A Hike (?) To Sandy Lake

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A Hike (?) To Sandy Lake

Wednesday, 11 July 2007

Today is day #20 - my adventure is 1/3 completed! Hard to believe in a way - it had seemed to be such an unattainable feat when I began - now it’s just part of my life. I’d really preferred to cycle today, but the route following the Trans Canada Trail seemed like it might be too tricky to try with a bicycle, and the route I’d otherwise have followed will be the one I’ll take tomorrow, to Minnedosa. However, if one travelled by foot, the distance between Elphinstone & Sandy Lake, about 11+ kilometres, was quite within the realm of my capabilities. As it was, I probably could have ridden Silver for that stretch, but beyond that it might have been somewhat more difficult.

The morning was quite cool, but sunny, with the promise of more warmth to come, so it was definitely a good day to be outside. Like a good boy scout (or girl scout?) I was prepared for anything - long pants, hiking boots, bug repellent jacket, lunch, gatorade, camera, GPS & satellite phone in my backpack. However, except for the lunch & gatorade & the camera the rest was not particularly necessary. Following again the abandoned rail line (the same one which had passed through Russell), the TCT crossed two trestles, no railings, but the beams were close enough that it was easy for me to get a rhythm crossing them and there was really no way I could have slipped a foot between them.

On the trek I saw lots of lovely fields and what folks in Manitoba call “potholes” - depressions left by the glaciers which fill with fresh water & become marshy homes for a great variety of birds. I did see lots of birds, but unfortunately I’m not real familiar with most of the varieties. There were deer tracks too & deposits left behind by other mammals, but none were seen.

I did seem to be accompanied by hordes of golden-bodied damselflies (a smaller cousin to dragonflies), which I’d first seen last Sunday, near Russell - had actually wondered if they were some sort of hornet, with their yellow colour & the way they hovered & flew circles around me, without making contact. And I encountered an unpleasant nest of large ants when I took my first break - they were very persistent in climbing up anything put onto the ground (for instance my backpack, camera case, legs) & I even carried one with me for a short while afterwards, until his biting my leg got my attention & I managed to brush him (or her) away.

There was also a little tiny frog or toad on the path - the only one which I noticed. It was so small it resembled a grasshopper or a cricket. I don’t know if it’s a tiny species, or if it’s merely immature, with the expectation to get larger. At Bruce Pit, near Ottawa, where I go with Panna off-leash sometimes, I’ve seen a similarly small frog or toad, but have never found out what it was.

There was also lots of “debris” left behind from the railroad days - spikes, huge nuts & bolts, & pieces of steel (iron?) embedded in the pathway.

A very pleasant, cooling breeze was blowing, mostly at my back, which kept me from getting too hot, and for the most part the heavy-duty DEET compound which I’d used kept the biting insects away. Needless to say, I took lots of photographs, on the trail and in Sandy Lake, where Bob was to pick me up at 3 PM - I’d gotten there at 2:15, which left me with some time to wander around, get some ice cream (my favorite “reward”), and read up on the possible itineraries for tomorrow. Tonight will be for packing again - it’s a short stay here, then we go back on the road again tomorrow morning.

DAY 20: on foot - 12.5 km, in 3:08 hours, ave. speed 4.0 km/hr

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