outdoors ottawa
Summer/Fall 2011
Stand Up Paddling
FREE
Your guide to the local outdoor adventure scene
Ottawa, Ottawa Valley, Gatineau, Quebec
A new view on the outdoors
Bare-foot running Critics think twice
Your survival pack Set it up the right away
Canoeing the lower Petawawa It’s graduation day
How to pack a backpack Learn it for life
Bas-Saint-Laurent: A maritime regi n f Québec t disc ver O
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© Parc-Aventure Mont-Citadelle
© Pilar Macias/Tourisme Bas-Saint-Laurent
© Michel Laverdière
© Jean Sylvain/Sépaq
© Marc Loiselle
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The sea, lakes and forests of Bas-Saint-Laurent offer many opportunities for activities: rock climbing, whale-watching excursions, sea kayaking, zip lining, hiking and more! The Route Verte cycling trail, which is well established in this region, is ideal for cyclists of all levels. At the end of the day, relax and enjoy the many good restaurants and charming inns in the region.
Plan your vacation online! www.quebecmaritime.ca/bsl
outdoors ottawa
Stand-up paddleboarding
To the aerial parks
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~ Articles
~ Departments
5 Stand up and paddleboard! 7 Bare-foot running for fun 8 Look up – way, way up. Aerial park adventures 10 Four strokes for beginning canoe paddlers 13 Tarps to the rescue! 15 How to use a rescue signal mirror 16 What’s in your survival pack? 18 A bike ride to remember 20 South March Highlands a thrill for mountain bikers of any skill 24 Graduation day on the lower Petawawa River 32 Traffic lite: Long Sault Parkway spans the decades 34 Whitewater paddling for greenhorns 36 How to pack a backpack 37 Taking the kids canoe camping to La Vérendrye at the last minute 47 Fear not the outdoors
4 Publisher’s Letter
SE A L TO UG HOW U I S NA E C S RE OR 15 MIRR
SUMMER/FALL 2011
Four strokes for beginners
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Outdoor Gear Healthy Lifestyles
12 Book Nook 23 Top 10 massage tips
28 Outdoor Gear / Healthy Lifestyles
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30 Ottawa Valley Spotlight 41 Knots made easy 42 Ottawa Festival Guide 45 Outdoor clubs 46 The back pages
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It’s TOTALLY FREE too! There’s loads of info, videos and more about the local outdoor adventure scene, all delivered in this extremely cool animated version.
Cover Photo taken on the Ottawa River by Steve Slaby www.steveslaby.zenfolio.com. Models/SUPers, Kristina (Tina) Moss and Tom Hewitt. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
Just go to www.OttawaOutdoors.ca to sign-up at the top right of the homepage and we'll send you a digital version of the print issue. COVER PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
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Your outdoor mission, should you choose to accept it... . . . is to try something different this summer. Yes, as Ottawa Outdoors Magazine rolls merrily along in this, our 10th anniversary year, one thing has become very clear. There are soooo many more outdoor adventures to do in this region than you can possibly imagine. You might be surprised to hear that just a couple of weeks ago thousands participated in the Camp Fortune Spartan Race, a 5km race running up hills and overcoming obstacles. Not unique enough for you? What about the Perth Kilt Run? In true Dave Brown, Publisher Celtic fashion, more than a thousand Editor-in-chief strong donned their kilts and traded bag pipes for running shoes to race with family and friends. Next year, I’m in. On the cover of this issue you are introduced to the extremely cool sport of Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP). You get this great core workout from standing on this surfboard-type object while using an extended paddle and off you go. No longer is your view of Mother Nature from the surface level. Instead you stand tall and enjoy an entirely new perspective. When you make your way to pg. 7 you’ll read about bare-foot running. Who does it, why they do it, and how they feel they benefit from it. Enjoy the article and you decide if this is the sport for you. Lastly, if all these unique adventure sports are still not enough for you, head over to pg. 8 and read about hiking and climbing among the trees in nearby aerial parks. This too is a workout. You climb, cross suspended foot-bridges, balance across tightrope lines, and scream your head off speeding down zip-lines high above the earth. If you’re anything like me, you’re thinking. . . how do I sign-up?
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Stand up and paddleboard!
I saw it first about three years ago, sitting at home browsing the Internet for information on surfing. In a top corner of a Mexican surf school webpage, an athletic girl in a black bikini, standing on a board in blue water. But she wasn’t surfing; she was holding a long paddle and paddling into the sunset like she had no cares in the world. I wanted to be her, and I wanted to learn how to handle an SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard). At the time, learning how to surf was on my “before 30” bucket list. Research was fine, but as a resident of the Gatineau Hills, I had a challenge to actually learn it without travelling. But with the blackbikinied woman in mind, I bought my first SUP last summer. There’s a lot of similarity between a standard surfboard and an SUP. A surfboard relies on the moving water tension of the wave to allow the user to stand on it. An SUP board has more www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
volume to allow the user to stand on it in flat water. Past that, they share shapes, fin setups and the like. Now as a SUP owner/paddler working in an outdoors shop I get the customers who ask, “Why paddleboard? I just don’t get it.” The answer requires a basic understanding of where the sport came from. Stand up paddleboarding has been gaining popularity since the early 2000s with the help of famous surfers like Laird Hamilton. Hamilton and others used SUPs for training on days when the waves were small, but now they paddle the boards in big waves and push the boundaries of surf SUP. Since then, the sport
has been growing not just in ocean waves, but on flat water, whitewater, in recreational paddling, racing and tour paddling. Now, back to that girl paddling off into the sunset. It’s not just fantasy to lose the worries of your day as you dip your paddle further away from shore or grin from ear to ear as you surf your SUP on the standing wave at Bate Island. Stand up paddleboarding is a mini vacation, free from suits and skirts into board shorts and bikinis. And it can be a fantastic workout. It involves your whole body, especially your core. It boosts your stability muscles. All in all it’s an exciting way to train, or shed some kilos out on the water. SUPing has no limiting boundaries or expectations of what a paddler should be or look like. Land-locked surfers can keep up on board skills, and it’s a fallback for windsurfers
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PHOTOS BY STAND UP FOR CHEO
BY TARA HAMILTON
PUBLISHER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: DAVE BROWN EDITOR: ROGER BIRD WRITERS Tara Hamilton, Julia Sisler, Craig Macartney, Allen Macartney, Sheila Ascroft, Tony Hogeveen, Kevin Callan, Melissa Marquardt, Kathleen Wilker, Dave Brown PHOTOGRAPHERS Stand Up For CHEO, Greg1967, Flavouredechoes, Reid McLachlan, Robert Park, Beau Lebens, Sheila Ascroft, David Nesbitt, Paul Chivers, Sarkasmo, Micheal Turcot, Kathleen Wilker, Christian Ostrosky, Eliya ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Dave Brown, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Ottawa Outdoors Magazine is an independent publication published seasonally every four months and distributed FREE at sports stores all over the region, as well as at 100 other locations. E-mail: Advertising@OttawaOutdoors.ca Tel: 613-860-8687 or 888-228-2918 Fax: 613-860-8687
when the wind is down, or a watercraft for mom at the cottage for everyone to enjoy. FIRST TIME OUT ON A SUP? • rent or borrow a friend’s board • get a paddle that reaches 20 to 30 centimetres above your head • get the right size board for your weight • get a life vest, 15 metres of floating rope, and a whistle, for safety
• start in calm, sheltered, flat water with a soft bottom • start off on your knees if you want, then stand up when you’re comfortable As for me and my SUP, I’m not in Mexico, the water isn’t blue and warm and I will never wear a black bikini, but when I’m on my board, I’m the girl in the picture. ~ Tara Hamilton is a water sport and snow sport expert at Mountain Equipment Co-op.
HOW TO GET PUBLISHED Ottawa Outdoors Magazine welcomes story and photo contributions. All photos should ideally be shot with a high-resolution digital camera, but otherwise scanned at 300dpi resolution and burned onto a CD-ROM or e-mailed. No unsolicited contributions will be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Publisher may publish any and all communications with Ottawa Outdoors magazine, and may edit for clarity and style. Indexed in the Canadian Periodical Index ISSN No. 1204-69556. © Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any materials published in Ottawa Outdoors Magazine is expressly forbidden without consent of the publisher unless otherwise agreed between partners. Printed in Canada. ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERSHIPS Ottawa Outdoors Magazine aligns with local and international environmental groups. Recently Ottawa Outdoors Magazine joined and supports the following groups. We encourage you to do the same. Leave No Trace Canada is a national non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and inspiring responsible outdoor recreation through education, research and partnerships. Leave No Trace builds awareness, appreciation and respect for our wilderness areas. www.leavenotrace.ca
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PHOTOS BY STAND UP FOR CHEO
One Percent for the Planet is a rapidly growing network of companies that give at least one per cent of their annual sales to environmental causes. Their commitment provides vital resources and awareness to organizations that work to keep us on a sustainable path. 1%FTP provides members with a straightforward and powerful way to become part of the solution. We are proud supporters of One Percent as a movement as well as their members which include Mountain Equipment Co-op and more than 20 other businesses across Canada. www.onepercentfortheplanet.org
www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
Bare-foot running for fun Critics not so sure
PHOTO BY FLAVOUREDECHOES
It was snowing, the pavement was slicked with ice, and Rod Begg was out running barefoot, as he did from December through March all last winter. For fun. “A lot of people will say, ‘oh my god, are you crazy?’ But to those people you say, ‘take your shoes off and try it’.” Now that the snow is gone, Begg said there are more runners trying it without shoes in Ottawa and across the country, even though others involved in running say it’s a risky business. Begg, a member of the Barefoot Runner’s Society online forum, sees the buzz taking off. Though there isn’t an organized group in Ottawa, there are in bigger, warmer cities like Toronto and Vancouver, and across the United States. There used to be a handful of well-known barefoot runners, like the record-setting South African Zola Budd, but now more casual runners are choosing to train without shoes or with minimally padded footwear. Begg started running barefoot as a personal challenge just over a year ago, and kept it up through the winter. Now he can run a halfmarathon without shoes, injury free – even at 10 degrees below zero. “The first week I was tentative … you’re like a hawk watching the road looking for little stones,” he said. But it didn’t hurt and even in the early weeks, www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
he had no cuts or bruises. And there were other benefits. “My level of enjoyment increased right away,” he said, “you’re playing in the mud, it rained, it brings you back to your childhood.” Barefoot running took off after American running pro Christopher McDougall published Born to Run in 2009. He tracked down members of the Tarahumara tribe in the Copper Canyons of Mexico, and studied how they are able to run long distances every day without routine injuries, wearing only thin sandals. The difference is in the technique. Instead of pounding down your heels and relying on padded shoes to absorb the shock, barefoot runners touch down softly on the balls of their feet. Begg said it takes time to learn, but eventually it feels more natural. He says it’s the way everyone learns to run naturally. “If you watch a child and they don’t have shoes on, they run that way.” But Dr. Barbara Rodwin at the Back to Health Wellness Centre said this technique doesn’t work for everyone. She said she’s seen more runners coming into her clinic this year who’ve tried barefoot running – many with injuries linked to suddenly ditching their shoes.
“Some people aren’t built for it. It’s like anything else in life … yes, give it a try, but do it gradually.” Rodwin said some of her patients with back or knee trouble had those problems aggravated by the barefoot approach. Also, there’s a greater risk of shin splints and stress fractures when you take away the cushion shoes provide. And she cautions that “conditions like arthritis or bunions,” could be prohibitive for wannabe barefoot runners. Phil Marsh, the regional manager of The Running Room, said more people are asking about barefoot techniques and lightweight shoes. But he doesn’t buy the idea that running without shoes entirely, or in “minimalist” shoes (with protective covering for the soles without padding), is injury-free: “It’s terrible for your body. It’s one of those fads that is hopefully on the wane.” Begg maintains it’s worth it, and his advice is to start slow. “You have to be patient, you can’t say in three months I’m going to run a marathon.” But for him, running barefoot is worth the strange looks and physical risk. “It brings that playfulness back into an exercise.” ~ Julia is a Carleton University master’s of journalism student, who moved to Ottawa to avoid long drives to camp or ski.
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PHOTO BY GREG1967
BY JULIA SISLER
Look up – way, way up And hang on tight BY JULIA SISLER
The forest floor is more than 20 metres down and I’m clutching a log that hangs vertically, with little notches at the bottom for my feet. My arms are shaking with exhaustion, and every gust of wind swings me away from the treetop platform where I can rest. This is “La Rafale,” the highest and longest aerial course in Quebec – and I’m doing this for fun. At Arbraska Treetop Trekking in Rigaud, the workout was worth the view – one usually reserved for birds and squirrels – and there are many such aerial adventure sites around Ottawa where you can get that natural high, in all senses of the word. Think of treetop climbing like a jungle gym for Tarzan. The challenge is to move between wooden platforms fixed to tree trunks along a series of tightropes, bridges, swinging steps and ziplines.
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It’s safe if you wear a helmet and harness and take in a demonstration of carabiners (heavy-duty clips) that keep you attached to a cable at all times. Once you complete a practice course, you can choose from a number of offerings to get one at your comfort level. For small children there’s an area with a shorter course closer to the ground. Beginner and intermediate levels are between six and 14 metres up, while the extreme reached 25 metres and required some endurance. There is also a full zipline course for those who want the rush without the muscle ache – you just buckle up and hang in your harness, “downhill” all the way to the next platform. Marc-André Roy, the manager at the Rigaud park, says visitors of all ages find something in the trees. “They learn communication, leadership, they learn to respect others … so they’re learning a lot about themselves too.”
Bilingual staff – with nicknames like Banjo and Bazooka – are there to help when needed, but they don’t guide you through each step. Sandra Claude is one of them, and she says, “A lot of people come down and say, ‘oh my gosh, if you weren’t there I never would have made it, but now I’m really proud of myself.’” There are a few scary moments, like trusting all your weight to the zipline for the first time. But Roy said the rigging is checked every week, and there has never been a serious injury. And he said, it’s not just about protecting you – it’s also about the trees’ safety. “Trees are the bread and butter here so we’re really, really careful with the environment,” Roy said. For example, cables and platforms are attached with steel cables around the trunks, but there are shims to prevent them cutting into the bark. Engineers make sure every tree can support the weight of the course and zipliners, and check each tree’s health regularly, Roy said. For families or serious thrillseekers, it is that treetop view that makes this activity different than rock climbing or a high ropes course. “It’s a natural experience,” Claude says. “We let you discover the forest.” www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
If you are planning to go treetop climbing at Arbraska or anywhere, here are a few tips. • Go early. At Arbraska in Rigaud, there are up to 600 visitors per day during peak season. • Check your weight and height. All zipliners must be under 112 kilograms and there are age and height limits for some courses. • Wear closed shoes and comfortable clothing. Dress for the weather – most parks are open rain or shine. • Wear gloves to avoid rope burn. • Bring sunscreen, insect repellent, and a small pack for water, camera or car keys.
PARK AND DRIVING TIME FROM OTTAWA-GATINEAU Other parks in the region all have ziplines and areas for children. Some have courses open at night. Prices range from around $20 to $50 depending on your age and the activities included.
• Camp Fortune Aerial Experience, Chelsea, Que. (30 min.) • Laflèche Adventure near Val-des-Monts, Que. (40 min.) • Acrobranche Adventure, Rigaud, Que. (1.5 hrs) • Abraska Treetop Treeking, Rigaud, Que. (1.5 hrs) • Chutes Coulonge Park, Fort Coulonge, Que. (2 hrs)
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Four strokes for beginning canoe paddlers BY CRAIG MACARTNEY / PHOTOS BY REID MCLACHLAN
From shooting rapids to camping, or just relaxing on the water, canoeing is a top way to go on Canada’s waterways. Ottawa Outdoors’ Craig Macartney interviewed Becky Mason, a local canoeing instructor, to find out where novices should start. Ottawa Outdoors Magazine (OOM): What four strokes are essential for new canoeists? Becky Mason (BM): The crucial strokes are the draw, pry, forward stroke and back stroke. These strokes date back thousands of years to the first canoes. OOM: Could you describe them? BM: Place your grip hand on the
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“grip” (top of the paddle) and your other hand on the “shaft” just above the blade of the paddle. To “draw,” reach both arms away from your torso on one side of the canoe and pull the water towards you. With two paddlers, a draw turns the boat in a circle. To turn the opposite direction, “pry” by pushing or levering the water away from the canoe. Pull the canoe forward using a “forward stroke” by reaching forward and pulling the water back. Slow down or back up by reaching back and pushing the water forward – a “back stroke.” OOM: What stroke is most important? BM: There isn’t one stroke more important than the other. For beginners, the key is learning and combining these strokes. For example, a “J stroke” is a forward stroke with a pry afterwards. J strokes keep the canoe heading straight. Depending on where you’re aiming, you need different strokes. OOM: What tricks can beginners use to stay straight?
BM: The key is “trimming” your canoe. This means levelling the canoe in the water, with the bow (front) rising slightly. If your bow rides low, it plows though the water requiring more effort. If it rides too high, even light wind blows you off course. Keeping lighter paddlers up front and heavier paddlers in the stern (back) helps trim the canoe. If the bow still rides up, weigh it down with a jug of water or small pack. When solo canoeing, trim the canoe by weighing down the bow or kneeling halfway between the bow and stern. OOM: How important are lessons for first timers? BM: Mastering these four strokes definitely requires instruction. After that basic guidance, you can still learn to expand your scope of combinations. OOM: What are some common mistakes by beginners? www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
BM: Jumping in a canoe without assessing the conditions or your skill level is the biggest mistake commonly made. Calm, safe conditions are essential for
beginners. The most common mistake is paddling too quickly. Slow down and paddle in time with your partner. Together your strokes become more efficient, your canoe stabilizes and you move faster. OOM: How’s the best way to start? BM: Get all the required safety gear. This includes a life jacket for everyone on board, a whistle, a bailer, and a buoyant rope at least 15 metres long. At night, add a waterproof flashlight. If you don’t own a canoe, rent one. Rental outfits supply all the
safety equipment. Canoeing with others often adds to the adventure, so join a canoe club or get together with some canoeing buddies. The biggest key is educating yourself. Read a book, watch a DVD or take lessons. Lessons teach the basics quickly and efficiently, cut down on frustration and provide a safe environment for practise. ~ Becky Mason is a canoeing instructor, filmmaker and artist. Check her out at www.redcanoes.ca/. QUICK TIPS
• Pack water and sunscreen. • Tie all valuables to the canoe. Accidents happen at every skill level. • With two or more people, paddle on opposite sides of the canoe. • For more information on canoeing safety, check out Transport Canada’s Boating Safety Guide online or pick up a copy from Service Canada.
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Ottawa Outdoors writer receives award! Ottawa Outdoors regular contributor Kathleen Wilker received the prestigious 2010 Bruce Timmermans Award in May for her outstanding contribution to encouraging cycling in Ottawa. Wilker is a founding member of the Hintonburg Cycling Champions and has initiated cycling programs in her neighbourhood’s schools. Wilker’s Ottawa Outdoors articles on riding with children have inspired area cyclists to hit the trails or the roads with their families and enjoy all the great outdoors opportunities our region has to offer. Congratulations Kathleen!!! BOOK NOOK Sadly, the rich personal experiences of those who built and first worked North America’s oldest active canal have been all but lost to history. These fictional accounts, consistent with historical records, speak to a forgotten time when Irish, Scottish, American, French and English cultures converged and sometimes clashed. The stories attempt to revisit the lives of navvies, surveyors, builders, voyageurs, lockmasters and others who shaped a region’s not-so-distant past. Faced with perilous conditions, extreme weather and deadly disease, their humanity and fortitude were arguably as colourful and impressive as the waterway itself. Title: Rideau Whispers In Stone Author: Darren Jerome (writes under Craig McCue) Date of Publication: 2009 Price; $19.95 Number of Pages: 175 Publisher: Rusali Publishing Available in local bookstores, the Bytown Museum, and the Friends of the Rideau website: www.rideaufriends.com Contact author at: whispersinstone@gmail.com 12 ottawa
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Tarps to the rescue! BY CRAIG MACARTNEY Wet, tired, grumpy! Whether by bad planning or bad luck, camping or trekking can quickly turn nasty without a working tent. But with a tarp and some know-how, your disaster could revert back to being an adventure again. Improvised tents will impress your friends and avert calamity, so never underestimate the importance of a tarp – it may one day save your life. The first is the lean-to, and they’re easy to build. Just tie one side of your tarp between two trees a few feet up and secure the far side to the ground. To hold the lower edge down, tie the corners to large rocks or weight them down with smaller ones. Lean-tos provide shade during the day and some protection from wind and rain. If you have more time, adding walls to the lean-to greatly increases your protection. Spread your tarp on the ground with a tree half way along one edge. Tie the middle of that edge to the tree, a few feet up and secure all four corners to the ground. The raised entrance of your lean-to will be fairly small, limiting the elements’ assault. An A-frame shelter goes the leanto idea one better. It provides more protection, but over less space. Stretch a rope between two trees at about waist height. Hang your tarp over the rope and pull out both sides like a tent. Secure the edges to the ground as before. If you have no rope, don’t give up. Find a long, sturdy stick and rest one end firmly in the notch between a low branch and a tree trunk. Hang your tarp over the stick and stretch www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
PHOTO BY ROBERT PARK
out the sides. Rope or not, improvise by combining your tarp with whatever equipment you have. An upside down canoe always tilts to one side, so secure one edge of your tarp under the grounded side of an overturned canoe and stretch the other edge up and over the canoe’s bottom and open side. This shelter is small but effective. If you have no better shelter in a downpour, make a raincoat from a garbage bag, pack your feet into the bottom of your backpack for warmth and wait it out under a tree. That’s the How of improvisation. Here’s the Where. Avoid any low area where water may collect, and pay attention to weather and wind. The entrance to your shelter should face away from wind and rain. This is especially important in strong winds, where your tarp could catch wind like a sail and destroy your shelter. Small is beautiful, and efficient. Smaller shelters provide better protection; retain more heat, catch less wind, leak less, and are easier to build. If possible, fold the bottom of your tarp beneath you as a groundsheet to keep you dry. Make a bedding between you and the cold ground. Evergreen branches make excellent bedding, but cut live branches only in survival situations.
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How to use a rescue signal mirror BY ALLEN MACARTNEY Emergency signal mirrors. At one time it seemed almost magic to me how adept outdoors people were able to direct a bright flash from the sun directly at rescuers. How did they do that? All my attempts ended in failure. No matter how carefully I aimed, the mirror’s flash always missed the target. But it’s a learnable skill. Everyone who goes into the wilds – canoeing, backpacking, sailing or fishing – needs to know how to signal rescuers if things go wrong. Trouble can happen suddenly, without warning: the canoe overturns and you lose your gear, the outboard motor quits while you’re fishing in a far-off bay, or the car engine dies on a remote country road. Knowing how to use a signal mirror increases anyone’s safety margin and boosts confidence in a tight spot. Easy signalling with a mirror needs only one thing – bright sunlight. And it can also work under a full moon if the sky is clear. Almost any reflective material can work: a cosmetic mirror, a polished knife blade, a tin can lid. There are also professional signal mirrors costing about $10 at outdoor stores, though few people pack them and could regret their neglect should trouble strike. Under ideal conditions a signal mirror can be seen more than 30 kilometres away. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
SIGNALLING ABCS So how do you use it? If you’re lucky enough to have a professional quality signal mirror, use the builtin sighting aperture. It looks like an insect screen built into a seethrough hole in the mirror. Raise the mirror to your eye, point it in the general direction of the sun, and direct the sun’s reflection onto the ground near your feet. Next, locate the circular glare from the sun on the mirror s sighting aperture. Then by tilting the mirror, place that glare directly over your signalling target – a rescue aircraft, other hikers or a boat. Learning takes about 10 seconds. That’s all. If you don’t have a professional quality signal mirror when you need it, use anything shiny. Simply face in the general direction of the sun, hold a shiny object like a polished metal can or mirror up to just below your eye, and extend your other arm out straight, pointing a finger directly at the rescue aircraft or ship. Then play the sun’s reflection over your pointing finger. The sun’s reflection will extend from your pointing finger directly at your target.
Some people prefer to form a “V” with their fingers, and place the rescue target at the bottom of the “V.” Continue playing the reflection slowly over your pointing fingers or “V” until the rescuers see you. GOOD ADVICE There’s a recognized international distress signal, a triple flash, so should you try to use it? I wouldn’t. A signal mirror is not a precision signalling device. Just continue flashing until someone sees you and turns in your direction. Practise signalling with a mirror before you need it. It’s a great activity to do with friends for fun. When you’re lost and frightened is a bad time to try to learn. Be careful. The sun’s glare from a signal mirror is bright enough to damage the human eye. Never practise your signalling technique on airplanes, passing cars or people who don’t know exactly what and why you are doing it. That’s not only dangerous, but illegal. A signal mirror fits easily into a pack. Don’t leave for the woods without one.
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What’s in your survival pack? BY ALLEN MACARTNEY
week-long canoe trip, etc., keyed to summer or winter conditions. What’s inside the survival pack depends on where you’re going and how long you might need it. Then it’s a matter of choice – what to include, what to leave at home. Start by leaving behind the gourmet chocolate, bags of nuts, and other comfort foods that attract mice, but play no role in most survival situations. Then think about what you’re planning for. Most “survival” situations are really just discomfort situations, lasting several hours
or one or two days. You can get turned around easily on a hiking trail, or have to sit out the night in your car during a snow storm on a rural road. Usually, survival is not an issue unless a serious injury occurs. Maintaining comfort and controlling stress become the short-term challenge. So focus on the three most important survival needs: shelter, water and fire (warmth). Food is the least important item except for the emotional boost it might give you. Most healthy people can last weeks without food, like the woman in her seven-week ordeal. Skip the chocolate and tuck a can of sardines into your pack instead. That’ll provide many calories if you really need them, and it won’t get raided for a casual snack.
PHOTO BY BEAU LEBENS
Months ago a husband and wife disappeared on a long trip in their van. A far-ranging search came up with no sign of them. Then, seven weeks after they first went missing, the woman was found alive in the vehicle. The couple had taken an isolated road into the forest, then got stuck in snow. Her husband died trying to walk out. Miraculously, the woman survived on scraps found in the van. There’s a lesson here. Canada’s weather can be unforgiving. So outdoors ambitions need to be matched with survival packs, plural – a lightweight one for cycling or day hikes, and at least one other kit for longer treks. Each should focus on a specific outing: car, day hike,
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A car kit for summer can fit in an inexpensive backpack and should include flares, lighter and matches, fleece blanket, space blanket, knife, cellphone, jumper cables, two large orange garbage bags, whistle, hand warmers, a small first aid kit, a candle stub for warmth and to lift your spirits, and a water bottle for each person. Include a can of nuts in case you need longerterm sustenance. In winter, add a collapsible snow shovel, toque/ gloves/boots, extra clothes and a sleeping bag – one for every two people. Some survival experts suggest adding a bear banger – a small explosive device on sale at outdoor stores for bear country. It looks a bit like a hollow pen, loaded with a small charge. If a bear drops in for a visit, you fire it into the air, and “BANG!�- the bear takes off. As well, think about a flashlight, folding saw, hiking stove and fuel, a first aid manual, tire chains, latex gloves and a mini-tent. But even a more modest kit will get most of us through the stressful hours until rescue arrives. For cycling and day canoe trips all my survival gear fits into a small fanny pack: matches, lighter, headache pills, fire starter, whistle, knife, two large rolled plastic bags, stubby candle and water bottle. And if you discover too late that you don’t have enough gear in a survival situation, it’s time to improvise. You’d be surprised what you’d find in a car or canoe, like that full-body PFD for warmth. A survival kit, even a little one, will make you feel more confident in the woods. And if things go wrong, you’ll be calmer and better prepared to deal with the unexpected. ~ Allen Macartney is planning a 2,000-kilometre solo canoe trip in the Arctic. He’s been lost in the woods several times. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
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ottawa outdoors 17
A bike ride to remember BY SHEILA ASCROFT There weren’t many cyclists at the Picton Fairgrounds for the first Kiwanis fall Colour Cribbage Ride back in 2002. Maybe a dozen of us left for the 100-kilometre route, and about 40 set out later on the 60k version. As Bill Miramontes of the local Kiwanis Club recalls, “it rained something terrible.” It was also a chilly 6º C. I had never cycled in the rain before – oh, I’d been caught in the rain of course, but never deliberately started a ride in the rain. A hard rain at that. And a long ride through unfamiliar territory in Prince Edward County. But I wasn’t alone. Well, I was – kind of – but the other cyclists doing the same route were not in view any more. I was behind the fast riders and ahead of the ones cycling the shorter route. So I climbed McCauley Mountain by myself in a heavy rain on an early Saturday morning in October. It rained so hard that the drops hammered through my helmet vents. The hill to Lake on the Mountain was a steep surprise for this Ottawa rider. I had to unzip my rain jacket to let out the steam. At Cressy checkpoint, volunteers Don and Pat Stanton proffered granola bars and encouraging words. Southwest toward Waupoos, the rain let up but a headwind took its place. It was a great ride! 18 ottawa
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The stormy “seas” of Lake Ontario were eye-candy to this landlubber enjoying the camaraderie of strangers converted to friends by sharing a fine route on two wheels. But it was the volunteers who make this ride special. They stood uncomplaining for hours in a rain to succor a few cyclists as we wended our way around the county. At the Sandbanks checkpoint, Ed Krause of Ideal Bike Shop handed out
homemade peanut butter and jam sandwiches to starving riders. It’s now his signature checkpoint treat. Although the sun finally peeked through on the way to Bloomfield, the hot apple cider (thanks K.T. Misner, Bloomfield Bike Shop) warmed our bodies and spirits for the short trek back to Picton. (There are other volunteers who returned annually but I recall only their conviction that finishing was indeed possible, not their names.) Thankfully, there were sweep riders so I didn’t have to ride alone for the last 20 kilometres. Sweet. Lunch that first year was served
in Picton’s historic Crystal Palace. We felt like VIPs despite our muddy clothes. And then the infamous cribbage match, door prizes and a swag bag of local produce including apples and a pumpkin, and a chunk of Black River cheese. The ride has grown since then. In 2007, the route was altered with fewer hills, more vineyards, but the volunteers and locals along the route made it as enjoyable as ever. Last year, new roads were incorporated to make the route “vistafresh” for repeat riders and the 60 kilometre was cut to 50. There are still some rolling hills though. If the weather is good, the sun makes the fall trees dazzle with colour. The lunch, now served at the Masonic Hall in Picton, is still worth the time in the saddle. This ride isn’t about being fast or proving you’re better than someone else, it is about a joyride in the county – and for a good cause. Registration fees $45 for adults, $25 for students or children, $5 discount if you register ahead of time – support the Kiwanis’ Terrific Kids project in local schools, Sleeping Children Around the World for children in poor countries, graduation awards for high school students, and local soccer fields and teams. The next KCCR takes place on Saturday, Oct. 1. For more details: www.torontocyclist.com/bbc/kccr/ faq.html www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
PHOTO BY SHEILA ASCROFT
Kiwanis Colour Cribbage Ride worth repeating
(819) 459-1838 / www.wakefieldmill.com
South March Highlands a thrill for mountain bikers of any skill BY TONY HOGEVEEN PHOTOS BY DAVID NESBITT
Rock and root, wood and meadow, lake and stream, the South March Highlands are a rugged landscape on top of a Canadian Shield foundation. It’s beautiful and rare and it will steal your heart when first you set foot and wheels in it. It can challenge, and yes, frustrate you, but once you’ve been there, you wouldn’t have it any other way. The highlands, on the outer edge of Kanata, are a designated conservation area – everygreen and deciduous forest, marshes and beaver ponds – on land owned by the City of Ottawa. The Ottawa Mountain Bike Association has maintained the trail system here for years while working with the City to make the club the official steward of the highlands and its trails. It has something for everyone: from beginners who want to enjoy great rides and hone their skills, to advanced technical riders who want 20 ottawa
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to challenge their abilities. The trails are arranged in a “stacked loop” system – the easier trails are near the trailhead, and get progressively more difficult the further in you go.
To get there, take March Road north from the 417 to Klondike Road, and turn west to where Klondike ends at Second Line Road. That’s “K2,” the main trailhead.
Here’s a description of the trail system. You can follow along on the map. Bearclaw is technically an easy trail, but has its challenges – flat, with plenty of rocky twists and turns. Rockhopper Jr. is easy, short, and rocky, passing through grassy areas and connecting to the start of Fast Out. Fast Out has a fast, smooth, easy nature, with the exception of 30 metres of rough rock armour at its centre. Keep pedalling to maintain your speed and momentum, and you’ll blast through in no time. M-Line is fast and smooth with a few smallish features that are a perfect practice area for beginners and fun for more advanced riders to cruise up and over. Near the end of M-Line is a tough rocky descent and climb just before it connects back onto Fast Out. Rockhopper Extension is a fast smooth descent with one little rock bridge and rooty area – a great trail for beginners. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
FBOT or “outer thigh” is an easy to intermediate trail with three wooden bridges and the feature known as Deerdrop. There are pines here more than three feet thick. FBIT or “inner thigh” is easy to intermediate with short wood bridges, rock armour, and features A-Frame, Eye Opener, and Confederation Bridge. (As you may have guessed, FBIT and FBOT are too raunchy to be spelled out in a family-reading magazine.) Rockhopper is flat, but a challenge due to its very rocky nature. Don’t miss the view of the pond on its western edge. A great spot to take a break. PWT, or Pete’s Wicked Trail is long and technical with good climbs and descents. It ends at Inuksuk, a landmark which is the starting point for Outback.
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Ridgetop is very technical and requires significant skill with lots of quick up and down sections. Both Ridgetop and Outback are worth the visit even if you are a beginner and sometimes have to walk your bike. The views along these trails are not
to be missed, including a lookout on top of a rocky cliff with a large pond below. Outback is described by riders with the skill to ride its length as “relentless.” Bring your “A” game and a ton of cardio as Outback is the longest and most constantly technical trail in the Highlands. Pasture is a long but fairly easy trail, great for beginner riders who want to extend their ride. There are wet areas in the early spring and fall. With so much to choose from, this is the “not to be missed” mountain biking destination in Ottawa. ~ Tony Hogeveen is a member of the Ottawa Mountain Bike Association. The club hosts weekly rides in the highlands open to all skill levels. More info at www.ottawamba.org.
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TOP 10 MASSAGE TIPS 1. The person being massaged should be as comfortable and relaxed as possible. 2. Use essential oils. 3. Light candles â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more relaxing so more pleasant. 4. Keep the room at a comfortable temperature. 5. Start with the back. The massage experience tends to be best when you start by massaging up and down the back. 6. Vary your massage strokes. Begin with up and down strokes on the back, then move on to a circular motion, using larger circles near the top of the back and smaller circles near the lower back and hips. 7. Vary the pressure and speed for truly great results. 8. Afterwards, the massagee should try to remain relaxed and take deep breaths. 9. Drinking plenty of water afterwards to help remove toxins. 10. Consider a relaxing bath at the end of the massage.
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Graduation day on the lower Petawawa River BY KEVIN CALLAN PHOTOS BY PAUL CHIVERS
All aboard nature’s rollercoaster
DON’T TRIFLE with the Petawawa River. The ferocity of the lower Petawawa is the stuff of legend on Algonquin Park’s only major whitewater canoe route. Dave, Peter, Scott and I cut our whitewater teeth on lesser rivers before we felt our skills were sufficient for the river the Algonkian tribe called “a noise heard from far away.” The Petawawa originates in the western reaches of the 7,725 square-kilometres that is majestic Algonquin Park. The renowned lower stretch separating Cedar and McManus Lakes by about a week’s paddle boasts the most intimidating whitewater on the river. As intermediate paddlers, our group elects to limit ourselves to the shorter route between Lake Traverse and McManus Lake. The 24 ottawa
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car shuttle is less time-consuming, the rapids are less technical, and most portages can be avoided with moderate whitewater experience. Beware the river in the spring, however, when it’s gorged with Algonquin’s abundant snowmelt – the water may bring to bear too much volume and speed to be safe. And it’s cold until mid-May. At the Lake Traverse put-in, we take advantage of the frothy water
at the base of the rapids to practise our paddle strokes. Most whitewater enthusiasts find the 90-minute flatwater trip across the expanse of Lake Traverse a bit monotonous. It has every bit of the splendour of an Algonquin postcard, but all we can think about are the hammering rapids ahead of us. We finally see where Traverse narrows and the flat water is pinched between the steepsided, V-shaped valley. The water slides faster under our craft as we approach the first run at Big Thompson Rapids, but it’s rather anti-climactic. Some years the water level is low during the summer and autumn from lack of rain. We lift the canoe around the first drop and walk ahead with the gear to scout the lower portion of the rapid. Convinced we can take the canoe through, we return to our craft to www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
find a pair of paddlers dressed to the hilt in purple PFDs, blaze-orange dry suits and metallic helmets. They stand high atop a rock, pointing and planning their route through the churning water below. INTO THE FAST WATER Uneasy with an audience on our first run, Scott and I push off and back ferry across to the opposite bank. We eddy in behind a boulder, twist around, shoot down a narrow channel and sideslip to the right, just missing the bottom ledge by half a paddle length. We shout urgent, terse commands as Scott pries with his paddle at the bow and I brace mine in to shift the canoe sideways. The teamwork pays off as we’re spit out the far end right side up. The two canoeists in the other party aren’t as successful. They bounce down the centre of the run like a steel ball launched in a pinball machine. By the time they reach calmer water beyond the rapid, they’re in the drink and gripping the gunwales of their overturned canoe. Their weekend has officially begun. About five minutes downstream, our foursome disembarks once again to survey Little Thompson
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Rapids and carry our packs over the steep, 165-metre portage to the left. Since we walk alongside the larger rapids to scope out our route anyway, we take the packs with us and leave the canoes behind. It makes it easier if we do capsize because our equipment doesn’t need to be rescued. And an empty canoe has more buoyancy, which can help when the river is squeezed into a raging torrent. The low water level works against us at Little Thompson, too, so we attach lining ropes to the bow and stern and walk the canoe down the left bank like a dog on a leash. Below the Thompson Rapid series, the current slows down for about six kilometres, interrupted only by a small swift and the level one Grillade Rapids. Both areas are easily run, but they do have portages of 130 metres and 425 metres marked to the right. Soon, the Crooked Chute appears to tear down the confidence we’ve slowly been building. It’s a dangerous piece of work regardless of the water level. There’s a boneyard of battered canoes scattered at its base that attests to its cranky character. Paddlers without a great deal of whitewater acumen should watch for the take-out marking the 1,580-metre
portage on the right bank. Skilled canoeists have the option to paddle through the upper stretch and use a second take-out 400 metres downstream, or even a third take-out at a campsite just prior to the chute itself. Don’t shoot the chute. Once you’re on the trail, the remaining 600 metres splits soon after the campsite. The main trail is to the right, and leads away from the river up a steep knoll. Our foursome is planning to stay near the base of Crooked Chute at the old ranger’s cabin, built in the early 1920s and probably the oldest cabin left standing in the park. Somehow, the metallic helmet fanatics beat us to it. All the other campsites at Crooked Chute are occupied as well, so we head downstream and run a short swift
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with a 120-metre portage marked to the right. Tired and sore, we pitch our tents at an inferior campsite near the take-out for Rollway Rapids. This is one of the most technical rapids on the river, and the low water levels make the run a shallow, sloppy mess littered with unseen rocks. We decide to carry the canoes through the 840-metre portage before dinner. There is still enough evening light to search for the side-trail that leads to the Blair Fraser memorial. The bronze cross set into cement commemorates the journalist and member of “the Voyageurs” who drowned here during a springtime trip in 1968 when he missed the landing and capsized. The Ottawa press corps coined the group’s name after well-known paddler, Eric Morse, founded it in 1951. Fraser’s comrades on his ill-fated journey, which included former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, erected the cross in his memory. BILL MASON’S FAVOURITE SPOTS With Rollway at our backs next morning, we come to a double set of rapids called the Natch. Both sections have portages of 275 metres and 250 metres marked on the left bank; the first one is more rugged. The campsite close to the take-out of the first portage was a favorite filming location of the late Bill Mason. The artist, canoeist, and filmmaker banked lots of footage at the Natch for his contributions to the National Film Board. And it was here, under the overhanging cedars opposite the impressive cliff, that Mason’s cover photograph for Song of the Paddle was taken by his son, Paul. Mason’s first book of the series, Path of the Paddle, provides a horrific account of an accidental drowning on the Petawawa: 26 ottawa
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“As I was scooping a pail of water from the river I looked up and saw a bright orange object at the base of the rapids. I groaned aloud and said to Ken (his cameraman), ‘There’s a packsack out there that some poor guy’s lost. I better go out and get it before it sinks.’ As I neared the object, my heart nearly stopped. The orange packsack took on the shape of a life jacket and the purple shape within it became a man’s face. For a split second, all the energy drained out of me.” Mason and some new arrivals at the scene spent hours trying to revive him. He recounts the ghastly story to emphasize proper landing procedures at a portage at the top of a rapid. Drowning can occur when paddlers try to avoid running the rapids by pulling up bow-first at the portage. When the stern swings out hard into the current, the rear paddler can lose his balance and dump into the cold water. The river quickly sweeps the victim into the centre and the avalanche of whitewater below sucks them under. Our fate, however, is much more fortuitous—downstream from the Natch is pure bliss! Even where the water appears flat, it is slowly and surely propelling us toward the finish. A four-kilometre section of flat water features two small swifts, the first with a 135-metre portage to the right and the second with a 160-metre portage to the left. Next is Schooner Rapids and Five Mile Rapids. Schooner has two portages of 2,305 metres and 1,400 metres on the left bank separated by a calm section just past a bridge and under a hydro line. The Five Mile Rapids portage of 3,400 metres is on the right, with the put-in on the southwest end of Coveo Lake. Not to worry—the lengthy portage trails are used most by hardy canoeists who shirk convention by making
their way up-river. The beauty of this eightkilometre stretch of whitewater and occasional swifts is the level one and two rating over the entire section; they are easily negotiated during both high and low water conditions. During low-water years, however, some sections may come to resemble rock gardens and force paddlers to become waders. It is generally known that large portions of the Petawawa can be unforgiving, so we are amazed to meet people on the river who are canoeing novices. It quickly becomes apparent they are taking on too much too fast. Our most memorable encounter with neophyte paddlers occurred during our second evening on the river. Settled in at the first site marked along the Five Mile portage just before dusk, four bedraggled canoeists strolled into our camp. They had misjudged the ominous haystack waves during the first 300 metres of the rapid. All four were catapulted from their 17-foot aluminum Gruman canoe. While they were still airborne, a pile of jagged, widow-maker rocks punched holes through the aluminum like cannonballs. When they found us, they had left their canoe for dead and were sharing a bottle of dark rum on their walk back to the nearest road about 10 kilometres downstream. Dave, who is a veritable duct tape artist, helped repair their smashed canoe and we offered them room to pitch their tents. Come morning, our neighbors were still in high spirits as they set out in the wallowing Gruman. Much of our last day on the river is spent wading in the cold river. Overnight, the water level dropped to almost drought conditions and we’re forced to haul our craft along grassy banks and over gravel riffles where rapids should be. Eventually, www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
the river empties into Whitson Lake, where the Petawawa’s northern rugged charm is softened by stands of silver maple and basswood, which are usually more at home further south. We paddle south through Smith Lake and McManus Lake and easily run the two swifts on the way. We ignore the first 500-metre portage marked to the left and the second 90-metre portage to the right. By mid-afternoon, we reach the take-out at the southwestern end of McManus Lake. By the time we returned from Lake Traverse with the second vehicle, we are treated to a final spectacle. It’s the “the fab four” heading down McManus Lake in their leaky aluminum canoe, filled with humility now, rather than the juice of the sugar cane. ~ Kevin Callan has paddled many of the wild rivers in Ontario and Quebec. Look for his books everywhere you shop. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
GETTING THERE The Lake Traverse to McManus Lake route works nicely into a three-day weekend. Before putting in at Lake Traverse, you must first drive a second vehicle to the route’s end. From Highway 17, turn left on County Road 26, about nine kilometres west of Pembroke. Proceed 300 metres and take the first right at the Achray Road. Proceed 26 kilometres to Sand Lake Gate at the park boundary. After you pick up your interior camping permit, continue along the north road for 6.4 kilometres and turn right onto the McManus Access Road. Drive a good eight kilometres down the bumpy, dirt road and leave your pick-up vehicle in the designated parking lot. Now head back to Achray Road and to the access point by turning right and driving 47 kilometres to the Algonquin Radio Observatory area. Soon after passing the observatory gate, turn right onto the side-road that leads to Lake Traverse. The put-in is downstream from an iron bridge, directly below Poplar Rapids. TIME: 3 to 4 days DIFFICULTY: Most rapids can be run, but whitewater paddling and river tripping experience is mandatory—check water levels before heading out. PORTAGES: 15 LONGEST PORTAGE: 3,400 metres (but unnecessary because the rapid is easily negotiated).
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OUTDOOR GEAR MSR Alpine™ Deluxe Kitchen Kit – $54.95 This new, comprehensive set of cooking tools makes gourmet cooking in the woods that much easier. Includes smart innovations like a combination pot strainer/cheese grater, moistureresistant salt and pepper shaker, folding cutting board, stainless steel Utility Knife and more. Look for it where MSR products are sold.
Grandpa´s FireFork – $7.99 Grandpa’s FireFork is destined to become a modern classic. It’s compact so you can travel anywhere with it – backpacking, camping or wherever! Use it to grill marshmallows and hot dogs or just about anything else you can come up with. Attaches firmly to practically any stick; no need to cut fresh branches. Also makes a great fire-poker. Comes with a classic Light My Fire safety cap for easy and secure storage. Made of stainless steel wire to last and last. Available in red, yellow, blue, green, orange or assorted colours. Look for it at Trailhead.
Spork Outdoor Eating Utensil – $2.99 This spoon-fork-knife combo brings a bit of civilization to the wild and a bit of the wild to civilization. The Spork is perfect for your backpack, boat, picnic basket, lunchbox, purse or briefcase. Look for it at Trailhead.
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SealLine E-case – $19.95 - $29.95 Touch, Talk and Listen™ while keeping electronics protected from the elements, even when dropped in water. These waterproof cases are made with tough urethane windows that are soft enough to let the user easily navigate touch- and button-based interfaces. Look for it at www.cascadedesigns.com/.
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Trekker – $119.95 Based on the incredibly successful NeoAir mattress, the new NeoAir Trekker offers unbeatable comfort in lightweight mattress with extra durable fabrics. Patent-pending Triangular Core Matrix technology provides twice the warmth of other uninsulated air mattress and unmatched stability for a super comfortable sleep in the woods. Look for it where Therm-a-Rest products are sold.
Light My Fire’s Swedish Firesteel – $16.99 Originally developed for the Swedish Department of Defense, Swedish FireSteel is a flash of genius. Its 3,000°C spark makes fire building easy in any weather, at any altitude. Used by a number of armies around the world, Swedish FireSteel’s dependability has already made it a favorite of survival experts and campers. It has also found its way into cabins and backyards as a fool-proof way to light stoves and gas-barbecues. Look for it at www.gear-up.com/.
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HEALTHY LIFESTYLES Platypus Origin 22 – $139.95 A true all-rounder pack perfect for fast-packing overnights or a day at the crags, the new Origin 22 features 22 litres of weatherproof gear storage with three additional litres of hydration storage. Features include premium 2.0 Platypus Big Zip Reservoir, multiple tube-routing options, ice axe loop, multiple stash pockets and a removable rear panel compression pocket for going ultralight. Look for it at www.cascadedesigns.com/.
MSR Flex 4 System – $159.95 This compact, nesting pot system provides all the pots, plates and must you need for a group of four. Colour-coded insulated mugs and deep dish plates allow each camper to keep track of their own. Look for it where MSR products are sold.
PlatyPreserve Wine Storage and Preservation System – $9.95 - $29.95 (4-pack) No need to bring bag-quality wine when you can pour your expensive bottles into this re-usable, flexible bottle that preserves the contents for weeks. Look for it at www.cascadedesigns.com/.
Therm-a-Rest Alpine Down Blanket – $239.95 Sleeping bags can be stuffy and uncomfortable. The Alpine Down Blanket allows unrestricted freedom of movement in a zipper-free design to let campers sleep like they do at home. The ultralight 3-season blanket is filled with highly compressible, box-baffled 700-fill goose down. Look for it at www.cascadedesigns.com/.
MSR Holler Tent – $399.95 Lightweight tents usually require a space compromise. Enter the new MSR Hoop and Holler tents— lightweight tents that are specifically designed to easily accommodate two large Therm-a-Rest mattresses. Tall folks and those who appreciate a little extra space rejoice! Look for it where MSR products are sold. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
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COMMUNITIES
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Town of Petawawa
ON Town Petawawa, of Petawawa
613.687.5536 Petawawa, ON
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Bonnechere Caves
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Chutes Coulonge Aerial Park and Chutes Coulonge Aerial Fort Coulonge, QCPark and819.683.2770 Fort Coulonge, QC chutescoulonge.qc.ca 819.683.2770 Logging Interpretation Centre Logging Interpretation Centre
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Ross Museum
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DINING
DINING
Charlie D’ s
Barry’ Charlie D’ s s Bay, ON
So many things to experience in the Ottawa Valley
No matter where you go in the Ottawa BED & BREAKFASTS & BED & BREAKFASTS & Valley, there is always Portage Place Bed & Breakfast Portage Petawawa, bbcanada.com/8535.html Go to sleep to the lullaby of theGo rapids. Place BedON & Breakfast 613.687.2053 Petawawa, ON 613.687.2053 bbcanada.com/8535.html to sleep to the lullaby of the rapids. something going on. Overlooking the magnificent Ottawa River, minutes from Overlooking the magnificent Ottawa River, minutes from Vieux Moulin B&B QC 888.648.5422 augiteduvieuxmoulin.com Vieux Bryson, Moulin B&B Bryson, QC 888.648.5422 augiteduvieuxmoulin.com Renfrew. Renfrew. Fairs, carnivals and Wingle Inn Palmer 866.339.9909 A little piece of heaven on earth. Wingle Inn Rapids, ON Palmer Rapids, ON wingleinn.com 866.339.9909 wingleinn.com A little piece of heaven on earth. festivals play host CAMPGROUNDS & COTTAGES CAMPGROUNDS & COTTAGES to midways, rodeos, Sandy beach, hiking trails, cabins, canoe rentals, kids Sandy beach, hiking trails, cabins, canoe rentals, kids Bonnechere Provincial Park Killaloe, ON 613.757.2103 bonnecherepark.on.ca Bonnechere Provincial Park Killaloe, ON 613.757.2103 bonnecherepark.on.ca programs, playground. programs, playground. livestock competitions, On site trails, mountain biking,On lake sports, and biking, lake sports, fishing and site trails,fishing mountain Opeongo Mountain Resort Eganville, ON Resort 800.565.9623 omresort.ca Opeongo Mountain Eganville, ON 800.565.9623 omresort.ca more. more. as well as local culture BY MELISSA MARQUARDT Yurts and cottage rentals nestled in the peaceful and Yurts and cottage rentals nestled in talent. the peaceful and Red Wolf Retreat Eganville, 613.754.5241 redwolfretreat.ca and international Red Wolf RetreatON Eganville, ON 613.754.5241 redwolfretreat.ca relaxing Opeongo Hills. relaxing Opeongo Hills. Bark Lake, boat rentals, fishing,Bark indoor saltwater pool/ fishing, I loveSunny summer. I especiallyBarry’ love This year’s Pembroke Lake, boat rentals, indoor saltwater pool/ Hill Resort s Bay, ON 800.494.6883 sunnyhillresort.com Sunny Hill Resort Barry’s Bay, ON 800.494.6883 sunnyhillresort.com hot tub hot tub summer in the Ottawa Valley. Waterfront Festival (Aug. HOTELS & MOTELS HOTELS & MOTELS There are the obvious reasons – ON 4-6) will hosting Side Relax in comfort while enjoyingRelax the Ottawa Valley’ sbe in comfort while enjoying the Ottawa Valley’ s Pembroke Comfort Inn Pembroke, 877.289.9008 pembrokecomfortinn.ca Pembroke Comfort Inn Pembroke, ON 877.289.9008 pembrokecomfortinn.ca adventure playground. adventure playground. warm weather, camp fires, paddling and Winder, Ashley MacIsaac Enjoy a weekend of fun and relaxation in one of of ourfun newly Enjoy a weekend and relaxation in one of our newly Petawawa River Inn & Suites Petawawa Petawawa,Inn ON& Suites 800.573.9775 petawawariverinnandsuites.ca Petawawa, ON 800.573.9775 petawawariverinnandsuites.ca renovated suites ! suitesBand. ! fishing – but also because that’sRiver when Campgrounds, lodges and resorts and the Samrenovated Roberts LODGES & RESORTS LODGES & RESORTS the Valley really comes alive. are bustling. Streets and parks are filled One of my favourite things to do, Jocko’ s Beach Resort Calabogie, ON 866.376.6285 jockosbeach.com Stay and play on the shore of Calabogie Lake.on the shore of Calabogie Lake. Jocko’ s Beach Resort Calabogie, ON 866.376.6285 jockosbeach.com Stay and play When spring arrives in the Valley, with visitors. Museums and galleries On site trails,and which has nowfishing become a family mountain biking,On lake sports, and biking, lake sports, fishing and site trails, mountain Opeongo Mountain Resort Eganville, ON Resort 800.565.9623 ON omresort.ca 800.565.9623 omresort.ca more. there is an energy, some Opeongo wouldMountain say areEganville, busy giving tours. Shoppers flock tradition, is more. seeing a production by excitement, that starts to build. By the to quaint villages in search of unique the Valley’s own Stone Fence Theatre. time summer gets here that energy has souvenirs. Boaters and fishermen hit the This Ottawa Valley-style dinner spread over the entire region. Kids are water. Hikers hit the trails exploring new theatre, which runs mid-week during bouncing around hardly able to decide territory. And sometimes a garage sale the summer and on weekends in what to do first, and mom and dad are causes a traffic jam on a quiet country the fall, plays tribute to the history eagerly finalizing family vacation plans. road. and settlement of the area through 30 ottawa
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613.756.7162 Barry’s Bay, ON
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Enjoy our Slickers ice cream, chip truck, charlieds.com Enjoy ourmovies Slickersand ice Wi-Fi. cream, chip truck, movies and Wi-Fi.
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COMMUNIT
COMMUNITIES
Town of Petawawa
Petawawa, ON
613.687.5536
petawawa.ca
Gateway to Algonquin Park
Town of Petaw
Town of Renfrew
Renfrew, ON
613.432.5813
town.renfrew.on.ca
Your shopping destination in the Ottawa Valley!
Town of Renfre
Oiseau Rock Hiking Trail
Sheenboro, QC
800.665.5127
pontiactourism.com
5km trail to the top of history-rich Oiseau Rock
Oiseau Rock Hi
Opeongo Mountain Resort
Eganville, ON
800.565.9623
omresort.ca
On site trails, mountain biking, lake sports, fishing and more.
Opeongo Moun
Renfrew County ATV Club
Pembroke, ON
613.735.8882
renfrewcountyatv.ca
Explore a 600km network of trails over classic Canadian shield.
Renfrew Count
Barry’s Bay, ON
888.652.5268
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Whitewater kayak and canoe school and family rafting trips.
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OUTFITTERS
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WHITEWATE
WHITEWATER ADVENTURES
Madawaska Kanu Centre
OWL Rafting on the Ottawa River
Foresters Falls, ON
800.461.7238
PADDLING S
PADDLING SCHOOLS
Madawaska Kanu Centre
Barry’s Bay, ON
888.652.5268
ATTRACTION
ATTRACTIONS
Bonnechere Caves
Eganville, ON
Chutes Coulonge Aerial Park and Logging Interpretation Centre
Fort Coulonge, QC
Hugli’ s Blueberry Ranch, ce Cream & Gift Store
Pembroke, ON
Guided tours Sheenboro, QC for all ages!
Renfrew Swinging Bridge
bonnecherecaves.com
Our guided tours are suitable for all ages.
Bonnechere Ca
819.683.2770
chutescoulonge.qc.ca
Experience history, culture and adventure in the great outdoors!
Chutes Coulong Logging Interp
613.638.1288
blueberryranch.ca
Pick your own blueberries. Family fun grows here!
Hugli’ s Blueb Ice Cream & G
800.469.2283
800.665.5127
pontiactourism.com
5km trail to the top of history-rich Oiseau Rock
Oiseau Rock Hi
Foresters Falls, ON
613.646.2622
rossmuseum.ca
Bring your family back in time to the Ross Museum!
Ross Museum
Renfrew, ON
613.432.5813
town.renfrew.on.ca
Visit the only swinging bridge in Ontario!
Renfrew Swing
Deep River, ON
613.584.4483
valleyartisans.com
A unique selection of locally handcrafted art and gifts.
Renfrew, ON
888.275.3838
dragonflygolf.com
The Valley’ s best kep secret!
Dragonfly Golf
Experience value. Experience service. Experience Whitetail.
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Oiseau Rock Hiking Trail
Ross Museum
Open until
ANTIQUES A
ANTIQUES AND GALLERIES Thanksgiving.
Valley Artisans’Co-op
Whitetail Golf Club
Eganville, ON
1-800-469-2283
800.280.2179
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SPECIAL EVE
SPECIAL EVENTS
www.bonnecherecaves.com Various locations,
Rural Ramble (Sept. & Oct.)
Valley Artisans’
GOLF COUR
GOLF COURSES
Dragonfly Golf Links
Madawaska Ka
ON & QC
DINING
800.757.6580
traditional step-dancing and fiddling. s Bay, ON The talent is Barry’ fantastic and the613.756.7162 food is BED & BREAKFASTS & home-cooked comfort! Portage Place Bed & Breakfast Petawawa, ON 613.687.2053 Speaking of food, summer also Vieux Moulin B&B Bryson, QC 888.648.5422 marks the start of farmers’ market Wingle Inn Palmer Rapids, ON 866.339.9909 season where organic and fresh berries, CAMPGROUNDS & COTTAGES veggies, meat, and herbs and spices Bonnechere Provincial Park Killaloe, ON 613.757.2103 abound. From Arnprior to Petawawa, Opeongo Mountain Resort ON and Pembroke 800.565.9623 to Calabogie toEganville, Renfrew Combermere, eachONcommunity host a Red Wolf Retreat Eganville, 613.754.5241 market featuring local producers and Sunny Hill Resort Barry’s Bay, ON 800.494.6883 artisans. When the harvest draws to an HOTELS & MOTELS end, producers from across the Valley Pembroke Comfort Inn Pembroke, ON 877.289.9008 can be found at one or all of the Taste of Petawawa River Inn & Suites Petawawa, ON 800.573.9775 the Valley events held in September and LODGES & RESORTS October. Pack your cooler and come Jocko’ s Beach Resort Calabogie, ON 866.376.6285 early! Producers have been known to Opeongo Mountain Resort Eganville, ON 800.565.9623 sell out before the day is over. Of course, summer in the Ottawa Valley would not be complete without taking advantage of some of the endless outdoor opportunities. Hiking and cycling, paddling and whitewater rafting, atving, golfing, fishing, nature viewing.
Charlie D’ s
www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
ottawavalley.travel
4 great themes, 3 exciting weekends, 2 diverse provinces, 1 extraordinary Ottawa Valley!
Rural Ramble (S
DINING Well, I think you get the picture. Charlie D’ s Enjoy our Slickers ice cream, chip truck, movies and Wi-Fi. For the cultural thrill-seekers and BED & BREA history-buffs, why not take a tour of Portage Place B bbcanada.com/8535.html Go to sleep to the lullaby of the rapids. some of our museums. The Ottawa Overlooking the magnificent Ottawa River, minutes from Vieux Moulin B augiteduvieuxmoulin.com Renfrew. Valley is home to more than 20 Wingle Inn wingleinn.com A little piece of heaven on earth. museums, including The Canadian CAMPGROU Clock Museum (Canada’s only clock Sandy beach, hiking trails, cabins, canoe rentals, kids Bonnechere Pro bonnecherepark.on.ca playground. museum), Petawawa programs, Heritage Village, On site trails, mountain biking, lake sports, fishing and Opeongo Moun omresort.ca Waba Cottage Museum and Gardens, more. cottage rentals nestled in the peaceful and Red Wolf Retre Bonnechere MuseumYurts andandthe Mission redwolfretreat.ca relaxing Opeongo Hills. House Museum and Gallery, torentals, name a indoor saltwater pool/ Bark Lake, boat fishing, Sunny Hill Reso sunnyhillresort.com hot tub few. Although all are in the business of HOTELS & M preserving and sharing local history and the Ottawa Valley’s Relax in comfort while enjoying Pembroke Com pembrokecomfortinn.ca adventure playground. heritage, each one has a unique story Enjoy a weekend of fun and relaxation in one of our newly Petawawa Rive petawawariverinnandsuites.ca renovated suites ! to tell. LODGES & R Another great reason to come to the Jocko’ s Beach R jockosbeach.com Stay and play on the shore of Calabogie Lake. Valley is for the rural retail therapy. As On site trails, mountain biking, lake sports, fishing and Opeongo Moun omresort.ca a former city-dweller,more. I have come to studio tours and events like the Rural love the small shops filled with unique Ramble proudly showcase some of the hand-crafted items that can’t be found best artistry and craftsmanship around. anywhere else. Not to mention, the So what are you waiting for? Pack up uncrowded and easily accessible parking the family, jump in the car and head to spots! And when the leaves start to the Valley and experience all these great change colour and the air turns crisp, things for yourself. charlieds.com
ottawa outdoors 31
Traffic lite: Long Sault Parkway spans the decades BY KATHLEEN WILKER Just east of Cornwall, the Long Sault Parkway weaves through 11 islands created when the St. Lawrence River was dammed to create the St. Lawrence Seaway. Cyclists of all abilities, including children, can whiz along wide roads past waterfowl, and through the McLaren, Woodlands and Milles Roche campsites from Long Sault to Ingleside. With water on both sides, it’s a stunning ride. It’s part of Ontario’s St. Lawrence River Parks and cars need to pay to enter, so the paved route is ideal for cyclists who are waved beyond the gates into a low-traffic idyll. The Seaway itself is a series of dams, locks, canals and channels that permit ocean-going ships to enter the Great Lakes from the Atlantic. It opened a passage past the once ferocious Long Sault rapids and at the same time provided Ontario with hydroelectric power from the Robert H. Saunders generating station Along the way, 10 towns were permanently submerged, though Iroquois and Morrisburg were
moved to higher ground instead of being abandoned. Some farms and businesses were moved to Long Sault and Ingleside before the flooding occurred. Many families felt they were ripped off during expropriation because house prices sank in the years leading up to the project. In total, 530 buildings were moved and 6,500 people were displaced by the project. Upper Canada Village was created out of the most historic homes to save them from the waters, and a
PHOTOS BY SARKASMO
Cycling through history
museum in Ault Park, near Long Sault, tells their story. The parkway is connected at both ends to the Great Waterfront Trail, so cyclists ready for longer distances can continue beyond the Parkway. There are bathrooms available at the campgrounds, but no stores along the parkway itself. So pack your own picnic and stop at one of the benches along the route for a midride lunch. If you’ve worked up an appetite on the ride or if young riders need to be cajoled into finishing on their own two wheels, Grandma’s Cool Treats in Long Sault is a great spot for ice cream.
FURTHER INFO AT: • Long Sault Parkway: www.stlawrenceparks.com/lsp.htm
• Upper Canada Village: www.uppercanadavillage.com
• Great Waterfront Trail: www.greatwaterfronttrail.org
• Ault Park: www.lostvillages.ca/en/html/our_museum.html
• Long Sault: www.longsault.ca • Cornwall Cycle Club: cycleclubcornwall.blogspot.com • Welcome Cyclists: www.welcomecyclists.ca • Lost Villages Historical Society: www.lostvillages.ca/ • CBC archival footage of the explosion of the cofferdam and the flooding: http://archives.cbc.ca/ science_technology/transportation/clips/3471/
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• Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary: www.uppercanadabirdsanctuary.com/home.htm • Anne Michaels’s 2008 novel, The Winter Vault, tells the story of the flooding, the lost villages and the gardens that were swept away.
www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
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Whitewater paddling for greenhorns Shooting the rapids could be easier than you think. In an interview with Craig Macartney, whitewater instructor Paul Mason talks about what it takes to go from the shore to the shoot. Ottawa Outdoors Magazine (OOM): What’s a good starting point for beginner paddlers? Paul Mason (PM): Check out a festival or demo day offered by outdoors stores to get exposed to different facets of the sport. Before buying a boat, know what you want. Are you planning to go on trips or just whitewater? And think about instruction. A weekend course allows you to try different boats and get past the dangerous phase with the help of instructors when you first dive into the sport. Once you know what to avoid, it’s fairly safe. OOM: How much experience is needed before shooting the rapids? PM: Courses emphasize teaching beginners some key manoeuvres, then going out and playing in the current. With proper instruction, beginners often start playing in currents within half a day. OOM: What benefit do courses offer as opposed to teaching yourself? PM: Teaching yourself is a slow process. Identifying your mistakes can take months, while instructors teach the same principles in minutes. Especially with a new canoeist, taking a course saves you a lot of aggravation. 34 ottawa
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OOM: How much time is involved in becoming an adept whitewater paddler? PM: It really depends on your drive to go out paddling. Beginners can expect to spend a couple weekends learning the basics, then it’s a matter of how far you want to go. OOM: What are the main difference between whitewater canoeing and kayaking? PM: Getting into whitewater kayaking requires less work than canoeing. Learning to exit an overturned kayak is the main hurdle. Whitewater kayaking also enjoys more of a following, however, the canoeing crowd is fiercely loyal. If your goal is getting in whitewater as fast as possible, kayaking is your option. If you aren’t comfortable with exiting a kayak or prefer kneeling to sitting, choose a canoe. OOM: How easy is switching between kayaking and canoeing? PM: Switching from kayaking to canoeing generally comes more easily because kayaking teaches you to read whitewater more quickly. Canoeists learning kayaking must adjust to a smaller boat, wearing a spray skirt and getting out of an overturned boat, as well as the second blade of the paddle.
OOM: Who offers whitewater courses? PM: Ottawa River Runners have a slalom program (you steer your boat between poles hanging just above the water) right downtown, at the pump house, about 100 metres from the end of Sparks Street. It’s a short set of man-made rapids that feed into the Ottawa River. The Paddler’s Co-op offer courses at Palmer Rapids. The Madawaska Kanu Center and Ottawa Paddle Shack offers whitewater courses for both kayak and canoe. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
OOM: Describe some common mistakes? PM: The most common mistake is not accurately assessing your situation. In whitewater, awareness of your canoe as well as what’s happening up ahead is paramount. Paddling on lakes is a different sport than paddling in whitewater. The hazards are different and may appear more suddenly. OOM: What advice would you give to someone looking to get into whitewater paddling?
PM: Start learning in June or July when the water is warm. Go online and find a club. Whitewater paddling is a social sport, so get involved with people who can help and encourage you along the way. ~ Paul Mason is a cartoonist and canoeing instructor. He’s at www.paddlepointers.com or www.bubblestreet.ca.
ottawa outdoors 35
PHOTO BY MICHEAL TURCOT
OOM: Highlight the key strokes for whitewater canoeing. PM: In whitewater, strokes aren’t what counts. If the canoe is tilted properly, regardless of your strokes, it won’t flip. For two or more paddlers we teach a new technique called “mith,” which helps people get into whitewater faster. This technique emphasizes controlling the canoe instead of focusing on perfecting each paddler’s strokes. With experience, your strokes improve and you don’t have to work as hard to make the canoe do what you want.
How to pack a backpack It’s all about balance
Zone 3
Zone 2 Zone 1
BY DAVE BROWN The backpack. It can be your dearest friend or your worst enemy; a cliché, but true. If you don’t take care and treat it well, it will fall apart and probably leave you to wrestle with it as you’re halfway up a steep mountain. This packing puzzle has more than once left many hikers and campers frustrated trying to find the one item they need buried at the bottom of their pack. As much as packing a backpack is more of a dark art than pure science, know that with practice you can become master of your portable domain. Every backpacking trip is different, and dictates to which level you prepare. Are you going for months, weeks, or just the weekend? Are you backpacking through urban cities and towns, or just to trails and campsites? For now let’s say you’re going off on a weekend hiking trip to the Adirondacks, Frontenac or Algonquin Park. You’ve mapped out the route; booked the campsite; figured out the food and supplies needed, and made family or friends aware of your travel plan schedule. Now to pack the backpack.
HOW TO PREPARE Rule number one is; don’t wait until the night before to start packing. Then start by placing everything you need spread out on the floor in front of you and organize it into the three zones in the pack. Zone 1 – is the bottom of your pack, for lightweight items such as your 36 ottawa
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duct tape, knife, matches, candles, etc…) • use every space (shoes, pots) to store and protect the smaller or more delicate items • keep your fuel bottle below your food (ideally outside the pack), and away from your tent. A leak could easily destroy both. • Avoid gear dangling outside your pack. No need for a swinging pick axe to keep your friends’ reflexes sharp • Use your compression straps to bring the load closer to your body and to keep everything in place
THE ESSENTIALS sleeping bag, clothes. Zone 2 – is the lower middle rear part that’s closest to your back – for heavier items such as water, food, tent, camping gear etc. Use your fleece or sleeping pad as a buffer between pointy items and your spine. Zone 3 – is the middle front and top – for medium-weight or bulkier items. Depending where you’re going, the goal is to keep a balanced pack. If you’re mostly on flat trails, you can place heavier items a little bit higher inside the pack to keep weight over your hips and improve posture. For more rugged terrain, place the heavy items further down to lower your centre of gravity and increase your stability.
PACKING TIPS: • distribute the weight evenly on both the left and right sides of your pack • pack larger and heavier objects first • plan for rain, so pack valuables in zippered sandwich bags, and have a waterproof cover for your sleeping bag and pack • store frequently used items in easyto-access spots near the top of your pack or in external pockets (water bottle, snacks, map, compass, bear whistle/spray, flashlight, first-aid kit, rain jacket, camera etc…) • use small and coloured stuff sacks for quick access and to stay organized (first-aid, kitchen items, utilities such as
These include items like the following: • Sleeping bag – store in a special compartment at the bottom (or wrap in a waterproof cover and store below and outside the pack). Your closed or open cell mattress can be rolled and stored in a tough stuff sack to one of the outside straps. • Clothes – normally in the main (zone 3) compartment, but in cooler weather keep your hat, gloves and fleece ready for easy access • Tent – keep in waterproof pack in zone 2 • Cooking utensils – wrap in a towel and store in zone 3 • Food – store in waterproof and animal-resistant containers such as a bear sack • Personal items – wrap in plastic bags in case of leaks, and squeeze them in wherever they fit If you don’t have a good backpack for weekend hiking and camping, then visit one of the local retail outdoors stores and chat with their staff. They’ll be able to set you up with a 35-50 litre pack and recommend essential gear. Once you have packed your backpack and tightened the compression straps, strap it on and do the jump test to see if anything wobbles. If it doesn’t then you’re all set. Happy trails. ~ First published in the Outdoor Life column of the Ottawa Citizen. Look for Dave’s weekly articles every Sunday.
www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
How to take the kids canoe camping at the last minute La VĂŠrendrye offers deep wilderness with no pre-registration BY KATHLEEN WILKER
www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
ottawa outdoors 37
La Vérendrye Nature Reserve is an RDE (real darn easy) canoe camping adventure for kids. Natural sandy beaches. No need for reservations. Lots of beautiful canoe routes with short portages that are well marked and uncrowded. Only a three-hour drive from Ottawa in mid-summer when popular campsites like Sandbanks and Achray have to be reserved online in February. It’s “way up north,” as southerners think of it, but a rare opportunity for spontaneous backcountry camping. Located about 250 kilometres away, past Maniwaki, you can drive or get there by Voyageur Bus from the Ottawa Bus Terminal right into Le Domaine campground in the middle of the reserve. A fully stocked outfitter, a convenience store, a restaurant and the main put-in are all at Le Domaine. Bring food, since the store has only basic supplies. You can camp at Le Domaine if you’d like to get an early start on your trip the next morning. Canoe routes in La Vérendrye have a restriction on the number of groups allowed at any one time. You find out what circle routes are
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available when you register, so plan with flexibility in mind – a small price for deciding now, in summer, not in February when you’re unsure about your kids’ canoe skills, and you’ve no certainty about summer weather. We’ve been to La Vérendrye three times and always got the route we wanted. At Le Domaine, buy a detailed map ($8.25) for your route. Campsites and portages are well signed, but a good map will keep you on course. Each route has a suggested direction of travel based on prevailing winds, and the “right” direction is a good idea, given how the winds can pick up on some of the bigger lakes. It also means paddlers are travelling in the same direction, so you get that remote feeling as paths cross less often. Routes 10, 11, 15 and 16 all begin and end at Le Domaine. Other routes require that you register at Le Domaine and then drive to the put-in. Another La Vérendrye rule is one night only at a given campsite. This works well if you like to keep moving, as our family does, but could be trickier if you prefer to go day-tripping from an established base camp. Each route has the likely number of days it takes to complete for beginner, intermediate and advanced paddlers. We usually add one day to the beginner route to allow the children a day to rest, explore, build sandcastles, swim, look for turtles, nap, collect rocks, read, and hike portage trails without our gear. Even with the one-night-persite rule, the next site is never far if you’re having a rest day. It could be that lovely beach across the lake with the moose tracks by the blueberry patch. If your children are too young for portaging, Le
Domaine is on beautiful Lac JeanPeré with campsites less than half an hour away, with one parent paddling while the other is the kid wrangler. With low August water levels last summer, some portages were longer and muddier than usual. So instead of portaging through mud, we got out and hauled the canoe with a rope, and our daughter found she could pull us all by herself through shallow waters by the beach. Just for fun. Giving children their own backpacks helps motivate them along the portages. Once upon a pre-kid time, my husband and I were famous (at least in our own minds) for seamless one-trip portages. With two kids and more gear, that’s not possible anymore, but we’ve gotten our system down so the kids only have to walk the portage once. When we arrive at a portage, everyone hops out with the bags. One parent grabs a big pack and the canoe and takes off at a brisk, adult pace. The kids take their packs, life jackets and paddles and walk with the other parent who is carrying packs but has free hands to help them over rocks or tricky bits. At about the halfway mark, parent one www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
– who has reached the end of the portage and dumped boat and pack – walks back to meet the rest of the family and one parent heads back to the beginning to carry leftover packs, water bottles, paddles and odds and ends that have dropped by the trail. That system also means each parent gets a few minutes alone during a family-intense day with everyone together in a 17-foot boat. Campsites are marked with the route number, campsite number and the number of tents that will fit there. Tent spots are clearly www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
marked – often with a log border – to prevent sites getting trampled by random traffic. We had used beach sites, high pine sites and river sites, all in good weather. We saw loons and fish, ate blueberries and celebrated our daughter’s birthday with dehydrated raspberry sauce and maple syrup on pancakes. Lightweight birthday gifts – fairy wings and a pink merino shirt emerged from a dry bag to make the day even more special. The children portaged birthday balloons all day and the birthday girl chose that night’s campsite.
RESOURCES www.canot-camping.ca Le Domaine in La Vérendrye is open from May 21–Sept. 18. Children under five are free, and up to age 17 pay half price. The Voyageur bus to Grand Remous leaves Ottawa daily at 8:30 a.m., with an additional Friday and Saturday departure at 2:30 p.m. You transfer in Grand Remous to Autobus Maheux for the trip up to Le Domaine. Voyageur fare is about $80 round trip for adults, $60 for children. Round trip from Grand Remous to Le Domaine is $130 for adults and $86 for children.
ottawa outdoors 39
Barter Without Borders
one worldbarter.com
one world barter.com
BARTER saves cash, increases profits
& decreases the cost of doing business What are the goals of every business? Increase your sales by driving more customers to your business. And, decrease the costs involved in doing business. Combined, your business is far more profitable. What is the easiest way to increase revenue and decrease costs? Through bartering the goods and services you currently have. By bartering, you can buy the goods and services you need WITHOUT SPENDING CASH. • Trade what you have to get what you need • Save Cash and Increase Profits • More Sales from New Customers • Have fun using barter dollars instead of cash
is a printer “A friend of mine who luxurious y ver me was taking so he could vacations that I knew I asked not normally afford. me in let he him about it and und fo o als He et. on the secr ss ce ex convert barter was a way to r fo n tio mo ising and pro resources into advert his business. u e the people and yo Try barter! You’ll lov . ild ” bu u yo at th ships will enjoy the relation Direct Response Pierre Lessard, Local “A while back I lo st my eyeglasses and didn’t know how I was goin g to fit the purcha se of a new pair into my budget. I just looked in the barter direct ory and I was ab le to find an optic al outlet and ge t a new pair. You ca n also get a cred it line and then th ey will send you customers to repay the line of credit.” Isobel Legacy, Le gacy Holistic M assage
l a i r T e Fre p i h s r e b Mem Find Out More at
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Knots made easy BY KEVIN CALLAN Knowing how to tie a perfect knot may come as second nature to some people, but to most the skill seems elusive. I’m with the majority. I never “got it” back in the days of Boy Scouts. And it’s not that I didn’t try to master this art. I’ve bought knot books, sat on the front porch for hours practising things like the sheet bend, monkey’s fist, Turk’s head and hangman’s noose. When it came to actually using them in the field, however, I panicked and tied things down with half a dozen granny knots, then hoped for the best. The day I watched my canoe drift off down some rapids because of a poorly tied bowline
was the day I committed to learning at least eight of the 4,000 known and documented knots. Here’s one of them, the bowline. BOWLINE This is the best knot to form a non-slip loop. It’s considered the king of knots, and has the advantage of that catchy “rabbit and the hole” chant to help you remember how to tie it: “The rabbit comes out of the hole, goes around the tree, and back down the hole again.” Looping the rope forms the “hole.” The rabbit is the
rope’s free end, and the tree is the other standing part of the rope. For added security, end the knot with a figure eight or two half hitches. From Kevin Callan, The Happy Camper: An Essential Guide to Life Outdoors, Boston Mills Press.
1 866 69 KAYAK (52925) 819-648-2727 www.horizonx.ca
Full moon rafting up to class 2 whitewater Have the river all to yourself with our Happy Hour Rafting Enjoy fun and safe family adventures Try the popular new riverboarding, our kayak school, and our small raft, 1 and 2 day rafting We give FREE PHOTOS and wetsuits with no service charges! Cabins, camping, BBQ, beaches and beach games, canoes and kayaks
www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
ottawa outdoors 41
OTTAWA OUTDOORS UPCOMING FESTIVALS
BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY! August 11-13, 2011
Ottawa Outdoors Magazine SUPPORTING OUR FESTIVALS
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outdoors
www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
“We have 30 years experience meeting and exceeding your expectations!” • designers and builders of backyard inground pools and patios • quality workmanship and excellent after sales service • quality materials for our stamped concrete driveways, retaining walls, concrete pavers, interlock and landscaping jobs • backyard designs, pool installation, patios, driveways, walkways, decks, sheds, stamped concrete, pool opening and closings, major pool repairs • we have a complete fleet of trucks, excavators, bobcat skidsteer and track loaders so you’re not at the mercy of subcontractors when you want to get the job done
“Classic Concrete Design Ltd. has loyal customers who keep coming back with their new projects. Our customers are like our family.”
613-727-0111
www.ClassicConcreteDesign.ca
Lawn Care Services • Weekly Mowing Service (for residential and commercial) • All lawn areas will be cut; tighter areas with a trimmer • All hard surfaces will be blown clean • Fertilizing, weed control • New sod, seeding, topdressing, re-leveling • Lawn Aeration, De-thatching • Hard surface power sweeping • Grub control and organic grub control • Spring clean-up, de-thatching, fall clean-up • Removal of annuals • Garden bed clean ups (perennial care, fertilizing, rose protection) • Eaves trough cleaning • Organic/Synthetic Blended Fertilizer Treatment
Maintenance Services • Weeding, bed edging, pruning, tilling vegetable gardens, planting and harvesting, and more
Landscape Construction • Interlocking stone and natural stone work • Patios, walkways, driveways, retaining walls, steps • Night lighting systems, Water gardens • Decks/fencing • Irrigation systems
Skilled Employees • Our employees are formally trained and have an extensive background in horticulture. Our staff are routinely updating their skills and knowledge through educational seminars and workshops. • Fully Licensed and Insured - Free Estimates • We are proud members of the Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association and the Better Business Bureau.
613.223.6299 - info@zone5inc.ca
www.zone5inc.ca
Outdoor Clubs GROUP NAME
WEBSITE
DESCRIPTION
Ottawa Orienteering Club
www.ottawaoc.ca
We organize and take part in orienteering events in the Ottawa area.
The Ottawa Outdoor Club
www.ottawaoutdoorclub.ca
A rec club with hiking, cycling, canoeing, skiing, and snowshoeing.
Rideau Trail Association
www.rideautrail.org
A hiking club dedicated to maintaining the trail from Kingston to Ottawa.
Ottawa Triathlon Club
www.ottawatriathlonclub.com
A recreational organization dedicated to teaching the enjoyment of tris.
Ottawa Bicycle Club
www.ottawabicycleclub.ca
Offers a range of cycling programs from novice to expert.
Ottawa Mountain Biking Association
www.ottawamba.org
Advocacy with local land owners + weekly rides in Kanata + trail maintenance.
Ottawa-Carleton Ultimate Assoc.
www.ocua.ca
The largest Ultimate (Frisbee) league in the world.
Ottawa Sport and Social Club
www.ossc.ca
A co-ed, rec sport league, with tourneys and social events for adults.
Ottawa Rowing Club
www.ottawarowingclub.com
Come see what rowing is like on the picturesque Ottawa River.
Liquid Skills Paddling Centre
www.liquidskills.com
Programs and clinics, kayak lessons, expeditions and teen camps.
Madawaska Kanu Centre
www.owl-mkc.ca
Kayak lessons in-city and on-site. Weekend clinics for the whole family.
Ottawa Sailing School
www.boattraining.com
They offer the highest quality sailing programs and on-the-water adventure.
Somersault Events
www.somersault.ca
Triathlons, duathlons, and running events for you or the entire family.
The Running Room
www.runningroom.com
Ottawa’s running and walking club for team fitness.
TriRudy
www.trirudy.com
Website and resource for duathlons and triathlons.
La RoccaXC Mt.Bike School
www.creativewheel.ca
Camp for boys and girls, women and men keen to enjoy mountain biking.
Wilderness Tours
www.wildernesstours.com
In addition to rafting they offer kayak lessons and adventure camps.
Owl Rafting
www.owl-mkc.ca
Rafting, sea-kayaking, lessons, plus adventure programs.
Esprit Rafting
www.espritrafting.com
Rafting, canoeing and several training and certification courses.
River Run Rafting
www.riverrunners.com
Rafting, family trips, kayaking, cabins and more.
Ottawa New Edinburgh Club
www.onec.ca
Ottawa rowing club for all levels or for fun and fitness.
Book a Houseboat trip this summer! • Tour Big Rideau Lake or the Ottawa River • Rates start as low as $900 / 3-day wknd
• Rideau Lakes and Rideau Canal System • Travel the historic Rideau Canal west to Kingston and Lake Ontario and the Thousand Islands • Absolutely 100’s of miles of waterway with wonderful fishing and swimming, shopping and sleeping in the sun! • Tour the Upper Ottawa River with over 75 miles of pristine wilderness await you on the Upper Ottawa • Go West from our Marina to Mattawa for dinner For more • Travel the route of the Voyageurs and sample the beauty of the Laurentian information Mountain chain tumbling from their 1-800-280-9390 heights to water’s edge
antlerslodge@netscape.net
www.WaterwayGetaway.com www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
ottawa outdoors 45
the back pages
OWL Rafting on the Ottawa River
800-461-7238 owlrafting.com
Madawaska kanu centre It’s a RAPID EDUCATION
MADAWASKA KANU CENTRE (MKC) provides highly personal instruction in Whitewater Kayaking, Open Canoeing and Sea Kayaking. Weekend and 5-Day Courses.
www.petawawa.ca
888.652.5268 | MKC.ca
ren Van
couNs
THE PERFECT GIFT!
Hand made, designed, one-of-a-kind polymer clay figurines and life-like replicas of your family or friends. • Order today for weddings, anniversaries, and any occassion • Price for a regular pair of custom wedding cake toppers starts at $249.
www.CustomWeddingCakeTopper.ca 46 ottawa
outdoors
Mickey dreams of a forever family Mickey, 16, hopes to become part of a permanent family. Like any teenager, he’s hoping for a family he can share his life with, and who will love and support him. He has an engaging personality and is very easy-going. He loves the outdoors and his favourite hobby is fishing. To be part of a family who also loves the outdoor country life would be a dream come true. At school, Mickey is receiving help to build social skills and improve his overall academic score. He will do very well in a family where there are predictable routines. If you support the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa, and think your family could be the right one for Mickey, please call André at the CAS office at 613-747-7800 ext. 2857; or by email at andre.fontaine@casott.on.ca/.
R
Jim N
Real Es Keller W 1 Antar o) 613.7 c) 613.7
www.ottawaoutdoors.ca Your dream vacation.
Your next ski trip.
Fear not the outdoors BY ALLEN MACARTNEY
A
cross North America, people are using parks and the outdoors less and less. It’s an accelerating trend that began at least 20 years ago.
PHOTOS (L TO R) CHRISTIAN OSTROSKY, ELIYA
Many reasons exist. We all have busy lives, and user fees in provincial parks and campgrounds are rising, but some experts believe the biggest reason is fear of the outdoors. Why should this surprise anyone? Fear sells in our society, bigtime. In many ways fear defines our culture. It hits all our emotional buttons and our wallets. Everyone is cashing in at our expense: banks, insurance companies, home alarm installers, bottled water distilleries. Banks warn that we’ll need uncounted thousands in RSPs to maintain a basic middle class lifestyle. Gut fear. As a child I walked unescorted many blocks to play in parks after school. A boy was expected to fall out of trees and get the occasional bite from a dog. According to Scientific American, parents today wrap their children in a security blanket of fear. And it helps make them reluctant to venture into the outdoors. Fear isn’t always negative. Sometimes it’s useful, keeping us from doing something foolish or dangerous, like cutting directly across a wide lake as dark clouds approach. Good fear forces us to listen to the warning bells in our head, tunes us to our gut and makes us aware of what our eyes don’t see. But too often, fear is irrational, based on false assumptions and an over-active imagination. A raccoon checking out a campfire for scraps might sound like a grizzly bear, but it isn’t. A hooting owl or a calling loon sounds like a blood-thirsty ghost at 3 a.m., but it isn’t. Wolves? In the past 100 years no Canadian has been confirmed killed by a wolf in the wild. In captivity yes, but not in the wild. Wolves and bears are terrified of humans – the real predators of the planet – and keep far away. Why are people comfortable with the real risks of driving on two-lane highways at 110 kilometres an hour? Other cars close in at 220 kph, the two pass a mere two metres apart, and no one knows whether the stranger at the other wheel was texting, on the phone, or falling asleep. We’re comfortable with these dangerous everyday risks, but intolerant of less familiar ones. Now that’s scary! Yes a wilderness canoe trip might hold dangers like getting lost, but the most dangerous part of the adventure is driving to the putin. The moment the canoe is on the water, real risk nose-dives. So next time you start to worry in the forest or on the water, ask yourself whether it makes sense. Is there a real danger that’s invisible? Or is this an irrational fear to be ignored.
www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
ottawa outdoors 47
259 other models in store
BELOEIL - BROSSARD - LAVAL - OTTAWA - QUEBEC
LET ‘ER ZIP
live the adventure
Zip. Climb. Hike through history.
1.888.683.2770 or 1.819.683.2770 Reservations are required for any adventure activity.
100 promenade du parc des Chutes, C.P. 914 Mansfield, QC, J0X 1R0 www.chutescoulonge.qc.ca I info@chutescoulonge.qc.ca www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
GPS 45°53’16.80”N, 76°47’24.00”W
ottawa outdoors 49
MAINLINE SPORTS GEAR SPOTLIGHT
SHOOT AROUND 180 DEGREE BALL RETURN – $79.99 epetitive shooting training helps groove a solid stroke and develop rhythm. Hit shots from around the court and have the ball returned right back to you rapidly and consistently. With the Shoot-Around’s rotating 180-degree ball return, spend more time working on your game, and less time retrieving balls. Look for it at http://sklz.ca/.
LIGHTNING BOLT SOFT MICRO BALL PITCHING MACHINE – $49.99 The Lightning Bolt baseball pitching machine forces hitters to intently focus on making contact with the soft micro balls. Lightweight and portable, players can take practice inside or out to improve their visual acuity and hand-eye coordination. The battery-operated machine holds up to 50 balls at a time, and automatically pitches every 5 seconds at 30mph with realistic flight up to 25 feet. Look for it at http://sklz.ca/.
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PITCH-BACK BASEBALL GOLF TARGET 7’ POP-UP NET – $119.99 An all-in-one baseball or soccer hitting practice net that can be used for pitching and kicking, and sets up instantly. The lightweight yet durable 7’ net includes a convenient carry bag, and Target with integrated Strike or Score Zone. Look for it at http://sklz.ca/.
SKLZ QUICKSWING PX4 TRAINING AID – $89.99 The SKLZ Quickswing PX4 training aid will auto feed 12 baseballs or 8 softballs every 6, 8 and 10 seconds for the ultimate system for developing fast hands, sharp reaction times and solid mechanics. Four configurations: Auto-feed gravity drop, rebounder for imitation tee hitting, rebounded angled for soft toss and rebounder angled for turn around double play. QuickSwing with auto-feed drop balls on an interval you set for quick hands and reaction training. Use with practice or regulation balls. Product Dimensions: 45” to 60” H, 20” radius base, 43” barrel. Look for it at http://sklz.ca/.
www.ottawaoutdoors.ca