Bruce Trail Caledon and Dufferin Hi-Lands

 In April I did a race put on by Crazy Cat Adventures called the Caledon Crusher.  The end to end distance was 71k (44miles) done in 12.5 hours (time limit was 14 hours) meaning I was done before sunset. The race was great-amazing weather and trails in decent condition considering the wet weather we've had the last 3 weeks. Checked off another section of the Bruce Trail-the 900km trail that goes through Ontario, Drove to where I was staying with a beautiful sunset on my right and an amazing full moon on my left. A little stiff today but feeling good considering the effort. Next weekend is the start of my summer vacation!

Last week with 2 friends I completed the Dufferin Hi-Lands section. It's the section between Caledon and the Blue Mountain section I did back in September when I was up for my ice training. We camped at Unicamp of Ontario. I'm not a big camper. It was hot, so we were able to tent camp without a rainfly and get a breeze, but it still was about 11 at night before we were able to fall asleep. Temps were in the 30sC /80s F most of the day. The first night a cow was in labour a few fields over and I hadn't grabbed my ear plugs. I slept better the second night with ear plugs in except for having to get up to the bathroom in the night. The other issue was my shoulders didn't fit on my sleep pad and were in a lot of pain at night so I changed position a lot. The camp itself had 100 people for a retreat the weekend before, but only a couple people camping the M-W we were there and they were doing maintenance to get ready for summer camps with kids in July. It was extremely quiet and the staff was very helpful and kind and relaxed. The camp had outdoor showers, goats, chickens, two large sinks for washing clothes and dishes, plumbed clean toilets along with portable toilets with water and soap available throughout the camp. They had plugs, toaster, microwave and coffee maker available as well and the Bruce trail went right through the camp, so it was perfect for our purposes. The first day we started at the south end of the section on our way up to the camp. We had our run packs ready to go. We dropped a car at km 15 just south of the Boyne Valley Provincial Park at Hurontario and Hwy 89, then doubled back to Mono Hills community Centre.

We then headed to camp and set up. The second day we decided to do two 15km sections. Looking at the map it looked like the 2nd section we were going to do was more road and the 1st was more trail, since it was hot, we decided to reverse the order, doing what looked like from the map more road first. We drove to Whitfield at Km 30 and hiked to km 45 which was at our camp. We got lucky and what looked like road and open field was actually dirt road and straight trails with lots of shade and it was beautiful.

After having lunch and restocking at camp, we drove to just below Boyne Provincial park where we'd left off the day before and headed to the car we'd left from in the morning at Whitfield, covering kms 15-30. We found a hydro station ruins

This was very nice and shaded but still hot. Wednesday all we had left was camp until the end point where the trail meets with the Blue Mountain section in Lavender. One friend was still not feeling great from the heat the day before and opted out, so she dropped us off at Lavender and we ran / speed hiked back to the camp. The main part of the trail was a former road (think washed out logging road for my WA readers). There were biting flies that we added extra spray for. The trail went off into some side trail areas that were lovely and through a very nice Black Bank creek area before the camp.
Our friend had packed up camp and we headed home. I went home and sent in for my badge for the section.

General first half of year update

 Has it really been January since an update?  Yikes!  Makes me realize how busy this year has been. I also may have been fighting some anxiety and depression since the U.S. Election.  I am so grateful to live in Canada right now but what's going on in the US is affecting me because my family and friends are there and we still have ties there as well as Canada's really close-it's less than 40 miles away.  

It's made me alternately obsess over the news there and also completely ignore it and refuse to make plans in advance that involve the U.S.  I had wanted to run another 100 mile race this year.  We usually go see family and friends in WA in the summer. The kids only have so many more summers to vacation.  

Instead, I've put off making plans (did finally book tickets for the kids and I in August but rather than the usual race everywhere to see everyone and do everything, we are focusing on day trips/camping with my parents.) I realized that although I have no desire to go to the U.S. right now my parents are not getting any younger and I want to especially see them in case everything goes to hell in a handbasket, so I finally booked tickets and made plans.

I only have two races booked (see next post re: Caledon Crusher), one is a road marathon in the fall that I'll likely sell my bib for. I don't really have a desire to run 42k on pavement and my hamstring also has objections.  This means I don't have my usual running goals and is leaving me kind of afloat. 

January through April was basically making ice and curling. The season ended mid-April and we did the last curling maintenance we've not done on our own-shut down for the season. We've now completed an entire season on our own as ice makers. We learned a lot and are very proud of the good ice we made this season and are resting, then we will start making plans for the next season.

April and May I did all the small maintenance and other things that didn't get done over curling season before the kids get done with school.

V spent the winter doing winter rowing workouts with a local community rowing club.  The HS rowing club was just too intense, they wanted V to live and breathe rowing and V's still got many interests, so we switched over to a community club.  V loved the winter workouts at the local university facility (they have an indoor rowing pool and weight room) but deemed them "difficult" and "I'm working on my stamina which will be good for swimming, too."  V also took the Bronze Cross class in the next town over and although they did not pass the final exam, much was learned and another attempt will be made this summer. In Jan V participated in their first erg competition and did not come in last (when adjusted for weight class)

V spent May on the water with the rowing club 3 days a week and loved it and even got me to do a "try rowing."  I did like it but found the arm movements quite complicated for my brain (it's very hard to do the same rhythm as 7 others in a boat!) but I may end up taking a full learn to row course at some point, maybe this fall. V will be "focusing on being IN the water rather than ON the water" for July, participating in the local swim team and taking another crack at the Bronze Cross class (lifeguard training will be next-V must be 15 which won't happen until later in the summer anyway in order to lifeguard).

V also took part at school in the "Oddity Film Society" where they watched odd films and enjoyed it.  V also was in the school play, a fun take on Shakespeare where a fairy tries to fix the romantic plots in several plays.  V was Horatio.  

C turned TWENTY. Still in college, taking some summer elective classes now to get them out of the way. May be changing programs in the fall to one that will use current classes taken but move more towards interests... we are planning on working on freeway driving this summer to get a full license in time for fall.

I took the younger kids to a local conservation area for some hiking this spring.  At the beginning: Both: “It’s nice out here!”

At the end: H, “I don’t think I can make it. I need you to carry me.” (H is now taller than me only about 20 pounds lighter and it is a big hill to the car). V, “This is great! I love hiking! These shorts are good for hiking they have a lot of traction. I need to join a hiking club because I can’t hike alone I am too short.” (4’10” and needed a hand climbing some larger boulders to the waterfall).

V decided she wants to do more hiking. So in lieu of training for runs this summer I've dusted off my hike leader training for the BTC and in June lead 3 hikes for a series in the Benchlands. It went well and in July I've set up one long hike a week for advanced hikers and one a week with the target demographic being teenagers and their adults that will be shorter and a little slower. Depending on how they go I'll figure out August in a few weeks. The last week of June my cherry trees have been producing. The one in back has already been picked over by the birds and is slated to come down this summer. It's got insect damage and is misshapen and it's only a matter of time before it comes down on it's own, so now that I've finally got a chainsaw that's one summer project. I picked tons off the other two and made two cherry pies, cherry muffins and put a few bags in the freezer. I only have about a week before the birds make off with the top half and the rest start rotting. I had a bumper crop this year!