Hiking The Thames Valley Trail: Section 4-Delaware to Komoka Provincial Park and Section 5-Komoka Provincial Park-Main Trail

   Yesterday (by which I mean today if I actually get it posted today) we really had nothing planned so rather than work on the backyard or cut the grass I decided to knock off another two sections of the Thames Valley Trail.
   At the end of my last section (which almost killed me) I found myself at a conservation area in the town of Delaware, about ten minutes outside of London. My wife, Doralyn, graciously consented to driving me back there to begin the next leg, Delaware to Komoka Provincial Park. The plan was to finish this leg and then tack on the next one, the White Trail running through Komoka. On top of this, I was just going to walk home after that which would then take a little off the next section, from Komoka to Kains Woods. Confused yet?
   It was about 25C (77F) when I got dropped off today and this was about 10 degrees cooler than last week, when I had all my difficulties. I had taken the extra precaution of freezing both my water bottles and adding extra Nuun, as well. I had also just purchased a Tilley hiking hat with a cooling insert. As well, I brought along some extra fuel, so it seemed as though I'd covered a few extra bases.
   The first stretch involved a lot of highway hiking so it went pretty quickly. At one point you dip down toward the river, under a bridge and then along the river for a bit but you eventually end up doing another long highway stretch before you get to Komoka.
   Once at Komoka, I was in very familiar territory, having spent much time either running or hiking through it. Kinda felt good not to follow directions for a change! I kind of motored through Komoka and eventually found myself back on Oxford Street, near Kilworth. From here, it was just another highway jaunt til I was back home. Along the way, though, I stopped to visit a pioneer cemetery nestled on a tiny little hill beside the highway. After a little genealogy research, I have discovered that the areas I have been running and hiking through the last year or so are rife with ancestors I never knew I had. And I discovered a few more in this cemetery!
   By the time I had made it home, I had logged in almost 14K. The water and fuel both lasted til the end. So far this evening (or perhaps last night, depending on whether I get this published tonight or not) the godawful thigh cramps are also being held at bay, fingers crossed.
   The next two sections of the TVT will have me continuing to hike on familiar territory and, in fact, will briefly have me back on my own street! From there, the trail winds its way through downtown London before it heads north and out of the city. I also have a couple weeks of holiday coming up and hopefully this will put a big dent in what's left to hike!
   As per usual, the following is a bit of a photo dump, just to acknowledge that I actually walked the walk today!

The beginning---Delaware Conservation Area

Little town of Delaware

Bot soon on the highway

Dipping into the woods near Komoka Bridge

And then under the bridge....

...where this is the view

Nice to know I was on the right trail!

Back up from the river

And back on the highway

Til I get to the giant Legos which mark the
entry point to Komoka

The famous (if you read this blog) Steps!

Much steeper than it looks

Back to Oxford

Here I am!

The little pioneer cemetery---totally
coincidental that it says "Baker" on it.

Peaceful little place

Great to be back home.....

...but even better because of THIS!

Hiking The Thames Valley Trail: Section 2--Sharon Creek and Section 3--Sharon Creek to Delaware

   I had this past week off and Thursday I took the opportunity to hike some more of the Thames Valley Trail.
   I had decided to combine the next two sections---Sharon Creek and then Sharon Creek to Delaware as the Sharon Creek section was only 4K and the Sharon Creek to Delaware section was only 8K. On top of that, because of my slight navigation error near the end of the first section, I had decided to go back and re-hike it. This was a further 2K so, all in all, about 14K. This seemed doable.

The "green gate" and then walking along
another farmer's field, headed for
Carriage Road.

   I had my stepson, Quin, meet me at the Delaware Conservation Area, which was the endpoint, so that I could leave my car there for the ride home. He then drove me back to the spot on the first section I needed to do over---the infamous "green gate". I headed out from there.
   The rest was kind of a debacle.
   Thursday was hot and when I set out it was about 34C (93F) and very humid. I kind of enjoy hot and humid so I didn't think this would be a problem. I completed the last portion of Section 1 with no problems and then set out on Section 2-Sharon Creek. The hiking here was more difficult than the first section with lots of steep hills. It was very scenic, though, and this always tends to make up for some of the difficulty. This section ends at Sharon Creek Conservation Area and I took this opportunity to chow down a little and sit for a bit. At this point I knew I was already tired but still had 8K of hiking ahead of me and figured I had done tougher things.
   Well, that 8K Sharon Creek to Delaware section was brutal---some of the steepest and most technical trails I have ever been on. Much of this was exacerbated by the heat and already having done one whole section and a part of another. I started rationing the water and still had run out substantially before I was done. At one point I had to stop because I actually thought I was going to throw up. Finally I made it to the town of Delaware and at that point it would have been a short little jaunt to where my car was (which I desperately wanted to reach) but, no, in order to follow the guidebook I first had to travel down a deserted road, under a highway and then along the river before I could get back to my car.
   This was where I started to have some major physical issues. This last part involved clambering down a couple of  different concrete rockfalls and steep slopes. At this point, thigh and calf cramps began to set in. After overdoing it, I tend to develop excruciating inner thigh cramps and I actually envisioned not being able to make it back to the car. I gave them a few moments to subside and then I gingerly made it the rest of the way.
   So.... many lessons were learned Thursday about planning, hydration, fueling and better knowing my body's limits. The trail organizers start off with a 15K section and then follow that with a 4 and an 8K section and, on paper, I couldn't figure out why the second two weren't combined. Well, now I know!  
   At any rate, here is another photo dump, more or less in the order I took them!

Re-hiking the last part of the first section
got me all the way back to Carriage Road
and Sharon Road. It was pouring rain the
last time I was here...

A quick walk up Sharon and I'm at the
beginning of Section 2--Sharon and Springer

Springer takes a hard right and becomes
Heatly Drive. Nice pleasant little walk!

After a short stretch on Heatly, you arrive
at the footpath into the woodlot. Lots of
deer in here and I scared a lot of them.

Scenic little bridge

A little more scenery

And I'm at the end of the second section,
sort of wondering what I've gotten myself
in for. Tired at this point but
still optimistic...

A little highway walking down Springer
til I have to turn left into another farmer's
field. Things start to get a little rough
in this section... 

They use many of these small wooden boxes
covered with wire mesh (traction) to
get you through the boggy areas.

The ever-present power lines, getting
closer to Highway 402.

Crossing over Highway 402.

Just on the other side of the highway,
these steps take you down. The pic
doesn't do their steepness credit.

More scenery! There's a river in there you
just can't see. At this point I was struggling
and actually didn't have the energy
to take any more pics. Hard hiking here!

Finally back to Delaware. This is Pleasant
Street. And it was quite!

The deserted road which used to be part
of Highway 2. There was a wide wooden
barricade at this point and a strip of
caution tape, all of which suggesting
to ordinary people that you shouldn't
go down there. I went down there...

...and came across this rather hellacious
descent into a small ravine. I'm looking
up from the bottom in this pic.

A short walk takes you to the buttress
for the old Highway 2 overpass

I then ended up under the newer overpass.
Some cool graffiti, with ladders and
scaffolds even! I was having
major cramp issues at this point.

A  short walk along the river and I am
back at the Delaware Conservation area,
where I had left my car. Never so grateful!