Outdoors in the Prairies... what's the best?

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

but whats oasis?

You know those artificial lakes (ie: retention ponds) they have in new suburbs like Island Lakes, and Lindenwoods?

Take one of those, and surround it with a trailer park. THAT is what far too many Manitobans were taught was the "outdoors".

[IntotheWest]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Better fishing, far fewer cottages, and just more remoteness in general. Also, some actual hilly terrain.

On a positive note, at least NO ONE has tried to claim the "Oasis" (locals will know what I'm talking about), nor the Birds Hill Park "lake" as a positive outdoor feature in Manitoba. There's hope for you folks yet!

True about NW Ontario...One of my good friends has a cottage around Blue Lake, and we go fishing there often. However, northern MB (north of Grand Rapids at least) is excellent as well...same with Sask. Incredibly beautiful as well - and Lake Winnipeg is actually clear up there.

I actually like Birds Hill Park - but would agree about the lake, you'd have to be on glue to go there when there's so many other opportunities.

Then again, locals also ski at "Spring Hill" (with a vertical drop of 33m) ;-)

[flatlander]

The lake at BHP is actually much nicer than it used to be . . . for what that's worth.

[1ajs]

how many plp know lynn lake is the sport fishing capital.. it services NW mb and NE sask.. good hunting up there to

[ibz]

Those Sask photos are amazing!

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by ryanE

Those Sask photos are amazing!

manitoba has areas like the ones shown in the sask pics so does alberta and north western onterio gota love the canadian sheild

[Only The Lonely..]

Originally Posted by Taller Better

Bird's Hill "lake" is a truly sad family "experience".

I dunno, a relatively nice beach 15 mins north on the highway from where I live isn't a horrible thing.

They cleaned up the beach quite a bit for the '99 Pan Am games.

[eemy]

I never expected to see a thread about the outdoors here. Anyway, I hope to take a trip out west and experience all this stuff first hand.

There were a few mentions about NW Ontario. For the person who mentioned the drive from Winnipeg to Dryden, try driving from Winnipeg to Fort Frances through Sioux Narrows. It's far more pretty and Hwy 11 isn't used half as much as 17. That said, the drive through Lake Superior Provincial Park on the north shore of Lake Superior has got to be one of the nicest drives in the province, if not the country.

As for lake areas, Kenora is good, and Lake of the Woods is popular, but once again there are far better opportunities further east. If you enjoy fishing, Rainy Lake has some of the best bass fishing in North America, and Quetico Provincial Park (the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in general) is absolutely unbeatable for backcountry canoe camping. The closest compareable areas I have heard of are La Verendrye Nature Reserve in Quebec and Algonquin in Ontario, neither of which come close to the possibilities in Quetico.

As for opportunities out west, I plan to climb Baldy Mountain in Manitoba while I'm there. It's supposedly just a short hike, and then I can boast about climbing the highest peak in Manitoba. I'm pretty certain it only gets harder after that.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by jeremy_haak

For the person who mentioned the drive from Winnipeg to Dryden, try driving from Winnipeg to Fort Frances through Sioux Narrows. It's far more pretty and Hwy 11 isn't used half as much as 17. That said, the drive through Lake Superior Provincial Park on the north shore of Lake Superior has got to be one of the nicest drives in the province, if not the country.

Agree with you on both counts. Not a lot of people have ever taken the drive down Hwy 11 though, so I wasn't sure if anyone would even know what I was talking about That, and it's a pretty intimidating road for those that are used to flat and straight. Nothing like running into a logging truck on a hairpin curve... The whole Sioux Narrows area is one of the many hidden gems of Canada.

My only complaint about Superior park is that a) you have to drive through the worst fog in the world, and b) it's so FAR from everything (unless you live in the Soo). But yeah. Driving through there in October, when the leaves are changing - AWESOME.

[flatlander]

That is the most beautiful drive in the world. Lake Superior PP has great camping too, right on the beach almost. I'll take that drive any day over flying.

[Arriviste]

/\ Disagree, for the drive through Waterton leaves renders you speechless. As does the Bow Valley Parkway towards LL.
Highway 11 is alright beautiful for sure, but by no means the best IMO. Not even close. I'd give a few routes in Nova Scotia and NFLD the nod well before 11. But thats just my opinion of course.

[Habanero]

Originally Posted by spiritedenergy

well, that's the "historical" point view, the point of view of white men settlers for whom land is only something that can be exploited and farmed. That's the same reason why Ontario is normally considered as Toronto and close areas... it couldn't be wronger.
Geographically, phisically, outdoors-wise, climatologically, and so on, Manitoba is not a prairie province.

Manitoba is a prairie province. Alberta, Sask and Manitoba all have parts of that are prairie whereas the rest of Canadian provinces don't. That's why we're called the prairie provinces. Alberta has the most prarie, but it makes up less than half of the province.

So Manitoba is mostly marsh and muskeg. Would you rather Manitoba be called the marsh and muskeg province?

[Kevin_foster]

^ The change in landscape from Foothills/Rolling Hills to Prairie is SO evident when leaving Edmonton eastwards. Almost immediately you get slapped in the face with the farming stick. It's very interesting how the transition is so apparent.. because if you go out of Edmonton Westwards you will immediately notice an abundance of spruce trees, hills, rivers and then soon enough, foot hills and mountains. Not so much flat farming land like on the east side.

Oh, and no one ever said Prairies were a bad thing :/ I think they can be very (very) beautiful....

[Habanero]

Originally Posted by flatlander

That is the most beautiful drive in the world. Lake Superior PP has great camping too, right on the beach almost. I'll take that drive any day over flying.

There are certainly some other drives that rank as the most beautiful drives.

-Calgary to Vancouver. Long, but spectacular and adventerous
-Calgary to Crowsnest past, down hwy 22. Beautiful scenery.
-Ottawa in and around the Gatineaus during fall. Spectacular colors.
-Okanagan Valley from Veron down to U.S. Border

[SHOFEAR]

Originally Posted by Arriviste

/\ Disagree, for the drive through Waterton leaves renders you speechless. As does the Bow Valley Parkway towards LL.
Highway 11 is alright beautiful for sure, but by no means the best IMO. Not even close. I'd give a few routes in Nova Scotia and NFLD the nod well before 11. But thats just my opinion of course.

In 1993 I got the opportunity to drive with my father in a 93 Dodge Viper (red with yellow wheels and sidepipes) and cruise down many of those awesome coastal roads in Newfoundland. I'm pretty sure that was the day I took an interest in cars.

[IntotheWest]

Originally Posted by SHOtime

In 1993 I got the opportunity to drive with my father in a 93 Dodge Viper (red with yellow wheels and sidepipes) and cruise down many of those awesome coastal roads in Newfoundland. I'm pretty sure that was the day I took an interest in cars.

Wow...I'm sure that would be fun. As a car fanatic though, I always thought that colour combination was over-the-top...a little too Ronald McDonald.

[SHOFEAR]

Originally Posted by IntotheWest

Wow...I'm sure that would be fun. As a car fanatic though, I always thought that colour combination was over-the-top...a little too Ronald McDonald.

Absolutly it was over the top. But is it any different from the old Mopars that came in lime green, purple, sky blue? For me when I think of a viper, thats the color combo I instantly picture. No doubt my experience has influenced that to a certain degree.

It did feel really odd to drive what was easily most desired car of that time, in one of the most economically depressed regions in the country. Saying everybody would drop the fishing nets they were mending or the boats they were loading to watch us tear through their community is an understatement. I'll never forget the crowd we attracted while filling up with gas in Clarenville. We pulled out of that station like we stole it. Clutch drop, fish tales and two of the longest patches of rubber I've ever seen.

[Just Build It]

Originally Posted by Habanero

There are certainly some other drives that rank as the most beautiful drives.

-Calgary to Vancouver. Long, but spectacular and adventerous
-Calgary to Crowsnest past, down hwy 22. Beautiful scenery.
-Ottawa in and around the Gatineaus during fall. Spectacular colors.
-Okanagan Valley from Veron down to U.S. Border

The drive through the Fraser Canyon is pretty awesome. I like the drive southeast of Calgary through Medicine Hat and southwestern Saskatchewan. Yeah it's flat, but you can see for miles. Very cool.

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by Just Build It

The drive through the Fraser Canyon is pretty awesome. I like the drive southeast of Calgary through Medicine Hat and southwestern Saskatchewan. Yeah it's flat, but you can see for miles. Very cool.

try not taking the trans canada alot better veiws!

[Stephen Ave]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

try not taking the trans canada alot better veiws!

It depends where you go. The Fraser Canyon is the trans canada, although it is at times slow, it is actually more scenic and interesting than the Coquihalla.