PHOTO: BRAD FARRISH - WABAKIMI PROVINCIAL PARK, 2008

A day spent without the sight or sound of beauty, the contemplation of mystery, or the search of truth or perfection is a poverty-stricken day; and a succession of such days is fatal to human life.” LEWIS MUMFORD

“

This is the Quinzhee Quarterly. It’s been stripped down and simplified. Most importantly, it’s finally in your hands. Enjoy and contribute.

This is yours.

Brad Farrish, for ORSS

Quinzhee Quarterly is the official magazine of ORSS, the Outdoor Recreation Student Society at Lakehead University.

orsslu@gmail.com orss.ca

1“It was a reality none of us were ready to face.”

3370 is an adventure. One that you will underestimate greatly.

This summer I had the honour of being a part of a nine person sea kayaking expedition on the North shore of Lake Superior. We left Rossport on a sunny afternoon to embark on an epic quest to paddle home. We saw days of rain (40hrs straight), we saw days of sun (12) and we learned endlessly. It amazes me how much you learn about yourself in situations like this. You learn that you are strong and can handle more than you think. You learn who you want to be and 14 days of paddling gives you tons of time to figure

stuff out. You also learn to be comfortable within your own skin (TVP will do that to you). Darrell said that we would learn from the lake and that we certainly did. Each person on this trip learned something different and for myself Superior taught me patients. That it is better to enjoy the time I have been given than to rush through it for the seek of the next destination, or the next chapter. As we finished our trip however I feel as if we got a stern reality check from the lake. For the past thirteen days we had been paddling in beautiful turquoise and blue

OUTD 3370 SEA KAYAKING

CASSAUNDRA NOYES

a while. I pose the question to you this year as you set out on your adventures around this beautiful place... what do you do to give back? We use these spaces, and places to experience the beautiful world around us, but as Rec’ers what are we doing to preserve these places? Take this question with you and I encourage you to make a positive change in the world that is around us. Enjoy the year, and make it worth while.

Cheers.  

2You learn that you are strong and can handle more than you think.”“

If you ever get the chance to spend one of your summers in Thunder Bay, do it.

Seriously, you won’t regret it. Granted, you may need to have a stable job before you make that decision, but still, you should try to do it at least once while you’re here at Lakehead. It’s a weird thing to go through, seeing all your school friends leave you for the summer. The city gets pretty empty, but it’s almost (emphasis on the almost) better because of it. Luckily, there were a handful of people who managed to stick around for the summer, and you couldn’t have asked for a better

THE BEST SUMMER WEEKEND (OR WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE AT A FESTIVAL

OF HIPPIES)

BRYANA PERREAUX

crew. Having a small group to constantly hang out with after work is great! You know that once you get home from work that something is going on, and you don’t have to worry about calling everyone because, guess what, they’re all together already. Go figure. This is what went down every evening like clockwork, all summer long. It was wonderful. Fast forward to August and guess what’s going on this weekend folks? It’s the Red Rock Folk and Blues Festival! Winnipeg folk fest can suck a big one, because Red Rock knows where it’s at. Jocelyn, Aaron, Robb, Jody and myself

waters only to end our trip in the murky brown sludge that lines the city. Paddling closer and closer to the marina our scenery quickly changed from the beautiful cliff faces and lush forests that line the north shore to abandoned grain elevators and coal plants. It was a reality none of us were ready to face. Not only was our trip coming to an end but we were forced to see just how much human influence has changed the lake. Though a sad way to end an amazing trip, it is something that will stick with me for quiet

QQ

drove down August 7th after we all skipped out of work early, not fully knowing what to expect. Well, we expected to see a bunch of old hippies, but we didn’t them to be 70% on one big green space! Nonetheless, it was real neat to see all these old friends gather for this weekend of music. The tent area was only a 5 minute walk from the main stage, and after driving around trying to find the primo spot, we decided to camp out in the far corner, a safe distance from the young families and the older ears. But surprise surprise, guess who else thought it was a good idea to hide out back? We run into more friends, and now with our combined numbers, our crew had turned into a definite gang. With our combined forces we headed down Friday night for the evening performances, and that’s right, you guessed it, we ran into more friends! We all put our blankets on stage right, and that became our spot for the entire festival. Our already building excitement for the weekend music and festivities has now tripled in size, so it was obvious that this weekend was going to rule. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard for so many days in a row. There’s nothing better than spending a weekend with a plethora of great people all looking for a fun weekend. Each day of the festival brought phenomenal musical acts, particularly the “jamboree

session” in the early afternoons, where 5 bands or more would all be on stage and they would jam together on each others songs. Who does that? It was fantastic, and those artists are so talented, and the stuff that was coming out of those speakers, well, you can’t get that shit on a 25$ CD. Not a chance. It couldn’t have been any better than that. Actually, it did. After the last band played on the main stage, everyone went back to their campsites to refuel, and then everyone who was still awake and ready to groove met at the giant bonfire, and all the musicians and concert go-ers jammed around the fire until the sun came up. I don’t think movies can write this stuff. Now that you understand what the first night was like, do it again, and then again. People of all ages gathered together for this one weekend to listen to and combine great music, and I guarantee you that everyone there had a good time. In the midst of all of this was hula hopping, fire poi, side stages of smaller musicians, local vendors, and of course, great food (especially the beer battered fish burger). Not to mention that the weather was great too! Cool evenings, a day of overcast and a finishing day of a hot hot sun followed quickly by a 30 min long torrential downpour, and a finishing touch of a rainbow, it was a perfect weekend.

“I don’t think I’ve ever

laughed so hard for so

many days in a row.”

Those 3 days and 2 nights in Red Rock were unforgettable. Great people, great music, and especially great laughs. It is with my highest recommendation that you take the time to a) attend a summer music festival with a group of friends (preferably a smaller event. Or not. Whatever), b) Spend a summer in Thunder Bay (or even a long visit), c) make friends with some older folks who can jam exceptionally well, or d) all of the above. Good vibes all around. QQ

My ambitions and passions have always stemmed from the outdoors.

From when I was a child I knew that accomplishing great things in the vast landscapes of the world was my calling. So, when the opportunity came about to experience a four week sea kayaking and hiking expedition through Alaska, I knew that this would be the start of something great. The National Outdoor Leadership School gave me the chance to challenge myself mentally and physically through a 49 mile hiking expedition followed by a 127 nautical mile kayaking voyage. My

3MY GREAT ALASKAN

ADVENTURE

NATALIE TUPPER

expedition was not accomplished alone, I had the support of my diverse team members whom soon became close friends. Our group included three instructors during the backpacking portion, 4 instructors during the kayaking part, an equal split of 6 male and 6 female explores and we all ranged in age from a novice 18 year old to a vivacious 61 year old man. The twelve of us were set up in groups of four, in which we shared our sleeping accommodations, prepared meals, hiked and kayaked together while watching each other’s back. Staying on our toes was essential as we made our way through thick brush, black and grizzly bear country and rushing river crossings all during our twelve hour days. Wrangell’s Saint Elian National Park, which is in the Strelna area of Alaska was where I began the two weeks of backpacking. Climbing to over 8500 ft in elevation, as well as manoeuvring across Dixie Pass at 5200 ft and Skyscraper Pass at 6000 ft the altitude added an extra hurdle in this rather strenuous expedition. Along with the altitude, and fifty year old maps which hardly represented the terrain that exists now, hiking across the mattress like tundra required six times the exertion in comparison to a trail.

The following two weeks of sitting in a Kayak seemed as though it would be relaxing to enjoy the beautiful scenery of wildlife and icebergs, however, Alaska showed us otherwise.

HIKING ACROSS THE MATTRESS LIKE TUNDRA REQUIRED SIX TIMES THE EXERTION IN COMPARISON TO A TRAIL.”

“

Our paddling began in Prince William Sound in the town of Valdez, and weaved us through the iceberg fields of Glacier Bay, the Dutch Islands, Barry Arm, Harrimand Fjords and finally ending in Whitter. Learning about tides and waves, how to read the currents, avoiding cruise ships and the frigid waters of Alaska were all components for a successful voyage. As well as a majestic cross in front of hundreds of curious mating sea lions who made their own adventure out to visit us. The overall organization of the program and how smoothly everything ran was very impressive. From the bulk style pantry, where we loaded up our bear proof food barrels, to the mandatory four person “poo train” that we all joined in on for safety while defecating in the forest, or perhaps that was to bring us closer together. My experience was filled with ups and downs, and there are so many more moments I wish to describe, all elements which made this trip so unforgettable. If you have any questions about my specific trip or want more information on NOLS programs, feel free to contact me at ntupper@lakeheadu.ca or visit the NOLS website www.nols.edu/.

‘Alaska is always moving!’ - Oscar Manguy, NOLS AK.QQ

4STUCK IN THE VINES

ANDY FOUNTAIN

EVERYBODY who needs summer staff is hiring. The winery is a bit reluctant to hire me, having little to no wine experience, but they take a chance. The first day on the job is all about learning how to handle customers, the GUEST model, which a lot of research probably went into developing, but never gets used again after that day. The nice thing though, there is free wine and food (there will be a trend of this). About a week after that another day of training is scheduled, this time it’s actually about what we really get to do. New hires are split up into guest relations, sales team and the catch all

There is a treasure trove full of unique experiences tucked away in the eastern part of the Niagara escarpment.

The Niagara wine region is probably the largest wine region in Canada and it is home to about 100 different wineries and many more growers. There is a certain culture that can be associated with this area and many people might stereotype to it. The story that follows is from the eyes of a member of a winery experience team.

Spring time, the sun is finally coming out, students are getting back from school and oh yeah

experience team. Guest relations are the front runners with the guests, at my winery they were all 20 some year old attractive females (wonder why?). The sales team mostly spend their time on the sales floor or behind a cash register. And then there is the experience team, who fill every position when needed AND get to lead tours and other winery experiences. Our training for all of this came in a nice little binder and was finished up by actually tagging along on each of the tours that we would be required to know. From here we got some more free food prepared by the head chef, Awesome. About a week later after that a 3 day training session took place (count it up the month of may consisted of 5 whole days of work total). This training session was designed to

familiarize the new staff with all of the products being sold, AKA we got to sample a LOT of wine over those 3 days. This is by far one of the best training experiences I have ever had short of doing wilderness training, we got paid to drink a lot of expensive wine. The first 2 days involved trying wines, learning about their production and about the winery itself, the 3rd day involved trying a large variety of the wines with different types of food (sweet, salty, spicy, etc) and then with a whole meal which is much more complex and more difficult to pair wine with properly. After this the training was mostly done and well, so was May.

June rolled around, it was rather wet and not overly hot either, but this did not affect the moods

of the customers who were finally starting to pour into the wineries. Once school started to get out people really started to show up. It’s the people visiting who make the day very interesting. You are not likely to see a person more than once in the winery unless they are regulars, also known as members of the wine club. The people visiting winery came from all walks of life. There were young, old, smart, not so smart and everyone in between who would visit. There would be groups of people come in on tours, expecting tours. There were wedding parties and bridal showers. There were businessmen and bikers too. What it really came down to was there were a lot of people

passing through and our goal was to give them all a unique experience and of course to SELL WINE.

Based on how the customers were acting around the wine and things that they might say in casual conversation it was our job to peg them as being a beginner, an aficionado or a wine snob. The beginners we would only show the basic floor wines, after all they are most likely looking to buy one or 2 bottles under $20. Then with the other 2 groups we would show them our special reserves, back vintages and high price point bottles. The eclectic aficionados might actually consider buying some of these and well hopefully the wine snobs will buy a case. Everyone’s palates are different though, sometimes you will get a beginner buying wine that they have no idea what its real value is or a wine snob buying a bottle just to drink it and get that pleasant after effect.

Almost all of the wines being sold on the floor, at least at a lower price point, were also available at the “tasting bar”. To be a tasting bar, and follow Canadian law, you are allowed to pour 4 one-ounce samples of wine for any customer that visits you. Of course we can charge whatever we choose to for these wine shots and most people expect that they will be able to sample the whole tasting menu

in one visit. Other people expect that they can taste as much as they want for free, and should be able to take tours for free, and want you constant attention solely on them, these are the people that walk away pissed off. On the other end of the spectrum though, of course, there were customers who would try to leave you tips, and well, official policy is not to accept them *cough*…

So after a while leading the tours of the winery became second nature. Customers would come with varying knowledge and really not let on what they knew about wine before the tours, so every tour was pretty much the same until you realized what level the group was at. Some tours would have 1 or 2 couples on them, others would have 35 people; this really affected the way the tours played out and the time it took to deliver the material. Some of the tours were all about champagne, others were just about ice wine and then some were about the wine in the region itself. Some tours would also have little children on them and you would be left wondering why oh why are there children doing wine tours. Some times the parents would try to give their 7 – 12 year olds wine, like this was Europe or something.

All in all the winery experience really culminated itself at the

jazz and blues festivals that the winery held on 2 separate occasions. These involved a stage being set up on the edge of the vinyards, large numbers of staff being called in, special alcohol licenses being implemented and oh yeah the whole vineyard being fenced off. People show up hours before the bands are even going to start playing to get lawn seating. Once on the grounds they and up at the tasting bar 6 people deep and are exploring the other venues where they can purchase buckets of ice and their favorite bottles of wine to consume over the afternoon. Any real distinctions between the wine drinkers, young and old, snob and beginner alike, they all become fans of the music, enveloped in the surroundings and just interested in having a good time. As a staff member working an event like this, at a place like a winery it really comes down to giving people an experience that they will hopefully remember.

If you find yourselves in wine country any time soon, make sure you remember the golden rule – Have fun, don’t be a snob. Don’t be afraid to taste new things and explore outside your comfort zone. QQ

look at

the stars

tonight. (WHY DON’T YOU? unless it’s overcast AND RAINY OR SOMETHING.)

REVIEW:BENEFIT OF A DOUBT

SARA TILUS

Everyone has their “summer song” that they listen to over and over again, well, for me I had a “summer band”. They are called Benefit of a Doubt (BOAD), an undiscovered pop/alternative rock band from Ottawa. The band is composed of four friends:

Chase Van Dusen vocals/guitarJon Desilva lead guitar/vocalsConnor Muldoon bass/vocalsPat Gilmour drumsEach member brings their own sound and uniqueness to the band. They have been together since 2006 with their newest member being Jon. BOAD is influenced by many different genres of music. For example, when they are driving in their van, also known as “Abigail” they could be listening/singing to pop one minute then hard core rap the next. They are a group of easy going guys that love meeting their fans and are huge hockey fans. BOAD has been busy on their cross Canada

tour and building their fan base. Their first demo, “She Could Be” and their extensive touring in 2008 got the ball rolling for them. In 2009 they went to Sonic Ranch Studios in Texas to record their first EP, with Grammy-winning producer Stephen Short. They also just finished shooting their first music video in July for their new single “We are the Broken”.

With BOAD’s many different sounds almost anyone can relate to their music of heartbreak, loss, and love. The music is all original and written by the band themselves about relating to different life experiences they’ve had so they can relate to their fans.

Check them out:myspace.com/benefitofadoubtrock

YOUR PHOTOS

MANTIS (ANGE BENEDICT)

BLACK RAT SNAKE (ANGE BENEDICT)

BEAR AT SLEEPING GIANT (HEATHER MCGINTY)

Take a look at these nice wildlife moments! Send in your best shots of the outdoor life for next issue.

Welcome back folks!

Haven’t you noticed ho

w

much junk we’ve collec

ted

over the years? WHY do

we

keep it all?

“I have a ceramic owl named Hooey with one eye bigger than the other. It’s really creepy...”

Ben 2nd year

“Puppy! I tried to name him donut but he didn’t

like that too much.”

Julie 4th year

“Yettie is my abominable snowman stuffy that has to

get dry cleaned at least twice a year because I

drool so bad...”

Dave 2nd year

“His name is Maltby (after the hockey player) and he’s a dog. I’ve never washed him and he sleeps in my bed with me every night!”

Bre 3rd year

p.s. Mine is a Winnie the Pooh stuffy. I also have a matching Pooh Bear and friends fleece blanket that I can’t get enough of. -Bryana

What’s that one childhood item that you just can’t build up the nerve to throw away (and what’s it’s name)?

QUESTION OF THE QUARTER WITH BRYANA PERREAUX!

HAPPY OLYMPICS

HANDMADE: ADAM’S PULK

Pulks are pull-behind sleds for winter wilderness travel. Other than snowshoes or skis and your wits, a pulk is the best thing you can bring winter camping. Normally they look like kids’ plastic sleds and can be a bit

costly. Adam has chosen an alternate route, fastening an old set of skis to a shipping pallet with a few carriage bolts. This thing is a beast. Well done Adam, well done.

CATCH(ES) OF THE QUARTER

Joseph Frenette

Habitat: That is a mystery that few have ever

dared to explore

Sign: the peace sign, like Austin Powers,

International Man of Mystery, its "groovy

baby"

Home town: The Bay of Thunder

Favourite dates: Any day that ends with Day

(monDAY, tuesDAY, wednes....)

Favourite food: I eat Chuck Norris

burgers

for breakfast, dinner and lunch. So I would

have to go with Pie. mmmm Pie.

Best feature: Where to begin, When you are

from Thunder Bay who needs a best feature.

How/where to catch me: Run run fast as you

can cant catch me...unless you have pie.

Favorite super power: Superpowers? when

you are from Thunder Bay you don’t need

superpowers, you look at the world and it

bends to your will.

Laura Pender is a girl th

at will kick your ass

then take you out to dinner. She will climb

harder, paddle faster and still drink you under

the table. But being seen with this super rec’er

will certainly raise your credibility up in the

rec hall. Laura is a

super star fin

d out why.

Buy her a beer the next time cosmic granola

plays because she is their m

ost fanatic

groupie. -Dan Kilburn

Hoo hoo hoo! Look what we have here! Two fine young rec’ers ready to meet a special somebody.

Lovely.

Well, that's a great question! It sorta reminds me of the time that I went canoeing on the Beaver River. What a great time that was. It's this small little wetland river, right in the heart of Durham Region, and this one day my friend Andrea and I decide that we were going to run it, just to see where it led. That was what we did back in the day. Anyways, we got to the put in, and, after loading up our canoes, pushed the canoe forward and Andrea waded in to get to the bow. Suddenly, out of nowhere, this gigantic swan appeared, puffing out his chest and flexing his wings. Now, just so you know, Andrea is hilariously small, just about the size of somebody who would really quickly get their ass kicked by a mean swan. And it was about to happen. I yelled for Andrea to get out of the way, just as the

DEAR GRAMPA REC,

swan rushed her. Luckily, she was quick on her feet, so the swan missed, but it was a close call nevertheless. Now the thing about swans is that in the United Kingdom, all swans are property of the Queen (God save her) and so, by law, only the Queen (God save her) is allowed to kill them. I'm not sure that it's something that is practiced regularly anymore, though I remember that back in her teens, the Queen (God save her) was incredibly talented at breaking swan necks. This one time she broke three swan neck with one punch. God save her. Anyways, in Canada, anybody can kill a swan, but nobody can do it and still feel good about themselves since, after all, they just killed a freaking swan. Sorry about the cuss there. Sometimes blood gets riled up. Besides, the swan was most likely just protecting his

nest, and it's hard to fault him for that. There was no way that this swan was going to let us pass. Everytime we got near the canoe, it would come at us again, ready to strike. Luckily, I knew that an old railroad paralleled the river, and that if we just walked down it, worst case scenario was that we could pick up the river at the next concession, which was only two kilometers away. Most likely, the river and the train tracks would cross though, so we could just put in there. So, picking up the canoe, we started walking. Nowadays the kids are calling it portaging. But we didn't use fancy terms like that. We just called it walking. You went everywhere with your canoe. School. Market. Ski hills. It's just what we did. Nothing unordinary about seeing people

walking around with a canoe on their heads. Now, what we didn't know, for a variety of reasons, most notably the lack of a map, was that in this particular section of the wetland, none of the concessions actually cut across. Which meant that this particular section of train tracks went for six kilometers without either a road of river crossing. Which, considering that we made two trips, turned out little walk into an eighteen kilometer ordeal. So you see, sometimes, even a simple thing like an ornery swan can lead to one heck of a challenge. Sorry for the cuss again. I hope that answered your question. Make sure to send more questions to me, care of that youngster Brad Farrish. Grampa Rec

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THE JANUARY BLAHS?

QQ

FLASHBACK

THANK YOU TO THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS:

Ange BenedictJoseph Frenette Andy Fountain René Magritte

Heather McGintyLewis Mumford

Cassaundra Noyes Laura Pender

Bryana PerreauxGrampa RecSara Tilus

Natalie TupperAdam Wood

QUESTIONS OR SUBMISSIONS CAN BE

SENT TO BRAD : bfarrish@lakeheadu.ca

NEXT ISSUE OUT SOON.THANKS FOR YOUR

PATIENCE.