The Way of the Wolf: “WILD ONES: An Adventure Rockumentary” Now Free to View

April 3, 2020

Here's a short, musical canoe film to watch this weekend!

Many of Explore’s readers are outdoors people and music lovers, too. With the current situation, we can’t get outside with our friends or go to concerts to enjoy a show. As everyone seems to be looking for a virtual fix to pass their time until this pandemic is over, I thought I’d share a film of mine that combines both music and adventure—now available for the first time for free on YouTube.

Wild Ones documents a 2015 canoe trip I did with my friend, Toronto musician Peirson Ross. The 750-kilometre trip from my cottage in Parry Sound to Ottawa wasn’t just any old journey, it was a concert tour to promote Peirson’s album Wild Ones that the film takes its title from.

Now, I have zero musical talent to speak of, so I was just there as the de facto roadie and tour manager—getting Peirson to his gigs at cottages, rafting companies, bars and lodges. I also drove the ‘van,’ navigating our 16-foot prospector along the myriad waterways of Ontario and Quebec to a penultimate concert in the nation’s capital on Canada Day.

Battling through mosquitoes, portages, rapids, upstream dragging and hangovers, Peirson and I meandered through the wild in order to make our shows on time and fulfill our musical destiny. It was simple tour, thrown together quickly—but one that celebrates adventure, music and our great Canadian wilderness.

The final chapter of my book Lines on a Map details some of the backstory of this journey, so if you’re looking for something to supplement your reading, pick up a copy to get deep inside the headspace of this trippy trip.

There you go—a little viewing and a little reading to help you through these fallow days. Stay safe, knowing that you’ll be out there doing it for real once we’re all through this. Enjoy!

To listen to and purchase Peirson’s album WILD ONES, as well as his other works, please visit: peirson.bandcamp.com/

You can keep up to date on Peirson’s musical happenings—including a new album out in June—on Instagram @peirsonmusic or Facebook at facebook.com/peirsonmclean

Frank Wolf

Frank Wolf is a Canadian filmmaker, adventurer, writer and environmentalist. He is known for documenting wilderness expeditions around the world, with a focus on the Canadian North. His award-winning films include 'The Hand of Franklin', 'Kitturiaq', 'On the Line', 'Mammalian', and 'Borealis', all of which broadcast on CBC in Canada. He was named one of 'Canada's Top Ten Adventurers' by Explore Magazine and was named 'One of Canada's Top 100 Explorers' by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. He's written dozens of articles for various publications over the years, including several features for Explore Magazine.