Issue #36 - Ottawa Outdoors Magazine by Ottawa Outdoors Magazine

outdoors ottawa

Spring 2013

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Your outdoor adventure and travel guide Ottawa • Gatineau • Ontario • Quebec • US & Beyond

Women’s paddle adventures Why guided trips make it so easy

The great Canadian nature detective hunt Try to solve these puzzles

Cycling Iled’Orléans A jewel within easy reach

Looking for water in the right places

Four ways to guarantee safety

Feature: running a jungle marathon

ONTARIO IS A PADDLER’S PARADISE

PLAN

Franklin Island, Georgian Bay

YOUR ADVENTURE

Take a journey that will get the wrinkles out of your soul. Explore big waters and pristine wilderness with our experts in the know. From Georgian Bay to Lake Superior to the Missinaibi River to Woodland Caribou Provincial Park, an all-inclusive guided adventure makes it safe and easy to experience world-class Order your FREE 2013 Ontario Outdoor Adventures calendar to see stunning photography and get exciting ideas for adventures. Then go online to get bonus content on each month’s experience – find featured adventures, blogs, events and more.

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Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll go in search of the elusive caribou in Woodland Caribou Provincial Park. This dynamic Arctic watershed promises ancient pictographs, starry nights, soaring eagles, majestic moose, chunky walleye and unforgettable adventure in the Canadian wilderness. See full contest rules and details online. Approximate value $12,900 CAN.

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PUBLISHER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: DAVE BROWN EDITOR: ROGER BIRD WRITERS Christine Utas, Kyle Smith, Allen Macartney, Jennifer Hartley, Craig Macartney, Grant Dobson, Tracey Tong, Karen Meades, Gary & Joanie McGuffin, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Mark McCann, Bruce Watts, Sheila Ascroft, Calabogie Peaks Resort, Julie Findlay, Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Vickie Janetos, Dave Brown, Paul Koch, Ken Whiting PHOTOGRAPHERS & ILLUSTRATORS Ontario Travel, Hap Wilson, Allen Macartney, Grant Dobson, Gary & Joanie McGuffin, Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Keith Milne, Gordon Coulthart 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: 613-482-4997 HOW TO GET PUBLISHED Ottawa Outdoors Magazine welcomes story and photo contributions. 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 2013. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any materials published in Ottawa Outdoors Magazine is expressly forbidden without consent of the publisher. Printed in Canada.

What a show! Thousands of outdoor enthusiasts flocked to see exhibitors, demonstrations, speakers, presenters and more. Mark your calendar for next year – March 15-16, 2014!

Publisher’s Letter

Spring forward Hi again, and welcome. Welcome to the largest issue of Ottawa Outdoors Magazine ever! What that means for you is a jammed-packed issue with all sorts of content you'll want to read. Whether it's articles or advertisers, all will enlighten and give ideas or direction as to how to most enjoy your summer months Dave Brown ahead. Publisher Editor-in-chief The table of contents on your right says it all. There are 64 pages of articles covering such topics as: women kayaking; tandem whitewater paddling; cycling in Orleans; how to filter water safely; jungle marathons and adventure racing; plus so much more. We always look forward to sharing tips we know you'll appreciate and use! Enjoy. :) In the outdoor scene, much is going on. Be sure to check out the contest on page 3 (and below) so you can win a $13,000 all-expenses-paid adventure in Ontario's north. Visit ontariooutdoor.com to plan your next trip as they have dozens from which to choose, and each is really original and exciting. Also, this past March 16-17 marked another HUGELY SUCCESSFUL weekend at The Outdoor & Adventure Travel Show. It was packed with exhibitors and wellknown regional and national outdoor presenters sharing their experiences and wisdom for the thousands who attended the event. See a few photos below. They did a great job last year, and a superb job this year as well. Next year promises the same success! Can’t wait! As for yours truly, much is afoot. Be sure to check out my weekly Outdoor Life column in the Saturday Ottawa Citizen. Or catch me on CFRA each Sunday around 12:30pm for a radio segment on the outdoor scene. Lastly, you'll be able to see great outdoor content on RogersTV Daytime Ottawa as I’ve recently joined the show in producing some quality outdoor segments to be recorded live each month. My contribution will be to bring local outdoor experts on with hosts Derick and Lois. It’s guaranteed to be fun and informative. Lastly, Ottawa Outdoors Magazine is the presenting sponsor for many races in the region. These include Somersault and Raid Pulse Adventure Series and more to come. Sign-up and participate as it’s always great fun. Enter to win at ontariooutdoor.com As always, look for Ottawa Outdoors and me in print (magazine and newspaper), radio (CFRA), television (RogersTV), the web (with our newly launched monthly eMagazine you can sign-up to receive for free, website and social networks like Facebook & Twitter), and the race scene. There's lots going on and if you'd like to contribute anytime, get in touch. Here's to the spring!

outdoors ottawa

Jungle Marathon

Adventure racing tips

Spring 2013

~ Articles

~ Departments

6 10 12 16 18 20 22 24 28 30 34 42 44 46 50 52

4 Publisher's Letter 17 Bits-'n-Bites 17 The Book Nook 26 Cool Gear Hot Clothing 32 Camping with kids 38 Paddling with Kids 40 Mourning my old steely 48 Newsbites 51 Mom in the Know 58 Music Festival Guide 59 Outdoor Clubs 59 Upcoming Events 62 The Back Pages

Women's Georgian Bay kayak trip No room for blame tandem paddling Ile d’Orléans the cycling jewel What to do when the water runs out The great Canadian nature hunt Shaw Woods tranquil forests Nature’s Brita Riding for a reason Running through the jungle How to launch a kayak from a dock Adventure racing strategies Boat access to the Rideau Cold facts about heat Wake Surfing News Blind ambition Saving a baby animal can be more complex than it might appear 56 Supporting Ottawa’s sustainability 60 Stay safe while kayaking

Women kayaking adventure trip

Cool Gear Hot Clothing

Now you can get each issue e-mailed direct to your inbox!

it d a e R ne!

onli

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.

Just go to www.OttawaOutdoors.ca to sign-up at the top right of the homepage and we'll send you monthly digital issues of the magazine. COVER: Women's kayaking adventure. Read about it on page 6. Photo courtesy of Ontario Tourism.

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PHOTOS BY ONTARIO TRAVEL

Georgian Bayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Franklin Island an oasis of serenity Something happy happens when women launch kayaks By Christine Utas Paddle, hike, swim, eat â&#x20AC;Ś and repeat! Sound like fun? You can also watch the sky devolve as the sun dips below the horizon to make way for another starry night. Or find enough afternoon time to explore an island and soak up heat from its shoreline rocks.

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A guided kayaking trip early last fall made it all possible. Our five paddlers ranged from 25 to 50 in age and we all came

together at the Snug Harbour government dock on Parry Sound, where we looked out towards a lighthouse we would later kayak

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past on the water. After safety training and wet-exit practice, kayaks were loaded with everything needed for a weekend of island living. Then we were off, and a sense of ease and contentment settled upon everyone. We knew that now we could relax. Our Franklin Island campsite wasn’t a far paddle, so we took our time. The slower pace allowed us to get to know each other a little, and the area too. Everyone was here for the same reason – escape

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the city and experience part of the Georgian Bay UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, the world’s largest freshwater archipelago – 30,000 islands. We landed at a westerly facing campsite with windswept pines and a panoramic view of the bay. Morning clouds were clearing and the forecast was for more clear skies ahead. After landing, the group set up tents and gear (tarp, MSR stove, wash buckets), and the campsite began looking like a little community. So we sat down for tea and homemade scones together, then some went for a swim while others walked along the shore, and I started in on dinner. That meant pan fried, freshcaught whitefish we had bought in the nearby village of Nobel. The fish came with lemon, rice, a spinach and feta salad, tuna wraps and a Rice Krispies chocolate roll to top it all off. We took our plates and a glass of wine to a natural rock bench on the west side of the island. It felt like it had been carved out a billion years ago for us to sit and admire the view. Distant islands were silhouetted by the setting sun,

a spectacle that mesmerised us into silence. Then the stars began appearing, first one by one and then too fast to count. We fell asleep that night to the soothing sound of ripples on the shore. A clear night melded into a clear morning with everyone gathered around the coffee pot to plan our day over fruit, yogurt, cereal, eggs, bacon and toast – no food shortage on this trip. Our day ahead was for exploring, so we broke camp and packed the boats. Water conditions were paddleperfect and it was exciting to be crossing open bays and then making our way through channels not much wider than the kayaks. We took turns deciding whether to navigate around islands on the inside (more protected) or the outside (more exposed). Everyone seemed to be comfortable on the water as we accepted the “invitation” of an island we spotted with a sand beach, where we refuelled with quinoa salad and tuna wraps. Afterwards, we gravitated towards a jumping rock for exaggerated

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splashes into crystal clear water. We found out how “island time” takes over “real time,” and knew how obsessed we had been with schedules and learned how it feels to shut down that part of the brain. Eventually, reluctantly, we did have to start our journey home. The return trip gave us a chance to reflect on the time spent laughing, breathing fresh air and being physically active. It was the kind of trip anyone would like to repeat, and we’re hoping to make it happen again this summer. ~Christine Utas is a guide with White Squall Paddling Centre.

Want to experience this trip or choose from many others? Visit ontariooutdoor.com to book this adventure or see a selection of many more you're sure to love!

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No room for blame in whitewater tandem paddling Two in a canoe means “co-operate!” By Kyle Smith

Paddling a canoe in whitewater is a recipe for thrills and a great way to get close to nature, but rapids in tandem are challenging, and it’s too easy to blame the other paddler if something goes wrong. Fall into that trap, and your partner may wish that you’d tackled this stretch of water solo. Tandem canoeing offers as many challenges inside the boat as the water does outside it, so spend some time developing your own technique, getting along with your partner, and being really clear about the roles that go with each position in the boat. That way everybody aboard can have fun.

once. Time spent on the basics – solid forward strokes and steering strokes – locks them in for when the going gets tough. Another element is posture. Sitting properly upright disconnects your torso from your lower half, so you can tilt the boat easier. And take time to “read” the water so you can anticipate manoeuvres and how to execute them. And it never hurts to imitate how better boaters do it.

Upping your technique

Getting along to paddle along

photo by hap wilson

Do it slowly. It takes about 100 hours to lock in muscle memory, so work yourself bit by bit into how to handle rapids, rather than all at

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Working as a tandem partnership requires strong communication. This responsibility falls most often

on the stern partner since that paddler can better see the boat’s angle to the current and has more control of manoeuvrability. And it’s hard to hear the bow partner shouting over their shoulder. Using clear communication in advance so both bow and stern partners understand what manoeuvre happens next. Working together to time strokes, get the right tilt, and understand your specific duties will mean a good paddling experience. Understanding your own role Despite their common goal of smooth paddling, the duties of the bow and stern partner are different. If both paddlers tried to steer the canoe without working in unison, the result could be nothing short of a good swim. In the stern the primary objective is to steer the boat at an appropriate angle to the current and initiate “carves” either into or out of an eddy. If you are in the bow, you are the intuitive partner. The bow paddler must know when to apply more momentum, when to ease off and allow the boat to settle into a trough when surfing or ferrying, and when to place rudder strokes to ensure an optimal carve or pivot point. When entering an eddy, place your bow rudder strokes into the eddy pool, not the moving current. Timing is critical up front. Practise these ideas and efficient and clean lines – the route you want to follow through the rapids – will appear in no time. To build skill in tandem canoeing, practise in calm conditions like flat water or low-key rapids. This will help avoid blame when a line gets botched – and you won’t have to rely on chance when it comes to the big show. ~ Kyle Smith teaches whitewater at Paddler Co-op in Palmer Rapids on the Madawaska River. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

Ile d’Orléans is a cycling jewel in easy reach Old world charm invites you to slow down By Allen Macartney

If you’re looking for new cycling trails, Quebec’s Ile d’Orléans offers spectacular beauty steeped in French Canadian history within a five-hour drive of Ottawa. One of the first settlements in New France, the island just downriver from Quebec City first came to the attention of

Then head north along the St. Lawrence River toward Saint-Pierre and beyond. You’ll pass a series of cider houses, wineries and hills covered in grape vines. Stop in and taste the local fare. Many are excellent. The centre of the island rises in a hump from the shoreline, offering spectacular views of the St. Lawrence River, Montmorency Falls along the north shore, and orchards. Three relatively short roads (2.7, 4.2 and 8.2 kilometres) traverse the island over this hump through maple forests.

Europeans when Jacques Cartier landed there in 1535. Since then, the locals have preserved the habitant farm culture surrounding six colourful villages, including Saint-Jean where two-thirds of the houses are pre-Confederation.

photOS by allen macartney

A paved road loops 67 kilometres around the island. You can circle the whole place at high speed on your bike in about three hours, or adopt a lazier attitude and take a whole long weekend to savour its delights. Alongside arts and craft shops, a stone manor house from 1734, your bicycles will even pass a small

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recording studio! On the south end of the island near SaintePétronille a chocolate factory offers a wide selection of tasty delights, as well as ice cream. Pull your bikes into the shaded park or take a break at the nearby wharf.

North of Sainte-Famille, stop at the oldest cheese factory in North America and taste the continent’s first cheese, served on a hot tray. Further north you’ll pass a trout farm with fish jumping, and kids are welcome to drop a line in the water. At the northeast tip of the island, pull into the treed park and climb the 20-metre wooden tower for a stunning view of the river. Turning south you’ll pass through rolling farmland. Ile d’Orléans is famous for its three annual crops of sweet strawberries (available June through late July). You’ll cycle through hectares laid out in narrow strips, yielding harvests of leeks, apples, raspberries, squash, cucumber and sunflower seeds. Plan to load up at road-side stands before heading back to your B & B. In picturesque Saint-Jean, don’t miss La Boulange, an excellent www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

860 Bank St. (613) 231-6331 www.glebetrotters.com for the places youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll go

-6331 3) 231 . (6t1ters.com o t S k an ro lg 860 Bww.glebet aces youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;l w he pl for t

app watch bakery offering everything from homemade pizza to cinnamon bread. And further south in the village of Saint-Laurent you’ll find a partly restored shipyard at the marine park.

Check out the new Scouts: Secret Island Adventure app

How to Get There Drive to Quebec City, then take Highway 440 to the huge bridge that crosses the St. Lawrence to Ile d’Orléans. After leaving the bridge climb the short hill to the only traffic light on the island. Immediately on your right you’ll find a tourist office with helpful attendants and cycling maps to plan your adventure. The island offers a range of good B & Bs, inns and excellent restaurants for any budget. Though you don’t have to speak French, it always helps.

July weekends can be busy with lots of traffic. That, combined with narrow paved shoulders that disappear in some villages, means cyclists have to choose the sidewalk or the main road. Some people cycle the island counter-clockwise to keep the scenery on the right. But be aware – going this way there’s a long, steep hill (fine if you’re an athlete) along the southeast shore leading into Sainte-Pétronille. The charm and old world joie de vivre of Ile d’Orléans is perfect for a long weekend in slow motion.

Brand new for iOS6 and iPhone, it's an app that will test your outdoor skills to the limit. With over six hours of gameplay, this is an adventure game that will appeal to the 31 million worldwide Scouts, as well as fans of adventure games. Get the app and enjoy the adventure!

Just in time for Spring, Dyson unveils two ultra-compact and powerful vacuums [Check out this press release on the latest two models of the Dyson vacuums and their pretty impressive power.] DC51 is a compact vacuum with the performance of a full-sized upright. It is mounted on a ball for manoeuvrability and a self-adjusting cleaner head maintains constant suction at the cleaner head, across all floor types. James Dyson: “Dyson engineers have concentrated our patented technology. The brief was to produce a small, efficient, powerful machine that performed like a full-size one. “ The cyclone pack acts as an integral part of the machine’s structure and by eliminated ducting around the ball, have streamlined the machine’s profile, making it more manoeuvrable. A direct drive motor sits inside the brush bar lowering the

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cleaner head profile and making it easier to clean under furniture. The self-adjusting base plate adapts to the floor surface, providing constant suction at the cleaner head, whatever the floor type. It's also is the first Dyson upright vacuum cleaner with patented carbon fibre brush bar technology. On carpets the stiff nylon bristles remove dirt. On hard floors the ultra-fine antistatic carbon fibre filaments remove fine dust. Lastly it's on its third-generation ball technology making it highly manoeuvrable in the tightest of spaces. You can order it online at dysoncanada.ca - $549.99 The second star is the the Dyson DC46, their first cylinder vacuum with 2 Tier Radial™ cyclones. Two tiers of smaller cyclones work in parallel to increase airflow. And while other vacuum cleaners still rely on bags or filters to trap dust, losing suction

over time; the DC46 uses two tiers of smaller cyclones which spin faster separating and collecting more microscopic dust. Sitting on a ball, the DC46 is lightweight, manoeuvrable and has a low centre of gravity for negotiating tight turns and getting around furniture. Coupled with a central steering mechanism, the machine is the light to pull, can pivot on the spot, and follows obediently without snagging on corners. The floor tool has two sets of active edges which agitate the carpet pile to remove more dust in each movement. An articulating neck works in tandem allowing the cleaner head to pivot 180˚ without losing floor contact. You can order it online at dysoncanada.ca $549.99.

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What to do when the water runs out By Craig Macartney Without water you can survive only days, but pure drinking water is available in the field if you work at it. Here are some simple techniques to collect enough to survive almost anywhere. Solar still A solar still is a hole in the ground, so it means digging, which damages the environment. So dig one only if it’s a question of survival. And you can’t do this one in winter. All these water-source ideas apply to three seasons only. In winter, there’s snow. Find an area with green foliage and direct sunlight. Dig a hole up to a metre deep and a metre wide, and place a container in the middle of the hole. No bucket? Use a bunched-up cloth, which you can suck moisture out of later. Cover the hole with a clear plastic sheet (tent groundsheet, garbage bag, etc.) leaving 10 centimetres extra around the rim. Weigh down this overlap with stones and place a pebble on the plastic sheet, right above your container. Then let the still go to work. Sunlight heats the air in the hole, evaporating ground moisture, which condenses on the plastic sheet. Be patient. Soon condensation droplets will roll down the plastic and fall into your container. Lining the hole with green leaves and grass increases water accumulation. Restock your still with fresh foliage every day. Peeing around the hole helps boost production, and it’s not gross. Dig a small trench beside the hole and pee into that. The soil will filter out the toxins and the water in your 16 ottawa

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urine will mostly evaporate into the air inside the hole, condense, and fall into your container. At that point, it’s pure, distilled drinking water. If necessary, build several stills, some ways apart. And as a bonus, your plastic sheet will collect dew on top overnight. Plastic bags Place a small pebble in a clear plastic bag and tie it around a leafy tree branch in direct sunlight. Throughout the day, the sun’s heat will raise the temperature in the bag, evaporating the moisture in the leaves. Beads of water will condense on the inside of the bag, roll down and collect around the pebble. Every few hours, carefully remove the bag to drink the water – it will taste leafy – and tie the bag onto a new branch. This way, the tree is not harmed and your bag is kept in direct sunlight. Mobile plastic bags You can do more or less the same thing while on the move. Throw several handfuls of fresh, nonpoisonous leaves into your bag. Tie it shut leaving plenty of air inside like a balloon, and strap it to your pack where it will catch the most sunlight.

Physical labour makes you thirsty faster. If you’re up against dehydration, travel only if there is a reliable water source within a reasonable distance. Dew collection If you have no plastic bag or groundsheet, collect dew and rain with clothing. When the sun rises, dew evaporates quickly, so start before dawn. Wipe down grass and low lying leaves with any cloth you have. As it gets wet, suck out the moisture and then keep collecting. This takes time, but even a small field yields a lot of water. Another dew collection method involves leaving out metal pots and bowls. When the temperature drops overnight, water condenses and collects in the bottom of the container. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

bits-'n-bites – By Jennifer Hartley Did you Know?

Perambulate your way through the Capital Perambulating? Sounds like something done to you on an operating table but actually it is something you do every day: walking. It comes from the Latin words per (as in through) and ambulare (walk). And it’s good for you. Get out and take a stroll. Current health guidelines recommend taking 10,000 steps per day. How far is that anyway? According to the Heart and Stroke Association, it’s just over eight kilometres.

Are you a true Canadian? If so, this summer prove it. Pierre Berton once said “A Canadian is someone who knows how to have sex in a canoe.” In a recent sex survey by Environics and Playtex, only eight per cent of Canadians have actually done it that way. And of those who have, Ontarians top the list at 14 per cent. B.C.ers and Atlantic Canadians come next at seven per cent respectively.

Feeling a little competitive? Wear red. Dr. Andrew Elliot, a psychology professor at the University of Rochester, coauthored a study on the colour that revealed that when people see red, their reactions become faster and more forceful. Red is a trigger colour, a cue for flight. Subconsciously, it makes you move faster when you see it. And when others see it on you? That’s good for you too. The study showed that athletes competing against an opponent wearing red are more likely to lose.

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TheBookNook

perfect books Sylvie Sabourin will sign her photography book, Emotions, at Perfect Books, 258A Elgin Street. With over 170 nature photos taken around Ottawa to illustrate the Canadian seasons, this coffee table book also featuring text written by Sylvie in both French and English is sure to catch your attention. Get your book signed June 16th, 1-3:00pm. www.sylviesabourin.ca.

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The great Canadian nature detective hunt By Allen Macartney

People can walk through a forest almost blind to their surroundings. Even dogs can walk right by a rabbit. Perhaps there’s so much stress in city life that nature’s beauty gets lost in the clutter in our heads, and nature’s mysteries remain just that – mysteries. Maybe it’s time to take singer Carly Simon’s advice and “turn down the noise in our mind.” One way to do this – to reinforce your own knowledge and open the natural world to children at the same time – is with a nature detective hunt. It could help you to live in the outdoor moment more fully right now.

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The best outdoor detectives spend a lot of time looking and listening, and less time talking. But you can talk, look and listen your way to solving some of these puzzles to include in your own nature detective hunt.

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Puzzle No. 1: Is that wire growing out of a tree? Answer: A farmer nailed a wire fence to the tree decades ago, and the tree grew around and over the wire. You’ll see this frequently on hikes through overgrown farm fields. Ask your young sleuths where the wire came from and how it got “buried” in the tree. Puzzle No. 2: Why are multiple branches growing out of a deformed tree trunk? Answer: A beaver chewed off the top of a young tree, or a thoughtless hiker snapped it off. Tell the kids to look closely at the thick branches sprouting from the trunk. They’ll see that when a main trunk is cut off, several other branches sprout up take over, but the result is a deformed tree.

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Puzzle No. 3. How come that tree trunk has those scratch marks? Answer: Bears leave claw marks as they climb trees, like this one in the Yukon. Around Ottawa you see bear marks on beech trees (the ones with the very smooth grey bark) because they’re hungry for the beech nuts. Deer or moose use bark to rub the fur off new antlers. Can your detectives judge how high the bear climbed, or the height of the deer? Or how old the scratch marks are? (Hint: Sap starts to fill in older scratch marks.) Puzzle No. 4. Is that a wooden doughnut on the tree trunk? Answer: No, donuts don’t grow on trees. Take a closer look. A child might easily guess what caused it – a branch broke off close to the trunk. If the “doughnut” hole is fairly deep, it tells you the branch broke off long ago. The deeper the hole, the longer the time. Brainstorm how the branch

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could have broken – an ice storm, a thoughtless hiker? Puzzle No. 5. What’s that growth on rocks? Answer: The crust-like greyish growth on some rocks is lichen. Lichens take decades to form, so try not to break any off. They avoid polluted areas, so ask the kids what a thick colony indicates. (A healthy forest area.) Look for low, mat- or twig-like lichens on the forest floor. These are sometimes called “reindeer moss” because caribou eat them. Puzzle No. 6. Who or what drilled all those huge holes in that dead tree? Canada’s biggest Woodpecker, that’s who, pictured above. And she (a female, because she has no red under her bill) was looking for something to eat. Huge black-andwhite-and-red pileated woodpeckers drill into live or dead trees, hunting mostly for wood-boring ants. When they’re at work, they’re loud! Puzzle No. 7. Who piled up all those opened clam shells on the lake shore? Answer: A raccoon had a clamson-the-half-shell dinner here. While the children are brainstorming where they came from, tell them to check for animal prints in the mud. While you’re assembling your own nature quiz, keep an eye out for bird nests (occupied or empty), slashes on tree trunks from lightning strikes, and hiking trash from humans. Figure out what might happen when wildlife meets trash. Listen for quiz materials too. Seasoned hikers can hear a forest like a conductor can hear the separate instruments in the orchestra. Ask children to just count the sounds they hear, from birds to creaking branches, to insects, to running water. The total might surprise them. And you.

P A L M E R FESTIVAL MAY LONG WEEKEND MAY 18 and 19, 2013

Whitewater canoe and kayak clinics for everyone from beginner to expert. Join us at this annual gathering of paddlers on the May long weekend. Register for whitewater paddling and river-rescue clinics taught by qualified and quality instructors. River Fest is a family-friendly event with clinics for kids, as well as daycare. Exhibitors from the paddling industry will also be on site. Palmer River Fest is held at the Paddler Co-op Boathouse, located on the shore of the Madawaska River, Palmer Rapids, Ontario.

www.paddlerco-op.com 613-758-2772

PADDLER CO-OP

Whitewater Kayak and Canoe Programs River Safety and Rescue • WFA Exceptional Instructors Campsites on the Shore of the Madawaska River

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Step back in time in an old-growth forest SHAW WOODS OFFERS TRANQUILITY AND WONDER By Grant Dobson

photos by grant dobson

Old growth forests are rare in eastern Canada, particularly near big cities, but there’s one just an hour’s drive west of Ottawa, virtually untouched since European explorers first ventured up the Ottawa River. It’s called Shaw Woods, and walking into it is a journey back in time, giving visitors a glimpse of the 17th-century Ottawa Valley. A first-time visitor will be amazed simply by the height of the trees. The lowest branches of many of these maple, beech and hemlock (some more than two centuries old) are as high as the canopy of many woodlots around Ottawa. The woods first opened to the public in the 1970s. More recently, a not-for-profit group of local volunteers has expanded the trail network, built boardwalks over sensitive areas and developed a selfguided interpretive program. As in any old growth forest, there

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are many dead trees, some standing, others fallen over along the trails. This is no sign of an unhealthy forest. In fact, very much the opposite is true. These “casualties” provide habitat and recycle nutrients

to create a living space for a host of other plants and animals. You can best absorb the intrinsic value of this place during a quiet walk along one of the six trails, a 7.5-kilometre network meandering through wetlands and forest and along the Snake River and Doré Scarp to a scenic lookout. It’s a great place to stop for a break and maybe

observe the comings and goings of a nesting pair of bald eagles. Their enormous stick nest is visible high up in a white pine across Shaw’s Pond, created in 1847 to provide for water power for a grist and sawmill. The secretive Canadian lynx is a rare northern mammal which makes its home here. In spring, the chorus of wood warblers against a backdrop of wildflowers, ferns and fungi attracts birdwatchers and naturalists from around the region. Two interpretive map-guides illuminate the connections between the biological, geological and human histories of the land. These woods are named for the Shaw family, who lived here for many years and still allow public access to the 50 hectares of oldgrowth forest and an adjacent www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

160 hectares of bush. John Shaw, a Scottish miller, and his wife Barbara Thompson arrived with their two-year-old son by canoe from Bytown in 1847. Mammoth grist stones remain near their dam on the Snake River, a destination for settlers who would leave home at dawn, walk up to 20 kilometres with a 30-kilogram bag of grain on their back, and return by nightfall with the ground flour. For thousands of years before that, the river linked Algonquin people living along the shores of Lake Doré with the rest of the Ottawa River watershed. Seldom traveled today, the Snake makes for an interesting day trip and wildlife viewing for the adventurous flat-water paddler. But put in your boat during high-water season and be prepared for pullouts for beaver dams and fallen trees. If you launch at Lake Doré there is a free parking lot, a nice beach on shallow water, and plenty of room for picnics. Doré’s claim to

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fame is it’s the world’s largest inland freshwater lake without an island. From the parking lot, paddle north to the outlet of Snake River and then on through Shaws Pond (the old maps skip the apostrophe) and downriver as far as you wish to explore. Several short portages are required. Whether you stop in for an hour’s walk or a whole day, it’s free. There’s more info, trail maps, and guides at shawwoods.ca.

Directions: From Ottawa take Highway 17 west to Cobden. Turn left at Main Street (which becomes Eganville Road/County Road 8) and continue for 12.3 kilometres to a stop sign. Turn right onto Bulger Road, then left into the Shaw Woods parking lot at 2065 Bulger Road. To continue on to Lake Doré from the Shaw Woods trailhead, go one kilometre north on Bulger Road to Highway 41. Turn left, then almost immediately right at Township Park Road. Park, and take the short walk to the lake. ~ Grant Dobson is a volunteer director at Shaw Woods Outdoor Education Centre Inc.

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Nature’s Brita Filtering water in the field makes sense By Craig Macartney Staying hydrated is a must, but when you’re backpacking outdoors, water is both heavy and bulky. One solution is to make an efficient water filter in the field. Only specialized filters can completely destroy bacteria and pathogens. So always boil your field-filtered water, unless survival circumstances prevent this. You need three containers. • a water bottle to convert into the filter • a container for the filtered water • a cup for pouring raw water through the filter. In a pinch you can pour water through your filter with your hands and let it drain directly into your mouth.

Locate a water source unlikely to be contaminated by human or animal waste. Ideally, draw from running water, but as long as you aren’t using a stagnant puddle with a pile of bear feces sitting in it, you should be fine. Collect a tightly packed handful of fresh grass, enough sand to fill a third of your bottle, and lots of charcoal – the key purifying ingredient. Charcoal is used medically to absorb viruses and poisons in the stomach and intestines, but it’s not enough to guarantee complete safety. That’s the reason for the warning at the top of this story: boil the filtered water no matter how clean it looks. The easiest way to get that charcoal is among the cold ashes

of your fire pit. Rinse the hard, blackened wood remains and avoid the grey-white ashes. Or you can make charcoal in a tin can or pot, tightly packed with pieces of wood. Start a fire, let it burn down, and place the pot full of wood upside down over the coals. Then rebuild the fire over and around the pot and let it burn out. Once the embers are cool, there will be charcoal in the pot. Crush or grind it into fine granules and set it aside. Filter construction Cut the bottom off your water bottle and remove the lid. Flip the bottle up-side-down and if you have a clean cloth, stuff it into the bottle’s funnel to prevent the other materials from falling out. Next, pack the funnel with fresh grass – using extra if you didn’t use a cloth. Add a layer of sand, filling about one sixth of your bottle. Next add an equal layer of tightly packed charcoal. Repeat these layers, leaving at least 10 centimetres of empty space at the top of your filter. Fill the remaining space with fresh grass, which filters out large debris and keeps the water from displacing the charcoal. Your filter is ready. Holding it over your clean container, slowly pour water into the top, allowing it to filter through to, and out, the bottom. If the water doesn’t come out clear, pour it through again until you are satisfied. Then boil it!

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Bas-Saint-Laurent A MARITIME REGION OF QUÉBEC TO DISCOVER

Bic National Park

Route Verte cycling trail La Pocatière

Île Verte Lighthouse

Lac-Témiscouata National Park (opening June 2013)

Whale-watching excursions Rivière-du-Loup

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.

For road trip and getaway ideas, visit

quebecmaritime.ca/GoToBSL

Profile: Jan Vandentillaart

Riding for a reason cycling to help cancer Sept. 7 By Tracey Tong

She competes in triathlon, runs, hikes, kayaks, cycles, curls and has even been swimming with stingrays. Jan Vandentillaart is a bundle of energy and a picture of health. Imagine her shock when, in January 2012, the 53-year-old was diagnosed with endometrial cancer. “It was so frustrating to have done everything right over the years and still end up with cancer. At every

single appointment I went to, they said, “other than the cancer, you are very, very healthy.’ It ended up helping me, because they said they could give me all the chemo and radiation I could handle.” Following a hysterectomy, Vandentillaart underwent six rounds of chemotherapy and twentyfive radiation treatments at The Ottawa Hospital, during which she continued to embrace life, whether it was fulfilling a lifelong dream to go jet-skiing with her son, or planning a trip to Las Vegas. “I was determined not to let cancer beat me,” she recalled. “I forced myself through the aches and pains to triumph at the finish line.” Now cancer-free, Vandentillaart credits “a positive attitude and setting goals” for her speedy recovery. 24 ottawa

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Coincidentally, Vandentillaart found her latest goal at The Ottawa Hospital, the same place she’d received her cancer treatment. On September 7, Vandentillaart will Ride the Rideau in support of cancer research at The Ottawa Hospital. The Ottawa-toMerrickville bike tour, with 100 km and 50 km options, is entering its fourth year in 2013 and has raised more than $4.4 million. Vandentillaart has already exceeded her goal of raising $1,500 for cancer research by knitting hats and bags in exchange for donations to her fundraising. “It’s a great cause,” said Vandentillaart. “I want to raise money for research that will help others.” Ironically, the general accountant said cancer has made her a better person. “I have learned to slow down and take in the beautiful things around me in the world that I used to ignore because

• The fourth edition of Ride the Rideau will be held on Saturday, Sept. 7. • The Ride begins at Ottawa’s new CE Centre and ends in Merrickville. • Riders are asked to raise a minimum of $1,500 to participate. • To register to ride or sign up to volunteer, visit www.ridetherideau.ca.

I was too busy,” she said. “Hopefully I can spread this positive energy to others so that they too can begin to enjoy life like I have.” The fourth edition of Ride the Rideau will be held on Saturday, September 7. To register to ride, sign up to volunteer or to sponsor a rider, visit www.ridetherideau.ca

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2013

Adidas Boost - $150 Packed with thousands of special energy capsules melted together into one midsole, it will change your run forever. The black and yellow Energy Boost is designed to show off the high energy return and the extremely soft cushioning. When you try this trainer on, you'll know your way of running has changed for good. The Energy Boost is the first running shoe that is equipped with the revolutionary BOOST™ technology, but it will not be the last. This is only the start of the running revolution. Look for it wherever Adidas shoes are sold.

Snugpak Utility Pack – $27 The ultimate in personal organization, the bag has it all from pockets, document storage down to a lanyard to attach your keys. Keep everything that’s important close to hand and easy to get to, perfect for travelling and everyday use. Look for it at www.kitchissippibendoutfitters.ca

COOL gear

LEVEL SIX recreational sport surf & paddle Wear (clockwise) – Amped – $39 The Amped boardshort from Level Six embraces the roots of surf wear with truly retro styling and trim, all Black mounted on great colors and patterns. Vacation – $25 Great fitting classic basic T that looks super stylish on the beach or just hangin’ out. Featuring nature inspired screenprints, these shirts incorporate bold colors and designs. That is why we use ultra soft organic cotton throughout our line. Organic milk, organic fruit, why not organic cotton for your child’s sensitive skin? Apollo Sun Guard – $40 Retro styling ensures your little one is the best looking child on the beach while you know they’re also the best protected child from the sun. Made with an innovative front side-winder zipper so they can crawl, play and roll around without a zipper chafing their bellies. This long front zipper also makes for easy diaper changes. Jack – $39 NEW FOR 2013. The Jack features two side pockets to create a traditional looking board short that can be worn at the beach or on the adventure getting there and back. Stella Short Sleeve Sun Guard – $32 Finally a girls lycra sun guard that stays true to original surf styling of the surfers rash top. Featuring UPF 50 sun protection, chlorine and salt water resistance, flat stitched seams, polyester based ultra stretch lycra, and a comfort panel fit system. Look for these and other items at Bushtukah, Mountain Equipment Co-op, SAIL and select other locations.

FRONTENAC OUTFITTERS’ Delta Kayaks 16 skeg – $2,495 Delta kayaks 16’s Sexy, Hot Looks, sleek, narrow lines and Shallow Vee hull design make the 16’s the Ferrari Sports Car of the Delta Kayak Line! Don’t let the boats sleek lines deceive you... this is a definitely an advanced, big water, sea kayak for a wide range of paddler sizes seeking to improve their skills tong term. Look for it at www.FrontenacOutfitters.com

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HOT CLOTHING

Darn Tough Vermont Technical Socks – $17-$23 Hikers are demanding technical sock options so that the sock/boot combination performs as and optimized system. Darn Tough Vermont, the premium all weather performance sock maker, designed its Hike/Trek socks to be lightweight, highly technical hiking footwear. A blend of merino wool provides an itch-free, naturally wicking and anti-microbial fabric. High-density terry loop cushioning on the foot bed and shin provides comfort for all-day treks, without bulkiness. A Lycra spandex weave ensures that the sock matches the arch and contours of your foot without bunching up. Ring-toe construction offers a virtually seamless feel, and reinforced heal and toe areas supply added durability where it is needed most. Look for it at www.darntough.com

Glebe Trotters WOMEN'S BARE ACCESS ARC 2 – $105 You want the feel of barefoot, but also some cushioning? Enter our Bare Access Arc 2, which adds uniform toe to heel cushioning that buffers impacts while still letting your foot land flat. Lightweight and low cut, this is perfect for transitioning to barefoot, and features a synthetic leather and breathable mesh upper with rear heel stability. Vibram® pods on the Bare Access Shape sole stick and spring off of any surface.. Look for it at Glebe Trotter’s in Ottawa.

MAUI JIM’S NEW HOT SANDS SUNGLASSES – $189 The new aerodynamic design of Hot Sands embeds the company’s patented PolarizedPlus2® lens technology into a sleek, flexible model that is ideal for a wide range of fast-paced, active sports demanding eyewear with superior fit, durability and anti-slip features.The non-slip Rubberon temple inserts provide extra grip for a more secure feel, and adjustable nose pads prevent slippage during even the most intense activities. These sunglasses come in Gloss Black, Blue, Rootbeer and Translucent Matte Grey. Look for it wherever MauiJim glasses are sold.

Snugpak Rocket Pak with Yoke – $199 (yoke $39) The Rocket Pak™ has a very spacious and versatile 40 Litres main compartment. It contains an aluminum removable stay. Removable Stays can be removed and then bent to fit your back. It also has an internal pocket/sleeve for a hydration system. Also another unique and versatile feature is its two removable side pockets are compatible and attach to the Snugpak® Yoke System. When the side pockets are attached to the Snugpak the user gets a total of a 30 Litre daypack. Look for it at www.kitchissippibendoutfitters.ca

Kelty Lumatech– $59 With two light settings, this versatile grab-and-go anodized aluminum personal lantern is great for quick backpacking trips. With up to 99 hours of light, you'll have a reliable source all summer-long. Look for it at www.kitchissippibendoutfitters.ca

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ottawa outdoors 27

Running through the jungle With snakes, bugs, monkeys and jaguars for company By Karen Meades The Jungle Marathon is a 220-kilometre foot race through primary Amazon forest in Brazil, and in October 2010 I found myself in it. I was humbled to be one of the only four women – and the only Canadian of either gender – in a field of 100 runners. We carried our own food and kit between the three or four checkpoints per day, where doctors made sure the runners’ condition was OK and race organizers provided water. The last checkpoint each day was where runners slept in the hammocks they had backpacked along for the ride, because jungle

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floors are not a good idea – too many ants and other insects which can hurt you. The race went like this: The starting point for day one was a 12-hour boat ride down the Amazon from Alter do Chão, a town near the mouth of the Amazon River. Over four days, we would run back to the town along old hunting trails. The hills were almost straight up – climb half hour, take a quick break, climb some

more – and the descents were as challenging as the climbs. Day two was all about water crossings and bogs, with lots of creepy crawlers. Day three was more hills, more water – I was noticing a trend. Day four was supposed to be a little easier, to allow recuperation before the “long stage,” but it wasn’t. Just more water and hills. That long stage was no biggie, I thought. Had someone told me it would be almost two days later before I finished, I would have laughed and said “that’s nuts.” It was. Hills and water were interspersed with jungle, bugs, snakes and the biggest butterflies I’ve ever seen. And a cow right there in the middle of the jungle. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

I arrived at checkpoint four after 3:30 p.m. Since the local jaguars feed at dusk, we had to wait in deep jungle for sunrise. Soldiers and two doctors kept 10 runners company through the night, and I was thinking, who gets to experience this? Who gets to hear the sounds of monkeys (loud, like street traffic), and the growls and thrashing of animals hunting and being hunted? We made it into the next checkpoint camp around midnight. After a couple of hours of sleep, it was into the final day’s run at

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6 a.m. My entire body was aching. An infection on both legs had been treated by the field docs with antibiotics which made me retch. The blisters on my feet had torn off or “bubbled” – I wasn’t sure which and was afraid to look. I told myself, stay focused and I’ll soon be at the finish line But it was 32 kilometres away along a beach. The sand was abrasive torture in paradise. I counted down every 50 metres, calculating how far to go. Debbie, a fellow runner from Scotland, and I were a pair by this time, sticking together for safety and strength in numbers. It didn’t hurt that Debbie’s day job was as a special forces police detective in Scotland and she seemed made of steel. I couldn’t have finished without her. But finish we did, no mean feat for an amateur runner. I had

started 15 years ago with the fivekilometre clinic at Running Room, found out I was a slow runner, and just built my endurance slowly. I started international running with Marathon des Sables, six days across the Sahara Desert in Morocco, and discovered other races from fellow participants. For me, the Altacama Crossing in Chile could be next – the driest desert on earth.

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How to launch your kayak from a dock

By Gary & Joanie McGuffin

Getting in and out of your kayak from a dock can be a bit more challenging, especially if you have to step down a distance. The trick is to keep your weight on the supporting structure while at the same time keeping your weight centered over the kayak so it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go shooting out from underneath you. At first, it is wise to get your sprayskirt secure while you still have the dock close at hand. Then

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pick your paddle up and you are ready to go. Slip your feet into the cockpit, centering your weight over the kayak. Turn your body so that it faces the supporting structure. Lower yourself straight down into the cockpit. Depending on the length of your legs and the cockpit

opening size, you may have to sit on the back deck temporarily before slipping inside the cockpit. Slide down into the cockpit, maintaining your grip on the dock so you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t float away leaving your paddle behind! At this point, you have to use both hands to get the sprayskirt on. But the dock is there for support if you need it.

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TIMMINS

the great outdoors and more!

The 5th Annual

Great Canadian Kayak Challenge & Festival

Up to $15 in cash pri,000 zes!

August 24-25, 2013 Timmins, Ontario

Join us for the 5th annual Great Canadian Kayak Challenge & Festival, August 24-25, 2013. Taking place at the Mountjoy Historical Conservation Park, in Timmins, Ontario.

• • • • • • • • •

9 Paddling Divisions Kayak Clinics “Kayak for the Heart of it” 3-person Sprint Race Children Activities Art & Culture Routes... performing arts, exhibits, aboriginal village and more Saturday Evening Fireworks Highland Dance Competition Rubber Duck Race Multi Band Saturday night free concert

To register or for additional information, please contact Guy Lamarche at 705.360.2640 or email guy.lamarche@timmins.ca

photo credits: Remi Villars JR and Claude J Gagnon Photography

Paddling categories for all ages, from novice to expert, youth to seniors, and a chance to win fantastic cash prizes.

www.thegreatcanadiankayakchallenge.com

Camping with kids Camping with kids is not the same as traversing the Homathko Icefield. To keep your family keen and yourself sane, car camping might just be the easiest way to introduce them to the joys of living outdoors. Where to Go Pick your campground early. Many of the bigger national and provincial parks are very busy during the summer. If possible, make a reservation. • Choose a site that has some amenities. Flush toilets, hot showers, fire pits, and running water make life easier. • Schedule short drives for your first few camping trips. • Have a back-up plan in case the weather turns bad. Getting Geared Up • If you are not familiar with your gear, set it up at home. Pitch the tent, light your stove, and test the lantern. • Plan fast, easy, and healthy meals. The super-organized can even precut veggies and pack appropriate portions for each meal. • Involve your children in the planning process. They can help pack, or pick a few meals to increase their excitement about the upcoming adventure. • Pack your gear, and store it at home, in large plastic tubs. That way everything stays together, and you don’t need to check and re-check your equipment every time you go away. • Make sure every child has their own flashlight. And don’t worry about over-packing, let your kids bring a few extra luxuries. • If required, bring a roll of quarters for the showers, and if allowed, bring your own firewood. Settling In When selecting your campsite, note the location of the bathrooms, the nearest road, and the closest source of water. Close is good, but too close and you’ll have people walking through 32 ottawa

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your campsite all day and night. • Place a mat at the door of the tent to keep dirt to a minimum. • Bring a reusable plastic tablecloth to preserve a relatively clean eating area. • Assign a boundary for kids to stay inside, such as the perimeter of your campsite, Bigger kids may be allowed to travel to the perimeter of the campground. Set clear rules: “don’t cross this line unless you have an adult with you.” • Never leave your stove or food unattended in the campsite. Bears are one thing, but squirrels, crows, or racoons are all equally capable of destroying a weekend’s worth of food. • Do not feed or play with any wildlife. It is harmful to the animals to eat human food, and dangerous for them to become accustomed to humans. Kids Camping Checklist Kids love the idea of camping: sleeping in a tent, roasting marshmallows, exploring beaches or forest trails, the sound of rain on a tarp. But the ground can be hard, mosquitoes love the forest, and they’ll get bored quick if it rains. Remembering to bring the essentials – like bug spray and cards – will help make the reality as amazing as their idea of it. Kids Camping Gear  Backpack  Tent, tarp, or bivy sack  Sleeping bag  Sleeping pad  Camping permits (if needed)  Stove and fuel  Cooking and eating utensils  Water treatment or filter  Toiletries (including toilet paper)

The Essentials  Map  Compass  Sunglasses/Sunscreen  Food  Headlamp/flashlight  First-aid kit  Water  Matches – in waterproof container  Fire starter  Knife  Repair kit  Trip plan – left with a friend  Whistle Kids Camping Clothing  Hiking boots  Gaiters  Socks (liner and outers)  Base layer top/bottoms  Down or synthetic insulated top  Long-sleeved sun shirt  Underwear  Rainwear or outer shell top/ bottoms  Short-sleeved shirt  Insulating hat  Pants  Shorts  Gloves or mitts  Sun hat Extra Items  Altimeter  Binoculars  Rope  Camera and accessories  Notebook and pencil  Deck of cards  Sandals  Paperback  Biodegradable soap  GPS  Watch or alarm clock  Thermos  Insect repellent  Bug shirt ~ Article supplied by Mountain Equipment Co-op's editorial team. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

TIMMINS

the great outdoors and more!

Free admission, no long lines. This year get off the beaten path and discover stunning natural attractions only Mother Nature could create. Breathtaking outdoor experiences and adventures to last a life time. A place of peace and tranquility where the family can enjoy endless discoveries.

You in? For information on hiking, biking, camping, fishing, golfing contact tourismtimmins.com or call 1-800-387-8466.

tourismtimmins.com

For packages and flights to Timmins visit PorterEsapes.com

Adventure racing strategies Pack the Snickers and learn to navigate By Mark McCann The credo for adventure racers (AR) is this: If it can go wrong, it just did. After years of competition and organizing adventure races, I’ve faced the problems, adversities, challenges, injuries and politics of dealing with less-than-optimum teammates. I’ve begged, borrowed and invented some AR strategies that have acquired a proven track record. These valuable tips and tricks have helped me and others save valuable time and frustration in adventure race preparation and execution. Here are my top five adventure race strategies: 1. Be prepared With the high probability of things going wrong during a race, it is crucial to be prepared. Most AR aficionados agree that anything can happen during an adventure race. When things don’t go our way, we tend to say, “That’s adventure rac-

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ing.” But, don’t bring misfortune on yourself by being ill-prepared. I have seen teams arriving at race registration with missing or inappropriate gear, incomplete paperwork, and asking questions that were already answered in competitor updates. Don’t leave the packing to the night before the race. Pack your gear and your support vehicle at least two days in advance. You and your team should all get together at least two days prior to the event to ensure all your gear, food, hydration, support vehicle and lodging are in place. Practise this to save time at race registration and transition areas. This strategy will provide your team with enough time to make alterations and double-check gear before race day. 2. Managing and practicing for transition areas To be successful in adventuring racing, transition areas (TAs) should be efficient and productive. Your team needs good strategy, practice and discipline to significantly increase the odds of leaving the TAs well fed, properly equipped, and as rested as possible. Strategy. Transition strategy should be discussed and agreed upon with your teammates prior to a race. Once the course is known, review your TA strategy and make adjustments based on the design. Before you enter the TA, reaffirm your initial strategy, make adjustments as necessary and stick to it as much as possible.

Time goals. Plan how much time the team should spend in a TA. Individual roles. Roles and responsibilities should be well defined, including support people if available. Discuss this prior to arriving at the next TA. Equipment and food organization. Develop a system to organize and pack your equipment and food so any team member or support crew can find whatever they need in any gear container. Personalize your boxes so they are easily identified. Practise transitions. Do this before the race as much as you can. Practise bike-to-kayak or swimming-torappelling and others considering weather, daylight, food intake and all the possible factors you can imagine during the race. Pack before you sleep. Do not rest, sleep or eat before preparing your pack and gear for the next section of the race. Keep a spare equipment box. Why risk your race by not having backups of mandatory or crucial gear available at the TAs? Gear gets easily lost or damaged. Pack extra necessities (e.g. compass, map case, tire tubes, knife, bike pump, glowsticks, cyclometer, first aid supplies, rappelling device, water purifier, bladder and/or water bottles and bite valve, gloves, headlamp, et al).

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is before you are involved in a race. It helps to know how you and your teammates handle sleep deprivation. People get cranky and difficult to deal with when they are exhausted. This is just another part of the race, and your team must learn to tame the discomfort, emotion and effect of sleep deprivation.

3. Sleep management People ask me all the time, “How do I train for sleep deprivation?” I tell people what Ian Adamson told me: “Practice sleep management, not sleep deprivation. Don’t train for sleep deprivation; going without sleep is physically and mentally damaging. Instead, recognize when you need it in a race and make sure

you don’t dig yourself into a sleep deprivation hole.” You can’t really train for sleep deprivation because you’ll never get better at it, but it’s important to know what it feels like and what it does to your body. The more practice you have making rational decisions on little sleep, the better. The best time to experience the effects

4. Nutrition and hydration There is no perfect formula for nutrition and hydration during adventure races. Due to the length of most events, food, drink and timing becomes a highly personal matter. The best recommendation is to eat and drink as much as possible at all times. The key is to know what you like to eat, what foods and drinks work for you and what timing works best for your body’s processes. My strategy is to eat something every 90 minutes. Energy bars, fruit bars, trail mix, peanut butter, chips, dried fruit and even a Snickers bar.

ak y a . .K site e b e o an ing our w C . g k sit ikin. Treklease vi B ain ring ation p .com t n u e Mo iente e inform pulse ADVENTURE RACE Or r mor .raid Fo

Presented by

Ottawa Outdoors Magazine www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

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MAY 18.2013 8 HOURS

CAMP AIR EAU BOIS Outaouais,QC SPRINT RACE

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ottawa outdoors 35 3/17/13 7:33:34 AM

You should ingest carbohydrates and easily digestible proteins and fats -- but focus on carbs. If your body runs out of stores, it won’t be your fat or protein stores. Remember, you can only stockpile about 2,000-2,500 calories as glycogen (the storage form of carbs). Plus, if you eat enough carbs, you won’t need to use so much protein, which should be kept in reserve for necessary body repairs. For hydration, an electrolyte replacement is crucial. There are a number of ER powders on the market; Eload, Cytomax, Gatorade, and others. Find out through trial and error which one is best for you. I recommend Eload or Cytomax.

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5. Navigation Always know where you are on the map. Never wait too long before looking at your map to familiarize yourself with the surroundings. It is very important to be able to recognize landmarks such as trails, roads and streams at all times. When navigating by map and compass, the most important lesson I’ve learned is to trust my compass and pace count – don’t second-guess yourself. Sometimes roads, trails, and streams may not appear on your map. Check when the map was last updated -- some maps haven’t been updated for more than 20 years. At least two people on your team must be good navigators. If you aren’t one of them, your racing options will be limited because you will have to find people who can navigate for you. Ideally, everyone should have some navigation skills. Calculate distances between check points and transition areas on your map before the race. This is particularly true for the bike. With an odometer, you can quickly check yourself and avoid overshooting that hard-to-find trail. Practise. Practise. Practise. Get a topographic map and take a hike. Start with a familiar location so you

can really see how the map and the real world are different. Then try some unfamiliar turf. Get used to traveling off roads and trails using your compass. There you have it: five key strategies that will get your team to the start line and beyond. Adventure racing is about overcoming adversity and self-reliance. It helps you learn to cope with the unknown and the harsh elements of nature. It’s also about you, your team and what you can accomplish together. You are competing for a reason, whether it’s for fun, competition, or reaching personal goals. Adventure racing has changed my life on many levels, and it can change yours, too.

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6 kilometres. 16 obstacles. 10,000 watt after party. Ottawa June 1 • Montreal June 15 Winnipeg July 27 • Red Deer August 10

• Halifax July 6 • Toronto August 24

Paddling with kids Canoes or kayaks are a great way to bring younger folk along on outdoor adventures. Carrying infants – and all the extra gear they need – is much easier with paddlecraft than with packs. And since everyone is literally in the same boat, keeping adults and children together is simpler on the water than on the trail. A boatload of tips for paddling with kids: • Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) must fit properly to work properly. This is definitely not the time to buy oversize so your child can “grow into it.” • Younger children need to be seated within reach of adults while on the water. Very small infants may be able to share the cockpit of a kayak with an adult who is not wearing a sprayskirt. (Be sure both parent and child can exit the cockpit safely in the event of a capsize.) Larger infants and toddlers can travel in the centre of a canoe, in the middle of a recreational double kayak with a single large cockpit, or between the parents on a double sit-on-top kayak. For older children who don't need to be within arm's reach, some double touring kayaks can be fitted with an optional seat that converts the centre hatch into a third cockpit. • Plan a route where landing spots are always near at hand. Alternatively, equip your boat for bathroom breaks while afloat. (An old bottle should do for boys, a two-litre milk jug cut diagonally in half could serve for girls.) • Select paddling clothing with the assumption it will get wet. Choose quick-drying garments for use in the boat, and carry shore wear sealed in dry bags. • Practice getting in and out of the boat in a safe, shallow location, so that everyone is comfortable with the process. • As children become old enough to progress from passengers to paddlers, invest in kid-sized canoe or 38 ottawa

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kayak paddles. These have narrower shafts, more easily gripped by tiny hands, and smaller blades that are more easily pulled through the water. Be sure the paddle is long enough that the child can reach the water without straining. • The reflective surface of the water delivers a double dose of UV rays, so sunscreen is critical and child-size sunglasses are highly recommended. • Print out our Kids Paddling Checklist to help you pack the essential items for paddling trips. Kids Paddling Checklist Most children are drawn to water like flowers to the sun. It's an attraction we encourage you to encourage. Get them out on paddle trips early and often. Help keep your amphibious offspring comfortable and safe in the boat or during swims (planned or unplanned) with this handy checklist. Kids Watersports Gear  Sandals  Fleece  Pants and top  Rainwear (jacket and pants)  Synthetic, wool or neoprene socks  Lightweight long sleeve shirt (for sun protection)  Wicking top and/or long underwear (tops/bottoms)  Short sleeve shirt  Wetsuit – Youths'  Dry top or drysuit  Gloves / pogies / mitts  Rain hat / toque  Quick-drying shorts / pants  Sun hat

Kids Camping Gear  Backpack  Tent, tarp, or bivy sack  Sleeping bag  Sleeping pad  Camping permits (if needed)  Stove and fuel  Cooking and eating utensils  Water treatment or filter  Toiletries (including toilet paper) The Essentials  Compass  Trip plan (left with a friend)  Food  Headlamp / flashlight  First-aid kit  Matches in waterproof case  Fire starter  Knife  Water  Repair kit  Sunglasses / Sunscreen Canoe Gear  Canoe  Paddle  Personal floatation device  Bilge pump or bailer  Emergency float line  Extra paddle  Repair kit  Emergency signaling devices Z-Drag Rescue Equipment  Throw bag  Pulleys  Prussiks  Carabiners Extra Items  Barometer  Binoculars  Rope  Camera and accessories  Notebook and pencil  Deck of cards  Watch or alarm clock  GPS ~ Article supplied by Mountain Equipment Co-op's editorial team. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

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Mourning my old steely An era passes when a bike dies

and dutifully touched up every paint chip. I thought we would be together forever. But last summer life changed. I was riding an old quiet country

By Bruce Watts My steely died last summer. Ever since, my eyes tend to well up every time I see random steel tubing anywhere in the urban jungle. It’s been an emotional time for a man who was so attached, for so long, to his faithful steel-framed bicycle. In 50 some years I have only partnered with three road bikes. My first was a classic 10-speed Raleigh bought in 1971. The gold-tinted steel beauty was heavy by today’s standards, but it was the talk of the neighbourhood when it first came home from Foster’s bike shop. Other teenagers were both amazed and envious of this sleek road racer with turned-down handle bars, skinny tires and an unbelievable 10 speeds. This first baby was extremely sweet, and it took me over a year of delivering the Globe and Mail to pay her adoption costs. My second arrived in 1985. By then I was an adult and more ready to accept the responsibilities and appreciate the joys of steely ownership. This silver Bianchi was faster, lighter and equipped with a whopping 12 speeds. We were together for many good years and several thousand kilometres. Then we began to grow apart. I wanted more from a bicycle and we became estranged. She found a new 40 ottawa

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rider and I was on the lookout for a new steely. In 1991 I found it, my next true love, a custom steely Concorde Columbo. We were a perfect fit. Her sleek lines, gentle curves, graceful ride, glamourized lugs, and an unbelievable 14 speeds drew me in. We did so much together over the next three decades. A dozen Rideau Lake Cycle Tours, the Adirondacks, the Gatineau hills and thousands of commuter kilometres. As she aged, I remained faithful. I kept her clean and shiny no matter what dirt was thrown our way. I replaced a dozen tires, three chains, four derailers, one pair of shifters,

road when my steely died. The rear derailer jammed into the back spokes and bent the frame – too costly to repair. I got her stiff remains home with the loving help of my wife and placed the remains respectfully in the garage. A couple of days later, with stiff upper lip, a shiny credit card and much trepidation, I bought a brand new carbon mistress. My steely days were over and the era of carbon had begun. I’ll learn to love this new technological marvel, but my heart still yearns for the artistry, romance and smooth ride of my old custommade steely. Rest in peace. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

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Boat access to the Rideau By Sheila Ascroft

Those with riverfront property can put in a canoe or kayak without hassle. For the rest of us, it means carrying the boat, paddles, lifejackets, etc., to the river’s edge after getting the gear to a riverside park by car rack. You’ll find several access points to launch a boat on the north side of the river. Springhurst Park: The park at the XYZ location has no dock. There’s room to car park at the corner of Springhurst and Brunswick Lane, and then it’s only one to 15 metres to the shore. Brantwood Park: You won’t find a dock but there is an easily accessible launch site, with a small free parking lot nearby. Both are at the river-end of Clegg Street.

Windsor Park: This one has a City of Ottawa public dock, complete with cleats for tying up a boat, but you can’t store them here. There is a free parking lot at the end of Windsor Avenue, but you still have to carry the boat through the park to the dock. Here’s a bonus; washrooms are available when the wading pool is open. Billings Bridge Park: No designated launch area, but the riverbank is low enough to launch just about anywhere in the park. Located on the east shore of the river near Billings Bridge, the parking lot is accessible from Riverside Drive South only. There are a couple of islands here to meander around, and lots of well-fed ducks!

Brewer Park: Canoe launch is on the west shore of the river not far from the parking area, which is off Bronson Avenue across from Carleton University. The park also includes walking trails along the river, and a pond for feeding ducks and observing wildlife. Washrooms are available nearby at the Brewer Complex when programs are running.

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Cold facts about heat Welcome the warm weather, but don’t overdo it By Craig Macartney Springtime is when the snow melts, birds arrive from the south, and outdoor enthusiasts head for the hills to banish cabin fever. It’s soooo nice not to be all layered up against the cold. But don’t rush it – after the winter months your body

(duh!), have a dry tongue and pale skin, you’re tired and your head aches. If you pee dark yellow urine, you need more water. Dehydration is easy to fix. Rest in the shade, drink water, broth, or sports drinks, and you should be

needs time to get used to the heat. Dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke can easily turn fun into a stay in the hospital, or worse. If you’re out there and suspect you or your friends are in trouble with the heat – we’ve got the symptoms covered below – get in touch with medical help fast, by cellphone, on foot or in a car.

in good shape soon. But keep it from happening at all by drinking lots before hitting the trail, and take regular water breaks throughout the hike. You may need water even when you don’t feel thirsty.

Dehydration When you’re outdoors, dehydration should be on your mind. Short-term, it won’t kill you, but it leaves you vulnerable to the hot sun or unexpected cold rain because it decreases sweating and circulation. You know you’re dehydrated when you’re thirsty 44 ottawa

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Heat exhaustion If you stay out in the heat too long, you get heat exhaustion, especially when you’re physically active or dehydrated. This condition usually begins with stomach and leg cramps, followed by a flushed face, headaches, weak or rapid pulse, dizziness, and vomiting. Resting in the shade and drinking water with a pinch of salt helps, but anyone with heat exhaustion needs professional medical attention fast.

For severe cases, the St. John Ambulance Official Wilderness First Aid Guide suggests taking half a teaspoon of salt and baking soda, and eight teaspoons of sugar in a litre of water. If a heat exhaustion victim has a high temperature, they are vulnerable to heatstroke – and it can kill. Heatstroke So what is it? After hours in the heat, the body can be overwhelmed to the point that it can’t regulate its temperature. Sweating decreases or stops and your temperature spikes above 41 degrees. This can damage your brain, and you die. If it starts to happen, get medical help fast. Heatstroke is much more easily prevented than treated. On hot days, regular water breaks and watching for heat exhaustion signs are crucial because once your system gets overwhelmed, heatstroke sets in fast. Symptoms include confusion, lack of co-ordination, feeling feverish, vomiting, delirium, and unconsciousness. Quickly lowering a victim’s temperature is vital. Get a victim into the shade and take off unnecessary clothing. If possible, sit them in cool – not cold – water, immersing their torso (cold water may trigger their body to raise its temperature further). Massage arms and legs to increase blood flow in their extremities. Take them out of the water as soon as their temperature drops. If there’s no lake or creek close by, pour drinking water over the victim and fan them until their temperature normalizes. At that point, their temperature may plummet, so be prepared to keep them warm if it does. Giving them fluids also helps. The victim’s body temperature will be unstable and could spike again without warning, so get medical help immediately. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

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Wake surfing baby! The hottest new sport for outdoor enthusiasts who like to get wet and wild Wake surfing is one of the fastest growing sports in terms of popularity because it is the only water sport where you do not use a rope to ride behind the boat ... you "free surf" using the boat's wave. The Calabogie Wake Surf Championship, held July 11 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 13, 2013, is the premier wake surfing event held in Eastern Canada. It will be held at the Calabogie Peaks Resort on Calabogie Lake, Ontario, Canada. The Calabogie Wake Surf Championship is founded and directed by Steve Karam, head of The Great Canadian Wake Surf Group, and has been granted a spot on the 2013 World Series of Wake Surfing Tour. Wake surfing is still a young, but rapidly growing sport that is taking 46 ottawa

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the world by storm. Associations and tournaments are growing year over year, as evidenced by the World Series 2013 lineup that includes Russia, Germany, Switzerland, Thailand, Mexico, several US stops, and two Canadian events â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including Calabogie Lake, Ontario. The World Series events are important qualifiers that will culminate at the 2013 World Wake Surfing Championship being held in Las Vegas, Nevada, boasting a purse of $100,000 cash and prizes.

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Launched: New online order outfitter Looking for great outdoor gear for that next adventure? Congrats to the newly launched Kitchissippi Bend Outfitters, offering an assortment of quality products from their online store ready to be shipped to your Canadian destination. Located in Arnprior and founded by Rob and Cathy Brooks, their goal is to provide customers with durable equipment and accessories from such brands as Snugpak, Ndur, Sierra Designs and Kelty that will promote comfort, ease and safety. Check them out! Web: kitchissippibendoutfitters.ca Facebook: facebook.com/KitchissippiBendOutfitters

Scheduled for July 11–13, 2013, this new popular sport will be held at the Calabogie Peaks Resort on Calabogie Lake, Ontario. Though wake surfing is still young, it's now a rapidly growing sport that is taking the world by storm. Mark your calendars or contact them to begin taking lessons. Web: calabogiewakesurf.com Facebook: facebook.com/CalabogieWakeSurfCham pionship

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Blind ambition Trust on a tandem means freedom on the road By Sheila Ascroft Scooped up by a passing cycling group, Leona Emberson got her first ride in a pack. She heard the chatter, felt the boost in speed from drafting, and definitely got the Wow! factor. Nearly blind, she was riding tandem in the annual Cycle for Sight last summer when the pack overtook them. With Dawn Lomer as her pilot, the was riding 100 kilometres last summer to raise money for the Foundation for Fighting Blindness. The 2013 event runs on June 2 and any cyclist is invited. The first part of the ride from Manotick to Merrickville and back was just the pair, alone on road, “and it was starting to feel like a long ride,” Emberson said, reflecting on it all nearly a year later. But then a group of about 10 cyclists in the event invited them to join in. “I had never ridden in such a way before, and my pilot had never done it on a tandem, but soon we took our turn up front. It was so encouraging to be surrounded by other riders, and the ride went so quickly!” The 29-year-old athlete says she has “all the usual reasons” for wanting to ride – the speed, the sound of tires on the path, the wind in her face. “I even love the heavy wobbly feeling in your legs when you first step off that lets you know you have worked hard.” Emberson has other reasons for loving tandems, which she’s been riding for seven years. “I don’t have to worry about what is in front of me. I must give up total control and trust my pilot … if 50 ottawa

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the pilot does something wrong, it’s both of us going down. I have no control, so all I have to do is pedal.” Lomer, her main pilot especially in triathlons, is a writer and amateur athlete, into cycling, marathon runs and triathlons. “I’d been running with Leona for about a year when she started having knee issues and decided to try cycling. The next thing I knew, we were riding along the canal on a yellow rental tandem with a silly front basket, trying not to crash into all the other cyclists. We’ve come a long way since that first ride.” Lomer, 45, says tandem cycling is “not nearly as scary as it might seem.” She enjoys both the training and racing with Leona, but says it’s also fun to just get on and ride around town. “I tell her if we are passing something remarkable, interesting or beautiful, and tell her when I see friends. We talk a lot less during races, except to confer on our strategy.” There are drawbacks to a tandem, like its size. “When she got her bike, it took about half an hour to stuff it into my car. Those things are huge!” Lomer said. As well, it takes practice to get the stopping and starting smooth. “We had some rocky moments on our first few rides, but once you’re moving it’s not much different from riding a single bike. Tight turns are still a challenge and they still get my heart pounding.”

Despite putting her well-being in the hands of a pilot, Emberson said she doesn’t worry about safety. “I trust my pilots. As long as we have good communication for stops so that we unclip and put our foot down on the same side, we are fine.” Lomer said she tries not to think about the burden of trust. “If I did, I’d be a nervous wreck!” As for being the only eyes on the road, “thankfully, I only have to pilot one bike so one set of eyes is enough.” Emberson’s attitude is clear and matter-of-fact: “Everything we do in life has a risk. Every sport we participate in has risk, sighted or not … the risk of not participating, and living in isolation out of fear of risks is the greater danger.” She began riding tandems with the National Capital Vision Impaired Sports Association. Lacking her own bike meant she could only go out on the association’s bimonthly rides. But the next year, she took up triathlons and borrowed a bike from the Canadian Council of the Blind. It’s still on loan, but she hopes to get one of her own soon. This athlete’s limited vision doesn’t keep her from the workplace. “I work part time for Accessible Media Inc. as a reporter [to bring] events and issues, which are relevant www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

to the disabled community, into mainstream media” She also works full time for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind as a specialist on independent living skills.

Summer camps By Julie Findlay Some of my favourite childhood memories are those of fun-filled summer days at camp. I went to sports camp, arts camp, dance camp and finally, at the age of eight, sleep away camp. Crafts, swimming, sailing, sun, campfires and s’mores are vivid memories that I share with my own kids today. With a few short weeks left until the last day of school, the kids are getting excited for their camp adventures. The offerings are immense in the Ottawa area, so a bit of research is all you need to be sure your children have an amazing experience. Decisions, decisions. Day camp or sleep away? Type of camp? Budget? Transportation? Are the kids ready? One thing is for sure: I want my kids to have a blast this summer! However, I also need to be certain that I get the best experience and value for the money I will spend. To stay or not to stay? Deciding between a day camp and a sleep away camp will largely depend on the readiness of the child. A mature and self-sufficient child will usually thrive away from home. Sleep away camp provides a fantastic opportunity for him to grow personally as well as to establish a sense of independence and to make lasting friendships. Sleep away camps

www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

The vision impaired sports association is a non-profit, with blind, visually impaired and sighted members. It has seven tandem bikes and rides take place roughly two

are usually in natural settings far away from the day-to-day routine a home, a welcome get away for city kids. I think that day camps are an easier alternative in terms of expense, packing and overall preparation. Although some day camps do offer a one night sleepover option at the end of the session for those who want to give it a go. Day camps allow kids to enroll in a few different types of programs at various places over the summer months depending on their needs and interests. From dance to sports, swimming to leadership and everything in between, the possibilities are as vast and varied as any child’s interests. I plan to send my younger kids to a multi-activity camp with a variety of games, sports and crafts. As they get older and develop specific interests I will enroll them in camps geared to those interests. Camp is a great place for kids to learn new skills in a laid back environment. When kids are removed from their everyday lives at school with friends and teachers, the pressure to conform and succeed is taken away and kids often undertake new experiences in whole different way! Where to start? I found many great resources online. I really liked this one sponsored by the Ottawa Citizen www.mykidscamps.ca. It is a one-stop site that allows users to narrow down camps by location, activities or type. It also has a lot of photos and videos to give me a

Sunday mornings a month except in winter. If you want to get aboard as a rider or pilot, contact Manon Valin or Gord Wilson at 613-829-3183 or at tenenga@rogers.com.

clear understanding of what each camp has to offer. Next it is important to spend some time finding out what the kids want and need. There are many camps that offer great opportunities for special needs kids. I already know what my kids are interested in for the most part, but they may want to try a new skill at some point. Find out where their friends are going too! Once you have a short list, call or visit the camps to get brochures and more information. Ultimately, let the kids pick from this list and it would be great to have photos and things they can look at by themselves to help make the decision. The fun will start when we begin to shop for supplies at places like Trailhead/Paddle Shack and plan our packing lists. I will be sure to label EVERYTHING with Mabels Labels and to get new containers for lunches and snacks. I use Thermos hydration bottles, lunch packs and food jars. Start the camp countdown. As school activities wind down, mark camp dates on the calendar to ease the transition from school days to summer fun. Happy camping. ~ Julie Findlay runs Mom in the Know, an online resource for active families at www.mitk.ca.

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Saving a baby animal can be more complex than it might appear Profile on Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary (RVWS)

By Dave Brown “Congratulations! It’s a boy!” If it were the 1950s again we’d be handing out cigars, proud of the new life father and mother have brought into the world. But for rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks, it may not be so rosy. Sure it’s nice watching our neighbourhoods turn into maternity wards, with cute critters born in dens and nests but sometimes the situation turns perilous, and you can help. If you come across an animal in distress look for signs of trauma that may in turn require your involvement. These include symptoms such as: bruising or bleeding; raspy breathing or sneezing; or bugs on its body. As well, animals that are not warm or dehydrated will also need help. Here are some tips about what to do and not to do with the baby 52 ottawa

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mammals you may come across on your regular outings: Baby Squirrels • If the baby does not show signs of illness or injury as above, and is not in imminent danger – near a road or predators – it may be possible to reunite it with its mother. Generally though, the mother will not collect a baby if it is injured, cold or sick.

What you can do • If a baby squirrel is following people or pets, it’s looking for food and needs rescuing. The same is true if you find several babies at the base of a tree and the nest is intact. They are orphaned and need help. • If a baby squirrel is on the ground and can’t decide whether or not to run away from you, it might be inexperienced and with your assistance can be reunited with its mother. Get a small box out of which the baby cannot escape and attach it to a tree trunk out of the sun, a metre off the ground. • It’s important to keep the baby warm, but don’t add bedding. Instead fill a small bottle with hot water, wrap it in a towel and brace it inside the box. The mother won’t return if people or pets are nearby, so monitor from a distance. The mother should return within a couple of hours if she doesn’t the baby needs recuing. • Never leave a baby squirrel out overnight, as the mother will not retrieve it after dark. Instead, bring it in for the night to keep warm. First thing in the morning put the box back outside. If the mother has not retrieved the baby within a few hours, it will need rescuing. • Do not give the baby anything to eat or drink until you have talked to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Incorrect feeding can be very harmful. Baby Rabbits You fear a mother has abandoned her nest of babies. What you can do • It’s common to find baby bunnies (kits) in a nest on your lawn or in the garden covered with dried grass and bits of mother’s fur. • Put your finger down the center of the nest and if the babies are warm and wiggling leave the nest www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

Rafting

Kayak School

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 for 1 and 2 day rafting runs! • We give FREE PHOTOS and wetsuits with no service charges! • Cabins, camping, BBQ, beaches and beach games, canoes and kayaks!

www.HorizonX.ca Basecamp Lodging

River Boarding

playing without their mother present; or you find a single baby sleeping during the day or wandering around during the day without a mother. What you can do • The tiny babies are usually orphaned and need your help. • For the older babies, watch from a distance to see if mom is nearby. alone and watch for the mother. If you are unsure at any time that the nest has been abandoned, repeat the finger test. If the babies are not warm or not wiggling, rescue immediately. • Mother rabbits stay away from the nest and return several times a day to feed the babies. So if they don’t exhibit signs of needing rescue, place several twigs on top of the nest in a checkerboard pattern and keep watch for mother’s return. • If the twigs are disturbed after the next feeding time (dawn or dusk), you know mom has been around for a feeding and all is well. Baby Groundhogs and Chipmunks You see these babies alone, above ground. What you can do • As these animals den in the ground it’s not normal to see babies out and about, they probably need help and you should contact the RVWS. If you are not in the Ottawa area contact your nearest MNR district office and they will direct you to a rehabilitator they have authorized. Baby Raccoons You see younger babies smaller than your hand, with closed eyes and alone; or you see older (eight weeks) babies

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Some safety tips: • Don’t handle any adult wildlife yourself—contact a wildlife rehabilitator or animal control agency for advice. • Keep children and pets away from all wildlife. ~ Originally published in Dave's Outdoor Life column each week in the Saturday Ottawa Citizen. Special thanks to contributions and corrections by Vickie Janetos, and to Heather Badenoch and the entire RVWS team.

About Emergency Services Please first visit our Wildlife Emergencies and Wildlife Conflicts pages at www.rideauvalleywildlife.org, to see if there is a solution to your situation or interim instructions. If you still need help with wild mammals or turtles, call 613-258-9480 or send them an email. Your call to RVWS will likely be forwarded to their voicemail as they do not have a receptionist and are likely helping a baby animal. They check messages as frequently as possible and try to return urgent, wildlife emergency calls twice a day from April to October. Non-emergency calls are returned within 48 hours. They ask callers to be patient and leave only one message. Each call requires careful consideration and time, and the most urgent calls are returned first.

Support the Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary (RVWS) in their quest to raise $45,000! The Sanctuary is the only licensed rehabilitator of wild mammals and turtles serving the Ottawa and Rideau Valleys. They are a not-forprofit organization and a registered charity (#82731 7744 RR001) dedicated to caring for injured, sick or orphaned wildlife and returning them to the wild. A total of $100,000 is needed to operate each year and $55,000 has been donated so far. They are trying to raise an additional $45,000 immediately. Donations help provide everything from specialized formula and food for hungry orphaned babies to veterinary care for injured wildlife. One-time or monthly donations can be made at www. rideauvalleywildlife. org, by calling 613258-9480, or sending a cheque to P.O. Box 266, North Gower, Ontario, K0A 2T0. Contact them directly at 613-258-9480 to leave a message. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

KIDS 6 AND UNDER FREE

Attention Bat-Parents!

Bring the kids to see not one but TWO BATMOBILES! PLUS OVER 100 OTHER CLASSIC CARS!

1989 FEATURED IN FIRST MOVIE “BATMAN”

1966 FEATURED IN FIRST T.V. SERIES “BATMAN”

Where? The Ernst & Young Centre (former CE Centre, 4899 Uplands Drive)

When? April 27-28 at the *new indoor* Ottawa Classic & Custom Car Show To see? Vintage Ottawa Police cars More than 100 classic & custom cars 6 S KID D Simulation games for all AN ER D Drag car racers the kids can sit in! UN EE FR Remote control cars, and much, much more!!

April 27-28 2013

In Ottawa for the first time in almost 15 years!!! Mark your calendars for April 27-28!

w w w. O t t a w a C l a s s i c C u s t o m C a r S h o w. c a

Supporting Ottawa’s sustainability Environmental supergroup connects projects and donors By Paul Koch “Think globally, act locally” is one of the best-known slogans behind the idea of “sustainability” – of water resources, land, energy, species at risk, you name it. Wiki says it “urges people to consider the health of the entire planet and to take action in their own communities and cities.” Those “people” are mostly volunteers, and Ottawa has many of them, backing many environmental causes. They all need money to do the job. They’ll tell you raising money takes time and hard work. And there are so many of them, it’s hard for environmental enthusiasts to choose which to support. So, how to focus enough to do any good, and how to assess which environmental project to support? One answer to that is the Ottawa Sustainability Fund. Created in 2006, it started an endowment account at the Community Foundation of Ottawa and began raising money for a host of environmental projects citywide. The money goes each year to community projects with an educational edge, those that encourage volunteerism and are easily replicated by others. One of them was called “No Energy to Waste.” It was the brainchild of Ecology Ottawa, which wanted to help cut energy costs for the Ottawa Mission, Shepherds of Good Hope, and the 56 ottawa

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Causeway Work Centre and had to look at their overall energy use first. The OSF provided some research money, and a follow-up grant to the Causeway Work Centre replaced exit lights – always on 24/7, year-round – with LED technology. So far the OSF has backed 12 projects dealing with energy conservation and renewable energy sources, greenhouse gas reduction, and environmentally friendly land and water use. The fund put $5,000 into the hands of the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation to support the Rideau Valley Healthy Watershed Project which takes on erosion control, invasive species, stream cleanups, and shore naturalization. Money from the fund went to a project led by The Natural Step called Impact! Sustainability Champions Training Program. The 25 young participants who are mostly university and community college graduates are now leading other projects that include, among other things, setting up a solar photovoltaic energy co-op, creating a bikeshare program, mapping trees in

urban Ottawa, figuring out how to utilize second-hand wind turbines in Canada, and brainstorming marketing campaigns for energy conservation. Last year a grant of $10,000 from IBM helped Ecology Ottawa and Tucker House Renewal Centre set up a program for teachers and students on Earth Day at the Museum of Nature. More than 20 teachers got classroom materials, environmental experts made presentations and a booklet called The Ecology of Ottawa was reprinted for residents and academic and community groups. The OSF encourages donors of “flow through” funds (like that IBM donation to Ecology Ottawa) to volunteer with the organizations it supports. And it helps corporate donors find a match between a company’s interests and activities and a project it would like to support. Busy executives often lack the time or knowledge to do this on their own. By the end of 2012, the OSF was looking at 16 applications for help and by spring it had made grants totalling $23,000 to four of them. It’s looking for donations to help fund others. ~ Paul Koch is the chairman of the Ottawa Sustainability Fund. WANT TO HELP? You or the company you work for can volunteer directly by helping the OSF with its fundraising activities or by asking it to link you with one of the community groups or projects it supports. Donors can allocate their contribution to the OSF endowment or to its flow-through account to go directly to an environmental group. It’s all explained at www.osfund.ca or by e-mail at osfund2006@rogers. com, along with a summary off all OSF projects supported to date. It’s a really efficient way to support Ottawa’s sustainability. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

Did you Know?

Grab your canoe and hit the water According to the Canadian Canoe Museum, the word canoe comes from the Arawak language of the Carib Indians of the Caribbean. The word ‘kenu’ means dugout. These boats were made of large tree trunks which were shaped and hollowed, and were strong enough to travel between the islands. North American First Peoples are responsible for creating the more well-known version of the canoe. Did you Know?

FREE ADMISSION

SAM ROBERTS

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Poets’ Pathway is a walking and biking trail of approximately 35 kilometres, on alreadyexisting walking paths. It runs from Britannia Beach, south along Pinecrest Creek, east along Nepean Creek, crosses the Rideau River, moves north to the Ottawa River and ends in Beechwood Cemetery where the poets lie. Archibald Lampman’s Winter Uplands graces the first plaque, at the entrance to McCarthy Woods. Visit Britannia Park to see lines from Emily Pauline Johnson’s The Song My Paddle Sings and head to Beechwood Cemetery to see the third plaque, on Poets’ Hill.

THE

Contemplate strolling along Poets’ Path

GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS THE BALCONIES, DEVIN CUDDY & MORE!

BEACHSIDE BAR, BMX STUNT SHOWS

FERRIS WHEEL, SILENT AUCTION TIM HORTONS CHILDREN'S AREA

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The Ottawa Sport & Social Club - Recess For Adults!

Join our Co-Ed Sprummer 2013 Leagues Today! Play Softball, Beach Volleyball, Soccer, Flag Football and many more!

OSSC.ca www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

Info@OSSC.ca

613.565.TEAM ottawa outdoors 57

Ottawa Outdoors Music Festival Guide By Jack Webb

Ottawa-Gatineau has fast become one of the world’s summer music festival capitals, and this summer is no different. If you’re a music aficionado or just want to get out amongst your musical tribe, come unlock your body and move yourself to dance. Here’s a look at 9 music festivals this summer with something for everyone’s tastes, be it eclectic or mainstream.

Westfest When? June 6–9 Where? Westboro Village – Richmond Road (between McRae and Berkley Ave.) Bike friendly? Yes (plenty of bike parking) Beer? Yes Tip: Bring a stroller to fit in. www.westfest.ca

Carivibe Beach Festival When? Beach Festival, June 15 Where? Beach Festival, Petrie Island 727 Trim Road / Parade & Block Party, St. Josephs Blvd. to Centrum, Orleans Bike friendly? Yes (Bike Park) Beer? Yes Tip: Drink lots of water, bring your dancing shoes and a hearty appetite for jerk chicken. www.carivibe.com

Festival franco-ontarien When? June 14–16 Where? Marian Dewar Plaza, formerly Festival Plaza (Elgin Street and Laurier Ave.) Bike friendly? Yes Beer? Yes Tip: Ride the Ferris wheel. Practice your French. www.ffo.ca

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Ottawa Jazz Festival When? June 20–July 1 Where? Confederation Park (Elgin Street and Laurier Avenue) Bike friendly? Yes (Bike Park) Beer? Yes Tip: Try not to talk. Careful where you stand. www.ottawajazzfestival.com

Bluesfest Ottawa When? July 4–15 Where? Lebreton Flats Park (War Museum) Bike friendly? Yes (Bike park) Beer? Yes Tip: Leave your lawn chairs at home. Take your bike, walk or bus to the site. www.ottawabluesfest.ca

Music and Beyond When? July 4–14 Where? Various venues in the city Bike friendly? Yes (no bike park) Beer? No Tip: Arrive early www.musicandbeyond.ca

Ottawa Chamber Music Festival When? July 25 to August 8 Where? Various venues in the city Bike friendly? Yes (no bike park) Beer? No Tip: Arrive early, try not to talk, no cell phones please. www.chamberfest.com

Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Fest When? August 30 to September 2 Where? Parc de La Baie, 988, rue St-Louis, Gatineau Bike friendly? Yes Beer? Yes and SAQ Tents Tip: Enjoy the Midway and the poutine! www.montgolfieresgatineau.com

Ottawa Folk Festival When? September 5–8 Where? Hog’s Back Park, Corner of Riverside Drive and Heron Road Bike friendly? Yes Beer? Yes Tip: Take your bike! Don’t smoke. www.ottawafolk.com

www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

Outdoor List 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 Bike Assoc.

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.

Horizon X

www.horizonx.ca

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.

Natural Fitness Lab

www.naturalfitnesslab.com

Adult trail running program in Chelsea/Gatineau Park.

Upcoming Events Run/Walk 05 May Walk So Kids Can Talk 04 May EpiPen Take Action 04 May 12th Annual Walk for Lupus 11 May Wylie Ryan Day Before Mother’s Day Run 18 May Colonel By Classic 18 May Wylie Ryan Dow’s Lake Kids 1 km Run 25 & 26 May Tamarack Homes Ottawa Race Weekend 2013 30 May 5th Annual Redemption Run 08 June Barrhaven Run for Roger’s House 08 June Britannia Beach 1, 3 or 5 km runs 08 June Wylie Ryan Quick Kids 1 km Run 09 June Walmart Walk for Miracles 09 June Walk to Fight Arthritis 22 June Emilie’s Run (5 km women only) 22 June Wylie Ryan Aviation Museum Kids 1 km Run 23 June Smiths Falls Figure eight 2 or 5 km Run 07 July Sydenham 2, 5 or 10 km runs 08 July Wylie Ryan Sydenham Lakeside Kids 2 km run 14 July Carleton Place 5 or 10 km Heritage Run Adventure Racing 04 May Frontier Adventure Challenge 04 May High School Adventure Challenge 18 May Raid Pulse Adventure Race 15 June Moraine for Life Adventure Relay run 11 June ESAR – Emergency Services Adventure Race 15 June Ottawa Spartan Race 27 July Rockstar Adventure Race 27 July Mitsubishi City Chase

www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

Duathlon/Triathlon 11 May 18 May 08 June 15 June 23 June 06 July 07 July 14 July Orienteering 19-21 May Hiking 05 May BIKING 07 April 07 April 04 May 05 May 24-26 May 02 June 08 June 16 June 26 June to 01 July 20 July PADDLING 20-23 June Other 13 July

Day Before Mother’s Day Tris, Duas, Relays Ottawa Early Bird triathlon, Duathlon & Relays Ottawa River Triathlon, Duathlon & Relays Baxter All Terrain Kids Triathlon Smiths Falls Classic Triathlon, Duathlon & Relays Gatineau Triathlon Sydenham Triathlon, Duathlon Graham Beasley Triathlon, Duathlon & Relays Ottawa O-Fest Hike for Hospice Hell of the North Clarence-Rockland Classic Diefenbooker Classic CN Cycle for CHEO Dandelion Grand Prix Cycle for Sight Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour MEC Bikefest The By-Cycle Ride Granfondo Ottawa Tim Horton’s Dragon Boat Races and festival Bring On the Bay

ottawa outdoors 59

Stay safe while kayaking By Ken Whiting Shoulder dislocation. These words send fearful shivers through most kayakers. Why is a shoulder dislocation so dreaded by kayakers? The pain factor doesn’t seem to drive fear into our hearts. It’s the thought of having to go through surgery, the thought of sitting idle through months of therapy, and the thought that the shoulder will never be as strong as it had been. These are substantial concerns. A shoulder dislocation is often accompanied by damage in the joint that requires real care, and sometimes surgery, to heal. So let’s look at ways to keep your shoulders safe.

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Having wellconditioned muscles around the shoulder will go a long way to keeping your joints in place. Paddlers often have much stronger back shoulder muscles than front shoulder muscle. That’s because you use primarily back muscles for forward paddling. Because most shoulders dislocate forwards, your front muscles should be equally as strong as your back ones. This is where back paddling practice comes in. Even with Superman’s shoulders, a dislocation can happen easily. Here are two simple rules to protect you:

Safe shoulder draw: A powerful open face bow draw (duffek), with the head and torso rotated aggressively to keep the arms in the power position.

• Don’t overextend your arms. • Maintain a “power position” with your arms. Rule number one is easier said than done. When you’re tossed around in whitewater, a desire to keep your head above the water can easily over-ride safe paddling practices. Stay as relaxed as possible, and

www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

fight the urge to use massive “Geronimo” braces. What’s the “power position” in rule number two? Imagine looking at your body from above. Now draw an invisible line that passes through both shoulders. This is the “shoulder line.” Now draw another line that divides your body into two halves – the “mid line,” parallel to your waist. The power position simply involves keeping your hands in front of your shoulder line and preventing your hands from crossing your mid line. In so doing, you will maintain a rectangle with your arms, paddle and chest. Within this rectangle you’ll get the most

power from your paddle and keep your shoulders in the safest position to avoid injuries. When your hands move behind your shoulder line, your arm is in a very vulnerable position. Does this mean that you can’t safely reach to the back of your kayak? Not at all. But what it does mean is that in order to reach to the back of your kayak you’ll need to rotate your whole torso so your arms stay in the power position. Torso rotation keeps your shoulders safe, and it’s a key concept for getting the most power from your strokes. Now that you know the theory, get out on some water and practise it. Play is healthy.

Bad shoulder line: Poor Torso Rotation: the rear hand falls behind the shoulder line, and the front hand crosses the mid-line.

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Good shoulder line: The Power Position: The whole upper body turns so the hands stay in front of the shoulder line; neither cross the mid-line, and the arms, paddle and chest form a rectangle.

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ottawa outdoors 61

the back pages

OWL Rafting on the Ottawa River

819.457.2058

800-461-7238 owlrafting.com

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In a cozy atmosphere, the outdoor enthusiast can choose from swimming, tennis, hiking, cycling and a plethora of other activities terrific for the entire family or for a romantic weekend away. Sit by the famous towering six-sided stone fireplace where you can relax with a nice book, game or conversation. Only 45-min away, it's truly magical! Visit their website at:

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