Fieldwork Progress Report - May 2011

With May 31, I have completed my first month of hiking in Nova Scotia to rework Hiking Trails of Nova Scotia. Those living here know that the weather in May was not particularly cooperative. Halifax, in fact, "enjoyed" more than 34 consecutive days with some amount of rain. More than 147mm fell, and even when there was no rain, there appeared to be a shroud of fog hanging over most of the province. What that did to most trails you can well imagine.

Nevertheless, I tried to get out fairly often, even if I did not venture too far from Halifax. My plan, when I was deciding how I would undertake this mammoth task, was to head out to one region of the province, camping overnight, and spending 4-5 days hiking before I returned to my base of operations (and a comfortable bed). The weather changed that somewhat, so I did not spend more than one evening camping before the rain drove me back indoors.

I call it a "mammoth" task, because I am attempting to redo the fieldwork required not merely to write an updated edition of Hiking Trails of Nova Scotia, but also to update the out-of-print Hiking Trails of Cape Breton. That means that this summer and fall I need to hike, at a conservative estimate, at least 100 separate walking routes and as much as 1500km; more than that if for some reason I am not able to use some of the routes I hike and have to substitute them with some others. And it takes time to hike 1500km.

I arrived in the province on May 5. My first hike was on May 7, followed by another on May 8, one on the 12th, and three more on the 13th. I continued in this pattern, one or two days of hiking followed by two or three days of resting (I am getting older, after all.) My most ambitious series was May 26/27, when I hiked six routes of nearly 60km - including High Head, at the top of the Wentworth Ski Hill.

The complete list of trails I hiked in May is:

1. French Village-Lewis Lake [Halifax-Guysborough]
2. The Bluff Trail - Bluff Loop [Hfx-Guys.]
3. Chain of Lakes [Hfx-Guys.]
4. Uniacke Estate [Annapolis Valley]
5. Cape Split [Annapolis Valley]
6. Wolfville Dikes [Annapolis Valley]
7. Fairmont Ridge [Northumberland Shore]
8. Cape George [Northumberland Shore]
9. Gully Lake [Northumberland Shore]
10. High Head [Northumberland Shore]
11. Tidnish Docks [Northumberland Shore]
12. Rogart Mountain [Northumberland Shore]
13. Wallace Bay [Northumberland Shore]
14. Munroe's Island [Northumberland Shore]
15. Amherst Point [Glooscap Trail]
16. Cobequid Trail [Glooscap Trail]
17. Devil's Bend [Glooscap Trail]
18. Thomas Cove [Glooscap Trail]
19. Debert Mi'kmawey [Glooscap Trail]
20. 9 Mile River [Glooscap Trail]

A number of these: Rogart Mountain, Gully Lake, Debert Mi'kmaway, and 9 Mile River, are new trails opened since the 8th edition was published in 2002. And for several others, such as Cape George, Cobequid Trail, and High Head, I have selected a different or substantially modified route from what was profiled in the previous book. Cape Split and Wolfville Dikes were routes that existed in 2002, but I decided not to mention at that time.

I will be back on the trails in June. My objective is to complete 15 more routes, fewer than in May because I need to spend a week in Ottawa. I plan to visit trails in the HRM, and Pictou, Guysborough, Lunenburg, Richmond, and Inverness counties. I will add updates on the blog at the end of each month. Remember, if you have any ideas or suggestions for a trail that should be added to one of the books, let me know. I still have a few gaps to fill.

And maybe I will meet you on the trail.

Field-work has begun

Despite a May that has nearly set records for rain and lack of sunshine, I have been making my first, tentative steps toward hiking the trails of Nova Scotia. Indeed, there has been so much rain that I have not yet put together more than two days of back-to-back walking. Call it the the "Spring blahs".

However, I have at least 100 trails to hike over the next several months - more if I decide that some routes cannot be included. But I have not done nothing this month. As of this morning, which is cloudy again, I should point out, I have completed nine routes that I am certain will be in the new edition. (That only leaves 91; the end is in sight!)

Probably more interesting for those looking forward to the new edition, seven of the nine I have hiked will be new to Hiking Trails of Nova Scotia. One of these, in Gully Lake, is so new that the bridge over Juniper Creek was not only unfinished when I hiked the trail, it had only been built that morning!

So, there it is. I will be hiking quite a bit this summer and fall. I will try to provide regular updates. And I am looking for your input. Have a favourite trail that you believe should be considered? Make a comment on this blog and let me know. Have you used Hiking Trails of Nova Scotia recently and been unimpressed by the trail you choose? Tell me, so I can decide whether to keep it in the 9th edition.

And when you are out on the trail this summer, if you see some tired-looking middle-aged (ok, late middle-aged) man stumbling past with hands full of gear: camera, GPS, cell phone, and voice recorder, say "hello" and perhaps add an encouraging word. That just might be me, and if it is I probably still have lots more trails to complete.

Have fun this summer!

Hike Nova Scotia Annual Meeting & Hike: May 15

The Hike NS Annual General Meeting will be held at the Shearwater Aviation Museum in Dartmouth on Sunday, May 15.

A guided hike will be held beforehand at 10 am on the nearby Shearwater Flyer Trail, at noon a free lunch will be provided for those who RSVP (info@hikenovascotia.ca) and at 1 pm the AGM will begin.

Find details and directions here: Hike NS AGM Flyer

I will see you there.

Work on 9th edition begins in 2011

The 8th edition of Hiking Trails of Nova Scotia was produced in 2002, and has been tremendously successful, with more than 15,000 copies having been purchased. However, the time has now come for it to be updated.

Beginning in May 2011, I will be conducting the fieldwork necessary to write updated route profiles for the book. I expect to be finished fieldwork by the end of September, and the first draft might be available to the publisher as soon as December 31. If I am able to meet this timetable, then the 9th edtion of Hiking Trails of Nova Scotia could be in bookstores as soon as April or May 2012.

At this point, nothing has been firmly established, and no trail is guarenteed a place. If you have a favourite trail that you think should be included in the next edition, please let me know. In addition, if there is a route in the book now that you think should be removed, I would like to hear that as well.

To add to the challenge, Hiking Trails of Cape Breton has gone out of print, and a replacement needs to be considered. This book was far less successful, with barely 5,000 copies printed. Should it be updated? Should it be folded back into Hiking Trails of Nova Scotia, where it was in editions one through seven? Or should it be rewritten under the same title? Please comment. I need to decide before I start my fieldwork.

Look forward to hearing your thoughts.

The Bluff Trail - Hiker's Dream

Residents of Halifax may not know it, but a trek into of one of Nova Scotia's most extensive wilderness hiking trails is only a Metro Transit ride away. The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail, featuring more than 30km of footpaths reaching deep into the interior of the St. Margarets Bay peninsula, can be accessed from the Route 21 stop on Forestglen Drive at its intersection with Fraser Road. Simply follow the Beechville Lakeside Timberlea Trail, in the direction of Hubbards, for about 1.5km, and you will reach The Bluff Trail's trailhead.

Organized as a series of four interconnected loops, The Bluff Trail provides routes of whatever distance is desired. The shorest, the Pot Lake Loop, is approximately 9km. The Indian Hill Loop requires almost double the walking.

Most of The Bluff Trail runs through ecologically sensitive barrens, with the path being quite narrow and winding as it negotiates the complicated contours of the rugged landscape. It is critical that hikers stay on the path, given the sensitivity of the area, and the trail has been carefully routed to avoid wet areas and especially vulnerable places. Walkers are expected to pack out what they carry in, to help preserve the pristine appearance of the district.

In order to complete the two furthest sections, The Bluff Loop and Hay Marsh Loop, more than one day may be required. As the trails are located on Crown Land, but not designated as park land, camping is permitted. However, the Woodens River Watershed Environmental Organization (WRWEO), an environmental group dedicated to preserving and enhancing environmental values, who developed the trail system, discourage camping because few people know how to how to camp without partly damaging the area in which they camp.

If you think you might want to stay overnight along the fragile and sensitive Bluff Trail, WRWEO - and I - encourage you to become familiar with, and practice Leave No Trace principles whenever and wherever you camp.

The purpose behind the construction of The Bluff Trail is to allow the Woodens River community and the public generally to become aware of the extraordinary natural assets of this area. Those who love the wilderness believe that awareness is the first step in protection, and that this awareness will help preserve the area from expanding and encroaching urban development.

The Pot Lake Loop, the first of the four stacked loops, is profiled in Trails of Halifax Regional Municipality. For more information about The Bluff Trail, see WRWEO. I encourage everyone to explore this this wonderful trail, superb wilderness hiking at your doorstep (or at least, at a nearby bus stop.)

New Trail - Rogart Mountain

Experienced hikers are always looking for new places to stretch their legs. In Nova Scotia that is becoming easier to do, in part because of the explosion of trail development that has occured over the past decade.

And few places in the province are showing more activity than in northern highlands: Antigonish, Colchester, Cumberland, and Pictou counties. This activity stems largely from interest in building the Cape to Cape Trail, a 400 kilometer footpath, extending from Cape Chignecto in Cumberland County to Cape George in Antigonish County.

Several new trail developments are underway, but one that opened recently is the 6.2 km Rogart Mountain Trail in Earltown, Colchester County. This charming little loop takes you onto the thickly wooded hills of the Cobequid Mountains close to the highest elevation on the mainland, Nuttby Mountain, 360m (1181 ft).

Rogart Mountain is a pleasant, though occasionally challenging, walk up and down the hillside that follows - for some portion of the trail, at least - two small brooks, Leattie and New Portugal. The highlight is the peak of Rogart itself, 1125 ft. high.

Scattered throughout this walk is an interpretive signage program, featuring 17 different stops. These include interesting stories both about the natural world and the cultural history of this now-remote corner of the province. Signage exists on the trail, and a text brochure may be downloaded from a Website.

As an added bonus, the Rogart Mountain trail begins and ends at Sugar Moon Farm, a working sugar maple farm and woodlot. (I admit a certain fondness for hikes where I can relax after I have finished and eat a hearty and tasty meal.)

This trail is built and managed by volunteers under the umbrella of the Cobequid Ecotrail Society. The Rogart Mtn. Loop is the first loop built in Colchester Co and happens to begin and end at Sugar Moon Farm parking lot. The trail will be part of the Cape to Cape Trail from Cape George, Antigonish County to Cape Chignecto, Cumberland County.

One aspect I particularly enjoyed, when I walked the loop in June 2009, was the lush flora of the area. The slopes of Rogart Mountain are thickly wooded, particularly with maple. There are also many varieties of flowering plants, and I was especially pleased to spot a Painted Trillium, the first I had seen in Nova Scotia.

The Rogart Mountain Trail is open year-round, and I am looking forward to snowshoeing this path at the first opportunity.

For more information, check out Cape to Cape Trail.

Hiking Trails of Nova Scotia is a book written by Michael Haynes and published by Goose Lane Editions in May 2002. It profiles 50 walking routes located within the boundaries of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada, primarily on the mainland. A few options on Cape Breton are provided, but those interested in hiking in this part of the province will find many more choices in the book Hiking Trails of Cape Breton.

The purpose of this blog is to provide a forum to make updates and corrections to the published route descriptions, and to provide additional information that could not be included in the print edition.

Readers of Hiking Trails of Nova Scotia are encouraged to add comments to this blog if they notice something has changed from the information listed in the route description, or even if they simply wish to relate their own experiences on these trails.

Suggestions for other routes to consider for future editions are greatly appreciated.