While I edit together a new kinoks movie, here are a few placeholder views of my return trip to Camp Robbinswold. Thanks to Sara T. (and an amazing cast of extras) for performing as my camp hands and feet since my historical surrogate was unavailable.
Friend of Archival Rick and I took off last weekend for Ross and Diablo Lakes in Washington’s North Cascades. We spent a blissful three days paddling around, catching some massive bull trout, fighting headwinds, and addressing the issue of bourbon remaining in the bottle. No complaints – we had perfect weather, the scenery was incredible, and the Grumman canoe performed admirably.
We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take a Sunday afternoon paddle by canoe on the McKenzie River. The promise of fish and fine riparian views outweighed our reluctance to venture out into the drizzle. What care we when we have the best waxed cotton outerwear for the worst Oregon Spring in recent memory.
Rick’s prized Grumman (a transplant, like Rick, from Minnesota)
By day, I work in a basement with a permaclimate. Colleague Ugg wear and winter tan lines have further confused my seasonal cues. As far as I know, June could be January. I use a campus web cam to check the weather but wish I had something more nautical like a periscope or porthole. Since summer is an offscreen event for me, I’m vicariously enjoying scenes of recreation by way of Playground and Recreation magazine, a municipal parks publication from the 1920s. Here are a few surrogate views of summer for those similarly denied and for those in the summer hemisphere:
Albert Dorp, who sells Frost River packs through his German web shop, Absolut Canoe, sent me some shots of his Frost River packs in action. Albert tells me that he does not have any additional news about the fate of Frost River as a company. However, his shop still has inventory of Frost River packs (including my favorite, the Vintage Pack). He also noted, in an odd twist, that he just shipped out two packs to a customer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, birthplace of Frost River.
Please send along any news, notes or waxed cotton gossip about Frost River. For example, will Frost River revive their business in 2009? Will Duluth Pack introduce their own line of waxed cotton canoe packs (no dry finish canvas, please)? Will Rivendell, Filson or Billykirk introduce a waxed cotton rucksack in the style of a traditional canoe pack? Is there a third party manufacturer out there sketching up their own design for a staple canoe pack?
For the sake of nostalgia, here’s a cameo shot of a canoe pack (by Duluth?) from the Engineered Garment’s 2005 Fall/Winter line.
On the subject of waxed cotton luggage, see Adam A/Zugster’s new waxed canvas backpack on flickr. I like the large, streamlined front pocket and webbing grid. I prefer my bags with leather straps and metal buckles, but for this type of cycling-courier bag I understand Adam’s decision to go with quick release plastic buckles and nylon straps.
