Wildlife Encounters

Nova Scotia's forests are home to a number of wild animals, I have had the opportunity to observe several of them this summer. Most wildlife encounters are benign, and a delight to have happen. Others, of course, potentially may not be as harmless.

Everyone worries about meeting a bear. And although it is true that a bear has more potential to injure a hiker than any other animal in the forest, attacks by bears in Nova Scotia are extremely rare. I have had two close encounters this summer, both in June, including being the closest I ever have to an uncaged bear: less than 30m. I am pleased to say that in both cases, the bear either ignored me completely, or dashed away down the path and into the deeper brush.

An animal that many hope to see, but fewer regard as dangerous, in the moose. Most people are aware of the hazard moose present on narrow roads late at night. In July, a resident of Inverness died as a result of hitting a moose on the main highway. However, fewer know that male moose can be aggressive, and there are some times of the year when they might even follow or harass a hiker. As summer gives way to fall, and moose go into rut, be aware that their temperaments change and give them a wide berth. I have seen only one moose so far this summer, deep in the Cape Breton Highlands on the Branch Pod Trail.

I have heard coyotes frequently this year, usually late at night when I am trying to sleep. One, near Kejimkujik National Park, insisted on howling and barking for hours within a hundred meters of my tent. Other than causing me to lose sleep, however, I have had no problem with coyotes once again this year. On just about every wilderness trail, of course, their scat and paw prints can be seen.

The winner, this year to date, for aggressive behaviour on the part of a wild animal goes to ... the ruffed grouse! Two times in one day on the North Granite Ridge Trail I came close to a mother grouse and her new chicks. The result, a chorus of tiny peeps and a scattering of tiny pale yellow chicks on the path, followed by an explosion of feathers and squawking as the mother dashed out to place herself between me and her brood. Both mother grouse puffed themselves up as large as possible, flaring their tails and spreading their wings, and alternately charged me then retreated in a direction away (more or less) from where their chicks ran.

So there it is, a bear that ran from me, a moose that stared at me, a coyote that spoiled my sleep, and a grouse that charged me. I think there are two lessons to learn. One is that the behaviour of wild animals is unpredictable; the bear, a large male, immediately ran, but the moose stood there and watched me intently. You never can be certain what will happen. The second is that you should be extremely cautious around a mother and her young. It may seem humorous that a small grouse attacked a large human, but imagine what might have happened, if, instead, I had surprised a mother coyote or bear. Maybe it also would have rushed, and I might have had a somewhat different experience.

Enjoy the woods; do not stop using them because you might meet wildlife. But be aware of the risks, and educate yourself on what is wise behaviour when you do sight an animal.

Fieldwork Progress Report - June 2011

When the weather was poor in May, rain and fog, I was not too concerned. Stretches of unsettled weather are common in Nova Scotia. So I grimaced, joked, and complained, like everyone else, but I did not worry. Then June arrived, and for the first three weeks the rainy and cold weather continued. In fact, if anything it seemed worse. By June 18, when I had to leave the province and return to Ottawa for a week, I had gone past worry and some days was approaching panic.

So instead of the 15 routes that I planned to review, I managed fewer. The complete list of trails I hiked in June is:

1. Ghost Beach - new trail, Inverness County
2. Lewis Mountain, Inverness County
3. St. Peter's, Richmond County
4. Whycocomagh Provincial Park, Inverness County - contains a new, challenging section, the "Scout Trail"
5. Aspotogan Trail, Lunenburg County - might not use in the book
6. BelleIsle Marsh, Annapolis County - had not intended to use, but might instead of what I had planned
7. Chester Connector, Lunenburg County - may use instead of Aspotogan Trail
8. Delaps Cove, Annapolis County
9. Gaspereau River, Kings County
10. Nictaux Lake, Annapolis County - called it Nictaux Falls in the previous book, but that is the name of the community, and since you actually do not go to the falls I think it better to give a less-misleading name.
11. North Granite Ridge, HRM
12. Roxbury, Annapolis County
13. Sentier Piau, Digby County - may not use

I was also disappointed to discover that a number of existing trails are in very poor condition, usually in terms of infrastructure damage that has not been able to be repaired. Ghost Beach, Whycocomagh, Sentier Piau, Delaps Cove, and Roxbury have all suffered, and are in poorer shape now than they were in 2001 - and I was not even able to find the Acaciaville Trail near Digby. All in all, June was not a successful month for this project, either in terms of quantity or quality.

It was not all gloom and doom. Gaspereau River was a lovely walk, and the Nictaux Lake trail is in far better condition today than when I walked it a decade ago. The St. Peter's Trail is in great shape, and the Chester Connector is a new addition to the provincial network. So although some of the trails were a definite disappointment, others were a pleasure to visit.

Here's hoping July will have better weather!

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.)