wintertrekking.com

[scoutergriz]

anybody know what's going on with wintertrekking, for the last 2 weeks it's been timing out and my check says the problem is at their end...

 

[Boatman53]

I get the same thing. I hope it is going to carry on but the owner has been MIA for months.
Jim

 

[snapper]

I hate to say this but my guess is it's in its death throes. Unfortunately, for whatever the reasons, Hoop hasn't done much to the site since he took it over from Harlan. Also, so many people have chimed in about how difficult it is to post photos and videos, while having lots of competition via Facebook, that I'm thinking there's no real reason for him to spend the time, money & energy to bring it back to life. I'd hate to see it go but everything has a shelf life. Maybe we're coming to the end of Winter Trekking's?

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

 

[Canotrouge]

Yes same here, even after so many people reaching out to see if HOOP was fine and what was happening, he never even come on to address the worries about him and his health.... lots of assumptions but life is life and there is nothing we can do about it! From now on I will post my winter trips and snow trekking questions on here in the winter camping section!!

 

[memaquay]

Yup I think it is a goner too. Too bad, it was the first dedicated hot tent site, I learned a lot from it. Now it seems like hot tenting is the new "in" thing, all the cool kids are doing it and posting pics on Facebook.

 

[Guest]

The Life Cycle of Internet Forums

http://vjmpublishing.nz/?p=1316

Interesting read. That has been the pattern of every paddling forum I have participated on in the past, from rec.boats.paddle to NPMB to P.net to now defunct paddling club message boards.

 

[recped]

For what it's worth Hoop recently posted two videos on his YouTube Channel, the first for a very long time.

 

[Jim Dodd]

For what it's worth Hoop recently posted two videos on his YouTube Channel, the first for a very long time.

I remember seeing both.
He cut the last trip short, because of health issues. I believe his shoulder was causing pain.

 

[Canotrouge]

I remember seeing both.
He cut the last trip short, because of health issues. I believe his shoulder was causing pain.

Possibly from a hockey injurie he told me about!

 

[Guest]

Interesting idea that everything, including internet forums, have a life cycle.

Fashions and fads have a short life cycle. I have been hoping for a long time now that facebook is a fad and will recede. Internet forums that execute well, and focus exclusively on a particular subject or hobby, should increase in popularity. I cannot be the only one out there who could care less about acquaintances' (not actual friends that I see in-person) cats, political ideas, relatives' birthdays/weddings/deaths, sports teams, favorite colors, memes, etc.

I have never joined a facebook group, and inactivated my facebook account almost as soon as I set it up, like 10 years ago, so maybe I have no idea what I am talking about.

One big advantage of internet forums is that they archive loads of valuable information in an easily accessible form. Flame outs like solotripping.com, and maybe wintertrekking.com, cut against that advantage.

 

[snapper]

I like Canotrouge's idea of making more extensive use of this forum's winter camping section. A lot of the same folks are on both forums so it wouldn't be too difficult to start posting over here. While I'm not a tech guy, my guess is it's a lot easier to post videos & photos here so it could make for an (almost) seamless transition. Just my two cents. Take it for what it's worth...

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

PS - Happy Memorial Day to all in the USA; sorry...not sure when Canadians might celebrate something similar

 

[Odyssey]

" Happy Memorial Day to all in the USA; sorry...not sure when Canadians might celebrate something similar -snapper"

Hope your Memorial Day is a good one. We celebrated Queen Victoria's birthday decently, otherwise known as The May Two-Four eh.

Hoop's vanishing from public life may be as simple as his personal life requiring his undivided focused attention, and choosing to keep it private.
Whatever is or isn't going on I wish him well.

 

[yellowcanoe]

" Happy Memorial Day to all in the USA; sorry...not sure when Canadians might celebrate something similar -snapper"

Hope your Memorial Day is a good one. We celebrated Queen Victoria's birthday decently, otherwise known as The May Two-Four eh.

Hoop's vanishing from public life may be as simple as his personal life requiring his undivided focused attention, and choosing to keep it private.
Whatever is or isn't going on I wish him well.

I appreciate the sentiment but Happy is not supposed to be part of Memorial Day. It is like Canada's Remembrance Day. A time for gratitude to those who served and lost their life in defense of our countries.

While the US observes Veterans Day at the same date Canada observes Remembrance Day , Veterans Day is to honor all vets living and dead. Today we go to a veterans cemetery nearby and think and reflect.

In defense of FB I find it useful for neighborhood information . More and more small businesses are using it because I think updating it is easier. They can change hours and menus and what is for sale. Especially small food outlets like farms and local butchers.
There is a lot to be said for not liking FB but it can be useful.

What DID Queen Victoria do that you celebrate her ( with bounteous barrels of beer? heard the 2-4 holiday is called that because it needs 24 cans)

 

[Odyssey]

I never used the sentiment Happy. Pretty sure you can have "a good one" thoughtfully without too much gaiety, so yes I do know what Memorial Day is about. But I'm pretty sure my American friend Snapper mean't well and his thoughts are in the right place, so I just amicably let it slide.

Queen Vic was our Monarch for a time. There exists Monarchists and AntiMonarchists and Who-Gives-A-Regal-dang-ists here where I live. I however choose to acknowledge the 3rd Monday in May as frost free garden planting time.

 

[PaddlingPitt]

I think there would be a lot of interest in people posting their winter trekking on this site’s Winter Camping. A while ago I posted a trip report on Winter Camping, titled “Our Winter of Content in Canada’s Western Arctic.” It had more views, by far, than any other of my trip reports. And Kathleen and I weren’t actually trekking, as we were living in a one-room cabin from January 1 until breakup in mid-June. In my defence, we did drag our gear through the bush twice, to enjoy weekend camping excursions. At the time, I didn’t know that we were trekking with a hot tent. I just called it a wall tent with a wood stove. Quite literal, but hot tent is much more descriptive and appealing!

 

[Robin]

When I was first looking for someone to take over this site, I was surprised to see that Hoop had bought Wintertrekking from Harlan. Good old Harlan, always the crafty businessman. Hoop does the leg work for all the great information on that site and then has to buy it from Harlan. Go figure.

Unlike Canoetripping, which stays busy year round, Wintertreekking has a slow period spring thru summer. To actually pay for a site like that surprised me, not much revenue generated during the slow months to cover the hosting fees imo. Actually, I doubt if the ads cover the fees during the best of months, but I could be wrong.

So I sent Hoop an email asking him if he would be interested in taking over this site, thinking with his canoe tripping knowledge it would be a win win situation, maybe combine the two sites strong points and dump some weaker stuff. He sent me back a note saying “Thanks, but no thanks”. Hoop is a proud Canadian, and a loyal one too, I doubt if he would be comfortable butting heads with the great website Canadian Canoe Routes, and with his following a winter camping and canoe “tripping” site would be very popular and a force to be reckoned with.

Having said all that, I’m glad Doug stepped up and took the site, his leadership has proven to be a real “win win” for us.

 

[yellowcanoe]

I never used the sentiment Happy. Pretty sure you can have "a good one" thoughtfully without too much gaiety, so yes I do know what Memorial Day is about. But I'm pretty sure my American friend Snapper mean't well and his thoughts are in the right place, so I just amicably let it slide.

Queen Vic was our Monarch for a time. There exists Monarchists and AntiMonarchists and Who-Gives-A-Regal-dang-ists here where I live. I however choose to acknowledge the 3rd Monday in May as frost free garden planting time.

Sorry Snapper did say that. I misread.Yes the thought was in the right place. The third Monday in May is usually frost free but its close.. There are yo yos to come! And my garden is a bit frost nipped. We had a neighborhood ceremony with a teen leading in Taps at three pm.

 

[Odyssey]

No probs.
The first frost free date had us guessing here. The roller coaster ride of temperatures has a way of getting our hopes up and then cold shocks us. We were only recently still suffering single digit temps (C) overnight. Most evenings I'd say to myself "This would be a nice night to sleep out under canvas." The following mornings made me glad I'd not been so eager. Not that we've had the opportunity anyway. In time.


It would be a loss to see Wintertrekking fade away. There's a growing need for online forums and resources for winter tripping pursuits.