Issue #43 - Ottawa Outdoors Magazine by Ottawa Outdoors Magazine

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WINTER ISSUE

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OTTAWA • GATINEAU • ONTARIO • QUEBEC • US & BEYOND

ADVENTURE | TRAVEL | FAMILY | HOME | HEALTH

WINTER ADVENTURE AWAITS Snowshoe+Ski Gatineau Park to Antarctica

HOW TO BUILD A FIRE IN WINTER COLD WEATHER RUNNING

Three high-energy bannock recipes to stoke your furnace MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

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IGNORE THE WARNING SIGNS AND THIS COULD BE FOR REAL.

Watch for the warning signs and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t snowmobile, walk or cross-country ski near dams and hydroelectric stations. The ice nearby can be thin and dangerous.

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OUTDOORS

WINTER ISSUE

THE 17 EXPLORING ANTARCTICA ADVENTURE

SKI AND SNOWSHOE & TRAILS 36 TRACKS CLOSE TO HOME

04 Publisher’s letter 05 Staying warm grandpa’s way 06 Three high-energy bannock recipes 09 Survival 101 10 Remembering the first Canadian Ski Marathon 12 You can’t plan for everything 12 Gatineau Park cabins and yurts 13 Head for a ski weekend in Papineau-Labelle 14 Ottawa’s winter birds 15 Decadent hot chocolate warms body and spirit 16 Alpine ski tips 17 Feature: Antarctica Revealed 20 Cold weather running 22 Science tricks with water 24 Feature: Ottawa Outdoor & Adventure Travel Show 27 Quebec’s Eastern Townships 28 Making your backyard rink on the cheap 30 The art of making a Yukon pack 31 Sizing up the ice 32 Artist Spotlight: Megan-Rose Martin 35 Nature 101 36 Ski and snowshoe tracks close to home 38 Outdoor Clubs 39 Baxter Conservation Area a snowshoeing gem 41 How to build a fire in winter 44 Cool Gear Hot Clothing

Cover Photo by Vetal1983

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POLAR FLEECE SOCKS, MODERN DAY WINESKINS AND MORE Check out our Cool Gear and

get ideas for winter outdoor adventure necessities.

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PUBLISHER’S LETTER

A T-REX OF A WINTER?

ell that can’t be good. Yup, the experts say Ottawa is in for a long, cold, unpleasant winter. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. But even with that dreary outlook if you look no further than the winter issue in your hands you’ll be ready for the winter ahead. This winter issue marks the end of year 13 for the magazine and as always we couldn’t be more pleased with the wide variety of informative articles. It’s exciting that this 48-page issue exists DAVE BROWN because of 12 writers, some photographers and at least two illustrators. PUBLISHER The magazine has some nostalgia pieces as well, as Allen Editor-in-chief Macartney recalls his grandfather’s advice on how to stay warm Ottawa Outdoors ottawaoutdoors.ca after a lifetime of many sleigh rides to the Byward Market decades ago (p.5). SHOW OWNER And speaking of warmth, how about stoking your internal fire The Outdoor & Adventure Travel Show with food energy? Look for recipes for bannock (p.6) and hot adventureottawa.com chocolate (p.15) or follow the how-to tips on building a fire in winter (p.41). I also like the piece by Bill Pullock on the history of the first Canadian Ski Marathon (p. 10) because of the insight and old photos accompanying the article. If you’re up for a chuckle about a toxic tent (too many beans) and fellow tent-mates, read Bruce Watt’s article on (p.12). As snowshoeing and skiing are our favourite ways to enjoy sunny wintry days, you’ll love the multitude of destination articles including: skiing in Papineau-Labelle (p.13); the Eastern Townships (p.27); Baxter Conservation Area (p.39); and of course Katharine Fletcher’s article on ski and snowshoe tracks close to home (p.36). After all these great how-to and where-to go articles, you’ll still find more to read if you’re an alpine skier (p.16); if you want to know how to identify winter birds (p.14); Gatineau Park’s cabins and yurts (p.12); how to make your own hockey rink in the back yard (p.28); what to do if you fall through ice (p.31); and even how to make your own Yukon pack (p.30). Phew. Sit back and enjoy this issue and expand your imagination by reading about Antarctica. It truly is breath-taking and causes a similar reaction I expect, to actually encountering a T-Rex. Enjoy the season and don’t forget to make a few snow angels.

THE TEAM

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MAGAZINE

MAR 21-22, 2015 PUBLISHER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DAVE BROWN EDITOR

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ALLEN MACARTNEY, BILL PULLOCK, BRUCE WATTS, JENNA THOMPSON, LESLIE FOSTER, CHRIS LENNON, KATHARINE FLETCHER, JOHN STANTON, CRAIG MACARTNEY, ROGER BIRD, JO-ANNE BENSON, CHANTAL MACARTNEY, NATIONAL CAPITAL COMMISSION PHOTOGRAPHERS & ILLUSTRATORS

KEITH MILNE, GORD COULTHART, GILLIAN MORGAN, ERIC FLETCHER, STUDENTS ON ICE, NCC, GORFER, BAXTER CONSERVATION AREA, WIKIHOW.COM, KAYAKDAVE.COM, HOUSEOFFOREST.COM ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Dave Brown, Publisher | Ottawa Outdoors Magazine is an independent publication published seasonally every four months and distributed FREE at sports stores and a hundred other locations around the region.

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Ottawa Outdoors welcomes story and photo contributions. Publisher may publish any and all communications with Ottawa Outdoors, and may edit for clarity and style. Indexed in the Canadian Periodical Index ISSN No. 1204-69556. © Copyright 2015. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any materialspublished in Ottawa Outdoors Magazine is expressly forbidden without consent of the publisher. Printed in Canada

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Illustration by Keith Milne, colouring by Gord Coulthart

Staying warm grandpa’s way OLD-FASHIONED ADVICE STILL APPLIES By Allen Macartney

During the 1920s and ’30s my grandpa was a farmer who sold his vegetables and meat at the Byward Market. In winter he would ride his horse-drawn sleigh from Ramsayville to downtown Ottawa and back – a long and uncomfortable trip on a cold and windy January evening if the temperature was nudging -20 C. Once I asked him how he stayed warm for an hour and a half ride home on an exposed sleigh. He gave me these tips – which his own grandfather had told him in the 1800s. Breathe slowly in the cold. The more bitter the temperature the slower you should breathe, to avoid drawing a lot of icy cold air into your lungs. Slow breathing gives it some time to warm up before it gets there. Frosty air inside will cool your entire body, making it difficult to warm your core. Eat a big “meat and potatoes” meal about two hours before setting out. This stokes your internal furnace. Fatty meat and carbohydrate-rich potatoes release their nutrition slowly, sending a continuous stream of heat into your body. Pee before setting out. A full bladder always makes you feel colder. Get something warm under you. (Grandpa sat on a thick buffalo robe and wrapped it around his legs and lower body.) Cold from the ground (or a sleigh’s frozen wood) can chill your bones something fierce. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

Tighten and release your muscles when you feel the first tingles of cold. This action will bring a flood of warmth to cold fingers, toes, face, tummy and butt. Start at the top of your body and work down to your toes, then repeat. Dress in layers. Layers trap air in between that your body will heat, creating glorious warmth. With no high tech fabrics available, Grandpa’s first layer was thick (and itchy)

woolen underwear. Next came a woolen shirt, pants and sweater, followed by a thick canvas coat as the outside layer. Wear mitts, not stylish gloves, when the temperature bites. Think of your fingers as little logs on a campfire. The flame and heat of a single log will soon go out, but when five little logs (fingers) are lying side-by-side they share their warmth. The result: warm fingers. Save the gloves for milder days. 

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Ski weekend in Papineau-Labelle QUEBEC WILDLIFE PRESERVE IS HUGE AND UNCROWDED By Jenna Thompson

f skiers get grumpy trying to book the popular overnight cabins in Gatineau Park, there’s an alternative. At the Papineau-Labelle Wildlife Reserve in Quebec, two hours from Ottawa on Highway 321 north of Papineau, they can reserve overnight huts just weeks in advance instead of months ahead. This is where I enjoyed my very first overnight ski weekend with friends.

At the visitor centre, we strapped on our packs and headed outside, but quickly realized we were newbies skiing with extra weight. The serpentine curves on our selected trail were beyond our abilities. Luckily, PapineauLabelle (an immense 1,628 square kilometres) has options for all on its 100 kilometres of marked but ungroomed trails. The easiest and straightest of them follows a summer road for 10 kilometres. The Ernestine and Le Petit Train (which follows an old rail line, hence the name) are harder forest trails, and La Ouest is for seasoned skiers. Ski times to our cabins varied from 2½ to four hours, reflecting our skill mix – total beginners to quite experienced. Don’t be fooled: our ski-along-a-road is still tough for a beginner with a pack, even though it’s is straight and groomed. The long ski in gave us time to establish the swish-swish rhythm of cross-country skiing. We also had lots of time to think about how darn heavy our packs were, and mentally list all the items we should have left at home. Park rangers will ski-doo up to six bags into the cabins for $105, but we said no. We had packed as little as we could to strike a balance between an easy load and enough clothes and food to avoid cold and hunger. As winter camping goes, the rustic, wellequipped cabins felt relatively luxurious, with couches and beds, so we needed only sleeping 06 I ottawaoutdoors

bags. Beds are rented per person, so if you are in a small group you may find yourself making friends with new cabin mates. A pre-drilled ice hole in the lake was our source of water, boiled in large kettles on propane stoves. There was firewood already cut and split for a glorious glow from the wood stove. A few folk found beach chairs for lounging on the lake ice, enjoying hot chocolate and the sight of quietly falling snowflakes. Our crew opted for a true feast instead of regular camping fare. So it was with bellies full of venison chili, Moroccan stew, cornbread and a few bladders of wine that we headed out for a midnight ski over the solidly frozen Lake Ernest. The moon was almost full, the snow flat and powdery, the night clear and far from light pollution. So we saw all those stars twinkling down as we skied the full length of the lake. Back at the cabin, other adventurous spirits had built a quinzee out front. We hung out in it for a bit, but later snuggled up in the beds inside the cabins. The only downside of skiing in to the cabins is you have to ski out again. Luckily our packs were much lighter, spirits were high, and we cut a full hour off our time coming in. I stayed on my feet the whole time until a tumble just 10 metres from the visitor centre as we returned. Big discovery: it’s hard to get back up on skis with a 14-kilogram pack on your back. The park ranger just smiled. This kind of weekend would be incomplete without at least one good wipeout. 

THINK AHEAD Practise skiing with a pack before you try this kind of adventure. As you transfer weight from foot to foot, don’t transfer too far or your pack will slide to the side and take your body with it – into a pile of snow. Wax skis carefully. Carrying a pack compresses the skis more, leaving a shorter wax “pocket,” the area under the binding where you apply grip wax. If it’s too long with weight on your back, your skis won’t glide well and will slow you down. If you rent skis, get a longer pair than normal to account for the added weight of your pack. Hut rentals are $28.75 per person plus tax. Phone 1-800-665-6527 to book one.

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Horizontal Hucking! Catching air isn’t purely a vertical pursuit.

Chris Lennon | Photos: Gillian Morgan

often than not, popping off a rock or some other feature is done to link an entire line together, and this can mean that the direction of travel, while in the air, is something other than straight down the fall line. 1 | From where I entered the shelf of snow from the cornice above, I’m actually sitting looker’s right of the rock outcropping’s apex. 2 | Yet where I want to be after leaving the shelf is the pocket of fresh snow looker’s left of the main part of the feature. 3 | So the obvious course is to travel off the rock from skier’s left to right as I pop into the air over the rocks, moving both horizontally and down the hill at the same time. 

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REMEMBERING THE FIRST CANADIAN SKI MARATHON It was 1967 – no spandex, no high-tech skis, no Gore-Tex By Bill Pollock

lmost 50 years ago, 375 crosscountry skiers took off on Feb. 18, 1967 from the Fairview Shopping Centre in Pointe Claire, Que. heading toward Ottawa in celebration of Canada’s Centennial. It was Feb. 18, 1967, a very cold – 25 C, and skiers faced 192 kilometres over three days. They all had wooden skis with bases treated with pine tar and topped off with ski wax for cold snow. They wore wool and cotton, and their boots were leather. No nylon. No Gore-Tex. No fibreglass. No spandex. Over 60 reporters stayed inside the shopping centre at the start line because of the blistering cold. The start was marked by punching a paper bag filled with air. There were no buses as there are now. Few people skied every section and they needed transport from their last check point back to their accommodation, so they had to arrange for someone to pick them up. The route was marked with red paper flags and each skier and car driver were given a map with information on points of interest for the three days. But many trail markers were removed by children, so skiers and drivers got lost by the hundreds, driving madly up and down back roads looking for checkpoints. Helen Morrall, the official timekeeper, told a Montreal Star reporter, “If somebody got lost, he or she could ski to a road and hail a cab or take a train. Many skiers did that.” On the first day, the trail crossed two branches of the Mille Isles River and followed power lines, frozen lakes, fields, woodlots, railroad tracks and rutted roadways, through back yards and under

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clotheslines. It passed through Pointe Calumet and St. Benoit. It ended at La Lorraine, the largest motel in Lachute, which allocated rooms there and in the homes of local citizens. That evening, the Ram Ski Club hosted a buffet dinner and dance in their chalet at Carling Lake. School buses carried skiers from Lachute to this gala event, with entertainment at the chalet and at three hotels in the Lachute area. On the second day, the trail started on wooded land and crossed into Ontario at Hawkesbury. Across this flat terrain, farms and fences meant the trail had to follow rural roads to Plantagenet. There the skiers were welcomed by townspeople at the high school, with showers and changing facilities. Over 400 skiers were fed at a buffet organized by the town’s Centennial Committee, and served by people dressed in 1867 costumes. On the third day the terrain was varied and snow conditions were excellent, allowing many kilometres of farmland to pass quickly. Skiers completed their trek in a blizzard on the easterly outskirts of Ottawa, where school buses carried everyone to Carleton University for showers and hot drinks. A final five-kilometre mass “ski-in” began from the university along the Rideau Canal to the Centennial Centre – the old Ottawa train station, today’s Conference Centre – for the closing banquet. So many non-skiers showed up that there was no food left when many of the skiers finally made it to the table. The total distance covered was 1,770 kilometres for all participants, the oldest among them being Herman (Jack Rabbit) Smith-Johannsen at a sprightly 91, who skied 48 kilometres.

In a speech at the banquet, Johannsen stressed the need for group participation and support for skiing. Awards were presented to winners in all classes and every skier received a centennial medal signifying participation in the tour. An “Olympic Table” was honoured by the presence of 60 per cent of the crosscountry skiers representing Canada since the first Winter Olympics in 1924. The event attracted youngsters as young as five with their parents and grandparents; teams came from Finland, Great Britain, New Zealand, Italy and other European countries. For the first two years of what became an annual event, awards were given for speed, not distance. The winner that first year was Gunter Veeser who finished the three-day race in 15 hours and 36 minutes – an average of about 13 kilometres per hour. Coming in second was Ralph Coldevin of Saskatchewan with a time of 16 hours and 18 minutes. In 1968 the Marathon became a twoday, 160-kilometre event starting in Morin Heights, Que. and finishing at Camp Fortune in Gatineau Park. The Canadian Ski Marathon now attracts about 2,000 skiers every year, and is scheduled for Feb. 14 and 15 from Lachute to Gatineau.

(This article is excerpted from The Canadian Ski Marathon, its history in stories and pictures by Bill Pollock, a retired forest engineer in Ste-Agathe-des-Monts, Que. It costs$40 plus $15 shipping at www.tuckamor.ca)  www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

YOU CAN’T PLAN FOR EVERYTHING Something rotten in the stew pot By Bruce Watts

t was a new challenge for three campers – climb an Adirondack Mountains peak in winter. We were too enthusiastic to even imagine what was coming in our tent that first night. Myself, Dave and Denis were all strong and experienced campers. Collectively we had ascended dozens of those high peaks in spring, summer and fall, so a winter ascent seemed the next rite of passage. We knew it wouldn’t be a cakewalk – deep snow, cold, icy rock climbs, heavier gear and the delights of winter camping. But nothing more … After two weeks of planning, we packed our oversized backpacks, loaded up the rusty Subaru wagon and headed south. We stopped for our java jolt in Cornwall, declared nothing at the United States border, and vibrated with anticipation all the way to the trailhead some 10 kilometres south of Lake Placid. The hike in to Gothic Mountain was easy, on hard-packed snow with no crampons or snowshoes. Four hours later we were at base camp some 600 metres below the peak. Tomorrow we would climb and then return to our camp for a second night. Dark and cold were settling in fast so it was time to set up camp, cook supper and retreat into our toasty three-person, four-season tent for an epic game of cards. We didn’t know it, but our surprise challenge was building up steam and would soon begin. Why? Well, I’m frugal. When a bargain beckons, I can’t resist. A year earlier I had bought six packages of dehydrated “Ghost Bean Stew,” not because I had tried it and liked it, but because it was on sale – 50 per cent off, according to the evil sign I would later lament. It was easy for me to volunteer to bring supper with six packs of discount stew in my pantry. A no 12 I ottawaoutdoors

brainer. That night we ate it like a pride of lions sharing a gazelle and it tasted great. We cleaned the pots, peed outside and dove in the tent for the night. With candle lanterns burning, and filled with three large men, the tent was a balmy five degrees inside compared to -20 outside. The card game passed the time happily in that warm oasis. There was no way anyone wanted to venture outside into the bitter, windy, dark night. Then the gas began. At first it was funny. I would toot and giggle. Dave would blast

and laugh. Denis’s whines of disgust inspired Dave and me to exaggerate each methane emission. The louder Denis complained, the louder we passed wind. Then it hit us all simultaneously. The tent was becoming toxic. Not “I don’t like that” toxic, but “I’m going to pass out” toxic. We started to gag, choke and sneeze. I could taste vomit in my mouth and Dave’s eyes were red.

With no discussion, we unzipped the tent and popped out onto the snow like three noxious, green jacks-in-the-box. We just lay there and breathed in clean night air, happy to be cold and away from our stench. Five minutes passed before anything was said. Then Dave muttered, “Damn that Ghost Bean Stew.” 

Spend a night in one of Gatineau Park’ cabins or yurts By Chantal Macartney

A traditional yurt is made from heavy felt. Mongolian people have used them as living quarters for thousands of years. Luckily, the NCC has put up replicas in Gatineau Park that are available to the public. Call them to book a yurt for a weekend. They aren’t quite as snug as a cabin (they’re a bit draftier), but a yurt is much warmer than a tent! The cabins in Gatineau Park provide most of the things you’ll need for a comfortable stay, including firewood, pots, bunks, a mattress, an ax and a stove. You’ll have to bring your own sleeping bag, food, water, matches, etc. Cabin stoves take about an hour to heat up a cabin, so keep this in mind when skiing into one on a blistering cold afternoon or night. Candles make a cabin feel homey, and camping out is an opportunity to get rid of the stubs you don’t use at home. Each three centimetres of candle will burn for at least an hour, so you can calculate how

many hours’ use you want. Be sure to bring more candles than you’ll need. Water. Each person will need about two litres per 24 hours. If you require more than you packed in, melt some snow. A light, backpacking stove can do this quickly, while a campfire may take well over an hour. Check out local camping stores for excellent stoves that pack easily. Visit ncc-ccn.gc.ca for more info. 

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Three high-energy bannock recipes By Allen Macartney

riting this article makes me very hungry, and happy. I don’t know how many times I’ve sat around a campfire waiting for the bannock to finish baking. When I was on the Yukon River two years ago, I paddled into the Fort Selkirk ghosttown. Rain was streaming down, and had been for about three days. I was not particularly joyful. A British adventurer called out from a broken-down cabin on the site, asking me if I wanted a piece of freshly baked bannock. It was delightful! It’s hard to imagine a more traditional Canadian wilderness snack (or meal) that packs such a nutritious punch when you need the calories. That’s why it’s perfect for winter campers. This simple food has a rich history dating back hundreds of years. Voyageurs, trappers, aboriginals, colonial soldiers – all made bannock around the campfire at day’s end. These three recipes will keep your internal furnace well stoked. Prepare the dry portions at home, packing them in a zip-lock bag, and bake on the trail.

RED RIVER BANNOCK A breakfast bannock to warm your innards after a cold night in a snow quinzhee or tent. You’ll need: • 750 ml (3 cups) whole wheat flour • 125 ml (½ cup) Red River cereal • 45 ml (3 tablespoons) baking powder • two generous pinches of salt • 125 ml (½ cup) margarine or butter • 60 ml (¼ cup) brown sugar • and a sprinkling of chocolate chips. Work the margarine well into the dry mixture with a spoon. Add enough water to make a sticky but sloppy dough that still holds together well. Place small dumpling-sized dough balls on a heavily greased frying pan, press the dough down so it’s about 2.5 centimetres (an inch) thick, and cook slowly.

Turn frequently.

MAPLE-BLUEBERRY BANNOCK Combine these ingredients • a cup (250 ml) of white flour • 125 ml (½ cup) corn flour • 15 ml (1 tablespoon) baking powder • 60 ml (¼ cup) maple sugar • 60 ml (¼ cup) milk powder, and blueberries. After mixing the ingredients in the zip-lock bag at your campsite, pour enough water into the bag until a slightly damp dough forms. Knead the dough well. Prepare your campfire so its coals are glowing happily. Separate the dough into small snowball-size portions and drop them individually into a no-stick frying pan. Push the top of the dough down so they look like slightly flattened scones. Cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until the dough is nicely browned and cooked throughout.

CHEESY CRANBERRY-RAISIN BANNOCK First mix these ingredients • 500 ml (2 cups) whole wheat flour • 125 ml (½ cup) corn meal • 125 ml (½ cup) milk powder • 30 ml (2 tablespoons) baking powder two pinches of both salt and cinnamon Then and add cranberries and raisins. At the campsite add 30 ml (2 tablespoons) vegetable oil, and enough water until a wet, loose dough forms. Pour the mixture into a no-stick frying pan so it forms a cake about 2.5 centimetres (an inch) thick in the pan. Cook over a camp stove that produces even heat, turning once. Just before taking it off the heat, sprinkle grated cheese over the bannock cake. Serve with hot butter. Incredible!  www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

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OTTAWA’S WINTER BIRDS – AND WHERE TO FIND THEM By Jenna Thompson

ver walked Ottawa’s winter trails, spotted a feathery friend and wondered what it was? It’s a bird’s world and it’s begging to be discovered. We’ve sorted through the sightings for a selection of the region’s most common birds. Maybe see how many can you identify in one outing. Binoculars and a camera are a big help outdoors – and afterwards, looking up those images in a field guide or online. Easily one of the best known and mostloved birds, the sociable black-capped chickadee (1) captivates crowds with its hand-feeding antics. Visit any trail in winter with a handful of sunflower seeds, and it won’t be long before you hear the familiar “chick-a-dee-dee” from a small greyish bird perched nearby. That’s birdspeak for “Did you bring the good stuff?” The northern cardinal (2) is a familiar robin-sized red bird often found near feeders. While the male commands attention with his bright plumage, females have a more subtle beauty, with brownish feathers, bits of red on wings and tail, and an orange beak. An Ontario favourite, and not just because they are good at baseball, the Blue Ja y (3) that lives here does not live in the far West. Take a moment to admire its mosaic-like wing pattern. Loud and feisty, a blue jay will almost certainly find a pile of peanuts left outside! Nuthatches are easy to spot, but you’ll likely hear them first. White-breasted nuthatches (4) can often be found creeping, head-down, on tree trunks searching for insect eggs and seeds. If you’re lucky, you might get a redbreasted nuthatch (5) to eat out of your hard. The reddish breast, slate-grey back and bold black eye stripe make this an easy bird to identify. What’s black and white with red all over (the top of its head)? That would be the pileated woodpecker (6), easily identified by its bright red crest. They are crow-sized, larger than all other North American woodpeckers. There is some confusion over whether to pronounce this awesome bird’s name “pileee-ated” or “pill-ee9 14 I ottawaoutdoors

6 ated.” Don’t sweat it, either 7 is correct. Hairy woodpeckers (7) and downy woodpeckers (8) look incredibly similar, so look carefully to tell them apart. Generally, the downy is smaller than the hairy. The males of both have a speck of red on the back of their heads. Turkeys aren’t just found on the dinner table around Ottawa. Wild turkeys (9) forage in flocks and can be spotted on farm fields and even on the trails. Common ravens (10), similar but larger than crows, are increasingly common in and around Ottawa. The easiest way to identify one is by its deep, croaking voice (as opposed to the familiar caw-caw of crows). I have yet to hear one say “nevermore.” Bohemian waxwings (11) can be tough to locate, but where you find one, you’ll find

many. They often hang around in huge flocks, chowing down on frozen berries. They are stunning, with flecks of orange and yellow on their wingtips that look like drops of wax – hence the name. Here only in winter, they are similar to their summer counterparts, cedar waxwings, which are more yellow than brown. Ottawa has been treated in recent years by snowy owls (12) flocking south in search of food, a large increase called an “irruption.” To see a snowy, the best bet is to drive country roads and scan edges of fields, fence posts and hydro poles. These birds can also be spotted on National Capital Commission trails. Sarsaparilla and Jack Pine trails are a great place to start. But birds are everywhere! 

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Decadent hot chocolate warms body and spirit

unforgettable treat. Pour into mugs for now or a thermos for later in the cold, then add a sprinkle of sea salt. Trust me, don’t skip the sea salt. You’ll thank me later.

NUTELLA HOT CHOCOLATE

By Leslie Foster

Heading outdoors isn’t always easy when the temps are below zero, but a thermos of warmth on a winter adventure makes everything more enjoyable. And when it comes to hot chocolate, don’t settle for the ordinary when the divine is within reach. It’s a treat no matter what the recipe, but if you change things up a bit you may never go back to plain old, plain old. Here are two recipes and some variations to mark the path to perfection. And nobody needs to be constrained by recipes – use them as inspiration, and adjust to your taste.

SALTED PEANUT BUTTER HOT CHOCOLATE Ingredients for two servings: • ¼ cup of sugar • ¼ cup premium quality cocoa

• ¼ cup water • 3 cups of milk (the higher the butterfat content, the creamier the hot chocolate) • 3–4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (or the Sunbutter peanut-free substitute, or almond butter) • ½ cup chocolate chips (we like milk chocolate, but you can use semi-sweet or bittersweet) Whisk sugar, cocoa, and water in a saucepan until smooth. Then whisk in the milk. Once it’s thoroughly heated, remove pan from heat and add the peanut butter and chocolate. Let sit for a minute until melted. Whisk until frothy, or use an immersion blender or frother for an

I don’t recall where I first came across the idea of using Nutella and milk to create decadent hot chocolate, but it’s now a family favourite. The rich, creamy texture will leave you wanting more. The recipe is dead simple. All you need is milk and Nutella. Warm milk in a small saucepan or in a mug in the microwave. Scoop in a generous dollop of Nutella and stir until smooth. Variations: Make it an Aztec hot chocolate by adding a pinch each of cayenne, cinnamon, and sea salt. Or turn this into a grown-up drink by adding a shot of Bailey’s or Kahlua … we won’t tell. Add roasted marshmallows and graham cracker crumbs for a s’mores-inspired beverage. Stir in crushed – really, really crushed so no one chokes – candy cane for a hint of peppermint. Want super-decadent? Toss a pressurized can of whipped cream into your backpack. 

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ottawaoutdoors I 15

SURVIVAL101

THE ROLE OF LUCK AND GOOD DECISIONS In 2012 a Swedish man in his 40s survived for two months after his car skidded off a remote road during a snowstorm near the Arctic Circle. During that time temperatures plunged to -30. When found, he had lost 40 pounds. How did he survive for two months with almost no food? Like all extreme survival stories, this one involved luck. But focus and selfcontrol also played significant roles. His story offers good survival tips for outdoor adventurers.

ALLEN MACARTNEY GOOD DECISIONS

Shelter is your Number 1 need for survival. Weather is often unkind, and sometimes fatal. This man knew his car provided the best shelter – dry protection from wind and snow, and relative comfort. A snow cave or tent couldn’t possibly cut it. Had he abandoned his car, he would likely have died in a few hours. He stayed put, and lived. In his book Deep Survival, Lawrence Gonzales writes, “A survival situation is a ticking clock. You have only so much stored energy, and every time you exert yourself you’re using it up. The trick is to become extremely stingy with your scarce resources. Knowingly or unknowingly, that’s exactly what this Swede did. Rather than walking to find a village through heavy snow in the teeth of a blizzard (using about 6,000 calories a day) or digging out a snow cave, he climbed into a sleeping bag in his dry car, packed every bit of clothing around him, and cocooned. Psychologists call this “active passiveness” – the ability to accept the new situation you’re in. Patience is more than just a virtue in survival situations. It’s life. But how did he live for two months with almost no food? Some doctors think he went into a state of semi-hibernation (other doctors contest that idea) while some survival specialists think he was just very lucky. He didn’t waste the little fat reserves he carried around his waist. He hardly moved out of his sleeping-bag and car. Instead, he burned a minimum of calories through a daily routine of comic-reading and sleeping. Still, his survival was extraordinary. Water, not food, is the greater need. The Swede focused on this, and melted snow with a lighter, because melting snow in your mouth can hasten hypothermia. Years ago a couple got stranded in Algonquin Park during a blizzard, left their car seeking better shelter, ate a lot of snow, and one of them died.

POOR DECISIONS This lucky survivor made several potentially deadly errors. He told nobody where he was going, so no one went looking for him – he was found by accident. He carried no cellphone, had no snow shovel in his car, or emergency kit (space blanket, candle, chemical heating pads). If he had a large orange garbage bag in his car, he could have made a highly visible emergency flag to hasten rescue. But he had none. Outdoor adventurers encounter this type of accident more often than people who never stray far from the nearest city coffee shop. A blizzard in Gatineau Park can be just as deadly as far-away adventure destinations, but we’re more likely to miscalculate the scale of danger in familiar places. Next time you head out for cross-country skiing or snowshoe adventure, stash a survival kit in your car, as well as a sleeping bag and collapsible shovel. Being prepared can’t diminish the fun!  16 I ottawaoutdoors

BOOK REVIEW WILDERNESS SURVIVAL FOR DUMMIES By Allen Macartney If you’re looking for one of the most complete and clear presentation on wilderness survival, get a copy of Wilderness Survival for Dummies. Like all “Dummies” books, it’s extremely readable, engaging, written by experts and easy to apply when the going gets tough. And it’s appropriately titled, because most people act as if they’ve lost half their IQ when they get lost in the bush. Fear, panic and confusion turns them into … well, dummies. Been there several times. Whether your outdoor passion burns in winter or summer, in forest or mountains, this book will give you field-tested tools and techniques to survive almost any calamity. You’ll learn an array of survival tips and methods, from how navigate using the sun and stars, how to signal with a mirror, start a fire, apply first aid, and much more. Easy-to-understand illustrations are peppered throughout. The book touches on some topics often overlooked in other survival books, like managing your emotions, coping with panic and developing a “survivor’s attitude.” If nothing else, this book will give you an increased confidence when you venture into the woods – confidence based on knowledge and skills, not arrogance. First published in 2009 and costing less than $20, it’s a book to read and re-read. It would look lovely under a Christmas tree. 

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ANTARCTICA REVEALED

King Penguins strutting back to their colony at Fortuna Bay, South Georgia Island. The Hurtigruten vessel, MV Fram, at rear.

If you go, pack carefully for the most remote South By Katharine Fletcher | Photos by Eric Fletcher

enguins. Humpback whales. Tales of the undaunted British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1915 expedition. Ice, glaciers, mountains and snow. Kayaking amid icebergs and growlers (“baby” icebergs). Camping on the Antarctic Peninsula, that reaches out toward South America. Depending on weather and sea ice, all this awaits voyagers bound for Earth’s southernmost continent, as Eric and I did on Norway’s Hurtigruten cruise line’s 19-day Antarctic expedition last year. We boarded ship at Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world, and set out on some of the Earth’s unruliest seas: Drake Passage between the tip of South America and the outer islands of Antarctica, and the Scotia Sea in the south Atlantic. We went ashore to hike and visit rockhopper penguin colonies in the Falkland Islands, and king penguin colonies on South Georgia Island’s emerald landscape. Then after two at-sea days, Antarctica! We visited research stations and chatted with the www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

scientists; kayaked alongside mushroomshaped icebergs; and camped at Neko Harbour beside a boisterous Chinstrap penguin colony and awoke to the grinding cacophony of calving glaciers. Five at-sea days fed our brains with information and explanations about this new world by expedition scientists. German geologist Steffan Biersack transformed geomorphism, tectonic plates, and the ancient continent of Gondwana into a human framework: “When you step onto Antarctica, you are stepping onto the ancient rocks of South Africa!” Truly, Antarctica and its neighbour islands of South Shetland, South Georgia and Falklands generate the superlatives.

To prepare for this harsh land and heaving seas, start by thinking flexibility. Voyages here are called “expeditions” not “cruises” because Mother Nature rules. Sea ice, wind, precipita-

Hurtigruten’s boots were quite comfortable on the varied elevation of South Georgia’s seven-kilometre Shackleton trail.

ottawaoutdoors I 17

tion and sea swells higher than 10 metres determine whether vessels can land. Sea ice trapped a Russian ship here in January 2014, despite the latest technology, meteorological tracking and an experienced captain. Our expedition leader Anja Erdmann greet-

ed us one day with, “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! Because of sea ice, we won’t be able to reach South Shetland Islands. We thank you for your flexibility!” Despite disappointment, we sailed on. Another useful preparation is medical.

Waterproof pants, jackets and protective gear for cameras come in handy for the many trips ashore.

There are motion sickness patches. Take them. Our Transderm patches helped us through hours of serious five- to seven-metre swells on the Scotia Sea between Falklands and South Georgia islands. They made us sleepy but kept our meals down. To think about what to wear, start at ground level. Hurtigruten provided boots. As experienced hikers, we know a hike is only as enjoyable as your feet are happy, so we had brought our own – needlessly, it turned out. The onboard neoprene boots were fine for disembarking with dry feet from pilot boats for offship excursions. And for hiking. We took on South Georgia’s “Shackleton hike,” seven kilometres following the explorer’s route to a whaling station at Stromness. There he got help to return to Elephant Island and save his crew from starvation after their ship perished in Antarctic ice. Hurtigruten gives each passenger a cozy souvenir windbreaker, so we didn’t need our own. Although Canadians understand layering and cold, some passengers from milder locations brought only cotton or woolen sweatTenting on Antarctic Peninsula, Neko Harbour.

18 I ottawaoutdoors

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ers as their “layering.” Micro-fibre shirts, woolen pullovers, and long underwear provided perfect layering. Leave cotton at home. And take flexible, waterproof pants for pilot boat crossings: sometimes we got drenched as we sliced through the waves. Top it all off with protection from sun and wind. A wide-brimmed hat plus tuques, micro-fibre or woolen scarves, and gloves (or mitts) to keep Antarctic winds at bay. Suntan lotion and sunglasses are a must. We spent happy hours on deck, exposed to the sun’s reflecting rays off the ocean. Under the “food for the mind” heading, Hurtigruten stocks a multi-lingual (English, French, German) library. Alongside the lectures, this meant we needed none of the reading material we took. And the on-board movie nights were fun. Wi-Fi was unreliable. I used my iPhone for photos and infrequent social media communications. Eric took his DSLR camera and tripod. Next time we’d take a GoPro: one passenger took terrific videos of penguins ascending from the ocean to their colony. Pack extra batteries and chargers, plus zip-lock and larger waterproof bags to keep everything dry.

Before you go, do some research. Trips to Antarctica are pricey, a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most people, so being prepared is smart. Start with websites | Hurtigruten’s is www.hurtigruten.com/en/explorer-voyages/

Kayaking at Vernadsky Ukrainian Research Station among mushroom-shaped icebergs.

antarctica, but phone, Skype, or e-mail if you have questions. It’s your trip. 

STUDENTS ON ICE

Photos by Students On Ice

Geoff Green of Chelsea, Que. founded this company in 1999 to take students by ship to Antarctica and the Arctic for environmental education. Company spokeswoman Ashley Brasfield said polar regions are the company’s focus because they are “cornerstones of our global ecosystem and offer students a powerful and experiential learning environment.” Call that hands-on-learning for kids. Brasfield said the ratio of students to educators is two to one in “oceanography, glaciology, ornithology, geology, exploration, polar history, art, music, Inuit culture, sociology, business and innovation.” Glaciology research on Antarctica’s Koerner Ice Cap is a feature of the Antarctica trip. Browse www.studentsonice.com to discover more.

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ottawaoutdoors I 19

COLD WEATHER RUNNING Don’t let the Ottawa winters slow you down By John Stanton

n the Canadian High Arctic, instructors in a survival course tell air force pilots that there is one thing they must overcome to survive in a world where temperatures of –70ºC are not uncommon. It is the psychological fear of cold. They also teach that the heart is an efficient heater and that pilots can function comfortably with a little help from proper clothing. Instructors note that in high mountain ranges, tiny organisms survive on rocks warmed by the sun while temperatures around them are well below zero. The organisms have their own microclimate. We’re all somewhat larger organisms, but we too need to create a similar microclimate if we’re going to enjoy running in winter. So many people ski and climb today that layering clothing is no secret. It’s just common sense. Wear polypropylene

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underwear next to your skin with a breathable outer, windproof suit made of a fabric such as Versatech, and you are in business. Another layer should be added in between them on very cold days. And there’s no doubt you’ll remember your mitts and tuque.

There’s a special joy in being the first footprints in the snow. The mental discipline that is often needed to get one foot out of the door when the snow is falling

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is exactly what comes in handy during the latter stages of a marathon. Get going!

SOME COLD WEATHER TIPS: • Adjust the intensity of your workout. It doesn’t matter whether you cover the same distance you might on a summer day. You are out running. Decide on a time rather than the number of kilometres. • Warm up properly and start at a comfortable pace before easing up into a tempo that is slower than your normal training pace. • Shorten your stride to improve your footing on icy roads. Many runners insert a handful of small drywall screws on the outsides of their soles to give them greater traction. • Carry coins or a cellphone so you can get help in an emergency. Perhaps carry the cab fare home. • Run into the wind and coast home with it at your back. • Run with a group if possible. • If you are going out by yourself, tell someone your route and estimate how long you will be out. Find a route that allows you to cut your run short and get help if you need it. • Remember up to 50 per cent of the

body’s heat is lost through the head. Wear a balaclava or tuque to keep you warm. • In extreme temperatures, cover all exposed skin with clothing or petroleum jelly. If you are running with a partner, check each other’s face regularly for the white patches that mean frostbite. • Run facing the traffic and wear reflective gear. • Chapstick your lips, nose and ears. • Many a gentleman has found the hard way that it is best to protect future generations with a wind brief. • Keep your speed work for dry, indoor surfaces. • Seek a warm, dry place and medical attention if you suspect hypothermia. It’s caused by a drop in the body’s core temperature and it’s dangerous. Signs are incoherent, slurred speech, clumsy fingers and other signs of poor coordination. • We know of no runner who has frozen lungs in subzero weather, and we know some people who run outside when it is –40ºC. The air is warmed by the body before it enters the lungs. If you find breathing cold air uncomfortable, wear a face mask to help warm it. • Change into dry clothes as soon as you can after your run. 

YOUR

Winter Adventure D E S T I N AT I O N

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SCIENCE KID TRICKS WITH WATER MORE FUN IN WINTER By Leslie Foster

When the Unexpected happens . . .

. . . we'll be expecting you!

inter invites cool outdoor science. When temperatures get solidly below zero, you can head outside to create a your own cloud at ground level, or engineer some frozen bubbles. Either way – clouds or ice bubbles – you can do things with water that are impossible in summer. For either of these tricks to work, the air has to be at minus 15 or colder. To get that cloud of frozen water vapour, take a mug of boiling water outside (boiling hot; tap-hot water won’t work). Holding the mug handle firmly, throw the hot liquid into the air, fast. Aim it away from you or any spectators to avoid scalding someone. As the water meets the cold air, it will instantly vaporize. (The science of this transformation is explained at www.examiner.com/article/cold-weather-science-make-a-cloud-on-the-ground) Shifting from water vapour clouds to frozen bubbles is also easy winter fun. In summer you can make some pretty wicked bubbles with just dish soap and water. For frozen bubbles, you need corn syrup to thicken the mixture. This increases the surface tension of the bubbles’ “skin,” enabling the solution to form a lasting bubble in the cold. For this one you need: • 125 ml liquid dish soap • 125 ml corn syrup • 750 ml hot water • A container and bubble wand Mix the soap, corn syrup and hot water, and then let the mixture cool. Go outside and dip the wand in the bubble mixture and wave it slowly through the air until a bubble forms. Wave the wand, don’t blow through it – hot breath keeps the bubble from freezing. Whether the bubble detaches on its own depends on air temperature and your technique. You can nudge it off the wand, but it might shatter. It’s heavier than a summer bubble (all that corn syrup), so it floats – but usually descends fast. You’ll know you had just the right proportions in the mixture of those three liquids when you can crack the frozen bubble like an eggshell. 

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22 I ottawaoutdoors

Leslie Foster is a writer and entrepreneur who enjoys exploring, snowshoeing, or working on ice castles in the yard with husband and son. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

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of the best www.ChateauMontebello.com

courses in the world • great Tuesday night indoor golf league • come for stags, office functions or just a night with your friends • real golf clubs with real photographic images. Many customers who’ve played Pebble Beach etc, say it’s unbelievable! • totally different from cartoon courses • take golf lessons with CPGA pro Joe Dubinski • 7 state of the art simulators • fully licensed, pool table, big screen tv

• Winter fun skiing and snowboarding for all levels. • We offer great discounts on trips, ski passes, and lessons at local hills and stores. • Visit our website or come and meet us at one of our pubnights.

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ottawaoutdoors I 23

MARK YOUR CALENDARS for MARCH 21-22, 2015! MARCH 21-22, 2015 OTTAWA

FOUR SEASONAL ISSUES

OUTDOORS Like/follow us on Facebook, twitter & pinterest @

ottawaoutdoors

OTTAWA • GATINEAU • ONTARIO • QUEBEC • US & BEYOND

FAMILY | HOME | TRAVEL | FITNESS | ADVENTURE

TOURS FOR CYCLISTS

OTTAWA

UPCOMING ISSUE

This 4th annual Outdoor and Adventure Travel Show is organized by the Ottawa Outdoors Magazine Team, our partners and 15+ years of experience bringing you all things to do with outdoor adventure. See you there!

OTTAWA

OUTDOORS OUTDOORS Like/follow us on Facebook, twitter & pinterest @

ottawaoutdoors

OTTAWA • GATINEAU • ONTARIO • QUEBEC • US & BEYOND

TRAVEL | FAMILY | HOME | FITNESS | ADVENTURE

Like/follow us on Facebook, twitter & pinterest @

ottawaoutdoors

WINTER ISSUE

OTTAWA • GATINEAU • ONTARIO • QUEBEC • US & BEYOND

TRAVEL | FAMILY | HOME | ADVENTURE

Snowboarding basics for beginners

YOGA FOR CAMPERS p 48

NORTHERN TOURS FOR CYCLISTS BACKPACKING ON THE CHEAP

Three tips to stay up Alpine powder tips Skiing with your poles and feet

The essential après ideas for all sports How to truly relax in comfort

Seven tinders for fire Identifying which are the best

URBAN CYCLING

CALENDAR OF EVENTS & OUTDOOR CLUBS

How to be safe

PADDLE THE + RIDEAU CALENDAR OF EVENTS & OUTDOOR CLUBS

What to see and where to go

Paw prints in snow Knowing your wild animals

Now read each issu on you or com r iPads, iPho e puters! nes Get your FREE iPad App today!

The 4th annual Outdoor & Adven

For Ottawa-Gatineau Outdoor Enthusiasts | Mar 21-22, 2

Buy tickets in advance at www.AdventureOttawa.ca

The 4th annual show for outdoor enthusiasts! ADVENTURE STAGE

Paddling Exhibitors

Cycling Exhibitors

Camping Exhibitors

AdventureTravel Exhibitors

nture Travel Show

2015 | EYCentre at 4899 Uplands Drive

• An amazing line-up of local guest speakers on stage all day, both days! • Becky Mason and Kevin Callan on canoeing and camping • Road & Mt.Bike experts • Triathlon experts • Photography experts • Obstacle course tips • Fishing experts ACTION THEATRE

• Enjoy exciting action videos all day long • How-to experts holding clinics and answering questions • Challenge games for serious gear prizes 40’ DEMO POOL

• SUP DEMOS & Instruction • SUP YOGA DEMOS • SEA KAYAK DEMOS (Frontenac Outfitters) FOR THE KIDS

• Scavenger Hunt • Games and other activities OTHER FEATURES TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON! :)

Spread the word and plan to come to the show!

Are you mad enough? ATLAS

Snowshoe Series Wakefield, QC

OTTAWA

Presented by:

OUTDOORS MAGAZINE

www.MadtrapperRacing.com December 13 – “Transition” Course January 3 – Bushtukah Night Race and i2P Fundraiser January 24 – “Hilly” Course February 21 – The Champs LOYAL SPONSORS: ATLAS SNOWSHOES / BUSHTUKAH / SOLEFIT / SALOMON / LURBEL / BROADHEAD BEER / RUNNERSUNITED.COM BIG PRIZES: PARTY, FOOD, FUNDRAISING

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QUEBEC’S EASTERN TOWNSHIPS OFFER WINTER’S BEST Getting there is easier than ever By Leslie Foster

After Montreal and Quebec City, the Eastern Townships are Quebec’s the third most popular tourist destination, attracting more than six million visitors each year. There has has to be a reason, and in fact there are many. This region has four of Quebec’s provincial parks, four ski hills, a world class zoo, awesome scenery and great food. Get going. If you’re driving from the Ottawa area, you can branch off Quebec Autoroute 40 just before Montreal and take the new number 30 to avoid the island – and its traffic – completely. Here’s a sketch of some of the attractions.

DOWNHILL SKIING Owl’s Head, Bromont, Mont Orford and Sutton are open year-round, drawing thousands of skiers and snowboarders each year. Owl’s Head and Bromont offer progressively more challenging runs, starting very easy for beginners and then excellent blue and black hills for more experienced skiers and boarders. All these areas have their own specialty. Bromont is the only Townships hill with night skiing. Owl’s Head, with vistas of Lake Memphrémagog, offers ski-in, ski-out accommodations – you can ski from the door of the chalet to the lifts and back – and slope side condos. At Owl’s Head, multiple lifts keep lines moving on even the most crowded days. www.owlshead.com www.skibromont.com www.orford.com/ski www.skisutton.com QUEBEC PROVINCIAL PARKS That’s “Parcs nationaux” in French, and the Townships have four of them – Mont Orford, Yamaska, Frontenac and Mont Mégantic – open year-round. Each offers at least one of winter-hiking trails, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. Under the “something really special” heading, Mont Orford has spectacular lookouts and snowshoeing by torchlight. We explored the forest by moonlight and the glow of torches, and it was mesmerizing (you have to make reservations for this one) for the three of us, including our 12-year-old. Mégantic has an International Dark Sky Reserve, the first in the world, established in 2008 and a must-visit destination for astronomy lovers. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

Find the park that best suits your interest and abilities, all under one website, www.sepaq.com

TUBING Coaticook Gorge, Haut Bois Normand in Eastman, and Parc du Mont Hatley offer snow tubing, and we tried it out at Hatley. Tows take you up the hill to 10 tube runs, each between threequarters and a full kilometre long, with a play area for kids at the bottom. New this year, some Zipfy and ski-sled runs start from the top of the converted ski hill. www.monthatley.com GRANBY ZOO While in the area, you can easily stop at the Granby Zoo, with about a thousand animals representing 200 species. Animal behaviour is different in winter than in summer, so it’s an interesting time to visit. We enjoyed two completely unexpected encounters: petting the sting rays and feeding nectar to birds in the aviary. www.zoodegranby.com 250 City Centre Ave #124 Ottawa, ON (613) 422-5616 euro-sports.ca

Skiing in powder at Mont Sutton.

AND NOW, LET’S EAT After an activity-filled day, delicious local fare sounds like a really good idea. Chefs créateurs is a group of 19 upscale restaurants specializing in regional cuisine. We were welcomed like old friends at Bistro 4 Saisons in Orford, an upscale, yet comfortable restaurant. Service was exceptional, the food artistically presented – and delicious. www.bistro4saisons.com Lots more winter vacation ideas at www.easterntownships.org.  Whether you are a seasoned Racer, or a First time Skier, Euro-Sports has the best brands and knowledgable staff to make this your best Winter yet.

ottawaoutdoors I 27

HOME ICE

Making a backyard rink on the cheap By Leslie Foster

ick and Julie McAteer of Navan brought their son Alex skating at local rinks when he was only three years old. He liked the skating but didn’t do well with crowds of skaters. They later found out their son, now 11, was living with autism, and that led the whole family down a happy, icy journey. Recalling that his own dad had gone to great efforts to make a backyard rink when he was young, Rick McAteer set out to do the same so their son could be more comfortable skating. “He wanted to be out there all the time,” McAteer recalled, so “this was motivation for me.” Almost 10 years later, Rick, Julie, Alex and his sister Annabelle, 8, host an annual skating party for friends, family, and neighbours. They build a big fire, get the smoker going, turn the lights on, and have a lot of old-fashioned winter fun. If you want your own backyard rink, stores sell build-a-rink kits. But creativity and hard work, plus used lumber, wire, whatever, that you or the neighbours have lying around can turn into a home-made rink much cheaper. Rick’s rink-building has been honed over the years and he’s got it down to eight steps. Here they are:

PICK YOUR SPOT Use a level to find a relatively flat spot close to a water tap and an electrical outlet. If you’ve got a septic field, stay away from it. No digging needed, you can flood straight onto grass or snow.

BUILD THE FRAME Set up the rink perimeter after the last leaves have fallen but before the ground freezes hard – that way the stakes go in more easily. MidNovember is ideal, but you can push it later. You can use the rink liner or tarp as a template for placing the side “boards,” which are two by eight rigid chicken wire-like fencing held up by stakes in between. You needn’t buy new materials. Rick uses plywood nailed over pallets for end boards.

MAKE A BED FOR THE ICE Hold off until there’s snow on the ground and the forecast calls for a few consecutive days of -15 C to -20 C. Then use a transparent or white tarp for a rink liner. Anything dark soaks in sunlight and could weaken the ice surface. Compact the snow with snowshoes, boards or feet, and build up uneven areas at the same time. But beware that tap water is warmer than snow and may melt the built-up area through the tarp potentially causing it to stretch and rip.

LAY OUT THE TARP Then loosely attach it to that chicken wire with tiewraps, leaving some slack so it doesn’t tear when you fill it with water. Patch any holes.

FIRST FLOODING Turn on the hose and let it run for 24 hours – it takes a long time to fill the containment pool for an 28 I ottawaoutdoors

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eight- to 10-centimetre ice base. Do this all at once to keep the liner intact: if ice freezes in layers, it can shift and tear it. Then put up plywood at the two rink ends to complete the end boards – real wood to stop those pucks. Rick left bare chicken wire-like fencing along the sides, but you can put wood all the way around if you want. Do this after the ice base is frozen, or the wood will stand in water and be more likely to rot in spring thaw.

SET UP LIGHTING Rick uses mercury vapour lights, the ones with a bluish tinge and super energy efficiency. Some people decorate with holiday lights or spotlights.

LINES AND MORE Rick has a great trick for creating lines in the ice. He sprays the ice surface, lays down party streamers and waits until they’ve

bonded. Then he floods the rink. Car magnets are perfect for a centre ice crest – heavy enough to sink, and freeze, below the surface. Rick reuses his Ottawa Senators magnet every year.

MAIN FLOODING When it’s -20 C or colder, wait until dark, fill a garbage can with water, and dump it onto the surface. Avoid daylight, because even a cold sunny day can be too warm to make good ice. Repeat five or six times in different spots. This creates a thick, even layer. In warmer weather or to create a thin layer of ice, pull a rink rake back and forth across the ice like a Zamboni to fill in skate marks. You can make one out of PVC and underground sprinkler parts from the hardware store for about $10. After skating or after a snowfall, shovel the rink off with a heavy steel scraper and flood it again. When it’s time to hang up the skates for the season, drain the water and fold up the liner or tarp so you don’t kill the grass. Julie McAteer sometimes thinks her husband is crazy out there in -20 C watering the ice, but he insists, “I love doing the rink each year because it’s a wonderful hobby, the kids love it, and it’s a great way to get outdoors and enjoy the winter season.”  www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

ottawaoutdoors I 29

TIE ONE ON

The (almost) lost art of the Yukon pack Before ergonomic backpacks and became fashion statements, voyageurs, fur traders and adventurers used the Yukon pack – a light and improvisation with a blanket or tarp. The name may have come from the Klondike gold rush of 1890s, but the idea probably goes back to the first person to carry home animal meat in the hunt’s own hide. These days, one of these versatile packs can free up space on a sled or save the day if a pack strap breaks in the bush. Making one takes eight metres of rope and a tarp large enough to hold all your gear. Size matters. It’s easier to work with more than less. Start with the tarp spread flat on the ground. Pick one half as the top of your pack-to-be and put your gear on this half. Leave about half a metre of spare tarp on this top end. Lay bedding and clothes on the tarp first – this will be cushioning for your back. Then pile the rest of the gear on top of that, keeping the

heavier items toward the bottom of the pack (the middle of your tarp). Distribute the weight evenly on the right and left. Now the fun begins. Begin by folding the tarp sides over your gear. Ideally, it should reach up and over your equipment, almost to the ground on both sides. Next fold the tarp bottom up. It should reach almost to the top. Finally, fold the top flap (that free half metre mentioned above) down over the others. Make the folds neat and straight, keeping the tarp fairly tight around the gear. Now it’s time to tie it. Not a knot expert? Not a problem. Specialized knots work better, but you can get by with a simple granny knot (two consecutive overhands by the same hand – right or left – does it). Turn the pack over so the padded side with the soft clothes and bedding faces up. Loop the rope horizontally around the pack near the top, pull the rope tight and tie it off. Tie two more

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loops horizontally, one around the middle and one near the bottom. Now roll the pack over so the padded side is on the ground again. You should see three evenly spaced loops wrapped fairly tightly around the pack and the free rope end at the bottom. Pull the free end around the bottom and tie it in the middle of the bottom loop. Continue up to the middle and top loops, tying it tightly each time. Finally, stand the pack up vertically and pull the free end of rope over the top, tying it to the top loop on the far side. Improvise shoulder straps by tying short lengths of rope along either side of the pack. Pad that rope with an extra shirt or foam pipe insulation for a long day on the trail. 

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SIZING UP THE ICE

Going through is all too familiar, so avoid dangerous areas By Roger Bird

n a snowshoe bushwhack last winter, the club’s hike leader went through the ice while treking down a line of ponds in Gatineau Park. No problem. The water wasn’t deep and most of the hikers were experienced and knew what to do – get her snowshoes out from the muck and from under the ice where they were stuck. Control your breathing, don’t try to get out Brace yourself, hold your breath. Then everyone stood around immediately, get to the ice from where you fell in. and talked about the times they had gone through the ice in some way shape or form. Turns out, seven of the 10 had their own icy dip to talk about. The only ones who didn’t were new to snowshoeing. Most remembered another through-the-ice moment the winter before. A group of snowshoers sought shelter from the wind at the bottom of a steep bank beside a pond – for lunch. Lunch over, one was buckling on his backpack, Get as much of your body out, get horizontal, then Roll away from the hole. Get to warmth. lost his balance and stepped back kick and pull together simultaneously. onto the half inch of clear ice. It cracked, and he fell backwards onto the ice. There’s a lesson here: If you hike, snowshoe walking or skating on your own, and a group He instinctively tried to stand up, using his or ski across enough creeks, ponds, lakes and (snowshoers, cross-country skiers, hockey elbows for leverage. That broke even more ice, rivers in winter, count on going through the ice players) need at least 20 centimetres. It’s his backpack jammed under it, and he started at some point. 25 centimetres for snowmobiles. to sink. And be prepared for it. It’s never fun, and it And stay off the ice after dark.  Hike leader Tom Cole recalls a split second’s can be dangerous. Here’s one hiker’s typical Illustrations thanks to the team from WikiHow thought – “I don’t want to get wet” – but wad- experience in early spring in a snow-covered ed out up to his knees, to get the trapped hiker stream. out. “There were lots of hands reaching down “My snowshoe was caught under the ice and ICE EMERGENCY that steep bank, and we got him out. Then lots no amount of pulling would loosen it. My TACTICS of spare, dry clothes and gear came out of back- husband had to dig with his hands in the icy If there’s trouble out on the ice, there are packs, and all the stress disappeared.” He was stream to remove the slush and ice that was a means of coping with it, depending on if briefly euphoric. “The air felt like a summer holding the snowshoe under. Two extra pairs of you’re alone or with others. day.” socks were used that day, one pair for my feet If you fall in through the ice, call for help. Cole stripped down to change clothes. But and the second pair to replace his sodden Don’t attempt to immediately climb back just before he was fully dressed he started to gloves.” out. Instead, assume a floating position and shake uncontrollably. The hikers knew they So everyone should think about ice safety and reach forward, kicking your legs in the had to get both men moving, fast, and they extra socks. water to push your body onto the ice. Once did. The Canadian Red Cross website says the back on the ice, don’t stand up, but “Inside of 10 minutes I was toasty warm.” thickness of the ice depends on a slew of factors gradually crawl or roll away from the area, Just as well, since the group had two hours – “the type of water, the location, the time of spreading your arms and legs to distribute before they were back at their cars. year and numerous environmental factors. The your body weight. In the following days, Cole reflected that he depth of the water or the size of the lake or pond If someone else falls through the ice, had ignored the cardinal rule of ice safety – are important, as are the potential for currents … resist the urge to run out onto the ice where don’t go out on the ice for a rescue, try to help “Often, the colour of the ice indicates its they were. Call for help, and attempt a the victim with a rope or pole. “I guess I did strength.” Clear blue is strong, white or snowy rescue from shore by extending a pole or the right thing. But the presence of all those ice is only half as strong. Grey ice means, “Stay branch to the person in the water. other experienced hikers saved both of us from away!” real trouble.” Ice should be 15 centimetres thick for www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

ottawaoutdoors I 31

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Megan-Rose Martin Megan-Rose Martin is an artist and local yoga teacher who grew up in the small town of Kemptville. After recently displaying her art creatively in Gatineau Park, we asked her a few questions about her background. “Growing up, I was what most would consider as being hyperactive. My calm came from releasing energy into drawing, painting, writing, and playing instruments. Having been raised by my mother who is an artist, I was always supported and encouraged to follow my heart. I learnt by watching but mostly by feeling.” “My creativity is where I am safe to be playful and explore my inner child. My pieces always represent the conclusion of a chapter in my personal journey. Expressing my struggles, joys and discoveries allows me to remain authentic and connected to my community.” Martin chooses to create large abstracts as she feels it speaks to the heart rather than the head. “Developing an interpretation of a piece comes from the roots of who we are and what we feel. My heart is warmed when I can inspire someone to pause for a moment, consciously breathe and feel with awareness. I believe we are all artists and we all have something to share.”  Look for her art at this Flickr address: https://flic.kr/s/aHsk6zTfGp Or email Megan at: MeganMartinYoga@gmail.com

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OTTAWA’S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

LIFE UNDER THE SNOWPACK

There’s an active “subnivean” world down there

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Photo by Eric Fletcher

hile people snowmobile, hike, snowshoe, ski or ride horses across the winter landscape, few give much thought to what’s going on beneath them. It’s a fascinating environKATHARINE ment called the subnivean, a word derived FLETCHER from Latin, where “sub” means “under” and “nives” means “snow.” Many animals use the snowpack as shelter from harsh conditions above ground. In the Ottawa Valley, mammals like voles, mice, red squirrels and shrews build tunnels, enabling them to travel about safely in search of food. These are tunnels of life, lit by filtered light, a specialized ecosystem where animals forage for roots, grass, bark, as well as insects, plus their eggs and pupae – not so safe for them! Rocks, fallen branches, twigs and layers of deciduous leaves help to create pockets of air, light and space beneath the snow. They help tunnelers to create secure networks – and reduce the amoung of energy they have to expend, because fallen branches help support the tunnels from the weight of snow. And it’s warmer down there. Snow traps the heat of the earth so the bottom of the snow blanket hovers around 0º C. As well, it’s a moist environment, so venting is important. Too much moisture, and animals could become wet and start losing body heat. It’s a delicate balance. Perhaps you’ve seen their traces – holes in the snow with pawprints leading to and from them. Look around bird feeders where seeds have fallen down. Red squirrels often create tunnel openings here, which give them a door to a reliable food source. Tunnel “doorways” are also escape hatches from above-ground predators such as domestic cats, foxes and coyotes. And they provide ventilation for the carbon dioxide that accumulates beneath the snow from animals breathing and from its natural release from the ground. Although subnivean tunnels seem to offer safety, predators also use them. One in particular is superbly adapted to tunnels. With a long, tube-shaped body, short legs, and a voracious appetite, weasels are the terrors of the subnivean world. Ben Gadd’s Handbook of the Canadian Rockies has lessons for our part of the world.

He writes that weasels “spread terror through a series of winter runs that small rodents make at the base of the snowpack.” And the hunt goes on from outside the tunnels as well. Owls, coyotes and foxes have such sharp hearing that they can detect their invisible prey. Perhaps you’ve seen photos of snowy, great gray, or great horned owls plunging into snow and emerging with a vole or mouse in their talons. And then there are the grouse. When a ruffed grouse bursts out from the snow as you ski or snowshoe silently through the bush is an unforgettable, startling moment which demonstrates that birds, too, use snow as

Subnivean hollows: squirrels have been eating the spruce cones, and have made holes around the base for protection from predators.

shelter. I love to trace grouse tracks back to discover the cavity and wing-marks that mark their emergence from a subnivian lair. It’s usually safe, but freezing rain can convert their shelter into a tomb. This subnivean world is a busy place which we rarely see. I say “rarely” because yes, only if we’re observant, do we see the openings and, during a melt the tunnels themselves, snaking over the surface – traces of the creatures who made them, visible for all to see.  Jim Norris, ASC., Real Estate Broker Direct: 613.769.7147 Fax: 613.369.5821 jim.norris@rogers.com Keller Williams Ottawa Realty 610 Bronson Avenue | www.kwottawa.ca

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SKI AND SNOWSHOE TRACKS TRACE WINTER PLEASURE Close to home and really varied By Katharine Fletcher; photos by Eric Fletcher

ecause Ottawa gets tons of snow and few thaws, it makes sense to get out there. Otherwise, winter can seem awfully long if you’re just staring out the window. Where to go? Here are some favourite trails that could fit on anybody’s destination list. See you there? GATINEAU PARK

Gatineau Park has 57 kilometres of snowshoe trails and more than 200 kilometres for skiers. The National Capital Commission (NCC) website supplies information on trails, fees, and trail maps. Before going, take note that snowshoeing isn’t permitted on ski trails; and leave the dog at home – they’re banned from all trails. If you’re a novice snowshoer, start at the visitor centre, 133 Scott Rd., in Old Chelsea, with free parking and the Sugarbush trailhead. It leads to trails 60 and 61, both easy. And when you need to get in from the cold, the centre has a small museum, toilets, a public lunch room, helpful staff and trail maps. If you’re a newbie, hold off buying snowshoes, and rent some instead at the visitor centre. That way you can start finding out

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which kind suits you. You can also buy your snowshoe season pass there or online. An added benefit is a 15 per cent reduction at Le Nordik Spa for awesome thermo treatments after hours on the trails. Check the NCC website for details on how to snowshoe for free. My favourite trail connects P17 at Wakefield just off Highway 5, to Healey Lodge, a former Irish family’s farm house now renovated as one of the park’s day cabins. ‘Shoe’ along and imagine the Irish community of some 100 or so settlers here in the late 1800s. Other great snowshoe spots include Wolf Trail which climbs to a rocky lookout on the Eardley Escarpment. You get there from parking lot 13 on the Meech Lake. Take binoculars to look for rough-legged hawks or bald eagles once you’re up top. Or park at P19 at Lac Philippe and venture onto trail 73 – a circuit of the entire lake which starts about 300 metres past the vehicle barrier. Or head to Lac Renaud and its cabin along trail 74 which starts near the service buildings. These trails are a bit more remote and very, very pretty. Cross-country skiing in Gatineau Park includes 50 trails and groomed parkways. They open up exploration of beaver meadows, forest, lakes, ponds and sometimes rugged, sometimes gentle, terrain. There are classic and skate ski trails, and others shared with snowshoers. Pick the kind you want. If you are up for a daylong meandering trip, take Trail 1 and traverse the park’s spine from Old Chelsea to McKinstry Lodge and press on to the fire tower above Lusk Falls. If you’re a competitive skier, sign up for the Gatineau Loppet which runs Feb. 13– 15. From children to long-distance experts, there are races for every level.

BEYOND THE PARK

On the Ontario side of the river, Mer Bleue (ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places-to-visit/greenbelt/merbleue), off Anderson Road east of Ottawa from the 417, is an internationally designated wetland. Its boardwalks span an ancient (almost 8,000 years old) bog’s boreal habitat. Ski alongside stunted tamaracks and black spruce and take in the wide-open character of this special spot. In Quebec, Ski Pontiac (skipontiac.ca) in Norway Bay is the work of long-time residents Connie Renaud and Shirley Russell. They’ve built a cross-country skiing and snowshoeing destination for families and enthusiasts who want an easy to intermediate outing. Says Connie, “We’re expanding our 10-kilometre network of groomed, tracked trails this year and yes, we’ll still be doing some full-moon skis.” Further east on the Ontario side is the Larose Forest (prescott-russell.on.ca) with snowshoeing, classic and skate cross-country skiing on groomed trails. It welcomes novices and offers one of the best chances to actually spot a moose in the whole region. Then there’s the Greenbelt (ncc-ccn.gc.ca/ places-to-visit/greenbelt). Gotta love our city with its more than 150 kilometres of crosscountry skiing across it. Choose groomed ski trails at Shirleys Bay, Stony Swamp, Pine Grove, or Greens Creek, or strap on snowshoes or skis for the Sir John A. Macdonald parkway along the Ottawa River. Ski or snowshoe to work anyone? Many Ottawans skate to work along the Rideau Canal, but why not shake it up? Ski, skate or ’shoe to the office. Now, that’s one cool New Year’s res!  Katharine and Eric Fletcher are an outdoors team. Among her books, she is author of Capital Rambles: Exploring the National Capital Region. katharinefletcher.com www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

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BAXTER CONSERVATION AREA AWAITS THE FLEET OF FOOT A snowshoeing gem close to town By Jo-Anne Benson

ttawans are fortunate to live in a city where green space and recreational trails are plentiful. The region boasts the Capital Pathway with its 170 kilometres of multi-recreational routes. Sections of the Rideau and Trans-Canada Trails are nearby and easily accessible, and the Gatineau Hills are just across the Ottawa River in Quebec. For something new and different, try a short drive south of the city to the Baxter Conservation Area. For just $6 per vehicle, this little gem of a site has a great deal to offer. The 68-hectare Baxter Conservation Area falls under the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and includes five kilometres of multi-use trails. The open fields have trails meandering through a diverse environment with mixed forest, wetlands, a nut grove, and a section of the Rideau River shoreline. While snaking through the woods, users delight in the network of level trails that are well marked and wide enough for snowshoers. The Fiddlehead Trail offers a 2.2 km circuit that meets the Grouse, Cattail, Hare, and Alder trails. Each one is a delight – well worth exploring. Resting benches are strategically placed throughout the area. You’ll find others by the bridged entrance to an inlet of the Rideau River and on various observation decks. These offer ideal locations for a moment’s rest and refreshment. Along the trail, interpretive panels will entertain and inform you on such topics as fossil fuels, life along the water, the food chain, and the 1990’s Ice Storm. The main bridge off the Fiddlehead Trail leads to the Fillmore Park Nut Grove. This grove, which boasts over 30 varieties of nut- and bean-bearing trees and shrubs, was planted in cooperation with the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and the Eastern Chapter of the Society of Ontario Nut Growers. While winter is not the ideal season to identify different types of nut trees, a visit to this section often entices visitors to return in warmer weather for further exploration. Here one can view such unique species as the Kentucky coffee with its unusual seedpods or the Chinese chestnut trees with their oblong waxy leaves and flowery clusters. The tall osprey nest and the pond area are focal points for the anticipated animation that heralds the warmth of spring. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

Winter exploration challenges the nature detective within us to observe such environmental curiosities as seasonal changes, animal tracks, and fauna adaptation. As a means of travel, snowshoeing allows us to become attuned to the surroundings at a leisurely pace. A fresh blanket of snow provides an empty canvas for the artistry of squirrels, porcupines, rabbits, deer, lynx, coyotes, and fishers. Don’t forget to bring along your animal track and birding guides for quick and easy identification. Watch for downy and hairy woodpeckers, black-capped chickadees, blue jays, whitebreasted nuthatches, evening grosbeaks and flocks of snow buntings. Snowshoeing provides quiet transportation, so listen for bird songs that can lead to a rewarding visual encounter. While many birds frequent the feeders and forage for seeds on dormant plants, you may even see a hawk in search of food, or a hidden owl waiting for the cover of darkness. The unobtrusive nature of snowshoeing provides many ideal photo prospects, too. While people and animals are frequently viewfinder favourites, many other wonderful opportunities of the season await you here. Light often plays a critical role in winter photography, so be on the lookout for appealing shadows in the trees and for reflections on snow. Nature itself is extravagant with exciting designs, so try to capture unique ice formations, unusual snow drifts, the colours of a

setting sun, or an extraordinary winter still-life image. Ice-encrusted flowers, a melting droplet of water, or the beauty of a massive snowflake make excellent subjects. The Baxter Conservation Area holds particular appeal for families as it offers the ideal introductory venue for youngsters to experiment with snowshoes. The open fields are an excellent training ground to let beginners get their footing prior to heading for the trails. When children have exhausted their interest in their newfound sport, the Baxter area also offers a small sliding hill, a pond that is occasionally used for skating, and a campfire area. The trails are multi-purpose and host numerous walkers, cross-country skiers, and snowshoe enthusiasts. For a luncheon or early dinner break, the area around the Conservation Centre has numerous picnic tables. In addition to offering a diverse natural area to explore, Baxter Area Visitor Services offers educational programs to community groups. Winter topics include Instincts for Survival, Endless Energy, Winter Ecology, and Animals and Habitats. Don’t sit at home thinking that winter is a lost season. Discover its many incredible delights. Head out to the Baxter Conservation Area and you’ll find a rewarding and funfilled experience every time!  Jo-Anne Benson’s interest in the outdoors includes walking, canoeing, hiking, photography and exploring new destinations. ottawaoutdoors I 39

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QUEST FOR FIRE How to build a fire in winter By Chantal Macartney

uilding a fire. This is one of the most important skills to master when camping, especially in winter. Fire provides warmth and light. It can be used to cook food or to dry damp clothes. Here are some ideas to get your campfire started and keep it going, whatever the weather or season. THE RIGHT SITE

The first step in preparing a fire is to locate a good site for it. There are some obvious places to avoid, especially those near trees or under low-hanging branches. You don’t want your fire to suddenly engulf an entire tree. Find a flat area at least six metres away from your tent (tent fabric is highly flammable and sparks are a hazard).

Windy locations can mean a fire that flares up and burns out of control. If you have to, dig a fire pit or build a windbreak using rocks and green wood in summer, or blocks of snow or ice in winter. The fire pit should be surrounded with rocks or sand – anything that won’t catch fire. Clear away dry leaves and garbage. If they ignite and blow around, they become a hazard.

Any fire in winter risks early extinction in wet snow. An old pot or frying pan used as a base will keep out most of the snow, giving you a nice dry fire that lasts. JUMPSTART YOUR FIRE

Pine cones are some of the best natural firestarters available. You don’t have to buy them;

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they fall abundantly in summer and fall around the campsite. What’s more, if you’re camping with young children you can enlist them as enthusiastic collectors. Even in winter, sometimes you’ll find freshly fallen pine cones lying in the snow. Try to collect 20 or 30. Once you have them, you’ll find that starting fires is a lot easier. Why? Because they are full of highly flammable pine sap. Keep cones dry by storing them under a tarp or in the vestibule of your tent (though they retain most of their fire-starting qualities even when wet). Another great fire starter is a cotton ball saturated in petroleum jelly (e.g. Vaseline). Dip the ball in the jelly, and work it in with your fingers until there are no dry cotton areas left. It might take you up to three or four minutes. Film canisters are the perfect place to store the saturated balls. (You can fit about 25 of them into one canister.) Try combining these two great ideas: pine cones and petroleum jelly-saturated cotton balls. Here’s how. Take a large pine cone and push a cotton ball fire starter into one of the “leaves.” Light the cotton fire-starter, and turn the cone upside down so the flames climb up into it. Place it against a rock and place two or three other pine cone cotton ball combinations against it. Then slowly feed in the kindling. Don’t over-stack a struggling fire

with too much kindling, or add large pieces of wood too soon. Let a confident flame build up, and slowly feed it. KEEPING IT DRY

If it’s wet outside, look around for a wide, flat piece of wood to place over your struggling fire. Don’t put the wood too close to the flames, but let it act as a roof. It won’t burn because the rain keeps it damp enough to just smoke. I’ve kept a blazing fire going throughout an hour-long downpour using this method. Store wood in a dry location, out of the way until you need it. A good place might be under your tarpaulin, or even in a large plastic bag. WHICH WOOD IS BEST?

Fires built with softwood (e.g. pine, spruce, hemlock – anything with needles) will be hot and short-lived. Fires built with hardwood (anything with leaves) are slow-burning and produce long-lasting coals – perfect for cooking baked potatoes or roasted vegetables. Sim-

ply wrap them in aluminum foil and put them in the coals for half an hour. Add a bit of sour cream and cheese, and you’ll have a new favourite camping dish – something that’s both highly nutritious and requires no clean-up. If it’s available, peat moss is a great fuel to keep a fire going, but it’s awfully smoky. Although there’s something romantic about preparing all your meals over an open fire, it’s much easier cooking on a propane or Coleman stove. Campfires can be unpredictable and lack consistent heat if it’s raining or blowing. SAFETY POINTERS

Respect all fire bans. If the park says it’s too dangerous to light a fire, then don’t. Besides, breaking the rules can lead to an expensive fine. If you’re camping with children, lay down strict fire rules. Children shouldn’t light fires and only adults should handle the fire once it is lit. And don’t permit running or playing around the fire area. Cutting down trees is against the law in provincial or national parks unless it’s a matter of personal survival. So, never do it. Few things can warm the heart during a camping trip like a fire. Following these simple tips will ensure you have better, safer campfires. 

The great outdoors – in total comfort! •

• C AMPI

P AM

Y-TO Spend the night in C AD Re d u cozy comfort in a cabin, ced R A T yurt or four-season tent. Ea on w eekd S ys In the morning, just N GI F N CO M step outside and enjoy Gatineau Park’s extensive network of cross-country ski and snowshoe trails.

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COOL GEAR FOR THE WINTER SEASON IPHONE KERF CASE | $59–$149 The Kerf iPhone 5, 5s and 6/plus cases are carefully crafted from a single piece of wood and lined with natural cork. Hand-sanded to 600 grit and rubbed with a two part finish, these cases are artisan made. You’ll want to visit their website and choose from the many different designs. Customer reviews are terrific, and what’s not to love about a natural and sustainable product made of highly prized burl wood, and figured hardwoods. Look for them at www.kerfcase.com

PLATYPUS PLATYPRESERVE WINE PRESERVATION SYSTEM | $8 Keep the merlot fresh and your chardonnay crisp while you’re out on adventures. This wine preservation system protects the flavour and extends drinkability by eliminating exposure to oxygen. • Lightweight, reusable containers are lined with food-grade polyethylene, which doesn’t absorb odours. POLAR FEET FLEECE SOCKS | $18.50 • Very packable for camping and picnics. Add a bit of zip to your feet. Combining flair and • Fill, squeeze to purge air, and enjoy wine function, these combed fleece socks are warm, several days or even weeks after opening. wicking, and quick to dry, plus they’re well-fitted • Container holds 800ml. for long term comfort. Great for cross-country Look for it at www.mec.ca skiing, boarding, hiking, or biking and come in a wide variety of colours. Look for it at www.mec.ca SPOT TRACE | $119 Using 100% satellite technology, SPOT Trace tracks your most valuable assets virtually anywhere in the world, on your phone or computer. Affordable and easy to use, SPOT Trace is a no-brainer for your cars, boats, motorcycles, toys and other valuables. • Tracking: View your asset’s GPS coordinates on a SPOT Shared Page • Movement Alerts: Receive notifications when SPOT’s vibration sensor detects your asset has new movement. • Dock Mode: Configure your device to track an asset that is primarily stored on the water. • Uses a monthly tracking fee Look for it at www.findmespot.ca 44 I ottawaoutdoors

LOUIS GARNEAU FELIX II (KIDS’) | $74

Sturdy, easy to put on, and crazy fun designs (sorry grown-ups – these are for kids only). Made for exploring hardpacked trails in flat terrain. • Frames are lightweight, durable 6061-T6 anodized aluminum. • Lightec decking is flexible down to -40°C. • Carbon steel crampons provide excellent traction on crunchy snow. • Reflex pivot point binding plates absorb shocks well and allow good foot rotation so kids can run around easily. • Moulded bindings are designed with kids in mind, and have quick, easy-to-adjust ratchet systems. • Made with light, strong DAC aluminum and breathable mesh. Look for it at www.mec.ca

THERMACELL PROFLEX HEATED INSOLES | $179 Thermacell ProFLEX Heated Insoles foot warmers are the newest addition to the Thermacell line. Designed to make any cold weather activity more comfortable and enjoyable, they have all the features of the original but are more flexible and comfortable, have longer use time, contain a removable and rechargeable battery and can be charged using either USB cable or wall charger. Simply place Heated Insoles inside footwear and activate heat with wireless remote, then adjust heat (medium or high) or turn off with remote as desired. The ProFLEX Insoles’ durable, lightweight, soft cushion polyurethane foam construction is breathable, conducts heat efficiently and has great retention and shock absorbency for all-day comfort. Powered by rechargeable, removable lithium-ion polymer batteries embedded in the foot warmer insoles. Can run continuously up to 5 hours — or much longer if used in intervals — on one charge and recharges fully in 4 hours. When one battery runs out, simply insert a new battery without even removing the insoles from the shoes for continuous use all day. Small, lightweight remote fits into a pocket or attaches to a belt. Customizable to fit any shoe size from a women’s 4.5 to a men’s 14. Look for them at www.thermacell.com

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