08:25 – 10:15
Start: 08:30
Roads: Damp from rain
Visibility: 18km
Temp: +6C
Area: Short Hills Park
Vehicle: Suburban
Trail Conditions: mud
Weather: Overcast / light rain
Hikers: Wolf, Tori, 3 dogs
Plan: Hike a trail using the Wiley road entrance to the park.
We parked the truck at the Wiley road entrance and got on our rain gear and galoshes. Tori wore her galoshes, adventure hat and a Vietnam war era poncho we had kicking around. Wolf wore a full-length military rainsuit with a hood and carried the daypack with the hydration pack in it.
As soon as we hit the trails, it was deep, thick mud up to our ankles and really slowed us down. We decided to hike trail #6 which seemed to be a little drier. We headed west along the trail. We saw a guy walking in the rain wearing jeans and a plaid shirt going off into the woods. We figured he may have been tracking to poach. We headed up and went by some power lines and just then we heard a loud crack of thunder. Tori put a leash on Merlin so he did not take off. We then ducked under the forest canopy. The trail split and we seemed to loose the blue trail. We headed along what now seemed to be the yellow trail and came to the top of a small waterfall and then we headed up a long ridge for a while. Tori spotted a neon orange flip-flop laying upside down near a tree and wondered who would hike in flip-flops. As we continued on down the ridge we saw some blue markers and small bridges. We decided to head down the steep ridge and continue on the blue train. En-route down the steep ridge, Tori slipped down on her butt. Wolf slipped gently and did not fall. Upon reaching the bridges we realised we must have been in Camp Wetaskawin – the boy scout camp located within the park. We saw campsite posts in yellow with red writing. We decided the rain and mud were not worth battling and headed towards the ridge again and found a place to ascend and join up the yellow trail again. We headed back on the trail, past the orange flip-flop and towards the water fall. We stopped fro a while at the water fall to enjoy it's beauty. The rocks were all covered in moss, the smell of the rain in the woods made the experience so amasing. We took the tags off the dogs so when they run it would be quiet. This really made the hike more enjoyable. Wolf told Tori that this was the picture-perfect scene to capture in your mind to use for a meditation as your "inner space". After enjoying the beauty and sanctity of this site, we made the trek back to the truck. The deep mud made hiking difficult. Wolf noticed a leak in his rain suit on the crotch and left leg which made need to be repaired. We arrived at the truck and stripped off our rain gear, loaded the dogs in the truck and headed home. When we got home Wolf washed up the boots and Tori washed the mud off the dogs. Although only a short hike, it was very peaceful and relaxing.
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