- Joined
- Nov 27, 2004
- Messages
- 3,124
Hey All,
I have been on the road for work a fair bit lately, and have been spending my weekends hiking, which has been great. Here are some photos from two of my recent hikes.
Meech Lake, Quebec - This was my first time hiking the trails south of Meech Lake, in Gatineau Park, and I must say that I was really impressed. There are some challenging uphill sections and wonderful views, and the trails weren't too busy. This might have something to do with the fact that the snow was (is) still melting, so the trails are essentially impassable for those who don't like getting all kinds of muddy (which I do!). I had a pretty minimalist setup for this one, with only my trusty EDC scandi for a fixed blade. Still, it did an admirable job when it came time to make a few off-trail fires for coffee brewing.
Trusty EDC knife:
Meech Lake (still covered in ice! - I was wearing shorts!)
Views from the trail
One of three deer that were about 5m away at one point:
Petun Trail, off the Bruce Trail, Ontario - The section of the Bruce Trail around the Pretty River Valley is full of hidden gems, some near the trail, and some visible only after a bit of woods-bumming. I spent Sunday morning clearing the winter debris from my three-season hiking trail (my JK ACEK performed wonderfully - it's a surprisingly effective chopper for a 6" knife). The area is presently underwater (well, up to mid-shin), but once the thaw is complete, it will return to just being damp. After working on my own trail, I hit the Bruce for a nice half-day hike on the Petun section. One section of the trail follows a valley that includes a nice stream with a few waterfalls. Ruby, my lab, loves this hike. This time of year, you can follow an off-trail fork in the valley up to a hidden waterfall that is pretty stunning. As we hiked to the falls, I noticed that there were a fair few large speckled trout attempting to navigate their way upstream. It was a futile effort (see waterfall picture below), but they were giving it their all. I could have reached into the water and plucked out a 20" trout for dinner. Amazing. No photos, alas - I couldn't get a clear shot that wasn't ruined by the glare of the sun on the water.
JK ACEK:
My snowshoeing trail, sans snow.
Crevices along the Bruce (part of the Niagara Escarpment)
Worth the off-trail wandering upstream:
Thanks for looking, and all the best,
- Mike
I have been on the road for work a fair bit lately, and have been spending my weekends hiking, which has been great. Here are some photos from two of my recent hikes.
Meech Lake, Quebec - This was my first time hiking the trails south of Meech Lake, in Gatineau Park, and I must say that I was really impressed. There are some challenging uphill sections and wonderful views, and the trails weren't too busy. This might have something to do with the fact that the snow was (is) still melting, so the trails are essentially impassable for those who don't like getting all kinds of muddy (which I do!). I had a pretty minimalist setup for this one, with only my trusty EDC scandi for a fixed blade. Still, it did an admirable job when it came time to make a few off-trail fires for coffee brewing.
Trusty EDC knife:
Meech Lake (still covered in ice! - I was wearing shorts!)
Views from the trail
One of three deer that were about 5m away at one point:
Petun Trail, off the Bruce Trail, Ontario - The section of the Bruce Trail around the Pretty River Valley is full of hidden gems, some near the trail, and some visible only after a bit of woods-bumming. I spent Sunday morning clearing the winter debris from my three-season hiking trail (my JK ACEK performed wonderfully - it's a surprisingly effective chopper for a 6" knife). The area is presently underwater (well, up to mid-shin), but once the thaw is complete, it will return to just being damp. After working on my own trail, I hit the Bruce for a nice half-day hike on the Petun section. One section of the trail follows a valley that includes a nice stream with a few waterfalls. Ruby, my lab, loves this hike. This time of year, you can follow an off-trail fork in the valley up to a hidden waterfall that is pretty stunning. As we hiked to the falls, I noticed that there were a fair few large speckled trout attempting to navigate their way upstream. It was a futile effort (see waterfall picture below), but they were giving it their all. I could have reached into the water and plucked out a 20" trout for dinner. Amazing. No photos, alas - I couldn't get a clear shot that wasn't ruined by the glare of the sun on the water.
JK ACEK:
My snowshoeing trail, sans snow.
Crevices along the Bruce (part of the Niagara Escarpment)
Worth the off-trail wandering upstream:
Thanks for looking, and all the best,
- Mike
Not illegal per se, but not encouraged either.
