A majestic frozen spruce.

We’re out again – this time to the SW corner of the grand Temagami wilderness.  We have nine days to travel, learn and explore on this year’s special “Eco Explorer” expedition.  This is a new trip for us: we’ll be joined by winter ecologist Gerard Courtin, and will be spending half our days at a slower pace, taking the time to learn more about the environment around us.  What a great opportunity for us all to share with Gerard!

Using satellite technology you can follow our journey at: facebook.com/lureofthenorth

[Ps. We apologize that no one will be home to answer phone/ emails, etc]

The crew heads across Missinaibi Lake.

What an amazing journey we’ve just had again this year on the Missinaibi River!  Our 100km trip from CP to CN rails took us over small lakes, creeks, ponds, rivers, around (and even over!) rapids, and across the expansive Missinaibi Lake.  We faced storms, near-constant winds, -30 temps, and some serious slush, but we had a heck of a lot of fun doing it!

Check out all the trip photos here.

For now we’ll be in the office catching up this week, but we’re off again this Saturday for our 9-day “Eco Explorer” adventure!

A beautiful sunrise on the Missinaibi River!

We embark tomorrow for a 13-day journey down a 100km section of the Missinaibi River! Joining us for this amazing adventure are Dave and Deb of The Planet D, with support from Ontario Tourism!

Using satellite technology you can follow our journey at: facebook.com/lureofthenorth

[Ps. We apologize that no one will be home to answer phone/ emails, etc]

Kielyn slices cured Lonza from Ristorante Verdicchio

Fine Italian cuisine may not be the first thing you associate with Lure of the North.  But when we visited Ristorante Verdicchio here in Sudbury last month, we quickly realized we shared a lot in common with owner Mark Gregorini.  He and the staff are passionate about providing an exceptional customer experience which is infused with culture and building a strong local community.  Mark talked of the social bonds we form over a great meal, and we’re certainly no strangers to that here at Lure!  After a long, hard day on the trail, nothing is finer than sharing a good meal and a nice glass of wine with friends around the wood stove.  Thanks to Verdicchio’s those meals just got a whole lot finer with the addition of fine Lonza and Italian Olive Oil!
(PS: Mark shares the same DIY philosophy as Lure: this Lonza and other similar cured meats are produced in-house, what a treat!)

We are off to Camp Kawartha to participate in the reconciliation with winter along with outdoor professionals from all across Ontario. We are the keynote speakers for the Saturday night presentation and are facilitating a leather snowshoe binding workshop.

Come join us for a ski on the trails, and a fire at night to celebrate the frozen wonderland that is Ontario!

Check out this short video on using and tieing lampwick bindings. Shot on a cold morning in early January. This is our favourite style of snowshoe bindings.

The Planet D + Lure of the North = Ontario’s Epic Adventures

We’re very excited to announce that Dave and Deb, from The Planet D will be joining us on our upcoming Missinaibi Headwaters Expedition starting next week!

Dave and Deb are here in Ontario all winter, exploring some of the epic adventures available in our vast and beautiful province.  For more information check out the Ontario Tourism blog entry: “The Planet D discover Ontario“.

You can also read all about how Dave and Deb have been preparing for this journey here: “Winter is Coming, Prepare for Lure of the North“.

Special thanks to Ontario Tourism for giving us the opportunity to showcase our passion to a wider audience!

A Snow Walker heads to the Setting Sun.

We’ve just gotten back from a wet, but still entirely wonderful journey. Thanks to the three amazing participants who, despite the (mostly) unseasonably warm weather, made this such a memorable trip for us!
View the photos here: Set 1 & Set 2.

We have divided and conquered this weekend. Dave is down in South River helping Voyageur Quest prepare for their winter season. He is setting up their prospector tent and showing the staff our new systems that are sure to improve their efficiency.

I am at home here cooking, baking and dehydrating up a storm in preparation for our upcoming expeditions. I have to make over 250 Sandy bars, 500 sandwiches and pack enough food and coffee to keep people full of happiness.

You now can plan your next Temagami adventure with this second edition map. Click on the photo for more information!