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NAC Adventure Weekly Archive
Here you will find past articles and the club news that was published in Niagara Adventure Weekly, posted by Volume.
197General Discussion
General discussions, questions and articles pertaining to the outdoors or outdoor adventure activities.
3Hiking
Discussions, questions and articles pertaining to hiking.
10Backpacking
Discussions, questions and articles pertaining to Backpacking.
17Rock Climbing
Discussions, questions and articles pertaining to Rock Climbing.
5Accommodations
Discussions, questions, and ratings of accommodations and camps, hotels, and airBnBs along various trails.
1Activity Partners
Looking for a partner or group for your favorite outdoor activity, post or search here! (*site members only)
0Gear Reviews
Leave your "Love It" or "Hate It" reviews here. Let us know the pros and cons and help others make informed purchases!
0Yard Sale
Looking to unload some older gear, or looking for used gear at yard sale prices, then this is where you need to be!
1
- NAC Adventure Weekly ArchiveI know I had posted a Navigation article last week, and I had planned to carry on with that, but I have something much more important to go over... During the pandemic many people with nothing else to do rushed into the outdoors without any knowledge or respect for the land. Many of them started ridiculous trends for social media likes, and these trends gained traction through copycat behavior. Trends such as rock stacking, rock painting and now foraging. These trends, when copied by many are detrimental to our natural spaces, and these practices must stop before the damage is irreparable. Today, we are going to focus on the latest trend of foraging with an article from Ontario's Provincial Parks Managers. We know a lot of our visitors are interested in exploring our parks, and maybe taking a piece of it home with them. We’ve noticed an increase in popularity of foraging, but remember: foraging for any plant or fungal species is prohibited in provincial parks. Edible Species in Parks Parks are home to many plants and mushrooms that can be safely consumed by humans. These include fiddleheads, wild leeks, wild grapes, morels, Chicken of the Woods, and more. Chicken of the Woods Although they may be tasty, each one of these species is an important part of park ecosystems. Unsustainable foraging is harmful to the species who call our parks home. What Happens When You Forage Unsustainably? Foraging, when not done responsibly, can have a damaging impact on plant species. Plants take a lot of time and energy to grow. Understory plants have a small yearly window of full sunshine before overstory trees flush their leaves. It can take Small White Leeks (also known as wild leeks) 10 to 15 years before they reach maturity. If a population isn’t given the time it needs to recover from harvesting, it will eventually wink out of existence in that area. As this happens over and over across the province, a species can become threatened, endangered, extirpated, or even extinct. That is what happened to American Ginseng. As much of its habitat was lost to farmland, logging, and development, the few remaining populations were also targeted by illegal harvesting. American Ginseng is considered to be at imminent risk of extinction in Ontario, and it is now classified as an endangered species. Foraging on fungi has a different kind of impact. The mushrooms we’re familiar with are just a small part of a fungus’ “body.” For most species, much of the fungus is tiny threads that are woven through the soil, connecting one plant to another and shuttling nutrients and sugars through the ecosystem. The mushroom is simply the fruiting body of the fungus, and while harvesting will not severely damage the organism itself, it deprives other visitors of the wonder of discovering these incredible organisms. Similarly, ecosystems are interconnected spaces. If you pick a fiddlehead, a fern frond will not grow in that spot this year. Fewer sugars will be collected to flow into the fungal network, and the moth that specializes on that particular fern species will have fewer places to eat and live. And don’t forget: removing any natural object from a provincial park is prohibited, and you could face a fine. Protecting Ecological Integrity Foraging can be a wonderful thing if it is done responsibly and legally. The priority for Ontario Parks is to ensure that our parks’ native species and ecosystems are protected, which is why foraging is not permitted. Healthy ecosystems sustain healthy people and a healthy economy. Our work to maintain and improve the ecological integrity of our parks supports Ontario’s biodiversity, clean air, productive soils, nutritious foods, and fresh water. Respecting Aboriginal and Treaty Rights Ontario Parks is committed to respecting access for the exercise of Aboriginal and treaty rights, as recognized and affirmed under the Constitution Act, 1982. Constitutional rights to harvest for food, ceremonial or social purposes can be exercised within a provincial park or conservation reserve at any time, provided safety and conservation considerations are satisfied. Posted to Ontario's Park Blog on April 28, 2023 N.A.C. NEWS (Sunday, March 17, 2024) Good Morning, I am writing this week's Adventure Weekly a day early. Normally I complete this Friday night before I head to bed, but this coming Friday is my birthday and I will be spending time with family, so I am getting this and all my chores done ahead of schedule. We have a lot of upcoming events! Hikes, paddle trips, expeditions and more! This coming Friday we will visit the Devil's Punchbowl for an amazing hike and to enjoy the beauty of a few of Ontario's incredible waterfalls. Join us on Easter Weekend at Climber's Rock for another Rock On Climbing event. A week and a bit after that, pack a cooler full of refreshments and snacks and join us at the park to witness a full solar eclipse, the first of it's kind in this area since 1979! It will not happen again until 2144, so you really don't want to miss it this time around! For a week in April, we will be down in Pennsylvania trekking along the Appalachian Trail. Unfortunately, registration for this event has already closed. In July we will pack up our kayaks and spend 3 days paddling around one of Canada's least known National Parks, Beausoleil Island. Three days of paddling the Georgian Bay and two nights of primitive camping on the Island will be a great way to enjoy the summer month of July! And lastly, the big one, backpacking in the very remote backcountry of Gros Morne National Park! This backpacking expedition is on many bucket lists and Niagara Adventure Club managed to obtain a permit for up to 12 participants. If you ever wanted to experience the backcountry like it was meant to be experienced, then this is the trip for you! I hope you all had an amazing March Break, now get back to work! That's all the news for this week. As always, stay safe, and happy adventuring! Lenny Burch Niagara Adventure ClubLike
- NAC Adventure Weekly ArchiveNavigation is probably the most important skill you will need and rely on as a backpacker. Really, you can't go backpacking if you don't know how to get from point A to point B. In most cases, there is a well marked and laid out trail to guide you and all you need do is follow a simple Trail Map. But you may be completely unprepared for the terrain that lies ahead if you haven't taken the time to study and understand your map. More importantly, knowing what's actually on the map! So today, we're going to take a different approach to "Good to Know", and watch a little video on reading and understanding what exactly is on your Topographic Map. Make some popcorn and enjoy! VIDEO CAPTION Topographic maps are a little different from your average map. Once you get the hang of reading them, they help you visualize three-dimensional terrain from a flat piece of paper. Find out what you need to know in this REI Expert Advice Video. Head to your local REI store to pick up a topographic map for your next adventure, ask questions or sign up for an Outdoor School navigation course (https://www.rei.com/events/49378/backcountry-navigation-with-a-map-and-compass) Find REI’s selection of maps at: https://www.rei.com/c/maps. Produced by REI and released on REI's YouTube Channel. Published December 20, 2016 N.A.C. NEWS (Sunday, March 10, 2024) Good Morning, This past Friday a small group of NAC Adventurers visited the Hot Docs Theatre for the Banff Film Festival where we were regaled with 10 epic short films that got our adrenalin pumping. With short stories about Alpine Skiing, White Water River Guiding, Caving, Mountain Biking, Snorkeling, Surfing, Rock Climbing and Parasailing, this showing did not disappoint. Tonight is the last night for the 2024 Toronto Banff Film Festival. If you have never been, I highly recommend it. Tickets are available at the door for $25 and the final showing is at 1:30pm EST. The July slot that was originally intended for the 2024 Iceland Expedition has been filled with a multiday kayaking trip! On Friday, July 19th, we will head North to Honey Harbour, a small town on the shores of Georgian Bay from which we will launch and spend 3 days paddling around the shores of Beausoleil Island National Park. Come join us for a beautiful summer's paddle and primitive camping in one of Canada's lesser known National Parks. Get the full details at www.NiagaraAdventure.ca/kayak. You might have noticed we have no events scheduled for the Friday, March 15th weekend. As it is both March Break and my birthday, I have decided to skip a week so that you may spend time with your family as I spend time with mine and celebrate my special day with Mom's home cooking. Have a wonderful March Break and we will see you the following week! That's all the news for this week. As always, stay safe, and happy adventuring! Lenny Burch Niagara Adventure ClubLike
- NAC Adventure Weekly ArchiveWell, once again we are going to talk about that embarrassing subject that everyone does and no one wants to talk about. But the fact is, we really should, because in the backcountry it is becoming quite a problem. With the ever increasing numbers of visitors to even the most remote locations on the planet, there has been some serious damage due to the lack of a conversation! And so today, I plan on continuing on with my poop discussion. This week, let's talk about the proper ways to dispose of human waste in the backcountry. And please, stop giggling... Everybody does it. But pooping in the wrong place could make a mess of someone else's hike. An expert shares how to make the best of a sh*tty situation on the trail. Gather ’round children, and let me tell you about my best-ever high-altitude dump. I was climbing the Grand Teton with Exum Mountain Guides and we paused for dinner on the Lower Saddle. Mac n’ cheese has consequences, as do nervous bowels. So I grabbed my TP and headed for the ridge-top latrine, where I dropped trou, admired the view of Idaho to the west, and released my burden. Sweet relief! Soon my crap was out of sight and out of mind, if not out of nose. Want to take a dump like I did? Forget it. The Park Service removed that toilet in 2001, citing the high cost of hauling out waste by helicopter. Ever since, hikers have been responsible for their own Tetonic piles of crap. Which they should be: Even when waste leaves your body, it’s still yours. (That goes double for your dog, who really can’t be expected to take care of his own turds, now can he?) What’s a responsible hiker to do-do? I called Jeffrey Marion to discuss this shitty situation. Marion teaches recreation ecology at Virginia Tech, and he wrote the book, literally, on Leave No Trace. It turned out, to my surprise and bowel relief, that there is some good news where #1 and #2 are concerned. “In the grand scheme of things, human waste isn’t a huge problem in the backcountry,” says Marion. “It can be a problem in localized areas that get a lot of use, like on Mt. Whitney. Also in extremely cold places, or dry places, or anywhere you can’t dig a cathole. Otherwise it isn’t usually a big deal, because it’ll decompose within a year.” Not that he’s letting you off the fecal hook, entirely. Here’s everything Marion would like you to know about dropping your load responsibly in the woods. Catholes Rule Marion is a firm believer in digging our way out of the human waste problem. Just grab your trowel, hurry 200 feet away from your campsite or a trail, dig a 6- to 8-inch hole, do your business, and then backfill. That much you knew, right? According to Marion, about 80 percent of backcountry visitors comply with those guidelines. But the tricky bit comes with the toilet paper, which seems to erupt from catholes like tulips from warm soil in springtime. “We find a lot of toilet paper around popular campsites,” Marion notes, “either because people don’t care, or because toilet paper is the last thing into the hole, and it’s only covered by leaf litter.” His trick: After you wipe, use a stick to push the TP to the bottom of the pile, then refill the hole. In the right climate, it’ll all decompose in about a year. Crap and Leak Creatively When you emerge from your tent with elimination on your agenda, take a fresh look at the landscape. “People tend to spot the same big bush or a rock near the campsite and think, ‘I’ll go there,’” says Marion. “It leads to a concentration of waste that can smell bad and be dangerous.” All those #1s and #2s add up to big numbers, and attract flies. “That’s how diseases are transmitted,” says Marion. “They land on your waste and your dinner.” The 200-foot-rule will probably force you out of the flies’ flight path. Better yet, plan on taking a nice crap break en route to your next destination, away from campsites and drinking water. Urinalysis Urine is in fact sterile, so spraying it around won’t harm the environment. “It’s an aesthetic concern,” says Mr. LNT, “not a health hazard.” He advises aiming at (or squatting over) a rock, rather than peeing all over the underbrush, which large ungulates will mow down for the salts and nutrients you piss away. Pack out menstrual products, period. Backpackers who menstruate can’t always plan their adventures around their cycles, so they have two choices: learn to use (and clean) a menstrual cup, or pack out used pads or tampons. Most menstrual hygiene products contain perfumes and plastic liners, which attract critters and resist decomposition. So you’ll need to pack them out in a sealable baggie or water bottle (cover it with duct tape, if you don’t want to see red). Dropping crushed aspirin or a tea bag into the menses will cut the smell. Of course, users of The Pill can skip their placebo doses to put off their flow until they return to civilization. Up high, and down low, it’s gotta go. In the desert, waste won’t decompose. In frigid temperatures and on rocky peaks, there’s no diggable soil, so no catholes. You’ll have to pack waste and TP out. Which brings us back to the summits of the Grand Teton and Mt. Whitney. Marion misses their high-altitude johns. “In a high-use area, that’s really the way to go,” he says. “After they removed the latrines on Mt. Whitney, rangers gave out toilet kits to hikers, but animals would get into the bags and they would leak and smell. People said ‘I’m not packing that out,’ so we found them near the campsites.” With the zeal of a poop prophet, he extols the seven above-ground “moldering privies” Vermont’s Green Mountain Club installed along the Long and Appalachian Trails in Vermont, and dozens of other locales along the rest of AT. Those loos are sweet-smelling because the waste decomposes aerobically, becoming fertilizer that maintenance crews can scatter in the woods. Just the way bears do it. For high-use, high-altitude areas, latrines and helicopter evacuations of honey buckets are the way to go, says Marion. “It’s expensive, but that can be built into the cost of wilderness permits.” And as my Grand memories tell me, paying for a scenic latrine is anything but money down the drain. Written by Peter Moore for Backpacker Magazine. Published February 2, 2024 N.A.C. NEWS (Sunday, March 3, 2024) Good Morning, On Friday, we once again visited Climber's Rock in Burlington, ON for another fun evening of Indoor Rock Climbing. This time is was basically a family event as only Lauren, myself and the kids attended. None-the-less, it was an amazing evening of climbing and great exercise. Have you ever wanted to try indoor rock climbing? Join NAC on Friday evenings for a free visit to one of Ontario's best climbing gyms! We will provide you with a free day pass and a free climbing lesson. You won't find a better deal anywhere! (*Does not include rental gear fee of $12, free day pass and climbing lesson valued at over $50) Next Friday we will be heading to Toronto for the Banff Film Festival. This epic film fest showcases many short films featuring some of the most daring athletes in the adventure sport world. We will be viewing 10 short films that feature many adventure sports such as Alpine Skiing, White Water Rapids, Rock Climbing, Caving, and more. Tickets sell for $25 and can be purchased at the door or in advance. General Seating, first come, first serve. Join Niagara Adventure Club to enjoy the film fest and have a meal with us after. Unfortunately, our 2024 Iceland Expedition has been cancelled. Despite much advertising and over 2200 web site visits, it seems the volcanic activity is a major concern for many. It's very sad, the volcanic activity is one of the most beautiful sites in Iceland. I myself have experienced a volcano in Iceland 1 week after it erupted, and it was one of the most incredible things I have ever seen! With that being said, I have obtained a permit for up to 12 persons for our 2024 Gros Morne Expedition! I have a bit more trail planning to do, but I will have it posted very soon. As always, Season Pass Holders will have priority access for 10 days before the event is opened to the public. This will be one of NAC's most amazing adventures thus far. The backcountry of Gros Morne is completely off grid. There isn't even trail markers! We will be relying on GPS, and good old map and compass skills to make our way through some of the most beautiful backcountry in the world while traversing the mountain range of Gros Morne for 6 days. A bucket list for many, it's time you crossed it off. That's all the news for this week. As always, stay safe, and happy adventuring! Lenny Burch Niagara Adventure ClubLike