This Months Books and Maps
August-September 2005
This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
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by Diana Mumford
Paddling & Hiking Ontario’s Southern Shield Country by Kas Stone The Boston Mills Press, 2005, ISBN 1-55046-437-X$24.95 Cdn, 208 pp, color photos, maps, index www.fireflybooks.com The wilderness areas of Southern Ontario—the land bordering the northern shores of the Great Lakes—is an ancient and rugged country, with numerous beautiful places just waiting to be explored on foot and by paddle. The trips described in this guide to Ontario’s Shield Country combine flatwater paddling and hiking components, and are short enough to be completed in one day without requiring a car shuttle. The author devotes a chapter to each of twelve regions in southern Ontario, providing an overview, a map, and detailed instructions for several routes in each region. The distances of each leg of the journey, including portages if necessary, are included. Relevant camping and contact information, and suggestions for additional, more strenuous paddling and hiking opportunities in the region follow. Each chapter is illustrated with color photographs that help to clarify typical topography and vegetation to be encountered. Additional notes tell how natural and human history have had an impact on the country. The book ends with advice about the gear you need for paddling and hiking trips, and some considerations for travelling with a dog. |
by Northern Forest Canoe Trail Inc. The Mountaineers Books, 2004 full color, 2-sided contour trail maps. $9.94 US ea.
These trail maps are the first in a series of thirteen official maps planned by the organization that developed the 740 mile National Forest Canoe Trail, which flows through New York, Vermont, Quebec, New Hampshire and Maine. This water trail, the longest inland recreational paddling trail in the Northeast, follows historic Native American travel routes along the rivers and lakes in the region. The 2-sided, fold-out maps show put-in points, portages and campsites, as well as detailed route descriptions, and include local contact information, historical and nature notes and permit guidelines. Color photographs depict both the natural and human history of the areas covered by the maps. Sturdy construction, including water and tear resistance, will help to make these maps stand up to repeated, in-boat use. Now available: Trail Section 1: Adirondack North Country (West), New York Trail Section 2: Adirondack North Country (Central), New York Trail Section 4: Islands and Farms, Vermont Trail Section 8: Rangeley Lakes Region, Maine Trail Section 9: Flagstaff Lake Region, Maine Trail Section 11: Moosehead/Penobscot Region, Maine Trail Section 12: Allagash Region (South), Maine Trail Section 13: Allagash Region (North), Maine. |
Northern Forest Canoe Trail Maps
Waterfowl of Eastern North America by Chris G. Earley Firefly Books, 2005 ISBN 1-55407-057-0 $19.95, 158 pp, color photos, index This is a very useful field guide and birding primer for anyone wishing to observe and identify water birds. In fact, since many waterfowl are common to both coasts, this guide is useful for west coast observation as well. Each of fifty entries is well illustrated with excellent color photographs showing the bird swimming and flying. Descriptive notes call attention to each bird’s unique characteristics, including appearance, seasonal changes and sounds. Inset maps of North and South America on each page show the bird’s resident, breeding and winter range. Comparison charts help to identify the male and female of a species and to distinguish between similar looking birds. |
Birds of Canada Field Guide by Fred J. Alsop III Dorling Kindersley, 2005 ISBN 1-55363-046-7 $30.00, 576 pp, color photos, index www.tourmaline.ca With highly detailed profiles of 524 species of birds that occur in Canada, this field guide is a comprehensive birder’s resource. Descriptions of appearance, breeding and nesting habits, behavior and songs, as well as notes about populations and conservation efforts, are accompanied by diagrams of flight patterns, range maps and lists of similar birds. Photographs of each bird are labelled to call attention to characteristics that assist with identification. An extensive introduction to bird watching and a glossary of birding terms add to this excellent guide’s usefulness. |
A Camper’s Guide to Ontario’s Best Parks by Donna Carpenter The Boston Mills Press ISBN 1-55046-443-4 $19.95 Cdn, 168 pp, b/w maps Especially for people looking for a camping destination accessible by car, this guide to Ontario’s parks is a great reference to compare different parks. The province is divided into five regions, with the best parks for campers identified in each. The forty-four parks described are rated with a numerical scale in terms of facilities, activities and natural beauty. The text is organized under consistent headings: Natural Environment and History, Special Activities (including organized activities run by park staff), Campground, Local Attractions (outside the park) and Fast Facts (number of sites, supplies available, facilities in the park, etc.). With so many parks to choose from, this guide will narrow your choices and help to make your camping experience the one you dream about, whether you are looking for solitude or entertainment for your children. |