Happy Fall

Hello to everyone. I've had a busy summer with lots of activity. Here are some highlights since I last posted.

My daughter's wedding in Punta Cana in late May was amazing -- hands down the best vacation I've ever had. A lot of it was the venue, the food and the water, but if I hadn't been with such wonderful people (such as my Possee above), it wouldn't have rocked quite as much. 

In July, I introduced my brother, the outdoorsman, to the joys of hiking Newfoundland when I took him to one of my favorite places, Southhead Lighthouse. It was a wonderful hike, and I really appreciate that he takes the time afterwards to 'sit in gratitude for the beauty around us', as he says.

However, these near-65 year old knees really objected to the hike back down the mountain; and I was out of commission for epic hikes until Labour Day weekend when he invited me to his cabin. 

That's when he introduced me to Serpentine Lake, one of the areas around his cabin. Although he's been to this area on snowmobile in the winter, it was the first time he'd hiked it. And it did NOT disappoint. It was a magical hike, full of clear, clean babbling brooks, meadows of NL Pitcher Plants and copious amounts of moose droppings! My knees didn't mind the more gentle slope of this climb.

This was our view at the end of that hike. Wow! I kept thinking of Lord of the Rings and how the golden hills reminded me of Rohan; I could just imagine Gandalf riding down to save the day at Helm's Deep!

 

The following day, we joined some friends and took the quad to the same location; but this time, we traversed brook and stream and rocks and boulders to find the hidden falls. It was another wonderful day trip.

A happy man and his quad!

Since then, the weather has decidedly taken a turn towards autumn. Although the days are mostly warm, I had to turn my furnace on the other night. 

You won't catch me with a pumpkin-spice anything, but you will find me in cardigans and sneakers and continuing my march through the wilderness in search of colorful leaves ......... any day now.

Happy unofficial Autumn, everyone!

When it's okay to be a Lady Camel!

Last Sunday morning, I took part in a "Wild Edible Plants" hike with our local environmental group. They did a hike in the spring, but of course, there's a different 'crop' in the woods now. And with Fall fast approaching here in Newfoundland, we only have another month before things will begin to die off quickly. 

It was a beautiful morning and about a dozen people showed up. We began with a little show-and-tell lesson on the various wild plants that we can find anywhere in NL such as: 

    

Plantain:  The young leaves can be eaten raw, and the seeds can be dried and ground into meal or flour -- good to know for when the apocalypse comes [AND the only time I'd ever try this]. As well, you can chew the leaves and apply the spittle as a poultice that is good for burns or stings.

Also, apparently wherever you live and whatever pests, bugs and/or irritants you have around you, you will also find the remedy nearby in nature! There's a fine, hairy leaved thistle here in NL that burns and stings if you touch it; the pain can last all day and over the counter creams, etc do little to quell the pain. But growing next to this thistle is usually Plaintain; and this will immediately take away the burning and pain. Mother Nature provides all that we need!

Pearly Everlasting:  This pretty little plant always reminded me of wild chamomile but when compared, I can easily see the difference. The young leaves and plant of Pearly Everlasting can be cooked and eaten.           

Clover: This is a pretty versatile plant. The flowers themselves are very tasty; you can pull out the 'fronds' of the flower and add them to your salads. Any part of the above ground plant can be eaten raw. And the creeping roots and stems can be cooked. However, one site I check out says not to eat in the Fall as it contains more alkaloids and can cause bloating. (At my age, I'm well familiar with that problem!)

And this is Newfoundland's "Crackerberry" plant, otherwise known as a Bunchberry. It's rather tasteless and kind of spongy but harmless; we used to eat them all the time as children. I was pleased to find out that the berries contain a lot of pectin and can be dried, ground and added to jams and jellies to help them gel. The berries can also be lightly chewed and pressed over a burn as a poultice.

We discussed a few other plants and bushes. But for most of us, the real jewels of the day were the wild mushrooms.

This is a Coral Mushroom. White to soft yellow in color, these are pretty, frilly little things and are extremely fragile. So, it was suggested that they be added to a dish once the dish was cooked and just before serving.

And these are Chanterelles. (My Ex loved them but they didn't grow where we lived in NS so I never got to try them.) These are quite small and dainty looking, but Chanterelles can be much bigger. There are lots of recipes online for this much sought-after wild mushroom. 

After the workshop, a few of us walked along the river trail until we met up with the Yogi Trail, about a 2 km hike. It was a warm, sunny day and a good opportunity for us to search for more edible plants. 

I really enjoyed myself. But although I don't think I know enough to ever eat wild mushrooms, I loved the information about the healing properties of these plants. 

You can bet that from now on, I'll be chewing and spitting as needed in my own back yard! 

Happy weekend everyone. 

Staycation Joys!

My last week of August and into September, I took time off and enjoyed a great "staycation". I did lots of walking, a little hiking and a lot of little side trips to pretty locales. My house is clean and organized; and I returned to work fresh and rejuvenated.

One of my favorite hikes (and also the most challenging this year) was the Alexander Murray Trail. I'd been wanting to do this hike for over a year; and my daughter and I decided to do it together and make a day of it. She wore her FitBit which recorded a total of 9 km (return). The site also says that we climbed 350 m and walked a total of 2,200 steps. Yes, that's right: 2,200 steps! 

Needless to say, we took our time, made lots of stops. My favorite of these stops was halfway up: there was a slight detour (32 steps) down to part of the Corner Brook Stream. We were hot and sweaty and beginning to feel the climb. So, we stopped for a snack and a wee dip in the icy cold water of the gorge. 

Then rested and refreshed, we finished the climb to the top where we ate lunch. 

We made it! 

The views were spectacular!

The climb back down was just as difficult (and just as pretty). 

My poor knees! But what a climb! 4 hours after we'd begun, we reached the bottom. And we were more than ready ready for a wee reward before going out to dinner together.



So, we drove into Springdale, picked up some light and non-alcoholic beer and headed to Glassy Beach, a little known treasure of a place. We did the short hike through the woods with a beverage each and sat on the tiny, beach-glass covered beach and listened to the waves and the occasional sound of a crow or gull. It was magic! And everywhere you dug you hand, you came up with beach glass.

T'was a grand day! I will probably never do this hike again, but I'm ever so glad I got to experience it this once. 

Still Crazy after all These Years!

The weather here in western Newfoundland has been wonderful for the past couple of weeks: sunny day and cool evenings are perfect for my tastes!

I'd been nursing a sore calf muscle that I believe was the result of walking twice in one day; neither walk was particularly strenuous, but I'd been suffering chin-splint discomfort in my right calf: so I decided to stop walking for a week. Then after doing the hike with my brother and my usual easy walks at home, I felt I was ready for a more challenging hike this past weekend.

My memory bank told me that last year's Corner Brook Stream Trail hike was a really easy one because it was one of two done on the same day. So, I thought I'd add the Ginger Root Trail to my hike because it actually which meets up with the CB Stream Trail. And according to the map trail map I found, it was a 4 km return hike. 

I think I misread, and it was actually 4 km ONE way! Just before I reached the falls, I began to suspect it was longer than I'd anticipated ...... but of course, it was too late to turn back then.  

It was pretty difficult, uphill almost all the way over rocks and tree roots; but I knew the falls were waiting for me. I ate lunch at the top, all alone, the sound of the falls in one ear, birds singing in the other. I stayed for about an hour, and it was blissful. The weather was cool at the start -- perfect for climbing -- and the woods were alive with bird song, squirrels and a number of friendly toads. It was warmer on the descent; so I spent some time talking to those creatures on my way down as I needed someone to commiserate with over my folly (and none of those creatures judged me). Here are some of the highlights of my hike. 

Here I am 4 days later and only now beginning to recover from what turned out to be 9.5 km (6 mi) of walking! Egad! 


My feet didn't suffer as I have good hiking sneakers. But my legs, butt and lower back were been seized up tighter than an 8 day clock, and I've been waddling around like Jemima Puddle Duck! 

Oh the follies of the growing-elderly!

I should be recovered enough to take on a small hike this weekend .... fingers crossed and brain engaged this time round!

 

World Forest Day and a Newfie Boil Up

This is International Day of Forests; and although I've always liked forests, since moving home (where there's more forest than city or town), I have fallen deeply in love with forests. Being surrounded by nature always rejuvenates me. The Japanese call this "Forest Bathing" (shinrin-yoku); the Norwegians call it "Free Air Life" (Friluftsliv); I call it a magical gift from God.  So, as promised, today I'll share with you a little more of my "craic" weekend and take you into the forest with me. 

On Monday, I went snowshoeing for my first official snowshoe AND my first official winter "boil up".

A hiking group buddy and I headed off into the forest just beside her house. In any other season, you wouldn't be able to venture there because it's mostly bog. But this time of year, there's a great snowmobile trail that's very well used. We treked for almost an hour on the trail, stopping often for breathers and just to enjoy the beauty around us. It wasn't a sunny day, but it was clear and relatively mild -- a perfect day for a hike!


Cindy pointed out the steep uphill and downhill path that some snowmobilers take, following the electrical lines. 


Not for these old knees!

We passed over 2 bogs, went round a pond and then crossed our last bog to head into a spot where trees had been cleared a little; a perfect spot for a fire as we had ready made stools in place!

Cindy came prepared with lint-stuffed toilet paper rolls, newspaper and kindling to start the fire. We gathered some deadfall, stomped out a flat surface in the snow, put down a sheet of foil and began our construction. After lighting the starters, we topped the fire with some 'blasty boughs' (blasty - Of the branch(es) of a spruce or fir, dead and dry but with the needles, now red or brown, still adhering; esp in comb blasty bough, blassy: such a branch which, used as kindling, burns with a quick, fierce, crackling flame.) 

I got Cindy's camp kettle out of my knapsack, filled it with snow (several times), and we had a royal boil up! 

 We dined on roast beef sarnies, chocolate chip 'n' mint cookies and had cup after cup of the most delicious tea I can ever remember having. It was so tasty! 

After sitting and soaking in the outdoor "hygge" for about an hour, we packed up our stuff, covered the remains of our fire with snow, and put our snowshoes back on, filled with such a feeling of well being and contentment.

No Cindy's were
harmed in the making
of this picture!

The return trip was easy because the uphills were now all downhills. Alas! Cindy's snowshoe didn't quite make it over this fallen tree. And as the snow is a great insulator, I didn't hear a thud as she hit the ground. I heard her laughing, and when I turned around, this is what I saw. 

Now honestly! If she hadn't been laughing, I would have helped her up BEFORE I snapped the picture. Honestly! 

It was an amazing adventure and one I hope to do again before the snow melts.

Rx = Sunshine

Yes, my friends, I did try snowshoeing this weekend. And no, I did not fall as anticipated.  But I decided to snowshoe at Margaret Bowater Park rather than on the trail as I was visiting my Dad and it was on the way. It was a gorgeous sunny day!

I had no trouble putting on my showshoes. I tromped around and got comfortable with them -- made sure I could walk without falling down. But as I started on the trail, quite a few people passed me coming the other way; and I found that the trail was so well trodden, that snowshoes weren't necessary. I didn't want other people to have to dodge my wider 'n' longer than normal feet! So, I went back to the car and took them off in favor of a 'walk' in the park.

Glenmill Inn in the distance.

It was so beautiful! The deeper I walked in the forest, the quieter it became; I stopped and sat on a snowy bench before I began the mostly uphill climb back. All I could hear was the Corner Brook stream bubbling past me and several birds chirping. And I must have scared a tiny squirrel because he sure scared me when he suddenly began loudly screaming at me to move on. 

Back in the car and on my way to my dad's house, I grabbed a quick lunch snack -- something that I haven't had since early December -- a large order of french fries.  

Then as I drove along the Humber River, mountains on either side of me, sun streaming from the Heavens, happily munching fries, I listened to Newfie music on Uncle Tom's Shed, a weekend local music program. As we say here on The Rock, "Sure I was only in da car and I was already havin' a toime!"

Sometimes, a little sunshine is just what the doctor ordered. It was a real boost for me, and I can approach the rest of winter with a bit more of a spring in my step. 

I have a Man in my Mountain!

Autumn is in full swing here in Western Newfoundland. And even though Friday night's heavy rains brought a lot of leaves down (especially the gorgeous reds), my world is still ablaze with color. It's no wonder so many people love this season.

I took part in what may be my last hike of the season. I climbed the "Man in the Mountain" trail just outside Corner Brook. I've hiked worse (Hello Coppermines!), but this one was still quite challenging. You began by climbing (lots of roots, rocks, fallen trees and rotting leaves underfoot), then mercifully it levelled out. We hiked round #1 of 3 ponds that we'd pass until we reached the biggest challenge, an area called The Switchback. This was a steep, hillside climb (as opposed to hill-slide down into that pond); it was slippery and there were no ropes to grab; you had to hope that tree branch would hold! But look where you came out at the top.  

See the parking lot in the center?
We're only half way there!

 But this is just the top of a small mountain. We have to continue hiking .... and climbing .... and thankfully, stopping to rest at conveniently placed benches and natural stone seats. There were partridgeberries growing along the way -- a tart, cranberry-like berry which is a favorite with Newfoundlanders. 

The path was sometimes a riot of fall colors; and then there was this small clearing which was surrounded by beautiful red foliage. And the smells were unbelievable! It almost smelled like partridgeberry jam cooking, this sweet, tart, juicy fragrance! Yum!  

But finally we reached the top -- 984 feet up! Wow!

On my right is the Humber River and the highway leading to Corner Brook and the outer Bay of Islands.



And on my left is again the Humber River (showing Shellbird Island) and the TCH (Trans Canada Highway) which leads across the Island, past Marble Mountain Ski Resort, through the lovely Humber Valley.  

There's only one man in this mountain. The smaller circle shows the location of the "Man"
 and the larger circle shows the "man" in greater detail. 

Yep! We were at the very top of this mountain. And if I had been dangled off the side, I could have seen the actual "man in the mountain"!

 ..... but I just took my hiking guide's word for it! 

I defeated the Man in the Mountain, 

and I have battle wounds to prove it!