A Peaceful, Natural Family Getaway: Big Hill Retreat (Big Hill, Cape Breton)

As spring settles in, I am reflecting on Maritime Outdoor Family's best adventure of this past winter. It was without a doubt our week of hibernation in Cape Breton at Big Hill Retreat. In December, we escaped the noise of the winter holidays and set off to celebrate winter solstice by reconnecting with nature, with each other, and with ourselves. 

Big Hill Retreat was perfect for just that. With only three secluded cabins and a long enough uphill dirt road that you did not want to have to push your 2-wheel drive car up more than once, we truly did hibernate. Our days were spent lighting the woodstove, cooking, reading, doing family yoga, and walking/snowshoeing the trails on the property. 

Morning fire after a fresh snowfall.

Daily yoga with a 4-year-old!

 Fresh snow for snowshoeing!

Big Hill Retreat was the perfect nature getaway! The owners, Terry & Linda, are very welcoming; the cabins are rustic yet comfortable and beautifully constructed; and the property has beautiful private trails accessible without needing to get in your car. It was winter bliss! If you want to escape and feel off the grid while still having the conveniences of electricity, this is the place! 

White Pine Trail

Trail signs made from recycled tin lids.

Practicing her skills! 

Waterfalls Trail

Trails were well labeled. Our kiddo loves looking at maps! 

Little Prince Trail

Le petit prince

Little Prince Trail on a warmer day

Other hikes nearby:

• Uisage Ban Falls Provincial Park 
• North River Falls
• Lewis Mountain 

Guess Who's Back & Snowshoeing: Dollar Lake Provincial Park (Wyses Corner, NS)

Dear blog, let me breathe air into your lungs, compress your chest, and will you back to life. I'm sorry to have abandoned you, but damn, how does one find time for it all? Today I come back to you for a short and snappy post about snowshoeing. More posts to follow on various other adventures over the past 6 months. 

Today is frigid by Nova Scotia standards: -17 degrees Celsius with the wind. We piled on our layers of fleece and wool and set out to snowshoe at Dollar Lake Provincial Park, which has awesome winter trails that are groomed by Ski Martock. 

The snowshoeing was great even though snot froze to the beards of men all around me and my daughter's cheeks looked like she had rosied them with clown make-up. We may have only lasted an hour before the wee one had us convinced her legs would need to be amputated if we didn't stop, but it was worth the trip anyway. We got to get outdoors, breathe fresh air into our lungs, see cheery faces on the trail, and prove to ourselves that winter doesn't have to be something to lament about. 

A Bit More About Cold Weather with Kiddos

• Let's face it, some of the hardcore will laugh at your level of preparation & gear required, but all of this will make the adventure much smoother! So laugh away!
• LAYERS: There cannot be too many. You are better off carrying the extra layers that are shed than cutting your trip short with a miserably cold kiddo (remember, they do not suffer through silently like some adults).
• Snacks freeze, and it can be really hard for wee ones to chew granola bars and other usual trail noms. For cold weather hiking, we always bring an herbal tea in our Kleen Kanteen to warm us up. On really cold days, consider a trail treat for kiddos to spice things up. There is less variation in the surroundings on snowy hikes, so a trail treat can be something kiddos look forward to. Today, we brought oatmeal with raisins, coconut, and walnuts to warm our bellies.

• On the note of enticing trail food (even for an hour-long hike that would normally not warrant a snack), kiddos need distractions! We use distractions year-round when the trail whining comes out: Are we there yet? In the cold weather, distractions are even more crucial. Singing a song, chatting about something new at school, or planning a yummy supper meal together can help distract from whining. If they are truly cold, tired, or hungry, you will know it! 

A Bit More About The Trails

• Trails are groomed by Ski Martock. Here is their map of the trails:

• Trail etiquette: no dogs, minimize foot traffic, snowshoes keep to the ungroomed side, in-line and skate skis have their respective tracks.
• Trailhead is found at: N 44 56' 45.9" W 63 18' 54.2"

5 Tips for Colder Weather Hiking with Kids

My friends, I can no longer hope that it is still summer; it is not! But even if winter camping is not your cup of tea, there is still plenty of family fun to be had outdoors! We are particularly fond of fall and winter hiking and snowshoeing. Our latest hikes—which I will share with you soon—were rather cold fall hikes: frozen puddles, hail, freezing rain, and SNOW! Yes, we have had our first hike in the snow here in Nova Scotia. So on this note, I thought I would share some tips for how to prepare for cold weather, fall hiking with your kid(s).

1. It's hunting season! Be sure to remember your hunter orange especially on trails where hunting is permitted. Each person should have an orange hat on. Most of these hats are one size fits all, and they should fit toddles either over their regular hats (for smaller heads) or as a slightly large hat on its own (for bigger heads). And remember, the brighter the clothing the better!

2. LAYERS, LAYERS, LAYERS! Everyone will be happier if there are many layers to be added or removed. Remember that the trail might be much cooler than the temperature when you leave your home. And on the note of layers, I highly recommend wearing waterproof pants while hiking in the fall no matter what the forecast. They will cut the wind and allow you to easily crouch, cross streams, stomp in puddles, etc. without getting wet.

Image source here.

3. Babywearing is your ally in the cold! Reconsider how your wee one might get from point A to point B. If your toddler has begun hiking on their own recently, it might be best to switch them back to a kid carrier for colder months:

            -your wee one will share your body warmth

            -your wee one won't run off on their own in hunting territory

            -this will keep your speed up so you are not standing still in the cold
            (i.e., less chance of catching a chill)

            -you can easily traverse areas where the trail is more washed out/where streams are 

            wider than in summer months

4. Plan for daylight! Remember that your trail will get dark so much sooner than in the warmer months! Plan to be off the trail by 4/5pm at the latest with your kiddos! It is better to hike earlier and not have to worry about getting stuck in the dark with your kids!

Getting very dark on the trail near 5pm.

5. Perhaps most important of all, be prepared to go slower! As anyone who hikes with kids knows, you can't expect to bomb through the trail. Kids simply walk slower (or slow down the adult who is carrying them), need more breaks, and have had fewer experiences than adults so they are learning more than you with every step. Cold weather hiking may slow you down even more, so expect to go slowly and enjoy the family time together in the wilderness!

Two-year-olds love waterfalls no matter how small!