Surviving Todagin

Vancouver International Film Festival

admin — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 18:52:53 +0000

Join me on February 12th at the Vancouver International Film Festival, where I’ll share what it was like to live on Todagin Mountain for five months while shooting a story on one of the largest herds of Stone’s sheep before it loses its habitat to mining. Tickets and information.

National Geographic Explorers

admin — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 22:31:11 +0000

I am honoured to be counted among the National Geographic Explorers!

Wolf Pack on Todagin

admin — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 19:33:35 +0000

Visit the NatGeo Explorers Journal to watch a wolf pack 16-strong patrol the Todagin plateau in search of sheep.

Mating Season on Todagin

admin — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 19:24:12 +0000

Visit the NatGeo Explorers Journal to read what it’s like to camp for three weeks on Todagin in the winter to photograph the rutting season.

National Geographic Explorers Journal, Todagin Series

admin — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 22:55:48 +0000

National Geographic Explorers Journal is featuring a three-part series on Surviving Todagin. Check out the Introduction here:

Cleaning Up and Drying Out

admin — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:25:22 +0000

I can’t think of a better way to clean up after the first leg of fieldwork. I am off the mountain for a few weeks as I prepare for the return trip to photograph the rutting season in November.

Day 54: Todagin Weather

admin — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:17:45 +0000

High wind is a frequent problem on the plateau, and again it got the better of my camp. When I return in November to photograph the rut, I’ll move camp off the plateau down to tree line to escape the weather, which will only get worse.

Day 45: Escape Terrain Camera Traps

admin — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 00:14:15 +0000

The plateau is etched with a complex network of sheep trails, many of which follow precipitous routes across cliffs. These are used to escape predators, such as wolves and grizzlies, and to access safe places to bed down for the night. Escape terrain is a critical component of sheep habitat – a herd will settle with poorer forage if needed to ensure adequate access to cliffs. In an attempt to capture the importance of this terrain, I rappelled the cliffs to install camera traps along these trails.

Day 33: She Said Yes!

admin — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 20:33:19 +0000

I fell madly in love with Rachael in three days. And it didn’t take long to know that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. So when Rachael traveled north for a short visit, we hiked to a peak on Todagin and I asked if she would marry me. I love you, Rachael. Thank you for making me too happy for words!

Camera-trapped proposal pics:

Day 27: Mike Fay

admin — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 20:54:50 +0000

National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Mike Fay walked up Todagin Mountain to witness this threatened landscape the same way he has witnessed so many others: one sandaled foot in front of the other. It is inspiring to sit on this plateau and talk with the man who spent 455 days walking 3,200 miles across Africa and helped create 13 National Parks in Gabon.

His new work looking at the wave of resource extraction developments sweeping across northern BC is shocking. The rate and scale of development is unprecedented. I have partnered with Mike to produce in-depth stories of some of the hotspots in the region he is covering, Todagin being the first.

The cook at a nearby lodge was thrilled to meet Mike. He has had a Fay quote tattooed on his arm for a decade: “There will not be a day for the rest of my life that I do not think of this place. I finally found here what I have been looking for all my life.” – Mike Fay