Joanne Sisco

Another Hole In The Wall

Not be confused with Another Brick In The Wall by Pink Floyd, the wall I’m talking about here is a hiker’s paradise.

In this case, the wall is the Niagara Escarpment, and this week, Deb (The Widow Badass) and I hiked the Hole-in-the-Wall located in the Toronto Section of the Bruce Trail.

… and just to muddy the waters a little bit, there is actually no part of the Toronto Section of the Bruce Trail that goes through Toronto. Just saying. I was not consulted on any of the naming conventions.

It had snowed on the weekend which meant the rocky terrain of the trail was softened by the accumulated snow. The snow had already been stamped down by local traffic providing us with a packed path to follow without the need for snowshoes … which was a good thing because it hadn’t occurred to me to bring snowshoes.

Hiking in snow has some unique challenges. I’ve always wondered about the possibility of misstepping into one of the many crevasses. Then there are the steep icy hills that become rather interesting to navigate. Poles definitely become a must!!

Once we got out of the bitterly cold wind and into the protection of the trees it was a perfect day to be outdoors. We walked, we laughed, we explored, we snacked … it was a good day.

Photo by Deb

Just call us intrepid adventurers!

As much as I’m not a fan of snow, there is no question of its pristine beauty.

58 comments

  1. You definitely should hike the ‘Hole in the Wall’ in Port Alberni while you are out this way. It’s a quick, easy but stunning hike. And it’s right across the highway from Coombs Candy. What could be better?

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  2. I’d love to know what bitterly cold was? The water is rubbing and the snow looks like it’s about -5 which is perfect! I snow shoe a lot and really love it. Takes the caution away with icy patches.

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    • I think you’re about right with the -5C. My cutoff is usually around -10C. That’s when I don’t enjoy it so much anymore – especially if there is a bitter wind, which in this case there was. The windchill was much, much colder!

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  3. First of all, so great to see a post from you. This must mean items have been replaced?

    Secondly, this spot looks like the only place I’ve hiked on the Bruce Trail though, since we were with others who were driving, I’m not exactly sure where it is though our friends live in Halton Hills (aka Georgetown). Is it close to there?

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    • We do have a lot of fun when we get together, regardless of what we’re getting into 😉

      We certainly had our doubts when we first arrived at our meeting point. It felt bitterly cold. Thankfully, I knew this trail and knew we would be in the protection of the trees out of the wind. That’s when we could really enjoy this beautiful day.

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    • I wish I could send some of it to you 😀

      This weekend we were forecasted to get more snow but It turned to rain instead. I’m not complaining! It will be interesting to see what the trails look like this week with the wet and near freezing temperatures. We may have to use those ice-grippers after all.

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  11. Joanne, I can see how Deb has dressed in layers and warm clothing. A clue to the temperatures when hiking. A big smile and rosy cheeks indicating all is well. You remind me how I have only been on snow shoes once at Mount Baker for the day. It is one of the best Winter hiking days of my life. Not much snow here this Winter. I have never hiked with poles (so far). I know it is highly recommended. Reading about the wind, explains the rosy cheeks. Exceptionally beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing.🙂

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    • In spite of the fact I’ve lived with snowy winters my entire life, I’m not particularly experienced with snowshoes. Although I do have them, I’m not the kind of person to rush out at the first sign of snow to go snowshoeing on the virgin snow (I know people who do!). I prefer to wait until others have packed it down 😉

      It was a very chilly start and there was a part of me that really wanted to abort, but once we were in the trees, it was a simply gorgeous day.

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    • Wow! Are you getting frost in Florida?! That’s not good!

      As far as winters go in Canada, this one has been a great one so far … on the mild side, with only a little snow. Some people complain about all the rain and the gray dreariness. I agree that the lack of sunshine gets depressing after a while. But I’m not complaining 😀

      There’s a saying, Lois – There’s no bad weather, just bad clothing. That sums up winter perfectly!

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  19. Though not as temperate as last week, I am still loving what is becoming our Hump Day Hike routine. Beautiful scenery and great company. I especially love the next to last picture of you laughing on the trail. I forget what we were laughing about but yes, there were many laughs on this hike!

    Deb

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    • I do love our Hump Day Hikes! We’ve been sooo lucky with the weather! While I know that the trail will almost always be great, driving there is usually my concern.

      I too don’t remember half the stuff we were laughing about, but that picture you took is a great one. Imho, it is the essence of what that day was like 😆

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  20. Nice!! Really cute pics! Was there FB involved?? Also, if you have not heard of micro-spikes, I use em even on packed snow trails – only cuz I have a fear of falling. I keep a pair in my car in the winter at all times – just in case. 🙂

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Comments are welcome and always appreciated!