On this very full day, with a late return to Winnipeg, we will hike around the Souris area for ca. 15 km. and take in historic structures, geology and great southwestern Manitoba scenery along the way.
Come on a tour of the Mantario Wilderness Zone with Botanist and Canoeist Charles Burchill. Five days of paddling into or across 12 lakes, hiking the best part of the Mantario Trail, and learn about the area ecosystems. Learn fascinating bits about the names, ecology, edibility and uses of plants found in the area. All from the comfort of the Mantario cabin. More information and maps can be found here.
Join Roger for the rugged Hunt Lake Hike in Whiteshell Provincial Park followed by BBQ and potluck . Meet at 9 am at Red River Coop foodstore parking lot in Southdale on Fermor . Drivers will need provincial park pass.
Hike the scenic Lake Winnipeg shoreline in the Gull Harbour Area on Hecla Island Provincial Park and the Riverton Important Birding Area. Dinner afterwards at the Lakeview Hecla Resort.
**FULL** This TRIP is full! To be added to the waitlist for this trip, please email or call our office at info@naturemanitoba.ca or 204-943-9029
Monday: We will meet at the docks at Big Whiteshell at 9 am where we will get organized and depart on our adventure. Our journey to the cabin will take us between 5 and 8 hours. The first hour and a bit will take us to our first portage, where we will hike our gear and canoes into Crowduck Lake. We will head south on the lake, portaging into Richie Lake and into the backcountry. We will have lunch on a rock outcrop, go for a swim if interested and continue on to One Lake, Two Lake, and Three Lake with some interesting portages along the way. Our last portage takes us into Mantario Lake and the cabin near the south end. Once at the cabin, we will prepare our dinner and unpack. Swimming and relaxing in the sauna will cap the evening off.
Tuesday: We will start the day off in the morning on Mantario Lake, paddle to the south end of the lake, portage into Spider Lake where we will canoe next to a glacially sculpted granite wall until we reach the far south end. We will portage into Olive Lake where we will fish for Walleye for a few hours, a shore lunch (packed sandwiches), swim, relax, fish and return to the cabin in time to eat our catch (hopefully). If you don’t know how to fish, I can teach you. If you want to learn how to fillet a fish, I can teach you that too. And if you don’t like to eat fish, that’s ok, I can eat it for you. Fishing is not obligatory.
Wednesday: Possible activities include a day hike, fishing for Northern Pike on Mantario and/or a hike to the top of Mantario for some blueberry picking. The blueberries will be ready for eating and if we collect enough, we may even make a blueberry pie.
Thursday: You decide. A repeat of Tuesday or Wednesday or some other unplanned activities can include: Snorkeling Mantario! There are wonderful lake creatures to see such as crawfish, snails, and minnows and lots of interesting aquatic plants. Read your favorite book on a secluded part of the island
where you can read to your hearts content. It is your week at Mantario cabin to enjoy, so enjoy it the way you want. I will be there to guide you along the way. Mantario is one of the most beautiful places on our planet and I want you to enjoy it as much as I do.
Friday: We will return to the Big Whiteshell and our journey will be over. That is, until you come back for another Mantario adventure!
A little info on Marc Leclair (trip leader): I have been leading trips to the Mantario cabin for over 10 years; I have been paddling and exploring the backcountry for over 20 years. If you have any questions regarding Living off the Land week please contact the office and they will get you in contact with me.
This full-day hike (12-15 km.) features the historical military site of Camp Hughes, the new Assiniboine Food Forest trail in Brandon and other town trails.
Garden/Cycle Tour, cycling to various home gardens. Location TBA. Note: this tour is not the same as Nature Manitoba’s Garden Tour & Plant Sale scheduled for July 13/19.
This evening walk goes through the Transcona Community Bioreserve, the site of a former industrial plant that has been transformed into a naturalized park.
Enjoy some of the darkest nighttime skies in southern Manitoba from the idyllic setting of the Mantario Wilderness Zone. With a thin crescent moon not rising until early morning, we'll take advantage of the dark to learn to navigate the stars, be amazed at the majesty of the Milky Way, view the wonders of the Universe through a telescope, and possibly enjoy some Northern Lights and meteors.
Astronomy weekend isn't only for die-hard astronomers - all are welcome! During the day we'll travel by canoe and on foot, exploring the area as far and wide or as close to home as participants desire. Possibilities include hiking part of the Mantario Trail, an evening paddle to Sunset Hill, fishing, wildlife viewing, blueberry picking, and day trips to nearby lakes.
Enjoy some of the darkest nighttime skies in southern Manitoba from the idyllic setting of the Mantario Wilderness Zone. With a thin crescent moon not rising until early morning, we'll take advantage of the dark to learn to navigate the stars, be amazed at the majesty of the Milky Way, view the wonders of the Universe through a telescope, and possibly enjoy some Northern Lights and meteors.
Astronomy weekend isn't only for die-hard astronomers - all are welcome! During the day we'll travel by canoe and on foot, exploring the area as far and wide or as close to home as participants desire. Possibilities include hiking part of the Mantario Trail, an evening paddle to Sunset Hill, fishing, wildlife viewing, blueberry picking, and day trips to nearby lakes.
Join Rose for a rockin' hike through the 440 million-year-old quarries of Stony Mountain (collecting permitted) and Stonewall, tour the little village of Argyle which has a remarkable number of historic structures, and test out a small section of the 106 km.-long Interlake Pioneer Trail on the Prime Meridian. Registration commences July 24.
