Interesting DS Site & Sold Me Boots...

Stumbled on this interesting DS site from my DR Yahoo Group.  Well worth a read.

Also I sold my boots yesterday, so I'm in the market for some smaller ones...

Here's One For Vicky and Iris....

Motorcycle Tripper is a dual sport Vancouver Island blog that is authored by Sarah Tripper.  She is new to DS motorcycling, and is a good writer.  The combination makes for an interesting story: Island Coast Motorcycle Trip Part 1, 2, 3 and 4.  Give it read: some of the terrain is familiar, and some of it is for future considerations...

Street Tires+Mud =

DL650+Street Tires+Mud=A Good Time...Some nice photography here; I like the edge blur effects and the slow mo water explosions...

Paul

Great Blog Post on Various Online Maps Available....

Rather than plagiarize, I'll send you here to the only other pure dual-sport blog on Vancouver Island; however, a word of warning, the site is no longer up to date, so if you click on the link, you are leaving the only relevant dual-sport blog on Vancouver Island which is not cluttered with amateurish gimmicks and rants. 

Heaven

I'm going to church.  Guzzi LeMans Custom.  In Italy.  Touring.  Me WANT IT!

Yum Yum.

Yes please, Mummy.

New iPhone Tracker Works a Treat!

I bought an iPhone app for $3.99 yesterday: Trails.  I wasn't sure it was going to work, particularly with the iphone off, but it did. 

Here's the trail...

It does the red marker etc... I have waypoints set for every 250 metres, so, of course, it cuts some corners.  It gives me both a GPX and a KML file when I wish.  It also gives me average speed, top speed, entire distance, segment distances, duration, ascent, descent, altitude, trackpoinst, waypoints, time of start and time of finish...  Fabulous!  I have just ordered a 12v plug to iphone connector for my DR.  I am going to fabricate a bracket for the iphone over the winter and wire that sucker in: no battery issues for me!  This will be great with my TOPO maps app too...

Download the gpx file here
Download the KML file here

Paul

Frosty Ferns-so much for my last legal ride...

Jack Frost Leaves Some Paisley Etchings

No riding for me this morning...

Next Year's Plan: Leg 1

Next spring the plan has to be for Ryan, Andy and myself to spend a weekend getting from Nanaimo to Mt Boldluc, Flora Lake and perhaps even a bevvy in Port Renfrew.  It would be a two-three day ride/fish/camp with base camp being at Caycuse or Nixon Creek.  Leg one of that trip would be from Weigles to Youbou for gas.  The trip from Boomerang is 93 km.  The question is can Andy's tank make it?

Click on image for a larger rendition...

Weigles to 4th Lake - which we did two or three weekends ago - looks about 40% of the way.  Andy would need to fill up in Youbou before back tracking around the West End of the lake to the camp site on the south side of the lake.  The first day would be Nanaimo - Youbou - Nixon Creek.  The second day would be Nixon Creek to Boldluc to Renfrew and back to Nixon Creek.  The last day could be Nixon Creek to Flora Lake and Nitnat, then back to Nanaimo via Youbou for gas.

Whattdya Think?

Paul

Another Weigles Work Around???

Found this trail on Google Earth, with a pictures by Ross Collicut...The Trail is in Dark Red.  I think it's the one that cuts left up a step of mud just before the Quad pond...

The pictures found on the red trail are below...not sure how hospitable it looks, but maybe worth a go...

Escape From Weigles!

Andy and I met at the Metral Bux and headed off to do a spot of fishing.  Well it was a good old gumbo-day today, with more mud and "biowaste solids" spread on the roads into Weigles than I've ever smelled before.  I aired the tires down to 22psi front and rear today, and despite the rear TKC-80 looking long in the tooth, the tires were great.  I was considering going to a D606 on the rear, but I don't know if I'll ever encounter slicker mud, deeper puddles or more rutted gumbo than we saw today, and the tires never had a problem.  As I was airing the tires down, Andy met an old sailing acquaintance of mine who let us know that there is an alternative way into the logging roads rather than the Domount-Weigles tank-trap route.  The traps are fine, except as they fill with water, you're never sure if an ATV'er has dropped a log in the bottom of one, and, at the speeds we swoop in and out of those "Squamishes" (as the locals call them), that could be a neck breaker.

After getting to one of the nearer fishing holes I promptly snapped my rod on a snag, and so went for a walk to find some other bounty while Andy fished.  I stumbled upon some chantrelles which were about a week old, but still in good nick, and so collared them.  I also stumbled on these...



 I hadn't seen any of these since being in New Ayanch in northern BC 20 or so years ago, so, although I'm 99.9% sure I know what they are, I wasn't sure enough to take and eat them.  So I left them - hopefully for their spores to populate the area.  I know they have some in Shawnigan Lake, but they are usually higher than this...And no, I'm not telling...what, where or how...they're too "lucrative", and this information will encourage others to decimate the area to harvest them.

After fishing was a bust, Andy and I decided to try to find an alternative way back to civilization based on what my sailing buddy had intimated earlier.  So with GPS's in hand and fading light we headed east...

 The yellow trail is the usual spot to our fishing areas via Weigles Road and the tank-traps.  The green to red is the connector past Boomerang, and then the red is the new route back to the yellow gate at the end of Weigles/Domount road.  We explored all the main spars off the road in the clear cut, until we got to a road that entered the forest...

Little did I know that I had been here before.  Ryan had taken me this way as an alternative to Weigles a few months ago, albeit the other way.  I was to remember why I didn't like this trail at the time and dismissed it at as comfortable alternative...

Looking back down the dirt climb.  Going up the muddy rutted slope was not bad.  The torquey beast just loped up it.  My rear tire was my concern, but it needn't have been as SuziQ just loped up.  Looking down afterwards, I had a flashback.  Ryan had taken me down this slope when I had first had my bike.  I damn near didn't do it after I watched him skid all the way down with his rear locked up.  Basically, I rolled it down using the clutch and breaks for stoppage...  It's funny how time flies and now, I don't think, even in the mud, I'd worry too much about it.  Stand on the pegs, grip the tank and pump the brakes gently if you need to.  Just keep steerage!  Yeah, right.  Sounds easy!  A 606 is more aggressive, and one of those on the back would certainly hang on better than a TKC if you needed to trail brake a little.  But on the road, the TKC is far superior according to the posts I've been reading.  Ahh well, a decision to ponder over the winter...

All in all, a great day for both of us.  We both really enjoyed navigating our way round the back side of Weigles, sans biowaste...

My Next Gloves?

Caught this on one of the DR650 bulletin boards:

just wanted to share this with you all out there, bought a pair of these at REI for about $40 and they are the greatest thing since sliced bread.
http://www.skinnyskis.com/Products/Swix-Mens-Membrane-Split-Lobster-Mitts__765698126.aspx

I kid you not - I love these things like Joanie loves Chachie.

Not only do they keep me warm in the cold and dry in the wet but because the palm side is only one layer I don't lose ANY sensitivity or control on the bars.

all of the cold/wet gloves I have tried that run to less than $150 have either been a poor fit and/or have been horrible to use because of the dual layer causing 'slippage' between my hands and the bars.

finally - my quest to find a decent cold weather glove for a decent price is over!

these are so awesome I'm not sure I'm even going to bother with installing heated grips this winter.

Yeah Baby

Out early, on the bike in the sun with a coffee at last!

Snow On Bolduc

One of my favourite rides this year was up to see the crashed Locheed Ventura on Mt. Bolduc. I was interested to see this - the first visitor to the site since my trip up. There's snow there already!

Log Date: 11/6/2011
I have been talking about coming here for years, so today was finally the day. Made 1 wrong turn thanks to the nuvi, but other wise it was a nice simple drivr to! We hit snow at about 700m and it got to about 2 inches at gz!! Mrs. GK did not like the drive up!! Wow. Awesome spot!! We left a new poppy on the poppy tree and had a little walk about.  Very  quiet. 

P

Sent from Miphone

Out and About...

Must Be Fall

Nearly time for the insurance to lapse...

Tasty 4th Lake Trout...

Andy and I took off on Saturday through Weigles tank traps to 4th Lake.  This is a quicker route, and much more fun than taking the black-top.  The tank traps were greasy, but not as bad as I thought, and, despite my well worn rear Conti - TKC80, letting out some air to about 24 psi allowed me to get through without a hitch.  In fact I couldn't believe that I could stop halfway up a muddy ridge and start without any spin whatsoever.  Great tires on both street and dirt/mud, but the rear does wear quickly.

Still, once we were on the dirt roads a quick left and a right at Cottle and it's plain sailing to the gate that backs onto Nanaimo Lakes Road near First Lake.  We passed several hunters on the way, guns drawn but with friendly waves - despite us probably scaring off any "game" in the area (yeah - let's hear it for wildlife survival...apart from fish of course...).  That's probably why the gate was open.

From Weigles to the open gate (gold road to red triangle) is 19.34km; from the gate to 4th Lake is 23.87km; I wonder how much shorter this is than via blacktop to the gate...?

Once we got our plates taken and were told that the gates would be locked at 5pm by the two Junior FBI lookalikes at the Nanaimo Lakes Gate, we skiddadled.  It wasn't long before Second Lake popped up on our right and we stopped.  Andy had seen some fish surfacing last time, just after the bridge, so we pulled over.  Andy, overwhelmed by the turning leaves, the isolation and the beauty, headed into the bush for his morning ablutions.  I, realizing this would be quite some time, decided to head down a bank to the lake and cast among the rising trout. 

 Second Lake: no luck

An hour later, without a bite, and with Andy also bite-less (after dropping the kids off at the fern-covered mossy-knoll), we headed off towards 4th lake.

4th Lake: Luck!  A beauty; I think Andy had this one on earlier but lost it.  It will taste gorgeous tonight, if only for that reason...

At 4:20, After meeting a couple of well-pickled men in a pickup, comparing fish, (mine was bigger), Andy and I high tailed it out of there for the gate.  It was a sage reminder to me that most of the vehicle operators out-back should be considered "pissed as charged" and great care should be taken around them.  Andy and I hit speeds of 100kmh on the way back, but there was no sign of the pickup which left a minute ahead of us.  Either they're dead in a canyon somewhere, or they exceeded our speeds while continuing to drink their Kokanee... 

The gate to Weigles was still open, and we got back to the tank traps.  All was going well until I heard Andy's horn and looked back to see him walking around his bike.  I parked on the most level ground I could find amidst the tank traps and placed my helmet on a grassy knoll and ran back.  Some ATV'ers had left a few wet logs on the trail (thanks, guys!) and Andy had caught one with his front.  And, just like that, he was viewing the world at 90 degrees to the vertical.  I know the feeling; it's so quick their isn't time for even a "Christ"...  The bike was great, apart from the brake lever being bent slightly (looks better!), but Andy nailed his hip, and is no doubt feeling it.

But far worse! My helmet had fallen foul of low mu factor, and slipped elegantly off the moss and dropped perfectly into a mud puddle.  Did it float?  Did it float heck!  It filled with water, liberally soaking it into the liner and gloves.  It was impossible to drain it, so I slapped it on, tightened it up and let brown rivers stream down my brow, neck and chin onto my tank.  Still it's amazing what you can put up with when you're having fun! 

Above: The helmet is not rabid: there's no hydrophobia there!

It wouldn't be fair to sign off without a picture of SuziQ - the bayou bitch!  And the video camera: below!

All in all, great fun...even if my new boots don't fit the bike!!  Want to buy a pair??

Paul.

Halloween Passenger

This brave fella intimidated all those tailgaters today!

Myra Falls Mining Trip

Parish Notice: Andy, over on his blog, already did a great write-up of our trip to Myra Falls Mine, but I thought, more as an adjunct, that I'd add a few more pictures and comments...Maps courtesy of Andy.

New Boots!

Thanks to Ryan's text yesterday, I found these ATV boots for a steal!  Rode down to Duncan Motorsports massive closeout sale yesterday after school (actually prior to, as I had finished my parent teacher interviews at 2:00pm).  Regular $180, they were on for $90.  What a bargoon.  Clip ups, look fairly waterproof, rugged, with great treads.  Above all they look bullet proof with metal toes, ridgid ankles etc...

I will have to break them in this weekend...  Rain or shine...

Looking forward to it.  Thanks, Ryan!

Paul

MMMM. Don't know where this is, but it looks like Ryan Country.

This looks like a good read...Nice Pics too.

What A Monster!

Pulled this sucker from a local lake, that shall remain unnamed...It tasted delicious.  It was a great midweek fishing trip after work with Andy. Those midweek trips really break the week up, but I'm not sure how much longer we'll be able to partake in them with the weather, daylight and Weigles tank traps all diminishing in quality...

I'm away sailing this weekend, but I'd like one more camping trip before the frost hits...Youbou via 4th lake and Nitnat...Camp at Nixon Creek or Caycuse!!  C'mon! 

Nice Action!

Rain - what rain?  Just good fun!  What a gal!

I rushed out of work today and went to pick both my children up after school.  Well, I was skunked on both counts: Gill was going over to a friend's to help her with Math, and Clem was playing soccer on the school team after a day of weather related off-again on-again texts.  Well, the weather improved, and Clem was off to soccer.  

What to do?

A sensible person would have made some tea and surfed the 'net, happy with the relative peace and quiet.  But, as I returned home, and I walked through the garage past the two bikes, Winston sleeping of course, the plucked tones of a six string Rickenbacker heralded the first bars of CCR's Suzi Q in my head....she was at it again - she's hard to resist and very addictive, that Suzie Q...

Oh Suzie Q
Oh Suzie Q Baby I love you
Suzie Q

I like the way you walk
I like the way you talk
I like the way you walk I like the way you talk
Suzie Q

Oh say that youll be true
Oh say that youll be true
Oh say that youll be true and never leave me blue
Suzie Q

Oh say that youll be mine
Oh say that youll be mine
Oh say that youll be mine Baby all the time
Suzie Q...

And that was it: we were off on an adventure.   Blasting through Weigles and Doumont, the puddles were bayous and the mud was gumbo, and Suzie just frolicked - shaking it off, walking and talking through the water-filled traps with ease.  It's not like a street bike: water just doesn't seem to make a difference to the FS roads. 

And she took me right there.  How did she know?

The fish were rising - everywhere...  

After hanging my helmet, my favourite stump was waiting for me, just like I left it last time.  Has anybody been there since?  And one look over that placid lake with the rises all around me and I knew -knew! - that I was in for a treat...It was the first cast over one of the rises with the old rusty rooster-tail that got the first bite almost immediately.  Like a jolt of electricity the bugger bit: the fish was big and I hauled it up, with a desperate flourish it skipped over the water and spat the hook.  But I knew he'd be back.  A few casts later, and I had him.  But the others, while still rising didn't want to touch the rooster after what they'd seen.  So I changed it, putting on something different; something dubious.  Recommended by a friend, I knew if I caught nothing on it here, today, with all this action, then it was a Christmas-tree ornament and nothing more. 

I needen't have feared.  Within half an hour I had lost three and caught these two to add to the first...

That's a ten inch knife...I think they're Cutthroat, although they looked rainbow-like on the sides, but the red slash they all have on their chins...and the fight!  Oh, and check out the lure...it had a nice action!

And, if you can believe it, the ride back in the dusk was even better than the ride in. 

Suzi, I think I love you...

Forest Service Road Maps...Great Info Here...

When using iMap, be sure to use the layers function...

I started a thread on Dual Sport BC a while ago.  Since then, there's been lots of interesting information posted about backroad maps... not least the BC GVT iMap program. 

Here's the original post:

Electronic Back Road Maps

I'm trying to find some DECENT electronic back road maps of Mid/Southern Vancouver Island. I have the Back Road Map Book (hard copy) for the island, but many of the logging roads are out of date or not present, and I'd rather have my maps on a GPS for obvious reasons. I see that many people use GPS's (Garmin Montana looks good), but I'm hearing that the maps are out-dated or just lack detail (Garmin's TOPO Canada 4 base map is getting poor reviews from BC backroad riders for lack of logging road and trail detail).

So far the best product I've found is cheap but fairly accurate (if antiquated) TOPO Maps App for, believe it or not, iPhone. At least it gives me most of the mains, and some spurs, plus the GPS function is great. But again, it's based on old Canadian GVT topomaps.

What are other people using? Any help, hints and ideas would be great. Surely the logging companies must be using something??!!

Brooking

For the replies, go here; there are two pages... 

KLR: Kinda Like Roads...

I couldn't help it, I was looking for Van Isle dual-sport blog links to work back to my blog and found this...  Talk about take a VW Bug and add every optional extra known to man-kind...  Why not buy a BMW or KTM straight away for less money, have a better bike and better resale?

Rhododendron Lake Rediscovered...

24 years ago, I remember driving a date to Rhododendron Lake in my Mum's Subaru.  It was snowy out, and the lake was frozen.  My date, now my wife, and my sister, both skied and skated on the lake.  This astounds me because, yesterday, Andy and I decided to ride out to the lake.  Now I'm not sure if we took exactly the same route as I did all those years ago, but by the time we finally battled some gnarly boulder-strewn gullies that could be loosely termed trails, I didn't know whether to be impressed with the my former 22 year old's brash determination, or whether I should be disappointed with my apparent lack of respect for parent's vehicle and the lives of my womenfolk contained within!

We started, as usual at Doumont/Weigles, which, although slightly wet and muddy, wasn't as bad as we thought it would be after the last few days of rain.  But for a quick stop in the tank traps to remove ATV inspired log jams, we made it easily out to the logging road headed south towards Boomerang Lake and Branch 142.  We turned right and scooted NW up Branch 142 until we met the Englishman River Main.  Turning left and heading SW, we shortly turned left again onto Branch 155A at a signpost which ambiguously said "Rhododendron Lake", but lucked an arrow.  A quick reference to both the Backroad Map Book and my TOPO maps on the iPhone showed us that apparently both routes (staying on the Englishman River Main for a bit longer before turning onto 155F, or taking 155A would both eventually get you to Rhodo Lake).  We scooted up the 155A.  This branch is well groomed in most places and there are some straight stretches where 50-70 kmh speeds are entirely reasonable, although standing on the pegs is advisable as the surface changes from dirt to pebble in places. At about 5km in, the 155A splits.  Only when you reach this fork are you entirely sure that you are actually on a road that takes you to Rhododendron Lake: a sign indicates that you should go right, and not continue up the more promising and better graded road that gently climbs away to the left.  I couldn't help thinking that if I wanted to keep my fishing hold private, I would paint a sign and hang it up deliberately pointing the wrong way too.  Perhaps it's just the way my mind works.  After less than another km, the road splits again: right and rocky up-hill, or left and level along a marsh. After a brief chat, we decided to take the right fork and proceed up hill, with Andy's "your the boss" confidence boosting endorsement ringing in my ears, we negotiated a trail (155B) which had evidence of another vehicle having recently been on it.  Looking at the maps, both forks go to the lake: one, the shorter one, skirts round its south-west side counter clockwise; the other (marked in red in a later image below) goes clockwise to the southeast-skirting a marsh-for a long way then turns abruptly west, as shown on the map below:

We climbed 155B, at one point taking a wrong turn to the left a km in (you can see it as the first fork on the map above), which took us past an incongruously parked yellow VW bug - sans occupants- to a bluff with a gorgeous view.  Unfortunately, the usual shotgun shells and empty beer containers were in evidence too.  Turning back we got back onto 155B and climbed.  The trail was one that would have made me wince a few months ago, but now seems easy.  Hats off to Andy who seemed to negotiate the whole thing like a pro too.  There are duff sections of pine needles and forest floor type soil which give way to bouldery loose rock, but both bikes had no difficulty in negotiating these.  Finally, after 3 1/2 km or so, we happened on another sign which sent us left and into a parking area for the lake. 

You can see the parking spot below on GE:

Rhododendron Lake has fair numbers of small cutthroat, rainbow and steelhead.  The cutthroat are stocked annually.  The 5.7 Ha lake is at 366m in elevation.  Fishing begins in late April and is continuous until June. The fishing is fairly slow in the summertime because the lake is only 16 feet (4.9m) deep, and the water warms at this time of the year.  By late September to early October, the fishing gets good again until winter.  Fly fisherman and spincasters can do well working the fringes around the lake.  Thee deepest part of the lake is right in the centre.  The best place to shore fish is at the south end of the lake next to the access road as the north end has shallow water (Fishing BC)...

After walking in from the trail off the parking circle, you veer east (right) and find a couple of little fishing spots (one marked by a commemorative plaque) which are good places to cast from as they are snag free.  I got a few hits here, but it was Andy who nearly landed my fish, but the single barbless hook allowed the bugger to wriggle free inches from the shoreline.  It looked a good pan size too. 

(Above) A beautiful lake, Rhododendron was subject to some winds which were causing our casts to be shorter than we would have liked.  Andy, here shown moments after eating a wheat biscuit, is suddenly looking piqued...moments later that fern was to have other uses...

Back in April, I had tried to get to Rhodo lake, but had taken the left fork, which I am still convinced, and the map shows you can take to get there, but about 3 km in, there was a windfall blocking the trail...I'd like to give that route a try next time...

After fishing we met a trio of ATV'ers who had just come along the powerlines and down from the east to the south side of the lake.  They were a little rattled by what they described as a very steep descent.  They told us if we continued on along the trail we had been on (155B) we would hit the Englishman River and Hilliers.  We were anxious to find the Englishman river for a spot of more fishing and so were game to give it a go.

According to GE and the Backroad Mapbook, the Mystery Trail that we tried, but decided to turn back on due to time constraints, may be an alternative route back to 155F or even 155A...

After an aborted effort to continue on 155B, we turned back and retraced our route all the way back to the Englishman River Main.  We then turned left for 14 km to the Englishman River Bridge and the start of 143A.  Despite Andy's usual Welsh cynicism, I clambered down under the bridge and began casting down stream.  Immediately I had a strong succession of bites.  Andy then joined me on the other side of the bridge and promptly caught my fish!  Again!  How remarkably parasitic: the doubting Thomas benefits from the Englishman again!

 The artist at work on the Englishman River

And, despite evidence to the contrary, he didn't purchase it at Save On.  That's our story and we're sticking to it.  It was a monster, as you can see against the backdrop of a huge bin-bag liner, and Vicky, myself, Iris, and Andy feasted on it for the whole of the rest of the day to this.  Stuffed we were.

All in all, I think that was my favourite ride of all so far.  Andy was great company and the bikes were faultless.  If it has illustrated something to me, it's that I need to start some sort of fitness program to get my clutch hand and legs stronger.  Although I didn't notice it the time, my legs are burning today from the peg standing...Well worth it though!

Stop Press: Revise Your Christmas Wish List...

I was thinking of getting one of these, but after reading this blog post, I'm leaning towards the PLB.  Being a sailor, I know all about EPIRBs, but I wasn't familiar with a PLB, let alone one with integrated GPS capability.  So a quick search turned up the NSS (National Search and Rescue Secretariat) website.  Here's there information, plagriarised unashamedly in full:

PLBs are portable units designed for land based activities such as hiking, camping, climbing and canoeing. PLBs can only be activated manually. Some newer 406 MHz PLBs include an integrated GPS capability, which allows GPS position data to be included in the distress signal message.
A PLB must only be activated in a distress situation and only in remote areas where conventional communication facilities are not available. A distress situation is defined as an incident where there is grave danger to the safety of human life.
Who needs a PLB
Although there is no legal requirement to carry a PLB, it is strongly encouraged that people who undertake land based activities, in areas where there is no cellular phone coverage or other means of communications, purchase or rent a PLB.
What PLBs are approved for use in Canada

The radio standards specification for PLBs is available in RSS-287. National Search and Rescue Secretariat's Performance Standard for 406 MHz PLBs can found in NSS-PLB 06.
Approved PLBs

-	ACR GyPSI PLB-100
-	MPR TELTECH LTD/NAT INC SATFIND-406 POCKET PLB
-	ACR TERRAFIX/AEROFIX/AQUAFIX PLB-200 W/GPS
-	ACR TERRAFIX/AEROFIX/AQUAFIX PLB-201
-	ACR RESQFIX/MICROFIX PLB-300 W/GPS
-	ACR AquaLink PLB-350B
-	ACR AquaLink View PLB-350C
-	McMurdo Ltd. FASTFIND PLB-200
-	McMurdo Ltd. FASTFIND PLB-210

Where to buy a PLB
A number of sports outfitters in Canada sell or rent PLBs. It is important to ensure that the 406 MHz PLB is coded for use in Canada.
Registering your PLB
PLB owners are strongly encouraged to register their PLB with the Canadian Beacon Registry. The information contained in the registry includes the owner's name, trip details and emergency contact information. Search and rescue authorities cross-reference the emergency beacon ID with the registry and with a single phone call can determine if the distress signal is a false alert or can collect additional details in order to better respond to the incident.
Disposal of your PLB
At the end of a PLB's useful life, it is vital that it be disposed of safely.  If it has run out of juice, and you find yourself between a sow and it's cubs, throw it at the sow.

Ok so the last sentence is mine.  Interesting that I've never heard of those manufacturers.  What really appeals to me is the increased power and accuracy over the Spot, and that it requires no subscription fee! 

So a quick search turned up this at the Mountain Equipment Coop website:

McMurdo Fastfind 210 Personal Locator Beacon
Weight: 150g
You can have the best plans, training, and equipment and still get ambushed by the unexpected in the backcountry. For real emergencies, this locator beacon requires no subscription fees to commercial signal carriers. It fits in your pocket or a PFD, and once activated, transmits two signals simultaneously. One goes to the global 406 MHz satellite system. The other (121.5 MHz) is a local signal searchers can pinpoint once they're in the vicinity.

You are required by law to register your PLB with the Canadian Beacon Registry. This insures that the signal that is broadcast includes information about you, your group, your travel plans, and any pertinent information (medical history) you have included. You can update the information at any time by contacting the Canadian Beacon Registry at canadianbeaconregistry.forces.gc.ca.

• Size 3.4 x 4.7 x 10.6cm.
• Manually activated SOS strobe helps rescuers spot you at night.
• Battery has five year storage and transmits for a minimum of 24 hours once activated.
• Built-in 50-channel GPS provides pinpoint location information to speed up response time.
• Self test capabilities for both the battery life and GPS position acquisition.
• Submersibly waterproof (though not buoyant).

So the good news is it's waterproof, but not buoyant...OK so attach a float to it.  The other good news: it ain't made in China; it's British!  No, really, not like Triumph "British", but really British!