Today's ski report from Gatineau Park, Quebec, Canada

Freakin' cold! Minus 12 degrees Celsius, but spared by good gear and the trees in Gatineau Park from light wind. Cold temps makes for slow classic skiing in groomed tracks - like skiing on sandpaper, even with glide wax, but the skate skiers are always happy. They move faster and don't get face slapped by low-hanging snow-laden trees and debris that falls on the sidelines into our groomed tracks. Especially around Lac Philippe.

The ungroomed trails look like this . . . an interesting change.

 Maybe better to snowshoe in some parts - and stay off closed trails.

Then, off to Renaud day cabin to heat up a grilled cheese on the wood stove and sip on a thermos of hot chai tea with honey, and throw another log on the fire.

A setting sun on the way back is pretty sweet in the Gatineau Hills, as we passed by several happy overnight campers in the park's cabins and yurts around Lac Philippe enjoying a very white holiday season.

There's a lot more snow on the way in the National Capital Region of Canada. About 20 centimeters falling from Wednesday to Thursday.

What will the forest trails look like after more snow? Whiter, more downed branches, and more fresh snow to play in.

Take care and enjoy!
The BaffinPaddler

Happy Holidays from the BaffinPaddler

This is how I get rid of snow on my deck.

Then a big snowstorm dumped 30 more centimeters of snow December 21 onto the National Capital Region of Canada. Here's a picture of the same snow bear after only 15 centimeters fell for people who don't live in snow-infested regions and wonder, "How much snow is that?!" I'll need to make 20 snow bears to get rid of all this stuff that's on the deck, and snowshoes to get around the neighborhood trails :)

We are off to a fantastic start for winter sports. 
It looks like it's going to be a great season for skiing and snowshoeing. More on that later in the season.

Good news in the NCR, some trails in Gatineau Park, Quebec, Canada are groomed for skiing. With icy snow that got a dose or two of freezing rain, I love my mountaineering snowshoes for the snowshoe trails. But watch out for downed trees and drooping, snow-laden branches. 

Getting up early to do snow clearing for the birds has also paid off.

Happy Holidays from the BaffinPaddler

I wish you the best, today, tomorrow, and forever.

Time to snowshoe!

Just in time for Christmas. It will be white. We have our first big snowstorm in the National Capital Region of Canada bringing us 30 centimeters of snow today.

It's time to snowshoe before anyone else gets out on the trails and packs them down.

We can cross-country ski a bit on a few trails in Gatineau Park, Quebec, Canada.

But for now, I love my snowshoes!

These are great conditions for snowshoeing, but not for driving and traveling until the storm is over. Enjoy your own backyard for hours!

Happy trails!
The BaffinPaddler

Lights!

Enjoy seeing the light . . .

What's this? Santa isn't on strike. He's out playing hockey!

The BaffinPaddler

How long will it take this tanker to overtake me in the St. Lawrence Seaway?

Even if you understand how fast a knot is, you don't know how many knots a boat is traveling. Especially a big tanker. They move faster than you may think.

See the big tanker in the distance in the shipping channel of the St. Lawrence Seaway?

It has crossed under the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge that connects New York State in the U.S. to Ontario, Canada and is traveling west in my direction.

Question: How many minutes from the distance you see in the image above will it take that tanker to overtake me in my kayak if I'm in its way?

Not sure?

Me neither.

I sat in the safety of the sidelines closer to shore and watched this massive tanker approach in the shipping channel and kept time with my watch.

Answer: It was passing me 10 minutes later.

How far away was it when I turned around and saw it? I'm not sure.

How fast was it going? I don't know. Maybe 10 to 12 knots.

Could I hear tankers approaching from behind in the shipping channel parallel to my paddling route with the wind in my ears? No! Not until they were passing me. This came as a surprise.

I was always well out of the way of the shipping channel, but you would think you would hear them coming from a distance. Not so.

If I had been paddling with my back to the ship in or near the shipping channel, I would not have heard it coming in time to get out of its way.

This is the SOLEY-1.

It's a chemical tanker with a vessel flag from Malta.

How big is it? Length: 491 feet, Breadth: 76 feet, Depth: 42 feet. Deadweight tonnage: 19,991

Wow! It's hard to believe. If you think that's big, look up the size and speed of cruise ships. That'll scare you.

Now it's easier to understand how much water the big ships displace and the big swells and boat wakes they kick up when they pass in narrower channels. The swells and pitchy chop hit about 5 to 10 minutes after it passed.

My Maelstrom Vital 166 suddenly got excited and said, "Giddyup, let's go!" I wasn't paying attention and the swells came from behind as I watched the tanker head off into the sunset. But the waves and swells weren't big enough to catch a little surfing moment. Sorry Vital. And I couldn't pick up my camera again until the tanker was long gone.

If you can see the name of the ship from a safe distance using your binoculars or a good zoom on your camera, you can do a vessel search using the name of the ship and find out more about it. It makes for an interesting pastime or hobby.

Vessel Search

U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Information Exchange

Happy and safe paddles.
Watch out for the big ships. They are fun to watch when you're safe.

Rescue me! A geocache without the geo at the Battle of the Windmill National Historic Site, Prescott, Ontario, Canada

I think this is an awesome candidate and location for a really cool geocache.

I found the candidate. A big, beautiful, fishing lure that I almost stepped on at the rocky, wild beach just below the Battle of the Windmill National Historic Site in Prescott, Ontario on a recent November paddle on the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The site has a small, wild, tangled woods surrounding it. Perfect for hiding a cache.

You can reach this destination by car or by kayak. 

This site is easy to find and a pretty cool place to spend some time, learn a little history, and watch the big tankers go by in the shipping channel. Just Google: Battle of the Windmill, Prescott, Ontario, Canada.

Where to find the lure

I placed the blue and silver fishing lure on top of a large, brown, round rock not far from where my kayak is beached in the image above. Then, I secured it by placing a smaller, but heavy, pale grey, triangle shaped rock on top of it, and left it there for someone else to find, and not step on!

This object, and the site would make an awesome geocache, but you'd need to geocache it.

I've left it as a potential geocache candidate for one of you to find and package, or as a gift to a wanting fisherman who may want to rescue it and fish with it.

If you do find it and rescue it, please let me know it's safe and sound. We don't want stuff with hooks floating around getting caught up in things.

If you find it and turn it into a cool geocache, please log in the BaffinPaddler, November 23, 2012.

Paddlers and hikers with a GPS love to geocache. 

I should have been prepared with a waterproof case that I was willing to leave behind, a marker, a small log book, and a GPS on this paddle!

And I was wondering, did I bring along my fishing pliers and wire cutter?

Be careful handling the lure. It has multiple hooks. Watch where you walk on shorelines. This guy was hard to see.

Happy geocaching!
The BaffinPaddler

Short Stories: Seagull chasing away kayaker

I know what you're thinking, Ahhh, look at this great spot! This island is all mine . . .

It's the perfect place to read, take a nap, catch come sun, and do a little yoga.

Maybe not?

Such a cute little guy.

You don't want to share the island? Or do you just want some of my lunch?

Ok, I get it.

It belongs to you. All of it! Except my kayak.

You can keep the yoga mat!

Happy trails!
The BaffinPaddler

The best sunsets

When the sun sets, it says goodby, slowly but surely, it sets below the horizon as the Earth rotates.

It rises in the east and sets in the west. The sun helps us find our way.  We love the sunrise and the sunset, but what is a more popular topic for romance and emotive images . . . ?

Most of us sleep through the sunrise and have more opportunities to see the sunset.

Just after an awesome sunset, we are rewarded with those fleeting magic moments of pink and purple twilight. 

It's our last peek at the day and the world before darkness falls.

I like experiencing the sunset and twilight best waterfront. Like most, I usually sleep through sunrise.

It's something that makes you pause, admire, and say, “Wow! I wish this could last longer.”

The best sunsets are the ones you experience

The image in this post is my favourite shot taken just after sunset in the 1000 Islands. After a good day spent on the water with a bunch of kayaks and paddle buddies, an awesome sunset and twilight easily takes the cake.

My next story is up about the spot where I found it on The Great Waterway, a cool Ontario Tourism website, where I'm a regular blogger if you'd like to check it out.

The sunset made better at Mallorytown Landing in the 1000 Islands

Happy sunsets!
The BaffinPaddler

You'll never be able to balance on that thing! The many joys of the trottinette-scooter

Actually that's a quote from the photographer, "You'll never be able to balance on that thing! To do a yoga pose on it you'd have to encase the wheels in cement first!"

Me: "Oh well. Let's try it. Be patient . . . but, BE READY TO SNAP THE SECOND I GET IT!"

Finding balance is a fun challenge sometimes. But why make it too difficult. I grounded myself next to a sturdy tree to help me find balance and did the yoga tree pose on this kid's scooter. It's called a "trottinette" in French.

The wheels were not secured by anything other than the ground, my weight, and concentration. Yoga is a wonderful thing, especially when you can connect it to yourself and the environment! I love yoga in the outdoors. No need to remove the heavy duty hiking boots.

Why I like the scooter-trottinette

It's a lot of fun to get a workout and play and drift on these mini skateboards with handlebars.

It doesn't even feel like a workout when you scoot along on paved bike paths and quiet roadways that aren't too rough and push off and work those quads and glutes. When you feel too much of a burn, switch legs, or take a few moments to hop onto the deck and glide, swerve, and wish you could do some of the tricks the kids so easily manage.

I can see why kids love skateboards. But I'll stick to something with handlebars for now.

What kept me from scooting around before? 

I was afraid people would think I was nuts.

Then someone said, "You know, they make these things for adults too. There's a guy who comes to work every day on his scooter. It keeps him in shape, he folds it up and carries it on the subway. It's faster than walking and it's low impact."

Really? I had no clue. But after looking it up, there are lots of makes and models out there for everyone. Great!

Although I'm the only adult in my neighborhood out and about on the trottinette-scooter, no one seems to mind. The eight and nine year olds give me a longer look as they pass by on their scooters, and the teenagers also scooting around sometimes smile and giggle. The adults out walking are probably thinking, "Hey, maybe we should give that a try too."

When I'm too lazy to put on the rollerblades . . . or if it's too cold and windy outside to put them on and take them off in the fall or spring (your fingers and toes freeze in seconds) . . .

I grab the trottinette and go for about 30 - 40 minutes. Moderate hills make it more interesting and an even better workout. The scooter has a brake on the back wheel. And it works better than the brakes on rollerblades!

I find the scooter a quick and fun way to mix up the workouts, fill the body with oxygen, and really tone the legs. 

Enjoy . . . in places where there's no snow and smooth pathways.

I am definitely holding on to the tree for this pose! And it feels good.

The snow is flying in the National Capital Region of Canada and ski season will be here soon enough.

Happy trails!
The BaffinPaddler

Image taken from my Smartphone, November.
The images are taken in the grass because my wheels won't stay still on pavement.

Paddle blogger at work

I really hate those point blank self-inflicted shots, but that's the kayak blogger at work.

Do I really look like that close up, and all geared up? Happy and warm! But not cute or stylish. Especially in November!

It's a wet, dirty job sometimes, but somebody's gotta be out there looking for stories. I'll have more coming. They keep finding me. And I need more work!

I wish kayaking gear was more fashionable. It looks good on guys with big shoulders though.
 
Happy trails!
Peggy Varner, Publisher of The BaffinPaddler

Where did lunch take you today?

Even better, what's in the wide-mouth thermos?

Hot, homemade, extra tender corned beef cabbage with carrots and potatoes in a clear, natural broth. The best on November paddles.

Which kayak got lucky to tag along?

Happy paddles!
Have fun with November.
The BaffinPaddler

Are you ready to pack up your kayak?

It's November. In Canada that means cold. Packing it up doesn't mean packing it in. It may just mean a road trip somewhere warmer or an extra layer of gear.

I have two awesome sea kayaks. One kayak is still packed with travel gear, ready to go. And I'm just looking at it wondering what to do with it.

Pondering the next paddle. It's called sitting on the fence. Fences aren't made for sitting.

Happy paddles!
The BaffinPaddler

Looking for a popular paddle on the Rideau Canal? Here's one! Merrickville to Kilmarnock

November 2012 in Canada's southern parts in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec has had some surprisingly mild days of 16 to 20 degrees Celsius (60's Fahrenheit), fair skies, and tolerable winds. Interspersed with plenty of cold mornings and nights with frost!

Some of us lucky ones are still out there paddling, and finally able to wear that awesomely expensive, but warm and dry kayak jacket and soft Merino wool under layer without overheating. The water is cold, but the kayak gear is so sweet at this time of year. We still can't get out and ski.

If you're looking for a popular day paddle in between locks on the Rideau Canal in Ontario, Canada, here's an easy one I like to do with groups, friends, and family in the late spring, summer, or fall. Merrickville to Kilmarnock. It's 11 kilometres each way, 22 kilometres round trip.

For more details and images, you can check out my story on The Great Waterway, a cool Ontario Tourism website where I'm a regular blogger:

A popular paddle on the Rideau Canal: Merrickville to Kilmarnock

I have to hurry and hit the publish button as there are some rogue snowflakes raining down on my paddling parade today!

Some days are just better for getting an early start on Christmas gear shopping indoors or online!

Happy paddles!
The BaffinPaddler

Paddler's wish list for Christmas

Dear Santa,

Please have a word with all the tourism, marina, and park people around the world and ask them for kayak friendly docks and boat launches.

I'm just sayin'. It would be much appreciated! And might encourage more visitors of our kind.

Sincerely,
The BaffinPaddler

Send this wish to every tourism, marina, and park agency you know where you've encountered kayak unfriendly docks and boat launches.

Here's to the memories of kayak unfriendly docks, slippery cement boat launches, rocky shores, and silty bottoms to launch and land from and having a good day paddling anyway without getting hurt.

You really can't complain about surf launches and landings. Santa can't do anything about that.

Happy paddles!
The BaffinPaddler

Happy Halloween from the BaffinPaddler and Riley

Trick or Treat with your dog?

She's not a just a dog, right . . .

Who's going to carry the Trick or Treat pail? 

You?

Or me?

Do I really have to do all this for dog biscuits!?

Take your time and think about it . . .

Ok. I've made my decision.
More cookies!

Happy Halloween from the BaffinPaddler and Riley.

Have fun! 

For you cyclists out there - time to hit the road

Spring and fall are my favourite times of year to hit the road with a bike. Especially when it's too windy to paddle.

This is one of my favourite spots for it. The Long Sault Parkway in Ontario.

You can read my story about it on The Great Waterway, a cool Ontario Tourism website where I'm a regular blogger.

The Long Sault Parkway. A cyclist's dream!

Happy trails!
The BaffinPaddler

Enchanted forest or haunted forest?

We're on a forest hike in Mont Tremblant National Park, the second largest national park in Quebec, Canada and Halloween is coming up.

Help me find that one scary tree.

It should be easy. Every forest trail has at least one beast. A big, old tree that storms, insects, and woodpeckers have carved into something that doesn't need any help from Hollywood makeup artists to look like a monster.

But wait. In the Mont Tremblant National Park forest trails I keep finding enchanted forest. 

My favourite. A brontosaurus sitting on a big rock nibbling on tree branches.

La Corniche trail, Mont Tremblant National Park, Quebec Canada

Waterfalls.

La Roche trail, Mont Tremblant National Park, Quebec, Canada

Look outs.

La Roche trail lookout, Lac Monroe, Mont Tremblant National Park, Quebec, Canada

Where's the scary stuff?

On the haunted forest trail 15, Gatineau Park, Quebec, Canada. 

If you're hiking these trails, enjoy!

Mont Tremblant National Park map of La Roche and La Corniche Trails, Lac Monroe

Happy enchanted or haunted forest walks!

I think I prefer enchanted. Soon, it will all be covered in snow.

The BaffinPaddler