Hike the Highlands Festival https://www.hikethehighlands.com

I have learned over the years several lessons and tips to being prepared for spring hiking especially in the highlands of Cape Breton. They are: 1) Expect snow in May on trails, 2) expect high streams and difficult wet crossings. 3) Use hiking or trekking poles for balance and stability. 4) Wear...Read more

A new year has begun, 2015, and it is time to start preparing for the upcoming hiking season.  The first order of business is to do an inventory of your equipment, review the condition of the equipment and see what needs to be replace before the season starts. Here is a checklist to help you...Read more

Lets face it, you can’t wait for perfect conditions or time to hike. The key to hiking in the rain is preparing for it. Here are 5 tips and more to help you get ready. 1)  Wear Breathable Rain Gear – it must be waterproof not water resistant. 2)  Clothes –  a) Base-layer...Read more

  Trail conditions are unpredictable in the spring so hikers must be prepared for everything.  There can be snow on the trail,  muddy and soft conditions,  over flowing streams and brooks from spring meltdown, windfalls, and much more. Hikers can be prepared by having the following...Read more

Hike the Highlands will be helping people stay active this winter and hosting three guided snowshoes hikes. The snowshoe hikes are part of  the Hike Nova Scotia winter series.  The 1st one is a full moon hike on Freshwater Lake trail, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Ingonish Beach, on...Read more

It was a day full of surprises….first the weather changed from an overcast day to hot sunny day – 20 plus degrees. Then I saw my first spruce grouse of the year.  At the 1st look-off, I caught up with and met a nice couple from Pennsylvania who were bird watchers. We had a nice...Read more

Like most hikers at this time of the year, it is hard to say no when the warm weather hits and its a beautiful day out there.  Off we went to the Red Island trail, Indian Brook, on Cabot Trail.  There was alot of discussion – will there be snow on the trail, can we […]Read more

With the 2011 Hike the Highlands festival starting in less than a week, it is important to have your checklist ready for hiking so you pack your daypack  and enjoy the day hiking, 1) Weather reports – always check the weather reports before you start out hiking for the day. You can then pack...Read more

Despite some hot weather recently, the 2011 summer, has been a mixture of rain, showers, drizzle and fog. Here are 5 tips to help you hike in the rain : 1)  Equipment – a) daypack with a rain cover. If your daypack doesn’t have one, invest in one,  b) rain gear – pants &...Read more

With just 5 weeks away, it is time to start planning and preparing for the Hike the Highlands Festival, Sept. 9-18, 2011.  Here are some tips: 1) Determine your Hikes  – Review the list of hikes scheduled ie. trail description, photos & map. Determine the ones you would like to do and...Read more