Mudslide

Finally made it back to the Bruce Trail with Jolene to conquer another adventurous 24 kms. 

This was by far the toughest section due to the treacherous conditions of the trail. 

A representation of January actually. A difficult slog through the mud, a whole lot of ups and downs, and a lack sunshine.

Waking up at 4am on a work day is difficult enough but doing so on a Saturday for fun takes grit and a solid commitment. 

We met by chance at Tim Hortons just off the Hwy at exit 64/ Ontario St. 

Ha! That is so Canadian of us.

We were supposed to meet at the first van drop at 8am and so were just a bit ahead of schedule. After dropping one van at Cave Springs Conservation Parking lot (our end zone) we drove together in the second van and parked where we finished last time at Rockway Conservation park.

It was a mild 0°C with no snow in the region. We debated our layers of warmth, our snacks and how many tissues to bring (not enough as it would turn out).

We started out with a country roadside walk to get to the trailhead and it was a muddy climb from the start. 

The entire walk today was mostly along the Escarpment Ridge with views across the many vineyards of the area. 

The sun never did show itself but the soft light was ideal for photography in the forest without any shadows. 

It was definitely warm enough without the sun and we were both feeling a bit overdressed.

We walked through 4 Conservation Areas today, Rockway, Louth, Balls Falls ( I did not name that one myself) and Cave Springs.

The terrain was a mix of mud, the sloppy wet kind that adds 5lbs to each boot, slippery roots and neon green, moss covered rocks, truly our only source of colour. 

There were countless streams to cross and several thundering waterfalls. 

The trail was constantly climbing and dropping but the weight of our tiny backpacks made it  manageable, for most of the day anyway. By km 20, my knees were screaming and my toes were angry. My legs were feeling wobbly from muscle exhaustion and I was definitely running out of fuel.

Jolene gave me a pep talk as I contemplated taking the road for the last few kms. Finally, I said, "I'm no quitter" and I dug deep for the last stores of my strength.

Jolene was amazing, strong, steady and full of cheer. Her  positive energy picked me up and mentally carried me at the end . 

It was a physical challenge today. Usually when I retreat back into nature, I feel lighter, more calm and peaceful. Today nature kicked my ass.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself, feeling at times felt like an unsupervised kid climbing on  everything, initially strong, almost invincible but by the end I felt my years catch up to me. I felt depleted and sore and truly struggled on the home stretch. I questioned myself and wondered "what was I thinking??" when I found myself in precarious situations, usually when the grade of the trail was it's steepest and the mud was  taunting me with every step.

Successfully reaching the top of every agonizing climb, I felt accomplished every time. Had it not been for Jolene's positivity, I might have grumbled the entire latter half of the day.

We made it to the end zone by 4:08 ... exact because it meant that much to see my ride home waiting for me. In fact, my van never looked so good. I took off my painful boots and muddy pants and drove away in my socks.... I'm pretty sure I was groaning for a solid 10 minutes just trying to curl my toes.

It's important every day to find the beauty and joy in our lives. Especially in difficult times. It's what carries us to the better days. It could be as simple as your first sip of coffee or the sliver of a sunrise. The smile of a friend or a hug from your favourite person... or doggo.

On the trail, it's the bend of the path, the silhouette of a single tree against the sky and the fresh smell of the earth. 

The quiet release of all that ails your mind with every step. The noise of your thoughts simmer to a gentle hum allowing you to clear the mechanism.

After retrieving the second van from our starting point, we satisfied our salt cravings with greasy fries for the road and parted ways.

After sitting in traffic on the long drive home, the day still  ended in gratitude with a hot salt bath for the cramping muscles and a generous glass of wine to soothe the spirit. I didn't even attempt to do anything other than snuggle with my doggo and slip easily into a deep and restful sleep.

The next stretch of Bruce Trail will likely be after the winter with safer conditions. 

Until then...

Cheers!

The Bruce Trail Day 2 ~ Horses, Hills and Waterfalls

The sunrise today was far more subtle than yesterday’s blast of colour. It was short lived as clouds still lingered from last night’s waterworks. We had expected the temperatures to drop but they were still well above normal for November. We were both feeling surprisingly limber considering how stiff and sore we were after yesterday's long walk in the woods.

 The logistics we had planned ahead of time was to park one vehicle at Rockway Community Center and together drive in the other vehicle back to Starbucks on Glendale Ave where yesterday’s 24kms ended. In my excitement and perhaps morning daze I drove back to Starbucks with Jolene following behind. Both of us were eager to start hiking the next leg of our trek. I parked my van, grabbed my pack and I hopped into Jolene’s van parked next to mine. I looked over at her, oblivious to the err of my ways, and noticed she looked confused. She asked, “Aren’t we supposed to start walking from here?” I too was puzzled for a moment and then realized my mistake. We laughed about it for a minute then came up with a solution. Instead of more unnecessary driving, we decided to leave my van and drive to Rockway together, and just walk in the reverse direction back to Starbucks. It covered the same distance and the same track and actually worked well to have the sun at our backs for most of the day. 

Day two on the Bruce Trail proved to be far more difficult than day one. Today was all about the hills and waterfalls. First sighting was Rockway Falls. We were very high on the escarpment and this dwarfed the falls visually but the sound of rushing water was unmistakeable. The trail was very wet and made the descent into the woods slick. It seemed we only took a few steps at the bottom before we had to climb back up to the road not far from where we began. We crossed over to continue into the forest and enjoy a more gradual climb. As we reached the top, we followed a narrow trail with cornfields to the right and down below us on the left was the road lined with fields of grapevines. Niagara area is Ontario’s wine country and I may have to return to enjoy it from a different perspective. We walked along the forested ridge with the rising sun shining on our backs until it brought us to a horse farm.

We were nowhere near ready for a break but stopped anyway to feed them some fresh, green grass and bond for a while. It's always hard to walk away from these beautiful creatures and they made it even more difficult by walking in single file along the fence until they could go no further. 

It was like an assembly line waiting for a last handful of grass and a formal farewell. We climbed over the wooden ladder and walked along a green farm path until we ended up on a short stretch of road (Effing Ham Rd.) I laughed at the name and wondered if it was a joke or for real. We crossed at the bend in the road and entered the Short Hills Provincial Park through a small path. The hills, though plenty, were not short. 

We were met early on with a "trail closed" sign and a taped off bridge. Neither of us hesitated to cross it. Jolene ducked under the tape and stepped carefully across the damaged bridge. I chose to scale across the side. This would not be the only closed trail in our day.

We hiked past a waterfall, another distant one, and spent most of the day climbing up and down the muddy hills. The landscape changed significantly today. The trees were bare and the grass dry and tall. The colours were softer and there were far less people. 

Jolene and I put some distance between us today. She was in the front happily singing away and I followed far behind listening to the birds, getting lost in my thoughts and trying to be fully present in the moment. At one point I was hiking along a ridge with a drastic drop on both sides of me and I recognized the freedom I felt in the quiet adventure. I heard the caw of a hawk and looked up into the clear, blue sky to see two Red Tailed Hawks circling above me. The sun was shining and I was feeling grateful for another beautiful day in nature. Eventually I met up again with Jolene having a snack break at a picnic table strategically placed on the top of the hill.

 We sat and enjoyed our snacks with the view but didn't linger too long. It was midday already and we had many kms left to get to the van. The trail looped around to a stream and another forest with fallen leaves glowing in the sunlight like an orange carpet.

We walked along the creek until it brought us to Terrace Falls.

 A stunning waterfall with 2 streams of water cascading down from a rock terrace. I admit I lingered here a bit. 

I also admit I was the first to get a soaker. My new Hokas are now my Bruce Trail hikers wearing their badge of mud with honour. 

It was a good climb back up to the top of the escarpment and from there more leaves and more forest. 

Using our map to guide us, we found our next path buried in branches and another 'trail closed' sign. We realized it had not been maintained in a long time. Rather than get lost we decided to backtrack and take Wiley Rd to the next trail head. 

We just wanted a place to sit and eat...it was mid afternoon and we had more than earned a lunch break.

As if like magic, at the end of the road was the Morningstar Mill and Decew falls. 

We found a bench by the water's edge and enjoyed the view of the mill while we stuffed our faces. Before we got back on the trail, we heard the rushing water and new we had to detour just slightly to see the falls. A friendly volunteer named Terry motioned us towards him. He was a very sweet old guy. He invited us inside the mill for a proper view of the falls. 

He even opened the mill windows so that I could take proper photographs. 

We asked if we could have a photo taken with him and he obliged. Then when he heard we were doing the entire Bruce Trail, he said he had a gift for us but it was only for thru hikers. He gave us each a map of the trail that identifies all of the Conservation Parks along the trail. We were very grateful for his kindness and promised to return someday.

We picked up the trail behind the mill. It was a gravel path that climbed a small hill and as we reached the top, both of our jaws dropped. 

The trail followed the perimeter of Lake Moodie. It was calm water with a blue/green hue. In the centre was an island with a few trees changing colour. Behind the island, we would later find out, was Brock University.

We walked around the lake and eventually through the University Campus returning into the neighboring forest.

 The sun was getting really close to setting and we were now racing against time trying to finish the hike in daylight.

With my hurried steps, I shuffled down through the thick layer of leaves and almost made it through the day without falling. Almost.

The last 2 or 3kms always seem longer than they are with both of us battling exhaustion. 

We made it to the van safely and drove back to Rockway Community Center together which by car is only 11kms.

The 24kms we expected to hike turned into 28kms!  We hiked a total of 52kms this weekend in total. Day 2 we agreed we would rate a 4 for difficulty due to the hills, many of them steep. The scenery was beautiful and the trails conditions excellent despite a few muddy spots. Highlights today were the water falls (Rockway Falls, Terrace Falls and Decew Falls), the horses and Terry at the Morningstar Mill. The drive home was slow going on the QEW....  and that made for a long day. I am looking forward to Day 3 in a couple of weeks!

Stay tuned!

 

The Bruce Trail Day One ~ Sun Dogs and River Dogs

Sometimes the Universe gives us every possible gift it can to create a perfect day. Today was one of those days. I had trouble sleeping the night before as my plan to hike the Bruce Trail was finally coming to fruition and the excitement was taking over. I have hiked sections of this trail over the past few years in no particular order but this commitment is different. It is not random. It will be methodical and well planned from start to finish. The goal is not to miss a single km of the 900km trail and hike it in it's entirety. 

Despite my lack of sleep, I managed to wake up at 0430 as planned and be on the road by 0630. After an hour of driving in the dark, a thin sliver of hot pink light showed itself just above the horizon. The highway bent to the left and as I left Hamilton behind me, the road took me east, directly into the rising sun. I make a point of watching the sun rise every chance I get and this was by far one of the best I have ever seen.

 The sliver of pink expanded to illuminate the entire sky and the clouds were glowing in shades of peach and soft orange. It was a full sky of colour and it lasted almost until my arrival in St Catherine's.  I exited the highway and stopped at a red light. On my left, stuck to a pole next to me, was a sign. The sign said, "What are you thankful for today?" I smiled the biggest smile and thought, well for starters, that sunrise. It felt like a gift. 

The Starbucks in St Catherine's on Glendale Ave was our meeting place and when Jolene arrived minutes after me, our first words were about the beautiful morning skies. Jolene went on to tell me how grateful she was for the sunrise, for this adventurous opportunity, for legs that can carry her and then I showed her the picture of the sign. We started the day with gratitude and that is why I believe the universe continued to give.

We organized our gear and left my van there at our expected finish line for the day.  Jolene drove us in her van, as I navigated, to Queenston Park at the Bruce Trail Southern Terminus Cairn. It was a short drive taking us directly into the sun and we were gifted again but this time with sun dogs. Sun dogs are like mini rainbows on each side of the sun... unlike a rainbow that follows the rain, sundogs are an indication of rain to come, usually within 24hrs. 

The parking lot was near empty and we were fortunate to find the washrooms open and clean before heading out.

We took the obligatory photos at the start of the trail and off we went. We began across a field of green grass in a pretty park setting into a forest already high above Niagara on the Lake. The sun was still low and its light was filtered by the trees. The ground was a colourful blanket of leaves in yellow and orange.

 We saw a few other hikers head out before us and a few on our heels but only for the first km or so, then we mostly had the trail to ourselves. We kept an easy pace and stopped often for pictures. We were amazed at the rocky landscape, the beauty of the forested trail and surprised by the frequency of difficult sections so early on. After only 6 kms, we were carefully descending down the escarpment, navigating our way around tree roots and ankle deep leaves that made for some very slippery slopes. 

At the bottom, Jolene and I both felt honored to stop and sign the logbook protected in its own little shelter.

After a few more kms of forest hiking and a couple of wipeouts, tied at 1 each, we arrived at Firemen's Park and crossed over train tracks. We headed back into another forest until the trail narrowed and took us over and across a prairie. 

There were boardwalks and bridges and small wooden ladders that we climbed up and over to get past the fences of the property owners that have granted hikers permission to pass through.

It was an unusually hot day for November and felt more like a summer day. Homemade lunches were enjoyed sitting on a log overlooking the woods at our half way point. It was a short but much needed break. 

We left the forest to cross over the busy 401 hwy on a pedestrian bridge. Returning to the woods briefly and then to a tunnel that passed under a country road. It was dark and wet and stinky. As we reached the other end and stepped into the bright light, laying on the ground was a cement cross with a pink flower on top covering the word omen.  

I pointed out it must be a good omen because the tunnel also led us straight to a winery and a field of grapes. 

I thought of my walks in Spain and laughed at the similarities of this new Canadian Camino. We wondered what could possibly be better than a winery and then with just a few steps more, there it was. A farm and a field of friendly horses running to the fence to greet us. We spoiled them with handfuls of tall, green grass that was out of their reach and took several selfies with our new friends.

 In the same field were cows and their young with only one playfully running alongside the fence as we pulled ourselves away. 

We said our goodbyes as 3 unaffected judgmental cows stared at us until we were out of sight. 

We entered the woods again and within minutes came to a clearing and walked right onto the 5th hole on a golf course. We stepped onto a cart path as 2 carts approached. We held out our thumbs in an attempt to hitch a ride but they didn't even slow down. They chuckled as they sped past us but we full on laughed at our own humor and headed back into the trees. 

We were both feeling the distance we had covered at that point. My feet were starting to hurt and Jolene's shoulders were feeling the pain of her pack weight. 

We started following a waterway that had high cement walls on both sides, waterfalls and from our vantage point we could see it's track well into the distance. I went to the edge carefully and noticed a demolished car in the river, stuck on the bank. 

Jolene stopped for a water break and I explored the bank to get a better angle of the car. When I did so, I saw in the distance, an animal in the water. 

I thought at first it was a deer or a buck and I was so excited for a wildlife sighting. I fled down the path to find another clearing but with a closer view. As I got closer I thought hhmmm, maybe a small bear?maybe a wolf? So closer still I went until my vision became clear. My heart sunk. It was a dog. A big, black German Shephard just sitting in the middle of the river. There were no people or homes or even businesses nearby. Nothing. Where did he come from? Who was he with? Why is he just sitting there? Is he hurt? In my mind I went into full rescue mode. I have to help him. So I'm speeding along the trail now desperate for an opening or a trail to lead me down to the water but there was nothing but high cement walls and a sheer drop. My thought was that I had no choice but to wait for a bridge to cross over and backtrack all the way back down the otherside. I kept trying to peer through the bushes but could no longer see the river or the dog and my heart felt heavy. Then I heard a voice in the distance calling and I knew it was no coincidence. So I shouted out with all my might, "ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A DOG??" And the voice answered back with a giant "YES!". I shouted again "A BIG BLACK SHEPHARD?" And again a "YES!" I shouted back that he was down the river, sitting in the water, waiting, and the guy wanted to know which direction to go but we couldn't see him and he couldn't see us and honestly, we were in an unfamiliar place and my mind was blank. There were no land markers for reference except for trees and I could hear the desperation in his voice as he tried to understand which direction to go. In hindsight, I should have told him to go up river, against the flow or head south as I knew the sun's location. In that moment I just wanted to point and say "go that way"... but he couldn't see me. Then he asked "toward the train bridge???" and I remembered seeing it and said "YES!!".

With that he shouted back a "Thank you" and took off upstream to find his dog. I felt instant relief that the dog was loved and they would soon be reunited but as we reached the end of that section I was unable to keep walking eager to know they were ok. Jolene asked if I would feel better going back and I wasn't sure. I just knew that I couldn't walk away just yet. So we stood on a bridge overlooking the river and a path that ran parallel to it and just waited. Within minutes a shirtless man came out from the bush, through the tall, sunburned grass and close behind was... a big, black Shephard. My heart felt full again and another wave of gratitude washed over me.

We waited as they came within earshot and asked if they were OK. Apparently the guy and his six pack were fishing when the dog had a squirrel moment and they were separated. Initially the owner went downstream to look for his dog but he had traveled quite far in the opposite direction. He thanked us more than once and said goodbye as they darted across the street and disappeared into the tall grass again. The dog's name was Cayuga and as a side note: her shirtless owner and his 6 pack had eyes as blue as the sky. 

We walked along the Welland Canal for the last stretch. We crossed the train tracks for the last time and had one last walk through the woods before emerging onto Merritt St, one short block away from Starbucks and my van. Sitting down finally was an unbelievable pleasure and we drove like quiet, sore, tired zombies back to the trailhead to fetch the other vehicle. 

A 10 minute drive took us to our home for the night. The Capri Inn... an older but clean and quiet hotel with a view. We had planned a dinner out but since I packed cider and wine from home we opted to order pizza and recover quietly in our room instead.

We hiked 24kms and took

38 000 steps. It was 24°C but felt like 27°C. The sun was hot and the winds were strong. I'm guessing every last leaf will be on the forest floor by morning. We both agreed we would rate this trail a moderate 3 out of 5 with difficult sections. Trail conditions were excellent and it was very well marked. Mostly forest trails with some very steep sections and minimal road walking. Highlights for me aside from the fall foliage were the farm animals, the train tracks and the 2 garter snakes that crossed our path. Great company, a rescued dog and a glorious, unforgettable sunrise made today the perfect day that it was. 

Jolene appreciated the ruins and remnants of historical forts and watchtowers that were held by nature. The farm animals that ran to the fence to greet us was a memorable, heartwarming moment for her as well. 

After tonight's rain, I expect the trail conditions tomorrow to be messy and treacherous.

Stay tuned!

2 Happy Hikers