Compass Work - Martin River Provincial Park

Today I set out with Chris Beatty and Bill Steer for a trip to the old growth forest trail in Martin River Provincial Park.  The weather was sunny and cool for our early morning departure of 7:45 am.  Bill brought a couple of compasses, map, and gps so that we could practice our navigating skills.

The trip to the park gate took 40 minutes and our first task after parking was to orient our map to north.  Easy to do -- an essential first step.  "Here we are, now where do we want to go."  We took a compass bearing -- west, then marked our spot with the gps and headed off in search of the trail head.

Chris and Bill measure the diameter of a White Pine.

As we travelled we often referenced the map, checked our compass heading, and marked significant geographic features on the gps.  These basic skills are simple to learn and easy to do; the result is you pay more attention to where you are and where you are going.  This was a great training exercise and something I'll do on future to adventures.

Dressed as Hunter

It was smart to dress as a hunter on this adventure.  It is hunting season.  People are carrying guns and the popular colour is orange.  Chris Beatty was kind enough to loan me the orange and we headed off up near Sand Dam Road and started exploring.  The weather was at the freezing mark, so depending on the sunshine it was either snowing, a light drizzle, or nothing but fresh clean air.  This time of year -- with the leaves mostly off the trees allows you to see the terrain and explore easily off trail.

We did not encounter any large game, but we did spot 4, what I believe were Otters, and 1 graceful Eagle.

In Search of the Northern Lights

According to the experts this week the Northern Lights are supposed to be spectacular.  With this in mind, John and I headed up the north highway to escape the city lights and see what we could see.

Not much.

We were lucky in that it was a clear night and the starry sky was easy to view.

I tried capturing the view with my handy camera with limited success.

Did I say limited?

We had fun--and that is the main thing.

Photographic Exercise

Just off of Sunset Point there is a collection of ice shacks and sign posts pointing to cold destinations.  Enthusiastic sledders drive their trailer-towing trucks onto the ice for a convenient unload.  I couldn't resist the path and ventured out in my MPV.  Things looked good.  Multiple vehicles had packed the snow and the sense of safety was reassured by the view of vehicles out in the distance.  About 100 metres from the ice parking lot, there is a collection of sign posts.  I headed in that direction for a "beautiful shot."  As I approached the sign, the snow pack crumbled beneath my tires and I sunk about 5 inches.  Enough of a plunge to halt my progress.  I was able to rock the van back and forth and then gun'er in reverse to re-trace my path to safety.

I still wanted the shot so I walked back up to the sign to view my tread tracks and placed my camera in the tread for a shot.  The photo looks like two guys walking along a major snow ditch, but actually the guys are about 200 metres from the camera and the trench is really only about 4 inches deep.

The un-zoomed photo is below.

Wasi Trails

Eric was host at the Wasi Trails this weekend so I dropped in with coffee.  When his duty was over we hiked around the trails for about an hour.  An easy hike.  Scenic. 

The groomer creates a near perfect groove for skis.

On the Moose Trail at the east end of the small lake.  A future trip to the warming hut about 1.5 hours up the trail is planned.

Historic Ski Jump

Just east of the current Laurentian Ski Club, a set of snow shoe trails snakes their way east then north to the pipeline, completing the loop back to the chalet.  The hike was only about 40 minutes with Chris Beatty leading the way.

It was a clear night with a full moon.  Perfect for hiking through the forest without the aid of headlamps.  This was an easy relaxing walk.

About half way through the hike we came across the foundation from the old ski jump that was built sometime in the 30's.  It seems that ski jumping, has been part of North Bay's winter activities for decades.

The cement footings for the ski jump can still be found buried in the snow just off the trail.

Quiet Forest at Eau Claire

A brief but welcome mild spell was just the incentive I needed to head out to Eau Claire Gorge.  In 30 minutes I was into a beautiful dead-quiet forest.

This tiny spider was only about 3 mm long, but he stood out on the snow.  I wonder about his body chemistry.  How does he generate energy?  What does he eat?  Where does he go at -30?

I was the only hiker on the trail.  I enjoyed moving at my own pace and leaving footsteps behind.  It was peaceful but occasionally falling snow would register in my peripheral vision and I would catch the final death throes of a snow clump,  it's muffled sound startling me.

This place is fun in all four seasons, but I think my favourite season for a hike to Eau Claire Gorge is the winter.