If you didn’t spend time outside last weekend, you missed out. The weather was clear, the air was crisp and the sun was shining. We took full advantage by finally checking out the Spider Lake Trails.

The Spider Lake Trail system is a web of interconnected trails spanning a huge area in Waverley.   To get there, we drove up the Waverley Road for about ten minutes and then turned right onto Spider Lake Road.

I had heard about these trails for two reasons.

First, a year-and-a-half ago, this was the scene of one of the largest ever search and rescue operations in the maritimes, following the disappearance of a local mountain biker. He was never found. It’s a mind-blowing and heart-breaking story. You can read more about it here.

Second, this is a beloved spot for our amazing dog walker, Michelle. Since Dallas already knew it well, she showed me the ropes.

Speaking of Michelle (aka Dillman Dogwalking), she’s actually the best. We’ve put her at the top of our list of Favourite Dog-Friendly Businesses, which was added to the site last week. Please note: this new page is a work in progress. I would love to hear from you if you have any suggested additions.

But I digress. Back to our Spider Lake adventure.. Er, dogventure. For many reasons (such as the fact it was a new-to-me spot, it was just me and Dal, and the trails are notoriously confusing) we were careful to stick to the main trail, and to not let ourselves get tempted by one of the many side trails.

It’s a beautiful wooded trail that seemed to go on for miles. We hiked for half-an-hour before turning around to head home. During the hour-long trek, we only encountered two other people, so Dallas essentially had the run of the place. Just the way she likes it.

All in all, it was a fabulous way to spend a sunny, snowy Saturday. We can’t wait to go back to do some more exploring.