http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/blogs/babaluk en-gb Sat, 18 May 2013 05:14:30 CDT http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/blogs/babaluk/Asessippi-112815274.html This blog is titled Manitoba Parks: A(sessippi) to Z(ed) Lake. I travelled to Zed Lake early on in the journey, but after visits to 75 provincial parks I still had not been to the “A” park from the title, Asessippi Provincial Park. That all changed the weekend before Christmas, when... Mon, 3 Jan 2011 16:06:29 CST http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/blogs/babaluk/Winter-in-the-Whiteshell-112012099.html Whiteshell Provincial Park is one of Manitoba's largest and best known provincial parks. At roughly 2,800 square kilometres in area and stretching from the Winnipeg River in the north to Falcon Lake in the south, from the Ontario border in the east to Seven Sisters Falls in the west, the park is home to hundreds of lakes and thousands of cottages. It is a recreational playground in all seasons. Mon, 3 Jan 2011 13:14:14 CST http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/blogs/babaluk/Breaking-Trail-at-Birds-Hill-111200994.html November's near record snowfall may have been a nightmare for the people in charge of Winnipeg's snow removal program, but it was a lucky break for me. Mon, 6 Dec 2010 13:50:02 CST http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/blogs/babaluk/Historic-Hecla-109007869.html Fall is an interesting time of year for Manitoba's provincial parks. The busy summer season is over and the winter recreation season has yet to start up. Most parks are extremely quiet. Hecla/Grindstone Provincial Park is no exception. The lack of crowds makes this a great time to visit the park. Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:22:15 CST http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/blogs/babaluk/Provincial-Parks-in-your-Backyard-106646294.html My journey to visit all of Manitoba's 77 road-accessible provincial parks has taken me thousands of kilometres from Winnipeg to every corner of the province. When people think of provincial parks, they think of a getaway from their urban habitat, so it may surprise most people that Winnipeg is home to several provincial parks. This past weekend, I travelled from one end of Winnipeg to the other to visit three existing parks and the future home of another. Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:23:45 CST http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/blogs/babaluk/Fall-beach-weekend-105354898.html The beaches were empty and most cottages stood shuttered for the season. The leafless trees provided a stark landscape. The west side of Lake Winnipeg is a different place in the fall. There are very few cottagers remaining and the lakeside towns have mostly closed up shop for the season. Only the locals remain. Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:24:26 CST http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/blogs/babaluk/Walking-through-the-tall-grass-104418479.html The end of summer meant time to scale-back the road trips and buckle down for the current school year. There will be no more 13 hours drives and no more camping, but the journey isn't over. Thirteen parks remain (of the original 77) to be explored. After a two week absence, Manitoba Parks: A to Z is back, with this week's stop at Beaudry Provincial Park. Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:25:01 CST http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/blogs/babaluk/The-return-of-the-snakes-103647064.html Red-sided garter snakes travel great distances every fall to return to their winter dens near Narcisse, Manitoba. Tens of thousands of these snakes migrate back to the limestone crevices that serve as winter homes, using what scientists believe are "scent trails" left by snakes travelling ahead. When fall rolls around, the central Interlake is inundated with these migratory snakes. Mon, 27 Sep 2010 10:45:10 CDT http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/blogs/babaluk/Final-northern-adventure-103074324.html The September long weekend marked a major accomplishment for me. I've made it through the most difficult part of my quest, visiting all of northern Manitoba's road-accessible provincial parks. The trip to Bakers Narrows, Grass River, and Clearwater provincial parks, was my third journey north this summer. Like the previous two trips, it was tough to leave and return to Winnipeg. Fri, 17 Sep 2010 16:55:53 CDT http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/blogs/babaluk/Mountain-Marathon-102562919.html The sun was shining, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the temperature was pushing 30 degrees Celsius. It was a beautiful day in the Porcupine Hills of western Manitoba. The problem was that even though it was a beautiful summer day, we spent most of the day in the car. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:06:04 CDT