A snowshoeing gem close to town

Ottawans are fortunate to live in a city where green space and recreational trails are plentiful.

The region boasts the Capital Pathway with its 170 kilometres of multi-recreational routes. Sections of the Rideau and Trans-Canada Trails are nearby and easily accessible, and the Gatineau Hills are just across the Ottawa River in Quebec.

For something new and different, try a short drive south of the city to the Baxter Conservation Area. For just $5 per vehicle, this little gem of a site has a great deal to offer.

The 68-hectare Baxter Conservation Area falls under the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and includes five kilometres of multi-use trails. The open fields have trails meandering through a diverse environment with mixed forest, wetlands, a nut grove, and a section of the Rideau River shoreline. While snaking through the woods, users delight in the network of level trails that are well marked and wide enough for snowshoers. The Fiddlehead Trail offers a 2.2 km circuit that meets the Grouse, Cattail, Hare, and Alder trails. Each one is a delight – well worth exploring.

Resting benches are strategically placed throughout the area. You’ll find others by the bridged entrance to an inlet of the Rideau River and on various observation decks. These offer ideal locations for a moment’s rest and refreshment.

Along the trail, interpretive panels will entertain and inform you on such topics as fossil fuels, life along the water, the food chain, and the 1990’s Ice Storm. The main bridge off the Fiddlehead Trail leads to the Fillmore Park Nut Grove. This grove, which boasts over 30 varieties of nut- and bean-bearing trees and shrubs, was planted in cooperation with the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and the Eastern Chapter of the Society of Ontario Nut Growers.

While winter is not the ideal season to identify different types of nut trees, a visit to this section often entices visitors to return in warmer weather for further exploration. Here one can view such unique species as the Kentucky coffee with its unusual seedpods or the Chinese chestnut trees with their oblong waxy leaves and flowery clusters. The tall osprey nest and the pond area are focal points for the anticipated animation that heralds the warmth of spring.

Winter exploration challenges the nature detective within us to observe such environmental curiosities as seasonal changes, animal tracks, and fauna adaptation. As a means of travel, snowshoeing allows us to become attuned to the surroundings at a leisurely pace. A fresh blanket of snow provides an empty canvas for the artistry of squirrels, porcupines, rabbits, deer, lynx, coyotes, and fishers. Don’t forget to bring along your animal track and birding guides for quick and easy identification.

Watch for downy and hairy woodpeckers, black-capped chickadees, blue jays, white-breasted nuthatches, evening grosbeaks and flocks of snow buntings. Snowshoeing provides quiet transportation, so listen for bird songs that can lead to a rewarding visual encounter. While many birds frequent the feeders and forage for seeds on dormant plants, you may even see a hawk in search of food, or a hidden owl waiting for the cover of darkness.

The unobtrusive nature of snowshoeing provides many ideal photo prospects, too. While people and animals are frequently viewfinder favourites, many other wonderful opportunities of the season await you here. Light often plays a critical role in winter photography, so be on the lookout for appealing shadows in the trees and for reflections on snow. Nature itself is extravagant with exciting designs, so try to capture unique ice formations, unusual snow drifts, the colours of a setting sun, or an extraordinary winter still-life image. Ice-encrusted flowers, a melting droplet of water, or the beauty of a massive snowflake make excellent subjects.

The Baxter Conservation Area holds particular appeal for families as it offers the ideal introductory venue for youngsters to experiment with snowshoes. The open fields are an excellent training ground to let beginners get their footing prior to heading for the trails. When children have exhausted their interest in their newfound sport, the Baxter area also offers a small sliding hill, a pond that is occasionally used for skating, and a campfire area. The trails are multi-purpose and host numerous walkers, cross-country skiers, and snowshoe enthusiasts. For a luncheon or early dinner break, the area around the Conservation Centre has numerous picnic tables.

In addition to offering a diverse natural area to explore, Baxter Area Visitor Services offers educational programs to community groups. Winter topics include Instincts for Survival, Endless Energy, Winter Ecology, and Animals and Habitats.

Don’t sit at home thinking that winter is a lost season. Discover its many incredible delights. Head out to the Baxter Conservation Area and you’ll find a rewarding and fun-filled experience every time!