Book paves the way through Manitoba’s trails

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This article was published 08/01/2021 (1921 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Jaime Manness loves to get her hike on.

Manness is the executive director of Hike Manitoba, and she recently released a new book called Hike Manitoba: Winter Edition.

Talking to The Lance recently, Manness said the 90-page book includes “carefully curated winter activities” including fat-tire biking, cross-country skiing, showshoeing and winter hikes that vary in distance and difficulty. It also features items on winter sport etiquette, and winter camp suggestions, as well as some tasty winter recipes.

Featuring hand-drawn maps, Hike Manitoba: Winter Edition also includes photos by local photographers and adventurers. In total, the book showcases more than 50 hikes — many are spread around the city and beyond, and all are within the province. Hike locations include St. Vital, St. Boniface, the Exchange District, East Kildonan, Transcona, Fort Whyte, Assiniboine Park and River Heights.  

Aside from her passion for hiking and her love of the outdoors, Manness — a clinical resource nurse at Health Sciences Centre — said another part of her motivation to write the book was to help alleviate the stress of her job. The book follows in the footsteps of a summer edition. Manness had originally intended to release them as one book, but decided to split them into two editions because of the volume of material she had.

Emphasizing the mental and physical benefits of getting out into nature — not least in the middle of a pandemic — Manness said that while she’s been hiking seriously as an adult for about a dozen years, she can trace her love of the outdoors back to childhood.

“I can remember hiking and skiing when I was little, and my family would hike until sunset,” Manness, 40, said.

“We’d sleep in a tent, and you were so exhausted you slept so well. I remember those were some of the greatest days.

“Nursing is tough and challenging, and it can take its toll. I started realizing the more I hiked, the better I felt. I was sleeping better and in better shape. It’s something to look forward to, and it’s a place to reconcile and regroup, if I need to.”

Depending on the time, day and location, Manness is sometimes joined on her hikes by her fiancé, Ed, and their dog, Jasper.

“Jasper’s a fearless little four-wheel drive dog. He knows what his hiking harness and bodypack looks like.”

Two examples of good local hikes in the south end of the city, Manness said, are the Bois-des-Esprits in Royalwood and La Barrière Park in La Salle.

“The Bois-des-Esprits is a lovely little trail, which is tucked away along the riverbank. I’m a huge fan of that trail, and there’s so much wildlife in that area. La Barrière Park is also very special to me, as my mom used to foster grey squirrels when I was growing up.”

In terms of the book, Manness said she couldn’t have anticipated such a positive reaction to its release.

“The response has been humbling. I’m so excited about the response I’ve been getting. It’s been really wonderful, and it’s been lots of fun and lots of hard work,” she said, adding the book has been “selling well” and that the third component of the series is “well under way.”

Another important feature of her books are the references to the “leave no trace” principles, which should be respected when individuals are spending time in nature.

“At the end of the day, it’s really just about leaving the wilderness wild.”

Visit hikemanitoba.co to learn more.