Out & About #589 | Mount Nemo

​With orangecane having denied my proposal of a weekend hiking trip out of filial piety, the next best thing was a one-day operation closer to home.

The previous day had been a gloomy one in more ways than one, with the availability of transportation completely in the air. Extending outside my realm of control, the response was hysterical. Thankfully, the issue was resolved shortly after, abolishing the potential obstacles that would have otherwise hindered my upcoming plans tremendously.

​We commenced the day at Galleria for a quick lunch. The Korean supermarket has undergone a face-lift since my last visit, now offering hot meals straight from the kitchen and a dining area in which to consume those hot meals. The expansion project initiated the setup of a north entrance - one more access point to the parking lot - as well as bathrooms (unvisited) and plenty of ground-level group tables. Raised booths were positioned along the perimeter; one large party room was also present.

​Hygiene levels were mediocre, as one would expect, with some wet surfaces and sauce splatters clearly evident on the beige walls surrounding us.
Disposal bins were separated into compost, recyclables, and landfill. Whether diners bothered to sort their waste is a different story altogether though.

Styrofoam cups, a microwave, and a hidden water dispenser were other components of the space.

​The midday meal was a pick 'n' mix box for orangecane and a day-old sashimi salad bowl for me; these were decisions that had respectively stemmed from a desire for spicy crab legs and out of concern for budget cuts. Apparently, a certain ahjumma had fished out all the "meaty" sections, leaving only a small quantity for orangecane to choose from.
My own bowl, which was being sold at a 20% discount, contained finely-chopped mango bits, seaweed salad, salmon sashimi chunks (unmarinated), and a rock-solid foundation of sushi rice camouflaged under a dusting of shredded lettuce. Taste-wise, it was passable, until the bottommost layer was reached. That said, the stale grains of vinegar-tossed rice was nothing a quick zap in the microwave couldn't amend.

We stopped at the nearby McDonald's for a bathroom run before the drive. It was at our time of egress that I swatted myself for not suggesting Happy Meals. Lo and behold: the Peanuts x NASA collection has dropped.

​The drive to Mount Nemo was largely uneventful, especially with majority of the journey being traversed on local roads. It wasn't until we reached the entrance that we'd be undergo one of the most peculiar - and most frightening - ordeals of our lives.
The conservation area witnessed an overload of eager  ̶h̶i̶k̶e̶r̶s̶  wanderers over the long weekend, and with the main point of access being comprised of only one-way roads, there was an inevitable bottleneck effect. We waited patiently for the queue to inch off the main road, then slowly made a right off Guelph Line.

From the opposite side was a vehicle making a left turn into the same facilities, whose driver hesitated not even a nanosecond to suppress the horn as retaliation. It was clear as day that we had the Right of Way, however the middle-aged man was adamant in his unjust ways of driving and furthermore rolled down his windows to express his displeasure at us.
Towards two clearly confused Canadians, he began to point fingers and lash out in a foreign language. It was inaudible at first, but I slowly recognized it as uneducated squalls of Mandarin when the sullen lady in the passenger seat chimed in. We simply stared back at him, utterly unamused at his behaviour. Eventually he pulled into the queue, and we followed suit. Still, the windows were open and his wrath could be heard being directed behind him. Again, we stifled a laugh and rolled our eyes in contempt.

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​It wasn't until our admission/parking fee had been paid that we encountered the trio again. The man proceeded to jump in front of our vehicle, while the sullen lady rammed her wrists against my window. Both members charged at us while we, the supposedly insane ones, calmly found our spot on the grass and contemplated a plan of combat - or escape. It was whichever would ensure our safety for the remainder of the day.

​Orangecane took one for the team, daring to step out of the car to de-escalate as I, the cowardly one, took refuge within. Some several minutes later, the "issue" was supposedly resolved, and the trio left us in peace. I was half expecting to find the driver's side to be keyed upon our return, but luckily that was not the case. We gather that, had we been engaged in this altercation near one of Mount Nemo's many cliffs, the man may have shoved us off right then and there. It was partially a joke, but partially an afterthought at the dangers imposed by severe, nonsensical cases of road rage.

The rest of the day was signficantly more enjoyable.

​For starters, the trip marked our first time hiking together - another first!. With several years of experience under her belt, orangecane was well-versed in the ways of foot positioning and endurance maintenance. Clementines and grapes were brought along as solid forms of re-hydration, while chocolate-covered almonds from Korea were included as a fun snack.

​It was interesting to observe that our roles had reversed: my focus had shifted away from the trees towering above to the surroundings by my feet. Every shift posed a threat to my safety, along with the wellbeing of the image-capturing device in hand. Meanwhile, orangecane gazed ahead with confidence, casually finding the sturdiest areas then maneuvering swiftly about them. Be it tree roots, rocks of all sizes, or steep changes in elevation, there wasn't a single element capable of deterring her stride.

I am green in terms of the sport, and an improper choice of footwear only emphasized my lack of mobility.

​We hiked the North Loop the wrong way, taking the shortcut to the lookout point instead of completing the loops as we had originally discussed. The map wasn't orientated as I believed and we merely kept sauntering forward to make the most of our daylight hours.

Along the way was a detour that continued uphill, gradually fading into twigs and leafless shrubs with each step. It terminated at a park encased with a barbed fence, at which point we turned back to find the appropriate placemarker

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​The quarry, while interesting in its name, turned out quite boring, with nothing of interest besides a lofty rock structure and lone picnic table.

We could have also finished the South Loop, but missed a sharp turn and ended up continuining onto Bruce Trail until the next benchmark. We turned back to parking lot - mainly out of consideration for my crippling limbs, and partially since the sun was due to set thirty-five minutes later, ridding us of illumination for navigation.

​Along the way, strangers were more than happy to capture photos of us. Some even offered! It was a rare chance for portraits as we normally both wield cameras of our own.

​Overall, Mount Nemo was a trickier route than advertised on the website, thought nonetheless a great way to experience fall foliage first hand. Lookout points were few and, more or less, unvaried. Given their positioning on the north side of the conservation area, the sights were nearly identical in their orientation to the Indian Wells Golf Club and residential streets beyond.

​With an amber glow descending onto the plains about us, we began to make our way to dinner. It wasn't without stopping at the nearby McDonald's first, though. Indoor plumbing is not a service offered by the mountainous recreation spot.

Streaks of pink and mustard filled the sky as we made our way to Myungdong Kalguksu - the third location of the franchise to be graced by orangecane.

​King Dumplings and a Bossam Set Meal were evenly divided and promptly demolished. Thesingle item to remain was a bowl of steamed white rice, which had been overcooked to the point of outright mushiness.

​And, just as proclaimed, we failed to say our goodbyes to the dumpling restaurant without the pungent stench of garlic.

Keys in hand, I possessed the power to determine our next destination. To The Rec Room it was!

I'm about a hundred times more embarrassing in the presence of this alpaca-adoring author. This arcade visit was no exception either: an air hockey game concluded prematurely from a flying puck.

​Calories singed on Speed of Light and Pump It Up, we turned to neutralizing that deficit with bingsoo from Ice Q.

​The dessert café was supposed to close at 10 PM, but the male member of staff informed us that it would be alright to stay till 10:30 PM, as he would have friends coming over later anyways. The same man was also generous enough to permit the addition of Jollypong to the Inju-Oreo (without extra charge!) when we were conflicted between Cereal Crunch and the new combo
flavour.

Also secured were cups of Thai Tea, in which they now offer sugar adjustments. Orangecane and I both opted for a reduced sugar level of 30%, however I later dumped in the remainder of our evaporated-condensed milk for a flavour boost.

​It was a solid day - one that confirmed the joy in hiking and eating, one that reinforced the friend in orangecane, and one that painted her in a never-before-seen light of admiration.