In Memory Of

In Memory of...

Please play the song below. You don't have to watch the video, but the music sets the mood.

So, the time finally came for a new camera. My Canon A590IS finally kicked it. My son was playing with it yesterday, and poof, the camera died. Usually poof means another photo was taken, but not this time... And now it takes terrible photos. Poor thing. It's ok though, the old camera has taken many good photos in it's lifetime.

This is the second last photo taken with my old camera. Yes, as cruel as it is, like bringing in a puppy the day before you put your old dog down, I bought a new camera. And to make matters worse...

The was the first photo I ever took with you. Yes, you replaced my camera phone. But you lived to see so much...

...and this was the last photo you ever took. I lovingly took photos of the new camera with the old, just like last time. Oh, the humanity! But what this new camera is doing is not replacing it, but continuing on the legacy of cameras in my life... It has a lot to live up to. A LOT!

This is the first photo taken with the new camera! Goodbye old friend! You will be missed, we've had some fantastic memories...

...like the time we went on that motorcycle trip through Montana and Wyoming...

...or the time we spent watching our home be built....

...and remember our first scramble? Up Mt. Yamnuska?

Remember how cold it was up in Yellowknife?

and how crowded it was in New York City?

We've been from coast...

...to coast...

...and many places in between!

We've raced marathons...

...worked out... 

...leapt and flown...

...and made it so close to some of our destinations! But best of all...

...we've welcomed the most special friend to this world!

Yes, my new camera has a lot to live up to. Imagine the places we'll go! The things we will see! The people we will meet! Yes, there are many more adventures to come. Many more. Old camera, Sir Canon A590, enjoy your retirement well! I will miss your photos and the time we've spent together.

:-)

Testing the mobile app

I'm posting this to see how easy it is to blog from my Android phone. So far, so good.

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Lorne West - CFP PTS

Uh oh!! A daydream post...

With the upcoming summer ahead of me, I cannot help but dream of the things I would like to do. Swim, run, bike, go to the zoo, kayak, canoe, camp, visit parks, walk, hike, climb, scramble, take pictures, play, etc... Summer is great! But there's an adventure to the top of Canada that I would love to do someday. I would love to see the very north, even though I grew up in the north. It's always intrigued me, and it's a feeling I cannot shake. So a few years ago, I discovered a road to Inuvik, Northwest Territories, called the Dempster Highway. And it would be the an awesome adventure to take my motorcycle up there. While it is highly unlikely to occur this year, or any time in the next 5 years, I can still daydream about it and share my dreams with the world.

Note that none of the photos are owned by me, and that I found them all online through Google. I hold no rights to these photos, but thank you to those who did make the available to daydreamers like me!

A Google search of the Dempster Highway reveals this map, and I find it amusing that it mentions Grimshaw on it. I grew  up in Peace River, which is about 15 minutes east of Grimshaw.

Here is my likely approach to get to Dawson City, which is the start of the Dempster. It would go from Cochrane to Banff, up to Jasper, out to Prince George (point B), and then north through BC via Highway 37.

From Dawson City, Yukon (point A), the highway travels about 700km north to Inuvik (Point B). There is a winter road that would take you to Tuktoyaktuk (the green arrow), but since this trip would be in summer, I'd have to find alternate ways to get up there.

Dawson City, famous Klondike Gold city. 

The Dempster Highway. Not a paved all-access road, but a shale and gravel road through unmatched wilderness.

How could I resist?

I found this photo online of the Dempster. A Kawasaki KLR650, likely the bike I would  use to do this ride...

Hopefully not me... 

Seriously, this would be unlike any other bike trip out there. Sure there are other rides, such as route 66 and the Cabot Trail, but the ruggedness and adventure of this trip would be the trip of a lifetime!

One of the coolest parts of this trip would be crossing the Arctic Circle, Latitude 66N. Again, something I have always wanted to do.

When you get to Tuktoyaktuk, there are natural formation called Pingos, only found in the north. It is one of those things I long to see.

And of course, here is Tuktoyaktuk, NWT. Top of Canada, looking out on the Beaufort Sea.

I do have this trip figured out, at least in my head. It's about 3 days to Dawson City from Cochrane, 2 days up the Dempster, 2 days in Inuvik/Tuk, and then return. So 14 days altogether. Maybe 10, but that would likely feel rushed. And approximately 5000km or more. Who is with me?

I've also found a Travelogue for the Dempster Highway published online by Yukon Territory, which can be found here. While it is a fantastic resource for planning, it also takes away a bit of the adventure. But when I do plan this trip (not IF), I would utilize that publication to ensure I made the most out of my time! Who's with me?

:-)