Backpacker has a Brand New Website

Backpacker magazine has a brand new website with more features, more content on gear, hikes, travel, skills and survivial.  Lots of videos, podcasts and blogs on outdoor subjects. You can also join the Backpacker community -Post a trip, gear reviews, comment on forums, create a profile and much more.

April’s edition of Backpacker Magazine features a number articles that include The Perfect Pool, 2008 Editors’ Choice Awards - best packs, tents, boots and other gear,  Live Earth, Shock and Awe, Backpacker Exclusive: Our Carbon -Neutral Project,  Basecamp articles on adventures, nature and skills and much more.

One item that caught my attention in the Editors Choice Awards were the  Scarpa Kailash GTX hiking boots.  They were rated the top boot for this year. They are good for rugged day hikes, trail hiking and have gore-tex linings.  You can purchase these boots at Mountain Equipment Stores and online at www.mec.ca  for $199. 

Just six months away from the 2008 Hike the Highlands Festival, Sept. 12-21.

 

Plaster Provincial Park Trail - A Pleasant Surprise

What a pleasant surprise today - hiking the Plaster Provincial Park Trail. My wife and I had never done the complete trail before and usually spent most of our time at the picnic park as well down at the beach and cove.  We had landed on the beach a few years back when we sea kayaked from Jersey Cove to Ingonish.

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed hiking this trail today which took us about an hour and fifteen minutes to complete with three short stops . Some great views of Bird Island, Cape Dauphin and St. Ann’s Bay make this trail quite special. We took our snowshoes and used them for about halfway around the trail. The rest of the way we walked on crust.  I highly recommend this trail which is located in a provincial day park about halfway between Baddeck and Ingonish.  Below are some of the pictures we took on the trail today. 

Red Island Hike by Snowshoe

Despite being winter in the Highlands,  you can still enjoy hiking by snowshoe. My wife and I enjoyed a great hike the other day on the Red Island Trail . This trail  was part othe Hike the Highlands Festival last year. You certainly get a different perspective of the trail in the winter.  Lots of interesting tracks on the snow - moose, coyote, rabbits etc and of course great scenery. MacDonald’s Pond was frozen over so we managed to snowshoe across and take in more scenery.  We had our snacks on the beach at Red Island. Both of us managed to get lots of pictures on our hike and get some great exercise. Below are some of the pictures we took on the hike. Enjoy.

Came Upon Ruffed Grouse - also known as Partridge

Recently, my wife and I came across a couple of Ruffed Grouse while hiking in the woods on the crust. Ruffed Grouse are commonly known as partridge here. The above ruffed grouse could hear me coming and flew onto a tree, fluffed out to warn the other one of danger.

Some interesting tidbits, the ruffed grouse can  :  1) hover and make complete turns in the air when flying through thick bush 2) spread their toes whike walking on snow. 3) drum, the males do this during mating season to attract females and keep males away. Drumming is caused when the male bird cups his wings and rapidly beats them against the air.

Hike the Highlands - A Nova Scotia Signature Event in 2008

Recently, the Hike the Highlands Festival received an accolade by being recognized by the NS Dept. of Tourism, Culture, & Heritage as a signature event in 2008. Our festival will be recognized and promoted appropriately in the NS Doers and Dreamers Guide in 2008, the Festivals & Events Guide and www.novascotia.com.  This extra promotion wil go along way in helping the festival attract more hikers in September to Cape Breton Island.  This recognition is a credit to our team of organizers, volunteers, guides, partners and sponors.

The 5th Annual Hike the Highlands Festival will take place September 12-21 in the Cape Breton Highlands. The festival headquarters is located in Ingonish.  In the near future, the festival committee will be announcing its hikes for the 2008 festival.

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White Christmas for the Highlands

Winter is here in the highlands and it looks like it will be a White Christmas for Cape Breton Island. Depending on where you live in the highlands, there is 50-100 cms of snow in your yard and it is only December. My wife and I went for a walk after work yesterday and I was amazed at how much wildlife I saw.  We saw seals, loons, Canada Geese,  Golden Eye ducks, (5) partridges in the trees and one immature eagle. All this in an hour’s walk. 

I have the snowshoes out and cross country skis ready for some winter fun over the holidays.  It is a great way to stay in shape over the winter.  Have fun over the holidays and experience nature.

On behalf of the board of directors of Hike the Highlands Festival Society and myself , I would like to wish you & your family a very Merry Christmas and best wishes in 2008.

Seasons Greetings,

Tom C. Wilson, Chair
Hike the Highlands Festival Society
 

Fall Hike - Red Island

Today my wife, Heather, and I went on a late fall hike on Red Island Trail. It was overcast, and windy but still a nice day for hike.  We did the trail clockwise and found the views much better along the trail. It wasn’t long before we got to MacDonald’s Pond and starting see all the islands, the mountains in the background and much more. An immature eagle flew over us while we continued on to Red Island and as well a partridge went by through the woods.  We stopped for a break at Red Island and took pictures of Bird Islands, Red Island and Big Grappling. Then we headed back to our car. The hike took us 1.5 hrs with lots of breaks - me taking pictures. As we arrived in the driveway, a red tail hawk was being chased by two crows. An interesting day and fall hike. Below are some photos I took today and put in smilebox - a slide show program.

Make a slide show, scrapbook or ecard

2007 Photo Contest Winners

The results are in and judges have spoken.  Here are the winners in each category with honorable mention. Thank-you for all the entries.   Winners - 1) Best Picture - Janet Hutchingson, Lawrence, Kansas, USA,  2) Best Scenery -White Point - Patricia McCormack, Port Hawkesbury,  Honorable mention - Sugarloaf - Neil Yan, Markham, Ontario,  3) Best Plant - Tina Shea on Franey,  Honorable Mention - Bob Harrison, Mushroom,  North River Little Falls,  4) Best Humour -  Sharon Proctor, Cape St. Lawrence - Pony,  Honorable Mention -  Dupie-Milne Ashton,  North River Little Falls,  5) Best People - Janet Hutchingson, Lawrence, Kansas,  Honorable Mention - Bob Harrison, Skyline,  6) Best Animal - Bull Moose, Skyline,  Bob Harrison,  Honorable Mention - Pony, Cape St. Lawrence, - Bob Harrison.

The photos below will be uploaded to the web site in a next few days.

 

Cape Breton Highlands National Park Recognized for Their Work

At the recent Cabot Trail Tourism Solutions Conference at Keltic Lodge,  Cape Breton Highlands National Park were presented with a Certificate of Appreciation for their valuable contributions as a partner for the 2007 Hike the Highlands Festival.  In the picture above are - Jocelyne Quann, Park Interpreter,  Marie Stradeski,  Manager of Heritage Presentations,  Tom C. Wilson, Chair, Hike the Highlands Festival Society, Elaine Wallace, Chief of Visitor Services, and Heather Dixon, Marketing and Information Officer.

“Cape Breton Highlands National Park were a tremendous partner in this year’s festival” says Tom C. Wilson, Hike the Highlands Festival Society, “and their involvement played a major role in the success of it.”  The Cape Breton Highlands National Park developed a new guides manual, provided guides training, developed new trail fact sheets, assisted in the marketing and promotion of the festival through a fall newsletter and articles and contributed in-kind contributions of staff. 

2008 Festival Dates Announced

On behalf of the board of directors for the Hike the Highlands Festival Society, I am pleased to announced the 2008 dates. Next year’s festival will take place from September 12-21, 2008. “Hikers have been getting used to this time of the year & our great weather, and so it was appropriate to stay the course, ” says Tom C. Wilson, Chair, Hike the Highlands Festival Society.

Our committee has already started working on next year festival and  the first tasks on the agenda were to review evaluations from Hikers, our Guides and Sweeps  and look at next year’s Hiking Schedule and Trails.  The committee should be announcing in the next month or so the 2008 Schedule of Hikes for the Festival.

Our team of volunteers, partners and sponsors look forward to serving you in 2008.