Elora Gorge Family Hike

 After years of thinking about walking along the Elora gorge, we finally did it. Lucas had to work that afternoon, so he was left behind as the rest of us drove to Elora. The original "medium difficulty" loop I had planned from the  All Trails app was thwarted by private developments. The access points and portions of the trail were fenced off. We changed tact, and traded free road parking for official paid entry into the conservation area and did the "easy difficulty" loop. We were a little alarmed at the first few hundred metres of trail which were heavily trafficked. After almost a kilometer, the crowds vanished and we were walking without other hikers nearby. The sounds of the people who had opted for the rafting adventure accompanied us along the river and made us jealous on a fairly warm September day. We saw many mushrooms and spider webs. At the end of the hike we drove over to Sugar Skulls for some ice cream and then continued to Fergus to visit with my parents. It was a long, but productive day!

Started off the hike with a pit stop. So civilized! (This photo is mostly dedicated to my sister Wendy)

Still smiles at the start of the hike.

First look-out

Sun-dappled birch

1km in and still some smiles.

Several patches of luscious grass in the forest. David thought they felt like pine needles.

One of the intrepid tubers. It was such a lovely warm day.

2km in and still smiling!

Such a flattering close-up, David. Remind me to thank-you for that later!

Michael describing how the hike fits in with Taylor Swift's Folklore "esthetic"

Fording a stream

Still contemplating Taylor Swift.

Resting at one of the eddies.

3km and the smile is fading, the tree is required for support.

David had fun at some crannies.

5.6km later, still smiles atop a mess of tree roots below the "hole in the rock" tourist spot.