Backroad Mapbooks Ontario GPS Map Version 5 Now Available With My Greenbelt Trail Maps Included

Backroad Mapbooks now has Version 5 of their Ontario GPS Map available. Actually it has been available since the fall but I only checked for updates at the start of the Spring biking season.

I am very impressed with the Backroad Mapbooks product, as I state in my review on my “Richard's GPS Trail Maps” website.

Version 5 includes all of the Greenbelt Trail Maps on my ”Richard's GPS Trail Maps” web site. Indeed it includes all my trail maps on the site except for the Stittsville “Jackson Trails” Trail System, which I expect to be included with the next update. I provide them with the tracks for all of my maps and soon will be adding a map of the “Scissons Road Quadrant of the Old Quarry Trail System to the website.

Indeed the Backroom Mapbooks GPS map is the easiest way to use my maps on a Garmin GPS as they are already on the background map and do not have to be loaded. However if you do not have a Garmin GPS, or the Backroad mapbooks GPS map you can download the tracks from my “Richard's GPS Trail Maps” website.

Unlike Garmin, which is primarily a technology company, that purchases it's maps from third parties, likely at the lowest price possible, Backroad Mapbooks is a mapping company that had it start with the goal of mapping all the backroads of Canada and has now extended that goal to include trail systems

Backroad Mapbooks GPS Map Review (Ontario)

Read the review on my Richard's GPS Trail Maps site.

South March Highlands: The New Map

click on map to enlarge

Winter Biking

Well, I have actually got into the winter biking thing and pedalled over 230 km since December on the winter bike with the studded tires.

The Winter Bike
Most of my riding is around the communities of Bridlewood and Glen Cairn on the neighbourhood collector roads which are usually always clear. Lately due to the lack of snow even the side streets have been easily rideable.

The cold has been somewhat of a challenge, as biking adds about an extra 15 km/hr wind chill, so my rides have typically been limited to 15-20 kilometres.

I have to say that I am quite pleased and somewhat surprised at how well the cheap Supercycle performs, even the gears are shifting well despite the cold and slush, although I have been bringing the bike inside every week or so to clean and lube. I've been using pretty heavy lube - lithium grease and chain saw bar oil, which I am pretty sure would get the bike clogged up with gunk from the trails in the summer, but it seems to help protect from the salt and slush in the winter.

The studded tires are also fantastic. When I first started riding them I would look for every piece of ice I could to test them on. The other day I was over on some new subdivision roads where they have not been working in the winter and found lots of ice to tool around on and it was like riding on bare pavement.

The only problem with the cheap bike is the lack of suspension on some of the hard packed walking trails that are not cleared (gravel rather than pavement underneath) and even though they don't look so bad you can really feel the bumpiness without suspension so I don't usually last very long on those sections.

The actual forest trails are much smoother than that, and due to the recent trail conditions I was actually able to ride a few times on the Old Quarry Trail where the snow is packed enough that I just rode along top without sinking in, and wide enough I could ride alongside the ski tracks where there were any. Even people walking the trails are not sinking in. Other trail users seemed more amused than anything and I often stopped to chat with them. One asked me if I was patrolling the trail, probably because I had my yellow reflective vest on that I wear to be certain to be seen in traffic.

A Typical Ride on The Winter Bike (click to enlarge)
I am still looking forward to the new biking season and getting out on the good bikes but the winter bike is at least keeping me pedalling and it will be something to ride in the spring until they stop dumping bike-killing salt on the roads and paths.

Murdock River Paddling Route

Every summer we spend a week at a wonderful Bed and Breakfast in Northern Ontario called Whispering Pines on the Bay. We cannot describe it any better than our wonderful hosts do on their website.

Welcome to a little piece of Heaven on Earth. We invite you to join us to hear the peaceful call of the loon, the relaxing sound of waves lapping against a rocky shore, and the beauty of Northern Ontario. Bob and Peggy Fera invite you to join us for friendly hospitality, bountiful food, and a home away from home.

This is not an arrive late, leave right after breakfast kind of place but a real "home away from home" where you are always assured of meeting interesting people from all over the world.

Whispering Pines on the Bay is surrounded by wilderness, located approximately halfway between the City of Sudbury and Killarney Provincial Park and close to the French River.

It is located on Kakakiwaganda Lake, also known as Rock Lake, with fishing, boating and paddling opportunities. There are also old logging roads and ATV trails in the area suitable for mountain biking.

The Murdock River flows from Kakakiwaganda Lake to the French River and that is what this post is about.

I have been thinking of undertaking that paddling route with my kayak. We have paddled part way a few times but never undertaken the complete 32 km distance (as measured on the map) which includes several portages. I understand the number and difficulty of the portages depends on the water levels which do vary from time to time. But it is a navigable route.

So with that in mind I have put together a collection of maps of the route using the Canadian Topographic Maps, as well as LandSat satellite images. I also created a GPS track of the route from the map, so please note that the GPS route is not a track of an actual paddling excursion.

What follows are the maps I created. If you wish a copy of the GPS track (GPX format) or a PDF version of the maps suitable for printing at 8 1/2 by 14 inches (legal size) please email me at: richardw.woodley@gmail.com.

Click on Map Images to Enlarge Them
Garmin MapSource Map of GPS Track
Canadian Topographic Maps Combined
Canadian Topographic Map 1
Canadian Topographic Map 2
Canadian Topographic Map 3
LandSat Combined Views
LandSat View 1
LandSat View 2
LandSat View 3

Stittsville's Secret Trail System

click on map to enlarge
OK, it may be somewhat presumptuous of me to call it a secret trail system just because I was unaware of it. Actually, I knew there were trails back there as they connected to a trail/pathway that runs along the southwest edge of Stittsville that we ride on our hybrids. I always wondered where they went but I didn't expect them to be as extensive or as interesting.

The first section I checked out was the most southern section of trails. This includes sections that go over open grasslands and are not that interesting but, as anyone who has rode on grass will know, can be hard pedaling.

The most interesting trails went into the forest where some sections were marked with coloured ribbons. Parts of these trails were quite narrow with tree branches going into the trails, somewhat like old abandoned trails, except the ribbons suggest that they are possibly new trails that still need to be completely cleared. I followed the yellow trail till it seemed to disappear, then I noticed red ribbons and thought perhaps they just changed the colour of the ribbon. Later I ran into yellow ribbons again so I think I may just have lost the yellow trail and wandered onto the red trail. However, most of the trails do not have any ribbons or markings.

There are lots of intersecting trails in there. On the map you will notice numbered WayPoints that indicate intersections. If you do not see an intersection on the map it is because I have to go back and ride/map the intersecting trail.

At the northern end of the trail system are a couple of trails that go into areas where there are wooden structures and large 4X8 wood sheets. These look like they may be set up for paintballers to hide behind except that there are no signs of spilled paint, so maybe they are just play forts. It really is great for the neighbourhood kids to live in a small town and be able to go off by themselves and play in the bush. But then, I grew up in what was considered an urban neighbourhood, and we had rocks, and railway tracks, and a creek with quicksand, and even a slag dump to play around unsupervised.

In the middle section is a long trail heading towards Hazeldean Road. Somewhere past WayPoint 13 the trail deteriorates and at one point you realize you are no longer following a trail but are following deer tracks and are in the middle of dense bush struggling with your bike. That is when you do not want your GPS to fail because it is the only thing you have to lead you back to civilization. Luckily it led me to a fence along Hazeldean Road, where fortunately there was enough room under the wire to crawl through and push the bike through.

There really are some interesting features within this system, including a trail that runs along a creek, and a real interesting causeway/bridge over the trail with another alternative narrower more technical/difficult bridge a few feet further along.

There are quite a few sections where I had to walk my bike, not because the trail surface was technical but, to avoid being speared by tree branches growing into the trails. There were also some wet/muddy sections that could do with some trail work, but most of the trail work would consist of cutting back trees and brush along the trails.

This land is outside the urban boundary of Ottawa and from what I can tell from the Ottawa Zoning Map is partly zoned RU (Rural Countryside) and partly EP3 (Environmental Protection). I do not know who owns the land but there is certainly potential for a really fun greenbelt-like trail system here with a little/lot of work.

I hope to publish a complete map of the trail system (ride at your own risk) as it is as soon as I get the opportunity to ride and map all (or most of) the interconnecting trails.

click on map to enlarge

South March Highlands Trail Plan – Where Are The Environmentalists

Foreword:

After having time to reflect on the March Open House and read over more carefully the Display Boards, that are now posted on the City of Ottawa website, I have further reflections.

Unfortunately there is still not the detailed information available on the website that would be required to do a real comprehensive analysis of the proposed trail plan.

The Proposed Trail Plan and the Environment

When this process first began my main concern was reports of overzealous environmentalists wanting to close off all access to the South March Highlands. Ironically, the opposite seems to be the problem at the moment – an apparent lack of concern (as far as I can see) from environmentalists over the proposals to denaturalize significant portions of natural rugged single track trail. The more I look at the trail map the more I realize just how extensive the proposed denaturalization is.

The most glaring and troubling proposal involves the Trillium Woods, which has been identified as the most environmentally significant and sensitive portion of the management area. In the Trillium Woods the plan calls for turning the narrow natural trails into 2-3 metre wide compacted granular surface stone dust paths. One can only ask what are they thinking. The only possible reason for that is because of it's proximity to development and houses. As an environmentalist I find this to be unconscionable.

But the Trillium Woods is not the only part of the management area where the city plans to denaturalize narrow trails and turn them into wide hard packed paths as the map below shows.

Perhaps some compromise is necessary. And in that spirit I would propose that such paths be limited to Zone 3, the least significant environmental zone, and the zone that includes the area that attracted the broadest public interest, the Beaver Pond Area, and is thus, self-identified as the area where most people would want easy access.

In the more environmentally significant areas we need to do all we can to protect the natural environment, and that does not include building wide hard-packed paths through it.

As I have stated several times before on this subject in The Fifth Column:

As an environmentalist and serious hiker and mountain biker my first and primary concern is that the trails be kept in their natural rugged state and be retained as natural surface single track trails.

I call on all Ottawa environmentalists to rally together to protect this natural area and it's natural rugged single track trails.

Map of SMH Environmental Zones

Map of Proposed SMH Trail System

Description of Proposed SMH Trail Types

Further Information Resources
City of Ottawa - South March Highlands Conservation Forest Management Plan

Brunton Report 2008 - South March Highlands

Brunton Report 2004 - South March Highlands

THE FIFTH COLUMN: Submission re: South March Highlands Conservation Forest Management Plan Draft Trail Plan

THE FIFTH COLUMN: Submission re: South March Highlands Conservation Forest Management Plan

Submission re: South March Highlands Conservation Forest Management Plan Draft Trail Plan

This document is being submitted to the City of Ottawa South March Highlands Conservation Forest Management Plan public consultation process.

If you attended the March 2, 2009 public meeting please let the city know your views on the plan. If you could not attend the meeting become informed and make your views known.

For more information, or to make your views known, please contact:

David Miller
Program Manager, Environmental Sustainability
City of Ottawa
4th floor, 110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1J1
Phone: 613-580-2424, ext. 21447
Fax: 613-580-2459
E-mail: david.miller@ottawa.ca

You may also wish to let your city councillor know about your views.

Contact Information for City Councillors

Introduction

I am a lifelong environmentalist and outdoorsperson who hikes, mountain bikes, skis and snowshoes in the South March Highlands.

In this document “trail” will refer to natural rugged single track trails and “pathway” will refer to wide hard packed gravel-stone dust pathways. As there are no official trail names provided in the plan I will refer to trails according to the names on the Ottawa Mountain Bike Association (OMBA) Trail Map.

Reference Maps (click on maps to enlarge)

Ottawa Mountain Bike Association (OMBA) Trail Map


City of Ottawa Map of Proposed Trail System Annotated by Richard W. Woodley

(unfortunately the city's full colour-coded map of the proposed trails and pathways is not available to the public)

Overall Impressions of the Trail Plan

I have to say that the most important aspects of the plan are that it recognizes the principle of a shared trail system and the legitimacy of mountain biking as an activity on the trails. It also maintains the bulk of the existing trail system.

I do have concerns with some of the public perceptions out there and some calls for separate trail systems. My experience on the trails, whether on my bike or hiking, is that everyone shares the trails well with no problems.

Trillium Woods

The Trillium Woods Trail is currently a naturally rugged trail and a very enjoyable trail for beginner and intermediate level mountain bikers, as well as hikers. It would fit the yellow classification in the city's plan.

In my original submission to the city I stated:

As an environmentalist and serious hiker and mountain biker my first and primary concern is that the trails be kept in their natural rugged state and be retained as natural surface single track trails.

The Trillium Woods is described in the city's plan as the most environmentally important and sensitive part of the South March Highlands. That being the case I might have expected possible trail closures in that area. Indeed the Trillium Woods Trail has begun to widen and my recommendation would be for mitigation measures to be taken to restore the trail to its natural single track state.

However the draft plan proposes the most environmentally damaging option for the Trillium Woods Trail, and that is to turn it into a widened hard packed gravel-stone dust pathway.

The only possible reason for that is because of it's proximity to development and houses. As an environmentalist I find this to be unconscionable.

The Beaver Pond

The area along the Beaver Pond will have pathways.

I stated in my original submission:

There has also been the possibility of wheelchair access pathways suggested. Despite the potential benefits of this, I do not wish to see the natural ruggedness and wilderness-like nature of the protected area compromised. One possibility is to build such a pathway around the “Beaver Pond”. This would also provide a place for casual walkers to enjoy the forest without ending up on the rugged natural trails in their high heels or sandals.

Kanata Lakes

The remaining protected Kanata Lakes lands on the other side of Goulbourn Forced Road will also have pathways.

It will be sad to see the eventual loss of the natural trails in the old Kanata Lakes system but due to it's proximity to development and housing, it's distance from the main natural rugged trail system, and the small amount of area left and the desire to provide a balanced mix of trails and pathways, this may be a reasonable place to put pathways. To be honest, I really do not want to see the loss of these natural rugged trails but I am trying to be balanced and open minded here.

The Hydro Cut and New Pathway

The Hydro Cut is unsustainable as it is, being a mud hole for much of the hiking and biking season. It is appropriate to turn it into a pathway.

I have no comments on the new pathway at the end of the hydro cut.

Second Line Extension and Bear Claw Trail

The Second Line Extension was a forest road, although it has started to narrow in sections. I have no objections to it becoming a pathway.

Bear Claw Trail is a different matter. It is a wonderful fun beginner to intermediate level mountain bike and hiking trail. It would fit the yellow classification in the city's plan.

While I can accept the need for some easy pathways to serve all members of the public. I think what has been provided, including giving up all the natural rugged trails in the old Kanata Lakes System, is sufficient and another wonderful natural trail should not be sacrificed.

Trail Closures

It would have been nice to have some documentation on the reasons for the trail closures, though one can speculate that some of it was done to rationalize the system and eliminate duplicate parallel trails.

Closure of Easier Trails: Rockhopper Jr., Rockhopper Extension and M-Line (and Widening Bridges on Inner and Outer Thigh)

I can only speculate that these trails are being closed as a form of trail rationalization as they are relatively short sections of trail and overall the bulk of the trail system remains. M-Line may indeed be untenable due to its proximity to Terry Fox Drive (when built). However it is unfortunate as there is a limited amount of beginner level trails in the system.

As a mitigating measure, to increase the amount of beginner-friendly trails, I would propose that the Inner Thigh and Outer Thigh loops be made more beginner-friendly by widening the bridges to 24 inches, or eliminating them. There will still be sections of trail that are not beginner-friendly but that is the nature of natural trails and it provides an incentive to try something harder. However, the bridges are particularly intimidating to beginners because of their length and their narrowness.

Closure of the Southwestern Section of Rock Hopper

The plan proposes to close part of Rockhopper Trail, turning what was a loop trail into a dead end. Unless there is significant environmental reason (and none was given at the public meeting when I asked) it does not make sense to turn a loop trail into a dead end. This proposed trail closure needs to be rethought and the trail restored to its original loop. Incidentally the section of trail that is being closed is the easiest section of the trail.

Multiple Trails Combined Into One

There are a number of trails leading to Outback (Garter Belt, Ridgetop, Annex, Pasture and Gateway, etc.) where there are sections of separate trails running parallel and close to each other. While each of these trail does provide different terrain and riding experiences they are not all necessary to provide access to that part of the forest and I assume their conversion into one trail is based on the principle of trail rationalization.

Former Dark Side Trails

A number of trails that existed on former private property that has just recently been added to the city owned lands have been off limits for a number of years and were known as the Dark Side. The plan does not propose to reopen these trails but rather to close them. It would be useful to know the reasons for this decision. Without knowing that I cannot really support or oppose that decision.

Winter User Conflicts

As a cross-country skier I know that winter is the time when there are potential trail user conflicts, particularly with walkers who walk on the ski tracks making big holes that make skiing difficult.

Snowshoers tend to make their own separate trails, but even if they do go over the ski trails, they just flatten them rather than punching deep holes, making it still possible to ski the trail without too much difficulty.

Mountain bikers, on the other hand, tend to avoid the trails when they are skiable, because of the difficulty riding (and the fact that they would prefer to be skiing when the trails are skiable). Mountain bilkers prefer windows of opportunity when there is a freeze after a thaw (before more snow falls) and the trails are hard and frozen making ideal conditions for biking with studded tires but lousy conditions for skiing.

Public Education

The final, but perhaps most important part of the plan, should be public education on environmentally friendly and sustainable trail use, including respect for other trail users - share the trail. The education campaign should stress that trail users should stay on the designated trails. As well it should encourage trail users to avoid wet muddy trails but advise them to use the centre of the trail, not go alongside and widen it, if they do need to go through wet muddy sections.

Public education should also address the winter user conflicts and how to avoid them (don't walk on the ski tracks).

Signage at the trail heads should include large trail maps on the signs along with responsible trail use guidelines. As well pamphlets with a map of the trails and the guidelines should be available.

The Public Consultation Process: Lack of Information

In my response to the city's presentation at the April 30, 2008 Open House I stated:

Afterwards, I immediately went to the City of Ottawa website to see if I could review the maps and other documentation. However, as is usual whenever I go to the City of Website to look for planning or development information, I found it to be woefully inadequate.

It would be very useful if the public could access more details and background information on the City of Ottawa website in order to make better informed comments and suggestions.

The response I received from the city on May 12, 2008 was:

I noted your comment on the web site and I agree that we need to get materials there as we proceed with the process so I will be working to get material posted as soon as possible.

However nothing was posted and only recently very sparse information was posted on the City of Ottawa website at the link below.

City of Ottawa - South March Highlands Conservation Forest Management Plan

None of the information or maps from the Open House or the recent presentation of the draft plan are available online. At the March 2, 2009 meeting I was assured again that they will look into making more information available on the website.

It is very difficult for a member of the public to participate meaningfully in this process without adequate information. In particular, not knowing any of the actual reasons for trail closures has left me having to speculate in preparing my response to the draft plan. This weakens the public consultation process, and some may argue renders it meaningless. I would not go that far but my ability to fully participate in the process has certainly been reduced by the lack of information available.

For more general comments see also:

Submission re: South March Highlands Conservation Forest Management Plan

The South March Highlands - Kanata’s Outdoor Wonderland

For information on mountain biking in Ottawa see:

Ottawa Mountain Bike Association Web Site.

South March Highlands Management Plan Open House April 30

In November 2007 the Fifth Column discussed the South March Highlands Management Plan and the suggestion by the Kanata Environmental Network (KEN) that public use of the lands be kept to the periphery. Fortunately that view is not shared by any other environmental or user group, nor is it shared by the City of Ottawa.

If you want to know what is going on with the plans for the South March Highlands and want to have your say the public consultation process is about to begin. The first public meeting will be an open house from 7:00 to 9:00 PM at the Kanata Old Town Hall on March Road, near Klondike Road, on Wednesday April 30, 2008. This will be a relatively informal drop-in format as the consultants (Douglas and Ruhland Associates, landscape architects) “would rather engage and talk directly to those interested than have a formal presentation at this point in the process”.

Click here for a link to the Terms of Reference for the South March Highlands Management Plan, which includes the following information (extracts):

These forest lands include some of the most significant ecological features and functions within the City of Ottawa. It is the most ecologically diverse landscape in the City, overlies a section of the Canadian Shield and provides an exceptional natural environment experience. It also provides significant cultural and recreational resources with extensive use (hiking/walking and mountain biking being the two most prominent) by the immediate community, the larger City population, and in the case of some activities such as Mountain Biking, people living outside of the City.

Several issues have emerged in the area:

· The area is well known as a mountain biking and hiking/walking destination and at present, an extensive informal trail network has developed. There is the possibility that the location of certain sections of trail and/or the construction techniques that were used to build the trails are not necessarily consistent with the protection of natural values in the area. At the same time significant volunteer efforts have been made in recent years to implement lower impact trail construction techniques within the City owned conservation forest.

· Potential conflicts between users (nature appreciation, casual walkers, mountain bikers, hikers).

· Increased indirect impacts (edge effects, loss of interior habitat and connectivity ecological support systems) and use impacts as designated development areas build-out.

· There is no interpretative plan or efforts to direct the current range of users to protect or take advantage of features in the highlands.

· There is a lack of formal access or trail-head provisions.

· The need for a trail section or access for physically challenged residents has been raised.

· Limited existing tools to manage the form and intensity of recreational or other use in the area.

Objectives:

The overall objective is to design a management strategy that will provide long-term management direction for a 20 year period which provides for protection of the significant ecological features and functions of the South March Highlands while allowing users to experience the area through appropriate recreational activities in a way which is both manageable and sustainable in terms of the City’s, and stakeholder and user group resources.

The planning process will include:

· Participation in a project initiation open house to introduce the project to the community.

· Identification of use and management objectives through a stakeholder workshop and/or other consultation approaches to gain stakeholder input.

· Identification of opportunities for appropriate recreational use (open air recreation including hiking and biking, education, nature appreciation) and concerns related to inappropriate use and strategies to mitigate the effects of recreational use…

· Review and incorporation of best practices for low impact recreational use/trail development and management of near urban/urban natural features

· Develop detailed management recommendations

o Management of uses – where different uses should occur, how to control impacts.

o Management of future stressors (adjacent development, climate trends, invasive species)

o Recommendations related to connectivity to other landscape features within and outside the forest; and longer term strategic objectives for preservation of ecological integrity such as additions to the forest.

· Conceptual plan for infrastructure (recommendations for trail location, trail treatment, access).

o Trail location options (including an accessible trail)

o Trail treatment and design options

o Use management (signage, etc.)

o Access and potential trail head/ parking locations

o Interpretive resources (e.g. kiosk).

The Fifth Column hopes to see you all at the open house on April 30.