I thought we might start hiking with other families this summer but so far it is not yet to be. It might have happened today if only I could plan ahead of time. I will forgive myself for not being able to plan ahead as I really hurt my toe last week on a trail run. There was some talk about it being broken, but it does seem to be getting significantly better each day. Still, I really wasn't sure of what I would be capable of. My toe did hurt today, but it wasn't unbearable and as far as I can tell, it doesn't seem worse tonight. I'm ever so hopeful that another week will heal it completely.
We headed to Kearney Lake Trails. We parked at the Maskwa Aquatic Club - the first sign says it's only for members, but if you continue on, you will see another one that says members and hikers, and the trailhead is just beyond that at the far end of the parking lot.
"Crown lands of the Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes area of Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) have now been designated under the Wilderness Areas Protection Act. The total area of this near-urban wilderness area is 1,312 hectares (3,242 acres), or almost 3/4 the size of Halifax Peninsula." NS Gov. website.
It's one of our favorite places to explore, right in HRM boundaries!! There are some fantastic trails and a few not so maintained trails (which we found today). The place is wonderful for those seeking a more backwoods experience without the travelling time. For the most part, it is not well marked, and not for the inexperienced, or those prone to getting lost - but we love it!! (The exception is the trail that follows along Kearney Lake, out and back). We've hiked it in winter, spring and almost summer conditions. Today, we found black flies and mosquitoes, or I should say they found us.
It is difficult to find information on the area. It seems the city and/or the NS Dept of Environment have been slow to act on making trails in the wilderness area, and maybe aren't keen on people getting out there in the wilderness until they have done all their bureaucratic business. Luckily, we have been able to obtain a map of the area from a fellow hiker. We still use our own GPS for tracking but the other map helps, too.
We had intentions of going on a short walk today to test out my foot. We ended up doing 5kms in very trying conditions, but for the most part, we kept our wits about us. The kids did fantastic, and kept upbeat even when we were bushwacking. I'm so crazy proud of my little hikers. Only slighter concerned when Zach said he'd rather treewack than bushwack!! Oh, the things that kid says. We explored a new trail in a system of trails, only to find out that it petered out and/or the bushes just got unbearably thick, and we could not see any more trail ribbons. I think it was especially tough on Al as he knew we were very close to our destination look-out but it wasn't reasonable to continue (with kids and me somewhat hobbling at times) so we had to backtrack...not something Al is keen on doing EVER, but he didn't complain. That's the wonderful thing about having kids around - you learn not to complain because if you do, then the kids will do it tenfold. I'm still amazed at how well the kids dealt with the blackflies swarming around them. The next hike will no doubt be a coastal route, for the sanity of the parents.
We met a lady on the trail today. She inquired about the direction we had gone and where we were heading. She decided to try our route, even though we had explained that it couldn't be followed right through (we met her at the end of our hike and it sounded like she didn't get further than us). She admired our beautiful family and reminded me to be ever grateful for what I have :)
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