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An October Walk along Houston Beach
It was a perfect day for a walk along Houston beach-mid October. Sunny. Neither too hot ,nor too cold. Perfect. Houston ( or Heustis) is a little sand beach about 1.5 km long along the Minas Basin just below Blomidon Provincial Park It’s quiet this time of year except for the occasional dog and family strolling along the red sand . Today we were there at about 11:45. By then the tide was out a far bit. The tide would not be high again until 7:45 pm. Lots of time to explore. I use this site to calculate the tide at Houston Beach/Blomidon. These tides are also good for Hantsport,…
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Hiking the Pot Lake Loop Trail
Pot lake Loop is the shortest of 4 loops withing the Bluff Wilderness trail section. I love how Halifax Trails describes it as “taking 3-4+ hours-3 for exercise and 4 + at a photographer’s pace. Definitely a photographers pace for me. I do take lots of pictures …and lots of breaks! I have written about my travels and trials along the Bluff Wilderness trails a while ago. My son tried to talk me out of overnighting the first two loops of the trail because it was so rugged. The Bluff has 30 km of rugged trails. I went anyway. This time we decided on a day trip around the Pot …
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Wild with the River Wranglers
Nae man can tether time or tide… Robbie Burns immortal word stuck me as very appropriate. The powerful tides of the Minas Basin are,even as we make our way to the tiny hamlet of Maitland, snaking the way towards the mouth of the Shubenacadie River. Maitland perches on the shores of the Shubenacadie river, near the eastern end of the Minas Basin, which is the northeastern arm of the mighty Bay of Fundy. For all you land lubbers unfamiliar with Fundy’s tides – the world’s highest- here’s a quick primer: The Might Fundy Twice daily, 14 billion tons of seawater pour in and out of the Basin, actually bending Nova Scotia…
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A Late Fall Hike at Blomindon Provincial Park
Finally, I have made good on a promise I have been making to myself all summer. It took a few months, but I got back for a late fall hike @ Blomidon. Normally, I am up there on a regular basis, but this year-not since March. 🙠My usual plan for a quick 1 ½-2 hour hike is to climb the lower section of the Jodrey trail, and then walk up and over to descend along Borden Brook. Not this time. You may have noticed we’ve had a bit of a dreary November. It rained yesterday,in fact. But I did not have to skip the falls! …
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Wandering the Wolfville Watershed Trails
The Wolfville Watershed trails are a network of trails located on the Gaspereau Mountain-up past Gaspereau school located on Greenfield Road and then left on Forest Hill Road. At the very end of Forest Hill road is a small parking area on the right. I’m not one to get lost easily (haha -joke) and these trails were a bit confusing. I DID get a bit confused at my first attempt. Now I feel like I have a good handle of the three trails I explore most frequently: The Hemlock Ravine and Havey Trail combined. The Hemlock Ravine Trail and the Mud Dam Trail to the Gaspereau Mountain Reservoir. …
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Packing Your Backpack
My first time backpacking was with a knowledgeable friend within the Bluff Wilderness System. I knew less than nothing. Her partner decided to unceremoniously dump my backpack out and proceeded to repack it for me. There is a system-who knew? Now, I’m going to tell you how I learned to fill my pack for the best weight distribution, ease of grabbing contents and less pressure on my back and shoulders. First grab a large garbage to line the inside of your backpack. Then: (1) My lightweight but warm sleeping bag squishes up really small in it’s compression sack-that goes in the bottom. Why? It cushions my lower back. If there…
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Dawson Brook Falls
If you are looking for a short but pretty stroll after Sunday supper, Dawson Brook Falls might be it,if you live near Hants County or Eastern Kings County. I’m always up to find new trails and waterfalls, so we set out to find this spot inspired by the travels of @newtrailsouthere . Google Maps was up to her old tricks. After taking us to the gated road, she insisted the trail started on our left directly onside the gate. And it did look like a trail, which we followed for short way. Wrong. Unless I am really familiar with a trail-and I mean really, I use a GPS app,…
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Kayaking with Novashores Adventures
Kayaking with Novashores Adventures has been on my Bucket List for quite some time. Recently I had a chance to check that off my list-I booked my husband and myself on the 6 hour Three Sisters Day Tour, one of the group of sea stacks nestled along the shore of Cape Chignecto on the Bay of Fundy. Located within the waters of Cape Chignecto Provincial Park, the Three Sisters sea stacks are one of the Bay of Fundy’s main kayaking attractions. Local Mi’kmaw legends say they’re three sisters turned to stone. That was only one of the great stories our guide shared with us on this trip. There was lots…
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Hiking Cape Split During Mud Season
The temperature was perfect as we wound our way along the trail. We encountered some big fluffy snowflakes followed by sunny skies. All were welcome. I’ve hiked Cape Split numerous times but this is only the second time I did the the new loop. I had done some research and was expecting mud and I was not disappointed to find, it was indeed, mud season. The newly looped trail, 13.2 km, not including distance to viewpoints, and runs through old growth forest with some new scenic look offs. Scots Bay trail-the new section, offers views of the Bay of Fundy while the ‘old’ trail-the Minas Basin Trail, now…
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My 5 Favorite Hikes In the Annapolis Valley
It was a foggy morning and the sun wouldn’t make the climb over Blomidon for a while so we hiked quickly to catch the sunrise. No one else was on the Jodrey Trail, and although the sunrise was muted due to clouds, it was still a great hike. It was and remains, one of my favorite hikes. 1. Jodrey Trail at Blomidon Provincial Park. This slightly challenging, heart pumping11k hike starts from the picnic area and climbs up to the top of Blomidon. There are some nice views along this trail, as it winds through the woods. I also enjoy hiking from the picnic park to the Visitor Centre and then…
