Day 27 – Hiking Day 24 – Monday October 2 2017

Day 27 – Hiking Day 24 – Monday October 2 2017

Caledon Hills Section K0.00 Mono 8 to Caledon Hills Section K44.3 5 Sideroad

Distance –  25.93 k

Time  - 7:40

We said our goodbye to our lovely abode in Collingwood and to Ray. Ray is on clean up duty, then he will deliver our “stuff” to the B & B we are staying in for 4 nights, and head to Pine Cay, Robin’s house, to meet Peter, Robin’s husband.

 Today was a roller coaster ride through the ravines of the Hockley Valley. Up one side through magnificent coniferous, deciduous, and coniferous/deciduous forests, across the ridge at the top, and down the other side through the forests to the burbling brooks below; across the streams on a wooden bridge, and back up again. We must have done this 20 times or more!! Has anyone counted?? At one stage Robin said: “How come there are more ups than down?” She was right: it seemed that we would go up, up, up, then down a little then a massive up. Some of the ups were almost a kilometer I am sure! And they were all steep! We hit beautiful, broad, forest paths carpeted with golden pine needles; we wound our way up, up, up, through the Hockley Valley Golf Course, looking both ways when we crossed the cart paths, and out at the top of the Hockley Valley Ski Hill; we had very little road time. We thought this would make a lovely day hike….if you are fit enough to manage all the hills!!! We thought we had our “hiking” legs, but by the end of the day we were very happy to have a rest day tomorrow.

Once again we didn’t see much wild life. In one of the forests we heard a flock of birds chirping and making a huge din in the forest. Then it suddenly stopped. Then a little further along the trail we heard them again. Were they starlings? We’re not sure! The good news is that our little black squirrels are back again, frolicking around the forest trees. On one of the bridges a little red squirrel tentatively headed back across the bridge to Robin, but as soon as he detected that this was a “human” he turned and sprinted back the way he had come, off the bridge, and into the bushes. It was hilarious!

We met a few people on the way. One couple said they saw us setting off on the hike as they were parking their car. We met them walking the opposite way and as they were walking back to where we started we were able to tell them about the trail.

At the end of the trail we called Sandy at Farmers’ Walk B & B and were pleasantly shocked when Ray appeared!  He took us back to the B & B and showed us over (with Sandy), then set off for Uxbridge.

Sandy, one of the owners at the B & B suggested we head into Orangeville to “Forage” for dinner. Since this had been suggested to us by a chap we met on our hike yesterday we decided to do it. Sandy very kindly drove us in. When we walked in, we were all surprised to see Lari and Hedley, our Australian hiking buddies from Lions Head and Collingwood, eating dinner at one of the tables. We had recommended the Farmers’ Walk to Lari and Hedley so they stayed there for the previous 3 days and everyone was  excited to see each other. Sandy left, and since we were seated at a table for 6, Lari and Hedley joined us. Food was delicious!

After dinner, the restaurant staff called us a cab, which eventually came! We got in and gave the name of the B & B and the address to the driver. He didn’t seem to recognize either, but set off out of town like a lightening strike. I was surprised. I wondered about speed limits. He was heading for Highway 9 but we told him not to go that way but to go on First Street, which he did. When we left town his speed increased to racing car level. Stop signs were negotiated “Quebec style.” He was a nice young man, chatty, and pleasant. Robin fortunately had her Google Maps working and questioned where we were as we seemed to be veering away from the road we were supposed to be on. So, over the noise of the racing engine she argued with the driver that we were on the wrong road; finally he agreed; we turned around; he would deduct his mistake from the bill; still moving at over a 100 k we headed back the way we came and made a flying turn onto the correct road; Robin watched the sideroads whizzing by and alerted our racing driver to the turn onto 4 Sideroad and cautioned that the B & B wasn’t too far. Eventually she was “shouting” at him, “slow down!” We zoomed past the B & B and using all her vocal power Robin yelled “we passed it!” He, slowed, backed up, turned up the drive and started racing towards the house. Again Robin yelled: “Slow Down.” We both imagined flying through the front door and ending up in Sandy’s sitting room! But, we made it safely. All of us laughing!! I asked for a business card and the name of the driver. You never know, we might need it again!!! He said: “ My name is Maddy, but don’t ask them not to send Maddy!” It was all hilarious. We have no idea where we would have ended up. Probably back in Collingwood.

And now we are safely tucked up in bed, relaxing in the knowledge that tomorrow is a rest day.