Go to remote areas.

In the peak season in the canoe area there can sometimes be too many canoers on specific points. We who have been a canoe outfitter since 1956 know a good deal of fine nature where you can bee all most alone. There can be some portage between lakes but on most of them you can use canoe wheels and easily come to next lake without any problem. Most of the portage are good for families even with small children.

Cleaning up around Base Camp in Risviken

We haven’t seen the sun for about 1 ½ months at Nordmarken Canoe Center. Today there was 10 minutes of nice a bit warm sun. In the summer there have been very little sun on our camps due to shadow from large trees and guest on the Base Camp could not see the lake. So this week we have started to cut some of the larger trees down and some smaller vegetation around the camp. We do hope our guest like it when they stay overnight at the campsites with their tents of in the wooden shelters. Even around our timber house there have been some cuttings of smaller trees that shadow the building.  

Fine visit in Risviken.

This time of the year there is not much going on at Nordmarken Kanot Center. Morning light come late and evening dark very early. Waiting for snow season and I do hope it will come before Christmas. Only a few weeks to go but Santa Claus is not coming to our house any more.  Photo is from a fine day in the month of March last winter, when the dear just got the new antlers for the season. Question about canoeing next season is coming and we try to help our customers to find remote areas.

Möte inför framtiden i DANO området.

Den 19 november var ett 50 tal representanter för markägare, kanot-& friluftsföretag och turistfolk, kommun anställda, representanter för länsstyrelserna m.fl. samlade i Åmål för att diskutera framtiden för DANO området vad avser framtiden kanot verksamheten i regionen. 14.4 miljoner är avsatt till projektet Affärsutveckling Dalslands Kanalområde. Moderator för mötet var Claes Bjerkne tidigare känd för omfattande turistverksamhet i Västra Götaland och Göteborg.

Själv hade jag möjligheten att med ett Power Point föredrag presentera SCOA´s (Scandinavian Canoe Outfitters Association)inställning och synpunkter på hur vi inom gruppen ser på framtiden för kanotturism i sjöområdet.

En punkt var hållbar turism med vattenanknytning, renovering av befintliga lägerplatser, en effektivare tillsyn av naturvakterna och en ny huvudman för den framtida verksamheten. Vidare att få klarhet i de juridiske och de lagparagrafer som gäller för att ta ut den redan nu befintliga ”naturavgiften” i form av naturkorts avgift på 40: - per person och dygn.

Det diskuterades även möjligheterna att sprida kanotister till andra mindre besökte områden för att inte få den massiva koncentrationen av framförallt tyska kanotister i sjön Foxen och de problem som är där. Ett privat initiativ i detta område har tagits och till delar hjälpt de värsta avarterna.

Projektet innefattar inte bara kanot– och friluftsaktiviteter utan även en översyn, planering och för bättring på många olika områden i kanalsystemet och dess närhet.

Det presenterades också den enkät undersökning som skett under kanot säsongen 2014 och som visar en hel del intressante uppgifter.

Alla var överens om att någonting måste till för att bevara och höja kvalitén och inte kvantitet.

Om allt fungerar kommer projektet att vara klart till 2016.

Det hade varit trevligt om alla deltagarna varit med till slutet på mötet!

Old time tour in Nordmarken. WASA WASA.

In the end of the 80-ties I think, there was a group of real canoers from The Macfie Canoe Club on tour in Nordmarken. We started at Älgsjön (Moose Lake) and ended at Store Bör and old name in Swedish for “Great Beaver Lake”. We paddled down Beaver River (Börsälven). The Macfie Canoe Club is still active and we have two times a year a “Rendezvous” one in the autumn and one in the winter. All have wooden canoes and mostly are they build of Harry Macfie or Morten Gedda or his son Björne Gedda. There are today real fine homemade canoes from some of the members.

The photo is from, I think the first Rendezvous, in the southern part of Stora Bör. It was a small group at that time but now the meetings are a bit larger. I´m not the photographer this time, but like to show things and adventures many strokes away from the future. Wooden canoes, canvas Duluth Packsack, Bannock bread made over an open fire. Axe and fatwood. Pork and beans and some Kickapoo medicine (booze). That was the time when canoeing was canoeing. Today modern canoers need a lot more as GPS, Dehydrated food, Gas stove, large barrels an “tons” of equipment. That means they have to paddle where there is no Portage and can´t come to remote areas there is too much shit to take care of. Some call it civilisation and having a good time and in Swedish “slappa” but I don’t agree.  

A split second of nature.

Some times when I´m out in the nature there are moments of a split second I remember and never forget. This is one of many, we saw each other for a second, look at each other and everything was gone after a second only memories still in my mind. Canoing in Nordmarken give you a chance to see both Deer and
Mooses near the lakes.

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Old books about canoing

Took a look at my library yesterday and found three books I have written 1978 about canoeing and how to paddle and behave in the Canoe Country. KANOTBOKEN. The first one was in Swedish and then some Publishing House in Denmark and Norway printed a translation. It´s now 36 years ago but when I read them, they are still up to date. Except for one thing. I recommend folks to paddle with their  knees on the bottom. Now a days folks are sitting on a seat, but higher up with less balance. It has also been very popular to take more and more equipment on tours often filled in big blue barrels. Some cover missing experience with equipment.  I say it´s better to cover missing equipment with experience.

People tell me often that I am extreme with less equipment on tour but I’m not so young longer that Took a look at my library yesterday and found three books I have written 1978 about canoeing and how to paddle and behave in the Canoe Country. KANOTBOKEN. The first one was in Swedish and then some Publishing House in Denmark and Norway printed a translation. It´s now 36 years ago but when I read them, they are still up to date. Except for one thing. I recommend folks to paddle with their knees on the bottom. Now a days folks are sitting on a seat, but higher up with less balance. It has also been very popular to take more and more equipment on tours often filled in big blue barrels. Some cover missing experience with equipment.  I say it´s better to cover missing equipment with experience.

People tell me often that I am extreme with less equipment on tour but I’m not so young any longer that I know everything better, sorry about that. 

Time for reservations.

Time to make reservations for fishing weekend winter season 2015. Our wilderness house “Bockudden “ still have several free weekends or even whole weeks. We are now only waiting for ice to come. Go to www.nordkanot.se and see more.