Springtime is here and we are welcoming it with open arms!

At the Lure basecamp, or Golden Pond, (ongoldenpond.ca) we have been working steady now for the past month getting preperations in order for the next snowwalking season.

With projects like cutting wood, clearing the site for our new guest accommodation and peeling logs for woodsheds we are waiting for the break-up so we can get our boat in the water!

With all of the wood we have been preparing we thought we should show you how we try to make it as productive as possible with this short video on the use of a rubber tire!

Holding the Sun on the Arctic Ocean

What a season! It was quite eventful in many ways:

Blowdowns!- We had to clear many of the portages due to strong winds and heavy snow at the start of the season on our Ishpatina Expedition;

Slush! – We got plenty on the Missinaibi Headwaters Expedition. Our team members were nothing short of experts at dealing with the frozen slushy madness by the midway point in the trip;

Cold!- This year has been our coldest season to date! With temperatures dropping consistently below -30*C and several times -40*C in a row, we were consistently trying to convince our team members that winter isn’t always this cold;

Wind!- The strong Arctic winds were a reliable beast for the first week of our Explorer’s Club Expedition this year. Like clockwork she arrived at 8 AM and would bare her teeth until we would nestle into the Black Spruce around 4PM;

Sun!- The second half on our journey to the Arctic Ocean we experienced some very strong spring sunshine that tanned our faces as if we had been to Cuba for a month;

Fun!- The people we had the opportunity to share our winter with made all of the obstacles manageable and enjoyable! Thank you to all that accompanied us this year. We hope you are warm by the fire and are ready for Spring!

We are now settling back in to the simple life at the Pond. We are going through emails and catching up on orders now. If you have made an order this winter we are going to be processing as many as we can as soon as we can. Thank you for your continued patience!

To see photos from our season click on the respective link:

Ishpatina Expedition;

Missinaibi Headwaters;

Pontax River Explorer’s Club

• Part 1;
• Part 2;
• Part 3

Snowshoers Walk into the Sunrise

Please note, we’ll be spending 4 of the next 5 weeks out on trip.  In the time between trips we’ll be cleaning gear and packing back up.  From Feb 5th until ~ mid March there will be no one answering emails or filling orders.

Feb 5 – 21: Missinaibi River;
Feb 28 – Mar 15: Pontax River;

We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause, and do regret that we cannot continue crafting and shipping out clothing and equipment until the end of winter.  Upon our return all orders will be filled in the order in which they are received.  If we cannot fill an order in a timeline that is satisfactory to you, we will cancel the order and refund the cost in full.

Thank you very much for your understanding.  We hope that you too, get an opportunity to get out and explore the great white north as we head into the best part of winter!

The 2015 Ishpatina Summit Crew (plus Kielyn!)

We’re back from a wonderful romp through the Temagami wilderness to the highest point in our great province!

Find the photos here.

Next up: Two weeks on the Missinaibi River from Feb 5th to 20th!

Dave and Conor struggle through a tough section of ice on Lake Superior

The wonderful, white season is upon us, and we’re very excited to embark upon another series of snowshoeing adventures!  Our first trip of the season starts this Friday, January 16th, and while we’re away, there will be nobody “manning the fort”, so please be prepared for delays in both shipping of orders, and email responses.  We apologize in advance for the inconvenience.

You can find this season’s trip schedule here, or you can follow all of our trip progress, with nightly updates at our facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/lureofthenorth

Time to decorate the tree!

We will be away from the office from December 23rd to Jan 2nd as we will be spending time with friends and family, celebrating the holiday season, the start of winter, and the return of the sun!

Many thanks to everyone who made 2014 such an incredible journey.  Bring on winter!

Those reindeer ain’t got nothing on us!

We’ve just wrapped up an wonderful workshop season, and would like to thank all the incredible, supporting and creative people we met this fall! After two months on the road, it feels grand to be settling back in. Yesterday we spent an amazing starry evening on the ice and hauled back the two months of accoutrements that we’ve been carrying around with us. Now that everything is back home again we’re on lock-down and won’t be leaving home until all orders are shipped out. Thanks to those that have been patiently waiting for packages!

Beautiful new snowshoes woven with Chapleau Cree First Nations.

We’re on a 9-day workshop marathon from Nov 29th through Dec 7th, that will take us from an artist’s collective in Haliburton to a high school in Meaford to a First Nation’s community in Sagamok. We are still accepting orders at this time, but will not be able to begin filling them until December 8th. Fortunately, we will be hunkered down the remainder of December filling orders. Orders will be filled in the sequence they are received, and we will make every possible effort to get them filled and sent out in time for Christmas! Thank you in advance for your patience and support!

Lampwick Binding. Photo courtesy Tim Foley.

The pros and cons of the various snowshoe bindings we use and offer.

http://lureofthenorth.com/binding-selection-guide/

Kielyn “Toboggin Loggin”

Sometimes the only thing you need to pack with you is a large saw and a lot of wood.  For every time else, we like to refer to our lists to ensure nothing is forgotten!

Now updated for 2015:

• Personal gear recommendations;
• Group gear recommendations;

And as a little bonus, we’ve just put together a page with a few details about the wooden boxes we use on trip, in an effort to help out others thinking of making their own:

• Wannigans and Personal Box Details.

Happy Crafting!