These two friends were out for their weekly waterfall run. I was still out of practice with this project and forgot to ask their names. Their route included the Upper and Lower Ball’s Falls. Due to the slick conditions, it was more of a swift walk this day. I wasn’t aware of the historic village at the Ball’s Falls Conservation Area before walking through it. Luckily, the staff were just arriving at the maintenance building as I passed, and they graciously filled my water bottles.
Albert, a fellow new retiree, lived in Grimsby at the base of the escarpment. He had climbed the steep hill behind his house this day to see the work a volunteer trail crew had been doing. This was the first year that the Bruce Trail had been rerouted from the road above to this newly acquired land. The trail was loose and rocky, but would settle in a year or so. It was the most challenging walking of the day for me. It didn’t help that it came at the end of long day.
Pat and Al, Land Steward Volunteers, greeted me along the same stretch of trail above Grimsby. They were completing an annual check of the property boundary markers near Oakridge Dr. They completed end-to-end hikes fifteen years ago when the Bruce Trail had many more road sections. I finished this new trail section and descended into Grimsby where I stayed at a motel for the night.
9 hours, 14 minutes: 31.9 km: 3.27 km/hr
Jamie