Scotian Hiker

A Favourite Quote

scotianhiker — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:08:07 +0000

“One final paragraph of advice: Do not burn yourself out. Be as I am – a reluctant enthusiast… a part time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it is still there. So get out there and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, encounter the grizz, climb the mountains. Run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to your body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those deskbound people with their hearts in a safe deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this: you will outlive the bastards.”

- Edward Abbey

June 19 & 20 Weekend Hikes

scotianhiker — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:39:14 +0000

Hi All. There have been some really interesting hikes and events lately, and I intend to get caught up and mention them in my blog when time permits. In the meantime, here is what’s on the agenda for this coming weekend:

Gaff Point, Sat, June 19, 2pm – 6pm. Meetup at the dirt parking lot at Hirtles Beach in Kingsburg, south of Lunenburg, at 2pm. Hike down the beach to the trailhead, and then make the loop around Gaff Point. Moderate walk, not long but over varied terrain. Dogs are welcome, but please be advised there are steep cliffs close by, sharp rocks, and there is an optional rope descent to Sand Cove along the route. Bring water and food, as usual. It could be foggy and cool, so bring a jacket.

DIRECTIONS: coming from Kentville, take Route 12 from Kentville to New Ross and then on towards Chester Basin. Turn right onto the 103 West and proceed to Exit 11 in Blockhouse. Turn left from the exit ramp and proceed through Blockhouse towards Lunenburg. In approx 15 minutes, you’ll come to a stop sign at an intersection. Turn right towards Riverport and you’ll soon come to another intersection; follow Highway 332 straight towards The Ovens, Rose Bay, Riverport. After 15 minutes, watch for a left turn towards Kingsburg – the left turn is immediately past the Rose Bay General Store (and NSLC, which are on your right). Travel the twisty, narrow road for 5 minutes; coming down the hill into Kingsburg, look for a right turn towards Hirtles Beach (Hirtles Beach Rd); follow this road out to the beach parking lot. Coming from Halifax, follow Hwy 103 to Exit 11, and then directions are the same as above.

Burntcoat Head, Sun, June 20, 9:30am – 2:30pm. This hike is being organized by members of the Chebucto Hiking Club; the Scotian Hiker contingent is welcome to participate. The plan is to hike the seafloor at the location of the highest tides in the world – Burntcoat Head (sometimes ‘Burncoat’). Easy/moderate hike, bring water and lunch; low tide is at 2:19pm – plan to be off the beach around this time. Tide goes out fast here, and comes in fast.

DIRECTIONS: official meetup spot for those who don’t know the way is at the Irving station at the corner of Hwy 1 [Sackville Dr] and Hwy 354 [Beaverbank Rd] at 830am in Lower Sackville (take Highway 101 Exit 2 and proceed north to meetup point). From here, we’ll travel north on Highway 354 all the way to Noel, at which point we’ll pick up Burntcoat Road and travel to the observation park, ETA 930-1000am.

As always, remember to check the events calendar at scotianhiker.com for any last-minute changes or cancellations (http://www.scotianhiker.com/events.htm), up to and including the day of the hike. Also, look up Scotian Hiker on Facebook, or scotianhiker on Twitter, for updates.

Ready for some outdoor (and underground) adventures

scotianhiker — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 22:23:35 +0000

Hi All. I’ve been away for a while, but am now back and eager to get out on the trails again. While on the road, I tried to follow along whenever possible with events happening back home in NS. It was good to see people keeping busy with hiking adventures throughout the province; looks like some great memories were made over the past few weeks. I’m posting this weekend’s hiking schedule here on the blog for the benefit of those who have trouble accessing the calendar on the website:

ROXBURY. Saturday, June 5th, 10AM meetup at Tim Hortons in Bridgetown, Highway 101 Exit 20 (approximately 45 minutes from Kentville). Try to be a few minutes early for coffee refueling and restroom break. We will proceed from here east to Roxbury Road and park near the gravel pit a short distance up the road. This hike will follow Roxbury Road all the way back to Paradise Lake on the South Mountain, points of interest being the ‘ghost town’ of Roxbury, abandoned cemeteries, wells, and scenery. Difficult hike as first 3-4 kms are uphill, with total round-trip distance being approx. 20kms. Bring lots of water, energy snacks/lunch, proper attire and footwear, and bug repellent. Dogs are allowed. Please note that this road is travelled by ATVs and trucks, so be watchful. Current forecast is calling for rain, so if you own quick-dry clothing, wear it.

CAVE CRAWL (HAYES CAVE). Sunday, June 6th, 10AM meetup in Kennetcook, Hants Co. We’re going underground in Hayes Cave, the largest known cave (and bat hibernaculum) in the province. Meetup is in Kennetcook; coming from the south, as soon as you cross the bridge over the river into ‘downtown’ Kennetcook, look for a spot to park on the right between the Guardian Drugs and the river. From here, we’ll drive to the cave location. Email me if you have no idea how to get to Kennetcook (from Lower Sackville, take Beaverbank Rd/Highway 354 north; from Windsor, take Hwy 14 to Brooklyn, then take Hwy 236 east). IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS: Participants must not be afraid of the dark, bats, guano, closed spaces, or the fact that there is a LOT of rock overhead. The cave is 1,000 ft long, with rocky, uneven terrain. Crawling not required (except to reach optional places). We will get dirty; wear clothes you don’t mind potentially ruining, or wear coveralls (don’t wear shorts – gypsum can be sharp!). Conditions will be muddy/slippery in places; broken glass is likely present. Bring a reliable flashlight AND a backup light. Bring a ballcap or hood to tuck your hair into, and to help protect your head from bumps (hardhats are fine). Bring gloves (I recommend the cloth gloves with rubber-coated palm and fingers). The air can be chalky inside Hayes Cave; if you have respiratory issues, bring a mask, bring your puffer, or reconsider attending. Cameras will get dirty. Hand sanitizer is a good idea. We must cross a river, so wear pants and footwear that are either waterproof or quick-drying (strive to keep dry; the temps inside the cave are cool). Headlamps are ideal; I use $20 Energizer LED headlamps. No dogs allowed on this hike. This event happens rain or shine, as there will be neither underground.

May 15 – 16 Events

scotianhiker — Wed, 12 May 2010 15:22:56 +0000

Hi all. Just posting this on the blog for those who can’t access the Events Calendar at scotianhiker.com. Upcoming events for this weekend include:

Rocknotch & South Mountain Waterfall. Sat, May 15, 10am – 4pm. Forecast calls for showers, so dress yourself and your camera appropriately. This event is a photo junket, allowing photogs of the group sufficient time to set up cameras on tripods and such. Hiking is minimal (maybe 4-6 kms for the entire day); hikers welcome, and you have the option of hiking out to Crystal Falls close by while the photogs (including me) visit the gorge. Bring lunch and water. Meetup is at the Zellers parking lot (close to the road) at the Greenwood Mall at 10AM. We’ll proceed from there to the Rocknotch gorge, spend an hour or two, and then to the falls out towards Lake George (that I recently visited).

Rogart Mountain Hiking Trail. Sun, May 16, 10am – 6pm. The plan is to hike the 6.2km Rogart Mountain Loop in Earltown, north of Truro. This is a wilderness trail, and will eventually be part of the Cape-to-Cape Trail (from Cape Chignecto to Cape George). Expect natural, uneven terrain and inclines. Bring lots of water and snacks, and binoculars to view the Confederation Bridge. Meetup is at the Irving service station just off Highway 102 Exit 14 in Truro; from there, we’ll proceed to Earltown and the trailhead at Sugar Moon Farm. After the hike, we can stop to eat at Sugar Moon Farm’s pancake house (or not, depending on time and interest; keep in mind we’re not done hiking). The “Etc.” part of the event: on the drive back towards Truro, we’ll stop for a much shorter hike to the summit of Nuttby Mountain (highest elevation in mainland NS). The final stop of the day is at picturesque Victoria Park near downtown Truro, with two awesome waterfalls and lots of comfortable walking; be sure to test your legs on Jacob’s Ladder, too. Photographers in the group will want to shoot these falls. These last two stops are totally up to you.

A few bad apples…

scotianhiker — Wed, 12 May 2010 15:00:18 +0000

I was hoping to create a unique event that would offer us a rare treat – a trip to Drysdale Falls near Tatamagouche. I had been there in 2006 and 2007, back before the landowners were forced to close access to the falls across their property. The place is a photographer’s dream – a high plunge of water into a large pool, closed in by woods and a natural rock amphitheatre; an incredibly beautiful spot. However, access to the falls has been cut off since the summer of 2007, and knowing the circumstances surrounding the restriction, I completely understand and support the landowners’ reasons and decision (http://www.trurodaily.com/People/2007-08-27/article-334833/Drysdale-Falls-Keep-out-Thats-it/1). Still, I was wondering if exceptions were made for hiking/photography groups, so I contacted one of the landowners and we had a good conversation about the situation. I originally met him back in 2006 and at that point, he was willing to give people the benefit of the doubt; access to the falls through his property was permitted, all he was asking was that visitors respect the property and abide by perfectly reasonable conditions. Well, he got understandably tired of hauling garbage and broken glass out of the place (90 2-litre milk cartons full of glass before he gave up cleaning it), the theft and property damage, and people cutting his trees for firewood; a fatality marked the end of it. With the support of local police and the fire department, he and the other landowners banned all visits. Understandably jaded, he feels that while there used to be 1 bad apple in 10 years ago, it’s now 1 good apple in 10. The fire department has even been called back to the site to rescue trespassers who get into the upper pool above the big falls; their intent is to make the jump into the main pool, but when they get into the upper pool from where they’re supposed to jump, they chicken out and can’t climb back out (my feeling is that they should be charged with trespassing and billed for the rescue). As for exceptions to the ban, there are none. Nobody is allowed access. If one person/group is allowed, somebody else will catch wind of it and say ‘well if you allowed them, why not us?’ and they just want to avoid that situation. Tourists from Europe have even been turned away (and the landowner said that they all understand the reasons; however, how do we look to tourists when our own citizens’ boorish and disrespectful behaviour prevents access to such gems?). There is some hope that some natural wonders in the province are still safe; the waterfalls that are close to the road and easily accessed are littered and abused more often than remote ones. The yahoos must think it’s too much work to carry their beer bottles and chip bags so far into the woods. I must side with the landowners in the matter of Drysdale Falls. Due to likely MORE than a few bad apples, we all lose.

It isn’t just waterfalls that get marred by humans; look at the roadside ditches – always full of plastic, glass, bags, and other garbage, despite the annual cleanups. That stuff doesn’t just grow there; humans still throw garbage out of their vehicles.

Hayes Cave, the largest bat hibernaculum in the province, is littered from front to back with spray-painted graffiti and empty and broken bottles; c’mon, who goes 1000 feet to the back of a pitch-black cave to sit and drink? The cave entrance was once sealed off to human visitors; the rebar was bent aside and the humans returned. Yes, we’ll be going there in June, after the bats are safe, and we won’t be littering – or lighting fireworks inside, as evidence indicates.

At Amethyst Cove, the steep slope leading down to the beach is littered with plastic bottles, some empty, some not; I can see a bottle occasionally falling out of a pack, but there are too many there for this to be the sole reason. People are deliberately discarding their bottles; why – are empty bottles suddenly too heavy to carry? No need to even mention the shorelines themselves; everyone knows about the garbage that lines them year-round.

Three Pools is another example; youths go in there and drink then jump from great heights into the top pool. Some people come out on stretchers. Broken bottles and other litter are usually left behind (I certainly wouldn’t want to set foot on the bottom of that pool without shoes on). Years ago, two of us gathered about three garbage bags full of glass and litter around the top pool only and hauled them out of there. Near Three Pools was the Swinging Bridge – once it was a rope bridge many years ago, then changed to steel, and then removed completely and the path blocked off by Nova Scotia Power due to misuse and abuse. 20 years ago, I was fortunate to stand on that bridge at 2AM on a quiet summer night and watch the mist roll down the river – it was magical and surreal. Nobody else can do that now; that experience is no longer available, due to human stupidity.

Provincial and federal parks are well-kept, but a lot of the best places to visit and experience are on unmonitored private land; it’s not too much to ask of visitors to respect the property. Pack it in, pack it out. If people keep littering and destroying these sites, we will all lose access to them eventually, and it won’t be the landowners’ fault.

Drysdale Falls, as seen from the now off-limits path

Drysdale Falls, as seen from pool-level

The long-gone Swinging Bridge near Three Pools

No E2C for me…

scotianhiker — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 21:33:16 +0000

…so on to Plan B, which was hastily prepared upon learning our team couldn’t participate due to scheduling conflicts and pressing duties. Seeing as how my weekend was now wide open, and realizing there would be a serious shortfall in exercise, I’ve come up with a challenging weekend hike schedule for May 1 and 2. I’m posting it here as there are some who encounter problems trying to access my Events Calendar at scotianhiker.com, and I don’t want anyone to miss out on an event they might be interested in. Anyway, here goes:

Saturday May 1 930am – 6pm, Gibraltar Rock and North Granite Ridge Trail

Meet up at Musquodoboit Railway Museum & Tourist Bureau, Highway 7, Musquodoboit Harbour, NS. Can’t miss it – the train station and railway cars are pretty obvious. From here, we’ll drive up the 357 to the parking lot for Gibraltar Rock Loop and North Granite Ridge Trail; this hike will be a distance of 11km plus return distance to parking lot. Bring a good lunch, lots of energy snacks, and lots of water! Hike takes 6-8 hours over some difficult natural terrain with lots of inclines, and hikers must be able to maintain a consistent, reasonably-fast pace. Be at the train station museum in Musquodoboit Harbour on Highway 7 by 9:30AM sharp. This will be a challenging hike through backcountry wilderness trails with great views! Dogs are allowed on this hike, but keep them close and bring lots of water and doggie treats.

Sunday May 2, 9:30am – 5:00pm, Moses Mountain & Waterfalls

Meetup at 930AM at the Windsor Tourist Bureau just off Highway 101 Exit 6 (downtown Windsor exit). From there, proceed to Falls Lake Loop/Moses Mountain on Route 14 for a summit ascent. After this, we can visit Meander Falls in Mackay Section and/or Dawson Falls in Ellershouse, depending on interest. Moderate/difficult hike on Moses Mtn; mostly walking on dirt utility road until we veer off into the woods and bushwhack our way uphill to the summit over completely natural terrain (this involves a challenging, steep grade). 3-4 hours. Meander Falls involves an hour hike each way along possibly muddy, wet trail (in places). Dawson Falls is a 10-minute easy/moderate hike each way. Bring lots of energy snacks and water. Dogs are allowed, but keep them close when in the woods.

So, there it is – hiking for the first weekend in May. I also would like to wish all the teams participating in the Eco-Endurance Challenge (E2C) over May 1/2 good luck, stay safe, warm and dry! There are a number of Scotian Hikers taking part in it this year; I look forward to seeing photos and hearing the tales from the race!

Blomidon Snowshoe Hike

scotianhiker — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 02:34:49 +0000

The adventure continued on Feb 20, when eleven humans and two canines tackled Blomidon Provincial Park, most of us on snowshoes, but a few opting to make the slog without them. The snow was wet and heavy, and the hike became an endurance contest for a number of us. Assembling at the lower picnic parking area, we set out to follow the Borden Brook Trail up to the top of the mountain; it was definitely a workout, but easier than taking the Jodrey Trail to the top. Upon emerging into the open field near the administration building, we picked up the Jodrey Trail here and followed it out to its farthest reaches, visiting all the look-off platforms along the way. The scenery was incredible, with a commanding view of the Minas Basin and Five Islands; at least four counties can be seen from here: Cumberland, Colchester, Hants and Kings, perhaps more. After a good break and another snowball fight at the last look-off, we turned and followed the same trail back out. Everyone put in an astounding effort; new hikers joined in on this event, and certainly rose to the occasion. This was a difficult hike, due to the trail conditions, the climb, and the distance (likely 12kms+); kudos to everyone for their perseverance and achievement!

climbing the Borden Brook Trail at the beginning

crossing the open field to pick up the Jodrey Trail

stopping at a look-off platform on the Jodrey Trail

Blomidon Snowshoe Hike group photo

the view from a look-off platform

at the end of the trail

Valentine’s Day Coasting Party

scotianhiker — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 02:02:46 +0000

I wanted to organize something fun and not necessarily hiking-related, and a coasting/sledding party seemed to be just the thing to help get us through those mid-winter, February blues. 16 of us channelled our Inner Child and took to the snowy slopes on Aylesford Mountain on Valentine’s Day. Riding inner tubes, crazy carpets and aerodynamic sleds, we took turns (and often launched simultaneously, linking hands and feet and forming a chain) racing down the hill, most of us having the most winter fun we’ve had in years, even decades. Later, after the day’s activities were over, many of us – myself included – were reminded by all the coasting-induced aches and pains that our bodies aren’t as resilient as they were when we were kids – but it was fun while it lasted.

flying downhill

what comes down, must go up(hill)

one of the many coasting chains formed that afternoon

Coasting Party group photo, just before launching downhill simultaneously

St. Croix Gypsum Cliffs

scotianhiker — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 01:37:20 +0000

On February 13, a group of eager hikers assembled at the base of the highly-visible gypsum cliffs in St. Croix. These are the white, tree-topped cliffs you see as you drive on Highway 101 approximately 10km east of Windsor, and are leftover deposits from the ancient Windsor Sea. The mission on this day was to hike to the top and follow the cliff edge west towards Sweets Corner, taking in the great views available along the way, and skirting around massive and plentiful sinkholes formed in the Karst landscape by water action. This is a moderate to difficult hike, mainly due to the varied, uneven terrain, multiple hill-climbs and some bushwhacking; we hiked in for 2 hrs, and then turned and came back out – but not before we stopped at a sinkhole cave, which three of us entered. The photo ops from the cliff tops, with the St. Croix River winding its way below against the white gypsum, are stunning. It’s a largely-ignored hike; it isn’t promoted as a trail and is on private property. If you go, respect the property and as always, if you pack it in, pack it out, and do no harm to any fences you come to.

descending into a ravine

climbing over an obstacle on the way out of the ravine

a view from the cliff edge

Gypsum cliff group photo, standing next to the St. Croix River

taking a break on the cliff edge

hiking around the sinkholes

Amethyst Cove

scotianhiker — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:44:49 +0000

Descending 300-400 feet of rope down a steep, snowy incline in February is probably something that most Nova Scotians haven’t done – so that was reason enough for our group of 10 ‘daredevils’ to do it on February 7 on a trip to Amethyst Cove. Gathering at the same parking area for the Cape Split trail, we basically ventured up and over the ridge rather than go out the peninsula towards the Split. In years gone by, I’d always found it confusing to get to the ropes leading down the cliffs, and usually got off-track; now, it’s a straight-forward 30 minute walk (uphill for the most part; didn’t say it was easy) with only one or two turns. The owners of the farmhouse at the parking area are ok with hikers accessing the trail via their dooryard, but respect their property; they also own the land which the Amethyst Cove trail cuts through – if you pack it in, pack it out!!

We reached the ropes and carefully descended them hundreds of feet to the beach; there is no rappelling involved where you’re dangling from ropes, but without the ropes that are currently in place to assist hikers, it would be a very hazardous climb (much more so than it is now). We spread ourselves out on the ropes so that if one broke, everybody wouldn’t go with it. Everyone made it to the beach without major incident, and we explored the shoreline east of the ropes for a while; when visiting here, you must know the tides, for you can get cut off if you’re not paying attention and wander too far. Rockhounds love this place, as a variety of rocks and minerals can be found here – amethyst in particular. After a good while being exposed to cold wind, we all decided to make the ascent back up the ropes to the top, which is a heck of a workout; some of us were laden with rocks, some not, but all were content knowing we’d visited a special place this day.

climbing the ropes at Amethyst Cove

still a long way down yet

Amethyst Cove group photo

well down the shoreline, looking back towards the ropes