish moving.
And move they have!
Especially at big Whitewater Lake in the heart of the Wabakimi Provincial Park. We have two destinations on the lake, and since last week, 15 trophy pike over 40 inches have been tabulated - most from the western areas of the lake - near the in-flow from the Ogoki River right near our Whitewater Lake Housekeeping Camp.
However, the biggest pike of the young season has NOT come from this big lake, but from our Arril Lake, (header left picture) where Williamsburg, Michigan's Bill McKinley hooked up with a 45" senior citizen pike, missing a few teeth, but no slacker when it came to the fight. You can hear more about the historic catch in an interview with Bill by clicking here.
Bonus Fishing at Base Camp. Our pilot, Fred White, likes to put it this way, "When the little green spring leaves of the aspen trees are about the size of your thumb, the lake trout are running shallow." Well Fred's right. Our Armstrong area base camp, on Waweig Lake coughed up 24 lake trout Sunday night to the Null party of Lebanon, Missouri and that was before their flight into D'Alton Lake on Monday morning. So when you get to camp in the next week or so, we'll set you up for some lake trout fishing for these big and oh so tasty lakers.
Ogoki Lake, a forty-five minute, 100-mile flight east of our base camp, is really producing walleye. In fact Bruce Luetzow (header right picture) has returned to the lake for his eleventh trip and finds the lake a little bit "new" with each visit. His interview is ready, so listen by clicking here.
Bruce brought along a guest from Ireland, John Feely, from County Galloway, who chats about his great first time experience catching and consuming walleye - the luck of Irish if you will - in this interview - Click here to listen.
Anglers returning from Opichuan, ZigZag, and D'Alton registered master walleye this week as well, for a total of 6 twenty-six inch plus walleye in the record books. As for the pike we now have 19 - forty inches or longer - in the 2009 record books.
Click here to request your own copy of the Master Angler list for 2009.
Talk to you next week - and as always feel free to drop me an e-mail by clicking here or by phone at 888-465-3474.
Alan
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 Cold Now - Cold in The Future - Sorry!
...by Graham Saunders
This past week was downright lousy. Cold Cold Rain. One nice day, but really don't kill the messenger.
We're frustrated too, since we had our garden plants ready to go and on came the frost warnings. So they are still in trays being tucked inside at night waiting for five days with above freezing temps.
This morning was very frosty and there may be a few mornings just like that ahead. I see moderate increases in temps but nothing significant until mid June. We should have temps in the 68-74 (f) window on these dates, but we're having problems reaching 60.
I'll discuss this, and what the cause is in my podcast. Also tell you more about the impact of our solar neighbor, the moon, as well. You may also read the article to left for more lunar enlightenments. Listen in by clicking here. |
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Mighty Musgrave & The Spam Museum
...by Joe Pichey
As you may recall, I joined the Wilderness North team earlier this year, after being a guest for a number of years. I have a lot of "on the lake experience" to share with guests in my
r ole as trip planner. And this summer I am stationed here at base camp in Armstrong, where I occasionally fly into our remote cabin destinations to help guests get set up for their week. And this past week, I had the chance to visit Musgrave and its sister lake Kilbarry for the first time. I can tell you about my experience in the podcast, and about my drive up from our US office in Texas. Once into Minnesota, I took a little detour off of I35 North to the city of Austin and made a visit to the Spam Museum. Click here for the podcast.
Despite the swine flu warnings, I wallowed in the grandeur of this one of kind stop, before heading up to Canada, my address for the next few months and from which I will bring home the bacon. The Spam Museum is a great place for the whole family, and you will note from the photos, I took the opportunity to ham it up for the cameras just as you would.
BTW I still have a few "fill in" dates for trips during the 2009 season, and would love to tell you more about a way to save considerably if your schedule is flexible in July and August.
Joe
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My Whitewater Lake Report
...by Tyler Lancaster
With the exception of a few recent sub freezing night temperatures over the weekend, we have seen gorge ous weather this spring at Striker's Point Lodge. To top off the fine conditions, the fish have been surprisingly aggressive, and more so each day as the water temperatures approach that sacred 50 degree (f) mark.
The Kalgren party- from St. Paul, Minnesota, finished off their week with very solid numbers. They were averaging 60-70 fish per boat, per day. Most of their walleye came in moving water with depths between 18-35 feet. The largest walleye measured in at 23.5 " with many close behind. John Gilliver caught and released a very healthy and spunky 40" northern while taking a break from the walleye in the narrows. He thus becomes our first official Master Angler at Striker's Point.
Dr. Dave Cramer and his sons, John and Jack, made their first trip to Striker's Point Lodge for a quick 3 night getaway. The walleye were also kind to the Cramers, however pike fishing was slow for their first 2 days. The third day saw them land 35" and 36" northerns along with several more walleye. They also had a very close encounter with a mother moose and her tiny calf, which just added to their wilderness retreat. WHEW those mums can get grouchy.
On Monday night the Davidson Party from Richmond, Virginia, arrived, good anglers all, for a ten day trip I will be guiding, so I anticipate some great fishing!
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Beep Beep Beep - Is That Walleye Beeping?
Wilderness North is inviting guests to participate in a study of walleye genetics that is being conducted by Trent University for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Ontario Power Generation. The study will use DNA analysis to investigate the genetic relationships among stocks of walleye in ZigZag Lake, Mojikit Lake/Ogoki Reservoir, Ogoki Lake and Lake Nipigon.
Guest anglers on these lakes - who wish to participate - will collect a small piece of a fin from walleye that are filleted during their trip. Instructions and collection envelopes are provided to willing guests.
In addition, Ontario Power Generation is conducting a walleye movement study in ZigZag Lake and the Little Jackfish River. Acoustic transmitters (like the one in the palm) have been implanted in walleye that were caught and released alive. Receivers (the black cylinder being held by a study scientist) will be deployed underwater at several locations to detect the fish travel, including the top end and bottom end of ZigZag Lake.
The findings from these two studies will be reviewed by planning authorities considering a construction plan for a power generation dam along the Jackfish River.
The current plan will NOT require the closing of ZigZag Lake, unlike earlier plans that called for flooding the area.
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