Julie had been told about an annual walk along the very attractively named Bruce Trail. She'd been told that as the accommodation was full for the weekend she was not going to be able to attend.
Never mind I'd been in contact with Louise Mumme for some time and had received an email from her saying that she'd love to come up to Gravenhurst and stay with us and bring her boyfriend Matt for a few nights. Louise is the daughter of Narooma friends Stretch and ROK (Neil and Rhonda). We knew she was living in Toronto and we were looking forward to showing her around our area.
All was going well with our planning for the event until Julie got a phone call to say that some people had withdrawn from the Bruce (what a great name) Trail walk and there was room for her if she thought she'd be fit and ready. Fit and ready are words that fit easily into the Julie Frost vocabulary so it was pack, prepare and pffffffffffffffffft.... she was out the door and up the track.
As I wasn't on the trail I'll leave it to Julie to tell the story.
Diane and Elaine arrived at 5.10pm and we were soon away through drizzling rain until Thornbury. Had a Mr Sub http://www.mrsub.ca/default.asp?contentID=3 and arrived at the cabin (which was actually a luxury house) at 9pm. Met Barb, Nancy and Lee and we looked at their photos of previous Spring and Fall hikes - fairly hard core weather and terrain so I hope my clothing can stand up to it. Bed at 11.30pm downstairs on a soft lounge near the gas fireplace.
Saturday 22/10/11 - the Bruce Trail http://brucetrail.org/ 22km.
Woke at 6.30am overcast but dry. Breakfast and dress (appropriately with advice) and left when the extra 3 girls arrived. So now we have Elaine, Barb, Dianne, Nancy, Paula, Lee then Eve, Lisa and Shelley. Diane chose not to walk as she was not feeling well (recovering from flu symptoms all week).
We left at 8.15am after a group shot at the cottage. Cars were parked at the end and at the half way point (in case) and we were underway. It was a great trail, the escarpement was pretty amazing (and high) and we walked across its top. Another highlight were the crevasses created by the moss covered rock, some deep enough to be higher than us. We also crossed over two lovely cascading streams. The weather had remained dry and increasingly bright and sunny throughout the day.
Next was a pretty boggy section and towards the end, at around 4.30pm, we came across a water covered road which was a challenge - so my runners were now muddy AND wet! Back to the cars by 5.15pm, a photo and back to the cabin/ luxurious home at 6.30pm.
A well earned shower and into some great nibblies, then soup, then chili and salad, then Mississippi Mud Cake, mmmm..........all good. So were the conversations!Sounds like Inglis Falls, Jones Falls, Indian Falls are all worthy to see, we'll see... Bed by 10.30pm. A great day!
Woke to a clear , cloudless sky after a hot, stuffy night so I was keen to get fresh air. I walked down to the dock and along the shoreline over river stones, past each house, dock, bbq's, muskoka chairs, water toys etc.. Water was glassy and cold!!! Breakfast with the girls then everyone cleaned up and said their goodbyes.
Diane was feeling better so Barb said she'd show us Inglis falls which were amazing, plenty of water after a week of rain!!! We drove to Indian Falls, a salmon ladder where we sadly saw 3 dead salmon, then Jones Falls. All were beautiful with features of twisted tree roots and leafy trails ( most of them link up to the Bruce Trail which I'm still finding very confusing)!
We ate a shared lunch of our left over appetisers at the back of the car in the car park at Indian Falls.We were on our way back home at 2pm, with a brief stop at Tim Horton's on Highway 26 where I bought a Boston Cream (on Diane's recommendation) - a choc iced donut filled with custard. That got me home to Bruce at 5.15pm.
For those stop at homes (me), Matt and Louise arrived with samples from Matt's parent's restaurant. http://churrascovilla.com/ There was enough food for 10, but was the food any good? Good wasn't the word to describe it - it was stunning, scrumptious and superb. Their Piri Piri sauce had an amazing flavour, and we were only eating the mild.
The Restaurant's name Churrasco Villa, 254 Eglinton Ave Toronto. We'll be back!!!! Watched the CFL on TSN and learned a bit more about what Louise is doing in T/O and what Matt does for a job ( a producer of Television Sport).
Next morning was a latish one for Matt & Louise and after a leisurely start we headed to Grace & Speed and then around the loop through Bala where we stopped at Johnston's Cranberry Marsh where Louise tried and bought Cranberry Wine. The weather would have been best described as inclement with cold & showers that made looking at the cranberry harvesting difficult for some and impossible for me.
Port Carling was the next stop for a late lunch. Unlike the recent times when I had been through Port Carling the winter had taken its toll with many of the shops closed. Had a nice lunch at a Crepery (I think that's what it was called). Next stop was Bracebridge where I enjoyed a nice cup of coffee while Matt and Louise wandered along the shops on Manitoba Street.
Home by 6pm and then to Boston Pizza for a night of Hockey a few beers and some good food. A full day finished at home watching "our Edmonton Oilers" in action....
After a cup of coffee and some Gravenhurst Bakery Chelsea Bun Matt and Louise left for the trip back to Toronto. It was nice meeting Matt for the first time and seeing Louise again.
Julie arrived home in time for a relaxed coffee with stories of hiking, mud, creeks, crevasses and bear scarred trees (see above) and due to Matt's generosity Ribs and Chicken with Piri Piri Sauce. A fitting finale for another fabulous weekend.
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