Second Printing Required

The first print run of Hiking Trails of Ottawa , approximately 4,000 books, has been exhausted, and a second printing needs to be done so there will be copies on the store shelves next spring.

I noticed a few errors in the first printing, and these will be corrected for the second. But this is your chance to point out any mistakes that you might have noticed so they can be changed when the book is reprinted.

The publisher will undertake the second printing in March/April, so if you have any changes you think should be made, send them in right away!

Snowshoeing = Hiking in Winter

As the old saying goes: "There is no bad weather, only bad clothing." With today's quick-dry and wind-proof materials, waterproof footwear, and using proper layering/venting techniques, no temperatures, no matter how cold, cannot be managed in relative comfort. And with the snowshoes and trekking poles now available, winter hiking has never been easier.

The good news is that many park systems in the Ottawa area have recognized the increasing interest in snowshoeing as winter recreation, and have made efforts of increase the number of trails available. Cross-country skiing has long been popular on many of the region's trail systems, but in the past few years it has been snowshoe trails that have been increasing in number.

An excellent example of this is in Gatineau Park. Less than 10 years ago there were only one or two routes open to snowshoeing, such as the popular Wolf Trail. However, with the recent explosion in interest in snowshoeing, more paths have been opened for their use.

The Wolf Trail, now numbered Trail 62, is still available. However, now there are also two major separate systems, one of which works its way around Lac Phillippe and even accesses the Lusk Lake Shelter and the Wanakiwin Cabin, the other - even larger - that reaches the Healy and Herridge Shelters, and the Lac Brown Cabin. More than 50 km of separate snowshoeing pathways are maintained in Gatineau Park alone.

There may never been a better time for Ottawa residents to venture ourdoors, especially in Gatineau Park, for a winter hike. Despite the cold and even in deep snow, you should be able to trek around in comfort and with confidence in your footing. And be honest, doesn't a meal of poutine taste better after a few hours of exercise in the cold air? It does for me. See you on the trails.

Posting Videos - but of Nova Scotia trails

While I am hiking I take many pictures, sometimes more than 100 on a particularly scenic trail. And on most trails I also take a short video, usually of between 30 sec. to one minute. I have been fortunate to visit some exceptionally beautiful locations, and for many of the trails I worry it might be the final time I will be able to hike them.

I have decided to post some of my videos - or who knows, maybe eventually all of them - on You Tube. Each video will be titled, "Hiking Trails of Nova Scotia", which will be followed by the trail's name. I am posting these under the name "hikerhaynes".

Not every trail is exciting or especially scenic, so neither are their videos. You might wonder why I have posted some those less dramatic films, but what you see will in every case be a fair representation of what you will encounter along the trail. And sometimes that is just a quiet walk through the forest. But that is ok too. Hope you enjoy whatever you view, and whatever you chose to hike.

Sorry that I do not have any videos of Ottawa trails right now. But when I get back that will be my next project!