Making a Start

Mon. 2 January:  Making a Start

Making a start on 2017

Note: click on pictures for full size view.

It’s not that easy.  New Year’s resolutions are made to be broken.   

Making new tracks along the Rideau Trail

But a start had to be made on this year’s hiking adventures – and what better day?  Cloudless, no wind, an untouched snowy trail.  We snow-shoed for about four kilometres along the Rideau Trail northwards from Long Lake Road to Powers Road, a mixture of woodland and open fields, then through the mica mine area, full of dangerous holes partly hidden by the snow. 

The friendly farmer, who invited us to park in front of his home, told us that he had seen nobody on the trail for a long time.  The unbroken snow was proof of this.  We added to the enjoyment of the day by stopping at regular intervals to hammer new signs into trees, or to heft a few icy branches to the side.  We knew that, in a few weeks, the speedy end-to-end winter hikers would be travelling this way, and so wanted to clear the tracks ahead of their path.

Off to a good start

A couple of hours in this magical winter world was the perfect way to get things started this year.  After another stellar year in 2016, with over 1,270 km travelled, there are no predictions for the current year.  We’ll just see what happens.