Owen's Hiking And Adventures

Owen's Hiking And Adventures Nature hiking tours in Niagara Region (BOOK NOW!), Public Speaking, and Nature Documentaries around the world!
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Alright, so here’s a cool perspective! 📸 photos sent in from the adventurers who have attended my tours! Sometimes I get...
09/04/2024

Alright, so here’s a cool perspective! 📸 photos sent in from the adventurers who have attended my tours! Sometimes I get sent photos from the hikers or canoers, so it is always fascinating to see their perspective! Besides my favourite group photo selfie I take per tour, I don’t have many photos of me “at work”- so here we are! All of these families, couples, and groups of friends are awesome 💪🥾🤘🛶🦅

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

I explored a new Conservation area a couple of days ago! It’s called Saltfleet Conservation Area. On a map, it looks una...
09/03/2024

I explored a new Conservation area a couple of days ago! It’s called Saltfleet Conservation Area. On a map, it looks unassuming and limited in size. BUT- surprise- it was awesome, and here are my takeaways as you scroll through the photos!
1) Most of it is wheelchair accessible 💪!
2) They turned abandoned fields into excavated wetlands, installing rock island and woody debris habitat features
3) You’re a 15 minute hike from the edge of the Escarpment, a waterfall, and views of Ontario’s 3rd largest city- Hamilton!

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

From a tour last week 🛶💪 a splendid evening out with this family, made all the better by their love of being outdoors an...
09/02/2024

From a tour last week 🛶💪 a splendid evening out with this family, made all the better by their love of being outdoors and their impressive knowledge of the natural world! We saw 3 great blue herons in one spot at one time, 2 beaver dams, and had 1 amazingly calm session out on the water!

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

From my first of two outings last Thursday! YEAR-END bash at  , where the kids got to vote on what their favourite activ...
08/31/2024

From my first of two outings last Thursday! YEAR-END bash at , where the kids got to vote on what their favourite activity they did with me was this summer! I picked the most popular two votes and combined them (insect exploration and fire building challenge) and ended with a celebratory water balloon fight! THANKS to these awesome kids, their awesome parents, and Vine Ridge Resort for making me feel welcome this summer, and having so much fun!

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

They don’t build kids like this anymore 💪🥾🤘⛰️ this group of cousins were locked-in to a proper adventurer mindset- the h...
08/31/2024

They don’t build kids like this anymore 💪🥾🤘⛰️ this group of cousins were locked-in to a proper adventurer mindset- the heat and humidity, a wasp sting, frog and toad catching, and waterfall chasing were aspects of this incredible day out in Niagara’s only provincial park- for nearly 3 hours!!! Kids like this give me hope for the future.

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

Here I am parked at Gratitude Station! The most amazing couple just donated TWO 🛶 gorgeous green canoes to Owen’s Hiking...
08/30/2024

Here I am parked at Gratitude Station! The most amazing couple just donated TWO 🛶 gorgeous green canoes to Owen’s Hiking And Adventures. I asked / pleaded- seriously? What would you like for these 💵? They insisted nothing- just that they went to a good home. I suppose a good home is a place where kids and families canoe together for the first time, and/or explore one of Niagara’s quiet back creeks that locals and visitors alike aren’t aware of.
I hooked them up with a free tour, swag, and a bunch of local wine from and .
To me, this is a logged moment of my life, where I promised them (and anyone reading this), that I will pay it forward in life one day in memory of this moment. Also, you may be asking- where is “Gratitude Station” located?
It’s wherever the hell you make it 🤘💪🛶

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

Decew Falls- but without the waterfall!? 🤯 from last week’s tour. My guest and I took the wild and “intense” level tour ...
08/29/2024

Decew Falls- but without the waterfall!? 🤯 from last week’s tour. My guest and I took the wild and “intense” level tour she requested to get to the base of the iconic Decew Falls for wildlife exploration and a swim! Plans changed for swimming when we found that the waterfall was TURNED OFF! Due to an ongoing historical restoration project on Decew House and the grist mill above, workers blocked water flow over the falls. However, we found a “cave turtle” (separate post to come), a groundhog, and other cool plants and critters down there without the crowds of people! Super interesting!

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

Playing social media catch-up! What a JAM PACKED week of tours with too many awesome encounters to possibly summarize! T...
08/29/2024

Playing social media catch-up! What a JAM PACKED week of tours with too many awesome encounters to possibly summarize! This guest from last week enjoyed 2 waterfalls in one day as part of the “Wild Waterfalls Tour”- featuring water snakes, cave turtles, ground hogs, and epic rock formations! More to come in a separate post :)

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

trail

“Nooks of Niagara” brief tour! When I’m not in hiking and adventuring mode, I’m still usually in hiking and adventuring ...
08/27/2024

“Nooks of Niagara” brief tour! When I’m not in hiking and adventuring mode, I’m still usually in hiking and adventuring mode! I found some new little spots, hidden in plain sight just a short bike ride from my house. This is proof that there are natural gems still tucked away just a stone throw from your doorstep- and that we are still lucky to have access to nature for our mental and physical health! Check out where I’ve been to on my spare time over the last week 🚴🇨🇦🤘🛶🤯

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

NATIONALLY RARE SPECIES APPRECIATION POST 🗣️: hiding in plain sight, I have hiked by this tree by myself and with guests...
08/27/2024

NATIONALLY RARE SPECIES APPRECIATION POST 🗣️: hiding in plain sight, I have hiked by this tree by myself and with guests HUNDREDS of times. The KENTUCKY COFFEE TREE is arguably the rarest tree in Canada- no joke! There are isolated populations in the extreme south of Ontario, and that’s it. I only know of two locations it grows in the wild in Niagara- this spot DEEP in the Niagara Gorge being one of them!
More populated in places like Kentucky and other temperate Midwest / Appalachian states, it survives at its northern most limit in places like right here in Niagara. The name comes from how the seeds can be roasted and used as a coffee-like beverage.

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

From my 2nd tour today- Want to see what ultimate adventure in Niagara looks like!? Look at these photos and let me know...
08/23/2024

From my 2nd tour today- Want to see what ultimate adventure in Niagara looks like!? Look at these photos and let me know when you’re ready to GO!!! Also love seeing these kids wear the OHA swag- every purchase goes back into environmental awareness and action! Swag available on my website:

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

Scroll to see ADULTS Vs. KIDS Survival Skills competition! I piloted a new program that was originally intended for adul...
08/22/2024

Scroll to see ADULTS Vs. KIDS Survival Skills competition! I piloted a new program that was originally intended for adults only, but when the kids got word of this- they wanted to challenge the adults! So that’s what happened, and it was a hoot filled with learning, laughing, and ending in a water balloon fight showdown!!!

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

In an ongoing effort to make "The Rod Squad" a household name, here's a little documentary I filmed and compiled for you...
08/22/2024

In an ongoing effort to make "The Rod Squad" a household name, here's a little documentary I filmed and compiled for your viewing pleasure! SEE: hooks stabbed through a hand, northern Ontario's incredible wilderness, fish in action, and a group of guys who enjoy life off the grid! THANK YOU, White River Air for another year of "the best time of my life"!
Special thanks to Nathanael Bachynski for jamming with me and making the music for this video!
Rob Burns Robert Copeland Jim Roe et al.

Fish, hooks in hands, wilderness, weather and fish again! What a time with "The Rod Squad"- special thanks to White River Air and my buddy Nate Bachynski for...

From yesterday’s 2nd tour- a paddling expedition, featuring a super rare Golden Eagle! Amongst a coupled dozen painted t...
08/21/2024

From yesterday’s 2nd tour- a paddling expedition, featuring a super rare Golden Eagle! Amongst a coupled dozen painted turtles and hundreds of cormorants! The Golden eagle encounter was so brief - and I I have no photo of the encounter- but I know what we saw!!! 🦅
BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

From yesterday’s tour 🛶🇨🇦🤘! With a few strokes of the paddle along the mighty Niagara River, we then paddles upstream th...
08/17/2024

From yesterday’s tour 🛶🇨🇦🤘! With a few strokes of the paddle along the mighty Niagara River, we then paddles upstream through Black Creek- an incredible synergy of how human communities and intact ecosystems can coexist in harmony! One of my favourite spots to show people in Niagara- and we “only” saw nearly 30 turtles I’d say!

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

Today’s session involved ART IN NATURE and POLLINATOR PLANTING!  kids got the opportunity to practice their inner artist...
08/15/2024

Today’s session involved ART IN NATURE and POLLINATOR PLANTING! kids got the opportunity to practice their inner artist in the outdoor world, take home a framed photo of their work, and then pick out a native pollinator plant for their cabin to take care of!

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

Hard to pick 6 out of 142 of my favourite photos of the  fly-in fishing trip with my dad and the guys (the “Rod Squad”)-...
08/14/2024

Hard to pick 6 out of 142 of my favourite photos of the fly-in fishing trip with my dad and the guys (the “Rod Squad”)- but we will start with these ones, and I will post more as the week goes on! 🤘🎣🇨🇦 no reception yet plenty of connection 🎣

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

This is one of my favourite situations to write about when publishing an article in The NOTL Local- feel free to immerse...
08/14/2024

This is one of my favourite situations to write about when publishing an article in The NOTL Local- feel free to immerse yourself, enjoy the wild journey, and comment on the story or photos!

"Hook, line, and sinker- a tale of fishing, injuries and making the most of life"

“He's got me!” exclaims my dad, Moe Bjorgan. In normal circumstances in fishing, he'd be the one saying “I got him!” to a tiny but wiry 12 inch northern pike. My father, an experienced fisherman and outdoorsman, was about to execute one of the most gruelling and impressive things I have ever seen with my very eyes.
As he reeled in and grabbed the small fish in routine fashion, the unprecedented unfolded. While he gripped the fish's body in an attempt to remove the hook through its lip, the slimy tubular animal suddenly flipped out. This drove a hook into the webbing of my dad's hand between his thumb and index finger. The fish, still attached to another hook, continued to violently flop while the hand hook was embedded. The hook and barb then visually pierced through the other side of his hand.
The water gently lapped the serene and untainted shorelines of Gourlay Lake, an 11 hour drive north of here and a 25 minute bush flight inland. We had no cell phone reception, and the nearest hospital requiring plane evacuation (if weather permitted) was another hour of driving to the small town of Wawa. Dad and I were alone on an unsung shore saturated with dense spruces and large rocks, the little fish back in the water, and and a man caught off guard and caught by his own lure.
I'm not sure of this next moment makes me a good son or not. Before taking any required action, I grabbed my camera. In my mind, whether we unearthed this barbed monstrosity in 5 seconds or 5 minutes from now wouldn't affect the outcome. As I snapped the photos of his hand, I think we both knew that this would be a photographic memory for the books. Finally, I passed him the pliers.
My eyes widened and my adrenaline pumped looking at the hook penetrating through his hand. We both remained calm and talked about what should unfold next.
“Would you like me to do it, or, would you like to do it yourself, Dad?” I asked.
“Give me the pliers,” he responded. I even have a video of him casually burping after saying this. Cool as a cucumber.
The peaceful sunshine, the relatively calm lake and calls of loons were a stark contrast to the thought of, “My God, are we getting extracted to Wawa for this?” Upon a closer look, the hook was dangerously beyond the webbing, with a risk of some sort of tendon or ligament being ripped apart. I had no idea what he was going to do next, and then I witnessed one of the most badass things a son would ever watch his own father do.
To be clear, in circumstances where you are in civilization, first aid instructs you to keep impaled objects in the body so they can be surgically removed by professionals. We didn't have that luxury, so Dad took matters into his own hands (literally). He proceeded to clamp the sharp edges of the needle-nose pliers onto the hook, breaking it and leaving only only the horseshoe-shaped metal inside of his hand. Fortuitously, the barb has bursted through the other side, which meant that like an earring, he could use the pliers to continue smoothly pulling the hook through, and then out.
It looked vile, and I normally have a strong stomach and a calm mind in these situations. When it came out, I was a little shaken up and recommended we go back to our island cabin to clean it up properly and take a rest. When I recommended this, he grabbed the motor and said, “I've got a couple more hours in me until lunch time!”
Legendary. It likely ranks as my top father-son moment in life. Legends are born in the back bays of isolated lakes and wild frontiers- in a landscape that has supplied and crushed mankind for hundreds and thousands of years.
This is the exact buzz that I get out of this fishing trip. It always captivates me how a place like northern Ontario can be so tranquil and unforgiving at the same time. For every beautiful sunset and impossibly dreamy starry night, there is a moose being eat alive by wolves somewhere. When you sense the aura of the many bald eagles who grace your presence, you know those talons cut deeper into a fish than the hook ever could into my Dad's hand. A pristine summer day will eventually give way to temperatures and silence that can break your skin just a few months from now. The true wilderness is an experience that excites and challenges someone, and beckons you to plug your perspectives back into the bedrock of this landscape.
Myself, my Dad, Doug Howse, Rob Burns, Robert Copeland, Tom Copeland, Jimmy Roe and Ken Garland all had something to gain from this natural wonderland, brought to us by White River Air and it's consistently friendly staff, pilots, and dock crews. We come back here every year or two for a good reason.
I know my Dad has stolen the spotlight here, but I wanted to mention my favourite moments with every other man listed here.
Rob and I decided that the remote island cabin wasn't remote enough, so one night, we embarked across the lake by boat and set up a wilderness shoreline camp featuring a beach, a fire-cooked steak sandwich, and hundreds of thousands of spruce trees as our neighbors. It felt as if we were camping on an abysmal cliff, with this thin beach hosting our tents between a world of open water and impenetrable, dark forest.
Doug and I have done this trip a handful of times now, and I particularly enjoyed sharing the cabin duties with him, including the intentional and careful act of fish cleaning. Doug also loved upsetting my bocce ball game whenever we played on the various wilderness beaches in the area. He may have also caught the most walleye on the trip.
Robert “Copey” and I have done this trip once before, but never have we been in the same boat and experienced the feistiest afternoon of fishing we both had on a trip. I loved reeling in more delicious walleye than northern pike for a time period there, as our lines were tight for about half an hour straight at one point it seemed.
His brother, Tom Copeland, was entirely new to this fly-in excursion, and it is always awesome to see someone new take in the grandeur of this White River Air experience. He not only got to sit at the front of the bush plane on the flight back, but he was also a recipient of the coveted “Big Fish of the Day” hat twice in a row.
Jimmy and I have been through this before. We both relish the quiet evenings and the wildlife out on the water, despite if we are slaying fish or missing them all. At one point, we both witnessed a northern pike leap up and out of the water to hook itself onto my lure that was resting on the side of the boat. We thought this was an appropriate testimony to the hungriness of the fish up in these lands.
Ken Garland would ultimately take the 33.5 inch northern pike “Big Fish of the Week” award. As another newcomer to this trip, that was fantastic to know that Ken got “the big lunker” of Gourlay Lake. And, to boot- he was also as superior as the nearby Lake Superior itself when it came to making us delicious camp cocktails. Thanks for keeping us hydrated, Ken.
There is only one thing that could make a trip like this more memorable. On the last day, we had all of our gear packed and loaded and ready for extraction. Mother nature ultimately had other plans, as her tempest of low clouds and angled rains kept the planes grounded until the next day. The way I see it, we got another day and night in paradise- devoid of social media, news, emails, and the hustle and bustle of our non-wilderness lives.
What can I say? I am filled with gratitude for what ultimately turned out to be a safe and hilariously memorable trip. Everyone is home safe to their wives, kids, jobs and dogs. And, a freezer full of delectable, fresh caught walleye. Thank you once again, White River Air and your staff for this opportunity of a lifetime all over again. We're so lucky to have your team, and the feather in our cap of calling northern Ontario one of the most amazing places on Earth.

THANK YOU, White River Air!!!

www.owenshikingandadventures.com

Ah, social media- so societally damaging yet so immediately rewarding! Thank you for reminding me as of 11 years ago tod...
08/14/2024

Ah, social media- so societally damaging yet so immediately rewarding! Thank you for reminding me as of 11 years ago today, I caught the biggest and most memorable fish of my life in the Niagara Gorge- a beautiful musky (released back!) reeled in on a 6 LB LINE!!! I didn’t deserve to land this beast- and among the other approximate 75 species in the Niagara River, the musky is one of the largest going.

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A


More photos from late July’s tours! Still playing photo post catch-up. Wait until you see what images and videos I have ...
08/13/2024

More photos from late July’s tours! Still playing photo post catch-up. Wait until you see what images and videos I have in store for the next few days- we’ve got snakes falling over waterfalls and northern abyss landscapes shot from a bush plane. Life is great 🤘🥾🇨🇦🎣🛶

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

From another tour over a week ago- family first 💪🛶! My cousins, their husbands and kiddos came out for an afternoon on t...
08/10/2024

From another tour over a week ago- family first 💪🛶! My cousins, their husbands and kiddos came out for an afternoon on the water. I wanted to give a special SHOUT OUT 🗣️ to both sides of my family, who have supported and promoted my work since day 1, many many years ago!

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

Another upload from a tour over a week ago- the YOUNGEST and OLDEST individuals on this tour set a record for being the ...
08/09/2024

Another upload from a tour over a week ago- the YOUNGEST and OLDEST individuals on this tour set a record for being the champions of each age category- 5 and 80, for making the four-limbed scramble up the boulders to the base of the Rockway Falls! You love to see it 💪🥾!!!

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

Company from the Netherlands 🇳🇱 in the magnificent Niagara Gorge from over a week ago’s tour!! Playing catch-up on tour ...
08/09/2024

Company from the Netherlands 🇳🇱 in the magnificent Niagara Gorge from over a week ago’s tour!! Playing catch-up on tour photos and videos- life has been in the fast lane! However, I will always make time to give you and your loved ones an unforgettable outdoors experience in Niagara.

BOOK your Niagara tour / talk with me:
www.owenshikingandadventures.com
My YouTube channel AND Hidden Corners nature documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvL2fsztBV-fRcVHDY8c56A

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Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON

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