Qajaq Kuujjuaq: May 2014

I went down south to Whitesquall on Georgian bay to challenge the Paddle Canada level 2 instructor course as well as the basic instructor trainer course. I brought a couple of Cadets from Kuujjuaq who have excelled in our local qajaq program and are quite enthusiastic. These two guys are the real stars of the trip as they both walked away with two National certifications and both are now certified basic kayak instructors. Perhaps the first two certified Inuk qajaq instructors in Nunavik, but I don't know for sure....
Greg Mason, David Johnston and Tim Dyer where all wonderful instructors and I walked away richer because of them and ready to teach at new challenging levels. Many thanks are due to Kathy and Tim for welcoming us into their home and to the Squall staff for making us feel welcome.

Following the two courses I stuck around to help a friend and co-guide teach the sea kayak component of Blackfeather's annual guide warm up training. Staff warm up training at BF is always fun and really diverse. Topics range from R3 courses, to predator defense training, to WFR, logisitcs, risk management and much more. Given where I live, I don't always make it south for the warm up and have to keep my certs updated on my own which is fine. With that said it is always fun to get together with a crew of fun, diverse and professional people absent of any elitism. This is my 9th year working for BF and the vibe hasn't changed. Guiding for Blackfeather is the outdoor equivalent of playing for the habs (from the perspective of a habs fan). You get to go a out and do great things, but it is the foundation of the club or family or whatever you wanna call it that makes it so awesome to begin with. The people that come on our trips further add to this experience. I am not the only guide that exchanges emails with BF alumni or meets past participants for lunch. So thanks to all you fellow guides and to you trippers who have made it so fun over the years! I am looking forward to another summer on the ice and the water.

I've never heard the VHF say "unusual presence of lake ice" so many times......

The above photos where taken on the Bay during the Level 2 Instructor course which ran alongside the level 2 skills course.

Basic Kayak Instructors & their trainers, Cole Lake.

Below are Blackfeather staff training shots.....

Easter weekend was spent 20 some kilometres north of town camping at Tasirlak. A few families including us have set our tents in the same spot for the last couple of years. I makes a for a cozy and safe tent city as we can rely on each other. Tasirlak is also where the Easter games took place on Easter Monday so it was a convenient location to be. It was our first time having the dogs pull a fully loaded sled with the whole family (a had done a solo test run by myself the weekend before). There was a 4 dog race that took place on the Monday which I partook in with an 8 year old, a 2 year old and two 7 month old pups. They did remarkably well. All I hoped for was to be able to finish the race, but in the end I placed 5th and walked away with a hundred bucks. Not bad.