Burnstown xc ski

Today was the annual Burnstown Family Fun day sponsored by our friends the Neills. The scheduled events included some tubing down the Calabogie hills follow by a smorgasbord of chili, dogs, nachos, beer, and homemade desserts.



Unfortunately our morning was booked with indoor soccer which set us a little behind for the 1 pm meet at Calabogie. So rather than tubing we opted for a family ski down some of the secret Burnstown ski trails. A great choice.



Two hours later, and three hours late, we arrived at the Neills for some delicious chili and beer. The place was hopping. There were about 30 people milling about and about half of them were under the age of 12 (and one only a mere 7 weeks!). Apparently the warm weather and offer of free entertainment and food was just too much to turn down. Or at least that was our reasoning...



Charlie, Maddie, Katie - Look how these guys are growing.
Thanks again guys for your wonderful hospitality. You should do it again some time. ;)

Feeding the birdies

Today I took the family out for a late afternoon hike in the Greenbelt. The trails were so icy and compacted that we didn't need snowshoes or skis - in fact they only would have caused problems.

Almost immediately after leaving the parking lot we spotted a pile of bird seed. Perfect. Having forgotten our seed at home I told the kids to stuff some in a pocket and we'll feed the birds later on down the trail. Well you would think the little winged creatures were starving the way they were dive bombing everybody at the slightest sign of food.


Feeding the birdies is always a hit no matter how old you are. And now bird feeding will always remind us of last spring when Mikey was feeding the grey jays using his own personal technique. (no photos on that one folks)



Here's hoping that the spring-like weather is behind us so that we can have more snow and some more quality x-c skiing.

Rizo and Milo

Last weekend we picked up a little addition to the family. Rats. Two of them. Rizo (grey) and Milo (butterscotch and white). The kids had been bugging us for months now to get a rat. They had done their research, saved their money, and they were committed to the goal.


While we'd rather have a medium to large sized dog we're also selfish and like our freedom to camp/canoe/hike/travel whenever and wherever we want. For a while the kids were content with fish but in the end a fish is... well, wet and not very cuddly. After some searching we settled on the rat. The description at PetSmart read, "intelligent, able to do tricks, very social, and great with kids". Compared to the hamster's sales pitch that read, "able to store food in its cheek pouches". Hmmm, easy choice. Besides if we ever breakdown and go for the snake we'll already have its first meal beefed up and ready to serve.

It's been a week now and we're impressed. They are very lively creatures, love to be handled, they haven't yet bitten anybody (unlike hamsters), and are definitely more cuddly than fish.

UPDATE (thanks to a comment from Mark):
Did you know that it is illegal to have a pet rat in the province of Alberta? Yep, I'm serious. I bet they would scream "eeek!" and jump up on a chair just like in the cartoons if they ever did see one. Probably worried the rats would crawl up their oil pipes and stop the black gold from pumping. Ha.

Friday the 13th

Let's just say that what happens while out in the woods in the middle of the night, stays out there in the woods... dead, stinking, and rotting. Hacked into little pieces.

Ahhh, good times.

Full moon ski in the GAT

Gatineau Park: P10 to Huron (17 km)
P10: N45 31.141 W75 51.234
Huron: N45 30.336 W75 53.999

After a couple of years of talking about a moonlight ski in the GAT the day had final come to slap on the boards and git-r-done. Conditions were perfect - especially given the forecast for rain and highs reaching 9°C for the rest of the week. Didn't that damn gopher see his shadow last week?

Mike left work early and managed to hit the near empty P10 parking lot around 3:30 pm where we made a quick call to Kenmore who was already out enjoying the trails. The plan was to meet him somewhere along our way to Keogan.

While Mike and I were gearing up and I couldn't help but notice that my pack was a little light having forgot my tinfoil wrapped sandwiches back in the office fridge (arg!). Luckily I'd brought some Red Pepper and Black Bean soup, snacks, and of course beer... and even more lucky to have a couple of mates that didn't mind sharing a bit of their grub with a starving bear.


Shilly Shally pitstop
After meeting up with Kenmore we arrived at the Keogan/Huron junction and decided it was a little early to hit a cabin and start cooking. So off to Huron we skied but not before stopping for a pint at an empty, fire-warmed Shilly Shally.

Our first cabin behind us, we quickened our pace to catch the sunset from the Huron Lookout. It was nice but the smattering of clouds kept it from being spectacular. From here it was back down to Huron for supper.



Again we were surprised to have the cabin all to ourselves. We quickly set up a makeshift kitchen and starting some semi-serious gourmet cooking (more like food warming but that doesn't sound nearly as appetizing). Chili, soup, sandwiches, baguettes, fresh cheese, and even some chocolate for dessert... or was that the Blackberry Wheat Ale?


Supper at Huron Hut
At some point between the end of supper and nap time another group of amateur outdoor chefs rolled into the cabin. They had bottles of wine, a pot of apricot curried lamb and containers full of various desserts. Apparently they are a regular night crew here today to help celebrate a friend's birthday. Impressive. Seems to me I should find me some female friends like this to ski with, and to carry my pots and pans, and my beer, and... yeah, snap out of it and be careful what I wish for. Besides, I certainly couldn't complain on this night after forgetting my sandwiches at work and eating half my buddies' food.

The ski back to P10 was a sweet ride thanks to the icy tracks. A pole here and a pole there and before I knew it we were barreling down the Khyber Pass (that's from the days when trails had real names and not just numbers reminding you of Bob Seger songs) and onto the parkway. And with the glow of a full moon lighting the way, all headlamps remained off.

And finally a few night shots...





A great night and definitely a plan worth repeating. Now all I have to hope for is more winter.

Another Sunday ski

We headed out for another Sunday family ski in the Pinhey Forest. Compared to last Sunday, the weather was warmer, snow was a little icy and hence faster, and there was no snow on the trees as the winds were blowing like mad leaving a scattering of debris on the trails. That said, it was a good outing. Cheers to that.

Pink Floyd, flying pigs, and Battersea Power Station

I was looking at photos of London buried under the recent snow fall - the heaviest in 18 years - when I noticed a familiar back drop. Battersea Power Station, London, England. A flood of memories washed over me as I recalled the classic 1977 Pink Floyd album, Animals. I couldn't believe that there really was such a place.


For some reason (maybe it was my inability to believe pigs can fly) I never once thought that the place depicted on the album cover actually existed (at least not without the enhancement of drugs). Ahhh, but it did and still does - although the power station is no longer operating and the pig has long since drifted off to a higher place. Yep, that's right, the pig was the real deal too (albeit inflated). No Photoshop here folks, this was a real Kodak moment and not the madman's watercolor sketch I once assumed it was.

Here's the hilarious tale and the video as proof...

"The giant, helium-filled pig (referred to as the Pink Floyd Pig) seen on the cover was actually flown over Battersea Power Station for the photo shoot under the direction of Storm Thorgerson. On the first day of shooting, a marksman was on hand in case the pig broke free. However, according to Thorgerson, this was considered an "insurance problem", and he was not hired for the second day of shooting. On 3 December 1976, during the second day, a gust of wind broke the pig free of its moorings. Because there was no one to shoot the pig down, it sailed away into the morning sky."

I guess you learn something everyday... although I am in no way assuming that you blog readers out there didn't already know this Floyd tidbit.

Strangely enough the whole scene was recently reenacted with Spider Pig for the DVD release of The Simpson's Movie. Here's the video... note that they too brought in a sniper as back-up should the pig decide to really fly away.


Spider Pig, aka Plopper, story here.

Pinhey Forest ski

A Sunday ski through Pinhey Forrest with the family.



After the recent 30 cm dump of snow the forest was looking very much like a winter wonderland. Mother Nature had thrown a blanket of white cotton over everything giving it had a dream like feel.



Surprisingly we only crossed paths with one other skier while we were out crisscrossing about on Trail 32.


Knackered

76th Whig Standard Bonspiel (Kingston, ON)

For the fourth year in a row I found myself making the trip to Kingston to shoot some rocks with Craiger, Lester, and Paul. This year marked Kingston's 76th Whig Standard Bonspiel (that's curling eh) and win or lose (most likely the latter) we were bound to have a good time.

This year we had to start off the Bonspiel down a player for our Thursday night's games as our 3rd was off coaching his daughter's ringette team. And as luck would have it, our draw saw us with two back-to-back matches on the Thursday night. That's a lotta sweepin' for a 3 man curling crew. The good part was that after Thursday it was a much easier pace as we had only one match Friday afternoon and then our fourth at noon on Saturday.


Our first game was at the Royal Kingston Curling Club and the ice was perfect. The game was tight as we traded single points through the first 5 or 6 ends but then we crumbled and gave up a few too many rocks and decided to shake hands and call it a match. The second game was at the Cataraqui Golf and Country Club and was pretty much a repeat of the first with our excuse this time being our inability to adapt to a much poorer ice surface. Personally I was leaning more towards our once a year curling schedule.

By Friday we were ready to go with a full team as Mike drove through an Ottawa snowstorm to join us in sunshine Kingston. But again we lost. This time the game was tied going into the last end and then BLAMMO! we lost as the hammer came up short on the draw. Ouch.

After some more free beer and a supper of steak, potatoes, salad, and pie and ice cream for dessert we headed off to the Kingston Brewing Co. pub. This is a great little meeting place that serves a whack of micro brewed beer.




Saturday's match always brings a mix of emotions as by now we're eager to start the trip back home. However Saturday is do or die - if you win, you play another, and possibly even another. Depending on which group you fall into you could end up leaving Kingston by 10 or 11 pm. Well our worries were soon over as we lost our last game of the tourney and shut the door on our "one win a Whig" streak. Our reward was chicken wings, and free Budweiser delivered by a couple of (not so naturally) blond Bud Girls while The Emily Fennell Band rocked out in the background.


Always a good time. Now the broom is jammed back up in the rafters for another year. Cheers mates.

Jack Pine ski

This afternoon we bundled up for the -22°C wind chill and headed out to the nearby Jack Pine trails for a family ski. No matter what time of year it is, this area is always busy with hikers, snowshoers, bird watchers and feeders, and fellow skiers of all ages. Today was no different with only 2 or 3 parking spots left in the lot.

Leaving the car, the trail was a well compacted path riddled with bird seed. Not ideal for skiing but before long we were back on a proper ski trail, though it was nothing like the groomed trails of Gatineau Park.




One of the boardwalks crossing the swamp was completely ripped out with plenty of signs of a new one under construction. This didn't prove to be a problem for us though as the swamp was well frozen and easy to cross on skis from any and all angles.

On the return trip as we were crossing a small hump of land that splits the swamp in two we came head to head with a couple of deer. They weren't very eager to leave the trail for the deep snow covered swamp and simply continued to come towards us. The gap quickly closed and I was told to take the lead in case things turned ugly. That's when the deer finally turned tail and raised their white flags. It didn't take long for them to bound back down the trail and skip off through the trees at the far end.

Comparing seasons in the GAT

Once again I snapped a couple of comparison pics at some key locations. Not much change from last year's photos (scroll to the end of last year's blog). Maybe next year we'll get some blue skies.

Fall and Winter

Ski to McKinstry '09

Gatineau Park: P12 to McKinstry (20 km)
P12 Meech Lake: N45 32.221 W75 53.968
McKinstry: N45 33.218 W75 58.387
Click here for a map showing the trails from P12 to McKinstry Cabin.

The ski from P12 to McKinstry is starting to become an annual trip (read last year's blog). Strangely enough, conditions were nearly identical to last year's - overcast, a fresh snowfall, and very low traffic on the trails. The only difference this year would have to be the temperature. Although the forecast was for a warm -1 it turned out to be -20°C with the wind chill. For the most part this didn't prove to be a problem but there were moments when the wind, compounded by a downhill ride, seemed to cut right though my thin cotton toque and stab its icy fingers into my brain. Mike likened the sensation to an ice cream headache which for most of you, is an easier visual than icy fingers (unless of course you remember the Snow Miser from the old Christmas special). Whatever works for you.


The climb out of P12 to Ridge Road is killa but compared to last week's ski with Kenmore where we took Trail 2 (a black diamond), it was practically a cake walk.

Once up on Ridge Road the trail wasn't nearly as steep but more of a gradual climb with the occasional down hill ride. As per usual we stopped for a photo at the Wolf Trail bench and grabbed a quick snack to keep us fueled for the last 5 km.




By the time we hit the "only 2 km to go" sign we were ready for lunch. As another group of 4 skiers passed us I shouted out a friendly request to start the woodstove for us. Luckily they heard me and we were greeted by a freshly stoked fire. Having said that it still took nearly 20 minutes before it started to kick out enough heat to toast our sandwiches.



Fortunately for me, Mike had prepared us a little homemade soup. Alas the perfect chance for me to test out my new snap together Fozzil cup. The design of these cups is awesome - snap, snap and like magic you turn a piece of flat plastic into a cup or plate or bowl or even a spoon. Best $7.99 I spent this year.


As per usual the ride down was dope. No wipe-outs on this roller coaster just tuck'n'go speed for a sweet ride all the way into the parking lot. At least this year there was no girl selling hot chocolate to dodge at the bottom.

Skate on the Rideau

This morning I awoke to a -26°C wind chill and a mild case of cabin fever. Rather than a morning outing I decided to run some errands and wait for the afternoon's balmy forecast of -17°C (with wind chill) before heading outdoors to get some exercise. By noon things were looking up so we flipped a few coins and took a family vote before settling on a skate on the Rideau canal. (Personally I think it was the potential for Beaver Tails that pushed the final vote in that direction.)

As per usual we parked in one of the back Carleton U parking lots and laced up on Dow's Lake. Although it was warmer it was still windy and overcast and by now the snow had started falling. Rather than fight the wind blowing across Dow's we decided to head down the canal towards Landsdowne Place.

The ice was rough after what I assumed to be a busy weekend of skating and I swear some of the cracks were large enough to swallow a Smart Car but to be fair, the plough and the ice scraper guys were working hard on the repairs. The trick was to follow them close enough to enjoy the fresh ice surface and block some wind but at the same time stay far enough back so as not to get run over.

The skate back to Dow's was much more enjoyable with the wind at our backs and the growing smell of fresh Beaver Tail.


...of course we stopped