The Saskatchewan Border
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The Saskatchewan Border features stories and photography from wilderness and natural points of interest around Saskatchewan and western Manitoba. Camping, fishing and backcountry exploration. Written and created by Andy Goodson.
The Saskatchewan Border
3y ago
Photography by Andy Goodson and Teisha Huff
Written by Andy Goodson
We never officially committed to the hike until we discussed it at Wekusko Falls Provincial Park the night before, sitting comfortably around the campfire pit and patting each other’s backs for being such breezy adventurers. With one bar of cell service we read up on the trail: it was going to be an 11-km hike to Kwasitchewan Falls – Manitoba’s highest waterfall – classified as “a challenging hike for experienced hikers only.” Teisha and I agreed to an early start the next morning, giving us enough time to drive to the trailh ..read more
The Saskatchewan Border
4y ago
Photography by Mitch Doll, Sean Hootz and Kendall Latimer
Written by Mitch Doll
I’m not sure how many people see a small blemish of dirt on a map and think, “Oh yes, I must trek kilometres through the wilderness to see what that spot is all about,” but that’s exactly what we set out to do on this trip.
Our goal was further into the forest than we’ve ever gone on the Steeprock River, but we were a much smaller group and the energy of this expedition felt different.
Kendall and I set out from Regina in the early morning with no time to spare (the truth being we were 20 minutes late.) We had a t ..read more
The Saskatchewan Border
4y ago
Opal Lake, Narrow Hills Provincial Park
In late May, Teish and I took a risky drive on 50 killometres of gravel road – in my totally unfitted sedan sans spare tire – on Highway 913 to Narrow Hills Provincial Park. We stayed one night at a backcountry campsite by the gorgeous blue-green Opal Lake after a two-kilometre hike on the Gem Lakes trail.
The weather was perfect. But there was something sinister afoot: black flies.
Yes, the Gem Lakes — the Google search keyword that drives about 20% of this website's total traffic. But the only story I've written about the Gem Lakes so far is this one ..read more
The Saskatchewan Border
4y ago
Photo Series by Andy Goodson
*Whip crack*
A few days after my trip to Prince Albert National Park some friends and I made our way to Duck Mountain for our annual trip planning meeting, which devolves into Tetris pretty quick. This year was no different, but we did manage to go on a day trip to Little Boggy Creek to check out the spring thaw.
View from the Valley
View from the east ridge of Little Boggy Creek Valley, across from the Duck Mountain ski area.
"Smokey" woods — the grey canopy of nude trembling aspen (poplar) trees
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Ostrich fern fronds among snow
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Gree ..read more
The Saskatchewan Border
4y ago
Photo Series by Andy Goodson
Spring at the Kingsmere River
After a few outdoor stints last winter, I decided to stay inside and wait out the rest of the season. Winter scenery had become repetitive and I was more than happy to spend time reading, ruminating and becoming a typical basement goblin. But this too, got old.
Teisha and I decided to break the monotony and go on a roadtrip and see some authentic daylight. From our home in Saskatoon, we drove to Saskatchewan's favourite playground: Prince Albert National Park.
Ice break-up on the Kingsmere River, Prince Albert National Park
Standing ..read more
The Saskatchewan Border
4y ago
Photo Series by Andy Goodson
Little Boggy Creek Valley in Duck Mountain Prov. Park, Saskatchewan
I never spend more than a few nights at Duck Mountain during the winter. But early this year I found myself with no obligations and unprecedented free time, so I took three weeks to record music at the family cabin. Naturally, having set a creative goal for myself, I went to great lengths to distract myself with other hobbies, namely photography.
Valley Walls from the Fen Trail at Little Boggy Creek
Frozen creek
Black spruce, tamarack and a whole lot of white space
I took an afternoon off ..read more
The Saskatchewan Border
4y ago
Photo Series by Andy Goodson
Steeprock River, Manitoba
In September 2017, Sean and I were lucky enough to spend a couple nights in Manitoba's Porcupine Hills. The weather was perfect, allowing us to get in a full-day exploratory hike where we found marine fossils, a rut site and plenty of fall scenery.
This photo series was shot with a Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3, 14-42/F3.5-5.6 lens.
Caterpillar resembling a wasp or bee – this might be an example of mimicry as a defense against predators.
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Marine fossil found in the face of one of Steeprock River's many boulders (View Rocks and Fo ..read more
The Saskatchewan Border
4y ago
Photography by Andy Goodson and Sean Hootz
Introduction
Juggling the interests of a group with varied levels of fitness, skill and confidence has always been a challenge; that’s why we picked the North Saskatchewan River. It was simple, accessible, and it offered a good mix of wild and developed areas to contrast. Those of us who wanted to beach, beer and barbeque would have ample time, and the promise of faster water in the final stretch would allow the Type As to put their junior adventurer hats on. But inevitably the trip plan promise ..read more
The Saskatchewan Border
4y ago
Photography by Andy Goodson and Sean Hootz
In late April, Sean and I decided to check out a we’ve passed by on numerous occasions when travelling along the east edge of the Porcupine Hills: the Bell River Canyon, just a few minutes south of Steeprock River in Manitoba. Sean had mapped out an access point up a logging road where we planned to hike seven kilometres up an elevation change of 381 metres. Bell River Canyon was a conspicuous feature on the topographic map, but it wasn’t until finding the Swan River Valley’s trail blurb online that we realized road access could make reaching the up ..read more
The Saskatchewan Border
5y ago
Photography by Andy Goodson and Sean Hootz, using phone cameras because why not?
February 15, 2019 - It's 10:30 at night and I've just arrived at the cabin where Sean, David, Nate and Gill are gathered around the kitchen table. Matt is drinking a beer and a bottle of some neon-yellow liqueur. I ask him what's new, 'Not much, thinkin' about taxes,' he says as I take a swig of his bottle, which tastes like pixie puke in a Disney Land kind of way. We've been avoiding winter camping due to extreme cold, preferring finer comforts instead like ..read more