'Really incredible thing to do': The benefits of hiking in Manitoba

Oberman said interest in hiking definitely spiked during the pandemic, but many of those who took up the hobby are still getting out on the trails. (Source: Mira Oberman)

More Manitobans are enjoying hiking as a way to get exercise, connect with nature, and relieve stress in their daily lives.

Jaime Manness has been hiking ever since she was a little kid.

"That was my family's holiday, was heading out to parks across the province and doing a lot of camping and hiking," she said.

Manness lost interest in hiking until later in life, when she started working as an emergency room nurse. She found she needed something to relieve the stress.

"It’s a pretty tough job, so I thought I would try to find something to bring a little bit more balance to my life, and it turned out it was the woods," she said.

More than 15 years later, Manness tries to get out on a hiking trail at least once a week. She says a long, multi-hour hike helps clear her mind.

"I've always said that when I'm hiking I can do my best thinking, but I almost think it’s the opposite," she said. "When I'm hiking and camping, I don’t have to worry about anything at all and I can just focus on the things that are right in front of me…really tuning in to who I am and what my needs are in those moments."

Manness has become somewhat of a hiking expert in Manitoba, self-publishing a series of books on the subject. She's currently working on a website to help people find good hiking trails across the province.

"I was always getting messages, 'hey can you recommend a good hiking trail?'" Manness said. "I just found that I had information that people might like to know about."

Manness launched her first book of Manitoba hiking trails in June 2020, at the height of the pandemic.

She said the timing couldn’t have been better, as people were looking for new things to do outside.

"It was well-received across the province, I built a happy little community online and on the trails," said Manness.

Mira Oberman is also a lifelong avid hiker. The director of communications and public programs at the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society's (CPAWS) Manitoba chapter says hiking is in our DNA.

"If you imagine thousands of years of human evolution, we used to be outside all the time," she said. "And modern life brings a lot of stress that comes from things like traffic noise that you don't even notice until you get away from it. So the kind of health and wellness benefits of getting outside in nature, and especially on hike, which takes you away from city noises - there's too many to count."

Oberman said hiking has many health benefits. "It's been proven to reduce signs of ADHD, it's been proven to reduce stress hormones, increase heart health, help battle obesity, and a whole bunch of other things," she said. "And it's also just really fun!"

Both Oberman and Manness follow the Leave No Trace principles, seven guidelines to help people enjoy spending time in nature and wilderness without having an impact on it. (Source: Mira Oberman)

Oberman said interest in hiking definitely spiked during the pandemic, but many of those who took up the hobby are still getting out on the trails.

"What was kind of wonderful about the pandemic was that so many people who might not otherwise have been introduced to hiking had an opportunity to discover just a really, really incredible thing to do," she said.

"You don't realize how much fun it is to just walk through the woods until you do it," Oberman added.

Both Oberman and Manness follow the Leave No Trace principles, seven guidelines to help people enjoy spending time in nature and wilderness without having an impact on it.

"One of the biggest concerns we have with new hikers getting out into the woods, is that they might not understand how important it is to stay on the trail, and to make sure they don't leave anything behind," said Oberman.

"There's tons of garbage being left behind, it's unprecedented," said Manness.

Manness' favourite Manitoba trail to hike is at Bear Lake, in the east Manitoba/Whiteshell area. She said the six kilometre-long trail provides a moderate challenge, and has a very peaceful view at the end.

"It leads down to a lake that is not accessible to boats, so it’s a very quiet lake. No boat traffic and the only ones who can really access it are the ones on the trail," said Manness.

Bear Lake is also Oberman's favourite trail. "What's really fun about that one is at the very end of the trail, there's this really steep down, and it's really steep up," she said. "You're basically rock climbing and there's a rope that's been tied to help you kind of go up and down. My kids love climbing a rock wall at the end of it, and then going on this little peninsula into the lake."

Oberman also loves hiking at the Pinawa suspension bridge, West Hawk Lake, and many other locations across Manitoba. She said CPAWS Manitoba organizes free group hikes for people who don't want to go out along or who are new to the activity.

Manness keeps tabs on many Manitoba hiking trails, personally scouting them every year to update conditions. As Hike Manitoba, Manness also offers free hiking workshops for beginners, seminars on seasonal hiking, and other tips and tricks.

She said anyone thinking of taking up hiking as a hobby should start slow, know your limits, and be well-prepared. "My dad's saying was 'hope for the best, plan for the worst' and so that’s kind of how I live my life."