During the school year, you'll find me in one of two places: cooped up at home and swamped with work, or engaging in a casual snooze in the lecture hall. Rarely am I prompted to veer away from campus grounds for the sake of exploring the area - it's Hamilton though, so can you blame me?
Oddly enough, I managed to sum up enough determination to attempt the hike to Dundas Peak. The Spencer Gorge Conservation Area provides access to Tews Falls, Webster's Falls, and the prime viewing spot of the upper portion of the city known as Dundas Peak.
Oddly enough, I managed to sum up enough determination to attempt the hike to Dundas Peak. The Spencer Gorge Conservation Area provides access to Tews Falls, Webster's Falls, and the prime viewing spot of the upper portion of the city known as Dundas Peak.
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We began the trip around 6:00 pm, so we predicted to reach the peak around sunset. The hike totalled about one hour, though majority of that time had spent stopping and taking photos along the way.
Tews Falls was the first destination, as it was extremely close to the entrance. As opposed to a waterfall, Tews was more of a continuous trickle that appeared halfway down the cliff. A wooden platform and drooping tree branch provided an interesting background for tourist shots, though the skyline was blocked by invasive leaves and forestry.
Tews Falls was the first destination, as it was extremely close to the entrance. As opposed to a waterfall, Tews was more of a continuous trickle that appeared halfway down the cliff. A wooden platform and drooping tree branch provided an interesting background for tourist shots, though the skyline was blocked by invasive leaves and forestry.
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Another trail would have guided us to Webster's Falls - the larger, more proper falls of the two. However, the day's goal was to hit Dundas Peak. We carried on.
The trek was steep, rugged, and poorly maintained. Sharp rocks and protruding tree roots were witnessed at nearly each steep incline; viewpoints were few and required incredible stability to manouever downwards and back up to the trail.
The trek was steep, rugged, and poorly maintained. Sharp rocks and protruding tree roots were witnessed at nearly each steep incline; viewpoints were few and required incredible stability to manouever downwards and back up to the trail.
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As Golden Hour hit, we finally caught sight of the peak. A surprisingly high number of other hikers had also decided to embark on the evening journey; it seemed that we weren't the only ones that wanted sunset shots. One family in particular had even brought along a drone kit, kicking up sand in our faces when he propelled it into the air.
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View the full album HERE !
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Comprehensively speaking, it was a largely satisfying trip. Though the hike was twice as strenuous as that of Hilton Falls, and even though we didn't end up visiting Webster's Falls, the clear view of twilight hitting the residential buildings and tracks below was sufficient enough to keep me content.
Since I had insisted on waiting until streaks of post-sunset colours trailed through the sky, we were forced to retrace our path in a gradually dimming environment. Despite this, the walk was quick, as return routes tend to be.
Since I had insisted on waiting until streaks of post-sunset colours trailed through the sky, we were forced to retrace our path in a gradually dimming environment. Despite this, the walk was quick, as return routes tend to be.
A late dinner was held at Kenzo, where I indulged in as many pieces of Takoyaki and Gyoza as my stomach permitted at 9:15 PM. Black Tonkotsu Ramen was also ordered, but its lack of black garlic and too-firm noodles proved to be slightly dissapointing. The chashu wasn't tender by any means either, but at least the broth was flavourful.
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Scalding hot takoyaki and juicy bites of Gyoza were much appreciated. Chicken Karaage, an item that I've been eyeing for a lengthy period of time, has finally been introduced to the Mississauga location. While on the pricey side, the dish appeared as pictured on the menu, accompanied by a tangy honey mustard dipping sauce with yuzu components. Thin, crispy batter and delicate white meat was undoubtedly a good combo, but the real star was the sauce. It was more fluid than your typical dipping sauce, but still more viscous than the vinegar-soy-sesame mix paired with gyoza; such properties added a light, refreshing touch to the dish, cutting grease for greater levels of enjoyment. The battered pieces of chicken, in my opinion, could have been drained a bit more thoroughly.
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I took the few remaining pieces to go, and the waitress was kind enough to include small containers of both takoyaki/okonomiyaki sauce and their specialty yuzu honey mustard!
Afterwards, we ventured over to CoCo for late-night bubble tea. A great deal has changed since my first visit: increased seating and the introduction of monthly specials are two of these factors. Of course, longer lineups are inevitable, but the staff members have also worked to improve efficiency and accuracy of order delivery, thus succeeding in curbing queues quickly. Chatime and Bubble Republic still require a dire service upgrade to deal with the night rush.
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I suppose the only thing that hasn't been remediated is the inavailability of stable Internet. Their consistency in terms of drink quality and milk-to-tea ratio is applaudable though.
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