Snowshoeing in Chelsea

We went up to Chelsea today for a 1 hr 45 minute snowshoe on trails 60 and 61. The weather was perfect - sunny and very little wind. The only downside was the fact that we have not had much new snow so the trails were hard packed and icy in spots. We ended up going around twice. It is very well marked and impossible to get lost on. The trail is rolling with a couple of steep sections, but nothing that novices should be worried about. Click on the pics for a larger view.

Trail 60 cuts across a cross-country ski trail and turns into trail 61 on the other side.

Conveniently, at the top of the hill, there is a spot to enjoy the view and have a cup of tea!

Another walk around Mud Lake

A Nuthatch checks us out.

Bruce and I went for a 90 minute walk/photo safari around Mud Lake (here in Ottawa) today. The lighting was not great for photo ops, but we were able to get a couple of snaps in.

The recent rain has killed snowshoeing for the moment. We need lots of fresh powder, but unfortunately, the weather gods don't seem to be interested in supplying us with any...

Ice meets water on the Ottawa River.

Another day snowshoeing around Lac Philippe

We went back up to Lac Philippe today to go snowshoeing. The weather conditions were absolutely perfect - not too cold, no wind and bright blue skies.

We arrived around noon. We would have arrived earlier, but it was very dull and overcast and we wanted to wait for the sun to come out.

After parking in P19, we put our snowshoes on and took trail #74 (same as last week). An hour later, we arrived at Philippe hut where we stopped for a cup of tea and something to eat. We then continued on until we got down to somewhere around Smith Beach, where we left the trail and started snowshoeing right on the lake itself.

As we approached the eastern tip of the lake, the ice became noticeably softer and we were worried about becoming ankle deep in water.

We decided to turn around and get back on the trail towards P19. All in all, we were out for about four hours, counting all the photo ops and lunch and tea breaks.

The great thing about going on a Friday was that the place was almost deserted. We hardly saw anyone in four hours.

It is days like today that make you really glad to live in this part of the country where we get four distinct seasons and a park in which we can enjoy all of them.

Gatineau Park - je t'aime!

24 hours in Wakefield

We went to Wakefield, Québec, on Friday night to listen to some music at the Blacksheep Inn. We got there in good time to get a table (shows are quite often sold out and seating is first come, first served).

The John Punch Band opened the show. The headliner was Ottawa's own Lynne Hanson.

Both acts were quite good. It's always nice to hear live music.

Afterwards, we walked back to our charming little B&B to get a good night's rest.

The next morning, Dawn made us a fantastic breakfast and then we were off to Lac Philippe to go snowshoeing.

It was cold to start, but once we got warmed up, we were okay. We were treated to a beautiful blue sky, very little wind and not too many people on the trails.

We started from P19, took Trail #74 to the Renaud hut, where we stopped for tea, then proceeded to Lac Philippe. Trail #74 is rolling, with lots of trees to protect you from the elements. It was very photogenic with the blue sky and snow-laden trees.

As expected, it got colder as we moved on to Trail #73, which follows the shoreline of the lake. Once we got to P19, we turned around and did the same route in reverse.

We stopped at the Philippe hut for lunch, and then made our way back to the car.

All in all, we were out for about four-and-a-half hours. You could probably run this loop in an hour in the summer, but hey, we are not training for the Olympics!

Besides, we wouldn't have taken these pics.

First snowshoe of 2010

We went up to Chelsea, Québec, this morning to go snowshoeing. The weather and conditions were just about perfect. What a great way to start off the new year. Click on the pics for a larger view.




























































































Last two photographs courtesy Bruce Thomas.

Birds out and about

We went for a walk around the Mud Lake Conservation Area this morning. Lots of birds out on the prowl for food. This time of year many of them dive bomb you hoping you have something to give them. These chickadees were happy to see us.
















This was as close as I was able to get to this heron.

















Upside down woodpecker.






















This cardinal stayed in the tree until we were well out of the way.























This nuthatch kept buzzing us.

Nature plays tricks

We went up to the Visitor Centre in Chelsea this morning to get the NCC's new winter trails map. There are two new snowshoe trails this year which we are quite happy to see.

While there, we went for a hike on one of the snowshoe trails near the centre. All the leaves are down now. We have noticed that there is not a lot of red this year. Still, autumn in Gatineau Park is always enjoyable.















Photo: fungus on a log almost looks like coral here.



















Photo: birch bark scroll.






















Photo: anyone else see an alligator?























Photo: happy or sad face. Not sure which.

Perfect day for a hike in Ottawa

Photo: A Blue Jay checking us out from a distance.


We hiked a couple of trails in the Stony Swamp Conservation Area this morning. Lots of people out enjoying the weather. Perfect day to be outside. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Saturday morning drive to Almonte, Ontario

Photo: The mighty Mississippi River (no, not that one) flowing through the town of Almonte.


This morning we drove out to Almonte, Ontario to go to the craft fair.

It is a pleasant 40 minute drive from Ottawa via Highway 417 westbound. When we got there, we popped into the Robin's Nest Tea Room and made a lunch reservation before heading off to the craft fair.

We spent about an hour at the craft fair and bought some maple syrup, honey butter and a couple of Christmas presents (which I can't mention right now because the recipients read this blog!)

Lunch at the Robin's Nest Tea Room is fantastic. We got the last table there (glad we had a reservation). Everything is homemade and the butterscotch meringue pie is to die for.

There are many craft fairs going on all over the province right now. It's worth the drive to check them out and buy a unique Christmas gift for someone you care about.