Just a heads up for the Thurs Apr 30th morning hike. We will be going to the Chutes PP in Massey, we should see a pretty good show from the spring melt. Because its an out of town hike, we will meet up at the bank at 915am and leave at 930am sharp! Approx 1hr each way and about a 3hr hike of about 5.5 km, total time around 5 hrs, so we should be back to the bank approx 230-3pm if all goes well. Care and caution is urged around the trails due to the potential hazards. Proper hiking footwear and clothing is a must, bring water and a snack as well. The Park is not officially open till May 15th so there is no cost for us to hike there. Carpooling is strongly encouraged.
Saturday, April 04, 2026
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
SNOWSHOE TRAIL 2026 03 31
Well! a first for me - nobody came to play! I figured the message might be : 'take a hike' ... so I did!! My objective was to make a good trail base so I could ski on it. Mission Accomplished!
The day was a little overcast and a VERY light drizzle started as I left the parking lot, but it all cleared to make for great hiking conditions. The recent rains that followed our monster snowstorm had packed down the snow so it was pretty easy going - can't even call it 'trail breaking'. Lots of tracks were evident along the trail: bobcat, fox, rabbit, partridge, and, I believe, otter. The otter tracks appeared periodically along sections of the trail where you wouldn't expect them, quite a ways from the river, but they matched the ones beside the river, emanating from a hole in the ice, and they showed the tell-tale slide sections on even the slightest downhill. Live animal sightings: lots of noisy birds hanging around at the start, the partridge which evaded my attempts to capture proof on camera, and chickadees - one took a nut from my hand but when I tried to get a picture, the bag of nuts spilled and then I think the birds were just waiting for me to disappear! That was actually a good thing because a light sprinkle started just then, which made me hustle to get back to the car - no sooner inside and the hard rain hit. I was blessed with a lovely outing and good luck!!
This day proved that there's still plenty of snow to enjoy in the woods on snowshoes (my guess-timate is about 2 feet or so) and it is likely to last a little while longer. Give it a try!!
Monday, March 30, 2026
Saturday, March 28, 2026
SNOWMOBILE TRAIL 2026 03 28
Was a beautiful sunny cold morning when 8 hikers departed the bank and headed for Fox Drive to walk the snowmobile trail. The hiking was really nice for a while. Almost like a road walk, except more trees. The going was pretty easy until a snow groomer came along and loosened up the trail, which made walking a bit more difficult. All in all, a wonder hike.
Thursday, March 26, 2026
ESTON LAKE 2026 03 26
The Boys are Back at Esten Lake 2026-03-26
It was the 3 guys who broke a new trail to get from the daycare to the ATV trail. Flotation on the snowshoes in the deep snow was good so we can venture out and bushwhack once again. At the lunch break on the lake, we spotted an ice hut and an abandoned snow-machine which has been out on the ice for at least 24 hr. since the hiker leader saw it there yesterday. A good workout up the hill and back to the cars.
Saturday, March 14, 2026
EMILY'S TRAIL 2026 02 24
David took a turn to lead on a crisp, sunny morning.. 4 left from Spine Beach and snow shoed along Emily's trail.
Wind had built drifts across the path that look like logs buried there.. Ruth flattened them. A fox had led for a bit since last night's snow.
The wonderland of trees, rocks, shoreline and Elliot Lake caused many a wow, stop and admire.
Some large, hemlock, cedar and yellow birch loomed over us..
Squirrel and grouse tracks were noted.. a woodpecker had cut 2 columns of holes, 2 inch cubes from 2 feet to 6 feet from the ground.
met a friendly doggie on the way back..
wonderful day out in the woods, great trail, awesome crew, good sunny winter day..
Thursday, March 12, 2026
STINSON ROAD 2026 03 12
Just 4 lost souls hiking the backroads until we reached a raging river crossing the road so we turned back, great weather and great company
Monday, March 09, 2026
DENISON MINE ROAD 2026 03 09
A sprinkle of rain just prior to the start of our hike, then blue skies and sunshine the rest of the day. The packed footpath just off Dennison Mine Road was very soft from the rain and mild temperatures and we were breaking through every other step even with snowshoes.
The original plan was to cross Hwy 108 to a snowmachine trail and hike over to the Dunlop Lake boat launch, but the punky snow convinced us to turn around and try the snowshoe-packed trail leading down to the river. It was a great decision. The walking was much better, and although we were assured it wasn't very far, we traversed a number of ups, downs and made a number of right/left decisions before finally reaching the river to relax and bask in the sun.
A large part of the river was ice free and the water was rushing over the stones and branches in front of us. Chickadees kept us company as we moved through the area, probably hoping we would refill the many feeding stations along the way.
The hike was more hard work and adventurous than planned, but it turned out to be a very pleasant outing with a bonus - a phone feared lost, wasn't (it never left the truck).
Saturday, March 07, 2026
RAINBOW RIDGE 2026 03 05
Beautiful clear blue skies and a recently snowshoed track drew our team of four eager hikers upward to the dam on Ryan Lake with promises of a lovely walk in the woods. Unfortunately, the recent snowshoer turned around at the dam! The path forward showed evidence that it HAD been walked by someONE at SOME point this winter, but now the promise was one of potentially breaking trail on a route that was mainly uphill most of the way. Well this team declared themselves ready - onward and upward! Promises were kept but all four of us enjoyed the challenges, the workout, and the animal sightings along the way ... mainly tracks ... rabbit, squirrel, chipmunk, partridge, and even, possibly, cougar - oh, and an in-person appearance by a squirrel in a mad dash across our lunch spot. Although we did not conquer the summit, we made great advances in making the trail easier for those who would follow. At our cars, all agreed that we certainly had a wonderful day on the trail but the couch sure seemed to be calling loudly!!
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