The Niagara Gorge (Again?) and Up the Hill

On Saturday, I went with a fellow hiker to the Niagara Gorge.  I know this is beginning to sound like a broker record but I love hiking down through there.  It is a tough hike, listed on our schedule as 'strenuous'.  You have to watch every step but time goes by so fast down there because of the beauty of the scenery and the fact that if you are not careful, you could get seriously hurt.  Earlier this spring a guy fell into the fast waters and drowned, and just this past week a police office chased a guy down into the Gorge - the guy fell to his death and the police office fell and broke his leg and had to be airlifted to hospital.

My hiking friend Heize in the Gorge

It is hard to believe but the trail goes across here

Heize climbing the 20 stories out of the Gorge

On Sunday, I joined 20 other hiking club members to walk the 'Up the Hill' hike.  It starts at the bottom of the Niagara Escarpment, climbs straight up, does a big loop through the forests along the Bruce Trail, then heads back down the escarpment back to the start.

Bruce Trail Hikers

I was able to get out twice this weekend with the Bruce Trail Hiking Club.  On Saturday, we hiked from a small town called Dain City along the Welland Canal to a lakeside town of Port Colborne and back.  The hike was 16 kms long and took 3 hours and 7 minutes.  The temperature was 29C, which is funny because if you look back to one of my posts from January, we hiked the same trail - only it was -18 C.  A big difference.

Today (Sunday), the club hiked around the Glenridge Quarry.  I remembered to bring my camera today so there are a few pictures from today's hike.

Oh, and don't let me forget, last Tuesday, by far the hottest day of the year - it was with humidity factored in, 47C or 117F - I led three people from work down into the Niagara Gorge for what turned out to be a two hour and forty-five minute hike.  I really enjoy hiking down there, but I was totally drenched in sweat.  Next Saturday's club hike is down there.

Friday the 13th!

We just had the second Friday the 13th for 2012.  There was one in April.  Every Friday the 13th motorbikers from all over North America converge onto the small lakeside town of Port Dover, Ontario.  The town has a population of about 6000 people, but on Friday, there were over 150,000 bikers there, and some estimates had it as high as 200,000.  It is the biggest one day bike event in North America.  This time, for the first time, we camped there.  My brother, his wife, and our niece stayed two nights.  I just stayed the one night. It was very hot there with the temperature being 35C or 95F.

I have not been hiking much.  My knee still bothers me a bit, and now my achilles tenden is bugging me.  I am hoping that rest will help it.  Here are some pictures of the biking event.

Seattle

Space Needle from far away

Space needle up close

Seattle at night

Convention Centre

Floor to ceiling glass wall at Seattle airport

Light rail service from airport

Mount St Helen from airplane

I was in Seattle 5 days last week for a conference.  I took light rail transit from the airport into the city, which was about a 40 minute ride.  The cost was $2.75 as opposed to $40 for a taxi.  But that meant that I had to walk everywhere I went.  To save some money, I stayed at the Holiday Inn which was exactly a mile from the Conference Center, instead of staying at one of the hotels right beside it.  The savings were about $75 a night that way.  Which meant at the minimum I had to walk 2 miles each day.  But in gathering food, sightseeing, and a 7 mile round walk to look at some shoes I seen advertised, I did lots of walking - mostly in dress shoes!  I did buy a new pair of New Balance running shoes.  At home on Friday, I walked 4.5 miles in the new shoes and regular socks.  No issues other than the bottoms of my feet were a bit sore from a bit of friction -but no blisters.  So Saturday, I gave my feet a generous application of vaseline and wore good hiking socks and walked 7 miles.  During the walk, I could feel a bit of discomfort with my one foot but nothing too alarming.  Upon arriving at home and removing my sock, I had the biggest blister I have ever had on the side of my right foot and it was completely filled with blood.  Just when I thought I had found the right pair of shoes, crap!  It seems that every time I take a step forward, I get pushed two steps back.  It will be a few days before I dare walk again and now I have yet another pair of shoes for my collection of useless shoes.  I have attached some pictures of Seattle.