With predictions of thunderstorms and wild wind and rain, the naysayers were out in fine form. “You’re going out to hike in that?” they cried, from the depths of their La-z-boy recliners. But when we heard today’s weather forecast, we basically shrugged and said “Meh!” We’re seasoned hikers now, and all the things we love about the Bruce Trail are still there, even when wet.
To honour the attributes of a wet trail, I have borrowed from Rodgers and Hammerstein and composed this brief ditty. Feel free to hum along!
Raindrops on noses, we’re all getting bitten,
Bright orange fungus, and boots that aren’t fitting,
Brown wooden boardwalks that make the trail sing,
These are a few of our favourite things.
Girls in wet Gore-tex with damp Tilley hatses,
Raindrops that drip from our hair and eyelashes,
Slippery brown mudslides that rain showers bring,
These are a few of our favourite things.
When the foot slips,
When the ‘squito stings,
Why this hiking fad?
I simply remember my favourite things
And then I don’t feel so bad!
And now: here is photographic evidence that the favourite things are alive and thriving on the Bruce Trail:
First and most favouritest of all: The Limestone Ladies themselves:
The lovely Limestone Ladies heading towards a rainstorm.
Equally lovely: ladies once they are wet and slightly bedraggled.
Weathering the storm
An adorable little bridge across a crevice, built by some handy volunteer:
Saves us having to leap across!
A whimsical picture frame in the middle of nowhere…..
A lesser known Renaissance masterpiece: The Madonnas of the Trail
People who aren’t afraid to be silly!
A very unknown Renaissance masterpiece: The Madonna of the Raspberry
A mossy canyon:
This crevice went on for several hundred metres.
A banquet for mosquitoes:
The identity of this poor hiker shall remain hidden. She had to give up her lucrative career as a leg model as a result of this hike!
A handsome and muscular man! Even better, he was bawling lustily for his women!
Actually this massive beast was a bit scary. He has the crazy eye!
A beautiful view from the top of a hill:
Puddles!
We never get tired of puddles!
And more puddles!
Colpoy’s Range road – we were very glad not to have to drive this.
Smiles when the rain stops:
A delicious dinner at the end of the day:
Yay! Green Door Cafe!
They clean up well, don’t they?
And then there is this photo… This scene was caught on camera at the end of the evening. We didn’t know it at the time, but we were witnessing graft and corruption of an international scale. What kind of high-stakes game is she playing? Who slipped her this cash and what did they want? Stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog and you will learn the sordid truth!
