Half Baked Lake Hike - September 22, 2018
Greater love hath no man that this – than to give his wifey his last slug of water. OK, there is a Greater Love, but this felt awfully good to me during our 15 k hike at Half Way Lake Provincial Park, north of Sudbury. In God’s country…
Our day started out in its usual way. I wanted to get my 5 k jog-walk in. Laur wanted to hug his bed a little longer. So we didn’t get on the road until after 9 am.
Oops! We were almost out of gas and our front left tire was a little flat and Jannie needed her Timmies. The rule of feather is this – if I have to go for a long car ride – which is anything over a half an hour – I get a large decaf (with a half sugar and a drizzle of milk, thank you.)
So Laur did what he had to do at the Canadian Tire gas bar, and I did what I love to do – chat with folks in the line at Tim Hortons. The couple in front of me were heading out for a motorbike trip. They were a riot. She said, “He owes me three dollars.” He said, “No, I don’t.” I said, “I agree with her.” And he laughed, “I’ve only just met you and I don’t love you already.” (This is a send up of a quote from the Disney movie “Up.”) And I laughed, “You’d like my husband. A) He’s from Suds. B) He has a beard too. And C) He’d agree with you”. The gal has just moved here from New Brunswick and loves Sudbury already. “Folks are so friendly – just like home…” she smiles.
I get to the counter and there is Debbie (not her real name.) “Oh Hi Jan – what can I get for you today?” I haven’t lived in Suds for three years! And while she’s making the coffee, she asks if we’ve moved back. (No we haven’t.) And how “the girls” are doing. She even remembers Carolyn and Elaine’s names – they worked at this Tim’s way back when.
I kidded her. You’re never going to retire right?! She laughed, “No, I’ve been here since the place opened (34 years ago)!” I’m willing to bet I was one of her first customers. I chuckle, “You do realize you bring more happiness to folks than any therapist!” She smiles and nods.
The trip to Half Way Lake. OTR! Oh Those Roads! We are used to Southern Ontario roads – completely packed but smooth. Here, there is practically no one around and if you see anyone weaving, they are more than likely swerving around potholes. I do love it so.
We drove past Azilda – where the Rainbow District Animal Shelter is and where I volunteered for years and years and years. “What larks!” I said to Laur, “I could drive there with my eyes closed.” Sundays after church, I’d hit the Tim’s in Azilda for an egg-salad sandwich. This was before my vegan days – and after our kids hit their teens, so I didn’t need to be home to make lunch. Then I’d go to the shelter and bring home a van load of fixed cats and mark down others to get fixed. It was very satisfying.
By 11 am we were at Half Way Lake – a little late to be starting a 15 k hike. We checked in at the main office with the employee Natalie (not her real name.) She was wearing a button that said, “Je parle francais” and it had a picture of a frog on it. We got day-pass money out of a bank machine en route – in case they didn’t have internet access “out there.” She smiled at us foreigners and pointed to the machine.
We told Natalie we were planning to hike the Hawkridge Trail and she asked us to write out names and phone number on the list. We noted that we were the only ones on the list. She asked us to also take down her phone number in case Park Rangers had to come and find us. We assured her that we are experienced hikers and that we do mountains in Arizona. She smiled at us with a look that said, “You old people are so cute.”
(We then proceeded to leave the map and her phone number in the van.)
After an unintended tour of the entire camp, we finally ended up at the trailhead for hikers. When Laur parked the van I noted that he’d sure parked a long way from the bathrooms. Laur responded, “You’re sure you’re up for this, right?!” “Of course!” I responded, “I enjoy a challenge.”
And the hike was simply amazing. Trees, rocks, lakes, mushrooms, birds and podcasts (Jan.) We were both in our glory. Or were until we hit kilometre 10 and were out of water and low on energy (and I’d run out of podcasts.) There was lots of up and down, slippery rocks, fallen trees blocking the paths, and logs to balance on to get over streams and bogs. Said I to Laur, “Next time we start an hour earlier and double the water.”
We finally came to the end of the walk at a beautiful Northern Ontario beach. Two lads told us how to find our parking lot. We saw a tap and we both filled up our water bottles twice and drank every drop. We checked in with Natalie at the main office, as she’d asked us to do, and recommended she give this hike a try. Again, the smile that says, “I hope I never get as old as you guys! But you’re cute.”
What a joy to arrive at our Airbnb apartment in our old stomping ground – LoEllen Park. I’ve been asked by several people if it was a mistake for Laur and me to move to St. Catharines. And I can honestly say, “No. It was the right thing to do.” Most of our family live in southern Ontario and none of us are getting any younger. How much joy it gives me to see my grandkids – Emma and Jasper – get to play with their cousins by the dozens at an “Everybody’s Birthday Party.” How sweet to be the Granny and Grumpa at grand-nephew Mannie’s “Grandparents Day” at school. The smiles of his brother Nate and sister Vivie melt my heart.
But there is no denying that Sudbury is my real home. I love the industrial landscape, the rocks jutting out everywhere, and those blue blue skies. (The bugs, not so much.) I feel a whole lot more connected and truthful when I say, “My home is Sudbury. We’re currently living in St. Catharines for part of the year and Green Valley, Arizona for part of the year – and we love it. But my home is Sudbury.”
Our day started out in its usual way. I wanted to get my 5 k jog-walk in. Laur wanted to hug his bed a little longer. So we didn’t get on the road until after 9 am.
Oops! We were almost out of gas and our front left tire was a little flat and Jannie needed her Timmies. The rule of feather is this – if I have to go for a long car ride – which is anything over a half an hour – I get a large decaf (with a half sugar and a drizzle of milk, thank you.)
So Laur did what he had to do at the Canadian Tire gas bar, and I did what I love to do – chat with folks in the line at Tim Hortons. The couple in front of me were heading out for a motorbike trip. They were a riot. She said, “He owes me three dollars.” He said, “No, I don’t.” I said, “I agree with her.” And he laughed, “I’ve only just met you and I don’t love you already.” (This is a send up of a quote from the Disney movie “Up.”) And I laughed, “You’d like my husband. A) He’s from Suds. B) He has a beard too. And C) He’d agree with you”. The gal has just moved here from New Brunswick and loves Sudbury already. “Folks are so friendly – just like home…” she smiles.
I get to the counter and there is Debbie (not her real name.) “Oh Hi Jan – what can I get for you today?” I haven’t lived in Suds for three years! And while she’s making the coffee, she asks if we’ve moved back. (No we haven’t.) And how “the girls” are doing. She even remembers Carolyn and Elaine’s names – they worked at this Tim’s way back when.
I kidded her. You’re never going to retire right?! She laughed, “No, I’ve been here since the place opened (34 years ago)!” I’m willing to bet I was one of her first customers. I chuckle, “You do realize you bring more happiness to folks than any therapist!” She smiles and nods.
The trip to Half Way Lake. OTR! Oh Those Roads! We are used to Southern Ontario roads – completely packed but smooth. Here, there is practically no one around and if you see anyone weaving, they are more than likely swerving around potholes. I do love it so.
We drove past Azilda – where the Rainbow District Animal Shelter is and where I volunteered for years and years and years. “What larks!” I said to Laur, “I could drive there with my eyes closed.” Sundays after church, I’d hit the Tim’s in Azilda for an egg-salad sandwich. This was before my vegan days – and after our kids hit their teens, so I didn’t need to be home to make lunch. Then I’d go to the shelter and bring home a van load of fixed cats and mark down others to get fixed. It was very satisfying.
By 11 am we were at Half Way Lake – a little late to be starting a 15 k hike. We checked in at the main office with the employee Natalie (not her real name.) She was wearing a button that said, “Je parle francais” and it had a picture of a frog on it. We got day-pass money out of a bank machine en route – in case they didn’t have internet access “out there.” She smiled at us foreigners and pointed to the machine.
We told Natalie we were planning to hike the Hawkridge Trail and she asked us to write out names and phone number on the list. We noted that we were the only ones on the list. She asked us to also take down her phone number in case Park Rangers had to come and find us. We assured her that we are experienced hikers and that we do mountains in Arizona. She smiled at us with a look that said, “You old people are so cute.”
(We then proceeded to leave the map and her phone number in the van.)
After an unintended tour of the entire camp, we finally ended up at the trailhead for hikers. When Laur parked the van I noted that he’d sure parked a long way from the bathrooms. Laur responded, “You’re sure you’re up for this, right?!” “Of course!” I responded, “I enjoy a challenge.”
And the hike was simply amazing. Trees, rocks, lakes, mushrooms, birds and podcasts (Jan.) We were both in our glory. Or were until we hit kilometre 10 and were out of water and low on energy (and I’d run out of podcasts.) There was lots of up and down, slippery rocks, fallen trees blocking the paths, and logs to balance on to get over streams and bogs. Said I to Laur, “Next time we start an hour earlier and double the water.”
We finally came to the end of the walk at a beautiful Northern Ontario beach. Two lads told us how to find our parking lot. We saw a tap and we both filled up our water bottles twice and drank every drop. We checked in with Natalie at the main office, as she’d asked us to do, and recommended she give this hike a try. Again, the smile that says, “I hope I never get as old as you guys! But you’re cute.”
What a joy to arrive at our Airbnb apartment in our old stomping ground – LoEllen Park. I’ve been asked by several people if it was a mistake for Laur and me to move to St. Catharines. And I can honestly say, “No. It was the right thing to do.” Most of our family live in southern Ontario and none of us are getting any younger. How much joy it gives me to see my grandkids – Emma and Jasper – get to play with their cousins by the dozens at an “Everybody’s Birthday Party.” How sweet to be the Granny and Grumpa at grand-nephew Mannie’s “Grandparents Day” at school. The smiles of his brother Nate and sister Vivie melt my heart.
But there is no denying that Sudbury is my real home. I love the industrial landscape, the rocks jutting out everywhere, and those blue blue skies. (The bugs, not so much.) I feel a whole lot more connected and truthful when I say, “My home is Sudbury. We’re currently living in St. Catharines for part of the year and Green Valley, Arizona for part of the year – and we love it. But my home is Sudbury.”