Over the last decade, and more specifically in the last few years, a multi-day hiking route in the Northern Cape Breton Highlands has been gaining a lot of popularity. The 40-50km route between Red River and Meat Cove, most referred to as the Seawall Trail, is slowly creeping into the top of the list for those hikers looking for more of a challenge in Atlantic Canada. It’s really no surprise either…
If you’re anything like me, January is usually when I take a moment to plan out things I want to do over the next 12 months. One question I always come back to is “What hike/adventure am I going to go for this year?'‘. I know that there are many others that think the same so I asked some of my friends, local guides, and businesses for hikes they would recommend.
In everybody’s journey into hiking, the backcountry is an inventible progression to going further and seeing more. Backcountry hiking doesn’t have to be anything crazy; some stay away from it because they simply don’t know where to start or think it’s beyond their current experience level. We’re here to tell you that heading backcountry can be accessible for all experience levels and have a simple 4 step plan to help you get there.
It’s 6 AM at our campsite. The sun is starting to peek over the rolling backdrop of the Margaree Valley as I carry a pot of coffee over the hill to fuel my group of anglers, now more-so friends after a night of chatting by the fire and overthinking fly choices. Our view is pristine, waking up at Live Life In Tents in the heart of the Margaree, I like to think we have the best view of the valley. We’ve come from different provinces, skill levels, ages, and backgrounds all to bond over a common interest: fly fishing.
Any backcountry camping trip can be a humbling experience but, winter backcountry camping is a whole other beast. It teaches you the need for efficiency in everything you do. Wasted time means wasted energy and that means you get cold… fast. You need to take care of the small things so they don’t compound into major issues. So as much as you think you’ve mastered your kit and preparation, mother nature will literally throw that upside down and make you start again until you are a well-oiled, efficient, machine… I mean it’s either that or you freeze. That is the true beauty of it all.
A guiding service has many different layers to it (keep in mind that I am a guide, writing a blog on why guides are worth paying for). I will attempt to portray the information in which you see the value added by having a guide, both for yourself and for the environment.
Like the tourism slogan goes: Cape Breton Island; your heart will never leave. As you can tell, mine sure didn’t. I know the world has opened up, but I’m pretty stoked to continue to explore my home.
In February my friend and I did a four day trek through the Rwenzori mountains that border Uganda and the Congo. For four days we did nothing but hike, laugh, eat, splash in icy rivers, stand wide eyed at the sleeping beasts of mountains around us. We were sweaty and muddy, miles away from cell service. We squatted over holes in the ground for the bathroom and warmed water over a fire for bucket showers. We stood under a sky blanketed by the brightest stars I have ever seen and we fell asleep at 9pm, laughing until we couldn’t stay awake anymore.
We are probably all familiar with Google Maps and Google Earth. These platforms are useful when sharing general location data however the downside is their off-line versions are not always reliable. There is nothing worse than being in the middle of the words without any service when your map refreshes and you have no idea where you are. Below we have created a list of some of our favourite apps for planning backcountry and off-line excursions so that you don’t get lost on your next adventure!
