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!