This bench not recommended unless you have rubber pants...
Nice walk. Last time I was able to walk home in the river valley after work (in November), I was outrunning the sun. I’m outrunning it again, or trying to, but at least the sun sets a little later every day.
Beautiful temperature after a few spectacularly cold days. Took the train to central station and a very loud and messy downtown, over to the MacDonald Hotel, the stairs, up Grierson Hill (for the exercise, not the aesthetics), McKinney and finally Mill Creek. Still not back to a full river valley walk, but soon. A few centimetres of snow the other day covered the ice, but the warm weather will uncover it. Not today, though. The trails were still white and crunchy. Perfect.
Well, the city’s been hit with the ugly stick. So beautiful last week, and now, heaps of dirty oily snow and GIANT puddles everywhere. The scary thing is that it’s returning to below zero tomorrow and for the next week. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I hope it snows.
Took the LRT over to Churchill again and then over to McKinney. Unbelievably, the city has blocked off the main path for ‘further promenade developments.’ Goddammit! The ramification today was that I lost five minutes of sunshine looking for the detour, which at the moment is a mud path. The ramification long-term is that the main path of Louise McKinney has been blocked off, and there’s only so many paths available in winter. What are they thinking?? How much work can they do in January? I suppose I’m not the target audience for these improvements. I already use the river valley on an almost daily basis, so further development only means annoyance, detours, and arguably less ‘wild’ space. As I’ve mentioned before, I still remember how beautiful McKinney was before the development, when the hill was an open area, full of overgrown green grass and wildflowers. And this is only the beginning. When the LRT construction starts gouging into the side of the park, I imagine all the paths will be blocked. For years.
There goes the sun
However, the sunset was spectacularly gorgeous, and I had the perfect view at McKinney and also at the Muttart. Decided to take the paved path through Mill Creek because it has a few ‘off-ramps’, one of which I took once it got too dark. Another mostly lovely walk.
Bird (dog, coyote) feet below the Walterdale Bridge
Wow. Can’t believe I stayed upright for the entire 75 minute walk. It was close, though. The streets were OK, but once I dipped into the river valley, where the temperature is just a little cooler, it was sheer ice. On a slope. The rain this morning didn’t help. However, I’m happy for the longer days, even if the walks are a little challenging. Good for the abs, but must remember to exhale.
Over the Walterdale Bridge and then through Rossdale, hugging the edges of the pathways where there was still traction. Can’t stand those timid little steps across the ice. Cramps my style, and my speed. Better to be slow(ish) I suppose, than fractured.
EPCOR is being dismantled. It’s just OR now. I feel a detour looming, but I hope the south path stays open. It’s suprisingly lovely, when it’s not covered by ice. Saw my one and only marmot, or reasonable facsimile, on the path near EPCOR, I mean OR. Maybe it was a muscrat.
As in life, as on the trails. Pretty mucky, and a lot of slip-sliding down the trails, but first day back in Mill Creek. Bit of a cheat, really. I took the LRT to the north side and then walked from downtown. It was 5:25 by the time I emerged out of the woods, or 23 minutes after the sun set. Kinda dark, but OK. In fact, it was quite pleasant. Just me n’ the magpies.
The only thing worse than 65 cm of snow is a sharp rise in the temperature a few days later. I’ve been trying to avoid the streets but most of the river valley paths have to start somewhere. In the ravine, the narrow corridors are still solid snow. It’s just the exposed areas that are mush. Those that aren’t mush are either oatmeal or cookie dough, but a lovely day nonetheless. Beautiful sun, blue skies, warm weather. It’s a much-needed break from god’s wrath.
Now that the sun is setting at 4:53 PM, I have a few of the shorter river valley routes back, including Skunk Hollow and Rossdale, but only just. Still pretty dim at the end. By February, I should be able to take some of the longer routes. Unbelievably, it snowed yet again this morning, but by the time I left work
Is that a ten-speed? Nerd.
it stopped, leaving overcast skies and about 2 cm of snow on the unplowed trails.
Walked through the Kinsmen and then under the Walterdale Bridge. Turns out, even the trail icons were not spared a face full of the white stuff. I almost felt sorry for them, especially the biker. Doesn’t look like he was dressed for it.
A long walk. Finally. More than an hour. After almost two weeks of frightful weather, we caught a break. It warmed up. Yesterday, more snow and -20C. I did walk home, a short 25 minute jaunt down Saskatchewan Drive, head tucked in collar, hat pulled down so far I could barely see the path in front of me. Not that there was path, just an accumulation of boot prints.
The lovely Rossdale: 60 cm and counting...
Today, the sun was bright, the temperature a balmy -7C, and it was really, really gorgeous. The feeling was akin to being locked inside a dark, waxy cave, unable to exit, waiting for release, which finally arrived at 4:20 this afternoon. Freedom, in other words. For the last week, I’ve been wearing ‘the Kommissar’, my double-breasted Russian overcoat which only comes out when the weather turns Siberian. It weighs a ton and it’s very, very warm. Nice coat, but it’s exhausting. Putting on a fleece and a light jacket this morning was like wearing nothing at all. Nyet, nyet Soviet.
The snowbanks are huge! The paths are more like corridors, and let me tell ya, there are very few of them. Most of my walk was a real slog, and it’s quite interesting to see which routes the city deems to be plow-worthy and those that are abandoned to the elements. The bike paths through the woods are plowed (with Bobcats…heh.) The sidewalks along River Road and up 99th Street, not plowed. The Low Level Bridge sidewalk (west side), not plowed. I looked like a drunk maneuvering my way through the river valley, but you know, sober. And faster.
So, the walk was tiring but beautiful, and oh so necessary. I feel better. I think. Tomorrow, the temperature is supposed to tank again, but I’m leaving the Kommissar where it is, in my closet, making plans to overthrow the anorak. I’ll take the short walk again tomorrow, and then back on the trails Thursday. I’m done with the cave.
5:45PM/-7C
Sunrise: 8:40AM /Sunset: 4:49PM (32 minutes gained since Christmas)
