In May I was searching through Facebook one night and came across a group suggestion…it was a group of women that meet up and go for hikes. I thought to myself that sounded like a lot of fun, so I joined.  Then it didn’t work out with my work schedule to actually join a hike…and in the summer I was in Winnipeg and then in Lindsay.  Last week I saw that one of the hikes actually worked on a date and time I could attend….so I signed up. 

The hike earlier this week was at Scotsdale Farm and had a 5:50 meet up–6pm start timing.  I got there right on time…paid my toonie and started to chat to some of the other women. Must admit felt a wee bit nervous…but trying new things is all about the butterflies and the unknowns.

After all 19 of us were gathered…we started! It was a really cloudy night…and the air was crisp.  I was excited to get to wear one of my many winter hats…and felt ready to hit the trail. We did the 6km loop described here backwards…partly because we knew we would be ending the hike in the dark.  (oops! forgot my head lamp…good thing I have good night vision.)

I started off the hike at the front of the pack…and had fun chatting with the women at the front…but then realized that I wouldn’t be able to stop and take photos as easy! 

So I ended up at the back of the pack…bringing up the rear! Which was a-ok with me…

Scotsdale Farm is such an awesome place…the property was bequeathed to the Ontario Heritage Foundation in 1982 by Stewart and Violet Bennett, owners of the farm for more than forty years. It’s left this awesome farm property and hiking trails that is open year round for people to hike, picnic and enjoy the outdoors. 

Even though after the rain we had last week…the leaves were a wee bit past their peak but it was still gorgeous.  

The ground was littered with heaps of leaves…nothing like walking on a trail with the crunch of leaves under your feet. 
“Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow”.
~Henry David Thoreau

Even at the back of the group…I still had some great conversations with some of the other women. 

Winter is coming… 

Half way through the hike it started to get darker an darker… 

But the line of women had flashlights and some used their phones…. to help light up the trail! We also passed on messages…about ‘rocks’ under the leaves…in the rocky places so we wouldn’t trip. 

The sky was so pretty…here the sun was just setting…but later the whole sky seemed to glow purple.

Finally we ended back at the old farm…I need to go back in the daylight.  This was a really fun spot..and I can’t wait to go back and explore and take more photos. 

One quick selfie with the help of my iPhone flashlight…all in all it was an awesome night! I had a lot of fun.  

Sometimes new things can be a good thing…and sometimes it only takes 6 months to join and move from a lurker online to a participant. Thanks for letting me join your hiking group.  I can’t wait to join for another hike in the future…and get to know more people as time goes on.