Last Week-Under The Bridge And On Home

Into the first set of woods...

   Last week, I decided to hit the trails but wanted to stay a little closer to home as I think I might have overdone it a bit the previous week, hiking all the way to Komoka, hiking in Komoka and then having to make my way all the way home.
   There is a forested area about 200 meters from where I live so I hiked there and then made my way through it. You pop out into the subdivision but then a quick little jog to the right gets you to one of the entrances to Warbler Woods and you're off and running...well....hiking, actually, as running is a little way off just yet.

...and from there in Warbler.

   I hiked to the end of Warblers at the Commissioner's Road entrance. From there, I traveled a couple of kilometers of city streets til I got to the entrance of Kains Woods I wanted to use, at the end of Westdel Bourne. Then, finally, I was back in the forest again. Kains is beautiful this time of year and also not nearly so muddy as it has been. 

A couple of street k's later
and you're in Kains Woods.

   There is a spot where you can go right down to the Thames River and sit on the large rocks there and I had picked this spot as my resting point and an opportunity to munch the granola bar I'd brought along. It's quite picturesque but I'm pretty sure the rock I was sitting on was underwater last week!

My "munching" spot

   From there, I made my way to the end of the trail, near the Oxford Street bridge. Normally, I need to cross the street there to get home and I either have to wait for a break in traffic or walk all the way up to the light. Recently, though, I purchased a copy of the Thames Valley Trail guidebook and, while reading through the various sections I'd discovered that the official part of the trail actually goes

Beauty day in the forest!

underneath the Oxford Street bridge and comes out the other side. Who knew?! It's not terribly obvious that the trail goes there but if you take a closer look, you can see a a trail of stones and some 2x4 which has been laid down. This, then, takes you under the west end of the Oxford Street bridge. Watch your head! From there, you scramble up the other side, no traffic worries.
   From there, I headed past a catchment pond with a couple of geese and their three new goslings. I've named them all "Ryan". I wanted to take a pic but the last time I was near a goose with goslings nearby, I got attacked. I very slowly and carefully made my way past them and very slowly and carefully took a couple of pics. No attacks and I just made my way through the tunnel and out the other side.

Looking back up the little
hill which takes you down to...

   From there, I made my way back into Warbler Woods. This time, though, I actually took a walkway up behind some houses which more or less border the woods. From there, I made my way back through the forest, managed to find the set of woods nearby my place and I was home, think I did about 13K altogether. Nice little hike!

...almost under the
bridge and then...

   

The view from under the bridge

...you're under the bridge!