Book Reviews

Summer 2007

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
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A Paddler’s Guide to Quetico and Beyond
by Kevin Callan
The Boston Mills Press, 2007
$24.95, 192 pp, colour photos and maps
bibliography, index
ISBN 978-1-55046-500-6
www.bostonmillspress.com
www.fireflybooks.com

Kevin Callan’s list of accomplishments—author of books and magazine articles, recipient of awards, speaker at paddling events, producer of the River Rat films, and teacher of environmental science—pretty well guarantees the value of this latest title in his guidebook series. In his usual entertaining style, Callan outlines eleven of the best paddling and hiking routes in Quetico Provincial Park—Ontario’s “Canoe Country”—and five more just outside the park boundaries. He includes stories about his adventures (or misadventures), need-to-know details, a map, and a chart with quick access facts (length, number of portages, longest portage, difficulty level, access, pertinent maps). Colour photos document some of the more amusing moments of his trips. Various skill levels and trip lengths make this guide useful for anyone planning an excursion to Quetico.

Canoe and Kayak Routes of Northwest Oregon including Southwest Washington, Third Edition
by Philip N. Jones
The Mountaineers Books, 2007
$16.95 US, 240 pp, b/w photos and maps, index
ISBN 978-1-59485-032-5
www.mountaineersbooks.org

This is an updated guide to 74 flatwater paddling routes from the Columbia River in Washington and Oregon to coastal and inland areas south of Eugene (first published in 1982 as Canoe Routes: Northwest Oregon). The trips range in difficulty and are rated on a three level scale. Excellent hand drawn maps accompany the description of each trip, showing start and end points and significant landmarks in between. Many of the routes can be completed in a day or combined for a multi-day trip. The guide also includes valuable information about canoes and kayaks, paddles and paddling, clothing, safety equipment, maps and charts, currents and tides, paddling ethics, fees, and transporting and shuttling boats. The author has explored this area for 30 years, and he shares his knowledge of all the little details that can make or break a paddling trip.

Camp Cooking: The Black Feather Guide, Eating Well in the Wild
by Mark Scriver, Wendy Grater, Joanna Baker
Heliconia Press, 2007
$19.95 US / $24.96 CAN
216 pp, colour photos
ISBN 978-1-896980-31-7
www.helipress.com

The first half of this guide to camp cooking is devoted to equipment, skills, planning and packing, and then come the recipes (breakfast, lunch, snacks, soups, dinners, desserts, baked treats). It is a thorough guide for novice campers, and provides tips and suggestions specific to hikers and paddlers. With years of wilderness guiding experience to draw on, the authors present lots of practical advice as well as tried and true recipes.

Desolation Sound: A History
by Heather Harbord
Harbour Publishing, 2007
$24.95, 260 pp, b/w photos and maps,
bibliography, index
ISBN 978-1-55017-407-6
www.harbourpublishing.com

Captain George Vancouver sailed into a body of water about 160 kilometres (100 miles) up the coast from present day Vancouver, BC, on a dark and rainy day in June 1792. He found it to be a dreary place, and named it Desolation Sound. Despite its name, this area with its warm waters, myriad islands and anchorages, and abundant wildlife, has been a favourite destination for boaters of all ilk for many years. Still only accessible by water, much of the area is now designated as a marine park. Desolation Sound has also been home for a variety of people from the Sliammon First Nation to more recent inhabitants, including hand loggers, homesteaders, recluses and back-to-the-land communes. In this volume, Heather Harbord documents the stories of people who visited and lived here before and after George Vancouver’s historic voyage. It is full of ambitious and self-reliant characters, who chose to be in a place remote from populated centres, who revelled in the beauty and abundance of its natural resources. Anyone who visits Desolation Sound today will be fascinated to read this account of the people who have paddled and rowed these waters.

Kayak Fishing: The Ultimate Guide
By Captain Scott Null and Joel McBride
The Heliconia Press, 2007
$19.95 US / $24.95 CAN, 132 pp, colour photos, glossary
ISBN 978-1-896980-28-7
www.helipress.com

Kayaks have been adopted by anglers as a strategy for accessing shallow and marshy waters in places like Texas and Florida, and there is increasing interest in kayak fishing elsewhere, making it one of the fastest growing sports in North America. Kayaks specifically designed for fishing, complete with rod holders and fish finders, are now available. This guide outlines essential information for kayak fishing, starting with the basics (kinds of kayaks, PFDs, gear, paddling strokes and safety skills) before moving on to fishing techniques (bait and lure fishing, fly fishing, landing a fish, freshwater and saltwater fishing). Numerous colour photos illustrate the text and help to explain skills like paddling strokes and re-entering a boat after a capsize.

This Is The Sea 3
Cackle TV Productions, 2007
$29.95
www.cackletv.com

This DVD features over two hours of exciting footage of kayakers Paul Caffyn, Andrew McAuley, Cheri Perry, Freya Hoffmeister and Justine Curgenven paddling in such far flung corners of the globe as Antarctica, New Zealand, Faroe Islands, Scotland and Wales. Interviews with legendary adventurers and images of sea kayaking in extreme conditions make for great entertainment for paddlers of all abilities and interests. $1.50 from every DVD sold will go to the late Andrew McAuley’s family.