Hike Nova Scotia invites individuals and groups with an interest in hiking, walking and snowshoeing to the second annual Nova Scotia Hiking Summit. This event will take place on Friday, June 21 and Saturday, June 22, 2013 at the Gaelic College in St. Ann’s on Cape Breton Island. The Summit is a celebration of Nova Scotia’s hiking culture, which includes sharing best practices, stories and networking opportunities. It will help us grow a hiking, walking and snowshoeing culture in the province.

Click here for a detailed agenda and to register. This event is co-hosted by Victoria County. Hike Nova Scotia acknowledges and thanks the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness for its ongoing support.

The Winter Guided Snowshoe Hike series, organized through Hike Nova Scotia with nine local host organzations, was another success! There were 22 guided hikes offered across the province with over 450 turning out to enjoy our winter trails.

Annapolis County moonlit hike.

Rogers Hill hike.

Gully Lake snowshoe hike.

Annapolis County snowshoe hike.

 

Every year on the first Sunday in May (May 5, 2013), rain or shine, hospice and palliative care supporters across Canada hike to raise awareness about the cause. Hospice of Greater Halifax Society has been participating annually since 2006 in an effort to raise funds with the goal for enhancing hospice care in our region.

It’s an easy 4-km walk, suitable for everyone; this year there is an option for a longer hike. All participants are welcome and there are refreshments provided at the end of the hike. We encourage participants to register early again this year, as those registering before April, 22 will qualify to have their name in the early bird draw for a prize (last year the prize was an iPod Nano).

There are two ways to register: either online or by paper form – to access either, or to have more information on the hike contact Marguerite at the Hospice Office at 446-0929, send an e-mail to care@hospicehalifax.org or click here.

Trail Name: Blomidon Provincial Park

Location: Canning

Description: ”Rising majestically from the shores of the Minas Basin, Blomidon Provincial Park is renowned for its spectacular views. Blomidon’s 759 ha (1,875 acres) include 180 m (600 ft.) high cliffs, a variety of habitats, striking natural features, abundant wildlife — and the world’s highest tides wash its shores. These natural attractions provide excellent opportunities for camping, hiking, beachcombing, photography or just appreciating nature.” Blomidon is host to 14 km of interconnected trails with a variety of habitats and scenic look-offs.

Map: Find a map and directions here.

On March 15, Goose Lane Editions, Canada’s oldest independent publisher, unveiled electronic versions of their bestselling hiking guides. Guides to  Cape Breton, New Brunswick, Halifax, Ottawa and  Mainland Nova Scotia offer photographs, maps, GPS coordinates, trail descriptions, hiking tips and historical tidbits. All books will be available for download as PDF eBooks for use on eReaders, tablets, smartphones or any other device with a PDF reader. As well, sections of each book (such as this sample from Hiking Trails of Mainland Nova Scotia) will be available for approximately $3.99 each.

In preparation for the launch, Goose Lane is striving to get the word out. It wants to make sure every outdoor enthusiast is aware and ready the moment it releases them. And to sweeten the deal, Goose Lane will be offering a 20% discount on all hiking books (electronic or physical) from March 15 through April 15 when ordered through its website.

Hike Nova Scotia seeks board members across the province who love hiking and can contribute to moving Hike NS forward. The Hike NS board is a working board. It’s looking for board members who have the time and energy to devote to running this volunteer-driven organization. Help Hike NS achieve its mandate of creating a culture of hiking, walking and snowshoeing in our beautiful province. There are some perks; travel is reimbursed and lunch or snacks are provided for the five to six meetings per year. Board members are expected to contribute some hours each month to board work. Various positions are available. Contact Hike NS at info@hikenovascotia.ca to express your interest in becoming a board member or nominate someone you think would be a good addition to the board. Check out the website to learn more about Hike NS.

The 4th Hammonds Plains Guides take a hike on a local trail as part of the Hiker Distance Award Challenge to earn a crest.

The 1st Aylesford Pathfinders learn about geocaching for the Hiker Distance Award Challenge.

Girl Guides in Nova Scotia have hiked with new purpose over the last two years.

It’s due to a Hiker Distance Award program that challenges the girls, and their leaders, to log their kilometres as they pound the trails. The crest is a success with the kids and a boon for guide leaders who might not have hit the paths as frequently.

“I thought it was great, because I’m not an outdoorsy type other than what I have to do,” said Mary Louise Johnson, a leader with the 1^st Aylesford Pathfinders. “I love camping. We always go camping two or three times, but I don’t always focus on that and I should. And I thought it was great because it gave us the excuse. Like: ‘OK girls, we really need to do this.’”

To earn the crest, girls aged 5 to 8  must hike 15 kilometres, ages 9 to 14 must accumulate 30 kilometres, while those 15 and over must walk 45 kilometres. They must also do other activities related to the hikes, such as creating a scrapbook on the experience or completing a nature program. Some of the requirements can be used toward other badges in the Girl Guides program.

Three of her pathfinders and two leaders earned the crest last year, said Johnson.

The Aylesford group geocached — a type of treasure hunt using GPS or smartphones — and roamed the Fundy shoreline to complete their distances.

Other units did night hikes with glow sticks, or cooked on the trail to add interest to their outings.

One group of Hammonds Plains guides, while out on a winter hike in -10 degree weather, wrapped hot dogs in tin foil, placed them in empty milk cartons and dropped them in the campfire. When the cartons burned away, presto. Lunch.

It was all part of making each hike fun, said Cathy Langille, unit guider with the 4^th Hammonds Plains.

“We just tried to make it different and tried to change it up a bit, and always at a different spot too. It’s amazing the number of places to hike within 30 minutes drive of your house.”

Nine guides in Langille’s group earned the crest last year.

The Hiker Distance Award program, coordinated by Hike Nova Scotia, also offers patches to youth outside the Girl Guides organization. Apart from the youth distances, pins are available for adults who hit the 150-, 250- and 500-kilometre marks.

The logbooks seem to spur on hiking. Johnson said recording the distance to earn the patch can motivate young people otherwise drawn to stay inside or hang out in malls with their friends.

The kids still get to talk with their friends, but with an added benefit. “They are getting the reward of being outside,” said Johnson.

“And at the end of it there is the badge besides. They are getting two rewards.”

Tara MacDonald, a unit guider with 5^th Hammonds Plains, agrees. Some of her guides completed the necessary mileage on their own over the summer. She credits the need to record the distance.

“Just having that booklet laying around, that little logbook. It’s going ‘Yeah, maybe I should go on a hike today, let’s go out,’” said MacDonald. “I had some girls saying,

‘I don’t think we would have done it if they didn’t have that incentive to log that hike, and work toward the ultimate goal.’”

Article written by David Redwood. For more information on the Hiker Distance Award program visit http://www.hikenovascotia.ca/projects.

Trail Name: Franey

Location: Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Description: “You climb up and up and your reward is at the top! Large flat rocks give you a nice place to sit and enjoy the 360º views of the entire Clyburn Brook canyon and the Atlantic coastline from Cape Smokey to Ingonish. Gaze back at the mountains, the sheer rocky face of Franey Mountain, or the river winding through the valley, 425 m below. Keep an eye out for wildlife – moose like this habitat too.” This is a 7.4-km loop trail.

Map: Find a map and directions here.

Nova Scotians are invited to help define the final parks and protected areas plan to manage and protect Nova Scotia’s natural spaces. A draft was released on February 28.  The province says it will protect the most sensitive and important lands in our province and meet the goal of reviewing the province’s parks system, which is included in The Path We Share, Nova Scotia’s natural resources strategy. The province would protect more than 13 per cent of its lands, surpassing its legislated goal to protect at least 12 per cent of Nova Scotia. Currently, about 9.3 per cent is protected. The plan proposes to:

• Add: 4 new provincial parks (960 ha); 44 new wilderness areas (126 020 ha); and 120 new nature reserves (33 690 ha)
• Expand: 12 provincial parks (3940 ha); 32 wilderness areas (72 070 ha); and 10 nature reserves (4330 ha)
• Transfer: In order to create a more effective parks and protected areas system, the plan proposes to transfer 2500 hectares of provincial parklands to protected areas and 1000 hectares of parklands to Crown land (still available for public use).

With these changes, the proposed parks and protected areas system would include: 187 provincial parks; 84 wilderness areas; and 142 nature reserves. Nova Scotians have until May 1 to review and comment on the document. Feedback will help shape the final plan. Give feedback online or attend one of 17 public consultation sessions in March and April across NS.

Trail Name: Cole Harbour Heritage Park

Location: Cole Harbour, HRM

Description: This 400-acre park was built and is maintained by the Cole Harbour Parks and Trails Association. The gentle hills in the park are typical of numerous drumlins that dot the coast, providing magnificent views of the Cole Harbour salt marsh. There are about 12 km of trail within the park.

Map: Find a map and directions here and here.