Chris and I decided to try hiking the part of the Ganaraska trail north of County Rd 45, across from the Sommerville Tract trails we did in the early spring. We'd hoped to make it to the Goodoar lakes for a bit of a picnic then head back to the car.
First off...finding the trail was a bit of a challenge. I knew we'd have to go down the road a bit, but we ended up getting sidetracked by an ATV trail and headed down it to explore for a bit. According to one map I have, the Ganaraska has two options for north of Rd 45, and since the ATV trail gate had a Ganaraska symbol on their sign, we thought it might be the one shown. There were none of the white flashes usually used to mark the trail though, so we weren't sure.
We never got far enough down the trail to see if it did join with the other leg. Actually, I'm surprised we even got out of the car. As soon as we pulled into the parking area, the car was swarmed. I seriously thought we'd disturbed a hornets nest or something, but it was deer flies. It was crazy. I've never in my life seen that many deer flies.
Chris had a hoodie in the car and I grabbed a spare t-shirt left in the back seat after a recent trip to the beach, and used it to cover my head. It was brutal. There were so many deer flies on the back of Chris's hood, it looked like he'd been hit on the back of the head with a ball of mud the size of a baseball, and the cloud of them circling was insane. I would have taken pictures but I needed both my hands to hold the t-shirt tightly to over my head.
It was rather disappointing. I thought I'd handled all the possible issues we might have, I'd brought maps so we didn't get lost, I had the GPS, extra water...okay so I forgot to wear decent shoes and only had my $4 Walmart flip-flops on, but I never considered the deer flies would be that bad. Mosquitoes, sure...even a few deer flies, but over 50 of them on each of our heads, plus swarms buzzing around us? Not so much.
The problem with deer and horse flies is that bug spray doesn't even faze them. I did a bit of research online to see what other outdoors enthusiasts recommend and found a huge range of possible solutions...
1 - wear a feather on top of your hat...the flies swarm the highest point (usually your head) so they go for the feather rather than your scalp...you can also use a fern if there are any nearby.
2 - make loops of duct tape with the sticky side out and stick them all over your hat. The deer flies land...get stuck and are no longer a problem.
3 - bug hats and suits. These work until the flies realize they can't get a meal from your head and start searching out exposed spots like hands and ankles. Really, if they are bad enough to warrant full body covering, including gloves, you might just want to stay inside. Deer flies like the heat, so chances are it'd be way to hot to be covered head to toe.
4. One person suggested taping a blue plastic cup to your hat that has been painted with the kind of sticky bug trap goo you get on those dangly fly strips. She tried it out and it worked well for her, but I gotta say, I'd feel pretty silly walking around with a cup taped to my hat.
Probably the best solution is to avoid areas where deer flies are happiest. The females lay their eggs in swampy areas, but for feeding, deer flies prefer hot, dry weather and are usually found where the terrain is sand or gravel. Of course, that means you'll miss out on a lot of hiking, canoeing and general fun.
Anyone else have any solutions for dealing with deer flies?
Showing posts with label hiking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hiking. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Having fun without blowing your budget
Every spring, I make a vow to get the kids out doing lots of fun things during their summer break. Lots of swimming, hiking, geocaching, and camping, with some visits to places like the zoo or the science center. My plans usually fall apart when reality hits and I realize, after our first trip, just how much gas it takes to haul our camper any distance, or how expensive it can be to stop at the grocery store to grab a few things for a last minute picnic lunch.
Compared to a lot of other trips, camping is fairly inexpensive. If you look at the cost of spending a day in an amusement park with a family of four, and how much it costs to spend a day hiking, with a picnic, the difference is significant but it can still get pricy.
Two nights of camping in a provincial park costs about $100 for the site. On a trip to Algonquin last summer, where we didn't do much extra driving, we put about $160 worth of gas in our SUV (keep in mind we were towing a 13' fiberglass camper) and food wise, we probably spent another $150 (including a lunch at the Visitor Center cafeteria.) Compared to 2 nights in a hotel, dining at restaurants three meals a day, it's still cheaper, but it was still a good chunk of money for us at the time.
With the price of food and gas rising, a summer full of even day trips to places that don't charge admission can tax your budget. Then there are the times unexpected expenses crop up that leave little for fun trips. I know it's advised to have an emergency fund to cover those costs, but lets face it, not all of us do. If you plan ahead you can enjoy lots of outings without dipping into your normal grocery budget, or taxing your normal gas budget.
1) Start a summer-fun-fund
By putting money aside every month, all winter long you can cover the cost of gas, at least some it, for those times when money is tight.
2)Book campsites early when possible.
By booking early (Provincial Parks let you book up to 5 months in advance of your arrival date) you aren't paying for reservations while also covering the other costs of your trip. Not only that, but you get a better range of sites to choose from. Those beautiful sites on the water, with lots of privacy? They go fast, so plan ahead. If you want to arrive on July 13, you can book that site as of 7am on February 13th. It doesn't always mean you'll get the site. Since you can book a trip for more than one night, (up to 23 nights I believe) it's possible someone has already booked it as part of a longer trip.
3) Create a camping stock pile
When pancake mix comes on sale, grab an extra box. Make a list of foods you usually take with you camping, or items you usually pack into a picnic. A lot of them have long shelf lives, so when they come on sale if you grab a few and set them aside, you'll be reducing the amount of money you'll have to spend last minute. We tend to be really bad for this. We stop at the grocery store on the way to the campground to buy our supplies. Not only are we paying full price for things, we tend to add impulse items that we don't really need. Also, keep in mind the things you tend to pick up at the campground's store (if they have one) the prices tend to be a bit higher there, so if you know you'll probably end up buying candy or chocolate bars, it makes sense to have bought some before hand for a lower price. If you can get them on sale, and add some coupons, you'll be saving a lot of money. The only issue now is not to eat them before hand. Try keeping these items in a storage box, or hidden somewhere. If you can't see them all the time, you'll be less likely to dip into them.
Keep in mind expiry dates, and don't go overboard. This isn't Extreme Couponing, you don't need 150 boxes of granola bars, or 800 bottles of sports drink. Don't buy things you won't use.
4) If you do a lot of back country camping, consider dehydrating your own meals. There are a lot of good videos on youtube with recipes and how-to-advice. There is a bit of a learning curve, but it can save you a lot of money compared to buying the dehydrated meals sold in stores. Think drying your own food will limit you to basic, boring fare? Think again. There are some fabulous books full of recipes that are anything but boring. Think Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup, Shrimp and Herb Pasta, Blueberry Pancakes and so much more. You can also make your own fruit roll-ups and know that your kids aren't getting a bunch of added sugar and preservatives. I'll be writing more on this topic in the future.
5) Find local trails and destinations. I bet there are more options close to home than you might think. Check out Ontario Trails for your region and see what you can find. Also, there are still some places where it's possible to backpack or canoe camp on crown land, so there is no permit required and no fee.
By planning ahead, it's possible to enjoy a summer full of exploring and adventure, without hurting your budget.
Compared to a lot of other trips, camping is fairly inexpensive. If you look at the cost of spending a day in an amusement park with a family of four, and how much it costs to spend a day hiking, with a picnic, the difference is significant but it can still get pricy.
Two nights of camping in a provincial park costs about $100 for the site. On a trip to Algonquin last summer, where we didn't do much extra driving, we put about $160 worth of gas in our SUV (keep in mind we were towing a 13' fiberglass camper) and food wise, we probably spent another $150 (including a lunch at the Visitor Center cafeteria.) Compared to 2 nights in a hotel, dining at restaurants three meals a day, it's still cheaper, but it was still a good chunk of money for us at the time.
With the price of food and gas rising, a summer full of even day trips to places that don't charge admission can tax your budget. Then there are the times unexpected expenses crop up that leave little for fun trips. I know it's advised to have an emergency fund to cover those costs, but lets face it, not all of us do. If you plan ahead you can enjoy lots of outings without dipping into your normal grocery budget, or taxing your normal gas budget.
1) Start a summer-fun-fund
By putting money aside every month, all winter long you can cover the cost of gas, at least some it, for those times when money is tight.
2)Book campsites early when possible.
By booking early (Provincial Parks let you book up to 5 months in advance of your arrival date) you aren't paying for reservations while also covering the other costs of your trip. Not only that, but you get a better range of sites to choose from. Those beautiful sites on the water, with lots of privacy? They go fast, so plan ahead. If you want to arrive on July 13, you can book that site as of 7am on February 13th. It doesn't always mean you'll get the site. Since you can book a trip for more than one night, (up to 23 nights I believe) it's possible someone has already booked it as part of a longer trip.
3) Create a camping stock pile
When pancake mix comes on sale, grab an extra box. Make a list of foods you usually take with you camping, or items you usually pack into a picnic. A lot of them have long shelf lives, so when they come on sale if you grab a few and set them aside, you'll be reducing the amount of money you'll have to spend last minute. We tend to be really bad for this. We stop at the grocery store on the way to the campground to buy our supplies. Not only are we paying full price for things, we tend to add impulse items that we don't really need. Also, keep in mind the things you tend to pick up at the campground's store (if they have one) the prices tend to be a bit higher there, so if you know you'll probably end up buying candy or chocolate bars, it makes sense to have bought some before hand for a lower price. If you can get them on sale, and add some coupons, you'll be saving a lot of money. The only issue now is not to eat them before hand. Try keeping these items in a storage box, or hidden somewhere. If you can't see them all the time, you'll be less likely to dip into them.
Keep in mind expiry dates, and don't go overboard. This isn't Extreme Couponing, you don't need 150 boxes of granola bars, or 800 bottles of sports drink. Don't buy things you won't use.
4) If you do a lot of back country camping, consider dehydrating your own meals. There are a lot of good videos on youtube with recipes and how-to-advice. There is a bit of a learning curve, but it can save you a lot of money compared to buying the dehydrated meals sold in stores. Think drying your own food will limit you to basic, boring fare? Think again. There are some fabulous books full of recipes that are anything but boring. Think Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup, Shrimp and Herb Pasta, Blueberry Pancakes and so much more. You can also make your own fruit roll-ups and know that your kids aren't getting a bunch of added sugar and preservatives. I'll be writing more on this topic in the future.
5) Find local trails and destinations. I bet there are more options close to home than you might think. Check out Ontario Trails for your region and see what you can find. Also, there are still some places where it's possible to backpack or canoe camp on crown land, so there is no permit required and no fee.
By planning ahead, it's possible to enjoy a summer full of exploring and adventure, without hurting your budget.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)