Hike #11, December 21 2020

I am hiking on a Monday. Why? Because my landlord said that they were going to shut off the heat to repair it. If I'm going to be cold all day, I might as well be hiking. 

Plus, it's the winter solstice, so it seem fitting to be outside. 

I originally planned this as a 5 km out-and-back hike, with the goal of coming back for one more 5 km out-and-back to complete the Niagara section. Stay tuned for my change of plans. 

That snow from Saturday? It is now melted and created mud. So much mud. My hike starts off with an uphill muddy climb. Using my poles means I don't have to scramble on all fours to get purchase. I had to take a photo from the top to share with my mum, who asks why she can't join me. 

Not far from this hill, I come across scat. I'm not going to include a picture, because that's gross, but I'm pretty sure it's coyote scat. It's got fur; looks like the coyote enjoyed a squirrel. 

Around 76.1, I come across my very first logbook. You better believe that I added my name to that notebook and then used the sanitizer in the box to clean my hands. The scent of this bothered me for another hour. 

Hey, look, mushrooms! 

Hey, look, "waterfalls"

At some point, I figure I'm going to press on. The mud is ridiculous and I can't imagine turning around and traversing it again. I briefly check my Uber app and it seems that there are drivers available around this area. I had previously checked this on Friday afternoon and it didn't show anyone, but I figure more drivers are available in the run-up to Xmas. 

Did I say the mud is ridiculous? It's ridiculous. I'm relying heavily on my poles because every time I take a step, my foot starts sliding. I just want to finish up this section, especially as there's expected to be another shutdown and I'm unsure what that will mean for 'non-essential travel'. 

A short rant at this point...since the announcement, my hiking FB group is full of people insisting that no hikers should travel to "their" region to hike the trails in "their" area. You know, for SAFETY. Which I get, totally. But as someone living in downtown Toronto, I don't have ready access to nearly abandoned trails where I can wander. I'm not going to head to the lake, or High Park. I can't access nature unless I drive at least 45 minutes away. I don't think those folks understand what it's like to be sitting in a highrise apartment 6 days a week, barely moving from my kitchen table for 8 hours/day. I'm not going to get into it with anyone, but I know those same people have NO PROBLEM AT ALL coming to Toronto for theatre, for health care, for speciality shopping. Maybe not during a pandemic, but it feels like Toronto is available to everyone and anyone, but nature areas are reserved for the people who live there. 

Anyway. I forge on. I will get to the end of the section and call a cab back to my car. This is the plan. ONWARD THRU THE FUCKING MUD. 

The end is pretty anti-climatic, because the foot bridge that connects Niagara to Iroquioa is...closed.  (Note for self - learn how to spell Iroquioa). 

Right, onwards to the closest plaza to call an Uber. Which are not available. At all. Try a local cab company. The number is out of service. Standing outside the Food Basics, I do what I hate to do...I call my parents for help. They're just 30 minutes away and my mum has been bugging to see me. This is just going to have to be the way we do it. 

The wait gives me a chance to eat my snacks and to re-apply my layers. It's cold once I stop moving and the sweat starts drying onto my body. I'm already excited for my post-hike shower. 

The 20 minutes we spend getting back to my car (via a winery where I do a curbside pickup [I planned ahead!] is just about the amount of time I want to spend with my parents. I buy them a bottle of white for their troubles and shoo them off once they drop me off, as I need to go pee in the woods and don't need them waiting around for that. 

Remember the mud? My boots are a mess. Around hike #5, I got into the habit of just leaving my boots in the car and wearing other footwear for the drive and I'm so grateful I'm able to take these off. I'll wait until they dry and then deal with them. I use a pocket knife for the treads and I'll have to get a stiff brush to deal with the sides. 

Home! Take the dog out and shower. Post hike showers are the very best showers. And that planned ahead trip to the winery? I have wine to celebrate the end of the Niagara section. 

Stats:

starting near marker 73.5

ending near marker 83.3

total hiked today: 9.8 km

total Bruce Trail hiked since starting: 83.8

End of the Niagara Section