Twin Falls Lookout

Just after a fresh snowfall and a few days before Christmas, my dad and I went hiking near the south end of Betula Lake. The trail carries on towards a lookout point over Twin Falls, which was described to me as arguably the best view in Manitoba.

Near the beginning of the trail.

In an uncharacteristic move, we were actually on the road by 8am, which helps to explain the questionable choice of a tote bag. It was also so nice out (-4 degrees celsius!) that these extra warm back-up boots proved unnecessary.

This particular route will not be marked with signs until the spring, and the current lack of signage makes the trail a tad difficult to find if you don’t know what to look for. So, I’ll just take a moment to break off into an agonizingly detailed description of how to find it and avoid getting lost. Like most places in the Whiteshell it’s about a two hour drive to get to Betula Lake from Winnipeg. Driving along Highway 307, you come across signs for the Betula Lake cottage roads, which are all on the lefthand side of the highway. To get to the trail, take the third and last of these, which is marked “Blocks 5-7.” The cottage road passes the beach (somewhat difficult to recognize under the snow), and about three quarters of the way down the road, just after an uphill  there is a clearing on the right hand side that veers off of the cottage road at about a 2:00 clock position.

The evergreens were looking extra pretty after a fresh snowfall.

I want to mention again that the trail is unmarked, so it’s not hard to go astray. (The trail will be equipped with signs come spring, but in the meantime it’s helpful to have some directions. The trail is wide at the beginning, and winds into the forest shortly after it begins. At the first fork, you should turn left; we didn’t.

If you follow the trail to the right, it’s a pleasant hike that continues on for quite a while before forking again; we thoroughly explored the two options, both of which eventually lead to dead-ends. While it was clear where the trail was, we had to use our footprints in the snow to find the way back at some points while returning, so I would recommend taking some flagging tape along to mark your route just to be extra cautious.

Take a left!

Once we found our way back to the original fork a little over an hour later, we tried taking the path that leads to the left. This trail is wide and fairly even until you come across a second fork, where the righthand path leading to a steep uphill will take you to the lookout point.

Now up to the right - snowmobile tracks are a good clue.

We saw a few snowmobiles en route, which suggests that the trail should be hike-able all winter because the snowmobiles would keep the snow packed down – bad news for snowshoeing, but it makes for better footing as well as a handy clue that you’re on the right path.

The trail winding upwards through the trees.

The trail continues mostly upwards until you come across a couple of little inukshuk on the left hand side of the trail, and if you look to the left you can see a stone bench. Walking towards this bench, you come across the breathtaking view of Twin Falls.

Settin' a while on the bench.

View from the lookout - the picture doesn't really do it justice.

It’s about an hour-long hike to the lookout point and back, which is a nice length for a family outing, and the trail continues beyond the lookout for more energetic or ambitious folks.

More view

This spot is a great destination to pack up a picnic lunch and head out on a day trip to take advantage of an unseasonably warm Manitoba winter!

Andrea Davis

Nutimik Lake

The weekend after Thanksgiving, I went hiking with a few friends at Nutimik Lake, the site of the recently built Whiteshell River Bridge.  Nutimik Lake is part of the North Whiteshell trail system, and like the rest of the Border to Beaches trail it features the rocky Boreal Shield landscapes that make for such great hikes.  This area is particularly intersting thanks to its waterfalls and the Bannock Point Petroforms, human-made rock formations thought to be prehistoric. (More information on the petroforms here: http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/parks/popular_parks/popular_parks/petroforms/)

The sky was perfectly clear when we set out, but over the course of the two hour drive from Winnipeg it completely clouded over, and started raining just as we stepped out of the car. Despite being a cool, grey, windy day with a little bit of rain, my friends and I passed at least half a dozen people on the hiking trail, which suggested that this is a really popular section of the trail.

The drive from Winnipeg was quite long but, to be fair, my U-turn count was pretty high, which probably added at least 15 minutes to the trip. The last leg of the drive is beautiful and scenic, with views of the water as Highway 307 winds past the lakes of the Winnipeg River system. There are signs on Highway 307 that make the bridge easy to find, and parking is available on the side of road.

Part of the trail on the opposite side of the highway from the waterfront.

Before finding the signs for the Whiteshell River Bridge we picked a different parking lot/access point and hiked a short ways along a flat, gentle trail, but since we had already felt a few droplets of rain we decided to head onwards to the bridge and the lakeside hike.

Despite being past their peak, the fall colours were still present!

Unfortunately, we missed the fall colours at their prime – I’m sure they were quite spectacular a week or two earlier!

The Whiteshell River Bridge, which links together the Nutimik Lake trail system and the Betula Lake trail system.

The Whiteshell River Bridge was completed less than eighteen months ago, in the summer of 2010, and its construction has been the largest element of the Border to Beaches project so far. The basic goal of the Border to Beaches project is to connect a series of small trails into one long trail stretching all the way from the Manitoba-Ontario border to the beaches of Lake Winnipeg, and the construction of this bridge was a major step in the process. There is also a shelter at one end of the bridge with benches and information about plants, animals, and geographic features of the region.

More information on the bridge here: http://www.mrta.mb.ca/WhiteshellRiverBridge-MoreInfo.htm

The Winnipeg River, as seen from the bridge

Some really interesting fungi we spotted along the trail.

I’m always surprised to see something this exotic-looking growing in Manitoba! (Referring to the bright orange fungi above, but the trees in the photo below… poplars are a rather more common sight.)

Yellow leaves in front of Lake Nutimik

Looking out over Sturgeon Falls, which is one of the top kayaking destinations in the world when the water is high. The water wasn't high this fall, but it's clear that the water is still quite choppy!

I was lucky to be with such a hardy group of friends because it was drizzling and windy for our entire hike – the wind was particularly wicked on this point, looking out over the falls.

Vegetation beside the shelter and information hut.

The trail to Sturgeon Falls is an ideal length for a day hike, and with the impressive new Whiteshell River Bridge as a feature this is an excellent spot for packing up a picnic lunch and heading out to see some of our provinces sights, both natural and manmade!

Andrea Davis

McGillivray Falls Self Guiding Trail

Setting out for the South Whiteshell area near Falcon and Westhawk, I was really doubting that it would be worthwhile to drive two hours each way just for an afternoon of hiking, but about ten minutes into the 4.1km McGillivray Falls Self-guiding Trail, I started to change my mind.

My brother and I headed out on a cloudy but pleasant afternoon, and despite the navigator (me) dozing off en route we were able to find our way to the McGillivray Falls Trailhead using just the Trans Canada Trail map, starting off on Highway 1. But as I mentioned in an earlier post about the Pinawa Trail, it would definitely be wise to have another map with you because the Trans Canada Trail map doesn’t show the province’s highways in great detail.

I’ve found the Trans Canada Trail map essential to finding trail heads and hiking routes, so here is a link from the MRTA website with information and a review of the maps, as well as locations in Winnipeg for purchasing them: http://www.mrta.mb.ca/transcndmaps.html

We started our hike at the McGillivray Falls Trailhead (marked on the map), where there is a parking lot at the entry point for the trail, with a well-kept outhouse, and a sign in the parking lot that had a box well-stocked with pamphlets featuring a map and information to take along on your hike.

The trail starts off at the Falls, which were still pretty without any water running after a very dry summer in Manitoba, but I’m sure it’s a spectacular sight when there’s water flowing!

McGillivray Falls on a very dry year. (To see the falls with something actually falling, check out this link – it’s about a dozen pictures down from the top. http://imagesofmanitoba.shawwebspace.ca/pages/view/-_scenic_and_city/)

One thing to note is that while the sign at the head of the trail suggests leaving three hours to complete the long loop, the two of us moderately fit twenty-somethings finished the trail in just under one and a half hours, without any real hurry. Picnic time must be counted in the three hours!

A spectacular view of the stream flowing through the bog, with McGillivray Lake in the distance. 

A fairly steep climb takes you to the top of a rocky ridge that surrounds the bog pictured above. While I have a mid to low tolerance for rugged terrain on bike trails, I find steep inclines and bumpy trails much more acceptable on foot and really like rugged hikes. The McGillivray Trail wouldn’t be ideal for those who prefer a smooth path, but it’s an absolutely beautiful hike, with varying scenery that includes views of McGillivray Lake.

McGillivray Lake

Birch logs laid down to make the trail

Hikers reading about the trail at the picnic spot overlooking McGillivray Lake

The trail was incredibly well marked with small arrows. We only strayed off the path once, which we became aware of within about thirty seconds then quickly and easily got back on track.

One of the flatter sections of the trail, with logs laid down for footing

In a couple places, the trail is marked with cairns.

Steep descent at the very end of the trail.

Since we finished the McGillivray Trail in less time than we’d planned to, my brother and I hopped back in the car and drove to the next access point, at the Caddy Lake campground. We didn’t get very far along the trail, but kilometre or so that we hiked featured a wide path on even ground that would be perfect for bike riding, or for anyone who prefers smoother hiking paths.

Boat launch at Caddy Lake 

Beginning of the Caddy Lake trail.

Birch trees near Caddy Lake

Here is a link from Whiteshell Provincial Park’s website with information about the McGillivray Trail:  http://www.whiteshell.mb.ca/mcgillivray/index.html

Andrea Davis

Pinawa Trail

In the brief window of time between the Manitoba back country travel ban being lifted and classes starting up, I took a day trip with my dad to go cycling on the Pinawa section of the Border to Beaches trail project. Even having a late start, probably around 10:30am, we had time to get to Pinawa (via the scenic route), spend a couple of hours cycling, and get home in time for dinner. The late start was due to a few oversights on my part, namely figuring out precisely where we were going, which is where going with my father proved to be an excellent choice, because he knows the province and its highways well.

The Trans Canada Trail map of the boreal shield provides a detailed enough close up of the town of Pinawa to figure out the parking locations and access points to the trail, but the highways aren’t marked with much detail so I would recommend having a more detailed highway map handy.

We parked right in the town in the parking lot across from the marina, to be specific, which was convenient because there is a supermarket nearby so if you’d like to purchase a refreshing post-adventure carton of chocolate milk you can, as well as any forgotten items or oversights.

The marina is also an excellent starting point for a hike or bike ride, because it’s in the middle of the Ironwood Interpretive Trail, a well- groomed, mostly gravel waterfront path with beautiful views of the Winnipeg River.

The shady Ironwood Trail with views of the Winnipeg River

The Ironwood Trail is on even ground, with a well-kept, mostly gravel path - an excellent all ages trail.

The Ironwood trail is just one part of the Pinawa Trail; it also includes the Pinawa Channel Heritage Walk and the Alice Chambers Trail, and it stretches all the way from the Seven Sisters Falls Generating Station west of Pinawa, to the Pinawa Dam North of the town. The Pinawa Trail covers 28 km in total, and given that most parts of the B2B trails do not form circuits, meaning that a return trip is necessary, that should be enough to keep even the most ambitious cyclists busy for a whole day!

The sections that we rode formed a little loop around the town of Pinawa, made up of the Ironwood Trail, the Pinawa Channel Heritage Walk, and a short stretch of gravel road. At 8.5 kilometres, it wasn’t a hugely ambitious bike ride  - experienced riders, or anyone with more than just a couple of hours to spend cycling would probably want to try the trails leading either to the Pinawa Dam or Seven Sisters.

The Pinawa Channel Heritage Walk is also spectacularly beautiful, with dense forests and rocky landscapes typical of the Canadian Shield, but it is not a smooth, even path. It was certainly well-groomed and well-marked, with signs and arrows from both the Trans Canada Trail (TCT) and the Manitoba Recreational Trails Association (MRTA) – the B2B trails are a trail completion project related to the TCT, so both will keep you on the right track!

The Pinawa Suspension Bridge - heads up to those with a fear of heights! Although narrow and built with stairs leading up to the bridge on either side, it can be comfortably crossed with a bike in tow.

But back to the Heritage Walk – its start and end points are the Suspension Bridge and the Diversion Dam, and the trail between is quite rugged, frequently crossing over long patches of exposed roots or rocky surfaces, as well and steep climbs and descents. In other words, excellent for mountain biking enthusiasts and hikers of all ages, but potentially unpleasant for less experienced or less adventurous riders. To be fair, we did choose to ride our bikes on a section of the trail that is called the Pinawa Channel Heritage Walk, and while I would count myself among the category of “less experienced riders” and found the more rugged patches frustrating and overall disagreeable, I think I should mention that my dad loved it, and wasn’t bothered at all by the bumpy ride or by having to dismount on particularly rough or steep patches.

The Ironwood Trail, on the other hand, is lovely to cycle on because of its nice even ground. At about 3.5 km, it would make for a great family hike because there is a playground, a beach, many excellent picnic spots with tables and benches, as well as an informational aspect, with signs discussing the area’s flora and fauna. It’s also excellent for wildlife sightings – we saw a total of seven deer on our outing! The Ironwood Trail also has washroom facilities in the form of port-a-potties (pardon me, I can’t seem to come up with a more elegant word for them), and as I mentioned earlier there is supermarket very close to the trail, and a cafe/restaurant as well.

Scroll down to check out some more pictures of the trail with brief descriptions!

View of the Pinawa Channel from the suspension bridge - worth conquering a fear of heights for?

A heavily treed section of the Pinawa Channel Heritage Walk. Exposed roots make cycling somewhat difficult, but the dense forest makes for a beautiful walk or cycle.

A picnic spot along the Ironwood Trail, overlooking the Winnipeg River.

A family of deer grazing along the Ironwood Trail.

Andrea Davis

Welcome!

The object of this blog is to inform visitors about the Border to Beaches Trail Project (B2B), which is a system of hiking and cycling trails located in Eastern Manitoba. If you’d like some more  information, check out the “Information” page on this blog, or the links to the B2B and Manitoba Recreational Trails Association websites.

On this blog, you will find posts describing personal experiences on the trails, complete with photos, and suggestions on the best places for family outings, great bike rides, picnicking, etc. We hope that you enjoy it, and that you might even be inspired to venture out and try the trails!