Continue reading »]]> Hiking in Ottawa is a series in which I report on the different trails within driving distance of Ottawa. Ottawa is great for easy family hikes or for biking but for challenging hikes, it is terrible. In my quest to find the perfect trail, I plan on logging every hike I do.

Last Friday, I had a urge to hike but with my busy weekend scheduled, it seemed unlikely. However, I thought, why not go really early while everyone is still asleep? It’s not like I’m not used to waking up early; I get up for work at 5:30AM every weekday morning! So I set my alarm for 5:15AM and, after a light breakfast, took my Kestrel 32, my water bladder, and my DSLR, and left for the Wolf Trail (Trail 62).

I think that was the best idea I had in months… outside of work, of course! The trail was empty (I met about half a dozen other hikers/runners) and the light was magnificent. On top of it, there was absolutely no traffic getting there.  My guess is that at 6:30AM, most of the trails should be mostly empty and the temperature is still bearable. The only concern I have with early hikes is larger animals roaming ( countered with a bear bell) and mosquitoes, due to the higher humidity / lower temperature.

Continue reading »]]> Hiking in Ottawa is a series in which I report on the different trails within driving distance of Ottawa. Ottawa is great for easy family hikes or for biking but for challenging hikes, it is terrible. In my quest to find the perfect trail, I plan on logging every hike I do.

Like most trails within an hour of the downtown core, Wolf trail is located in the Gatineau Park, more precisely, on the West bank of Lac Meech. The easiest and fastest way to reach the trail parking (P13), which, unlike most, isn’t free, is by highway 5 and exiting at Old Chelsea. The parking is split in two and the first section is always full; I recommend parking at the second section. Wolf trail is a 9 km long and forms a loop which is approximately 300 meters from the parking. Since it is a loop, hikers have the choice to walk clockwise or counter-clockwise. From my experience, the counter-clockwise walk seemed to have steeper and less frequent uphill sections while the clockwise hike seemed to be a never-ending uphill journey. Without any stops, the hike should take between 2½ and 4 hours depending on your fitness level. Below is a capture of the map found on the NCC website.

Hiking without stopping on this trail is hard. Not because it is physically challenging but because there are too many great lookout with splendid views. In particular, the Tawadina lookout, overlooking the Ottawa River valley, makes a great resting place to stop and enjoy a snack or light lunch. On weekends, expect a few groups to be resting on the bare rock.

Overall, the Wolf trail is a great hike and workout. It is not the perfect trail but it is a very interesting way to spend an afternoon. The downsides of this hike is the cost of the parking ($10, I think) and the amount of other hikers on the trail (I can get busy on weekends), although it does not feel overcrowded like Luskville Falls does.  I also feel it is not long enough. I will be looking into extending the hike by using Trail 38 to reach Trail 40 and Trail 2. Here are some pictures I took on my last hike.

Wolf Trail -- April 22, 2012 -- 1

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 5

Meta data

Camera / Type	NIKON D90
Aperture	F 18
Focal Length	14 mm
Shutter speed	1/80 sec
Date / Time	April 22, 2012 2:31 PM

Incoming search terms:

• ottawa hiking blog
• trail 62 gatineau park fastest time

Continue reading »]]> Disclaimer: I did buy the products (desktop and iOS) and I am not affiliated in any way to YouNeedABudget.com.

Budgeting has been part of my life since I started working. You see, I have always been the frugal type. When I was young, I always questioned my spending. I would rely on three criteria: necessity, value and money availability. The end result was that I accumulated much more than I spent. Then, I got a part-time job and I started spending much more. It was either the, somewhat, steady inflow of money or simply that I was getting older and actually had reasons to spend but I quickly found the need to budget. I started and used an Excel spreadsheet all the way through university. Then, I bought an iPhone and started looking for apps to help manage my budget on-the-go. My criteria were simple; it had to replace my Excel spreadsheet without requiring me to re-learn to budget and had to have a desktop application with synch abilities.

I tried a few but always went back to my trusty Excel spreadsheet. Then, I found YNAB, or You Need A Budget, the perfect match. It turns out that YNAB is not only a product but also a budgeting technique. However, the technique they propose is identical to my budgeting technique. Perfect match! The method proposed is outlined on their website (http://www.youneedabudget.com/method). To summarize, there are four rules: give every dollar a job, save for a rainy day, roll with the punches, and stop living paycheck to paycheck.

Now, onto the $60 software; YNAB propose an application that is easy to use and intuitive. It allows the user to create categories to budget and accounts to track the money flow. There is no bank integration, which, in my opinion is a plus as I prefer to keep my banking logins private. All of the features are listed on this page: http://www.youneedabudget.com/features. The iOS application allows the user to log expenses and monitor the budget but not to change it. It also syncs on Wi-Fi only. The downside is that it costs an additional $4.99 to buy; I think it should be free as it requires the desktop version in order to function.

Overall, this application is perfect for those already applying a similar method to their finances. For those who do not, it might require some effort to switch over but I think it is worth the trouble. I also think the mobile applications (iOS and Android) should be free. You can try YNAB at http://www.youneedabudget.com/ and see how great of a tool it is!

Continue reading »]]> This is my personal blog. Here, I plan to address a few subjects that are of particular interest to me: in no particular order, photography, hiking, technology, alcohol (rum in particular), and cigars. I plan on writing reviews, opinions, tips and sharing some thoughts, pictures, and more. This blog does not have a particular goal other than sharing my thoughts and opinion with others, thus this blog will not feature any advertising; I will also avoid posting referral links. I stand by the products that I suggest and I have no plans to get you to buy crap you do not need.