Experiences

Hiking - Ski Vorlage - September 18, 2021

This past Saturday, we visited Wakefield and decided to hike up and down Ski Vorlage. The mountain is part of the Wakefield Trails network (a collection of official hiking and…

Hiking - Wakefield Fairbairn House Trail - September 11, 2021

A beautiful late summer day, it was time to get out and do some exploring and hiking in nature. The valley of Wakefield is actually home to some rather fun…

Mont Gleason - October 12, 2019

A trip out of town to view some fall colours was in order today so Mont Gleason was the destination. It was also a great reason to go take a…

Mont-Sainte Anne - July 20, 2019

While taking the weekend away from the Eastern Townships, visiting family in the Quebec City area, I decided to visit Mont Sainte Anne with the family and ride the gondola.…

Versant Avila - AKAMP Day 2 - June 29, 2019

After a late night Friday, we took it easy Saturday morning and I didn't get to the Nikita Girls Who Ride jam, which was from 1-5pm, a shift from last…

Versant Avila - AKAMP Day 1 - June 28, 2019

It barely feels like a month has passed since Sommet Saint-Sauveur's skison ended....because really it's only been 21 days! And yet the AKAMP hype is real! AKAMP, now in its…

Sommet Saint-Sauveur - June 9, 2019

At the end of the day on June 8th it seemed certain conditions would still be great on the 9th especially with the anticipated high of 30C! I spent much…

Sommet Saint-Sauveur - June 7, 2019

After skiing down the 70 Ouest the night of the 6th, I was pretty sure all our hopes and dreams for a June 8th opening alongside the waterpark opening were…

Sommet Saint-Sauveur - June 6, 2019

Following the June 2 "last chair in Quebec" party, I did a couple of hikes to take advantage of the still unbroken trail. On June 6th, I arrived a bit…

Sommet Saint-Sauveur - June 4, 2019

Hiking season has begun! As Saint-Sauveur's lift serviced operations came to a close on Sunday afternoon, I had grand confidence that the hush-hush whisperings of a surprise June 8th opening…

Mark Arendz Provincial Ski Park At Brookvale - Brookvale, PEI

While I have been off the radar this summer more than usual, this will hopefully make up for it......a little. I just returned home from a week in PEI and…

Hiking - Waterfall and Lauriault Trails - August 5, 2018

It had been 3 years since we last explored these trails. With another hot and summery day upon us, it was time to stay cool by hitting the trails during…

Cycling - Sentier du Parc de la Gatineau - July 29, 2018

It was a beautiful Sunday morning. Wanting to change things up a bit from our usual weekend routine of kayaking or hiking, we decided to go cycling. As we live…

Kayaking - Lac La Peche - July 21, 2018

A perfect day out on the lake. Lac La Peche, located about 20 minutes West of Wakefield, is the largest lake in Gatineau Park. It is also possibly the most…

Hiking - Parc des Chutes de Denholm - July 14, 2018

About an hour north of Ottawa is a virtually unknown hiking trail near the town on Denholm. Parc des Chutes de Denholm is located on the Paugan road which connects…

Hiking - Pink Lake Trail - July 15, 2018

The Pink Lake trail is definitely an emerald jewel in the Gatineau Park. From its sparkling green water to the many lookout and observation points, this trail has it all.…

Hiking - Discovery Trail in Gatineau Park - July 8, 2018

Finally the heat wave is over, and we can once again enjoy nature and the outdoors without working up a terrible sweat. Heading out around 10am, we forgot that it…

Hiking - Mount Royal Park - June 27, 2018

After having experienced the Mount Royal Park two winters ago with a snowshoeing adventure, it was high time to re-discover it again in the summer. Gone are the many cross-country…

Kayaking - Meech Lake - June 16, 2018

With the surprise arrival of warm summer like weather (finally...), the choice was simple, it was a perfect day to break out the kayaks. Living only minutes from Gatineau Park,…

Hiking - Beaver Trail in the Ottawa Greenbelt - June 9, 2018

Having visited this trail network in the late winter to snowshoe, we were curious to experience it in the summer without snow. Located in the Stony Swamp area of the…

Algonquin Park - Kiosk Loop May 17-20th 2018

This year’s Victoria Day weekend canoe trip was at the northern end of Algonquin Park. The access point was Kioshkokwi (Kiosk) lake about a 3.5 hour drive from Ottawa along…

Kayaking - Lac La Peche

This visit was to Lac La Peche, known as the largest lake in all of Gatineau Park. If you find Lac Philippe or Meech large, this lake is almost double…

Gatineau Park - Carbide Willson Ruins

A beautiful clear Saturday afternoon called for a visit to Gatineau Park to do some hiking. The park is famous for its endless trails and the multitude of choices of…

Kayaking - Lac Meech

Another beautiful day that warranted some kayaking. This time, the destination was Meech Lake in Gatineau Park. Camp Fortune was along the route leading to the lake, making me reflect…

Kayaking - Lac Philippe

Kayaking is such an enjoyable sport. Thanks to the abundance of lakes and rivers in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, there is no shortage of places to visit and discover. Kayaking is…

Gatineau Park - Pioneer Trail

A great day in nature on Gatineau Park's Pioneer trail. This hiking path is easily accessible from the Gatineau Park parkway entrance off of Boulevard des Allumetières near Hull. A…

Gatineau Park - Luskville Falls Trail

The Luskville Falls are located about 30 minutes from downtown Gatineau. With easy access by car, simply take Boulevard des Allumetières, until it turns into route 148 and follow that.…

Gatineau Park - Lusk Cave Trail

A sunny late summer Saturday always signals the perfect time to go exploring and hiking. Having been interested for some time to see what all the fuss over the Lusk…

Gatineau Park - Champlain Lookout Trail

The Champlain Lookout trail takes you around the edge of the Eardley Escarpment, showcasing stunning views and vistas. With a length of approximately 1.2km, it is not the longest trail,…

Gatineau Park - Sugarbush Trail

The Sugarbush Trail is the perfect trail for those looking for an easy hike through the forest. Absent are any steep hills or natural obstacles, just pure fresh air and…

Gatineau Park - Lauriault Trail

Another day in Gatineau Park, another trail to discover. Today it was time to venture down the Lauriault Trail. This trail is accessed off of the Waterfall Trail, previously visited…

Gatineau Park - Waterfall Trail

The Waterfall trail is located along the Gatineau Parkway. While not the longest hike in Gatineau Park, it certainly has its own charm. Featuring the Bridal Veil falls (named by…

Gatineau Park - King Mountain Trail

The King Mountain trail, located on the Eardley Escarpment of the Canadian Shield offers a hike unlike any other. With incredible views and interpretive panels that explain the unique ecosystem…

Just Another Monday

There is snow on the horizon. Anyone reading this blog is excited about that and daydreaming about the first downhill slide, be it on skis or a snowboard. I know…

Another Best Ride

Hashtags rule our fast paced lives these days and with mountain bike season in full swing, a few that are dominating posts in my twitter and instagram feeds are #exploremore…