- Joined
- Nov 27, 2004
- Messages
- 3,124
Not a bad thread title, eh?
This past week was reading week, and while I had tons of grading to take care of (not to mention my own work!), I managed to get away for a few lengthy snowshoe trips with my girlfriend. The first was in Gatineau park, in Quebec, and the second was on the Bruce Trail, near my usual Blue Mountain stomping grounds. We had a blast.
In Gatineau Park, we enjoyed a spirited 22km hike on the trails near Lac Philippe and Lac Lusk. The weather was terrific for snowshoeing - cold, but not too cold, and sunny. We wandered off-trail and built a fire (using my JK Fire Kit and a PJCB to get things started) in order to make coffee. Looking back on things, I can see that I need to add a few things to my winter pack - 1. a water-proof towel or blanket that I can kneel or sit on when making a fire, and 2. more energy bars and other food, just for that added boost. For sharp stuff, I had my usual combination of my EDC scandi (which made awesome fuzz sticks), my JK Anniversary Knife, and the JK Fire Kit.
Sharp Stuff:
Pics from Gatineau:
A nice fire built in a hollow, against a rock.
The lake.
Lusk cave. The photo doesn't do the cave any justice, so I have an excuse to go back in the spring or summer. The walls are worn smooth, and the rushing stream is visible under the ice. This cave is a bit unusual, as it is part of the Canadian Shield, which is normally too hard to form caves (as opposed to the Niagara Escarpment where I usually hike, which is full of cave-ridden limestone). I think that this opening was made possible by the erosion of a marble deposit.
More to come ...
This past week was reading week, and while I had tons of grading to take care of (not to mention my own work!), I managed to get away for a few lengthy snowshoe trips with my girlfriend. The first was in Gatineau park, in Quebec, and the second was on the Bruce Trail, near my usual Blue Mountain stomping grounds. We had a blast.
In Gatineau Park, we enjoyed a spirited 22km hike on the trails near Lac Philippe and Lac Lusk. The weather was terrific for snowshoeing - cold, but not too cold, and sunny. We wandered off-trail and built a fire (using my JK Fire Kit and a PJCB to get things started) in order to make coffee. Looking back on things, I can see that I need to add a few things to my winter pack - 1. a water-proof towel or blanket that I can kneel or sit on when making a fire, and 2. more energy bars and other food, just for that added boost. For sharp stuff, I had my usual combination of my EDC scandi (which made awesome fuzz sticks), my JK Anniversary Knife, and the JK Fire Kit.
Sharp Stuff:
Pics from Gatineau:
A nice fire built in a hollow, against a rock.
The lake.
Lusk cave. The photo doesn't do the cave any justice, so I have an excuse to go back in the spring or summer. The walls are worn smooth, and the rushing stream is visible under the ice. This cave is a bit unusual, as it is part of the Canadian Shield, which is normally too hard to form caves (as opposed to the Niagara Escarpment where I usually hike, which is full of cave-ridden limestone). I think that this opening was made possible by the erosion of a marble deposit.
More to come ...
