Scott's Adir...I mean Frontenac hike

Plan for November 29th : Adirondack hike with Scott. We are ready for a fun scenic day. Scott is in Ottawa for work and has planned to join us on our Saturday outing to the mountains.

Email1, November 28 th:
Scott wrote:

I am an idiot- I forgot my passport at home! Can I still cross the border?

Sorry!

Scott

Reply:
Murielle wrote:

Turkey! (Mark asked me to call you like that)

You wouldn't happen to have your birth certificate or certificate of
indian status with you?
If not, you'll at least come down for diner. I have a roasted chicken on
the menu...a big boy  :) 

See you later
Murielle

Reply:
Scott wrote:

I don't have my birth certificate or certificate of indian status with me. I think I could provide a certificate of 'idiot status' thought.

Could we go for a hike in Ontario? Perhaps Frontenac? I could head home after the hike on Saturday. I think it would be a great day and, better yet, a slightly later start.

I hope you guys are still up for a walk.

Scott

And this is how our Adirondack hike was traded in for a gorgeous day in Frontenac Park.

Full size slideshow

A mudo-swimo-bikejoring ride

On this very wet and sad looking day, taking Marley out didn't seem like a very appealing activity but it has been a few days since I have exercised properly my canine friend and she needed to burn some energy.
The end of our road ends as a public trail which leads to a 100 acres forest and trails owned by a horse farmer. We have access to those trails but use them very little in the summer as it is buggy and can be pretty muddy. Under poring rain I could expect to get back home wet and mucky either I ride on a gravel road or a muddy trail, so I picked the muddy trail....

500 meters of riding in the rain was enough to make me 8 years old again, 500 more meters turned me into an absurdly muddy 8 year old. Yep, that first mud glide sure turned around the casual trail ride into a "well-we-can't-get-much-dirtier-must-as-well-keep-going" ride. It happens fast. First you're screaming along on the bike with a happy dog enjoying every second of the soft ground; next you're laid out flat experiencing the effects of inertia on a body thrown in a mud bath. Quick shake, quick thinking...am I hurt? am I cold? no, lets keep going.
The beauty of being 30 is that you can still do things you loved when you were 8 without worrying about getting in trouble when you get home. Saying that I don't think I to often got in trouble for coming back home muddy when I was a kid. I think it became so normal that my mother wouldn't even bother.
I like throwing myself once in while into a small adventure, just enough to break the day to day routine. It can be the matter of an hour of unplanned fun to brighten up a grey weekend.
As for the less planned part of the adventure....the trail became rather wet. From ridding threw the odd puddle I soon found myself pedaling threw what would be best described as an ankle deep swamp. My options? Step down and turn around, or keep going and hope for the trail to get dryer. I kept going, but before the trail got dryer it sure did get wetter. While I kept pedaling in water close to my handle bars, Marley ended up swimming. How do we call this? Swimo-bikjoring? A complete sleddog training program? Doesn't really matter, we enjoyed the moment...when nothing really matters...just having fun, taking on the challenge....no matter how wrong the situation may seem.

A very wet and sad looking day turned into wet but happy adventure. If the weather is bad must as well enjoy the all good from it.