Mer Bleue Hike: A Few Photos

"And so I go into the woods. As I go in under the trees, dependably, almost at once, and by nothing I do, things fall into place."
- Wendell Berry, A Native Hill

home

birches standing tall

silhouette of a Northern Flicker

trout lily

hiking compadres

trillium

A Walk in the Woods

It's food for the soul I tell ya. For the first time in four months, D. and I loaded Cassie into the car to hit the trails for a morning hike and oooooohhhhhh so lovely it was.

I inhaled deeply, soaked up the sun and entertained a chickadee on my palm. I felt buoyed.

Here are a few pics:

blue skies

brown earth

a spot of red

golden curlicues

golden sun

Fun with Fungus

D. and I went on a great hike today and I seemed to be fixated on fungus. I have no clue what these are, but was drawn to take a few photos:

yellow frilly number

fungus or coral?

crimson clan

mango (slightly out of focus) loner

burnt orange beauties

Aren't they fun? I already have two mushroom identification guides on request at the library. I am such a nerd.

Is It Hiking Season Yet?

I'm pumped. D. signed us up as members of the Rideau Trail Association and bought the Guidebook. I've spent the past two mornings engrossed in detailed descriptions of each section, tracing each one on the map that accompanies it. Three hundred and five kilometres later, I'm done reading the book.

I can't wait to meander, climb, and work up a sweat under the sun; to reflect, discover, and bask in the beauty of Mother Nature.

We're toying with the idea of becoming end-to-enders this year - hiking the entire distance between Kingston and Ottawa. Because it's a hefty commitment (305km divided by approx. 15km/hike = approx. 20 hikes) and we expect this year's hiking season to be shorter than usual due to the snow, we've decided to work towards it but not let it become an obsession. I'm totally pumped at the possibility of completing this though; in January it became an item on my Mondo Beyondo list.

On a related but slightly different note, this morning I was reminded that Mother Nature is ever present in the city right here, right now. From the comfort of my sunroom I heard and/or watched Black-capped Chickadees, Blue Jays, a Cardinal, a Downy Woodpecker, and what I think was a Dark Eyed Junco. I am blessed.

The Discovery Trail

I love being outside on a sunny afternoon at this time of year. It can be pretty nippy but if you bundle up it's downright invigorating!

D., Cassie and I took advantage of yesterday's great weather and spent time in Gatineau Park hiking the Discovery Trail - don't you just love the name? The trailhead is located at the O'Brien Beach parking lot. The entire loop is 20km but we were content with walking for about an hour and a half, finding a nice spot to enjoy our homemade chicken wraps (thanks D.!) and backtracking for a total of about 5km.

I was a little camera-happy; here are a few favourite snapshots:

Grand Manan Pics: Post-fog

As promised, here a few of my favourite post-fog pictures from Grand Manan.

Most of these were taken on Hike #2. Although we couldn't see much beyond the coastline, I enjoyed our trek through the mist. It had a surreal, almost ethereal feel to it. I connected with the imperfection of it all: the dampness, the rugged terrain, the crooked wind-shaped trees and the thick bushes of wild roses and potentilla blooms that seemed determined to thrive in such an unfriendly climate.

I wish I could convey the experience of the fog - how it felt on my cheeks, how it constantly transformed the landscape or how the chime of the foghorn echoed on the ocean's surface. I wish you could feel the muffled silence of the fog, broken by the crisp blow of a whale beneath the cliff. But alas you can't. With humility before Mother Nature's prose, I offer you these few snapshots to compensate.

Enjoy ...

(Thanks to D. for pic #5.)

Grand Manan Pics: Pre-fog

Finally! A few of my favourite pictures from our trip to Grand Manan in late July.

I was enchanted by this island hidden somewhere between New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Maine. Try as I may to show you with a few snapshots just how enchanting it is, they won't do it justice. But I'll still try. :)

We were lucky enough to get a full day of sunshine after which the fog rolled in and never left. I've divided my pictures into two posts: pre- and post-fog. These pre-fog pictures were taken on Hike #1, along what I think is the northern coast of the island. (Thanks to D. for pics 1 & 2!)

Thanksgiving Weekend Hike - Luskville Falls

onward and upward!

D. and I spent yesterday hiking under the sun, taking in the gorgeous fall colours of Gatineau Park and the Ottawa Valley. We did the Luskville Falls trail - a new trail for me.

What a trek!

It's not a long trail - about 4-5km return trip - but it's a demanding one. It climbs 300m up the steep face of the Eardley Escarpment, rewarding us with stunning views of the Ottawa Valley along the way. More than once I had to stop and bend over to catch my breath, but it felt so great to be out there! Once we reached the top, we enjoyed a picnic lunch and cracked open our tetra pack of Chardonnay.

All in all not a shabby way to start the long weekend.