First tiny snow flakes at BMBC Wilderness

Sunday, November 25th, 2012

Al said, "Might as well go.  It's tradition." I sure didn't feel like walking today as I was cuddled up on the couch in front of the fire place.  However, we all layered up pretty good, packed some snacks, and got our water (and some warm herbal tea in thermoses).  Today we had our first little snow drops.  The snow didn't accumulate but it's still fun to see the first flakes every year.  It was just below 0 and fairly windy.  We chose to go to Blue Mountain Birch Cove so we could walk in the woods and be protected from the wind for the most part.  We also know which trails tend to be drier. 

I'd say we all dressed appropriately but it was still chilly to get started.  It wasn't long before we all started trail running.  It's awesome how the whole family enjoys running the trails now.  There are certainly some falls, but mostly everyone is pretty amazing with their foot work on the technical trails.  This makes me so happy.  

We found some new signage on the trails.  Though they were not put there by HRM, I think they are very professionally done and absolutely needed as new people find out about this wilderness treasure we have in this city.  I'm a bit scared to see how the city will progress with this area.  I love it as it is now, but am extremely excited about sharing the area with others who might not be as comfortable in the back-country as we are.  Also, with more use, the neccessity for more trail maintenance will become obvious. 

The boys had already had hot cocoa in the morning after some street hockey so I brought some lemon and honey herbal tea on this hike.  It was a welcomed treat to have a warm drink at our rest, and yummy cinnamon rolls, too!

We managed to get back to the car in about 2 hours - a relatively short trip for us. 

spider lake

Today's family hike was at Spider Lake, a familiar spot for us close to home. It was especially nice to have friends with us to motivate the kids to get out the door, and to introduce them to these trails. It was a sunny day with a high of 4 degrees, but with no wind, it felt warmer. The main trail (an old road) had lots of wet sections but we all stayed mostly dry. We made it out to Spider Lake to a nice little look-off where the parents all got a chance to chit-chat, and the kids had room to roam about and make-up their own games. I thought that was probably the best part of the hike, until D. decided to climb a huge tree. So fun to see adults making their own fun, too :) On the way back, we took more side trails, and did more trail running as a group. Al and Zach, who were behing at one point, took a different trail We didn't note the exact time of our start (probably around 1:40), however we made it back to the vehicles about 4:30. Perfect timing for this time of year, when the sun goes down earlier and the chill hits the air.

Happy

I can't even really explain why hiking makes me happy.  And, I suppose, as I've said before regarding the Appalachian Trail, if you have to explain what is so great about it to someone, then chances are they just will likely never understand. 

I will tell you, though, it fills my heart with joy when another parent calls me to go for a hike.  I love getting kids out in nature to run, walk, climb and explore.  I love being enthusiastic about it, and helping the kids see what they can do.  I'm really learning to enjoy the small things and do not get uptight about dirt, whines, time, or blood!  I'm finally understanding the adults really do set the tone of the adventure, and ultimately, whether the child wants to try it again. 

P.  called to see if we were going for a walk.  She has the three kids under the age of 6, and her hubby was busy studying.  Yes!! We planned to explore a new part of the Fight Trail which seems rather remote but it is practically right in the city between Herring Cove Rd and Purcell's Cove Rd - often used by extreme mountain bikers and trail runners. It seems like it might be relatively easy to get lost: lots of trails with no signage, the terrain looking very much the same, and not a lot of vantage points to get your bearings. 

In the end, we decided it would work out best if Al explored the new areas and met us on the trail.  P. would follow me to the trailhead where we had hiked the weekend before.  As it turns out, I took a long route there and P. lost me on the round-about, then I lost her and she ended up arriving first.  Good start! We kept our spirits high though.  It is simply a one-of-a kind hike for the HRM area.  I love it there, but caution anyone without experience in the woods and a GPS system to go with someone that knows the area. 

In hindsight, I wish I had realized how much it bothered Liam that Al was not hiking with us, and offered more comfort and security.  He knew that he would meet up with us, but I just didn't factor in how much the uncertainty and unusualness of it would throw Liam off.  He seemed a little out of control when we met up with Al, and after he left to go back to his vehicle (and mistakenly, forgot to say bye to the kids).  I think the acting out is just a way to seek attention and a way to express frustration without the words, which  worked. I just assumed he would be okay with it because he had his friends with him.  I asked Liam if he took R's hat and threw it because he wanted to be make R. mad, or if he thought it was funny.  He said he took it because he liked the hat.  And, I was reminded to never assume the intend!

I'm most impressed with F. who is 4 years old.  She started the trail by tripping so often  that I began to wonder if perhaps the trail was too technical for her.  It wasn't long before she had her trail legs though and started insisting she be the leader!  She had difficulty keeping up with the 3 older kids who loved to run on the big rocks.  We let them have lots of leeway because with the leaves off the trees and the lack of trees due to a fire, a few years ago I think, it was easy to see them.  Sometimes we would yell ahead to remind them that we couldn't see them, but mostly they were already stopped and just around a bend or a rock.  It was a happy sound to hear that Al had found them one time they had scurried ahead while I helped P. down a particularly steep wet section (she had the baby on her back).  We stopped shortly after that, ready to turn back...but the look-off was nearby and a nice location to have a snack.  It did end up being longer than I had intended, with R. getting a roughed up knee and Z. having a meltdown. 

On the top of the look-off, a trailrunner with an off-leash dog quickly entered our little break spot.  He said the dog was friendly, but I told him that my son had been bitten by a dog, so he was quick to keep going.  I thought he might have been offended so I was glad that we would meet up again later on the trail, so I could explain that it's almost never the dog that I don't trust.  It's my child's reaction to the dog that may scare the dog.  Also, some very friendly dogs still have not been socialized to small children, and children can just be so unpredictable.  Mostly, I try not to be offended if someone doesn't understand my position. Until you've watched your child brawling his eyes out, staring at you to save him, while nurses (complete strangers to him) wrap him up so he can't move his arms and hands, and undo the stitches the doctor is putting in, it is completely hard to come close to comprehending. (anyway, just a little aside to the wonderful hiking story).  Also, while we were stopped, three mountains bikers came by with big smiles.  Awesome big tires.  Unfortunately, we didn't get to see them do any tricks, but it was fun to see a female among them.

Back to little Miss. F, she did amazing on the little bridges.  At the beginning of the trail, she fell between the boards and was scared of them.  By the end of the trip, she was asking to be the leader to check them out for safety before she would allow us to go across.  So cute!

The boys did vote for P. as the real hero of the hike since she carried the baby the whole way.  I love how they noticed that.  I wish I hadn't forgotten to remind them of how many times I did that with them in the baby backpack carrier!!

Activity Deficit Disorder

There is no doubt about it, I'm feeling rather clever this morning.  After pushing myself to try some new trails on my mountain bike, I was cooling off at home when I realized I figured out a new mental disorder.  I must do more research before I can figure out how to get this disorder listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).  I thought Activity Non Compliance Disorder  (ANCD) might be a good name, but I may just shorten it to Activity Deficit Disorder (or perhaps there actually should be two, depending on the compliance factor). 

I think the drugs companies would likely endorse this.  After all, they have drugs for inattention, sexual disfunction, and physical prowess.  Why not invent a drug that will help those poor little souls who can't get themselves away from their DS gaming system or what have you?  The children who can not make it around the track once, walking or running, without melting down.  The adults who are out of breath going up the stairs or around the block because they think it's more important to find out (insert TV reference here) .  Their brains aren't functioning correctly.  A drug would certainly make them capable of seeing what they are missing.  The people who start a fitness program but don't complete should be seen as non-compliant. 

Is it possible when not to get overwhelmed when trying to change the worlds belief's systems? In fact, I'd be pretty happy to change one little school board at a time.  It is possible to value kids who excel at sitting and learning, and those who excel at moving and learning.  After all, there are a lot of professions that need those people who can use their muscles extensively (not just to get to their cars).  Firefighters, policemen, conservation officers, hockey players, and dancers to name a few.  What if all the kids who had natural athletic ability thought they were "bad" because they craved an environment that used their whole bodies?

Rogart's Mountain and Sugar Moon Farm

Rogart's Mountain and Sugar Moon Farm

So pleased about today:  Stayed focused and centered,  worked on empathy and patience,  sunshine and hiking with friends. 

We decided to do family hike on Saturday this week instead of our usual Sunday.  As we were finishing up a chore that I wanted to get done before heading out, I thought we should let our friends know that we were planning on going to Sugar Moon Farm for a hike and pancakes.  It was a last minute thing, but somehow it worked out.  They were able to pack things up quickly and met us at a highway exit about halfway there.  They followed us there as they had never been before, and that way we would be ready to start the hike together. 

As we were getting closer to Sugar Moon Farm, we realized there were barely any leaves on the trees.  I decided to stay positive.  There were many beautiful reds in the blueberry fields, and the sun was shining on this warm late October day.  I even had a nice exchange while waiting to use the washroom before heading out on the hike.  This lady had done the hike that morning, and she thought it had been beautiful with the leaves off the trees so the light could shine through onto the trail.  It no doubt made the trail more dry, too.  Also, the dry leaves were so much fun to rustle while hiking. 

The hike is listed as being 6.2kms, and we've done it a few times before.  It was extra special to do it today with friends, though. We had 4 adults and 4 boys (ages 4,5 and two 6 yr olds).  We estimated it took about 3 hours, though no one checked the time before leaving.  There was lots of running on the part of the boys, and mostly the breaks were fairly short in duration.  We also checked out a few geocaches -  finally finding the one at Jane's Falls (thanks to determination on Al's part!)

We had many snacks before and during hiking but still managed to find room for pancakes (and sausages) at Sugar Moon after the hike.   Also, the maple butter and mini biscuits are delish! The boys enjoyed some apple cider too. 

All the boys played nicely outside (after one little break-down and loads of patience), while the parents had a few minutes to chit-chat.  Fun!! And looking forward to the next hike :)

The trail is a river

Awesome rocks!! and yes, Zach is hiking with no shirt on Sept 23rd!

It's been raining here for a few days.  We knew the trail would be wet.  It was completely covered in sections but mostly not much higher than my ankles.  I was super pleased to have my sandals on this warm late September afternoon.  Unfortunately for hubby, he had leather shoe type hikers, but he didn't complain.  Liam had sandals too, and Zach had old sneakers. 

It was a hot and muggy day to be hiking, almost like summer, but luckily the breeze was decent and we had loads of water.  We intended to keep it short today, and headed off to a look-off that we've now been to a few times at the Birch Cove Blue Mountain Wilderness Area, off of the Kearney Lake Rd. 

We decided to follow the trail a little further after the look-off and ended up doing a loop.  There seems to be someone doing lots of work on the trail.  Beautiful steps. We didn't bring our trail map with us.  Hubby had his GPS, plus we do know the trails fairly well now, so it was unlikely we would get lost, however it does makes sense to bring the great map that we do have.  It brought up the conversation about what to do if you do get lost.  Of course, it's a scary thought about the kids ever getting into that situation by themselves, but it's so important to add the education in so it's ingrained in their heads. 

Do you keep walking around trying to find your way out?
Do you yell? What if you have a whistle? What's better?
How and where can you make shelter?
If you hear a helicopter in the air what do you do?
Can you talk to strangers in the woods if you're lost?
Did you know that police sometimes use dogs to track your scent?
What do you do to not get lost in the first place?

We also had a big talk about "Leave No Trace".  It seems so common sense to me that it seems hard to believe that people don't know it.  Today we found an apple core and peelings at the look-off.  Yes, they are bio-degradeable, but they don't belong in this area.  It attracts animals to the area.  It gives animals food that they would normally not eat.  There are no apples trees in this area of the wilderness.  And, of course, most people do realize not to leave their non-biodegradeble garbage behind.  We did see slushie cups though!

I asked the boys tonight if we had gone on a long walk today.  Liam replied that it had been a medium walk.  Zach said it was long at first, but then said it was just really hot, and maybe not that long.  The boys had already done a lot of concrete walking downtown Halifax with their dad that morning.  Our walk in the wilderness area was just over 2 hours with breaks. 

Liam is amazing and skilled at trail running.  He seems so relaxed and happy when doing it. 
Zachary continues to impress me with his determination.  You can tell when his legs begin to get tired but he keeps going.

It was definitely refreshing to step right in the wet sections of trail, and to try to pretend that summer isn't over, but I'm also looking forward to dry cooler hiking weather. 

East Pennant Point

Technology does have its place.  If it weren't for facebook, I would not have known about this hike.  A friend posted yesterday about the hike and I inquired about it, and knew immediately that we would be trying it soon.  Same friend posted great photos this morning on facebook, and the decision was made to make this our family hike day hike. 

Beautiful late summer day for a hike.  It was about 15 degrees on the way to the hike, though it did get much warmer throughout the day.  It was sunny and a most welcome breeze much of the day. 

I can't say enough about if you want to hike with your kids, simply make it a habit.  We pack up and we go most Sundays (especially during fall, winter, spring), and the kids know what to expect.  They don't generally fuss much about going - I hope it's because they love it, but also, they know it's just what we do. 

This hike starts at the end of East Pennant Rd.  Just park off the road at the cul-de-sac. and walk back the 100 m to Crytalwood Dr. (private gravel rd) which has a beautiful sign asking you to please walk this section rather than driving for the lovely homeowners on this road.  At the end of Crystalwood Dr, there are lots of benches and chairs (where we missed getting onto the trail here at the beginning but ended up coming back this way, there is a little bridge behind some trees right there).  Crystalwood Dr becomes a path, and the path veers to the right, which is the way we went towards the water, then got on a little side trail.  You could walk the rocky shore and I was very surprised that the boys were interested only in taking the trail.  The trail was a little rough going at first (I think because people likely either use the trail by the chairs or they go by the rocky shore).  In any case, it wasn't long before it was in a bit better shape and the boys were actually able to run it...mind you, they are very adept at trail running by now! I would recommend taking the trail at least until you get to the yellow bench (upper duck cove) or the giant buoy (lower duck cove), then I would stay on the shore right from there to Pennant Point (as that section of trail was really rough). 

The boys enjoyed some geocaching along the way, though they would prefer bigger caches for more trading.  Most caches were sign in only and they didn't have pencils/pens.

There was much to find on this trail.  The ocean storms forced a lot of stuff inland.  Some might like to see a clean up and maintenance of the trails.  We found it interesting to find the regular buoys, fishing nets, and rope.  Also, there were buckets, containers, and pieces of what looked like it could have a surfboard, and tires.  Zach was particularly excited to find a rubber band :) The rocks on the beach were beautiful, and remind me that I really should do a study of the rock types we have here.  The boulders at the turn around spot were a lot of fun.  The boys and parents had fun climbing them, posing for the camera, and jumping off them.

The boys did awesome on this trail; hiking and running together sometimes, or pairing off with a parent for some one-on-one time.  I was worried that Zachary was a bit too tired on the way back and maybe we all didn't drink as much water as we should, however the boys and Al played backyard football after supper so we didn't zonk all their energy.  They did go to sleep rather easily tonight, though.  YAY!!!

Pollett's Cove July 1st weekend, 2012

It's not really so mountainous in Nova Scotia, but most agree that this little hike will give a little test to your weekend warrior endurance.  It is certainly a fun challenge when you bring your 6 yr old and 4 3/4 yr old with you! 

I thought that the Canada Day long weekend might be a good time to make sure we got to Pollett's Cove this year - before these summer months are gone before we know it.  It is absolutely my favorite place in Nova Scotia.  I was scared to make the trip again because we had such a great time and wonderful weather last time.  The forecast wasn't the most promising, but I remained hopeful and we loaded up the car for Cape Breton.   My worrying was worthless (as worrying usually is!).  It ended up being a magical experience again. 

We were late leaving Dartmouth, near 5pm on Friday, but we drove through to Cheticamp and found a place at 10pm!! It was a lovely 2 bedroom cottage.  We paid more than we would have liked to but given that we left getting accommodations so late, we couldn't really look around for something else.  We had to get those boys and ourselves to bed.  It was nice to have separate rooms, nice beds, and a place to pack up our backpacks in the morning.  We stopped in Pleasant Bay at the little corner store to pick up some final necessities - juice crystals and a couple boxes of smarties. 

We were the only car in the parking lot when we started on the trail, but we knew that would likely change.  The boys were pleased to have their own backpacks and to be in charge of their box of smarties.  They carried their rainjacket, smarties, salty snack and water.  They gave me their packs whenever they didn't feel like carrrying it, and I didn't make a big deal out of it. 

The hike up Heart Attack Hill was hot and humid, and we were all extremely happy to arrive at Otter brook to duck our heads in the brook.  The boys were sad to see that the rock man had been knocked over so we fixed that (will insert picture).  They were also disappointed to find that there was only a rope to swing on, and the buoy swing was gone, so we fixed that one the way back out - thanks to Liam's determination (will insert picture).

Unfortunately, Zach fell on the trail and hurt his elbow.  He didn't have a cut or scrap. He fell on the dirt place in front of himself while walking with Al.  At first he wouldn't walk, until Al convinced him to put his hand inside his shorts to support his arm.  He was obviously in a lot of pain, but there wasn't much we could do.  He was willing to continue walking slowly towards camp.  A couple groups of people passed us on the way in.  We weren't sure what to make of it.  He insisted it was the inside of his elbow that hurt - maybe overextended it somehow.  I was glad to have kids pain medication with us which helped him sleep through the two nights at the beach campsite.

Kearney Lake on Father's Day with Friends

I have to try to write this post about a hike in June at the Birch Cove Blue Mountain Wilderness Area - yes, another one, but this time with two different families.  Let me tell you how crazy excited I was.  (I did already write a whole post on it one night in June, but somehow managed to lose it....darn technology, how did it disappear? or darn me for typing in the dark and pressing the wrong key). 

I talked to Patricia weeks before about doing it.  We both marked it on the calendar for Father's Day but never discussed it again.  I also mentioned it to Ashleigh who sounded interested weeks earlier but we didn't make any firm plans.  It was Father's Day morning, and in the midst of a little disaster (our front end washer leaked all over the floor), the phone rang.  It was Ashleigh checking to see if we were still going to do the hike.  We made plans to meet at the MEC Kayak day first to give the kids a chance in kayaks, and then we'd head to BCBMW area.  We've done a bit of hiking with Ashleigh and her husband and two boys before but it had been quite awhile ago.  Pretty exciting because I know her boys have the same kind of energy as my boys.  It gave me confidence to call Patricia to check on her.  She was keen to go too.  Yay!! What a keener as her hubby wasn't able to go, but she was willing to take her 3 kids under 6 with her.  She would meet us at the trailhead. 

It was early afternoon, and sunny and warm at the trailhead.  We waited a bit for Patricia as my directions weren't perfect.  The boys were raring to go. Al loaded the youngest in the backpack child carrier (to give Patricia a bit of break because the route we chose goes straight up to start).  It wasn't a really long route, but the trail is not marked, lots of roots and rocks and up, up, up.  I felt a bit torn about being everywhere - keeping up with the kids who had tons of energy and excitement, making sure the adults were comfortable with each other, letting the kids enjoy nature (without the constant parental constraints, yet making sure they remained safe).  We stopped at the "top" of the hill to have snacks in the shade and then onward to the trail to the lookoff.  I love giving the kids the opportunity to run.  I want them to be safe, but I want them to learn what their abilities are.  It's hard to see scraped knees but I definitely believe it's part of the process. 

Everyone remained in great spirits and enjoyed more snacks (chocolate and other healthy things) at the lookoff.  It is on a rock outcropping which overlooks a beautiful isolated lake.  We did keep the kids away from the edge (how close to the edge of a cliff is not the kind of learning I think the kids need to understand yet, "just stay far far away from the edge and you'll know you're safe").

One of Ashleigh's boys wanted to get a closer look of the lake so without much difficulty, most of the crew found their way down to the lake by way of another little trail.  They had some fun tossing rocks and wood into the lake, while Patricia and I headed back to her vehicle with her baby who needed a bottle and her 3 year old. 

It was a bit mentally exhausting for me (because I want everyone to be happy and think that I can somehow control that) but overall, very satisfying! and we hope we can get out with more kids soon!on

kids can bike

Today we didn't do any hiking which is a bit funny as I had hoped to do a whole weekend of hiking but postponed it due to my sore toe.  We still could have done a little family hike today, however Liam woke up with the idea of going biking in Shubie park today.  So after a little fun chaotic time at the school spring fair, Al & Liam headed off on the bikes to Shubie park.  I thought I might end up gardening with Zach, but he was determined to bike over to meet the boys in the park.  Yay for Zach who hasn't done a lot of biking and has training wheels on his bike.  So I got to walk over to Shubie park.  (At the moment, we don't have two working adult bikes, and I feel better being on my feet to help Zach when needed).  I was happy to see how hard he worked on biking over, and kept pedalling hard up the hills (with a little push from me from behind).  I called the boys only to find out that they had biked all the way to Lake Banook.  Yay for Liam, that's the longest bike trip that he has done.  We met up with them at the canal.  I took a little ride on the new bike up to the playground while Al took a turn walking with Zach.  And of course, there was chocolate.  I had some white chocolate chips which Zach claims gives him super powers and he must have on all further rides.  And Al had some PB cups in his backpack.  Needless to say, we all had enough energy to make it back home.
So proud of my little bikers.  Pictures next time!!

Kearney Lake Trails

*There are so many Lady Slipper Flowers in the forests of NS.  I still get so excited to see them every year because they are the official flower of PEI and are relatively rare in PEI, or at least that's what I was told as a child so I wouldn't pick them. 


I thought we might start hiking with other families this summer but so far it is not yet to be.  It might have happened today if only I could plan ahead of time.  I will forgive myself for not being able to plan ahead as I really hurt my toe last week on a trail run.  There was some talk about it being broken, but it does seem to be getting significantly better each day.  Still, I really wasn't sure of what I would be capable of.  My toe did hurt today, but it wasn't unbearable and as far as I can tell, it doesn't seem worse tonight.  I'm ever so hopeful that another week will heal it completely.

We headed to Kearney Lake Trails.  We parked at the Maskwa Aquatic Club - the first sign says it's only for members, but if you continue on, you will see another one that says members and hikers, and the trailhead is just beyond that at the far end of the parking lot. 

"Crown lands of the Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes area of Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) have now been designated under the Wilderness Areas Protection Act. The total area of this near-urban wilderness area is 1,312 hectares (3,242 acres), or almost 3/4 the size of Halifax Peninsula." NS Gov. website.

It's one of our favorite places to explore, right in HRM boundaries!! There are some fantastic trails and a few not so maintained trails (which we found today).  The place is wonderful for those seeking a more backwoods experience without the travelling time.  For the most part, it is not well marked, and not for the inexperienced, or those prone to getting lost - but we love it!!  (The exception is the trail that follows along Kearney Lake, out and back). We've hiked it in winter, spring and almost summer conditions.  Today, we found black flies and mosquitoes, or I should say they found us. 

It is difficult to find information on the area.  It seems the city and/or the NS Dept of Environment have been slow to act on making trails in the wilderness area, and maybe aren't keen on people getting out there in the wilderness until they have done all their bureaucratic business.  Luckily, we have been able to obtain a map of the area from a fellow hiker.  We still use our own GPS for tracking but the other map helps, too. 

We had intentions of going on a short walk today to test out my foot.  We ended up doing 5kms in very trying conditions, but for the most part, we kept our wits about us.  The kids did fantastic, and kept upbeat even when we were bushwacking.  I'm so crazy proud of my little hikers. Only slighter concerned when Zach said he'd rather treewack than bushwack!! Oh, the things that kid says.  We explored a new trail in a system of trails, only to find out that it petered out and/or the bushes just got unbearably thick, and we could not see any more trail ribbons.  I think it was especially tough on Al as he knew we were very close to our destination look-out but it wasn't reasonable to continue  (with kids and me somewhat hobbling at times) so we had to backtrack...not something Al is keen on doing EVER, but he didn't complain.  That's the wonderful thing about having kids around - you learn not to complain because if you do, then the kids will do it tenfold.  I'm still amazed at how well the kids dealt with the blackflies swarming around them.  The next hike will no doubt be a coastal route, for the sanity of the parents. 

We met a lady on the trail today.  She inquired about the direction we had gone and where we were heading.  She decided to try our route, even though we had explained that it couldn't be followed right through (we met her at the end of our hike and it sounded like she didn't get further than us).  She admired our beautiful family and reminded me to be ever grateful for what I have :)

Blue mountain Birch cove wilderness area and Police

The trails were explored today were absolutely fantastic.  As we hiked, I repeatedly said to myself, "so lucky to have found a little piece of paradise".  The trails were well groomed, and mossy (my favorite), and the blackflies stayed at bay for the most part.  We've enjoyed the trails in this area before, but today we were exploring a new area.  We didn't have a map with us but Al had his blackberry with GPS.  We also met a lady and her dog who let us know that we could follow the trail around the lake but it would likely take two hours at a good pace.  The kids were loving the trail so we kept skipping along.  Soon, we were all in t-shirts and I kept forcing the water on everyone.  It's so important to stay hydrated, especially for the kids.  We were tempted to stop for lunch a few times, but Al suggested we keep going until we found a nicer spot with a cool breeze and room to move about.  There were a few very wet spots and logs were down to act as bridges...some dedicated trail maintenance has been going on here! We found the perfect lunch spot at the edge of Ash lake, and I was so thankful for Al's persistence.  At this point, I started to doubt whether the trail was going to go around the lake and/or if we had missed a side trail.  Now it was Zachary who insisted we keep following the trail, but before long, he was feeling sluggish - even the dried fruit leather didn't pep him up much.  Liam and I ran ahead a bit, and I left Al to give him some inspiration.  Then I remembered the best inspiration was right in my backpack, and I pulled out some ultra amazing chocolate chip cookie from Two If By Sea Cafe to help everyone along.  The trail continued to be lots of fun but a little hillier, and before long, we were giving Zach another break. It was a long trek and he really seemed to need a break -after all his legs are the littlest.  The boys were snacking on cheese and crackers when we spotted the police officer and another hiker coming our way.  Yes, I did just write police officer!! in the back country.  He made some jokes about them looking for two young boys causing some trouble in the woods and not sharing their crackers.  The boys got so shy.  He asked which way we were headed.  We pointed towards the way out of the woods, and he said there would be no danger that way.  When my eyes got wide as saucers, the hiker assured us that there would be no danger in any direction.  We left it at that as I didn't want to worry the kids.  I wasn't really worried as the officer and hiker seemed to be in good enough spirits, but I was curious!  Liam wanted to catch up the police officer but we waited for Al and Zach at all junctions in the trail.  We followed the police tape out to our vehicle, where the police and hiker were, and another police officer.  The police were very friendly with the boys, letting them sit in the car.  Liam got to put the lights on but he was too scared to put the sirens on.  Al pressed the horn button.  We met the hiker.   Also, we found out that the lady we met on the trail was his wife.  After getting the kids in the van, I asked the officers about what was going on in the woods.  They did let me know they had found remains that had likely been there for a long time.  No idea yet what the whole story is, and if we will ever know.  I just hope it doesn't mar this beautiful protected wilderness area in any way, and hope there will be some closure and peace for someone's family.

2010 pollett's cove

pics from last year?!

Cookie Break

We went to PEI this weekend for my nephew, Carlin's birthday party.  It was wonderful to celebrate his 3rd birthday at the CARI pool with friends and family.  Particularly wonderful because his family just moved back to PEI from Calgary, AB less than a year ago, and you realise how important family relations are when they are gone.  I have so many wonderful cousin memories from being a kid, and love that we're able to make sure the kids have some of those types of experiences, too.  

On the way to PEI, I was thinking about a family friend (Howie) that I hadn't seen in forever.  He lived in the same community as mine when I was a child, and is a close friend of my dad's.  I decided I wanted to be sure to see him this weekend.  He has recently sold and moved out of his old family home, and now has a new home nestled in the woods in the same community.  He also has a tiny one room cabin, further into the woods.  I figured that would make a nice little walk on a Sunday afternoon.  

When we arrived at the house, Howie welcomed us to his property.  He said there were lots of trails that would take us to the cabin, and that surely we would find it with a little exploring.  And this might have been true if we had not added to our little family hike on this day.   My boys really wanted their little 3 year old cousin to come with us.   Carlin did absolutely wonderful!! It is no small feat to walk on winter trails, and/or to try to keep up to Liam! At times, I carried Carlin on my back, and on my shoulder at times, and so did Al (as we did with our boys when they were younger).  Overall though, Carlin did lots of his own walking.  And even for the adults ,it was a little difficult to keep going with the trails going in all directions, and not knowing if you were heading in the right direction.  Eventually, we decided it was time for a cookie break - sitting in the snow in the sunshine.  The boys were so adorable and sweet with their gingerbread cookies, provided by granny.  Again, I'm ecstatic to provide this memory for the boys.  Then Howie showed up on his x-country skis to show us the way to cabin, but the little monkeys were only thinking about having some hot chocolate back at Howie's house (which had been promised earlier).  I walked back with the boys to Howie's, while Howie had Al trampling through the snow all over the property.  Al was able to take some pics and a video of the cabin for me.  I definitely want to come back to do some more exploring on his property.  So simple, beautiful and peaceful (when you couldn't hear the snowmobiles). 

Meanwhile, back at the house, I let myself and the kiddos in.  Actually, because Zachary was dragging his feet a little, it was my nephew who let himself in first :)  But we all got our boots and jackets and mittens and hats off, then made ourselves at home in the kitchen.  I gave the kids each a piece of paper from a notepad and a pen to occupy them, then went about opening cupboards until I found the hot chocolate.  The boys each had their own cup done pretty much by the time Howie and Al got back. 

I had never been in this house before, and I hadn't seen Howie in a really long time, but it still seemed like the most natural thing in the world.  I love relationships like that.  I think I should make a new motto in my life, "If I'm not comfortable rooting through your cupboards (or vice versa), then perhaps we shouldn't be friends at all". ... a little too extreme?! Well, for those who do have those wonderful relationships, I'm sure you know what I mean about how special that is.

Once again, it was lovely to get out on a trail.  Short but sweet.  And I can barely remember how it seemed like it might be impossible to get all three of them in their hat, mittens, snowpants, and winter jackets.  

Before we knew it, it was time to head off for another amazing family memory making experience at my aunt and uncle's place in Seaview (and the hot tub!!!)

Spider Lake Trail and Geocaching

Congratulations to our family! We got out the door again!! It sure didn't look like it was going to happen today.  I spent the morning thinking about how I really did not want to go outside today.  It was simple too cold, and it wasn't worth it.  I put another sweater on and starting baking.  (yes, I'm proud of my Almond Cookies, http://thejoyofcleaneating.com/recipes/almond-flour-cookies).  The boys worked in the dungeon (aka our unfinished basement).  The afternoon started to disappear.  We had a ton of rain last night, then it turned cold so everything was icy.  But I did notice the steep street by our place had been salted...so we could actually go somewhere.  And, I remembered the special place I had found on Thursday on a trail run, and figured the boys would enjoy putting a geocache there.  All of a sudden, there was motivation to get out of the house on this cold winter day. It was only -6 today (feels like -13 in the wind).  I packed up some snacks, we all bundled up, and Al salted our steep driveway.  It was sometime after 3pm when we started our little hike at the Spider Lake Trails.  It was very icy.  It's not an overly pretty start with ATV tracks and clearcutting and power lines. Then we hit a spot where we had to cross a little stream.  It didn't seem possible, and I certainly didn't want anyone with wet feet.  We backtracked a bit and found another trail that seemed to reasonably take us around.  We did have another water crossing on this trail too, but at least there was a tree that we could manoeuvre across on.  The trail meandered a lot more than I expected and I did get surprisingly confused when we met up again with the original wider trail.  It wasn't long before we were on another smaller fun trail.  I had told the boys we were looking for an abandoned old car alongside the trail. It took much longer to get to it than I thought.  I had done the trail from the other direction, mostly downhill - (not that it is very steep in this area, just a little bit more effort for those smaller legs), and I had been trail running it myself.  We did eventually get to it, and hid the geocache that Zachary had been carrying.  It was also a nice spot to have a snack of juice and cookies! Liam had also been carrying a geocache that he wanted to hide.  Hubby and Liam took off back down the trail to find a spot.  Zach wanted to be able to keep up with them, and I bet he'll make a big effort this summer with the big jacket and boots off.  We found them as they were hiding Liam's geocache in a tree - winter friendly cache.  Both boys had bright red cheeks and lots of energy as we headed down the path again.  It was very icy on the main trail when we reached it, but the side trails were decent. We decided to risk taking the faster way back to the car as it was getting close to supper time, and therefore, had to face the water crossing that we deemed too tricky on the way in.   We had to move out of the way of a couple of ATV'ers that we coming by right at the water crossing.  They broke through the ice and made the crossing a little trickier, but still do-able.  The boys were impressed by the ATVs, which always scares me a little bit (as obviously being a bit of a fanatic about hiking, I dearly hope the boys having been exposed to so much outdoors will look for quieter ways to enjoy it when they are older).  Hubby went across the stream first, then Liam jumped to him.  I managed to throw Zach to Hubby, then I made the crossing on my own in a slightly different spot that didn't seem all that difficult.  No wet feet.  YAY!! and a short walk/ skate to the car. 

It ended up being another wonderful family day hike. I'm still not exactly sure how we did it.  Still, I manage to find some guilt when everything does turn out, and we hadn't invited another family (or families) to join us.  It is a challenge to deal with the child behavioral issues, logistics of a new trail or trail conditions, your gear, and the weather.  And to top it off, we're usually pulling it off as a last minute decision (along with parental communication issues that are never my fault :).  So it is perhaps reasonable and less stressful to do it on our own...at least sometimes.  

Somehow, though, it is my dream to help more kids (families) get on the trails - leading by example and invitations to join us...and one day, being comfortable doing that in all seasons.  

Susie's Lake

I am glad to have done this hike today.  I mean to say I'm glad it's done and over.  It's one I heard about a long time ago, and talked about doing it a few times.  This morning, the kids got up and dressed quickly, and hubby was keen to go.  We planned to be on the trail by 10:30am.  I even emailed friends to say so, in case they wanted to meet us.  We scurried around getting supplies ready and making sure we had even warm clothing for everyone.  Then I took some things to the car, and got cold.  Cold feet. Really, I had to go warm them up by the fire, and I mentioned to hubby that maybe it was too cold.  Then I don't know what happened....he said he thought it would be fine, and I got frustrated that he didn't hear what I said.  I mean really hear me, and my worries about the temperature.  We do lots of stuff with the kids that lots of folks wouldn't consider, but generally, I feel we're pretty careful.  The temperature was -11, with a windchill of -17, so I wanted to be 100% sure we were fully prepared.  Hubby might have been fine to just deal with whatever came our way, whereas I wanted avoid any problems whatsoever - and since that's not even remotely possible, he got frustrated with me.  So anyway, this blog is not about communication problems.  I just thought it would be nice to share how difficult it can be to get out the door -even the odd time that the kids are being cooperative.  So I had a nice warm bath, and then we made up & decided we could, in fact, just go after lunch (which is our more normal time to go for a family hike anyway).  Food in the belly and we were on our way to Susie's Lake (start point behind Kent Building supplies in Bayers Lake). 

It was very cold in the parking lot.

It's not so easy, but not that hard either, to find the start of this trail.  We ended up taking a little longer at the start by parking by the other stores, right beside Kent, instead of parking to the forest side of Kent.  It eventually became obvious as to where the trail was going, and we could see where we could have started.  There is no signage there either though.

We kept a nice little pace - by necessity.  Did I mention it was cold? As it turned out, everyone but me seemed to be dressed warmly.  My base layer was polyester which should have been okay, but I think it just gave me a chill.  I wish I had worn my favorite warm weather layer of light merino wool.  Zach slowed his pace down...he was dressed warmly.  I just got more of a chill that I couldn't get rid of. 

Hubby and the kids did a little geocaching.  We saw the frozen lake with a man and dog walking right across it.  Thank goodness, they stayed on top.  It was really cold but I wasn't sure enough of the ice condition to let the kids play on it.  We headed back up the trail to the turn off to hike a little bit around the lake, but stopped for a snack.  We had homemade granola bars.  I've been making a ton of homemade granola bars - experimenting with the recipes but they mostly seem to be a hit everytime.  Yummy.  It was at this point that I put my third layer of pants on, but I was still chilled.  We went 100 m up the trail to a geocache, then I told hubby that I had to turn around.  I just wasn't feeling safe being this chilled.  We got Liam to chase me to help me warm up.  We had one small, very small stream to cross over, which we had already gone over, which I had already warned Liam to keep his feet out of the water.  He did have boots on, but they were the kind that could still get wet.  I turned back to see him put his foot on a big piece of ice that was in the little stream, and his foot went through the ice and into the water.  I was frustrated and worried.  And I told him, this is exactly how kids drown.  Okay, so maybe I shouldn't have said that.  It is sort of true...just not in a little tiny stream.  We weren't all that far away from the car, but I was scared of his poor little toes getting frozen stiff.  He kept reassuring me that he was fine, and I kept telling him to keep running to make sure that his feet wouldn't freeze.  We did have extra socks but not extra footwear.  I assumed his socks had to be wet as the outside of his boots were very wet, but I didn't want to take them off to inspect because it was so cold.  I assumed if he kept running, his feet would stay warm enough.  As it turns out, when checked back at the car, his socks were dry - so either they dried from his feet sweating, or they never got wet in the first place.  So perhaps, I could have handled the whole situation with a lot more chill (as in relaxed mode) but someone has to do the worrying :) 

The best thing is we did get out for our family day hike.  It's done. We survived.  We all want to go back... sometime, perhaps in another season. 

Lots of hiking pics