We live in a world where artificial is king.  Families flock to theme parks to experience simulated jungles or fake beaches.   People spend hours of their precious lives gaming in synthetic worlds.  “Reality” TV shows are phoney and we all know it, but still watch.

Which is why I am proud to celebrate the 100% natural and authentic beauty of the Bruce Trail AND the lovely Limestone Ladies.  No artificial colours, flavours or preservatives!

Let’s start with the pure loveliness of the trail on a crisp autumn morning, still a trace of mist in the air, wind gently whooshing the leaves.

The gateway to the Kingdom of Beauty.

Stunning lookout, breathtaking ladies!

Even at the end of a long day of hiking, our ladies still look fresh and wholesome!

It was a tough day of rain, howling wind and long uphill climbs, but the ladies are still smiling!

And who says a fungus can’t be beautiful?

A gleaming ruby tree fungus. How lovely!

We met another group of hikers on the trail.  They were attractive and fit but seemed disorganized and had lost their backpacks.  Also their meal planning was poor, as all they brought was milk!

The group of rival hikers. We think we will make it to Tobermory before they do. Also, they didn’t offer us scotch – we now expect this when we meet oncoming hikers!

I think this photo showcases the natural beauty of the hikers against the natural beauty of the escarpment.

Here’s a happy geo-cacher who has just found her jackpot!

Such a wholesome pursuit!

And who could dispute the natural beauty of that wine glass! And the happy smiles. Here we are relaxing at the luxurious D’Agostino chalet between hikes.

Still lookin’ good the next morning at breakfast!

This amazing tree had been split by lightning but was still alive. We were filled with admiration for its drive to keep living.

Our path was full of intriguing cracks and crevices, carpeted with velvety emerald moss.  It was tempting to explore each one, which was impossible as there were so many.  But we did explore a few.

Here’s an inviting crevice!

The Australians have their koala bears.  We have our own version of cute tree-clinging animals:

A rare photo of this endangered species. Judging from the pocket in the front, I’d say it is a marsupial.

One of the things I find most beautiful about fall hiking is the carpet of orange and yellow and soft brown leaves underfoot.  Better than a yellow brick road!

Our autumn carpet

For a brief giddy moment, we thought we had completed 3/4 of the Bruce Trail. Turns out that you can’t believe a random sign in the wilderness. We added up how far we have come and how far we have left to go, and sadly, we have completed only 62.5% of the trail. The good news: we have many more hikes to enjoy!

I wouldn’t necessarily say that this bridge is beautiful, but it did a fine job of spanning the creek. And we like being able to walk side by side.

All in all, it was a happy, relaxing weekend in a beautiful setting, with good friends.   Makes you glad to be alive!

The good times continued …. from start…

…. to finish!

Good night everyone!