“[The] rhythm of the snowshoe trail, the beckoning of far-off hills and valleys, the majesty of the tempest, the calm and silent presence of the trees that seem to muse and ponder in their silence; the trust and confidence of small living creatures, the company of simple men; these have been my inspiration and my guide. Without them I am nothing.” - Grey Owl

Driving west from Winnipeg, Manitoba the landscape stretches to the horizon as a vast white ocean of endless prairie. My husband Jack and I are heading towards Riding Mountain National Park and are, quite frankly, wondering how there could possibly be a mountain anywhere in the vicinity. We pass through serene countryside of farmland, quintessential grain elevators and big prairie skies. I recall my high school Canadian Literature class as we travel through the town of Neepawa, former home of author Margaret Laurence. We turn north on Highway 5 and suddenly there it is … not exactly a mountain, but a long dramatic escarpment that rises high above the surrounding farmland. We have found Riding Mountain.

It is a common misconception that Manitoba is a land of farms and wide-open prairies. The truth is, Manitoba is a varied land - sure there is farmland and prairies, but they make up but a small portion of the province. Manitoba's landscape is a cornucopia of geographic features, with numerous lakes and forests, valleys and rocky outcrops. North of Winnipeg, the provincial capital and largest city, lays the Interlake Region – an area bordered by Lakes Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Winnipegosis. Here the farmland that is predominant in the southern region of the province gives way to mixed forest. The landscape is scarred by boulders, remnants of the glacial Lake Agassiz's retreat thousands of years ago.