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Day 23: Staying Sane

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Day after day of freezing rain and high winds are enough to drive you mad. Sitting inside a small tent isn't much better. Two pieces of gear have kept me sane and changed camping forever. First Ascent's base camp tent is the size of a small living room and is just as comfortable when it's raining. There will be no going back to sitting by myself in a tiny tent after experiencing this.

The other is contact with the outside world via email made possible by Iridium's sat phone. There's nothing like notes from loved ones to brighten yet another rainy day.

Day 21: Camera Traps

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One of the techniques I'm using to capture images of the sheep is camera trapping. An infrared beam is set across a sheep trail, triggering the camera when broken. The great thing about Stone's sheep is that there are well-defined trails everywhere, so at any given location it is fairly easy to know where they will walk. The frustrating thing about Stone's sheep is that are well-defined trails everywhere, making it impossible to know at which location they'll be.

Day 14: Dinner Guests

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Well our First Ascent base camp tent has gained renown among the hunters throughout the plateau. As word spreads, we receive more and more visitors seeking shelter from the rain. Tonight Steve and I even played host to a couple hunters who stopped by for dinner. That's right. We had a dinner party on Todagin. Complete with pleasant conversation and wine. We compared AlpineAire meals and spoke about the weather. We even gossiped about a hunter in the neighbouring drainage we saw wearing cotton.

At the end of the night we said our goodbyes and Steve and I did the dishes while agreeing what a nice evening it was.

Day 14: Mapping Habitat

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The first step in ensuring sustainable development and the protection of a wildlife population is understanding the population and its needs. Stone's sheep research has traditionally focused on winter habitats, as this is when they can be found in higher concentration. The protection strategy on Todagin reflects this. Their winter habitat was protected in 2001 by means of Todagin South Slope Provincial Park, but the rest of their habitat -- the plateau and other cliff areas -- has remained unprotected.

It is this unprotected habitat that was recently opened up to mining exploration. At this point, the mining company is just looking around with relatively low impact, but should they decide to propose a development, we must understand the herd's needs to ensure sustainable development.

As a preliminary step in this direction, we are mapping the herd's habitat use during spring, summer and fall by photographing the sheep with a device called FotoSpot by Eka that provides the coordinates of the camera and its bearing. Through a series of trigonometry calculations we are able to pinpoint the exact location of the sheep being photographed.

This data will then be mapped to show the where and when of the Todagin herd's movements. Habitat protection involves protecting not only core areas but migration routes, which this data will help provide.

Day 12: Living with Grizzlies

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In 12 days I've come across five grizzlies roaming the plateau. Thankfully these are the type of grizzlies you want to be sharing a plateau with. They are primarily interested in digging up marmots and ground squirrels and don't pay any attention to people or their things. I watched as a grizz sauntered past a hunter's tent without so much as looking at it, not to mention the stash of food laying in the open. But nonetheless, when you have four months' worth of food and a longterm camp where you're cooking, it's a good idea to take precautions. I'm using UDAP's Bear Shock Electric Fence to dissuade any inquisitive bears. At only three pounds, I definitely recommend it for backpackers seeking a sound night's sleep in grizz country.

Day 12: Mountain Office

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Thanks to Iridium sat phones, I not only stay safer but in touch. This length of time in the field requires being able to keep up with emails on location. Deciding on which sat phone to use was easy, as every inquiry I made was met by one answer: Iridium is the only reliable option.

Day 11: A Day of Firsts

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A bittersweet day for the sheep: first day without rain and first day of hunting season. Small tents sheltering bow hunters have popped up across the plateau. Todagin Mountain is world-renowned for its Stone's sheep hunting. A Stone's sheep kill is one of the requirements of a Grand Slam, a coveted award for which a hunter must kill one of each of the four North American wild sheep species -- the Dall, Stone's, bighorn and desert bighorn.

Hunting on Todagin is not a simple task. While one may use a rifle to shoot Stone's sheep elsewhere in the province, Todagin is limited to bow hunting and its conditions aren't ideal.

First a hunter must confirm that a ram is "legal", meaning they have to get close enough to ensure there are at least eight rings on the horns or see that the horns breach the height of the nose. Getting this close to an animal that has been conditioned by years of hunting to take flight from humans would be difficult in any environment, but consider that Todagin is essentially one big open field. There isn't much to hide behind and even the grass is only an inch in height. I watched as a pair of hunters attempted unsuccessfully to "be the grass" -- disappearing into the ground via camouflage.

Then the hunter must get even closer to kill the sheep with one arrow. Again, difficult enough in any condition, but consider that one of Todagin's defining features is high wind.

Because of these challenges, only a handful of rams are taken from Todagin each year.

Day 10: Rain, Rain, Go Away

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The weather forecasters predict this will be one of the worst British Columbian summers in decades. Of all times to be right... Day 10 marks the tenth day of rain. I've spent the days following bands of sheep to document their habitat use, scouting photography locations and setting camera traps.

Day 6: Ode to Steve

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Camping might be one of the most efficient means of getting to know a person. I met Steve Ablitt for the first time as we boarded the helicopter to fly to Todagin. In this short time I have come to know Steve as perhaps the most unique and gentlest person I have ever met. Steve splits his time between a seagoing sailboat he built himself over nine years and a remote bush camp hidden deep within the Sacred Headwaters, where he lives in a trailer packed with high-tech video equipment.

When a pair of swallows flew into his trailer one spring, rather than usher them out he allowed them to build a nest and raise their young on his bookshelf. He kept the door open for the entire season. When he awoke before the birds he would take care not to disturb them. The bugs eventually got so bad in the trailer that he opted to move into a pup tent.

He gave up his home to a young family of swallows. Gentlest man ever.

Day 5: Relocating Base Camp

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It took only five days of having to hike uphill for three hours before finding sheep to convince us to relocate base camp. Our new home is on a lovely piece of sheltered waterfront property. The best part about it: views of sheep.

Day 1: Setting Up Camp

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Months of research, planning and fundraising capped by two weeks of logistics madness has landed me on Todagin Mountain, my home for the next four months. I could finally let out a breath held for weeks as the helicopter left me in silence. It is refreshing to shift from the abstract and administrative to the tangible and real. Joining me for the first two weeks is videographer Steve Ablitt. We set up base camp in a sheltered clearing tucked in next to a cliff often used by the sheep. From here I will spend the next four months photographing the herd and mapping their habitat.  

New Project Launch: Surviving Todagin

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The world's largest lambing herd of Stone's sheep lives on Todagin Mountain in remote northwestern British Columbia. The importance of the herd to the local Tahltan people, sport hunting and the species as a whole prompted the protection of its winter range via the creation of Todagin South Slope Provincial Park in 2001. The herd's spring, summer and fall ranges, however, remained unprotected and in December 2010 were opened up to mining exploration. Our team of scientists and journalists are taking a preliminary step to ensuring sustainable development by researching the habitat needs of the herd. We will spend six months living on Todagin Mountain to map the herd's habitat use and tell the story of their changing environment.

Please visit www.survivingtodagin.com to learn more and follow along through blog updates.

Photocrati Fund

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Huge thank you to the folks at Photocrati, who awarded my upcoming project, Surviving Todagin, their 2011 Photocrati Fund. This is the second year of the grant that supports humanitarian and environmental photography projects. This year was judged by icons Michael "Nick" Nichols, Jim Brandenburg and Steve McCurry. Check out their video showcasing the top three projects. And be sure to check out the *Photocrati site*, where you can find amazing WordPress themes for photographers.

Thank you Mountainfilm

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It was my first *Mountainfilm in Telluride*, but I hope it's not my last. Pretty amazing group of talented and inspiring people! There are way too many to choose from, but here were some of my favourites:

Mickey Smith's "Dark Side of the Lens"

Pete McBride's "Chasing Water"

Drew Ludwig's "Gloves I Carried" exhibit

And many thanks to RBC's Blue Water Project for sponsoring the Sacred Headwaters, Sacred Journey exhibit, Art for Conservation for printing it and Mountainfilm for their Commitment Grant!