Dennis returned from his big hiking trip last night, tired, smelly, and happy to sleep once again on our pillow top mattress. I didn't have the heart to remind him that in two nights he will be sleeping on an air mattress for a month! ;)He brought back some tales and pictures of the beautiful scenery along the trail. The Bruce trail is part of a trail system that goes from Niagara to Tobermory. The section of trail that they took is known to be the most riugged. The part they took runs along the coastline of the Georgian Bay, on upper edge of the Bruce Peninsula.
He had a good time and is quite tired today. It rained on them a good part of the second day, along the hardest part of the trail. The last day they hiked for 21 kms straight before reaching Tobermory. They celebrated by eating ice cream and going out for supper.
What do a bunch of guys do at a campsite in the middle of nowhere with nothing but what they carried in? Throw rocks at rocks and have a skipping rocks contest (which Dennis won by a large margin, thanks to all his practice out on the Gaspe in Quebec).
A beautiful sunset the first night:
The trail going up and over some rocks. Dennis said this was very typical. Imagine going up over that with a 25 lb pack on your back! Some of the guys had packs up to 50 lbs. This is the same trail that we girls have to do in a few weeks, so Dennis was getting pictures so I'd be prepared. Remember though, we don't have to carry the packs.
Some breathtaking views:
Yellow Lady's Slipper:
Tenting in bear country (they didn't see anything bigger than a garter snake, though):
At the end of the trail... gasp, wheeze... Dennis said there was an observation tower at the end. They all took their packs off and raced to the top because they felt so light. All in all, they went over 30 kms.
11 comments:
Dennis, I was pitying you and all this "hiking and hardship". What wonderful sights you saw. I hope you can get rested up a bit. I have to say, the average Joe probably never gets to see the beauty that you did. Keep pressing on. Love, Mom
Those pictures are wonderful! Val, the hike will be a breeze with no kids... hee hee (When my kids were little I would beg Dave to let me mow while we watched the kids for a while - I needed a break). Yea, Winnie is such a big girl!! Give her big hugs from us.
Those pictures are wonderful! Val, the hike will be a breeze with no kids... hee hee (When my kids were little I would beg Dave to let me mow while we watched the kids for a while - I needed a break). Yea, Winnie is such a big girl!! Give her big hugs from us.
Kinda looks like the hike up the eagles nest but 3 days long, hope there is some downhill too!! I don't know how much fun that'll be even without a pack on your back but it definitely is beautiful!! Have fun!! Hope the rest of the week is productive!!
bee
wow, that makes me home-sick!! Ever since I was four, our family has spent a week up along Georgian Bay just south of Tobermory along a lake called Miller Lake. We'd always spend days hiking along those same trails... I miss it! I'm excited that you'll get to see that gorgeous, gorgeous area! One piece of advice (although Dennis likely came home saying the same thing): WEAR HIKING BOOTS WITH GOOD ANKLE SUPPORT!!! You end up walking along sections with lots of tippy rocks balanced on tippy rocks, and it's extremely easy to twist your ankle. A sturdy walking stick will come in very handy. I know the exact ice cream shop they would have eaten at. There's a wonderful artist in Tobermory who paints landscapes from the Holy Land, a neat Christian guy. He's in a large wooden house tucked off of the main shops street. Make sure you stop in and look at his work! I'm a tad jealous! :)
thanks for the memories... I can't wait to take our kids up there when they're a bit older.
with love, Heather (Ghent) Sztanyo
Hey Guy's!
Picture of building and hiking look great. I'm a graduate of Durham 2 years ago and now live in Indo with my fam. Just checking in on those in the training. Keep at it! It's worth it even during those hard days...
Grace & Peace,
Ben Kane
Looks exciting. Don't think I could tackle it any more. I'm so glad I can still hike on the level. So I see they weren't quite beyond civilization - a wooden platform to pitch their tent on.
Hope the rain has passed so that you can get more done on your JC house. You certainly need to have the outside walls covered before you have to move in on Fri or Sat.
Hey Dennis... sounds like you had a good time, judging by those pics!
:)
Hey Dennis... sounds like you had a good time, judging by those pics!
:)
Looks like fun! Difficult fun, but fun just the same! Enjoy the mattress while you can!
2nd comment: I felt like Dennis today with my laptop, five books and notebook in my backpack! It felt like 50 lbs. but was probably closer to 20.
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