First hike in FOUR MONTHS: Pennant Point Trail (Crystal Crescent Beach, NS)

I realized something today that completely unsettled me: I had not been hiking in four months!! Between my Masters and full-time work, there has literally been no time... except of course for those few days when there was a wee bit of time, and instead we were faced with this:

Snowmageddon 2015: Near state of emergency in Halifax, NS.

So my poor body is suffering, and my child has not had near as much outdoor time as I would have liked her to over the past few months. But there is good news: my blogging hiatus is over! My studies are over until September, so here begins hiking season and its accompanying blog updates!


Today we hiked Pennant Point trail at Crystal Crescent Beach!
Crystal Crescent Beach is a gorgeous white sand beach located in Sambro (30 minutes from Halifax). There are three beaches and a 13km hiking trail. This is one of my favourite times of year for beach hiking. The beach is not quite ready for the crowds yet, though, their sands are warm and their traces of winter are few. 

TIP: Remember that before parks are officially open, there is additional hiking just to get to the summertime parking lot. The roads into the parks are great for running and cycling with kiddos since no cars can pass the gates to access them!

Jaunt into Crystal Crescent in the off-season. 

The Pennant Point trail runs along a coastline that ranges from white sandy beaches to boldorous surfaces like those at Peggy's Cove & Polly's Cove. The waves are gorgeous, and if you bring binoculars, you can look out and see people paddling near the islands. It is a great family hike as most of it is easy; a lot of the trail is boardwalked. This is another hike though where you can add to the challenge by doing more scrambling in the rocks than boardwalking. 

Forested hikes often receive less sunlight, so they still have a fair bit of snow in April. 

This was the most snow we saw at Crystal Crescent. 

One of my favourite parts of the hike! 

Perfect level of challenge for preschoolers! 

If you live in or near the HRM and have not checked this beach out, it is a must! Whether you choose to have a beach day or a hike, the coastline is exhilarating! 

Notes:
-GPS: N44 28.307 W63 37.364
-Strollers are not recommended. Babywearing is best choice. 
-Third beach is a nude beach when warm weather comes.
-Remember to dress in more layers than seems necessary when spring hiking on the coast as temperatures vary greatly. 

One of Our Favourite Winter Hikes: Uniacke Estates Trails (Mt Uniacke, NS)

Hey folks, 

Sorry I have been MIA since fall. I started my Masters in addition to working full-time, so as you've probably guessed, my spare time is limited. What spare time remains is for getting outdoors! Today, however, as we are all stuck inside from another whirlwind blizzard, I want to write to you about a great winter hike! 

You may not hear from me again until May, but I plan to have lots to share then because we are planning an epic family road trip this summer. More to come!


Uniacke Estates Trails are located just 30 to 40 minutes outside of HRM. When I first heard of them, I thought estates sounded lame and too urban for my kind of hiking, but I had it all wrong. Uniacke Estates Trails are located on a property formerly owned by Richard John Uniacke, a Nova Scotian Attorney-General, that was donated to the province and now serve as a museum and nature trails. The property is completely gorgeous and large enough to be full of nature. In the winter, the trails are even more isolated as the museum part (the house and out buildings) is closed. 

The trails range from very easy to hard. The map is easy to follow and the trails are too for the most part. The signage and trail markers are great! As with any trail that travels through barrens or fields, the Drumlin Field can be tricky in the winter to know if you're on the trail, but it is never too worrisome as children are often sledding down the hill alongside you. 

Trail marker colours coordinate with the colour of the trail on the map! So handy!

Many interpretive panels and trail signs mark the way. 

My favourite thing about this hike was the sounds of the ice! As you hike alongside Murphy Lake and Uniacke Lake/Lake Martha, you can hear the moaning and cracking of the ice. It's a nice break from the noise of daily life to stand in the forest and hear only the uncontrollable movements of ice. 

Frozen Lake Uniacke/Martha Lake

You can often see animal tracks in the beautiful ice!

As a great first winter hike for families, I would recommend parking behind the Uniacke & District Fire Department in the parking lot (654 Highway #1) where you will find the trailhead for Murphy Lake Trail. (Note that because the museum is not open in the winter, the main entrances to the park are rarely plowed or accessible.) From Murphy Lake Trail, you can connect with Drumlin Field Trail and then onto Lake Martha Loop where you will see the estates. This is a good amount of challenge, not too long to be out on a cold winter day, and allows you to see both the nature of the property as well as the residence. 

Recommendations for hiking this trail with kiddos:

• Stroller-friendly on the easy trails in the summer.
• Babywearing will be essential for babies up to preschoolers (depending on distance covered) in the winter. 
• Parents: WEAR/BRING TRACTION DEVICES especially if wearing children!
• In the winter, toddlers who are steady on their feet can toddle some, but be cautious of ice as the trails can be very slippery.
• Outhouses are not open in the winter, so be prepared to pee in the woods.
• Bring sunglasses for kids and adults alike to avoid snowblindness/snow headaches!

PS: We did this hike when it was -19°C with the wind chill. We had lots of warm clothes and tea, and we loved it!!

Recommended First Time Backcountry Camping at Kejimkujik National Park (Maitland Bridge, NS)

My wee one (3) and her friend (5) hiking like champions!

This post goes out to a lovely fellow, AW, who has been reading my posts and anxiously awaiting more. Thank you for reading!

Kejimkujik seriously is an amazing place to take your kids! If you have not been there yet, make it top on your list for NS! I wrote about Keji before here. This time I want to write about an even easier Keji hike that may be a bit better of a challenge for folks' first time backcountry trek with kids: Site 3. 

Site 3 is only 3.2km from the Big Dam parking lot. (See hiking distances here). It is a very easy hike. The first half is wide with crushed gravel. It runs along the Hemlocks & Hardwoods trail (map), a popular day-use spot. You could use a jogging stroller here if you were only going to Site 1. 

My 3-year-old on the smooth path near Hemlocks & Hardwoods trail.

Beyond Site 1, it becomes slightly more hilly and less smooth. A jogging stroller would still be possible, but less enjoyable to maneuver. There is the occasional boot-sinking sludge puddle if you hit the trail within a day or two of a decent rain, but for the most part, it is pine needly earth and a few protruding roots--nothing too intimidating for an adventurous preschooler!  

Second half (not necessarily literal half, but thereabout) of the trail to Site 3.

But the best part is that the hike is so short--while still leaving you feeling deeply removed from the noise of the daily grind--that even beginners could endure carrying the weight for such a short trek. Or if you really had to, someone could stay with the kiddo(s) to get camp set up while someone else could make a second run to the Big Dam parking lot for gear. (Okay you adventurous hikers who may be reading who do not have offspring: children can be volatile! Or at least unpredictable, making two trips a reality!) 

So seriously, if the thing keeping you from trying backcountry with your wee one(s) is anxiety about things going terribly wrong and being too far from "civilization" to solve any dilemmas, Site 3 at Keji would be a great starting place for you! 

The sites are almost always well-marked. Site 3 is down a small path to the left of the main trail. 

When you get to the site, you will be greeted with the wonderful comforts of backcountry at Keji: lake access at your site, privacy (in this case, the next sites are over a kilometer away), a picnic table!, dry firewood and a fire pit, a pit privy for your site, 2 tent pads, and a proper bear hang! Need I say more? It is luxurious!

Big Dam Lake at Site 3. Gorgeous view of the sunset here too!

My favourite part of Site 3 (and the kiddos' too!) was this gorgeous rock-hugging tree! 

Tent pad.

Keji has great bear hang systems, but this one was frayed, and I got a splinter from it, so do be careful! 

There is my recommendation for a first time backcountry hike with your kiddos in Nova Scotia! Now get outdoors and enjoy some nature time with your wee ones! 

Cape Breton Highlands' Only Backcountry Camping: Fishing Cove (Cape Breton Highlands National Park, NS)

I am proud to say that my daughter is 3-years-old and has already been to three National Parks. On the list for this year, as posted here, was Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The park is incredibly vast with so much hiking to offer. What shocked me though is that it only has a single area for backcountry camping: Fishing Cove! 

The hike to Fishing Cove is described as an "8 km hike down to the rugged coastline cradled at the base of MacKenzie Mountain." It was indeed a rugged hike! The 8 km hike was no way near comparable to the 7 km of the Skyline trail, which was level, even, simple, and boardwalked most of the way. Fishing Cove was really more like the kind of hiking we were looking for complete with switchbacks, steep climbs, lots of roots and rocks on the terrain, and of course, wildlife!

The first kilometer or two were old logging roads like this.

Most of the trail resembled this after the old logging road.

So, how did we do this arduous 8 km with a 40 pound child and carry everything we needed for a night of camping?  

Good question! Our 3-year-old is exceptional on the trails. She has the confidence and physical strength to walk long distances and to surmount obstacles, however I don't know any 3-year-old who can hike 8 km in a day without help let alone on steep trails! Soo, we had to carry her approximately 80 % of the trek. To make this possible, my partner carried her on his back in a mei tai (a soft kid carrier), and I carried everything else. We initially tried to strap some items onto the kid carrier as well but it proved to be too heavy and awkward. Because not all of our gear is lightweight yet (such as our tent, which weighs over 8.5 pounds!), I carried about 45 lbs in my backpack. This included food, tent, cookware, clothes, sleeping bags (2 for the 3 of us), first aid, drinking water, etc. Wearing the toddler, while lighter, proved to be much more tiring than a heavy load in a well-fitted pack.

The hike was a fantastic level of challenge for fit parents with wee ones looking to get into the backcountry! The trail was gorgeous!

Loving life!!

There was so much wildlife on the trail and in the cove: moose (be prepared to respond appropriately!), pheasants, toads, snakes, squirrels, seals, whales! The trail is covered with moose scat, and moose are observed often. We did not see any signs of bear on this trail. We saw a family of pheasants walking on the trail ahead of us. And in the cove, we observed seals, whale spray, and thousands of tadpoles metamorphosizing into froglets! This was very fun to see, especially for a 3-year-old! 

I spy a froglet swimming!

My recommendations/observations for this trail:
*kid carrier is necessary
*bring trekking poles for the climbs!
*pack a swimsuit for the gorgeous cove! We ended up skinny dipping! 
*there is a bear hang, which we used, but it is far too close to the ground
*the outhouse was really nasty!
*there is one bear-proof garbage can at the outhouse, but it was left overflowing when we arrived! Be prepared to pack it out! 
*the tent platforms may have rope left attached to them for securing your tent without pegs, however I recommend bringing guidelines for your tent!
*you may end up singing Dun-na-na-na-na-na MOOSE POOP a lot on the trail to occupy your wee one! Haha! 

Have a good sleep! You don't get to enjoy this view everyday! 

A Hike for All Skill Levels: Skyline Trail (Cape Breton Highlands National Park, French Mountain, NS)

The Skyline trail is part of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. It is the most popular and famous hike in the whole park. It is 7.5 km return (or 9.2 km return if you do the whole loop) and is wide, crushed gravel paths all the way to the boardwalks at the headland lookoff. 

This hike is for everyone!  There are many families on the paths! They are so wide and level that are excellent for accommodating strollers. Even wheelchair users could probably take advantage of most of the hike (though, I suggest checking with park staff to be sure!). 

We were surprised at how "frontcountry" this hike felt, but once we reached the headland, the views were stunning! There are many other trails in the national park that are backcountry, so it is great that this is one for people of all skill levels and nearly all ability levels to enjoy! 

The trail is so easy that it does not feel like 7.5km/9.2km. And of course, our 3-year-old loved it and was so proud to be as high as the clouds! 

Things to keep in mind:
-You will need a park daily entry pass to access the trail. 
-The roads leading to the trail are very steep and sharp.
-The trail is quiet long for toddlers to walk the entire distance, so I recommend taking a kid carrier or stroller to give little legs breaks periodically. 
-Be weary of very high winds on the headland. 
-Be cautious of wildlife.

A "5-Star" Provincial Park for Family Camping: Blomidon Provincial Park (Canning, NS)

Blomidon Provincial Park is awesome!! Let me tell you why!

1. It is found on a gorgeous cape in the Annapolis valley!

2. It is magnificently clean!

We saw one piece of garbage (part of a pop cap) the entire weekend! As an avid camper who frequents Nova Scotia provincial parks often, I was genuinely amazed! Most sites we visit have cigarette butts, beer caps, twist ties, and bandages caked into the grass so much so that the first thing I always have to do on a relaxing camping weekend is none other than cleaning up garbage! I was so impressed with Blomidon and commended their efforts! 

(They also give out bags upon registration for garbage, compost, and recyclables!) 

I did not get a great picture of the clean site, but I think you can appreciate how spotless it looks.

3. There is so much to do! Whether you are just getting into camping and would like to participate in activities hosted by the park or if you like to get your boots on and get hiking, there is so much to do!

-A 12.5 km system of 5 interconnected trails
-Explore the beach/mud flats of the Minas Basin
-Various park-hosted events (sky tours, hiking, campfires, etc.)

4. Forget fire bans; you can have campfires any time in this park using [non-sparking] Fibre Fuel bricks (sold at the park)!!  

5. Excellent for families looking to transition into more outdoors activities! 
-If you are just starting to camp with your kids for the first time, there are activities to fall back on if things really aren't going so hot (such as film screenings) in a pavillion. Just knowing this is enough to give some parents a little confidence boost to get their kiddos outdoors for the weekend! 
-Not down with being dirty? For a super wilderness-y campground, you will be happy to hear that there are flush toilets and showers!!
-Want to be camping & hiking, but lack the gear and/or experience to hit the backcountry yet? You can camp and then day-hike the cape! 
-Oh, and in case I am not the only crazy mama who thought it: yes, you can take babies/toddlers! No, they will not crawl off the cliff while you're cooking! Most campsites are not even close to the menacing line showing the cliff. (We stayed in 18 and could not even see the cliff.)

"Don't forget your bugspray or bug clothing!" says this little guy.

* * *

Why Having Outdoor Pursuits without your Wee Ones is Still Important

Okay, I want to talk about something that I have been so fortunate to do recently: taking time for yourself to get outdoors again without your children. Yepp, I said it. And yes, this is a blog focused on outdoor pursuits in the Maritimes with your kids, however, for those of you who were adventurous and outdoorsy folks before having kids, I think it is important to continue to pursue your own adventures when you can. I like to call these "Mommy's and/or Daddy's mental health break trips". 

It is less about "ditching the kids" and more about not ditching your own identity and needs for enjoyment in life. 

Here are some reasons to make time for your own hiking/paddling/cycling trips (sans enfants):
*You can go faster.
*You can go farther.
*You can take more risks. 
*You can find much-needed quiet time! And/or social time.
*You can scope out a route that may be do-able with your wee one in the future (as mentioned here).
*You can have time to be YOU!
(In twenty years' time when your children have their own lives and you have an empty nest, you need to still know how to be you!)

Being able to take such a trip requires a web of support for sure! I am incredibly fortunate that my partner stayed home with our baby girl while I went away to hike Cape Chignecto with some great friends. In my 4 days of hiking the 53 km of the Coastal Trail, I was also able to scope out future day hikes and backcountry overnight trips that we will do with our wee one in the coming years!  

I returned feeling happier about the life I choose for myself and having more energy to hike and camp on smaller trips with my wee one! Not to mention feeling tremendously grateful!  I worked my body and mind in ways I wouldn't have if I had been hiking with my wee one. Parents are still people underneath all of their devotion to those little lives, and I encourage parents to not forget the 'you' inside, regardless of what that may be!

Sometimes, you just need to get away and have a nap in a brook!