Erin soloing the canoe (most likely in terrible footwear).
Erin paddling (whilst I complain “are we there yet”?) on Chi Bia Bos Lake, Algonquin Park. August 2022
What better place to start this story than from the park itself (Algonquin)!
I am presently sitting in my newly acquired camp chair (1st time taking a chair, what a revelation) overlooking our lake, Lake Chibiabos “Ghost Rabbit” drinking my morning coffee.
I have no idea of the time. I have already swum in the dark deep water.
Algonquin. Erin. A love story.
Erin and I have made at least one backcountry trip to Algonquin almost each year since meeting in 2011. It’s a tradition. A magical moment. A proper unwind and recharge. Sometimes with others, mostly just the 2 of us. I love it so.
This trip I had planned to bring Abraham for the first time but at the last minute he became certain of not wanting to come, so he stayed back in Toronto. I keep noting all the things he would have loved. The birds, the leeches, frogs, the forest. Nature in it’s glory. But I bet he wouldn’t have swum as I imagined.. the water drops to deep right off the rocky edge. Even I started to feel it spooky. I stopped wearing my goggles to swim the distance across. Better to close your eyes and count the strokes rather than glimpse that dark brown deep water….
I am not very good paddling a canoe and still grumble at portaging to the next lake, but trust me when I say “it’s worth it”. I have Erin to thank for that.
One year during a portage Erin came up with the idea to try recounting backwards every birthday. How it was spent? What did I remember? It became a project she went on to do. It definately got my mind off the back pain!
Another year she came up with the brilliant plan to bury a can of beer in a block of frozen ice that we would unearth on our journey home. I struggled with the lack of cold beers being able to go into the park so this was bloody brilliant! That can was cold baby when we got to it 3 days later. Another genius move from Erin.
Beer burial. 2020
I met Erin through a mutual friend at an art opening and a few weeks later she appeared at a summer backyard party. We immediately shared some giggles over random thoughts and then she declared “Let’s go camping”!
I had little to zero experience camping, never set foot in a canoe, had no idea about Algonquin. Curious by my new friend and a love for the outdoors, I heard myself say immediately “I’m in”.
A few months later (some time in September) I arrived at Erin’s apartment in Kensington Market with my sleeping bag and we loaded the car and drove north. There were 5 of us. I barely knew Erin and was meeting these 3 others for the first time. I don’t think any of us had much experience with this back country business. Erin was leading the pack. In writing this now I had a revelation….Enthusiasm. That’s what’s she’s got in spades and it’s a draw.
Somehow we made it across 3 lakes (that’s 3 portages) with a lot of singing, merriment and meat sticks to our site (finally) on Little Trout Lake. I’d never before seen this kind of beauty in nature. It simply took my breath away. I was hooked.
Peace and quiet.
My first time in a canoe. Algonquin Park. 2011
Erin and I met at an exhibition of photography and in this medium we shared an interest. For this maiden voyage to Algonquin we packed our film cameras. Upon return we hand processed the negatives and made a selection of mini prints in the darkroom which we gave to each lass in a hand made booklet (this took a few late nights to complete and more complaining from me “are we done yet?”)
On this trip was my first awareness of what is now another joy of nature/collecting. The mushroom.
Early on the second morning I was stumbling around the forest to squat for a pee when I saw through the ferns a most fresh and beautiful creature. The light was streaming in. She had just hatched. I went for the camera and made this picture with Erins Rolleiflex. I was hooked. Ever since I have revelled in the finding of mushrooms and hope to one day dedicate an exhibition to them.
My first mushroom. Little Trout, Algonquin Park, September 2011
The photograph above was also made on this trip. I used my Holga camera and made a double exposure. This is Jane and Erin practising “Gunnel Bobbing”. The waters were cold as we were into late September but I think they both fell off together!
I have included this print in my shop and it looks wonderful as a large print. And in blue tone is also great. See it here
In 2014 Erin and I decided to create an exhibition of photographs taken on our (at this time, only a small handful) of Algonquin trips for the annual CONTACT festival. We worked hard at editing and printing and deliberating the shots.
Gunnel Bobbing photo was used as the poster for CONTACT in the Junction! 2014
One of the images that Erin took was a stunning black and white panoramic of myself and Jane standing naked along the shoreline. For us, the chance to be comfortably nude on the trip was one of our favourite things. We coined the art “cubing”. Another topic for secret giggles!
The plan was to enlarge the image to beyond life size as it really was a stunner.
*Below, hand made book with darkroom prints from our first excursion.
Each trip we make, I not only look forward to photographing Erin but to also the making a record of ourselves somehow. When I look back at pictures she has made of me I feel grateful. I am also reminding myself to keep making pictures of loved ones. Just a snapshot will do. And perhaps….more nudes.
A print that Erin made of me which at first I didn’t really like and now I just love it.
Algonquin Park. date unknown.