Out & About #748 | Rouge National Urban Park + Village Ice Cream

The weekend commenced with an early morning appointment in Scarborough. While travelling on the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway proved relatively painless at this time, stupidity was unavoidable on local sections of roadway. Rage filled the remainder of the fifteen-minute, residential speed limit-restricted route.

Afternoon activities were partially pre-arranged with a lover of stars and pigs. The agenda was weather-dependent, but probable to proceed as planned given clear skies and dry lands.

​I proposed purchase of the mid-day meal for consumption in the wilderness. While my own desires lay with trusty ol' McD's, the lover of stars and pigs was eager to take up my offer of Marathon takeout. Nestled in a plaza with dilapidated pavement markings and a plethora of bubble tea options, I sauntered into the HK-style cafe that had brought me minimal enjoyment prior.
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A Pineapple Bun w/ Pork Chop + Cold Milk Tea combo was requested at the counter. Payment was made in the form of cash, as expected of east end GTA establishments. The frontmost section of the eatery had been allocated towards pickup orders, with baskets assigned for UberEats, SkipTheDishes, and several other meal service apps. To the north side was an indoor dining space, separated from the order counter with a sign indicating need for proof of vaccination. Although it is presumable that most residents have received both doses well over two weeks ago, a couple that entered shortly afterwards proved me wrong.
"We need your proof of vaccination." uttered a member of staff.
The woman cast a wary look at her partner before a hushed "Let's just get it to go." was overheard.

A personal mission of mine was to try the M Cha Bar outpost in the same (dreaded) plaza. Order placement at Marathon had enabled stalling until their slated opening of noon, at which point my entrance was announced. The interior was furnished beautifully and oddly upscale given its coordinates. Seating, however, was not permitted. Within the bubble tea shop was an overwhelming presence of Plexiglass barriers. From the card machine affixed outside the cashier to the pick-up area, the drink preparation area was nearly entirely enclosed.

I took to my regular Roasted Oolong Milk Tea w/ Coffee Jelly and quickly deemed the Vaughan location superior in drink quality. The Scarborough outpost's creation lacked depth despite the facility's attractive decor, revealing excessive milkiness and stiff chunks of stomach-lurching jelly cubes.

​We took to Milliken Park for a brief lunch: Filet-O-Fish for myself and Marathon Feat. Milk Tea in a Shoe for my  ̶v̶i̶c̶t̶i̶m̶ partner of the day. Washrooms were sourced from Timmies, then we were on our way to Rouge National Urban Park.

The park was located within close proximity to the Toronto Zoo, though even after several scans of the surrounding area, the allocated parking area remained unclear. I had perused multiple sources in attempts of determining a designated lot, along with a trail map to guide our way; neither were found.

​Thankfully, signage in the vicinity was ample and indicative of the designated lot. For areas not to be accessed, paths were blocked off with cones or wooden barriers for clear delineation. We pulled into the gravel lot, finding fewer vehicles than expected given the exceptionally comfortable climate conditions. A hint of grey glazed the edge of the Zoo Road Welcome Area. It was admittedly a bit chilly at this point, but we would soon be bestowed with blue skies and sunshine.

​I had prepared a windbreaker for this journey, which was ultimately shed due to surging body temperature and lack of tree cover for half of the trail. We commenced from the Vista Trail Trailhead and arrived at the first lookout point (and only observation deck) within a matter of minutes. The two-level wooden deck enabled a partially obstructed view of Little Rouge Creek (not Rouge River). By no means was the scene extravagant, however one can anticipate a multi-faceted palette in a few weeks.

View the full album HERE !

​Earlier sections of this trail were fairly flat, though inner paths grew steeper and rockier. Tree roots protruded from all angles, contributing a level of difficulty to both ascents and descents alike. Occupying a persistent place in my backpack is bug repellant. A thorough dousing of the mist was applied once we hit the trail, though, in reality, it was quite dry and devoid of biting insects.

Vista Trail concluded at Twyn River Drive, transitioning into Mast Trail on the east side of the road. We marched onwards following a careful review of road conditions, then found ourselves at the riverbed of Little Rouge Creek. There was a path omitted from Google Maps - the source I had turned to in the absence of an official trail map. It grew muddier with each step, until finally terminating at lower section of the creek.

Mast Trail would continue eastward towards Rouge Park and south towards Rouge River Park. In consideration of time, I opted to loop back instead of venturing further. The decision entailed a sharp turn uphill followed by a narrow descent back onto Twyn River Drive. It was not an understatement to declare embers in the hamstrings during this ascent.

Truthfully, my first choice had resided with Cedar Trail. Signage for this route weren't spotted at the access point, but I later learned of a second parking lot at the Twyn Rivers Day Use Area.

​We eventually made it back to the west segment of Vista Trail. It guided us north, back to the direction of the gravel lot. Along the way were sightings of various domestic shrubs, a lengthy earthworm, and a variety of fungi.

Throughout the trek, I was supplied with the constant reminder that this place was indeed considered "exercise".
"It's not! It's called getting fresh air and improving mobility." I retorted.
"But the air isn't fresh." she replied matter-of-factly. And frankly, she wasn't wrong. There was an undeniable mustiness that lingered about.
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The reason behind the funk dawned upon me at the end of the hike: Just outside the park was a renewable energy plant that sourced animal waste and organics for power.

"Hurry up and open the car so I can sit down!" exclaimed starsnpigs. We had managed to return just before the first droplets of rain descended down upon us.

A downpour ensued, prompting mixed feelings for my earlier suggestion of ice cream. Some twenty minutes of contemplation later, respite was sought at an unassuming sweets shoppe by Hwy 7 and Ninth Line. "It's plain ice cream." I had been informed, but really, it emerged as quite the exceptional choice.

Village Ice Cream Shoppe carried flavours from Kawartha Dairy, along with a few others with handwritten labels. It was unknown whether the selection also belonged to Kawartha, but the chances were likely. In addition to tubs, the ice cream parlour also offered cake slices, cupcakes, cookies, and pints (Kawartha).

​Tending to the priority at hand, I made a beeline for the back of the establishment; flavour picking could wait. The single stall bathroom bore diner-style decore with records on wall and pop art prints on the other. It was quite clean with the exception of pink hand soap calcification.

Returning to the floor, I surveyed my options with great indecisiveness. Samples were prohibited, as one would assume amidst the pandemic, so profiles were left to one's imagination, supplemented by existing inventory of gustatory data. Options ranged between Regular and Kiddie Scoops, with further customization possibilities for the serving device. The lover of stars and pigs took to a Double Kiddie Scoop of Bubblegum and Cafe Rocher in a cup, while my Waffle Cone featured Cafe Rocher and Matcha. Even with inclusion of Waffle Cone at $1.25, the item was ridiculously affordable. Sugar cones were also available as the budget-friendly alternative, though I was not fond of their exposed status on the ice cream counter. Village Ice Cream accepted cash or debit only.

As childhood memories of the Prairies filled the mind of my partner-in-crime, I was overwhelmed with the delectability of my own picks. Cafe Rocher was a wonderful blend of nuttiness, chocolate chips, and a hint of espresso, while Matcha, which was not be judged by the yellow tinge in appearance, was scrumptious with a sweet bitterness and floral undertone and far better than anticipated.
Neither of our scoops melted over the course of consumption. This could have been owed to A/C being on full blast though, for not only were the chairs cold, my lips were trembling too. The sole member of staff had been extremely amicable and accommodating of my indecisiveness, and even more considerate at my request for hot water. Beyond the cold plastic-coated metal chairs were two styles of light fixtures: incandescent bulbs in chandeliers and brighter (whiter) illumination within geometrics casings.

​We were the only patrons of the hour, and sat recounting our short-lived trek about the National Park for a short while. The time for bidding farewell crept up slowly but surely, and by the 5 PM mark, I was en route back home.

To my delight, the one-hour return trip grew sunnier with each km travelled, and I pulled up to my humble abode with blue skies over my head once more.