Today I set out to do the next two sections of the Thames Valley Trail. I was a little up in the air about doing two of them because the total mileage was going to be close to 19K and this would make it my longest day so far. Doralyn was also a little concerned, as was I, that it was a very hot and humid day. I have had issues hiking in weather like this already on my TVT quest and I really didn't want to repeat any of them today.
To this end, last night I filled and froze two CamelBak bottles for my vest and another large Gatorade sports bottle to bring along in my backpack. Also made sure I had lots to eat. The plan would be that I would finish the Fanshawe Lake section and then assess where I was at physically and call Doralyn and let her know whether she needed to pick me up then or wait for me to finish the second section.
She very graciously agreed to both drop me off and pick me up so we drove across town to get to Fanshawe Conservation Area where I spent thirteen hard-earned dollars to get a day pass. Frankly, I strongly suspected that, because I wasn't entering the park via the main entrance, I could have just hiked for free but I was quite willing to support the conservation area.
Doralyn then drove me back to where I left off the other day, on Clarke Road, just by Kilally Drive. From there, I risked my life on a very busy and fast highway in order to get across the bridge and back to the trailhead.
The first part of Fanshawe section went very smoothly. It went through a forested section and the white blazes were very clear and easy to see. Things seemed to change once I got into the recreational area of the park. The white blazes seemed to be almost non-existent and, without them, the written directions were also a little confusing. I did, however, finally make it through all the campgrounds, Pioneer Village and picnic areas and soon found myself back in forest with just the one trail to follow.
I made it to the end of the Fanshawe section and was able to sit at a convenient picnic table above the lake for a bite to eat. I still had one full CamelBak bottle and the Gatorade bottle was still frozen! I managed to get a little very cold Nuun water out of it and it was wonderful!
Okay, now for the "asterisk" part.
I was feeling well enough after the Fanshawe section to set off on the next section---the trip to Plover Mills. This is slightly less than an 8K section and the majority of it runs along Valleyview Road. There are apparently two different spots where you get off the roadway and dip into the adjacent forest for trail hiking but I was unable to find either one of them, to my great consternation. I did eventually make it Plover Mills but I did it totally on the roadway. Doralyn, bless her heart, was actually able to estimate my arrival time at Plover Mills and got there just before I did.
I think part of the problem was that by the time I got to this stretch of "trail", my thinking and observational abilities were not at their best. In going back and re-reading the written directions with a clearer and more well-rested mind, I can see where there were a couple of landmarks I might have missed along the way. My plan is to maybe drive back there some day soon and hike the portions I missed today. Maybe in a couple of days cuz it's gonna bug me til then!
At any rate, here is the photo dump from today, just to show I walked the walk!
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| Back to the start of the Fanshawe section |
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| Nice view |
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| This kind of took me by surprise. Great place to sit down and take a rock outta your boot though! |
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| Fanshawe Dam, built back in the fifties to help control the Thames flooding, which actually killed people back in those days! |
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| A gentle stroll |
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| Just a pond |
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| Scenic |
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| Finally made it through the camping area (sorry, no pics) and passed by the Fanshawe Yacht Club. |
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| I broke those two rocks in half, so I could get a better view! #false |
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| Nice little bench with a view |
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| Found myself in behind Pioneer Village |
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| The countryside just past Fanshawe Golf club. |
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| Cool idea! Fanshawe has its own extensive trail system which gets used by both hikers and trail bikers. If you run into an emergency situation, you can call 911 and indicate more or less what part of the trail you're on! |
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| Very close to the end of the Fanshawe section |
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| End of the Fanshawe section and start of the Plover Mills section |
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| A long, LONG walk along Valleyview because I just couldn't find the sidetrails. |
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| Sorry! I'm used to roadkill but not THIS kind of roadkill |
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| Or THIS either. |
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