Event Notice: Outdoor You, in Sussex Thursday Nov 19

I would like to invite you to Outdoor You in Sussex on Thursday November 19th at 7pm. It will be held at PALS which is upstairs in the Post Office Building in Downtown Sussex.

As many of you know all too well, November may be one of the gloomiest times of the year for the outdoor enthusiast. The days are short, frost hangs in the air, and rain can quickly turn to snow. But with the right skills, gear, and attitude you can come to enjoy whatever the November Winds throw at you! Plus, Winter's crisp snow and sunny days are just around the corner. Learn what it takes to enjoy the last weeks of Fall while gearing up for Winter Adventures.

This gathering on the 19th of November will bring together people who have a passion for self-propelled outdoors activities in our region. You can share your local trail knowledge, exchange gear tips, and find trip partners in your area. Plus it's an opportunity to learn from several experienced outdoor enthusiasts who will be on hand to share information and inspiration through animated presentations about getting outside in our region. These include presentations on GPS, Winter Sports Around Sussex, Clothing for Cold and Wet Weather, Safety, and more!

The evening is free and everyone is welcome - from folks just getting started to the experienced outdoor enthusiast. Bring the whole family and learn from other parents how to get outside with the young ones.

Hope to See you there!
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Wilderness First Responder Course

I just got back from an 8 day Wilderness First Responder Course in Halifax. A little tired and a little paranoid but more than anything craving backcountry adventure. This was my second excellent wilderness first aid course with Blair Doyle. Dave Poitras, a ski patroller and paramedic living in Newfoundland helped him out with this one. Together they ran us through realistic wilderness scenarios that taught us to keep a cool head and figure it out.

If you spend time in the backcountry or take groups into the woods I'd highly recommend a Wilderness First Aid course. First aid in remote environments is different from standard first aid in an urban setting. The difference is in how you can safely manage yourself and the situation and care for someone who is injured. The difference is about decision-making. Not only could Wilderness First Aid training save your butt when things go wrong, it will give you the self-assurance to travel farther and better enjoy the backcountry.

Check Out Blair Doyle's Courses -
http://www.wrfa.ca/wilderness_and_remote_first_aid.htm

Here are a few more photos from the course.

Group shot with our hypothermia patient all wrapped up

Moving a spinal patient on a backboard

A burn victim on our overnight scenario

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Event Notice: Waterfalls of New Brunswick Tour Coming to Saint John

I heard about this exciting event on CBC Radio Mornings. Over the last two years Nicholas has been tracking down and photographing New Brunswick's waterfalls. His work is truly remarkable. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of his new book!

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"New Brunswick is home to over one thousand waterfalls — some remote, some surprisingly accessible. In Waterfalls of New Brunswick, Nicholas Guitard has chosen over fifty of the best. Cascading over an incredible range of ancient geology, this richly illustrated volume with captivate hikers and armchair travellers alike." (http://waterfallsnewbrunswick.ca/)

NICHOLAS GUITARD will be visiting libraries around the province, to talk about some of the spectacular waterfalls in each area of the province, and how to access them. Books will be available for purchase at these free, public events.

Spanning all five regions of New Brunswick (Acadian Coastal, Appalachian Range, River Valley Scenic, Fundy Coastal, and Miramichi River), the author will lead you on a journey of wonder and discovery. His evocative photographs render the falls in all of their powerful glory.

Over the last two years, Nick Guitard has documented more than a hundred waterfalls in New Brunswick, culminating in a website www.waterfallsnewbrunswick.ca, this beautifully illustrated book, and a forthcoming guide to New Brunswick’s waterfalls."

DETAILS:

Friday, November 6th, 12:00

Saint John Free Public Library

1 Market Square

Local Motion - Gets Sticky

Apples on the Branch in Corn Hill

I've been kept busy lately with a blur of indoor and outdoor activity. Despite a lack of blogging there's been no shortage of things to write about.

Getting outside during a rainy month like we've had can be tough. But harvesting food provides a real motivation to get outside, get muddy, and make hours in the warm kitchen so much more valuable. With this post, I'm going to straddle the line between outside and inside with 100% local content.


Here's my story,



Come October, there's almost never a shortage of apples around my folks place in Corn Hill. The orchards around the farm are a mix of old gnarly varieties and modern grafts. There's the rough skinned Russets, the snappy Novamacs, unusually purple Tanglewines, and some others ones we just call Candy Apples. Walking through the orchards in October is enough to give you a stomach-ache.

With thousands of calories on a branch, the questions arises - What are you we going to do with all this fruit?

Cider. That's the traditional response and a practical one too.

For a number of years our family has pressed our orchard's apples with a neighbor's Cider Press. The Pressing Day in October has become a celebration of abundance; sticky, delicious abundance. We fill jugs and jugs with that sweet dark juice. Then its off to the deep freeze to be enjoyed throughout the winter.

This year, we watched the apple trees become heavy with fruit. For me it was especially exciting to see the bounty. I've been out of the province for the past few years and have missed the harvest. With a bumper crop predicted my mind couldn't keep itself from drifting back to apples. What can we do with the harvest?

Hard Cider. That is to say Alcoholic Apple Cider. That's the traditional choice if say you're a New Englander living in the 1800's.

Hard cider may remain low-key in Canada but it once was a going concern. In New England, settlers from the British Isles brought apple seeds and an appetite for hard cider. The Temperance movement and later Prohibition knocked the wind out of hard apple cider. By the time alcohol was acceptable again other drinks saturated the market. Though today in Great Britain hard cider is still a popular drink.

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If there is any year to experiment with apples its this one. And if the hard cider fails I'll try to turn it into Apple Cider Vinegar. But hopefully I'll be enjoying a clean dry cider come wintertime. I convinced my Mom the food guru and wine maker to help me out. She always keen to experiment with foods and fermentations (raspberry wine and mead to name few examples) so it's great to have her involved. The rest of my family chipped in with strong backs and nimble hands to help pick the apples.

Over the Thanksgiving weekend my family raided the apple orchard with baskets and ladders. Baskets brimmed with crunchy fruit as we drove our harvest to our neighbours for pressing.

Things got sticky pretty fast but soon everyone had a job on the assembly line and juice started flowing. Neigbours dropped by to chat, some friends who are also experimenting with hard cider this year stopped by and provided some excellent brewing tips that we would go on to use.

The 200 pounds or so of apples turned into 15 Gallons of sweet cider! (that's roughly 50 Liters). More than we were expecting and almost more than we knew what to do with!

The Apple Press. A brilliant contraption with modern
touches like an electric motor and hydraulic press.

My Dad in front of the apple hopper.

Stick hands and elbows are mandatory. My sister shows off her apple stained hands.


The Good Stuff! Dark and Rich.

The next day we started brewing. The Champagne yeast was proofed the night before in a separate jar and ready to go when we loaded the 5 Gallon glass carboy. We decided to forgo the meta-bi-sulfite preservative and trust the primed Champagne yeast to work its magic. The remaining 10 gallons found its way into the freezer to be enjoyed throughout the winter.

The 5 Gallon Carboy is ready to go. Next we slap on
the air lock and put it someplace dark.

After a couple days, the carboy started bubbling and I'm crossing my fingers that it becomes delicious hard cider. I'll let you know how it turns out in a few weeks!

Having a reason to spend a rainy day outside makes all the difference at this time of year. And what better reason to get active and get outside than harvesting local foods.

Cheers to that!

Backyard Discoveries

Jo and the Giant Maples

You never know what you'll discover in your neck of the woods.

In this case I wasn't even looking for trees. A friend and I were out for a countryside walk near Petitcodiac when we stumbled into this giant hardwood forest.

Walking into this cathedral like space left us mesmerized. I was in shock. Not only is this forest awe-inspiring it's very close to where I grew up. And I had no idea it existed. I'm pretty sure they are Sugar Maples.

This is a great season for walking. The weather is cool enough to allow jeans and long sleeves which are great when you're bushwhacking in the back 40. In case you haven't noticed, the leaves are starting to change and soon the hardwood forests will be ablaze. People travel from all over the world to see our hardwood hills light up during the fall.

What about you? When was the last time you took a drive out to those golden hills for a walk under the glowing canopy? Or better yet, just cross the road and walk up that ridge line, you know that one that always catches your eye at dusk.

Let's have some fun outside while the landscape is still alive!
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S.J. Council Approves Trails and Bikeway Strategy

In the Telegraph Journal this Morning...

"Bicycle user welcomes plan for trails

Cycling Consultant working with city to draft new strategy"

"Council recently approved the Terrain Group's bid to develop the new trails and bikeway strategy for about $61,600. The Saint John consulting firm is expected to meet with user groups and hold public meetings, with the work likely taking about three months." - Telegraph Journal

HURRAY! And they want to user input!!!! Woopwoop!

See the full Article here:

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/search/article/803159

Walking Country

An old, but useful cattle fence in Corn Hill

I've visited lots of great places this summer and been on many great hikes but nothing beats an evening walk through the rolling farmlands of Corn Hill.

Growing up in Corn Hill, I at times thought that its open landscape would wear out my attention span. Yet in my adulthood I appreciate it more than ever. All my travels have only given me more perspective from which to say; Corn Hill is unique and wonderful. It's a geological anomaly in our region. Fertile hills boil up from the flat lands, breaking the 40 km long valley that stretches between Sussex and Petitcodiac. Whether you look East or West, tall ridges lumber into the distance framing Corn Hill's renowned sunrises and sunsets.

Since its establishment as a farming community almost 200 years, its roots are still firmly planted in agriculture. A mix of pasture, hay field, and grain crops cover much of its slopes. Woods are nestled in here and there and small creeks trickle through alder thickets.

Tonight I decided to head out into the west and enjoy the last warmth of sun. I followed tree-lines and fences, skirting corn fields and cow pastures. The lay of the land never ceases to amaze me. Around 10,000 years ago the receding glaciers shapedthis place into a rumpled tablecloth. Since then human settlements has provided the fabric's pattern so that now fields and woods blend together over beautifully rounded ripples. And at each hillcrest, the perspectives change thanks to the openness of this landscape.

In my 5 km walk around Corn Hill I came across beef cows casually grazing grass, big old apple trees loaded with fruit (I filled my pockets), and a sheep dog protecting its flock. From the top of the community, near the Country View Road, I sat on a big round haybale while the sun sent out its last hurray over the Giant's Step on Mount Pisgah.

This may be farming country but its also walking country.

Hopefully someday I can share a walk with you through Corn Hill.

The valley in the foreground was shaped by water rushing under glaciers a few thousand years ago.

Jackpot! I came across a tree loaded with big juicy apples.

Corn rows frame the Giant's Step on Mount Pisgah

Who doesn't love a good sunset?

graham waugh local motion corn hill walking new brunswick sussex petitcodiac walking

Welsford Cragging Weekend

The Golden Days...and Hays of Summer

Just wanted to tell you about the fantastic days of climbing I had in Welsford over the Labour Day weekend.

The Sun shined without skipping a beat all weekend. Saturating the pink rock and roasting sweet pine needles on the forest floor. The Fall feeling is in the air. Crisp mornings, lead to soft afternoons, and a glaring sunset that you don't get in the summer. I love this time of year. The temperature is just right for being active, the air is dry, and the black flies are long gone.

I drove out to Welsford on Saturday with Brin and Emma who were stopping over during their move to Halifax. We rolled up to the crag in their rented U-Haul which I think disappointed a few people who were hoping that a Gear Company representative would be inside passing out free gear demos.

I spent Saturday catching up on stories with Brin and Emma while showing them some of Welsford great granite lines such as Snake Peel and the Light Fandango. I had a blast climbing with them and can't say I've ever had such a relaxed guiding experience. Hanging out at the ledge for Upper Dawn Wall, thirsty and without water, we savoured the juicy black Huckleberries. I must have eaten a pound.

Brin enjoying some juicy Huckleberries at the Dawn Wall.

mmm...Huckleberries by the handful.

On Sunday, I said goodbye to my friends and spent the rest of the day floating around the crag. I took an unnecessary siesta around lunch time then headed off to find partners. At Minkey Wall I had fun leading a chossy arrete called Beastly 5.8 . Dirty cracks limited the protection mostly to Nuts and funky movement often left me twisted in knots while sensitively testing loose blocks. Type 2 Fun!

Later on Sunday I somehow lucked into getting to lead the freshly scrubbed Waterwalk 5.8 . This beautiful crack system had filled with dirt and bushes since the first ascension decades ago. Fred Berube spent the entire day scrubbing and digging to get it clean and came down from like some kind of boogey man covered from head to two in dirt and grime. Exhausted from the 8 hour effort he offered me the lead, which I insisted he have. After a short "nice - off" I accepted. The route follows a changing crack system that splits and mergers, gets wide, and narrow, all the while eating up protection.

I moved my tent down from the high camp to the horse pasture that night to stay with the other dozen climbers who were camping out. Huddled around a bright propane lantern, the circle of climbers talked... climbing. A support group for climbers.

On Monday, I headed to the Upper Tier with Cory from Saint John and Dominique from Dieppe, who is also a N.B. repatriate. Our goal was to tick off some classic sport and mixed routes. The air was nippy in the shade of the wall and the wind gave the sunny valley a eerie feeling. We warmed up on Talamasca and Witches, a 5.9 and a 5.10, which each required just a couple Cams to supplement the bolts.

The author climbing Witches(?) 5.10 in the Upper Tier (Cory Goodman Photo).

With our appetite whetted for trad climbing, we shuffled down the wall to Hole in My Pocket 5.10d which has only two bolts before getting into the 5.10 trad territory. It was a tricky lead for me but unbelievably fun; funky face climbing moves with just enough cracks to place Nuts and Cams and an off-width to top it off! Dom got on the next route over, Be Still My Bleeding Heart 5.11a and figured out all the highly technical beta, including at least three crucial under clings. I had a lot of fun talking with Dom about his travels and also our Minor Hockey rivalry from many years ago.

It was a great weekend of climbing, socializing, getting some much needed sun. It was the kind of weekend that reminds me why I love living in Southern New Brunswick. Good people, good rock, great weather, and all so close.
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