Issue #46 - Ottawa Outdoors Magazine

OTTAWA

WINTER ISSUE

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OTTAWA • GATINEAU • ONTARIO • QUEBEC • US & BEYOND

ADVENTURE | TRAVEL | FAMILY | HOME | HEALTH

A skating rink through the woods AN ADVENTURE LIKE NO OTHER THIS WINTER

Snow adventures in Quebec Fatbiking from Ottawa to Greenland TORCHES AND XC SKIING THE PONTIAC BY FIRELIGHT NDAR! MARK YOUR CALE

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016 | EY CENT

2 MARCH 19-20,

GO BEYOND GORP WITH THESE SIX TRAIL SNACKS

Sore feet, ankles or knees affecting your sports performance?

YOU ARE NOT BORN PERFECT! Feet are the foundation of your body and you are not born perfect! You may have one foot over or under pronating or one longer leg forcing your overall musculoskeletal system to run out-ofalignment and out-of-balance.

GIVE AN EDGE TO YOUR SPORTS! “Foot misalignment may be a huge contributing factor if not the root cause of your sports injuries, decreased performance and pain in your weight bearing joints,” says Pierre Dupont, doctor of podiatric medicine, registered chiropodist and foot GET YOUR FEET ALIGNMENT CHECKED! specialist. He invites you to scan his When driving, if you see premature and website and to download his new ebook. abnormal wear on your tires you head to the garage to have the wheels balanced OttawaFootPractice and the alignment checked and reset. So “For a safer and better sports experience” know that pain in your feet, ankles or knees whenever you ski, skate, snowshoe, www.ottawafootpractice.com (613) 595-9700 run, hike, walk or stand is not normal!

Pierre Dupont Doctor of Podiatric Medicine 28 Deakin Street, Suite 101 | Ottawa, ON, K2E 8B7

OTTAWA

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OUTDOORS 22

WINTER ISSUE

Fatbiking from Ottawa to Greenland OUTDOOR 19 DISCOVER ADVENTURE IN EASTERN TOWNSHIPS 04 Publisher’s letter 05 Skiing under starlight where no trail existed before 06 Skating through woods on a snowy evening 10 Alpine ski tips 11 Beyond Gatineau Park 13 Choose the perfect camp flashlight 15 Ottawa’s natural environment 16 WD-40 to the rescue 17 Way beyond GORP 18 Discover outdoor adventure in Eastern Townships 22 Taking on Greenland by bike 26 Winter in Ottawa is fat bike season 27 Outdoor Clubs 29 Borneo’s mysterious Mount Kinabalu 33 Business Spotlight 34 Cool Gear Hot Clothing 35 Winter running for the Ottawa athlete 36 Don’t get freeze-dried this winter 38 The amazing space blanket

Cover Photo by Arrowhead Provincial Park

read it online

BLUNDSTONES FROM GLEBE TROTTERS

34

Check out our Cool Gear section and get ideas

for winter footwear that stands out.

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PUBLISHER’S LETTER

IN LIKE A LAMB

W

inter once again is on its way, but this time it’s making us wait for the fun to begin.

As we wrap up another year, in your hands you have the winter issue of Ottawa Outdoors and it holds the key to adventure to come.

If you just can’t let go of your two-wheelers then you’re gonna love learning about fatbiking through the winter. These fat tires give you the ability to bike on trails around the region (p. 26). And for a bonus, head over to (p.22) and read about how a couple of guys rode their fatbikes across Greenland in the company of a guide and sled dogs. Amazing!

The other amazing winter activities to try this year include both DAVE BROWN cross-country skiing and ice-skating actually through the woods! Both the Pontiac in Bistol, Quebec and Arrowhead Provincial Park have the trails PUBLISHER Editor-in-chief all marked with tiki torches so you’re sure to enjoy the experience.

Ottawa Outdoors If alpine skiing is your passion then take notice of the local ski hill ads ottawaoutdoors.ca as well as solid advice from Chris Lennon (p. 10).

Our resident expert Allen Macartney continues to educate our SHOW OWNER outdoors minds with tips and advice. In this issue he shares: the uses of The Outdoor & Adventure Travel Show WD40 (complete with a humourous illustration, p. 16); new trail treats adventureottawa.com beyond GORP, p.17; and how safety blankets will do as they promise p.38. And lastly he keeps us safe in his Surival column about surviving an PUBLISHER automobile crash p.36).

Fish, Hunt & Ride And as much as our region is a haven for outdoor adventure, let’s not fishhuntandride.ca forget our Ontario and Quebec neighbours. Over on (p.11) and (p.18) Katharine Fletcher provides you all sorts of details on what to do in the Eastern Townships and beyond Gatineau Park. There are some beautiful deep-country experiences waiting for you this winter. Jump in.

Lastly as Ottawans love to travel enjoy not only that fatbiking through Greenland piece mentioned above, but take a gander at (p.29) and explore Borneo’s mysterious Mount Kinabalu.

So there you go. Cover-to-cover of outdoor adventure. Articles to educate you and a list of outdoor clubs (p.27) to connect with to have experts lead the way.

Winter is coming, be adventurous, be a lion out there!

THE TEAM

OTTAWA

OUTDOORS MAGAZINE

March 19-20, 2016

5TH YEAR | EY CENTRE

PUBLISHER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DAVE BROWN EDITOR

ROGER BIRD WRITERS

ANDREA CRANFIELD, SHEILA ASCROFT, CHRIS LENNON, KATHARINE FLETCHER, ALLEN MACARTNEY, MARTIN BISSIG, BRUCE SACH, LAURIE SETO, PHIL MARSH, DAVE WESTERN PHOTOGRAPHERS & ILLUSTRATORS

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mail me your comments: editor@ottawaoutdoors.ca

Mark your calendars for March 19-20, 2016!

Dave Brown, Publisher | Ottawa Outdoors Magazine is an independent publication published seasonally every four months and distributed FREE at sports stores and a hundred other locations around the region.

E-mail: Advertising@OttawaOutdoors.ca Tel: 613-860-8687 or 888-228-2918 Fax: 613-482-4997 HOW TO GET PUBLISHED

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Ottawa Outdoors welcomes story and photo contributions. Publisher may publish any and all communications with Ottawa Outdoors, and may edit for clarity and style. Indexed in the Canadian Periodical Index ISSN No. 1204-69556. © Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of any materialspublished in Ottawa Outdoors Magazine is expressly forbidden without consent of the publisher.

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Skiing under starlight where no trail existed before SKI PONTIAC OFFERS SPLENDOR AND TRANQUILITY IN BRISTOL, QUE.

By Andrea Cranfield

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ut together crisp, white snow under a full moon, a calm evening with black sky pin-pricked by millions of stars.

And you’re on skis. Hard to beat?

Connie Renaud, the co-founder of Ski Pontiac, thinks so.

In 2011, Renaud and Shirley Russell launched Ski Pontiac, an organization that offers about 15 kilometres of groomed trails in Bristol, Que. – about an hour from Ottawa – for cross-country skiers and snowshoers.

“I got tired of going out on my own and creating my own trails. That’s hard work,” said Renaud. “That’s what I used to do, and it was OK if it didn’t snow, but if it snowed … it would take me twice as long to make a path with my skis. I’d come home totally exhausted.

“Finally one day I said there has to be a better way.”

Renaud and Russell applied for a grant and received $10,000 from MRC (municipalité régionale de compté) Pontiac, and Ski Pontiac was born.

“A lot has happened in five years,” said Renaud. “We have gained a lot, we have done a lot, probably more than I had ever expected.”

The organization survives on donations, grants and hard-working volunteers.

Last year, more than five kilometres of trails were cleared. “We spent three

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solid weeks out in the field developing those trails,” said Renaud. “It is a lot of work.”

This past fall, volunteers spent about 10 hours putting up signs and more than 30 hours clearing the trails and getting them ready for winter.

Always looking to push forward and develop the organization, Renaud heard about a moonlight ski at another hill three years ago and decided to try the idea at Ski Pontiac. She and Russell bought 60 copper torches and spaced them out over about three kilometres of trails.

The citronella-fueled torches lined the trails with dancing yellow flames, complementing the moon’s glow and casting shadows of skiers and snowshoers passing by.

“It’s like you’re in another world, it’s incredible,” said Renaud. “You get so wrapped up in the full moon and the glow that it projects and you see the shadows on the white snow and the trails are lit with the torches. It’s an incredible scene.”

Ski Pontiac holds moonlight events every winter from 5 to 9 p.m., whenever there is a full moon. Afterwards, it’s time for food and drink all around. They are scheduled for: – Dec. 26, meet at Coronation Hall, 206 River Road, Bristol – Jan. 23, meet at Pine Lodge, 6 Pine Lodge Road, Bristol – Feb. 20, Coronation Hall again All Ski Pontiac asks for is a donation – “how Ski Pontiac operates” – in return for using the trails. ottawaoutdoors I 05

SKATING THROUGH WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING

By Sheila Ascroft Photos: Arrowhead Prov. Park

W

alking in a winter wonderland is an iconic if clichéd image, but how about a skate though snow-quiet woods on oh-so-smooth ice.

You can do it along the 1.3-kilometre groomed ice skating trail in Arrowhead Provincial Park, through evergreen forest in the heart of Muskoka. John Leadston, the park’s assistant superintendent, created the trail in 2011 after he got tired of the park’s tiny skating rink and wanted more people to enjoy the outdoors. Since then, thousands of skaters have found the groomed trail much to their liking.

It’s a 350-kilometre drive to the Huntsville area, but certainly worth a visit if you’re travelling nearby. “It’s just so incredibly stunning, especially at night, to skate through the woods by firelight. It’s date night, it’s family night and it’s even a little romantic. We see moms and dads stroller skating, couples, grandparents, kids,” said Leadston, known locally as the “passionate park’s guy.”

The trail drew 20,000 people last year – most from Muskoka, the Barrie area or Toronto, but some came all the way from Scotland and New Zealand. It’s become one of the region’s most popular winter attractions, so the best time to skate is midweek when it’s less crowded and the Zambonismooth ice is in prime condition.

It’s open Monday to Friday from noon to 6 p.m. with an 11 a.m. opening on weekends, except for those special Saturday nights (see below). The cost is $16 per vehicle for a day pass, which covers not just for skating, but snowshoeing, tubing and skiing as well. Skate rentals and skate sharpening are available too.

Arrowhead hosts Fire and Ice Nights on Saturday usually starting the end of December and running to the end of

February if weather permits. Hundreds of Tiki torches illuminate the ice trail as it weaves through a snowy forest, which is not only scenic but serves as a windbreak, something Rideau Canal skaters would welcome. Warming cabins and picnic tables along the way make for rest and a snack.

Leadston is a fund of ideas – including a snow sculpture contest – to attract more skaters. It’s called “Art Froid,” and the creations decorate his long, winding forest rink.

For more info call 705-789-5105 or check out: www.ontarioparks.com/park/arrowhead, or www.discovermuskoka.ca/ice-skating-trailarrowhead.html Ottawa’s own skating pleasures If Arrowhead seems like a long drive even for a long skate, there’s no shortage of rinks for newbies and seasoned skaters in Ottawa’s own backyard. Checking out all of them reveals a range of experience on ice.

Rideau Canal Skateway Ottawa’s most famous rink is designated

by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest. You can skate from downtown to Dows Lake and see the central city from a different perspective. If the weather’s nasty, heated cabins along the way are cozy, warm and washroom-equipped. They make it easy to rest and change from boots to skates. The Skateway is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week from about late January to late February, depending on ice conditions.

Skate rentals are available in front of the National Arts Centre and at the Fifth Avenue rest stop. Sled rentals are available for non-skaters. >>>>see page 8

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Governor General’s skating rink The rink at Rideau Hall was originally built in 1872, during the term of the Earl of Dufferin, Canada’s third governor general.

Along with his wife, Lady Dufferin, who quickly became a keen skater herself, he organized skating parties. The tradition continues today, with the public invited on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. from early January to early March – depending on weather and ice conditions.

There’s a wood stove in the nearby changing cabin. No reservations needed.

Sens rink of dreams Located in front of Ottawa City Hall on Laurier Avenue, the Sens Rink of Dreams (uh, named after Ottawa’s beloved NHL team, if there’s anyone out there who didn’t know!) is open round the clock seven days a week. The surface is refrigerated, so the ice is less dependent on weather and can be skated from about mid-November to mid-March. The rink is lit with multi-colored LED lights, there’s a changing cabin and picnic tables. It’s free. No skate rentals on site.

Lansdowne Park skating court As part of the newly renovated Lansdowne Park, just south of Ottawa’s downtown core, this refrigerated outdoor skating rink is the

new one in town. Its season stretches from roughly mid-November to mid-March and is free. Skate rentals are not available at this site. If you need a break, there’s a BeaverTails concession. Killaloe Sunrise and hot chocolate anyone?

Brewer Oval Skate like a champion or at least where Olympians Ivanie Blondin and Vincent de Haître trained to become champions.

Ontario’s only 400-metre speed skating oval is volunteer run and open to the public daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. except Tuesday evenings when the Ottawa Pacers train or when there’s a tournament or event. The oval is not just for speed skaters though; hockey players and recreational skaters including children are welcome. Brewer Park is on Bronson Avenue across the road from Carleton University.

MacGregor Point Provincial Park Located on the shores of Lake Huron near Port Elgin, this park has a 400-metre skating loop – not as long as Arrowhead’s trail, but it too winds through snowy woods. It has a small heated hut for lacing up, and nearby campsites can be used for winter campfires and picnics.

Cost per vehicle is $10.75 for the day or $6.50 for four hours. Info at 519-389-9056.

Algonquin Park A skating rink is offered as an extra activity for those winter camping at Mew Lake Campground, but anyone who drives there can skate. One of several “developed camping” areas, Mew Lake has seven yurts (spacious tent-like structures with basic furniture and electric heat; reservations needed) if you want something more than a tent. The campground has a fully winterized comfort station with flush toilets, showers, and laundry.

THE FUTURE OF FASTER SKIING

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"THE BIGGEST SELECTION IN THE REGION."

BLUNDSTONE – FOR THE PLACES YOU GO IN THE SNOW.

One foot at a time Skier: Chris Lennon | Photos: Gillian Morgan

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ne of the things skiers have on our snowboard brethren is the ability to work our feet and legs independently simply because our feet aren’t locked onto a single board. This is an advantage when holding an edge on steep terrain, but in this sequence I’m using my legs independently to help step into the air off a small feature.

1

2

1 – At times it’s helpful to drive the knee of one leg into the air, in much the same way you would make a lay-up in basketball (as opposed to springing straight up off two feet to snag a rebound).

2 – Then spring into the air off the opposite foot.

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BEYOND GATINEAU PARK

A ton of varied snow action on the Quebec side

Snowshoe trails lead past ancient trees at

Forêt La Blanche near Buckingham.

By Katharine Fletcher Photos: Eric Fletcher

When people in the Ottawa-Gatineau area want to go skiing or snowshoeing, they likely think first of Gatineau Park’s 200 kilometres of classic cross-country tracks, 45 kilometres of back-country trails, and 60 kilometres for snowshoes.

However, although just about everybody loves the Park, there are other wonderful spots

to explore. These are some of our faves – including two that are new to us.

des Zingues. Its trails connect to la Réserve faunique de Papineau-Labelle.

In autumn 2015 we hiked here with trailblazer extraordinaire Richard Chartrand, as well as Duhamel tourism co-ordinator Martine Caron. Chartrand said the name of the trail is a play on words. “‘Dingue’ means ‘crazy’ in French. So, we thought, you have to be crazy to

La Route des zingues Northeast of Gatineau, and 110 kilometres from Ottawa, the village of Duhamel on the north tip of Lac Simon is gateway to an exhilarating network of trails called La Route

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the dream become reality. Ski Pontiac was their idea in 2011, and it’s now a network of roughly 15 kilometres of groomed, tracked trails for skiing and snowshoeing.

This place works for novices, because the network wends through sheltered woods and out onto the open and flat Pine Lodge golf course, so there’s almost no elevation change.

But make no mistake, the forests and wild views are pretty.

Special treats include full-moon skis (the first one Dec. 26) community events where people end up at nearby Coronation Hall for hot apple cider or coffee, and apple-inspired desserts. Ski Pontiac trails connect Bristol and Norway Bay, villages on the north shore of the Ottawa River about 75 kilometres from the capital. – www.skipontiac.ca

Trails groomed for the Gatineau Loppet can be enjoyed by skiers for the full season.

build trails, bridges and everything here! And the name evolved and stuck.”

We cannot wait to return in winter to snowshoe through this forest which offers sections of old growth. The vistas are breathtaking, so take camera and binoculars as well as snacks and water. No shelters here, so be prepared.

Ski Pontiac’s trails in Bristol include both forest and fields.

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More info at www.municipalite.duhamel. qc.ca, and at www.baliseqc.ca/hiver/regions/ outaouais/route-des-zingues Forêt la Blanche My snowshoes make their familiar blend of swish, swoop and crunch as my moccasin lifts out and over the snow, then plunges into it.

I’m not among the fastest athletes on the block, but take my time, pausing to breathe in forest scent, peering and crouching to compose and capture iPhone photos, and simply standing, listening to the rustle of last year’s beech leaves in the breeze or the rat-atat-tat of a downy woodpecker.

I’m in La Blanche Forest, a forest and ecological centre 10 minutes north-east of Buckingham, Que. Just getting there is inspiring, through undulating hills and villages that time has forgotten. Trails are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday the Interpretation Centre is open too.

Trees more than 400 years old grow here.

There’s a magic to the towering old trees, and layman-language science in the interpretive signs along the trails, explaining this forest’s rare biodiversity. Check it out at blogen. foretlablanche.org.

Ski Pontiac, Bristol, Que. When Connie Renaud and Shirley Russell in Bristol, Que. decide to do something, everyone who knows them anticipates their energy and organizational skills that will see

Mont Chilly, near Fort-Coulonge Deep in the heart of the Pontiac region of l’Outaouais find Mont Chilly’s downhill ski and boarding runs, where six of them descend a 165-metre vertical drop. Owner Richard Hernberger calls it “skiing … all about the way it used to be, where the terrain, grooming and lift system are not all shined up and polished. It’s a great experience and the opportunity to give people a way to get out and enjoy skiing at a reasonable price.”

This one is still on our to-go list, but aficionados call these runs “sweet,” with black diamond and double black trails aplenty for extremely challenging fun.

Get there for the Dummy Races where people make various sizes and shapes of figures that are towed uphill, then sent downhill.

Hernberger says, “It’s a riot watching them!”

The Hernberger family built Laurentian Lodge in 1977, where you’ll find a hamburger-style menu. Gear rental is available, including repair, sharpening and waxing. No overnight accommodation. Try Spruceholme Inn, Fort Coulonge (spruceholmeinn.com).

Mont Chilly – 120 kilometres from Ottawa – is typically open weekends starting with the Christmas Holidays and on Wednesdays, but call 819-683-3595 for hours of operation and a snow report, or go to www.montchilly.ca.

More cross-country action Head’s up! The Canadian Ski Marathon takes place Feb. 19-21. Check these races online. One on Saturday Feb. 20 goes 76.3 kilometres from Gatineau to Montebello.

The Gatineau Loppet takes place Feb. 26-28 and includes a linear race (51-kilometre classic) from Wakefield to Mont-Bleu. Ski Tour Canada is held March 1 in Gatineau.

It’s winter. Grab the kids. Gear up. Go outside and play. ~ Katharine and Eric Fletcher are freelance writer-photographers. Contacts are fletcher.katharine@gmail.com or katharinefletcher.com www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

By Allen Macartney

Buying a new flashlight used to be pretty easy. They all had tiny but ordinary light bulbs that burned out every year, and used two heavy C or D batteries that lost most power within half an hour. Would you like a red one or a silver one? Simple.

Today, you face a bewildering array of flashlights, spotlights and headlamps that offer everything from low voltage headlamps to million candlepower spots. Or there are those with adjustable focus, waterproof to 100 metres below the surface, rechargeable, on and on. You can pay from a buck to $300.

mens”), size and weight, battery type and run time. Most lights today have LED (light emitting diode) bulbs that are incredibly reliable, use almost no power and last for decades before burning out. Don’t even think about buying anything but an LED light.

Start by identifying exactly where and how you’ll be using the light. Unless you’re setting out on a two-week, ultralight, mountain backpacking trek, you’ll want several ways to light up your campsite – at least one flashlight and a headlamp.

Let’s start with a flashlight. Buy one that produces at least 150 lumens. That’s power aplenty without leaking light pollution into the wild. Most flashlights have low, medium and high settings depending on how much power they use and light they project. The higher the setting, the quicker the batteries will run down. Buy a smallish

flashlight with batteries that last at least eight hours on its lowest setting.

A headlamp is great if you love reading late into the night in your tent. It also helps when cooking in the dark. Your hands will be free to slice and dice, without having to fumble with a flashlight. The most important features are weight and adjustable settings. Weight is important because your neck won’t welcome a heavy headlamp, though most of today’s headlamps are lightweights. If your tent mate or mates want to sleep, anyone reading with a powerful light will draw flak. A low setting will provide enough for reading.

What type of batteries are best? I stick to the common, cheap AA and AAA, available at any grocery, hardware or drugstore in the Western world. And there are rechargeable ones – perfect if you have a lightweight solar recharging unit with you.

Avoid specialty batteries. They’re costly and not widely available.

Whether you’re trying to find your campsite when paddling toward shore after sundown, or weaving your way to the privy through the trees, let there be light – a good reliable flashlight that is.

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CHOOSE THE Any good news? Yes, you can get an excellent flashlight for about $12 and a PERFECT CAMP quality headlamp for about $30. But you to know what to look for.

FLASHLIGHT have The key factors to consider are the flashlight’s light output (measured in “lu-

OTTAWA’S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

EL NINO AND THE BLOB C

anadians love talking about the weather and I’m no exception. This winter’s weather buzz is about 2015 being an El Niño year, bigtime. The Weather KATHARINE Network’s Doug FLETCHER Gillham has noted, “We are in the midst of a rapidly strengthening El Niño event which will likely peak later this fall as one of the strongest El Niño events on record.”

El Niño is a complex series of climate events created in late December during some years by unusually warm waters off the coastlines of Peru and Ecuador.

NASA’s website explains, “South American fishermen have given this phenomenon the name El Niño, Spanish for ‘the Boy Child,’ because it comes about the time of the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child. During an El Niño, the physical relationships between wind, ocean currents, oceanic and atmospheric temperature, and biosphere break down into destructive patterns that are second only to the march of the seasons in their impacts to weather conditions around the world.”

What does that mean to us, here in the Ottawa region? Nobody knows for certain, but here’s what we may encounter. (And check out the forecast maps at TheWeatherNetwork.com, which show a fascinating difference between early- and latewinter weather patterns.)

Although El Niño winters are often mild – like in 1982-83 and 1997-78 – there’s no guarantee.

In fact, this winter of 2015-16 is forecast to start mildly but turn cold later on.

One factor is The Blob. No, I’m not talking about the 1958 movie of the same name – a pile of gelatinous goop sets about swallowing a town – but the cold produced by this oceanic phenomenon may give us the shivers.

This unusual mass of warmer-than-normal ocean water south of Alaska and off our west coast has been called “The Blob” by meteorologists.

With a two-year lifespan already, it has so far affected North American weather such that we’ve experienced two of the coldest winters in living memory. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

Consequences of extreme weather events include damage from sudden ice buildup: here, slow moving ice slabs jammed a bend in the Black River north of Waltham, and raised the level by almost two metres in less than an hour.

No one know whether The Blob will persist.

But if it does, our mild November might herald a cold late winter.

As I write this column in mid-November, my Quyon farm has experienced darned few nights of hard frost. The tomatoes are long gone, but I’m still pulling carrots and beet greens, chard and kale are still producing. Go figure. When Eric and I first moved north of Quyon to our farm bordering Gatineau Park, locals told us our garden would get a hard frost the first full moon of September.

So much for folk wisdom. It’s November and I’m still picking Swiss chard. Is this El Niño or the inexorable progress of climate change? I expect the two are related, and that human activity is likely affecting El Niño temperatures.

All to say that I’m relieved that our federal government is now taking climate change seriously, and that our prime minister is taking a team to the Paris climate change conference. Canada has a great deal of work ahead to re-establish itself as a world leader on environmental issues, rather than as a backward, if not thuggish, petro state.

Looking ahead to slopes and forested trails blanketed in deep snow, I hope The Blob does its work and keeps a mild winter in check. After all, I’d like to avoid a repeat of the ice storm of ’98, that other remarkable El Niño winter.

Wouldn’t you? ~ Katharine Fletcher is author of Historical Walks: The Gatineau Park Story, and Capital Rambles: Exploring the National Capital Region. ottawaoutdoors I 15

WD-40 to the rescue MULTI-USE SPRAY INDISPENSABLE

By Allen Macartney

T

oo often you don’t find out what’s broken or needing a tune-up until you’re in the bush, many kilometers from civilization. That’s why I usually carry a small can of WD-40 in my kitchen camping pack.

The company lists 2,000 uses for this product (which is mostly fish oil), and many of those uses are perfect for outdoor enthusiasts, summer or winter. This stuff goes way beyond just cleaning and lubricating. A small squirt of WD-40 drives out moisture, to prevent rust and corrosion – something to think about when putting equipment away in the basement at the end of the season.

In winter it’s perfect for thawing frozen pump handles on portable stoves on cold mornings. It keeps snow from sticking to shovels, and lubricates and keeps rust off ski and snowshoe bindings. Want to loosen old wax from skis and snow boards? Spray on a bit of WD-40, then scrape it away.

In summer it’s excellent for lubricating stove pumps and levers that have a thin rust 16 I ottawaoutdoors

buildup. Squirt a little inside your Coleman stove leather pump gasket to make it slide like new. At the end of each trip, spray a mist of WD-40 around your camp stove before wiping it clean. Grease, grit and dirt will lift off easily.

A bit of WD-40 makes tent and sleeping bag zippers zip with renewed enthusiasm. It stops squeaks and lubricates any moving part: hinges on coolers, pocket knives, folding tent poles. It even dissolves sticky sap and gunk off your tent, clothes or fingers – presto!

Hikers can spray it on leather boots to protect, soften, clean and create a water barrier. It’ll do the same to leather knife sheaths.

WD-40 will speed your bicycle along any trail. It lubricates and prevents rust buildup on brakes, shifters, pedal bearings, shocks, spokes, gears and chains. It makes cleaning the frame much easier because it breaks down grease and grime.

It’s amazing what a bit of processed fish oil can do.

Chateau Montebello FOR après-ski atmosphere, the outdoor enthusiast can choose from 70 kms of cross-country ski trails; dogsledding; snowshoeing or skating with the family.

Afterwards, cozy-up by the famous towering six-side stone fireplace where you can relax with a nice book or conversation. Only 45min away, visit their website at:

www.fairmont.com/montebello

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Way beyond GORP SIX INSPIRING TRAIL MIXES

By Allen Macartney

I

f you’re tired of the standard GORP (good old raisins and peanuts) trail mix, treat your taste buds to something more exotic. From sweet to savoury and everything in between, trail mixes have come a long way – sometimes down a distinctly Canadian trail – since they were first marketed in 1968 by Hadley Fruit Orchards in southern California.

Not only does a trail mix pack a strong caloric punch for strenuous outdoor activities, but it’s easy to carry and perfect for sharing a snack along the trail.

INGREDIENTS Let’s start with the basics: nuts, seeds, dried fruit, grains, sweets and spices. Brimming with protein, unsaturated fats, fibre, antioxidants, vitamin E and other vitamins and minerals, nuts and seeds are loaded with all the nutritional extras for cold weather skiers or campers (seeds are safe for anyone with nut allergies). Almonds, pistachios and walnuts are great nuts to toss in with a smaller amount of higher-calorie pecans and pine nuts.

Pumpkin, sunflower, hemp and flax seeds are tasty choices.

Look for dried fruit with little or no added sugar or preservatives. Dried apples, cranberries, cherries, blueberries, raisins, banana chips and figs provide fibre and energy. To add a sweet zip, sprinkle in butterscotch chips, yogurt-covered raisins or chocolate-covered coffee beans. Yum! Grains have complex carbohydrates to provide extra fibre, boost energy levels and make you feel full and satisfied. Avoid highly processed cereals that add unnecessary levels of sugar.

Include whole wheat crackers, granola, toasted oats, pretzels or slightly crushed shredded wheat cereal to your trail mix.

With those ingredients in mind, here’s six somewhat exotic recipes for winter treks. Experiment with your own mixing ratios and measurements to create the perfect flavour “al dente.”

TROPICS IN JANUARY Combine a generous portion of cashews, brazil nuts and dried mango, with coconut flakes and banana chips. Add a pinch of cinnamon.

HIGH-OCTANE POWER Combine pistachios, walnuts and peanuts with dried blueberries, figs, flax seeds and milk chocolate chips.

CEREAL LOVERS UNITE Mix bran flakes, shredded wheat, granola, cashews and sunflower seeds, with a handful each of dried cranberries and blueberries.

SAVOURY SEEDS Mix chopped almonds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds with yogurt-covered raisins, and just a touch of garlic powder.

www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

RICH AND CREAMY ENERGY Start with a handful of coconut flakes, then add white chocolate chips, hazelnuts and pine nuts. Finish with a hefty dash of chocolate-covered coffee beans – a caffeine-fueled energy punch.

CAJUN A-GO-GO Combine almonds, pecans and walnuts in a bowl, then stir in sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Finish off with chili and garlic powder, ground cumin and cayenne. That’ll heat your socks!

Say goodbye to boring trail mix via your imagination and get your trail buddies to guess the ingredients with a toque over their eyes. That’s Canadian eh? 

ottawaoutdoors I 17

Discover outdoor adventure in Eastern Townships

By Story by Katharine Fletcher | Photos Eric Fletcher

The Eastern Townships isn’t just that region southeast of Montreal where Conrad Black started his newspaper empire (buying The Eastern Townships Advertiser in 1969). It’s also home to crime novelist Louise Penny, who sets her Inspector Gamache series in the hamlet of Three Pines.

It’s an area where forested hills and gentle valleys, honestly quaint villages just like Three Pines (hopefully without the murders), and a variety of outdoor fun awaits. Such as …

Well, a happy spectrum from biking and hiking, horseback riding, parachuting, crosscountry skiing, snowshoeing, downhill skiing at Owl’s Head and Mont Sutton, and more.

And let’s not forget le terroir (fresh, local foods) that Quebec is justly famous for.

Foodies can drop in anywhere, or try the wine route (La Route des Vins de l’Estrie), the English Tea route, or opt for Bromont’s chocolate festival in late May. But what particularly grabbed our attention last winter was Hok skiing.

It happened along Au Diable Vert’s forested trails near Sutton, Que. Owner Jeremy Fontana asked us whether we’d ever done it.

“If you’re just getting back into skiing after your shoulder injury, you’ll find they’re easy to manage. You can climb any hill and then glide down. Sweet!”

I had just told him I was recovering after an injury and tendonitis, not quite ready for cross-country skis yet. Eric and I had our snowshoes for Au Diable Vert’s trail network.

But why not give the Hoks – a hybrid between skis and snowshoes – a go, Fontana suggested?

“At 1.5 metres they’re short, broad, feature a handy universal binding and have skins on their base, so you can easily climb any of our wooded trails. I bet once you try them, you’ll buy a pair. They’re great for breaking trail in our wooded hills because they’re like a hybrid between skis and snowshoes.”

The “skin” is a piece of synthetic fur on

their base, allowing skiers to ascend mountains without wax and then glide downhill. We loved them. I want some for Christmas.

Fontana’s was right: they’re perfect for action on his 130-hectare property. When the day is done, you can stay overnight in whimsical (have to see them to believe it) cabins in the forest. From some visitors, the attraction is the panorama of ridge upon ridge of forested mountains extending to the horizon. His 14 kilometres of private trails connect to 65 more in the Sutton Environmental Park network and in Sentiers de l’Estrie.

Putting on the Hoks is easy, step in and fasten bindings which resemble contemporary snowshoe gear. Then we were off, poling through a meadow’s deep powder drifts. With no one to impress, we stopped often, absorbing the views, then entered the verge of the forest where posted maps explain the trail network.

We did the 14 kilometres, crossing several fancifully built bridges – all worth a selfie because they’re so creatively functional.

The cabins are equally original. Some are on stilts overlooking a valley; one is igloo-shaped; but our hands-down fave reminded us of that English nursery rhyme about the crooked man who walked a crooked mile and lived in “a little crooked house.”

Accommodations are rustic. No electricity or plumbing. Free firewood for the wood stove.

Bring sleeping bags, food, and gear as if you were camping. To get to the cabins, many guests haul sleds piled with food, water, and gear. Otherwise, staff bring everything on a 4WD vehicle and light the stove so it’s warm when you arrive.

For serenity, for the Hok ski experiment, for the thrill of new trails, Au Diable Vert’s hard to beat.

But it doesn’t end there. Picturesque Sutton and vicinity has more.

We snowshoed Plein Air Sutton Cooperative’s private trails. Blessed with a postcard-perfect, blue-sky day and deep powder snow, we discovered turns in the trail that

The whimsical “Dreamcatcher” tree cabin at Au

Diable Vert can accommodate eight people.

18 I ottawaoutdoors

www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

WEBSITES • Eastern Townships Tourism: easterntownships.org • Sutton (including Plein Air Sutton.coop): http://infosutton.com • Le Pleasant Hotel and Café: lepleasant.com/en • Musée du Chocolat de Bromont: lemuseeduchocolatdelaconfiseriebromont.com.

Come back in spring for the chocolate festival, May 16-24 • Balnea Spa: balnea.ca

afforded breathtaking views of the mountains.

In a few hours we met only four other skiers, a population density we prefer to crowds.

The Co-op offers 32 kilometres of groomed cross-country trails, 26 classic and six backcountry. Rustic shelters with outhouses and wood stoves for heating and cooking are unselling servicesavailable. for Unlike Au Diable Vert, we packed

viduals and couples English or French. are provided in a onal and welcoming ere that is fully tial.

Anxiety Chronic illness Depression oss and bereavement Men and Intimacy Relationship distress Spiritual concerns Self-esteem Suicidal ideation Trauma Work-related anxiety

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our gear in and out on our own. These are reservable Adirondack-style shared spaces, with six rudimentary bunks. You may be alone or sharing with others.

Returning to the starting point’s circa 1840 log cabin which acts as a visitor’s centre, we appreciated the wood stove heat sinking into our bones. Delicious – just like the coffee. Skis and snowshoes can be rented here.

Nonetheless, some prefer softer beds. Enter Michel Gagné and Bertin Jacques’ Le Pleasant Hotel and Café in Sutton where we enjoyed a quiet, comfortable stay and terrific terroir. Gagné and Jacques know all the best spots, and we had coffee at Le Cafetier Sutton, one of many “Cafés de Village.”

Jacques explained these Cafés comprise an Eastern Townships network for locals and visitors to enjoy terroir in a convivial ambience. We had visited one in nearby Bromont – the Musée du Chocolat – so we looked forward to a similar treat in Sutton.

Talking about comfort, spas ease sore muscles and in Bromont we tried Balnea Spa. Go. After outdoor adventures? Blissful! 

Reviv of yo Cross-country skiers on a trail at

Plein Air Sutton Co-operative.

MARCH 16–17, 2013

ERNst & young centre, ottawa

rené VandenBeRG

couNsELLiNg sERvicEs

Golf Club

I offer counselling services for both individuals and couples in either English or French.

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• Winter fun skiing and snowboarding for all levels.

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ottawaoutdoors I 19

MARK YOUR CALENDARS for MARCH 19-20, 2016!

20 9 1 h c r a M RE | EY CENT 5TH YEAR

This 5th annual Outdoor and Adventure Travel Show is organized by the Ottawa Outdoors Magazine team, our partners and 15+ years of experience bringing you all things to do with outdoor adventure.

See you there!

OTTAWA

UPCOMING ISSUE

OUTDOORS Like/follow us on Facebook, twitter & pinterest @

ottawaoutdoors

OTTAWA • GATINEAU • ONTARIO • QUEBEC • US & BEYOND

TRAVEL | FAMILY | HOME | FITNESS | ADVENTURE

YOGA FOR CAMPERS p 48

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Taking on Greenland by bike AN EXCLUSIVE FEATURE for Ottawa Outdoors Magazine

Story and photos

by Martin Bissig

ARCTIC CIRCLE TRAIL NEVER TESTED ON FATBIKE WHEELS IN WINTER “ARE YOU SURE YOU ARE on the right flight?” a nice woman asked us at Copenhagen’s Air Greenland check-in. She was processing our bike bags as we headed for Greenland in mid-winter. The next few weeks would prove whether this was actually a good idea. We had about as much knowledge of the world’s largest island as this airport staffer had about our fat bikes.

I had learned from a friend about Greenland’s 160-kilometre Arctic Circle Trail. Far from civilization, it begins in the glaciers of Kangerlussuaq and ends at the coastal town of Sisimiut in Greenland’s southwestern corner. During summer it takes about 10 days to hike this distance on foot.

But Internet research and emails confirmed that the trail was less than ideal for mountain bikes in summer. The ground can be boggy, the mosquitoes are aggressive, and paths are poorly marked.

Since summer biking would be split roughly 40 per cent biking and 60 per cent pushing, I dropped the summer option fast.

Together with Claude Balsiger, my partner for crazy expeditions in the Himalayas, and Swiss Valais mountain guide Fabian Mooser, we brainstormed Plan B. The hype around fat bikes fit into our ideas enough to make our expedition possible: the first trip down the Arctic Circle Trail by bike in winter.

Our hotel (more like a barracks) in Kangerlussuaq was right beside its airport runway. From here, we took a charter bus to where we had decided to start – the icefall of the Russell Glacier (Russells Gletscher in Danish), 40 kilometres east, ancient ice and a famous Greenland tourist attraction. As they climbed up on the ice, Claude and Fabian were a stark contrast to the cold blue glacier – in orange helmets and neon yellow-and-blue clothing. I sent them back again and again so I could shoot more photos.

But we made it back before dusk to our onehorse town, with the first 20 per cent of our trek behind us. We had another three days for the entire 160 kilometres of the Arctic Circle Trail itself. Questions abounded. What are snow conditions? Where can we stay? Can fat bikes handle the entire route?

Jens Erik had the answers. This Greenland giant (shoe size 21 in U.S. measure) was our guide, and he wrangled 16 dogs to haul our gear sled. He knew the terrain and traversed the Kangerlussuaq-Sisimiut route several times every year. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

Martin Bissig, cyclist

Claude Balsiger, cyclist

Across fjords and lakes to Kanoo Camp Our planned day tours were between 52 and 60 kilometres, way longer than anything possible in summer. In winter, ice metresthick covers fjords and lakes, so instead of the exhausting effort to follow the coastline, smooth ice was our road, and we could speed on top of skidoo and dogsled tracks because fat tires could span them. They made an almost perfect bike trail across the arctic snow.

During our first longer break, we realized we had to slow down. Even with daytime temperatures between minus 10C and -30C, we broke into sweat every time we got moving.

And nature’s refrigerator froze that moisture stiff in minutes. So we slowed our pace to match Jens Erik and his dogs. It made no sense to go faster because everything we needed was on the sled. Keeping within a few metres of his team, we chatted about his life in Greenland.

We had found ourselves wondering why anyone would settle in one of Earth’s most extreme locations. Winter is more or less dark around the clock, and the thermometer only ventures above freezing in four months of summer. Agriculture and livestock farming are scant, just about everything has to be

Jens Erik, guide

imported, and prices are in the arm and a leg range. Yet here was a 25-year-old, six-and-ahalf-foot man who loved his dogs, the hunt, and his rough, hard way of life. Our once-in-alifetime adventure was just another day at the office for him, and he wouldn’t trade it for anything. And he’s not alone. More than 55,000 people occupy this barren corner of the world.

After a lot of ups and downs, we conquered our first 59 kilometres and 750 metres of elevation in just under eight hours and reached Kanoo Camp. Not impressive. Half a ratty, hopelessly holed canoe were the only remains of a failed business there, but the hut itself offered more comfort than we expected.

The oven warmed up quickly and we hung damp clothes and shoes above it to dry. There were even decent beds with mattresses. In candlelight over bowls of musk ox ragout, we discussed tomorrow’s route with Jens Erik.

A cold start into the day At 7 a.m. we thrust open the hut door and for a few seconds couldn’t see a thing. It was -29C outside and cold air rushed in to fog up the room like a smoke machine. The dogs yawned and howled after a night chained outside. Jens Erik fed his team, we strength-

ottawaoutdoors I 23

ened ourselves with muesli. Our clothes were dry enough to wear, the Rocky Mountain fat bikes had thawed, and we were warm.

The first 25 kilometres were pretty easy, across a frozen lake with a steel-blue surface contrasting with the glistening white wonderland around it. It was the end of March, so the sun was still low in the sky, providing great light for taking pictures. The batteries of my Canon camera were holding up, partly because I kept spares close inside my clothes so they wouldn’t die in the cold.

At lunch we could see our first serious incline, a zigzag up 400 metres to a mountain chain. To us, it looked too steep for the dogs to haul the heavy sled up. But Jens Erik went ahead while we took in some sun and then reduced our tire pressure from 7.2 to roughly 4.4 psi to gain more traction. Except for a few metres, we handled the first part of the ascent by bike. We were steaming out of every gap in our clothing and knew that whatever was wet would freeze later. So we shed clothes, even gloves, for part of the way. Our guide and the sled were waiting two-thirds of the way up and we set out to conquer the rest of the elevation together. When it got really steep, Jens Erik hopped off the sled, reducing the load by a good 130 kilos, and the dogs prevailed.

The rest of the day was child’s play. Casually cruising, we reached our second hut in late afternoon – after 52 kilometres and almost 900 metres of elevation – and spent the night in close quarters. A Greenland family had bunked down for an extended weekend, and their snore philharmonic drove us out for a night in the common room. It turned out to be a wise choice in more ways than one, because its large windows provided a spectacle we had hoped for. Green shimmering northern lights lit up the night sky.

For me this meant climbing out of the sleeping bag, putting on winter clothes, unfolding the tripod and going out into the cold. The camera caught – thanks to 30- to 60-second exposures – more color than seen by the naked eye. After an hour I had a trove of images, numb fingers, and a frozen-stiff remote cable.

traffic. Snowmobiles sped past us, dog sleds going the other way, even local hikers. People knew each other, and exchanged greetings and news. Even though Sisimiut is relatively large

by Greenland standards with 5,000 inhabitants, it is still quaint and everyone knows everyone.

The uphill in front of us resembled a ski slope, a wide, white stretch all the way to the pass. Again, we deflated tires and fought our way to the top, drawing glances and thumbups from the locals. The dogs seemed to have just as much energy as on the first day.

After a good 90 minutes, we reached the pass. The dogs caught the scent of home and pulled like crazy. We skipped lunch and shot down the mountain towards the sea, past a ski lift, then a cross-country trail. The snowmobiles count went up drastically, then a row of houses in the distance. There was

nothing stopping us and definitely nothing stopping the dogs. A smiling Jens Erik banned any more photo ops because the dogs pressed on regardless of his commands.

In 20 minutes we were back in civilization.

After a round of hugs and high-fives with Jens Erik, we said our goodbyes to our loyal fourlegged team-mates and to our guide. A warm shower and a deerburger awaited us in the best hotel in town.

When we flew back to tiny Kangerlussuaq, Greenland’s air transport hub, we thought about the Air Greenland lady. If we meet her again we’ll tell her that biking in Greenland in winter is the coolest thing we’ve ever done.

“Get ready for more bike bags soon.” ~ Martin Bissig is a freelance photographer based in Switzerland specializing in travel and adventure stories. Countless trips have brought him to the most remote places in the world. 

Back to civilization On our fourth and last day, 56 kilometres still separated us from the coast and our final destination Sisimiut. Jens Erik pointed on the map to a chain of hills in the second half of this day’s route. When this 600-metre barrier was behind us, we would coast right into town.

As we got closer to the top, there was more 24 I ottawaoutdoors

www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

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ottawaoutdoors I 25

Winter around Ottawa is fat bike season, so mind your manners!

GREAT TRAILS ARE ALL AROUND US

By Sheila Ascroft | Photos Ottawa Mountain Biking Association

T

rail etiquette is important wherever you are outdoors, but especially if it’s fat biking on a shared trail with crosscountry skiers and snowshoers. They may not expect (or even want) to see a bike coming down a forest trail.

Essentially, fat bikers should yield to both.

Fat biking has gone mainstream with more and more big-name bike makers putting out new models. Dave Macki, coowner of Phat Moose Cycles (on Hawthorne Avenue near Main Street) said, “Brands like Surly have been making their Pugsley for years. Salsa made one for a long time as well, but now everyone under the sun makes a fat bike.” Which highlights the need to behave courteously.

The Ottawa Mountain Bike Association (OMBA) knows very well that more people are fat biking and that they want access to more trails, including those in Gatineau Park. So the association has been working with the National Capital Commission and other user groups to gain Park access – and has succeeded!

OMBA president Sandra Beaubien said there will be a fat bike pilot project this winter on snowshoe trails 64, 65, 66 and (possibly) 67. She said that like crosscountry skiing, “fat bike access will be weather dependent and trails will open weather permitting.”

Also, only fat bikes with tires measuring 3.5 inches or wider are allowed, with 10 psi or less air pressure. These tires leave fewer ruts. Fat bikers have to buy an NCC snowshoe or ski pass to use these newly available trails.

Rules of the snowy road While you can ride fat bikes just about anywhere there is packed snow – snowshoe or snowmobile trails are ideal – there are limits to where and when you should ride.

Good judgment, safety and respect for other trail users are paramount.

The International Mountain Bike Association Canada has guidelines for fat biking on groomed cross-country ski and snowshoe trails and backcountry riding: 26 I ottawaoutdoors

• Ride only in areas or on trails that allow and encourage fat biking. (Our sidebar lists some of them) • Do not trespass. Know whether you are on private property. Obey land-use rules.

• Don’t ride in temperatures above freezing when fat tires damage trails. If you have to dismount and walk up easy hills, then it’s too warm for riding. Wait for truly cold weather.

• Avoid locking the rear wheel and skidding on descent. The resulting ruts could mess up other users’ progress or safety.

• Yield to all skiers especially at intersections. Skiers have no brakes, but bikes do.

• Yield to snowshoers too. Their efforts made that packed trail you’re riding on.

Stop and move off the trail if you can.

• Stay off track-set, cross-country ski trails.

Ride on the hard-packed skate tracks instead.

• Leave room for skiers to pass; don’t ride side-by-side with friends, blocking the full trail.

• Don’t disturb wildlife. Many animals spend winter on the brink of starvation.

Stress or the need to move quickly can drain their energy.

• Learn safe ice travel. Is the ice thick enough to support you? Take ice fishing picks and a length of rope when riding on lakes and rivers.

• Pay attention to changing weather. New snowfall or a thaw can make the return trip tough if not impossible. Tire tracks can vanish, hard snow can turn to slush, and river ice can melt. Know the forecast and be aware that fickle weather can undercut what started out as a safe route.

• Carry provisions in case you have to stay out longer than planned.

• Make sure someone knows your plans, what time you left, and when you expect to return. There may not be a cellphone signal in the bush.

• Be a good ambassador for your sport: be polite, educate other riders and discourage bad behaviour. www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

PERMITTED TRAILS FOR FAT BIKES THIS WINTER GATINEAU PARK: Snowshoe trails 64, 65, 66 and possibly 67. Access depends on weather.

KANATA LAKES TRAIL SYSTEM: 32 kilometres, advanced, single track.

The west part of this trail system is an adrenalin rush while the east side is tamer. Trails are marked; stay off ski tracks.

ALMONTE RIVERSIDE TRAIL: 6 kilometres, intermediate, single track. Bumpy trail with lots of rocks and roots. Several short rock gardens and bridges add to the fun. Trail network is still expanding.

OSGOODE MULTI-USE PATHWAY: 21 kilometres, rail bed shared with snowmobiles. Trail runs from Leitrim Road to Buckles Street through the Village of Osgoode. Use safety lights.

Know what is ahead of you, and behind.

MTB KINGSTON: 39 kilometres, intermediate, single track. Trails are open only to MTB club members.

Network of five distinct loops that can be ridden individually or as a full circuit. Home loop is the main trail that provides access to Pete’s Loop, The Ridge and Route 66. Collin’s Lake Trail can be done on its own or combined with Home Loop.

EAGLE’S NEST IN CALABOGIE: 19 kilometres, intermediate, double track. This snowmobile/four-wheeler trail through the forest behind Calabogie Peaks is not used much. A third of the way along, a detour up the hill to Eagle’s Nest gets you an amazing view.

FOREST LEA TRAIL SYSTEM IN PEMBROKE: 24 kilometres, advanced, single track. A purpose-built mountain bike trail in a stacked loop system.

Rocky and rooty.

BEACHBURG, ONT. TRAILS OTTAWA RIVER CORRIDOR TRAIL: 49 kilometres, advanced, single track.

LAVALLEE LOOP IN VILLAGE: 800 metres, beginner, single track that varies from technical to open “flowy” ATV trail.

MONT STE-MARIE, QUE: 11 kilometres, three groomed snowmobile trails.

A test project.

For more info it’s the Ottawa Mountain Bike Association or check them out on their Facebook page.

www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

Protect what matters.

Prepare a Legal Will before your winter trips.

The winter roads can be dangerous.

Be safe. Prepare.

DO YOUR WILL AND PROTECT WHAT MATTERS TO YOU MOST.

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For your WILLs, POWER of ATTORNEY and assistance with other LEGAL MATTERS. Tel: 613-731-2453 Fax: 613-249-7060 George@georgebrownlaw.com | www.georgebrownlaw.com OUTDOOR, WINTER, NORDIC SKI & ADVENTURE CLUBS

ACC Ottawa Section Adventure Sports Access Group Algonquin Backcountry Recreationalists Black Sheep Cycling Camp Fortune Ski Club Canadian Parks & Wilderness Society Chelsea Nordiq Club Creative Wheel Cross Country Ontario Esprit Rafting Hike Ontario Kanata XCSki Club Madawaska Kanu Centre Nakkertok XCSki Club Natural Fitness Lab Ottawa Alpine Club Ottawa Bicycle Club Ottawa Inline Skating Club Ottawa Mountain Biking Association Ottawa New Edinburgh Club Ottawa Orienteering Club Ottawa Outdoor Club Ottawa Rambling Club Ottawa Rowing Club Ottawa Sailing School Ottawa Sport and Social Club Ottawa Triathlon Club OttawaCarleton Ultimate Association Oxygene RA Ski and Snowboard Club Rideau Trial Association River Run Rafting Ski Extreme Snowhawks Ski School Somersault Events TriRudy uOttawa Outdoors Club de plein air West Carleton Nordic Ski Club XC Ottawa

www.alpineclubottawa.ca www.asag.ca www.abrweb.ca www.blacksheepmtb.com www.campfortuneskiclub.ca www.cpaws.org www.chelseanordiq.ca www.creativewheel.ca www.xco.org www.espritrafting.com www.hikeontario.com www.kanataxcski.ca www.owl-mkc.ca www.nakkertok.ca www.naturalfitnesslab.com www.alpineclubottawa.ca www.ottawabicycleclub.ca www.inlineottawa.com www.ottawamba.org www.onec.ca www.ottawaoc.ca www.ottawaoutdoorclub.ca www.ottawaramblers.org www.ottawarowingclub.com www.boattraining.com www.ossc.ca www.ottawatriathlonclub.com www.ocua.ca www.cluboxygene.qc.ca www.raski.ca www.rideautrial.org www.riverrunners.com skiextreme.ca www.snowhawks.com www.somersault.ca www.trirudy.com www.outdehors.ca www.wcnordic.com www.xcottawa.ca

ottawaoutdoors I 27

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• Serving the freshest and tastiest pub fare in the city. An alwaysdelicious and reasonably-priced 5-star experience.

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Borneo’s mysterious Mount Kinabalu

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CLIMBERS GET TO THE TOP AT SUNRISE, BUT IT’S NOT EASY

By Bruce Sach Photos: Carole Jobin

I spent years planning my climb up Malaysia’s Mount Kinabalu.

Truth be told, I first heard of the sacred mountain when it was part of British Borneo and Malaysia was still known as Malaya. Full disclosure – yeah, I used to collect stamps.

Fast forward more years than I care to disclose, and this storied, somewhat mysterious island is now shared by three nations – Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia – and orangutans, proboscis monkeys, dwarf rhinos and tribes of former headhunters. It’s so far away from peninsular Malaysia (2½ hours by air) that they check your passport when you get to Malaysian Borneo, as though you were arriving in a new land.

Before arriving in Borneo (the third largest island in the world), I didn’t know anyone who had been to the top of Kinabalu, Southeast Asia’s tallest mountain at 4,095 metres. I knew the local Kadazan and Dusan people see it as the resting place of their ancestors. I’d heard of strange traditions, like sleeping indoors with the lights on at the foot of the mountain. Others spoke of insects the size of small birds, and of insect-eating plants.

I was intrigued, to say the least.

My wife and I finally made it to the top just after sunrise a few days later. We looked out over the jungles of Borneo spread out far beneath us, proud, totally focused on what we

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had done, exhausted after two days of climbing, and not a little cold.

Visitors tackle the climb over two days, intent to get up in the wee hours of the morning, hoping to see the Bornean state of Sabah as part of the sunrise treat.

One image that occurred at four in the morning still lingers. Huffing and puffing in the dark, we stopped to look up the mountain and saw tiny lights an impossible distance away. Like minute fireflies in the black night, an army of fellow climbers seemed to beckon us to climb on, like a procession of monks, quietly making their way to the top.

Carole and I stopped for water and then, flashlight in one hand, and clenching the guide rope in the other, set off again. The rope is there because most climbers do this stretch in pitch dark.

This kind of experience remains vividly in memory. And although no one calls me thunder thighs anymore, my quads are permanently enhanced thanks mainly to the brutal descent.

All climbers must hire a guide – guides know the way, will pace you, and for a small fee, will act as a porter. Our guide Sapinus was reassuring as we climbed and absolutely essential as we descended.

Besides his climbing skills, he knew the local plant life, some of which is endemic to the mountain. He pointed out balsam, rattan,

jungle bananas, giant moss, wild begonias, rose berries and necklace orchids.

We encountered everything from jungle vegetation to a forest draped with Spanish moss and old man’s beard lichen. Two-thirds the way up, in an area called Sayat-Sayat in the local Dusan language, there were ancient trees with twisted limbs, a perfect spot to film a horror movie.

Sapinus said there were thousands of different orchids in the park and over two dozen different kinds of rhododendron. Off the path, he showed us three kinds of wildly exotic pitcher plants.

Near the end of the second afternoon, we arrived at Laban Rata Lodge for the night. Our tiny room with a simple heater was a refuge from the cold, the communal television and the loud talk and shouting matches of other trekkers.

As arranged, we were awakened at 2:30 a.m. by our guides.

Continuing our ascent in the dark, we focused on making the next step one at a time without slipping. We stopped to adjust coats, toques and gloves. It got cooler and cooler, the winds increasing as we climbed. Some trekkers stopped often, trying to catch their breath or numbed by the cold. As morning broke we were shivering on a strikingly bizarre plateau about 700 metres from the summit.

Behind and below us, the port of Kota Kinabalu and the China Sea were off in the distance. All Sabah lay at our feet for just a few minutes before clouds moved in to conceal the grand spectacle. Eventually we edged our way back down to Laban Rata Lodge for breakfast, marvelling at how we had negotiated the steep and tricky terrain in darkness.

The walk down is harder than the climb up.

Just when our legs started to disobey our brains, our guide read our minds and asked, “Legs turning to jelly?”

Back at the park entrance our reward was a climber’s certificate, with much more meaning than the self-esteem equivalents from summer camp.

We happily checked into the Poring Hot Springs to give our bodies a little TLC and ottawaoutdoors I 29

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wondered how we might have trained better, especially for the descent. Walking down the staircase of the CN Tower on a weekly basis, was the only comparable feat I could come up with.

Another time perhaps. ~ Albertan Bruce Sach has lived in the Ottawa area for many years. He is a longtime member of the Travel Media Association of Canada.

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1 – Stragglers attempting the ascent of sacred Mount Kinabalu reach the summit well after daybreak.

2 – Frigid temperatures greet climbers near the top of sacred Mt. Kinabalu. The earthquake that occurred in 2015 destroyed the ‘Donkey’s Ears’ seen here in the mid-background.

3 – The landscape around South Peak is a bizarre rock desert. All Borneo lays at your feet.

4 – Mighty Mount Kinabalu, S.E. Asia’s and Malaysia’s highest peak.

5 – From steaming jungle at its base to frigid temperatures at the summit, this mountain trek traverses all the micro-climates of Sayat-Sayat.

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

EPIC Indoor Bike & Skate Park

By Devon Haworth

W

hat’s an article about an “indoor” bike park doing in an “outdoor” magazine you say? Well, this story is about a company that brought the outdoors inside. Epic Indoor Bike & Skate Park (“EPIC”) is true to its name. The 4,770-square-metre (53,000 square feet) facility at 110 Bentley Ave. just east of the Hunt Club and Merivale intersection is a massive wooden bike, scooter and skateboard park for all ages. As you enter the forest-like lobby, you are greeted by the lovely scent of wood, 10 tractor-trailer loads to be exact.

One feature of the two-storey industrial building is a toddler area for kids under age six. If a child can walk, that child can ride.

Pedaless bikes (aka striders) are used to teach a new rider how to balance and coast. Parents enjoy the squeals of their little ones as they glide down the little slopes and learn to make gentle turns with their newfound mobility.

For kids who are new to biking, they can practise riding on the two cross-country tracks that circle the perimeter of the facility. The

lower level is smooth with a few rolling hills when you enter from the front, while the upper level resembles mountain biking, with the occasional bumpy log or ramp to manoeuvre.

Once a rider has good control of their bike, they’re ready for the big show! On one side of the park are the “box jumps,” three levels of them: beginner, intermediate and pro. The rider enters the course by going down a hilly slope and hops onto each box and continues to the next box in the U-shaped course. After mastering the easier course, the rider advances to the next level, which is steeper and longer.

Over time – which could be days or months depending on the rider – one can leap over the boxes gracefully (“gap” the box). The motion is as graceful as a horse jumping over a hurdle, but the feeling for the rider is euphoric!

Equally fun and challenging is the other side of the park, which houses the “pump tracks.” The wooden structure looks like a roller coaster without rails. On this side there are three courses, the largest affectionately named “the big pump track” for the steepness of one of the hills.

Finally, the back section “vertical park” will blow our mind. With a huge foam pit, resiramp, two half-pipes, bowl, verticals, steps, ramps and rails, you could spend hours or days with your BMX, scooter and skateboard.

This is where the pro riders like to hang out and practise freestyle skills.

Kids as young as age 2 have ridden the beginner tracks. So participation it is not a matter of age, but ability and desire.

What makes EPIC a special place is that families can enjoy something equally entertaining for all participants. It’s commonplace for moms and dads to ride with their young and teenaged kids. For the athlete, BMX riding is the best workout going. Our avid riders (aka “pros”) have memberships, and they look forward to spending time with friends at the park. It’s a healthy, happy and wonderful community of super nice people who help each other.

This summer, about 350 kids attended EPIC’s summer camp. It was consistently ranked “Best Camp Ever” by parents and kids alike for skills building, entertainment and learning. We watched shy unmotivated rebellious kids emerge with confidence and huge smiles after the first day!

EPIC Indoor Bike Park is very affordable.

One hour or riding including bike rental is just $19.99!

EPIC is an extremely popular and unique choice for birthday parties and group events because our pro riders are available to provide riding tips and tricks.

So get off the couch and experience the great outdoors indoors. I’m sure you’ll agree that EPIC is a contagious experience! 

110 Bentley Ave, Nepean ON (613) 727-3742 www.EpicBikePark.com – www.facebook.com/epicbikepark www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

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COOL GEAR

PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD GLEBE TROTTERS – BLUNDSTONE #1431

Like all Blundstone shoes, just ask anybody who owns a pair. They are hands-down the most popular, well-loved and longlasting winter footwear anywhere. This style (the Burgundy Red) is a stand out in any setting. Tough, stand-up-to-the-elements Blundstone leather outside, soft-on-the-tootsies Blundstone leather inside.

Just head over to Glebe Trotters on Bank Street and they’ll set you up.

STABILICERS – $49.95

CHRISTINA CHUKKA – $190

Serving up a slip-resistant outsole with stacked heel and a waterproof full grain leather upper, the lovely lace-up Kristina Chukka provides pretty practicality complete with Rebound comfort technology keeping dynamic women on-the move and ready for whatever the day brings.

Features include: Crafted with waterproof leather, lined with DuraFresh bio-technology activates to fight unwanted odors, Bogs Max-Wick moves sweat away from your foot to keep you dry, Rebound technology in outsole provides extra comfort Soft leather footbed with dual-density EVA, Ortholite and DuraFresh for optimal comfort. Avail. in three colours. Look for it at Bogsfootwear.ca for store locator.

Maxx ice cleats are tougher. Serious traction gear for the hardcore winter enthusiasts. Don’t risk it on frozen and mixed terrain! For over 20 years, our Maxx has delivered the most confident grip on the slickest snow & ice, while not compromising traction on rocky trails or dry pavement. A flexible tread design allows for a natural stride whereas the Maxx hook and loop web strap system provides ease of use and a secure fit on most footwear.

Best uses include winter hiking, ice fishing, fly fishing and quiet, frozen river walks. Long-lasting soles with case-hardened steel cleats bite into the slickest ice and snow.

Simply attach STABILicers™ to your favourite shoes or boots with hookand-loop fasteners and never let icy conditions slow you down again.

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JOHNNY CHELSEA – $190

An easy-wearing casual boot, the Johnny Chelsea is loaded with Bogs' technologies that keep feet dry from the outside in, with 100% waterproof leather upper, and inside out with moisture-defying Max-Wick. Enjoy step-in comfort with an EVA footbed dropped atop a slip-resistant lugged outsole with a classic hiking tread pattern. Avail. in three colours. Look for it at Bogsfootwear.ca for store locator.

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CLASSIC HOCKEY – $95

The Bogs® Classic High Hockey Sticks are waterproof and ready for anything.

Constructed with durable hand-lasted rubber for optimal comfort. Insulated with 7mm waterproof Neo-Tech and DuraFresh anti-odor protection insole.

Easy-on pull handles (kid-tested and approved!) and comfort tested to -30°F. Available in sizes 7-6 and five colours. Look for it at Bogsfootwear.ca for store locator.

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events for everyone . . . . . . . from start to finish

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WINTER RUNNING FOR THE OTTAWA ATHLETE

BY PHIL MARSH

THESE TIPS WILL HELP YOU GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR WINTER RUNNING AND WILL ENSURE YOU STAY FIT! • Warm up slowly to let your body adjust to the footing and temperature.

• Keep your head up; by looking down at your feet you inhibit your ability to take in oxygen and you also affect your biomechanics. Look five to six steps ahead and shorten your stride a little to make sure that your footing is secure.

• Stretch after your runs … because of the instability of the snow and ice, you will be activating more stabilizing muscles and may have some stiffness after your runs.

• Do speed work indoors if possible. Ottawa has the only 400-metre indoor track in Canada at Louis Riel Secondary School. It has public times available through the day. If you have to get in a speed session, use the track, or find a clear and safe road or pathway.

• Head out for your runs against the wind.

• Run with a group, it will motivate you on stormy days and also give you a safe and social atmosphere.

• You cannot freeze your lungs, but you can freeze exposed skin so make sure that you head to a Running Room shop to have the running experts take you through what you will need to run safely in winter.

www.ottawaoutdoors.ca

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SURVIVAL 101

THIS WINTER SURVIVAL QUIZ COULD HELP IN A STUCK CAR

By Allen Macartney

Each year scores of Canadians slide off the road during a nasty winter storm and have to spend hours or even days stranded. Would you know what – and what not – to do?

Take the Ottawa Outdoors winter survival test.

1. When stuck in the ditch or by the side of the road in winter, usually you should (a) Try to walk back to the nearest farm (b) Stay with your vehicle True or False…? (c) Build a snow house 1. T ___ F ___ Eat snow to stay hydrated. (d) Start collecting wood for a warming/signalling fire 2. T ___ F ___ Pocket chemical hand warmers 2. Being warm is your first priority. That means can burn your body. (a) Staying positive 3.

T ___ F ___ Open your vehicle window (b) Staying dry occasionally to let in fresh air. (c) Staying hydrated 4. T ___ F ___ It’s OK to idle your car engine (d) Staying active while stuck in a snow bank.

3. When driving on snowy roads, one of the most important 5. T ___ F ___ If you’re cold and alone in your things to have with you is car, it’s OK to nap to help the time pass. (a) A shovel (b) Extra gasoline (c) Energy bars – one for each person (d) Drinking water 4. You car’s winter survival pack should at least include (a) Matches, candles, space blankets, extra toques (b) Matches, tinder, space blankets, thick plastic bags (c) Matches, tinder, cotton blankets, extra shovel (d) Matches, fire-starter, backpack, snowshoes 5. If stuck in your car during a blizzard, which is the best activity (a) Exercise (b) Sing and tell jokes (c) Clench your fingers and toes tightly (d) All of the above 36 I ottawaoutdoors

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Quiz answer

1. (a) Stay in your vehicle unless you are close to a clearly visible house. A vehicle provides a dry shelter from the wind, rain and snow. It’s also easy for rescuers to see and find.

2. (b) Staying dry is the most important way to keep warm.

Being active will warm you up but if you work too hard, you sweat, and then freeze. A dry hat, gloves, pants and coat, over multiple layers is the best way to stay warm.

3. (b) Drive with plenty of gasoline, in the tank or in a container in the trunk, so you can keep the engine and heater running for hours. A shovel and energy bars for everyone will also help.

4. (a) Your survival pack should at least include matches, candles, space blankets and extra toques. Hand warmers and a sleeping bag would also be good. Tinder and fire-starter won’t be much help as you’ll be sheltering in your vehicle.

5. (d) All of the above. Stay active while waiting out a blizzard or rescue. It keeps you positive and increases your chances of survival. Exercise inside the vehicle will warm your body – anything from clenching toes and fingers to sit-ups and leg raises. Singing and telling jokes also boost the spirit.

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True or False Answers

1. FALSE. Eating snow cools your inner body temperature, and could lead to hypothermia. Melt the snow first in a container, or use a space blanket to reflect light and heat onto the snow.

2. TRUE. Chemical hand warmers can burn skin – stick them onto mitts or gloves, not skin. Monitor their use.

Keep them away from kids or babies.

3. TRUE. Breathing uses oxygen and produces carbon dioxide. Opening a window occasionally will eliminate the danger of CO2 poisoning – not deadly like carbon monoxide, but a health risk nonetheless.

4. TRUE. Turn on your car and run the heater for 10 minutes every hour to stay warm, but make sure your tailpipe isn’t blocked by snow. Running your car on this cycle stretches out your gas supply.

5. FALSE. Stay awake if you’re cold and alone! Sleeping might allow hypothermia to take hold. You might never wake up. In some cases sleepiness is a sign of advanced hypothermia. ottawaoutdoors I 37

THE AMAZING SPACE BLANKET More useful than duct tape on the trail

By Allen Macartney

I

’ve got at least 12 emergency, mylar space blankets at home. Tiny and feather-lite, they’re in my car, my survival pack, and my first aid and canoe kitchen packs – any place where I might use them outdoors. But I’ve never used one. Or even unfolded one from its petite container.

We all talk about how important these are for emergencies, but they’re usually tucked away and forgotten. It’s time to explore some of the ubiquitous uses for these pint-sized life savers.

A space blanket is essentially a plastic sheet coated with metallic particles. First developed in the 1950s and used on space flights, mylar thermal space blankets reflect heat. That’s all they do – up to 90 per cent of body heat. So if your snow-shoeing or skiing adventure goes sour, wrap yourself up in a space blanket – shiny side in – before you get too cold. (A cold body reflects darned little heat.) Don’t wrap it around the outside of your winter coat, but around either the inside of your jacket or cut off a piece and make it into a reflective vest against

your body. Then watch out that you don’t get too warm and start sweating.

Heat for your feet? If they’re cold and you have an extra space blanket, cut off two thin strips and put them in your boots. Your feet will get toasty warm. If you’re still a bit too cool, cut off more strips and make liners for your hat, gloves, mitts and pants.

Fall and spring camping can be cold. Set up one or two space blankets inside your tent. If you light a candle lantern, your tent will warm up quickly and the reflective blankets will provide both light and heat. And for those cold nights when a campfire casts too little heat, position a blanket behind the flickering flames to bounce the heat back at you. Don’t worry about damaging the mylar; it melts at 254 degrees centigrade.

In summer when you’re backpacking in blistering heat, reverse the space blanket (shiny side out) so it reflects the sun and heat away. Also it makes an excellent sun shield.

Some people use waterproof space blankets and cord to make a tarp, poncho, divvy sack or

rain catcher. If you think we’ve just about exhausted the uses for space blankets, think again: a liner for a solar oven, a signaling mirror, a drop-sheet for your tent or picnic. Cut strips make an excellent trail marker, or use it as a pack liner (inside) or a rain shield (outside).

But don’t put a space blanket over your sleeping bag in a tent or snow shelter when winter camping. Mylar isn’t breathable.

Moisture condenses under it, and your bag gets wet, losing any insulation ability. Instead, put the space blanket on top of your foam mattress or mat. The reflected heat from your body will help you sleep soundly.

Now that you know how useful these blankets are, perhaps you should scoot out and buy a couple more. And start using them!

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in a matter of seconds.

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OPG is a part of communities across Ontario, so we want you to stay clear and stay safe.

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