Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Last Minute "Starter" Hike

Trail signs

Got up early Saturday morning to watch qualifying for the F1 in Monaco. As I enjoyed the racing I realized I didn’t really have a plan for the rest of the day – a rare treat! It was shaping up to be a nice one so I didn’t want to spend it at loose ends. Mike and I had been discussing the hiking season a bit on Friday and both felt it was probably too early for some of the big 4000 footers which would only just have relinquished their grip on winter. Perhaps a smaller peak might suit the bill. So, with qualifying over (and at Monaco, qualifying IS the race) I packed a bag and set off for the Adirondacks with a nice early “alpine” start of 11 in the morning. As I drove down I debated a few smaller peaks to hike. Pitchoff or perhaps a revisit of Catamount or Jay would be good but a new one stuck out in my head. I had wanted to do the Nun-Da-Ga-o range for some time. Not a long hike and mostly below 3000ft but it’s a loop hike and has reportedly good views along the way so it seemed like a good destination. When I arrived at the parking lot it was quite full but I didn’t actually see anyone on the trail all afternoon so I must have been “behind” them on the loop. I did have the rare honour of signing in after local Adirondack legend Pete Fish – a retired high peaks forest ranger with over 800 ascents of Marcy to his credit. He still maintains some of the local trails in the Keene valley including this one. Alas I didn’t meet him on the trail as he had headed up to Hurricane instead.

Lost pond
Calm waters on Lost Pond

The Nun-Da-Ga-o trail is a nice loop of about 8 miles. Except for the first part – which is a state trail to a couple of leantos, it is “unmaintained” but that seems to mean little. Locals (like Pete) clear the trail of blow down each spring and build cairns along the way so no threat of losing your way. The first (or last part) is an old woods road leading up to the leantos near Lost Pond. From there a short steep climb up to Weston mountain and then an up and down ridge walk along the range. There are a number of open ridge sections with excellent views to the south and west looking down the Keene valley and into the high peaks. Eventually you come around the loop to Big Crow mountain and then back down to the car. While it was beautifully sunny when I left Ottawa, it was overcast and looked like it might rain at any minute (but it never did) in the peaks. A broad band of sun did keep the Keene valley bathed in sunshine but it never got to me nor did it highlight the nearby high peaks. Instead a cool breeze forced me to take short breaks and keep moving to stay warm.

Weston mountain
Moments of sunshine that wouldn't last

I always find it interesting that going up mountains is a little like walking backwards in time. At home in the Gatineau Park summer conditions are prevalent. Blackflies are out, and the leaves in the trees are fully deployed. As I worked my way up the mountain I was walking backwards into spring. No bugs per se, and the leaves were just starting to bud. Trilliums and other early spring flowers – mostly done at home – were just starting to push up as I got above 2500ft. No snow and ice was found but the flat parts of the trail were pretty muddy suggesting the winter frost was just starting to leave the ground. All in all a beautiful hike. Got out of the woods around 6 which meant it was a good time for a quick pint and a 'burg in L.P. before making the drive home. Nice to find that, despite coming to the Adirondacks quite a bit in the last few years, there are still some gems to be found.

A rare sign
Time to head down

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

A quick "work" trip to Maniwaki

Headed up to Dave's cottage near Maniwaki on the weekend to help him get things set up for the season. Always lots to do when you own a cottage and while it’s not my cottage I’m happy to give him a hand and lighten the load a little. Besides I’m well “paid” with beverages and there's usually (always!) a good meal on the table in the evening so I’m not complaining. Water pumps primed, docks shoved in the lake, a few odd mending jobs and then a wander up and down the shore to help out other neighbours struggling with the same tasks (and a few more beverages offered) made for a full agenda. The weather wasn’t scheduled to be too good but the heavy rains forecast seemed to hold off for the most part. When it did shower it provided some welcome relief from the blackflies who’ve made an early appearance. Perhaps no surprise that they’ve arrived early as everything else seems ahead of schedule this year so why wouldn’t the “hatch” be early as well. In truth the blackflies weren’t at full force. They clouded up around your face (which was annoying) but they didn’t seem to fully understand the biting and bloodsucking part of their life cycle. My guess is a few more days and they’ll have the procedure down and be quite the horror show.

rainy lac Roddick
A little drizzle made for comfortable working conditions

After dinner we took the quads out to tour around the backcountry a bit (blackflies had gone to bed) and stopped by a local bog to enjoy the frogs chorus. It was nice but absolutely deafening so we didn’t stay long. If the blackflies are active I suppose the frogs will have a good season as well. Was certainly nice to get up here and relax (albeit being put to “work”) for a bit. April has been particularly busy getting ready for Race Weekend with the modified courses. Lots of meetings, measuring and changes of plan all of which seemed to fall at pretty much the last minute has made things somewhat chaotic. At least the course is now set and we can focus on the regular chaos in the next few weeks. Some one posted on Trirudy that the maps for the courses haven’t been posted on the Run Ottawa website. Not sure why that hasn’t happened yet (they should be up soon) but – for my tens of readers – here is an exclusive look at the courses. Marathon - half marathon. A bit of a change from previous editions which was primarily a result of the Alexandra bridge being closed for repairs. This year’s marathon course even runs through a small (hill free) piece of Gatineau Park. If you’re running, these will be interesting. If you’re not you might want to know where to go to see the spectacle. If you’re really uninterested you might want to know where to avoid! All I can say is trying to cross the Ottawa River on the morning of the 30th may be a challenge.

Trilliums everywhere
Natural flower beds

On Monday, after a few errands on a rainy morning the sun cleared up so I headed up to the park for a little walk. Toured around the MacKenzie King estate checking out the flower beds. Tulips were nice but looking to be on about their last legs. Might not be too many tulips for the Tulip fest. Again the blackflies were out but nowhere near the strength I had encountered an hour north of town. Not much biting either but like their northern brethren I expect they will organize and gain strength over the next few days. Hopefully an early spring doesn’t mean an extended blackfly season… of course the mosquitoes and deerflies won’t be far behind so accepting/coping with the bugs is all part of the summer round these parts.

Dry bird bath
Even with all the rain the birdbath was dry... but this bird seemed to be enjoying the flowers none the less.