Warm Up Hike - Ray Lowes Side Trail and Cootes Paradise

Woo hoo hiking season has arrived! Broken bones (mine) all healed and ready to go.  We thought we would do a warm up hike to get us started. Unfortunately Karen could not join us this time around. Although we were missing our pace-setter we took advantage of a more leisurely hike and I was able to take plenty of pictures.

We added to our proposed hike (below) by taking a walk through the RBG Cootes Paradise along the Captain Cootes Trail.  I will be back to visit more of the trails in this area with any willing victims.. hint hint.

It was a great day for a hike with no wind and just on the cooler side of mild  This early in the season there were no insects to annoy us.Valerie spotted the deer  (x 2) with her eagle eyes, and we saw plenty of birds and evidence of spring sprouting up through last year's fallen leaves.

All in all a great outing and we are looking forward to resuming the white trail hike next weekend.

The original plan but then we decided to walk through
Cootes Paradise on the Captain Cootes Trail

Two for the trail

Looking down the trail

Winding trail through the hardwood forest

Looking across

Daffodils in the the forest

Yellow buds

Canada Goose

Nice place to sit looking out at Hickory Island

Shooting the shooter

Hickory Island covered in cormorants

Must have been a busy woodpecker

Camoflaged 

White Breasted Nuthatch

Chickadee

Scilla

Wood Anemone

Coltsfoot

Unidentified - I thought they were snowdrops but I think not

Hike # 19: First Snow

Hike # 19 - October 28, 2016 - somewhere between 15 and 17 km through the Boyne Valley

I will let the pictures tell the story for the most part.  It was a pristine day to hike today in stark contrast to yesterday's grey skies, wind and rain.  A light dusting of snow was a clean white backdrop for the colours of autumn.  When I checked our route map this morning I was under the impression (misguided) that our hike would be mostly flat.  Instead we were treated to many ups and downs through the valley.  It was a bit tricky in parts due to the slushy snow on top of wet leaves. 

The beauty on the trail left me in awe.  I walked silently for the most part, taking in as many of the sights, sounds and scents of the forest as I could drink in (a much needed forest fix).  I was happy to be out with my friends, listening to their chatter, the sounds of our footsteps in the slushy snow,  sun on my face, fresh air in my lungs, worries fading.  Bliss.  

3 Happy Hikers

Hike # 18: On The Trail Again

Hike # 18: September 30, 2016 10.0 km

Finally, at long last, on the trail again.  We have not hiked since I broke my ankle/foot on May 15. Thankfully all is healed now and I felt ready to try out the repaired bones with a test hike.  It was a perfect trail and distance through Mono Cliffs Provincial Park for our first time hiking after such a long hiatus. The weather cooperated as well, dry and breezy and just warm enough.  

Much of the trail took us through beautiful hardwood forests with many tall maples and some beautiful birch.  As well, I spotted a beech tree, recognizing the little beechnuts (seed pods) which had fallen along the trail.  That brought back memories of childhood in Bala, Ont. where we used to collect them and string them together to make bracelets and necklaces. Most of the trees are still green with a few colourful spots here and there.  We did not see many signs wildlife except for a tiny toad, and some very fresh coyote scat (Valerie was brave enough to see if it was still warm) surrounded by some paw prints. 

Along the trail we caught up on the activities of each of our summers.  Valerie and Karen waited patiently all season for me to get better, bless them.  Now that we have had a taste of the trail again, we are eager to plan our next outing.  Hopefully on the next hike I will manage 15 km with my good camera (all of these were shot with my iphone).

Yay, hiking again!

Nice wide smooth trail through the hardwood forest

From the lookout

Lovely calm pond

Testing how mucky the bottom is

The final stretch was along the road