Out & About #670 | Elora Gorge Conservation Area

In Ontario, fall is the shortest season of the year - COVID times or not.
​Hiking is the ideal activity to make the most of the forgiving temperatures, though road trips to cottage country are a swell alternative for the less mobile members of society. Not to mention: both of these engagements comply completely with public health guidelines.

​orangecane and I started the day at McDonald's. What was to follow constituted our  ̶f̶i̶r̶s̶t̶  third meeting of the year (excluding the brief exchanges of In the Kitchen happenings), as well as our second hike in orangeaesthetics history - a now-hijacked hashtag.

A Signature Wrap and Junior Chicken later, we were on our way to Elora Gorge, a destination I became acquainted with while compiling a Kitchener itinerary in the summer.

​Several other spots had been shortlisted in the week leading up to Thanksgiving long weekend, but Guelph seemed most reasonable for a day trip in terms of travel time and fall foliage potential.

​Our collective first impression was utter disdain towards the provided trail map. The single-sided sheet lacked clarity. Besides the relative positioning of on-site campgrounds, parking lots, trail entrances, and routes were vaguely presented.

​Admission fees relinquished and parking spot secured, we were about to embark on the journey as orangecane gestured to the printout on the dashboard.
"Did you want to take the map?"
"I'm not going to look at it." I shrugged. "It's also essentially useless."
She nodded in agreement, side-eyeing the folded rectangle before summoning her trusty hiking gear.

​Trail markings, where present, were poorly executed. We had completed one trail loop and exited onto an unmarked asphalt roadway before returning to the starting point.

"No trespassing" signs had been tossed aside, wired fences severed for access. One-way signage was nonexistent, making the already narrow paths of the trails tough to maneuver with oncoming unmasked (!!!) traffic. The honour system did not apply in this situation. 

​Moreover, trails were very short and not maintained as adequately as they ought to be for a safe customer experience.

​Our highlight of the trip was, undoubtedly, the Gorge itself. Visitors could access various segments of the gorge by traversing along the river's edge. Some portions were particularly vigorous, while others slow-moving and serene.

​The trail was supposed to have concluded at a bridge crossing over the Grand River. Unaware of this, we proceeded to cover the perimeter of the park, inclusive of the campground routes.

​Composed entirely of paved asphalt, the aimless trek was far more grueling than I would have liked. Eventually, some two hours later, we found ourselves back at the parking lot from which we began. 

By this time, the clock was nearing 6 PM. The skies were rapidly dimming.

McDonald's served to provide washroom facilities and a quick boost of energy. And with that, we returned to west GTA for a late dinner of Katsuya...

​...in the parking lot. ​It was, in fact, quite a shame since the interior had been decorated in a highly festive manner.

​The evening was concluded on Meet Fresh's makeshift patio.

​Before me stood a hot Herbal Tea, Purple Rice Soup with Rice Ball, and Winter Melon Tea with Lemon Juice (to go); orangecane opted for Hot Grass Jelly 2, angrily tugging at the packaged utensil while shivering away. As one of us giddily drizzled milk derivative into her dessert, the other stifled a snort between sips of tea.