Lateness seems inevitable for me, for despite having packed my bag over twelve hours prior, a thirty-minute delay prevailed. I owed it to a sense of sloth-like-ness - carryover from the previous night's 1 AM return - and lack of foresight regarding vehicle snow-clearing operations.
|
|
The northeasterly trip averaged an hour's travel time, first traversing on 403, then 410, and finally onto local roads for the grueling last half. Snowfall had been minimal overnight, yet its loose qualities rendered the particles susceptible to motion. The abnormally gusty blows caused a blizzard-like scene, noticeably reducing visibility.
These dangers were only observed further upon the exit to local roads. Unploughed surfaces and even stronger winds led to whiteout conditions, blurring one's surroundings to a homogenous white haze. The skies were a gorgeous, radiant blue with ample sunshine; these rays of illumination pressed against the snowy surfaces, reflecting light in ways that would obscure the path to an even greater degree.
These dangers were only observed further upon the exit to local roads. Unploughed surfaces and even stronger winds led to whiteout conditions, blurring one's surroundings to a homogenous white haze. The skies were a gorgeous, radiant blue with ample sunshine; these rays of illumination pressed against the snowy surfaces, reflecting light in ways that would obscure the path to an even greater degree.
In consideration of these road conditions, I decelerated accordingly. Skidding was not uncommon at the vertices of major and local roads due to foot-deep ridges of now. Neither was the sighting of pheasants (?) crossing an essentially barren section of travel. There was but a soul for kilometres on end.
The drive dragged on, and I, beginning to experience early signs of hunger, proposed a detour to McDonald's. There, washroom facilities were found (with no capacity limits) and a Quarter Pounder BLT was acquired. I returned to my vehicle for the meal, retrieving plastic utensils from the trunk as needed. It was in this moment that a particularly ruthless gust ripped about my being and through the entirety of my trunk, dragging my very tattered (but limited edition) KCON tote out from its corner. The blue bag flew across the parking lot faster than I could react, tumbling underneath adjacent vehicles before coming to a halt at one of its wheels. In my haste, I hadn't kept an eye out for vehicles in initiation, though really ought to have.
|
|
Winds had been tremendous, summoning one hand in a firm grip over my hat and the other in a steady clamp on the driver's side door to prevent accidental damage.
|
|
Eventually, we arrived at our proposed destination: Mono Cliffs.
The idea had surfaced at the discussion of an annual winter hike. Orangecane had undertaken the trail with a crew of her own some time ago, leaving me to ponder its highlights. The park was situated within close proximity of other popular hikes, just north of the Forks of the Credit and the Terra Cotta Conservation Area.
The idea had surfaced at the discussion of an annual winter hike. Orangecane had undertaken the trail with a crew of her own some time ago, leaving me to ponder its highlights. The park was situated within close proximity of other popular hikes, just north of the Forks of the Credit and the Terra Cotta Conservation Area.
|
|
I laced up my hiking boots and slid two hand warmers into my gloves, assumed preparedness, and proceeded along Carriage Trail. It didn't take long, however, to realize the dire mistake of wearing ankle socks in 1-foot-deep snow.
View the full album HERE !
I laced up my hiking boots and slid two hand warmers into my gloves, assumed preparedness, and proceeded along Carriage Trail. It didn't take long, however, to realize the dire mistake of wearing ankle socks in 1-foot-deep snow.
| Mono Cliffs Park Map |
The path most travelled from the parking lot had wore thin on its snowy coating, revealing shiny patches of ice in two distinct streaks.
We continued prodding along until reaching the Carriage Trail and Spillway Trail split. In order to view the signature cliffs, we backtracked towards the South Outlier Trail. There, a scarcity of footprints was observed, not even the parallel imprints of cross-country skiers.
The ascent was sudden and steep. We persevered but was ultimately unable to be successful. Elevation differences and ground features were completely obscured by dusting of snow. Underneath roughly 1 foot of defrauding white matter was a thin layer ice, contributing to the level of danger of the hike.
Not even one fifth of the way up, I admitted defeat. The ground conditions proved anything but safety. I resorted to reinstating Mono Cliffs on the to-go list for warmer weather, when uncertainty surrounding ground conditions are not lethal and risks of ankle fracture and plummeting to one's death have been reduced significantly.
The ascent was sudden and steep. We persevered but was ultimately unable to be successful. Elevation differences and ground features were completely obscured by dusting of snow. Underneath roughly 1 foot of defrauding white matter was a thin layer ice, contributing to the level of danger of the hike.
Not even one fifth of the way up, I admitted defeat. The ground conditions proved anything but safety. I resorted to reinstating Mono Cliffs on the to-go list for warmer weather, when uncertainty surrounding ground conditions are not lethal and risks of ankle fracture and plummeting to one's death have been reduced significantly.
|
|
It grew progressively less chilly with each step forward, but any exposed areas were undeniably vulnerable to frostbite. My unsheathed ankle grew red within minutes, near the point of skin tearing due to constant contact with precipitation at subzero conditions. I hadn't wanted to return to the vehicle initially, but the pain grew excruciating.
Lo and behold, I found not a spare pair of socks to replace the ones smothered in ice particles - these had been forgotten in another bag. I settled for pressing two hand warmers beside the areas of greatest irritation, fastening them in place by looping a condensation-filled mask about the ankle.
Lo and behold, I found not a spare pair of socks to replace the ones smothered in ice particles - these had been forgotten in another bag. I settled for pressing two hand warmers beside the areas of greatest irritation, fastening them in place by looping a condensation-filled mask about the ankle.
In light of a delayed arrival, retracing to recover ankle wellness, and overall lack of familiarization with the route, we opted to conclude the day following a loop on the Walter Tovell Trail.
Majority of the trails felt longer than in actuality. The view were peaceful, albeit lacking diversity, while the trek itself was slippery. Loose snow that had not been compacted by the skiers were difficult to navigate due to slope variances and constant slippage beneath the feet.
Majority of the trails felt longer than in actuality. The view were peaceful, albeit lacking diversity, while the trek itself was slippery. Loose snow that had not been compacted by the skiers were difficult to navigate due to slope variances and constant slippage beneath the feet.
|
|
We returned to the parking lot shortly after 4 PM, the end limit of our parking slot. Farewells were exchanged and a rigid granola bar was had.
When I came to embarking on the return trip, my phone had died in cold weather. Panic ensued.
At the very least, I could operate on the in-car GPS, though several restarts allowed the device's functionality to return. Condensation between the phone and charging cable did not favour charging, thus battery level could only be maintained at the 38-40% mark while navigating back to areas of familiarity. Admittedly, it was quite stressful - a learning process yet a stressful one nonetheless. And maybe it was just me, but the snowfall seemed to have infused my belongings with musty odours - a stench prompting immediate washing of the entire getup once back home.
When I came to embarking on the return trip, my phone had died in cold weather. Panic ensued.
At the very least, I could operate on the in-car GPS, though several restarts allowed the device's functionality to return. Condensation between the phone and charging cable did not favour charging, thus battery level could only be maintained at the 38-40% mark while navigating back to areas of familiarity. Admittedly, it was quite stressful - a learning process yet a stressful one nonetheless. And maybe it was just me, but the snowfall seemed to have infused my belongings with musty odours - a stench prompting immediate washing of the entire getup once back home.
On the basis of safety, I would not recommend proceeding with steep, uphill icy climbs. I deem the park a worth opponent to revisit during the warmer periods of the year, but would steer clear of country roads and heavy snowfall.
RSS Feed