First hike!

I have had my first taste of Canadian wilderness!

Yesterday evening, after seeing nothing but fog and highway all day, I wondered what I was doing here. But this morning, my faith in the adventure was restored!

The lady at the motel said there was a short trail nearby that would give me a view of the lake. I parked next to the closed Park Office and spotted a sign in the woods that said "Trail. You are welcome to enter the park out of season. Hiking at your own risk". I felt a rush of adventurous excitement and bounded along the first section of the snowy trail.

The snow was dense, heavy with the thaw. The top crust gave way easily and I sank up to my knees in the wet snow with almost every step. Mine were the only footprints so I clearly had the trail to myself!

The lady in the motel said the trail takes around half an hour. It took almost two. The unstable snow on top of broken vegetation, combined with steep slopes, made for slow progress. But the forest was beautiful!

The sun was starting to burn away the fog and I could see the lake below, through the trees. The birch trees had white and silver curls of bark peeling from their trunks. The conifers were boasting their dark green foliage amidst the naked deciduous trees and the broken debris of a harsh winter. A humid mist was creeping slowly across the forest floor, tumbling down the steep hill. It was quiet save the birds and the occasional sound of disturbed snow that would make me turn my head, scouring the trees for moose and bears! In the end, the only wildlife I encountered was a small squirrel, looking at me curiously before scampering off up a tree.

At the end of the trail, I found a viewing platform and a track back to the car park.

What a start to the day :)