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Best Winter Hikes in West Hants
Links for Best Winter Hikes in West Hants Irishman’s Rd Recreation Site Avondale Trail System Dawson Falls Meadow Pond Moses Mountain
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5 Last Minute Outdoorsy Valentine’s Day Date Ideas
Once again, Valentine’s Day has slipped our minds..and it’s almost here Ohoh. But we have a few last minute ideas to keep you out of the dog house this February , Here we go Catch a sunrise or a sunset. Yes, it’s cold. Dress warmly, bring a thermos of hot chocolate or mulled wine, some appropriately romantic snacks (grapes, cheese, chocolates??) a thick blanket and toast the day. For the Halifax area -Sunrise: 7:17am Sunset: 5:40pm. Click here to calculate other locations within the province . Be there at least 20 minutes early. You might want to bring headlamps. You may be able to even view the extravaganza in your…
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Winter Hiking Tips That Everyone Needs to Know
Being outside in winter is lovely, Maybe not for everyone but for me. Winter trails are beautiful and it can be a mood lifting experience to get out of the house. But it’s important to be prepared. Follow these winter hiking tips for a safe and enjoyable winter outing : Research the trail you are planning to hike. Alltrails has an extensive listing of trails and often reviews from recent hikers telling what trail conditions are like. Check it out at https://www.alltrails.com/ Along with hiker reviews, check things such as the length of the hike, elevation and trail conditions . Know and stay within your limits. Winter is no…
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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,…
