Day 11 – Hiking Day 10 - Saturday September 16 2017

Day 11 – Hiking Day 10 - Saturday September 16 2017
Sydenham Section K 122.4 – Glen Side Trail to K 95.4 Inglis Falls, Owen Sound
Distance: 27 k
Time: 8 hrs 50 mins


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We set off today around 8:35 from The Glen Side Trail. It was another beautiful morning. We are feeling that the angels are looking after us! The trail started out climbing up and down the escarpment and walking through canyons with sides formed from the dolomite limestone that we are so familiar with. They are truly quite spectacular to walk through. From there we hiked along the edge of what looked like a slag pond, yucky swamp and thousands of mosquitoes, but only another example of the beauty of the ugly! After this it was up once again to the farmers’ fields of hay, soya bean, and some grains we couldn’t identify. Then there was about 7k of what we now call “3k per hour” rocks and roots to be carefully negotiated, and some of these rocks are mossy and slippy and just waiting for an unsuspecting foot to be placed carelessly to take the foot’s owner down. Most of these rocks are in varied forests of deciduous trees including massive maples, and others of cedar.  There was a walk along a country lane on unpaved road past resting cows, pigs, and chickens and on one rather confusing section we travelled a short distance down a road and roadworks.  Towards the end of the morning we came to an old railway line converted to a long and very straight path much like the Georgian Trail out of Collingwood. In the late afternoon we passed Jones Falls, not too impressive, and our hike ended at the stunning Inglis Falls.

The past days have been very hot and we find that somewhere around the 20k our energy hits rock bottom. We start to count the steps till we finish; we talk about what we will have for dinner; we reassure ourselves that the parts that hurt are really just “tired” and then realize we just have to “suck it up” and march on to the end!!

Today we had company on part of the trail. Robin’s husband and daughter, Peter and Rachel , joined us for lunch and hiking in the afternoon. It was fun to have them and it definitely brightened up our afternoon and made our 27 k hike much more manageable.

We finished around 5:30, and then it was into full gear for the evening to shower, make and eat dinner, wash clothes, wash dishes, and make our lunches for tomorrow. We also had to pack up as tomorrow Peter leaves us at the trail head in the morning and we are on our own till Ray picks us up on the 19th in Owen Sound. Thanks Peter for all the help and encouragement you given us.

Update from Robin: Ten days of hiking. 252 kilometres. I think I am starting to get my trail legs, and my blisters are under control. Beautiful trails around Owen Sound.

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