Hiking the Thames Valley Trail: Section 12-Fanshawe Park-Main Trail and (with an asterisk) Section 13-Thorndale Road to Plover Mills

   Okay, I will explain the "asterisk" at the end of this little blurby....

    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!

Back to the start of the Fanshawe section

Nice view

This kind of took me by surprise. Great
place to sit down and take a rock outta
your boot though!

Fanshawe Dam, built back in the fifties
to help control the Thames flooding,
which actually killed people back
in those days!

A gentle stroll

   

Just a pond

Scenic

Finally made it through the camping
area (sorry, no pics) and passed
by the Fanshawe Yacht Club.

I broke those two rocks in half, so
I could get a better view! #false

Nice little bench with a view

Found myself in behind Pioneer Village

The countryside just past Fanshawe Golf
club.

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! 

Very close to the end of the Fanshawe section

End of the Fanshawe section and start
of the Plover Mills section

A long, LONG walk along Valleyview
because I just couldn't find the
sidetrails.

Sorry! I'm used to roadkill but not
THIS kind of roadkill

Or THIS either. 

    

    

This Week-The Waters Recede

    I decided to bite the bullet yesterday and drive to Komoka Provincial Park, pay the parking fee, and go for a quick hike.
   A couple of weeks ago, I actually walked all the way there and back (no parking fee!) but was exhausted at the end. My bum right knee was also a little the worse for wear and basically, I overdid it. Last weekend, I walked through Warbler Woods and Kains Woods as they are much closer and, afterwards, I wasn't suffering quite as badly.
   In fact, I almost decided to try running just a little bit yesterday but then common sense overtook me (this rarely happens, ask my wife) and I ended up opting for another hiking session. So off to Komoka I went!
   It was a beautiful day for a hike and the parking lot off of Gideon Drive was already pretty busy when I got there. The lot is situated somewhat in the middle of the park and I decided to head east and walk to one end and then simply turn around and walk all the way to the other end and then I would be done.
   The woods yesterday were even more green than two weeks ago and this is increasingly a welcome sight. What's even better is that the trails have almost totally dried out, except for three or four spots. Much more pleasurable!
   Much of the trail follows along the Thames River, sometimes high above it and sometimes right along beside it. Two weeks ago when I was here, London and all of eastern Canada had just been suffering through many days of constant rain and flooding. I took a couple of pics back then and promised I'd take the same pics the next time I was there and that's what I was able to do yesterday. Here they are, two weeks ago on the left and yesterday on the right!

The same stream, flowing
through all the water plants

This is a small stream entering the
Thames, which you can almost see,
off in the distance. The river was so
swollen, it flowed back up the stream!

It looked like an island, off in the distance
but the river had simply overflowed its
banks, making the little jut-out look
like an island

 

Really no island there at all!

  Once again, I had my trekking poles with me and I'm starting to realize how much of a difference they really make. It's so much easier doing the uphills with them---not only do I get the extra push but they also help, balance-wise. Now, Komoka Provincial Park does not for the most part get terribly technical and the vast majority of people you see there are just casual hikers enjoying the scenery but it is quite easy to see how much of a difference the poles would make if you were negotiating mountains!

   Apart from the poles, I had also taken along my CamelBak, minus the bladder, and just carried a water bottle in it. So I've got my poles and I've got the vest and the hiking boots and I'm walking along and then I meet this young family with their dog and three little kids, coming the other way. I stop and stand off the path so they can pass. The dad's in the lead, then the kids, with the mum bringing up the rear. The first two kids just kind of look at me but the third kid ( who I think was probably 5) looks up at me and says, "Are you a skfjdy?" Well, I didn't quite understand the "skfjdy" part so I said, "I'm sorry, what was that?". The boy replied, "Are you a skfjdy?" I looked at the mom and told her I hadn't caught any of that and she smiled and said, "It's okay, I don't think he's ever seen a real hiker before." I laughed and told her I didn't think I was a real hiker and then we all went on our way. Maybe I should try and look like a real runner one of these days!

   Not only was the forest full of people but the river was too. Lots of canoeists and kayakers. Two weeks ago, the river had been so high and fast that people were being warned away from it but now that it was its more benign self, people were able to get out and enjoy it. Such a huge resource!
   Okay, the next time I hit the trails I think I need to be running them. As much as I've enjoyed all the walking I've been doing the past few weeks, I still really miss the moving at a high (or at least slightly higher) clip. The knee's been feeling stronger and I haven't had it give out on me in quite awhile so maybe I'm good for a little light running. Time to get some fresh dirt on the new trail shoes!
    
  

   
  

My 12K Hike And A Couple Of Random Pics

LOVE hiking in these woods!

   A little over a week and a half ago, I did something to my right knee and have been "on the shelf" since then. I was able to get in to see a doctor the following day and he basically diagnosed me with a muscle strain. He said it wasn't too serious and that I should do normal activities for two weeks, walking for two weeks and then return to light running.
   About three days after I saw him, my knee felt fine. Mind you, I could get it into positions where it didn't feel fine but, for the most part, it felt as though I was ahead of the recovery prognosis. I actually felt as though I could run but why take a chance?

Nice to see the green returning!

   Much of the good weather lately has distressed me as I haven't been able to run in it. Today, however, I decided that I would begin the "walking" phase of my recovery. About a month and a half ago I had bought some hiking boots and have only been able to use them on short walks so today gave me the opportunity to give them a true test.
   I live nearby Warbler Woods and Kains Woods, two of London's environmentally significant areas (ESAs) so I thought that I would hike from my house to Warbler, walk all the way through Warbler and then up Commissioners a bit and then down Oxford a bit til I got to the southwest entrance of Kains Woods. I would then walk to the far end of Kains until it popped out into the Riverbend subdivision and from there just walk home along the city streets.
   I also decided to use my urban poles. Doralyn gave me urban poles for Father's Day almost three years ago and I had yet to actually use them. They're not really designed for trails (hence the "urban") but I thought it would at least give me a bit of a feel as to what it would be like using trekking poles.
   It was a beautiful Easter Sunday, weather-wise, and I ran into a lot of other people enjoying the trails. None of them looked like they were on the same kind of mission I was (with me and my poles and camelbak and arm and wrist bands) but we happily chatted as we passed.

My favourite part of the trail,
going up OR down.

  It was kind of a nice change to be out in the woods and not be running and I noticed even more things than I usually do. At the same time, I was working up quite the sweat and did find myself pretty winded at the end of long climbs. I had the camelbak but didn't bother with the bladder, I just filled up a water bottle, threw in half a Nuun, and slid it into one of the front pouches of the vest.

Lots of these growing by the side
of the trail today. Skunk cabbages?

    Round about 9.7 K, I started to feel a burning sensation on the bottom of both of my feet. At this point, I was about 2K from home and just powered through. Once I did get home, I took off my boots and socks and, sure enough, blisters. As the rest of the day progressed, however, I found I could more and more easily walk on them so, hopefully, no big deal. I think I made the major mistake of wearing a cheap pair of work socks, rather than anything designed for mileage, so I guess this was all part of the learning curve. We'll see how they feel tomorrow, and from there we'll make plans for the next long hike and then, hopefully not long after that, back to running! 

Random Pics

After Easter dinner at the Mandarin,
Doralyn and I and our friend, Louise
found ourselves in the backyard,
looking at the plant life. We heard
what sounded like sheets flapping
in the wind and when we looked up
there were turkey vultures soaring
overhead, looking majestic. They
managed to perch on the tiniest
little branches. We were looking
at them flying around and they were
looking at us, waiting for one of us
to drop dead. I was the most
likely candidate....

This is what Doralyn looks like when
she's eating candy floss at the same time
that you ask her to smile. If you
couldn't tell, she's saying "eff you"
at that exact moment!

Spring-Like Trail Run And A Weird Little Cramp

   It's getting to the point where I can't wait for the weekend to arrive so I can get out there on the trails again. This weekend was no exception so, after a breaky of bagel, peanut butter and banana had somewhat digested, I headed off to Komoka Provincial Park.

My Komoka parking stub. "15"
and "53"---one's the year I was
born and the other is my
favourite number. I'll let you
figure out which is which...

   The temps were 3 or 4 degrees above freezing today which meant there was more mud than snow on the trails and it almost had that "Spring" feeling to it, which was pretty wonderful. Once again, there were lots of people and dogs out as well. They instituted a parking fee at Komoka back in September of last year and many people in London said they would never go there again. My experience, however, is that it actually seems busier than it did when parking was free. Weird mindset, sometimes!
   My plan for today was to run 7K. This had been my plan last week in Kains Woods but I had changed it to a 6K run when my quads acted up. This week I wanted to make sure I hit the mark. 
   

The parking lot gets you onto the trail a little closer to the eastern end of the park and that's the direction I headed in. Getting in 7K means a little back-and-forth action on the trails so when I hit the eastern end I simply turned around and headed back to the western end. At that point I still didn't have 7K in so I turned around and headed east again, for about a kilometer and a half, until I hit the 7K mark and then I started walking, Could easily have kept running but cramps and overdoing it seem to be an issue with me so I contented myself with walking. Next week, we'll check into the 8K...
   Did I mention cramps? Last year, the major issue I had with cramps was in the  evening after a trail run in the afternoon----godawful cramps in my thighs. The last two times out,

however, I've had an issue with cramping on the outside of my right ankle and lower shin. It hits just as I'm lowering myself into the driver's seat. Need to get out of the car in a hurry! Today, I leaned on my car, doing stretches and at one point I had my right leg dangling underneath me. The foot was pointed straight ahead but as the cramp took over, the toe slowly started to rotate off to the right. Very strange and uncomfortable. A fairly minimal amount of stretching alleviated the cramp enough so that I could get back into my car. I guess maybe the next time, I'll do a little post-run stretch routine (which I hear you're supposed to do anyway) in the hopes of avoiding some of this.
   

A little beaver action in this section
and lots more farther on. I know
nothing about beavers but I take
it to mean that Spring is on its
way! (if I'm wrong, don't tell me)

Once again, the screwshoes came in very handy today. Occasionally, if I'm coming down on a rock or a root, I'll feel the beginning of one of the screws coming through. Not in a painful way, but I can still feel it so I might need to come up with something to alleviate that---maybe a strip of hard plastic under my orthotics or something like that. They still work very well, however.
   My biggest issue these days is that I'm really only running once a week, on weekends. It just seems that I'm too tired by the time I get home from work to force myself out there, especially as it's still getting dark fairly early. Am hoping that the longer days will help with that cuz who wants to run on a treadmill?
   The CamelBak is still working wonderfully, as well. So nice for hydration not to be an issue! If anything, I probably need to go to it a little more often, especially if cramps are still a problem, which it looks like they are. And it's not even hot out!

Easier steps!L

View from the top of The Steps.

Nice Little Winter Trail Run!

   Two weekends ago, I attempted a trail run in nearby Kains Woods. Back then, we were in the middle of a thaw and the only actual snow in the woods had turned to slick ice right on the actual trail itself. I was completely unprepared for this and, apart from a little brisk walking that day, it was kind of a bust.

Screwshoes and CamelBak at the ready!

   Saturday, I was back at Kains Woods but had my screwshoes this time. The thaw was also long gone and we had had snow that last couple of days so the trail was snow-packed and trampled down by other runners and hikers. Under these conditions, the screwshoes were amazing---no fear whatsoever climbing or going down hills and I even tried sliding on the odd ice patch I encountered and the shoes held their own.
   It was about -4C (25F) and, for what seemed like the first time in weeks, the sun was shining. The first part of the run was on a snow-covered concrete path which leads down and around a residential holding pond before entering the woods. The wind along the path was a little nasty but once into the woods the wind more or less disappeared. 

Hard to tell, but this trail goes
down at a 45 degree angle, on
a sidehill. Pretty easy to fall off,
especially in the winter!

   The plan for the day was to run 7K---3.5K into the woods and then head back. At the turnaround point, I pulled out the Mars bar I'd tucked away and consumed it while I took a couple of pics of the river. The Mars bar was kind of in homage to my x-country skiing days back when I was in my twenties. I always made sure I had one with me and, partway through the afternoon (and I thought I had earned it), I ate it. Bit of an energy boost on top of everything else.
   Just past the 5K mark, my quads started to give me a little grief and I decided to maybe aim for 6K instead of the original 7. The last kilometer would have been all uphill as well so I was fine walking it! At this point, I am quite okay with upping the mileage extremely slowly---last summer, when I discovered trail running, I think I overdid it, constantly fighting debilitating post-run thigh cramps. Not this year, if I can help it!
   

 
Once again, the woods were fairly alive with people, even more so than two weeks ago. Lots of people walking dogs and even more runners than usual, people who actually looked like they knew what they were doing!
   I finally made it back to the car and everything was fine til I actually got halfway in and then all of the sudden had this cramp down the outside of my right shin. I got back out of the car as fast as I could and stood on the leg until the cramp expired, just a couple of seconds. I very gingerly got back into the car and thins were fine after that. That's all I need, a major cramp attack while driving!
   The CamelBak continues to work nicely. It's not something I even necessarily need on a 6K run in cold temps but I'm just trying to get used to running with it and so far, so good. Always nice to be able to take a quick sip without stopping!
   At this point, my plan is to try and get out every weekend, I feel like I've been properly winterized and I can't imagine anything really holding me back. And now that "Roll Up The Rim" is back, Spring's just around the corner! Whoop!
   
   

A Solid-Footing Kind Of Weekend

   Last weekend was my first opportunity to try out my new CamelBak but, run-wise, I unfortunately had to cut things short due to unexpectedly icy conditions. So not much actual running last weekend.
   This weekend, I was all set for another run but we've had some fresh snow over the last couple of days and the temps were down around -3C so I wanted to be a little more prepared for the elements when I went out there.
   

Spent some time screwin' around
and then I headed out~

To this end, I found myself some hex screws, got my oldest and least favourite kicks (Nike Pegasus, if you really wanna know---I actually like them but I like the others more), and I drilled some screws into the bottom of them. Didn't feel like dragging out power tools or anything and found that a ratchet and socket did the trick quite nicely.
   Today I headed to Komoka Provincial Park, being somewhat content to pay the $5.25 for two hours of run'n'fun time there, no big deal. There were quite a few people there, way more than I expected, but I was the only one (that I saw) who was there for running the trails. Running into other people while I'm out is one of the things I enjoy about trail running. Lots of dogs, as well, mostly on leashes...

   The screwshoes worked awesomely. The first part of the run was fairly level so difficult to gauge their effectiveness. Once I hit the hilly spots, though, I found they made a huge difference. So much easier to run when self-preservation is not the foremost thing on your mind!
   This was my first trip to Komoka since early Fall and it seems like a whole different place in the winter, surprise, surprise! I ran there a fair bit back in the summer but with all the leaves now gone and with the ground snow-covered, many of the landmarks successfully disguised themselves and I'd have to stop and re-orient myself quite often. It's also a different experience when you can see so much more deeply into the forest---it gives you a totally unique perspective on the terrain and where you are in it. Pretty cool, actually.
   

The Steps--good time to turn around

I only really wanted to run 5K today, so I started on the white trail and ran west til I got to 2.5K and then I turned around and headed back. This 2.5 K took me right to the bottom of The Steps, a rather imposing (especially when you're tired) wooden structure which takes you up from the edge of the river back to the top of the valley. I briefly contemplated conquering them but....no. Quite happy to turn around there and head back.
   Part of the reason I only wanted to do 5K is that there were a couple of times in the summer I "overdid" it. Bad cramps ensued and, also given that I haven't really run in almost 2 months, it seemed like 5K was a good target. There was a little more walking on the way back but I figure I ran well over 4K and I'm happy with that.
   Afterward, I felt none the worse for wear. Knees were a little sore and the Achilles were letting me know about it a touch. Cramping was not an issue, likely at least due partially to the fact that there was not the same fluid loss as there might have been in the summer.

The Thames--much higher and faster
in the wintertime

   Best of all, fitting my shoes with screws has made it that much easier to contemplate getting back out there again. Knowing that footing will not be an issue gives me little excuse for not putting in more mileage than I might have otherwise. What I need to do now is suck it up when it gets dark and get out there on the occasional weeknight. Not going to get much accomplished by running once a week!

Just really pretty

   

Testing The New CamelBak

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    This past Saturday was my first chance to hit the trails in this new year. Up until then, I had had this miserable cold and godawful cough and it's only been in the last couple of days that I thought I might be able to get out for a run and actually survive. I've also spent the last three weeks on the couch and feel so much better now that I'm back in my own bed.

Me, feeling a little more badass

   This then was also an opportunity to use my brand new CamelBak! We had ordered it online as my Christmas present back in early December and then watched it sit around in Auckland, New Zealand for almost a full month. It finally made its way to London, Canada a week ago today, to my great excitement (my wife thinks I'm very easy to please...)

The paved trail leading
to Kains Woods.

   I drove to the nearby Kains Woods, parked, and began a brisk walk to the start of the trail. I had brought along an empty water bottle stashed in one of the front pockets of the vest just to see if it would get in the way of my arm as I ran. This was not really an issue but I did find that my arm action tended to squeeze the bottle out of its pocket but it could very well be that a full bottle and a tighter cinch will fix that. I also found that I needed to extend the straps to their limit, just to get them done up. What I have is the Camelbak Circuit, so not the largest hydration vest and I am a large man (hopefully getting smaller!) The overall fit, however, was quite comfortable!

...but ice was a little different.

   

Mud I could have handled...

We've had quite a warm spell here in London the past few days and almost all the snow has disappeared. Because of this, I was under the assumption that the trails would be reasonably clear but, alas, this was not the case. The trails had been used while the snow was still there and consequently were packed down. The recent thaw had done nothing more than turn them into wet, slippery ice. The only white stuff in the whole forest was on the exact same spot I wanted to run on. Had I known about this, I either

A small animal skull, attached
to a tree. It probably meant
"go no further"...

would have worn more appropriate footwear or I simply would have stuck to the streets. I have had a couple of horrendous falls due to ice this winter and the prospect of any more greatly distressed me. So gingerly I stepped! I actually managed to run just off to the side of the actual trail up until the forest seemed to close in on me and I basically turned my run into a hike. Still, it was wonderful being out in the woods and be able to wear shorts, no less! Can hardly wait for spring!

What in blue blazes?!

Down by the Thames

Ran on that boardwalk
into the forest, returned
by a different route.

Running up the side of a hill.

The obligatory coyote warning

The afternoon was not without incident...

One missing Yak Trak---they
probably went through the
dryer...