Book Launch

Although this had been a great year for hiking, kayaking and generally enjoying the outdoors, it has been a challenge for me to keep up with my blog. No real good reason other than time outside is not time in front of a computer. Couple that with a busy year filled with family and work, lots of projects on the go and other priorities and the year really has been a blur.

One project that I am thrilled about however, is the development of a new book which I have written on the Dundas Valley. This book entitled Exploring the Dundas Valley is now complete and a launch event is coming up.

I have collaborated with 3 other Dundas area writers who all have books ready to go and we have sceduled the event for Nov 13. Details are below.

You are invited to join us and I hope you can. This evening promises to be lots of fun and the more the merrier.

Come on out. I look forward to seeing you there.

Getting Clear on an Overcast Day

There is just something about the beach, some sort of unexplainable connection that I love. I don’t know if it is the water, the rhythm of the waves or the open space but it draws us, and holds us there as though hypnotized.

Being the only person there, a lone soul on a deserted shore, just intensifies those feelings and that sense of connection.

This morning I walked the beach alone, a light drizzle falling. This beautiful section of Burlington, Ontario's South Beach is gorgeous and has become a recent favorite of mine. The only sound competing with the waves was a few seagulls going about their business. I followed a group of nervous sandpipers, lost in my thoughts, the rainy surroundings invoking in me a very weird and difficult to explain sense of both melancholy and joy.

It definitely feels like fall today, I thought and with that, the fading of yet another summer that has gone by much too quickly. Is this the way it’s meant to be? The perception at least, that time speeds up as we age, that our youth is replaced by responsibilities and commitments and sunrises become a luxury to be enjoyed only sporadically?

Heading further up the beach, I came across two older gentleman, clad in shiny black wetsuits, returning to shore from an open water swim. An admirable pursuit, I thought and maybe a way to hang on to summer as well as to vitality just a little bit longer.

I turned back and started walking in the direction from where I came. I noticed my footprints in the sand, the only ones on the beach. An interesting metaphor I thought. Life, a journey, spent interacting and intertwined with others, but ultimately travelled alone. Perhaps this was the source of my mixed emotion, each step representing an exciting step forward but also one less step to look forward to.

I veered away from the beach, but paused to look back one more time. Soon my footsteps would be washed away by the rain and the water, all signs of my visit erased.

Maybe this is also a part of our connection to the water, I thought. Clarity and a cleansing of the mind. Feeling now more joy than melancholy, I walked away, perhaps a little wiser, and I smiled.

Rain Lake Reflections - Algonquin Park

It’s the silence mainly, that keeps me returning to this amazing place. Perhaps it's the magnitude of the park also, with stunning views in every direction. Being larger than the entire province of Prince Edward Island, the more than 1500 lakes and endless miles of trails in Algonquin Park make for countless possibilities.

It could also be the wildlife sightings, the chance to catch a glimpse of a bear or moose or shiver at the distant howling of a wolf pack. It could be the night skies and it's brightness, making me feel small and insignificant under its extreme vastness. It could be any combination of these factors but I am convinced that, for me anyway, it’s the silence.

Complete, and only interrupted by the welcome and equally soul-lifting cry of the loons, it seems to totally surround, wrapping your being in a cocoon of calm, deafening in its nothingness.

After a day of travel by car, by foot and by canoe, we set up our camp on an island located at the eastern edge of Rain Lake. Eight of us: brothers, sons, cousins and nephews connected by blood and by our mutual love of this place.

After setting up, I leave the group and paddle off alone, circling to the other side of the island. The water is perfectly still and flat like a mirror, but for the wake of my passage. The reflections of the clouds and the trees are extraordinarily vivid, another world viewed upside down in the black still water.

I stop paddling and take it all in. The silence is complete, perfect and soul-cleansing. I exhale fully and am at peace. I remind myself to soak it in and burn this scene to memory.

After some time, I reluctantly return to my group, joining in the laughter, the camaraderie and the fun. This family is a blessing to me and I am pleased with the knowledge that my sons will retain these memories forever.

At some point my youngest nephew says to me “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” I agree. “Do you want to paddle around the island with me?” he asks. “You bet, Matt” I say, smiling. “There’s nothing I’d rather do.”

The First Colours of Spring at Great Falls

After a long and cold winter, Spring was  enthusiastically welcomed in Waterdown Ontario last night with the lighting up of Great Falls. Thanks to Chris Ecklund and his group of volunteers from the City of Waterfalls initiative http://www.cityofwaterfalls.ca, this beautiful waterfall was seen by the many who came out, in colourful splendour.

For the first 15 minutes, the falls were lit up in red, in tribute to Sergeant Joseph Doiron, a Canadian soldier who was killed in Iraq 2 weeks ago.

After that, the colours changed to the hues of Spring.

The spring colours mixed with the significant water flow of Great Falls created a brilliant effect, very much appreciated by the many photographers and lovers of the outdoors who attended.

A job well done to the volunteers and a great way to kickstart the Spring season in this beautiful area that we call home.

Winter in Lasalle Park

“I believe the world is incomprehensibly beautiful — an endless prospect of magic and wonder.” - Ansel Adams

Walking the quiet trails of Lasalle Park in Burlington this morning, I was struck by the simple beauty of the woods and of the waterfront area. A layer of fresh snow blanketed everything in white and the air felt crisp and clean.

Approaching the shoreline, the call of waterfowl became increasingly louder. Like a squadron of jet fighters returning from a mission, scores of swans and geese glide in precise formation into the area, joining their noisy comrades on the frozen lake.

It was neat to get off the trail and walk on the lake, a rare and unfamiliar perspective of the shoreline making my visit to a familiar destination new again.

The waterfowl called out warnings as I approached them but with patience, I was able to get very close. I stayed and enjoyed their company but eventually retreated when a large swan decided that I had overstayed my welcome.

A beautiful park made that much more striking with the impact of a fresh snowfall, I look forward to returning again soon to enjoy more magic and wonder.

It's a New Year and the Trails are Calling

January 1, 2015. A new year, just full of promise and new possibilities, a fresh page as they say.

Like many, my thoughts turn to resolutions, goals and plans and one of mine certainly, is to devote more time to the things I love, with hiking being very near the top of that list.

With that on mind, I ventured out this morning with my always willing and eager canine companion and headed to a favourite stretch of the Bruce Trail. The trail that runs between Sherman Falls and Canterbury Falls is beautiful; rocky, hilly and picturesque with a couple of beautiful waterfalls to enjoy.

The look of the water covered in ice, surrounded by rock and the remaining fall leaves is particularly nice and I enjoyed the workout of traversing the hilly trail under grey skies and a cool wind.

The trail as it approaches Canterbury Falls provides great views of the valley below, particularly now with the trees void of their leaves.

A great trail and a fitting way to kick off 2015. Thank you for your readership and comments through this past year. Please accept my very best wishes to you for a happy and healthy new year filled with  outdoor adventures.

Cam

Enjoying Fall by Kayak

I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that this years paddling season was over. That is until my friend and fellow explorer James Kempf messaged me with an offer to hit the waterways one more time.

An overcast Saturday morning and favourable temperatures made the offer irresistible and so it was that I found myself enjoying the fall colours from the comfort of my kayak.

This area is blessed with numerous locations of which to explore by water and the added benefit of the waters reflection just makes it that much more spectacular.

We enjoyed the sight of geese and other birds, the quiet and the brilliant colours and crisp clean air that makes Autumn my favourite of the seasons.

Don't miss out. Before we know it winter will have arrived so be sure that you get out and explore. Whether by mountain bike, on foot or by water it is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the amazing scenery that surrounds us.