Hike # 26 - A Good Stretch of the Legs

Hike # 26 - km 2.3 to km 23.8 in the Beaver Valley.

And just like that, summer is over, it's the first day of Autumn, and here we are hiking once again.  It was a wonderful and busy summer for all of us although we weren't hiking - occupied with other activities.  Our fellow hiker Nancy broke her wrist!  She was still going to join us (what a trooper), but something came up and so it was just the three of us this time out.

The day started out chilly and overcast, but soon the clouds broke up and the sunshine came through.  It is our favourite time of year to hike -  nice cool air without any bugs to bother us!  Plus there are usually apples to pick along the way.  We did not see anything in the way of wildlife (we talk too much), but we did see evidence of black bears (or just one bear who also likes this section of the trail) and porcupine.  The leaves are just starting to change and in a few weeks time when we return for another hike they should be well along.

The trail took us through some beautiful deciduous forest (Len Gertler Memorial Loree Forest) and along many pastures.  We were in one such pasture with a herd of grazing cattle and thankfully they did not notice us.  After our last cow encounter, I was less afraid of seeing a bear - ha ha.

It was very cool to find a sign telling us we were hiking on an old mail road circa 1830 - 1850! Once again we enjoyed breathtaking views of the bay, the glory of the canopy of leaves overhead and the sense of well-being that comes with every hike.

As we hiked along, I thought about how we intended to complete the trail, end-to-end over the course of 3 seasons, but how circumstances and the usual stuff that life throws at you had slowed our progress down.  Still, we have set our intention to finish, and as we continue along our journey toward our end goal, I am certain we will reach our goal no matter if it takes us another 4 years or more.  

Accomplishing your goals does not always come easily or quickly, but every time you move in the direction of your goal you are that much closer to achieving it!  Set your intentions and just keep going! 

Happy to be on the trail again

Farmland views

Happy Hikers - bad selfie

Glorious Green

Trees just starting to change colour

I spy a grasshopper

And here he is!

Along the trail

More green

Old Mail Road 1830-1850

Apples along the trail

Tree lined trail

From the top - view of the bay

Big sky

Happy Birthday Valerie!  Cheers to many more years of hiking!

Hike 24 & 25 - A Tale of Two Hikes

Hike # 24 -  km 35.9 to 55.7 on day 1 (19.8 km)  in the Blue Mountains 
Hike # 25 - km 55.7 to 66.0 in the Blue Mountains and km 0.0 to 2.3 in Beaver Valley on day 2 (12.6 km) on day 2.  Maps 22, 23 and 24. 

Finally, after two cancelled hike dates, we were heading out on the main trail again!  We had booked an ambitious goal of finishing 40+ km over two days back to back.  As it turned out, it was a bit too ambitious and we decided to shorten our Sunday hike to just over 12 km for a total of 32.4 km (not including the side trails that we walked along).

We set out from home around 7 am loaded up with our hiking gear and our overnight bags for a night at Blue Mountain, plus the requisite bottles of wine.  It was a girls weekend and that we had been looking forward to for a long time.

We started our hike where we left off many months ago, and were met with the lovely green canopy of late spring.  Unfortunately we missed the Trilliums this year, and judging by the many wilted ones we saw, it must have been a spectacular show a couple of weeks ago.

Saturday's hike took us up and down (and up and down) over the valleys and mountains that make up the Blue Mountains.  I would call them large hills instead of mountains, but they are still quite a good steep climb on foot and the views overlooking Georgian Bay are spectacular. 

Part of the hike (along the Osler Bluffs, I think) there were deep crevasses in the escarpment.  Looking down we could still see there was a lot of snow in the bottom!  Nature's refrigerator :).  Along the way we took a short side trail further up the hill so that we could reach the highest point along the Bruce Trail.  Unfortunately, even though we were at the highest point, there were no views from up there.  There were some cyclists (I can't even imagine how they cycle on those trails!) who kindly took a group picture.

Due to the difficulty of the terrain on the hike we were a bit off our pace and after 7 hours of hiking we were happy to reach the car and head to our room for showers, wine and dinner.  I, for one, slept like the dead that night.

Sunday morning we were up early and back at it.  We lost our fourth (Nancy) to other commitments, but she kindly dropped us to our starting point before heading on her way.   It was a much easier hike on Sunday starting off down a roadside and along the Scenic Caves Road at the top of Blue Mountain and though the multi-use trails of the resort area.  Without so many steep ascents and descents, and a smooth trail, were back on our pace and finished in just over 3.5 hours.

It will be a few months before we are out again.  We will converge again in September to continue our journey.

Have a great summer everyone!

At the start of Saturday's hike

Green as far as the eye can see

Pretty River

Pretty River

I think we go that way

The Blue Mountains

View from the top of the Escarpment

We reached the highest point on the trail (by way of a side trail)

Rare group shot that is not a "selfie"

Reward after a long strenuous hike - "pre-drinking"
CHEERS

The gang minus one at the start of Sunday's hike

Big wood pile

Down the road a bit

Fuzzy caterpillar

View of Georgian Bay

How many hikers does it take to take a selfie?  

Side Trails

Our planned hikes so far this year have not gone according to schedule due to weather.  Only a month ago at the end of April we had to cancel our 2 day hike due to a snow storm and icy conditions. Here we are a mere month later and this weekend we cancelled due to the threat of severe thunderstorms caused by heat and humidity. 

We were all itching to get out for a hike so we decided on a more local hike just to get out.   We covered a part of the trail we have already done between Sherman Falls and Scenic drive in Ancaster.  About 17 km in all. A nice sunny and warm day with no bugs.  So great to be on the trail again. 

We plan to get back on the trail where we left off last fall in two weeks.  Crossing our fingers that the weather cooperates!

Photos not great.. courtesy of my  iPhone

A deer in the distance (on the wrong side of the fence)

Sherman Falls

Beautiful Carpet of Ferms

A blanket of green

My fellow hikers at Sherman Falls

Tiffany Falls

Milestones

Our trusty detailed hiker Valerie calculated that we have hiked a grand total of 416.1 km to date.  At our average speed of about 3.43 km per hour that is 121.31 hours of walking or over 5 straight days (and nights) of walking.  Though our ancestors and early settlers of Canada had to travel long distances like this by foot, it is rare these days that people walk long distances for much. 

When I look at a map I can't quite believe that our legs and our own steam have taken us from Queenston, Niagara to the Blue Mountains.  We have completed 5 sections of the trail and almost half the total trail of 885 km. 

I think we forget sometimes that we should be pretty damn proud of ourselves!

Hike # 23 Muddy Devil

Hike # 23 - 15.5 kms (kms 20.4 to kms 35.9 in the Blue Mountains)

 

After a long hiatus from hiking our quartet took up the trail again today.  The weather was in stark contrast to our last hike along this section where in June it was 30 C and bug infested. Today was a chilly 4C, but thankfully bug less.  We have all decided that we prefer spring and fall hiking.

We did have plans to do many hikes in the past months, but life throws many a curve ball and best laid plans often go awry. There have been both family emergencies and celebrations (since our last hike Valerie became a Grandmother  to a beautiful granddaughter) that have delayed our hiking progress, but we remain determined and excited to continue on and to finish the trail from end to end no matter how long it takes us.

Our hike started out at the Nottawasaga Bluffs Conservation area over a smooth, but evidently slippery trail.  I somehow ended up on my backside while taking standing still!  After a brush off and quick check for injuries we were back on our way.  We walked along the high part of the escarpment for a a couple of kilometres leading us to the top of the ski hills at Devil's Glen.  After that point the trail became quite tricky and extremely muddy taking us down the hills and alongside the Mad River.  Each step had to be carefully placed to avoid a boot full of mud and to avoid slipping and falling.  We were happy as we ascended the other side of the ravine that the trail got drier and easier to manoeuvre through.

Coming out at the trail near the last couple km's of our hike we walked along the hilly Concession 10 before reaching our end destination at the Duntroon view side trail.  We reached the parking lot muddy and both tired and invigorated at the same time.

Hopefully we can squeeze in one more hike before the snow flies.  If not, we will be back at it in the spring of 2018.

Just before my graceful fall

Birch lined path

Birches along the ravine

Bits of colour

Looking back toward the ski hills where we had hiked from

View from the top

Mud and clay that covered a good portion of the trail

A deep crevace

Last few km's along the hilly road