Since being back in Canada our adventures have not ended.  Admittedly, we haven't been taking as many photos or writing as many blog posts, but there are still a few things we want to share.  It has been amazing to spend so much time with family while we continue to explore new corners of the world - the ones right next door from home.

After our Yukon time we bought a Nissan Cube (long story) and drove down to Vancouver to meet up with Kim, Nate and Harrison!  The drive down was quiet and lovely.  We stopped at the Liard Hot Springs for a night to soak up the volcanic waters.  The fall colours were intense and we were lucky enough to spot a moose in the swamp beside the board walk to the hot spring.  Please enjoy a few photos from the rest of our drive.

To open slideshow in a new window clickhere

Bringing you the latest from CHAM Studios Productions - "Wildlife of Haines Alaska". 

This footage was taken over a few days while fishing for Pink and Sockeye Salmon in the Chilkoot River in Haines, Alaska. The salmon run brings all kinds of wildlife to the riverbank to feed on the delicious and nutritious tough guys - grizzly's, eagles, ravens, seals and of course humans. Sharing the river with wildlife, a balance of respect and sustainability is important, especially when it comes to the grizzly's!

One bear, the lone bear seen eating fish in the river toward the second half of the video, is an old friend of mine.  BMJ is 29 years old now (born the same year as me) and I remember seeing her over several years, sometimes with a cub or three.  She has had over 9 cubs in her lifetime but I don't think many have survived due to tourists claiming them to be a "nuisance" when they have gotten into fish coolers. Sadly the solution was to kill them because they had gotten used to feeding themselves this way and weren't able to fish for themselves.  Apparently the last couple of cubs did survive due to rangers efforts to minimize contact between bears and humans. Typically grizzly's live to be between 20-30 years old in the wild.  I hope she lives out the last few years in peace after losing so many of her babies. 

We hope you enjoy the show and let us know what you think!

-Chelsea and Mandrew

After experiencing so many beautiful and colourful birds in Costa Rica, Mandrew got a bit obsessed with his feathered friends.  Here's a collection of his favourite bird photos from our wanderings around the Americas. Enjoy!

To check out the album in Flickr, click here.

The highlight of my summer was definitely our incredible two week canoe trip down the Teslin and Yukon Rivers.  Unlike last year’s trip, this time Chelsea and I had some company – both our dads (Doug and Jim) came along for the ride, and Chelsea’s brother Shawn & his friend Sarah joined us for the second half.  As much as we enjoy each other’s company, it was a nice change to have some other people around to mix things up (and allow more options for the evening card games!).  One of the best parts for me was being able to share such an awesome trip with my dad, who’s the main reason I’m into all this outdoorsy nature stuff to begin with.  Thanks everyone for helping pack the trip with so many unforgettable moments!  =)

Since it’s taken me such a long time to put together this post (I’ve been busy, get off my back!), I’ll skip the nitty gritty details and stick to some of the more memorable moments.  If you’re interested in the practical details on the trip, I stuck those at the end.  So, with no further doo-doo, I present to you "Stories from the River".  Enjoy!
~ Mandrew

Who needs bear spray when you’ve got Mandrew Musk™?
One morning before we’d all gotten up, Doug was lying awake in his tent when he heard something moving around beside him.  He peeked out and saw a black bear sniffing about.  Not wanting to alarm anyone (or the bear) he quietly watched as it made its way around our camp and over to our tent.  Just as it reached us I happened to rip out a nice loud fart, startling the bear and causing it to flee for its life.  Yup, I've got skills.