CamuksXtreme

Season's greetings!

It has been quite a while since I have posted to the blog. That makes me sad. Life get's busy for many of us around this time of year.

It has also been unusually cold in Manitoba this year, so that has not helped much. As most regular readers know, I am very fond of getting into the great outdoors, and photographing nature. I regularly take a break from outdoor photography when the mercury dips below -15 C or so. My hands get numb, my feet start to burn, and the frost starts to BITE. I have had frost bite several times in a life lived in Manitoba.

You don't know what cold is unless you have fallen through the ice up to your arm pits in water in the middle of a -30 C blizzard. That was the coldest I have ever been. I have however had frostbite bad enough to lose the skin on my feet multiple times.

I have taken the paranoid approach lately. I am a little more careful. I do long to get outdoors in the Winter though. People who live here like to joke about how much they love summer, all two months of it. There have been some years where that doesn't seem like much of an exaggeration. The average Winter temperature in Winnipeg, where I live is -23 C. That is around -9 F for my American friends. The coldest windchill temperature ever recorded in Winnipeg was -57.1 C (-70.78 F) in 1996. It's not the coldest place on Earth, not by a long shot, but sometimes it feels that way.

So, this year, I have taken the plunge back into the frosty outdoors thanks in large part to Steger Mukluks and these bad boys:





They are a little pricey, $239.95 American. In Canada, it cost me $307.26 including shipping. Add about another $50 Canadian for Customs. I really hope they are worth it! If my feet stay warm and dry for the season it definitely will be. Anything else will just be a bonus. I'll get to that in a bit.

I am planning on updating you guys with a product review at the end of the season after I have put them through their paces. I started breaking them in today with 2 different tasks, totally un-related to photography.

The first was a minor standing test. I needed to replace the block heater cord on my car, and that meant standing in one place, somewhat in-actively for a while. The time it took to fix the cord was drawn out, as fiddling with small screws and hand tools with bare hands in today's -26 C (-9.4 F) meant painfully stiff, long drawn out movements. But my feet were toasty warm! And I didn't even wear socks!

The next task I set out to do was take Charlee to the dog park. This was a whole different ball of wax. She was very happy to be there! She gets a little neglected in the cold weather for the aforementioned reasons. I know she was getting a bit of the cabin fever, and so was I! We walked at a brisk pace. The first thing I noticed was how quiet they were! For the first time ever, my dog's footsteps were actually louder than my own! I got a kick out of that. This could definitely make stalking animals interesting, but I will more than likely be wearing snowshoes, and the advantage will be lost. This is a good thing for hunters of the meat eating kind, as well as the photographer kind.

I wear a 13 double wide CamuksExtreme, and they fit my snowshoe bindings, so that is a definite bonus. The second thing I noticed was how in touch with the trail my feet were. I could feel every nook and cranny through the soft soles. That is probably not everyone's cup of tea, but I love it. I frequently take short hikes through the bush in bare feet. If I had more time I would do it more often. I love feeling the connection to the ground. This is the Winter analog I suppose. Incidentally the soft soles also make driving a lot easier than my old winter boots.

The next thing I found was that the treads lived up to the hype. From what I understand the soles of the Mukluks are made from moose hide, and then dipped in some strange rubberized concoction that is super soft and flexible, yet durable once it hardens on the mukluk. It also has an aggressive tread pattern. It made climbing and descending a cinch. This was most apparent on the down slope of the toboggan run just before we arrived back at the car. The snow was compressed to sheer hard pack, and polished to a glossy sheen, and the camuks gripped like a champ. I am curious how well they would do in warmer conditions with a little surface water. We'll have to wait for warmer weather for that answer.

Lastly, the camuks are extremely lightweight. This was not much of a factor, as my trip was quick, and relatively short distance. But it was apparent never the less.

So, over all my first impressions are quite hopeful. I'll post again later, with regard to durability, and new usage conditions.

All photos on this page are copyrighted, and may not be used without consent in writing from the owner. Please use the contact eventhorizonsphoto@gmail.com for more information.

Catch me if you Can

Charlee in hot pursuit of a canoeist.

All photos on this page are copyrighted, and may not be used without consent in writing from the owner. Please use the contact eventhorizonsphoto@gmail.com for more information.

Mush!

Sled dog races!



All photos on this page are copyrighted, and may not be used without consent in writing from the owner. Please use the contact eventhorizonsphoto@gmail.com for more information.

Autumn Portraits

It's that time of year again, contact me today to book an autumn portrait session. This is personally my favourite time of year, especially for outdoor portraits. For your family, or just for yourself. There are many great outdoor spaces in Winnipeg, and I will travel to your favourite one to use natures wonderful colours as a backdrop for your portraits. They make a fantastic Christmas card photo! I'd also like to remind my readers that I do pet portraits too!

Winnipeg Police K9 Unit Demonstration

German Shepherd

German Shepherd, a photo by MB Event Horizon on Flickr.

This is a portrait of Charlee during her first trip to the lake. She had a blast, and didn't destroy too much stuff. Everyone needs a hobby I guess. She learned to swim, and collected many wood ticks to bring home.

German Shepherd

German Shepherd, a photo by MB Event Horizon on Flickr.

I thought today that our pup was finally starting to calm down. She let me get close enough, and gave me enough time to get a decent composition for this photograph this morning. She set me straight tonight though.  She went nuts for no apparent reason barking for a good solid 10 minutes outside. When we let her in, she ran from one window to the other bouncing off people, and couches alike. Back and forth, back and forth. She is the best dog in the world, but she's loopy sometimes.

Charlee

Well, it has been a very busy couple of months, but Charlee is doing quite well, and having a blast.  She has learned many commands, but she still decides what ones she wants to obey, and which ones she will ignore.  We have had a few visits to the dog park now, and she seems to be getting socialized quite well.  I look forward to her next encounter with my brother's dog.  The last time they met, she spent most of her time cowering under the bushes.

Dog Sled Races

We had quite a treat last weekend in Winnipeg.  The annual Festival du Voyageur Sled Dog Classic was in town and held races right on the Red River.  There were quite a few teams participating in the event, from the younger amateurs right up to the 8 dog Pros.  The excitement of the crowds of onlookers was surpassed only by the excitment and noise of the dogs themselves.  It was a great time.  Photographically very challenging.  The cold, the speed, the fans.  But we did get some good shots.  This is the first time I have shot at this event, and you can bet it won't be the last.