A Traveller Monthly

S k i s a n d S n o w b o a r d s !M e m o i r s !R e v i e w s !

P l a c e s t o g o !T h i n g s t o s e e !

Billy Fletcher and Taylor DredgeDecember 2011Volume 7 Issue 3

A Journeyman Monthly

Ah, the beach. Oh so… ROCKY!?By Taylor Dredge

This year I had the wonderful opportunity to go camping. I know what you’re thinking. Oh, another place to camp? What’s so special about this place? Does it have free marshmallows? Okay maybe not the last bit, but this place is truly different trust me.

When I say which beach is your favourite, many will say Wasaga. Well did you know that there’s this small little camp ground just down the road? Just past Collingwood, there’s a turnoff to a place called Craigleaf - a wonderful campground full of beauty and scenery.

From the outside it looks nothing special; it’s near the road, has many

trees, and looks like every other camp ground out there. But once you go inside, everything changes and you begin to notice things. The first is the rustling waves pounding the shore. You can guess what that hints to. Next is this odd sense of peace as other camper’s enjoy themselves, the birds sing along the trees, and cute little chipmunk’s race through the bushes playing tag. You begin to feel like you’re in one of those Disney fairy tales.

The best place to set up camp is right by the water. Just the sound of the waves and its gentle breeze leaves you feeling fresh and alive in the morning. I personally have never slept better in my life. And above all that, the water is pure. No gunk included.

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Now this is a “beach”, but no ordinary beach.

It’s made of complete solid rock, not a grain of sand

to be found. Warning, BRING WATER SHOES! You’ll thank me later. When by the shore, you can sometimes find fossils. Yes, I said fossils, millions of years old to. You will feel like an archaeologist finding them amongst the other rocks. Plus, when you get tired of the peace and want to have some fun, you can take a ten minute dive over to Wasaga where the beach is hot(pun intended), and the scenes is hotter.

The rest of the camping experience is what you would get anywhere else, but better. Everything is a higher quality than anything I’ve seen. The employees are very compassionate about the place, tending to it as if it were their own home.

The best part of all Craigleaf has to offer is no mosquitoes! The waters breeze is just strong enough to send most pesky bugs packing. Except for spiders. No, no don’t throw this paper away. They’re not that bad. They

only hang out in the bathrooms, literally “hang out”. Get it? Ah, you’re probably aren’t laughing. Whenever I’m in there, I constantly stare up the whole time, watching them. Most don’t move, but there’s always that one, the one that slightly twitches. Then all your attention moves to him and… Okay, I’ll be honest here. They scare the living shit out of me. With their hairy bodies and their big fangs and… Sorry off topic. If it’s a problem for you just find another bathroom, there’s plenty.

The last thing I have to say is, go to Craigleaf. You get the best of both worlds there; a peaceful camp with a peaceful stone beach, and an exciting sand dunned beach with shopping and, what ever you feel like. You won’t be disappointed. Then you can email me and tell me how right I am, just don’t mention spiders. I’d rather keep those “things” out of my mind.

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Roasted MemoriesBy Taylor Dredge

Summers days run on for what seems like forever. Hot days and warm nights leave everyone feeling fresh. One of many summer pastimes is good old camping. One will hike out to the wilderness or even one’s own backyard and still have a blast. My first time camping was something I could never forget.

I was very young and my father took me and my brothers to the lake. I just wanted to go home to my friends and play on the jungle gyms, but it was too late. We were hours from home and I had nothing to do.

Over the course of three days, my opinion quickly changed. I found the forest to be giant jungle gym of its own. All day I hung from the trees taking a big whiff of the

cool breeze as I swayed from it back and forth. And when it got dark, the real fun started. We set up a ferocious fire near our tent and all you could hear was the wood cracking as a blanket of fire wrapped itself around the helpless timber. The flames danced putting on a light show as the heat massaged my skin and my gooey marshmallows. The smoke didn’t taste so good though.

After the fire went out in the dying hours of the day, the sky glowed. It was something I had never seen before. The stars made the night seem like day as they worked together with the moon to create a beam of white light that shined on the land before it. I stared all night, even catching a glimpse of a few shooting stars. They whizzed by in a fraction of a second, but just enough time to close my eyes and make a wish.

Camping is a real vacation to me. Nature’s complex beauty leaves me breathless every time as I sit and embrace its gifts. It’s just too bad many don’t see what experiences camping has to offer. Most would rather take a trip to a noisy beach resort with pee filled pools instead of a nice quiet or Exhilarating trip to the great outdoors, where

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living takes on a whole new meaning. To me the choice is easy, but some people…

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Review: The King of MoviesBy Taylor Dredge

“Hakuna Matata,” is what many will be saying after they watch “The Lion King.” This classic Disney movie has certainly survived the test of time and continues to entertain many. Its simplistic good versus evil plot manages to hook the viewers through heart warming, funny and villainous characters.

The epic tale and rivalry between Simba(Matthew Broderick) and Scar(Jeremy Irons) will have everyone on the edge of their seats as they follow along. While characters like Timon(Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa(Ernie Sabella) are well introduced and lighten up the mood. Their comic relief helps loosen the knots of some intense scenes while still moving the plot along without hindering the plot in any way.

The art and animation is just beautiful. Taking place in Africa, the artists really outdid themselves on both the scenery and the character designs. The colours chosen couldn't be better chosen. The mixture of browns and blues complement each other very well to create dark and intense scenes as well as bright and inspiring scenes.

The animation has very much improved from the original. Running smother than ever it can easily compare to any animation made today. The character movements and transitions look very natural as their bodies and expressions display incredible frame rates. This makes the movie appear very smooth creating a sense of awe.

The Lion King without a doubt is a must see masterpiece. Made for children, this movie not only is enjoyable to them, but to the common adult as well. The audience will laugh, cry, and cheer throughout the film. This classic is still on top of its game years later, so what are you waiting for?

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So Many Skis, So Many SnowboardsBy Taylor Dredge

It’s that time of year again. The sun sleeps in all morning and the air chills to a brutal temperature. The trees stand naked as the grass is covered with blankets of snow... well almost.

Most people will begin to break out their old skis or snowboards that were probably left to rot all summer. If you’re like me and have them crumble into dust just looking at it, then it’s time for an upgrade. Luckily for all your readers out there I have already been through this nightmare of a task and am here to save the day. If it’s your first time buying this article will also help you out.

Now buying the equipment is not as easy as going down to the sports store and picking up whatever. Entering a store with no knowledge what so ever is like going to write a test you know nothing about. You just wouldn’t do it. Plus if you do, expect to be surrounded as the employees stalk you, their prey. They will do everything they can to help. Help you buy the most expensive thing out there that is.

Picking the right ones is no easy task. There are

thousands of options with more each coming each year. This article is to help you find your soul mate, metaphorically of course.

The first thing you need to do is decide whether you want to snowboard or ski. Both are equally respectable and have their advantages, but it’s really what you prefer more. Some like snowboarding, some like skiing. Skiing is a classic, easy to learn way of enjoying the hill while the ever increasing snowboarding trend is more challenging and offers a whole new experience of riding down the hill. If you’re new I encourage you to go to the hills rental shop and try both down the hill. No point in wasting money on something you don’t enjoy doing.

Next is determining your level. Obviously if you’re new or haven’t been in a long time, buying the high tech gear isn’t the greatest idea, be practical. It’s the same if you’re a very good rider, cheap little gear won’t fit your needs, buy within reason. The prices attached to the gear generally give you a clue if it’s a beginner or advanced level piece or an advanced one.

The last step is deciding how you want to ride. There are many different styles that

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require different styles of boards. The three different types of snowboards available on the market today: Freestyle, Freeride (All Mountain), and Alpine (Carving) Boards. Each board has a unique construction technique and

materials, shape, flex pattern, and size ect.

Of the three Snowboard types, the Freeride Snowboard is the most popular. This type of board is a good all-mountain, park and Halfpipe. It’s a snowboard that is designed to float well in Powder Surface. You can enjoy carving, catching air, and basically all riding aspects

A Freestyle Snowboard is wider, more stable, and more forgiving to ride. Also, it is shorter, lighter and (compared with a freeride board) softer in flex, which makes it easier to turn. These

characteristics make a freestyle board very responsive to the rider. Consequently, it is the best choice for the beginner.

Carving Snowboards are narrower than freestyle and freeride boards. Their

long, narrow, stiff

constructions are configured for higher speeds and cleaner carved turns. With this, carving boards allow quick edge turns, swift, superior edge-holding power on hard snow, and good stability for speed. While carving boards offer a higher level of performance, they are more difficult for the beginning rider to use and are generally reserved for more advanced riders.

Skis are generally the same. There’s alpine, twin tip, and racing skis. I’m not getting into cross-country skis.

Skis used in Alpine Skiing are precise, fast.

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They are designed for easy turning and are the most common type of skis out there.

For many youth, twin tip skis are the only way to go. With the development of terrain parks and halfpipes in most resorts, short twin-tip skis put spins and fakie moves in the reach of everyone.

If you're looking for performance at speed, then modern race carving skis is the way to go. Incredibly responsive, but need a good skier sitting on them. Skier X skis are based on

the same technology, but have much deeper sidecuts and larger surface area, giving off-piste performance as well.

Well there you have it. Everything you need to know when you go out and buy that waxed piece of heaven. The only thing you really have to do is chose which way you want to ride, how you want to ride, and how good you think you are. I have given you the knowledge and the skills, now all you need to do is pick what colour.

Dare to skimp By Billy Fletcher

When I was younger, my brothers and I had little concept of the ‘dream vacation’. Every year would tell a similar story – we would pile into our grandmother’s car to visit the family cottage at Buckhorn in Kawartha Lakes to swim and spend warm and glowing time with family; or go camping on the shores of Lake Erie to bask in the warm fire and marvel at the stars. Then at the end of the summer and dawn of the new school year, we’d all pile back into class and hear tales of yore from other classmates. Adventures in Disneyland, perhaps, or a weekend lounging on the sands of Hawaii they would describe.

Every time this happened I felt little envy, though I cannot speak for my brothers. I had had fun where I had gone, and I didn’t need to be somewhere else in the world to do so.

There’s a story buried somewhere in this anecdote, to be sure. While you’re planning a vacation, when factoring in children who haven’t been clamouring for a particular place, you don’t have to go far to impress them. Engaging family time at a cozy, cluttered family cottage or a lush campsite is just as valuable as anything that you`d otherwise have to rob a bank for. How many horror stories have been posted of people who went through nightmare after nightmare getting to a hyped-up

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destination, only for it to fall totally flat?

Book Review: Watership DownBy Billy Fletcher

Unfortunately, Watership Down

is often remembered for its

animated adaptation causing

childhood trauma rather than

for its literary merit. The

fact that it features

mutilation, suffocation and a

cheery DVD cover featuring the

main characters (adorable

bunnies) probably has

something to do with it.

The basic story is as such:

Our protagonist Hazel has a

little brother by the name of

Fiver, who is struck with

terrifying precognitive

visions of the eventual

terrible fate of their home

warren. After Fiver’s warnings

are ignored by their chief,

Hazel and Fiver gather what

friends they have and leave

the warren to forge a warren

of their own on top of the

eponymous down.

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Reading it knowing that I

would be writing an article

about it in a travel magazine,

the first thing I noticed were

the lavish descriptions of the

English countryside. The book

doubles as a botanical

handbook, and the picture the

prose paints in your head is

simply beautiful. This serves

to add to the depth of the

novel – at first glance, it is

simply a book about bunnies.

Then you find within its pages

an extensive constructed

language and mythology

centered on Al-ahrairah, their

catchall folk hero/trickster

figure. It also evades the

trap that many books fall into

in that exposition of this

mythology is seamlessly

integrated into the plot of

the book. In fact, I would

have to say that my favourite

part of the book was the tale

of Al-ahrairah traveling down

to the underworld to meet with

the Black Rabbit of Inle, the

lapine personification of

death.

Overall, I’d recommend the

book to anybody interested in

xenofiction (fiction from an

inhuman perspective) or

travelers interested in

Britain. The former will enjoy

one of the benchmarks of the

genre (and I’m frankly

surprised that they haven’t

read the book earlier), and

the latter will surely

appreciate the beautiful

mental portraits that the book

will facilitate.

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Fogtown in HogtownBy Billy Fletcher

I really do wish I could travel more. Currently, the only big city that I am well-acquainted with is

Toronto, and even then to a frighteningly small degree (I still think pigeons are adorable). People often say that it’s an ugly city, and it’s probably small-town ignorance talking, but I am inclined to disagree. The cityscape holds a special place in my heart – some part of me took the construction of the Burj Khafila as a personal

insult. Although, I do have to say, a single glance of Melbourne tells me that if I ever get the chance to visit Australia, that will be the first place I’ll head.

Perhaps it’s a sentimental attachment, like one that one would feel to one’s first car. I’ve lived in a

sleepy, peaceful suburb all my life and I went years without ever seeing a

skyscraper. I just looked about like a drooling moron when I first stepped into Toronto, which was appropriate, as my earliest memory of the city was of my visit to the Royal Ontario Museum at age five or six. It wasn’t until a while later that I was able to appreciate it a bit more. I’m not much of a sunshine and rainbows guy,

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so a slate grey sky and sleek cars slinking by in a soft fog is my natural habitat.

Let me set the scene. It’s early winter, and the sun has set in the late afternoon, leaving the skies dark before their time. It had already been dark, of course, as the clouds have descended from on high to enshroud the world in granite grey. It stopped raining a quarter of an hour ago, perhaps, and there’s still the soft pitter-patter of runoff as the water that is behind the curve descends from tree or building to join the dark glaze spreading across the concrete earth.

Lucky for you, puddles have not had the chance to grow – no buses ruining your night in this imagine spot. The lights of windows, signs and streetlights meld into hues of white and yellow, creating a dreamy near-monochrome aesthetic that one would see in a movie shot. Above, steel colossi reach into the faded sky and slowly dissolve into the mist.

What will you do now? Look for a restaurant, go to a movie? There’s pretty much anything you could want in a city here, and that’s how I like it.

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Not Quite Everest – The Life and Times of Edmund HillaryBy Billy Fletcher

Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzig Norgay did not materialize out of thin air to brave Mount Everest in their historic 1953 expedition. They each had their own story before, and their own story after – and it is here that we will cover their lives before he became the first man on the summit of Everest.

Hillary was born in Auckland, New Zealand to a family of British immigrants, a second-generation New Zealander (his grandparents emigrated there). Perhaps surprisingly, he was a small and shy child who often sleeked out solace in books. At sixteen, however, he discovered that he had greater endurance than his contemporaries, and learned to box and climb. Despite average marks in high school, he studied science and math at the University of Auckland. He then served in World War 2 as a navigator, but was shipped back to New Zealand after being badly burned in a naval incident. After this he returned to climbing, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Hillary’s story is one of triumph, rising from humble

beginnings to be one of the most influential men in the world. “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves,” Hillary once stated, and he could not have been truer. But Hillary was merely scrawny – Tenzig was a bonded slave, and his story is equally if not more impressive.

Recent research has claimed that Tenzig was born to a Tibetan family, which sold him as a bonded servant to a Sherpa family after their yaks were killed by disease. In his autobiography Tenzig claims that he was simply born to a Sherpa family, but either option presents a humble beginning. After dealing with a rough childhood in which many of his 12 siblings died, his physical competence and charming smile caught the eye of Eric Shipton, who got him into mountaineering. After several expeditions, he eventually got into the John Hunt expedition and ended up being the second person on Everest.

All of the photos of Everest’s summit from the expedition feature Tenzig. As Hillary said, "Tenzing did not know how to operate the camera and the top of Everest was no place to start teaching him how to use it."

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The two remained close friends throughout the rest of their lives. To be sure, the stories of these two misfits show that anyone can succeed if they put their mind to it – even Everest. Who knows, maybe the first people to Mars will include an ex-gutter rat or recovered drug addict. It’s foolish to judge people who haven’t been given a chance – one of the things I’ve learned in life is that even the most unseemly people can surprise you.

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