Gulch experience

Not to sure where to post this one. But we did have to hike up and down a trail to get to our camping spot.

The picture below is the gulch that my family hiked down just to camp for the night. I was about 8 at the time. We started hiking up the mountain in the morning and we hiked down the old donkey trail by mid afternoon. The arrow shows the old water station that use to pump water up the mountain side. We camped near the old abandoned pump station. It was getting dark by the time we hit the bottom of the gulch. No time for exploring. We slept and the next morning we hiked it back home.

 

Fantastic!

 

Yeah man. I think I was like 7 years old, and I was about to cry when we got to the top of the gulch. I looked down and I wanted to turn back home. Such a wusss back then, hahahah. We had maybe like a couple cans of fruit cocktail, pork and beans, and cans of vienna sausages. The very next morning at first light we hiked it back home.


the old pump station

 

Good Stuff! We all have our beginnings and the stories that we tell. I have always loved the camp life style and no matter where my career has taken me I've always made sure I've had a tent. The outdoor life has sustained me in down times and has rewarded me in the good times and has brought me friends that are loyal and true.

 

All of my pictures are from Hawaii, on the island of Lanai. The pump station has been out of commission for over 30 years. Maybe even 50. The maintenance cost alone for an isolated operation and not to mention the miles of pipeline would be astronomical. But in that gulch there use to be a river flowing through it before my time. After it dried up, the island then resorted to pumping the water out of the ground. Huge tanks are now scattered around the island to collect water from different pump stations.

Oh and by the way, the pump station is private property and off limits. You can hike anywhere you want, but when you get close to the station itself, there will be signs and gates. That's where you stop and don't enter. Back when I was a kid, everyone respected the property and anyone could go up there. Now a days people have no respect for the land and history. So they had to close it up due to vandalism, underage drinking, and theft.

 

Hmm...why does that sound familiar? Vandalism is a scourge in everyone's backyard. [No matter where you live.]

Your photos bring back immediate pictures of my part of the woods and some of the historical places that I have visited when on the trail. When I was a lad we use to hike to Albion Falls, literally by the thousands, on Good Friday. When we got to the site we traditionally would cook dinner over natural gas the shot up out of the ground.

We look for a place along the river for bubbles coming up and we knew there was gas. We would put a hole in the middle of an empty tin can, place it over the gas, and light it. Just like at home you would have a flame ignite.

Up and down the river on every side there were countless youth cooking dinner. The atmosphere was ecstatic, but I don't think any of us knew that at the time.

You would cook your dinner in high style and at the end knock over the can, putting out the flame, and letting the gas go back to normal emission.

Ministry of Natural Resources for the Province put an end to it all like the various natural spring water wells that were here and there. [For safety reasons of course.] They closed off as many as they could.

Interesting enough - thousands of youth don't make that hike anymore. And the Falls - built up with urban sprawl. Even the Falls have become distorted with natural land eruptions. Sad.

 

There is still a sophisticated trail in the area - the Albion Falls/ King's Forest Waterfall Walk - you can look it up online.

Who knows - maybe there are still some gas jets left in the river.

Actually - we are blessed with numerous trails and bike paths in various regions of Ontario and throughout the nation. The area that I live in is almost inundated with all kinds of possibilities - from hikers, cross country skiers, bike people and the like. And yes...I've canoed the Grand. [...more than once.]

Ancaster was one of my favourite hike locations. We use to hike to the old Shaver manor house - a true love story that ended in the suicide of a coachman who wasn't allowed to marry his love because of his station. You can look that one up too. There is a street in town called Lover's Lane - the place where the man is said to have hung himself.

The old Shaver manor

 

I was wondering where you were....

Actually, it is spooky at night. But during the day time it is well travelled. It is a popular cross country ski area in the winter and at the end of the trail [though I haven't been for awhile] is a bit of a snack shack.

 

We do have great places. I often read of stealth camping in England and Europe. We don't have to do that here because the vast amount of Crown Land, Provincial and Federal Parks. We are more than lucky.

I do look up the historical information for hiking trips - it makes the destination worth while. I don't find the exercise boring and it actually contributes the fun and interest of the trip. Sometimes you discover remarkable things. I'm a bit of an enthusiast when it comes to Canadian History - our people don't seem to have a clue who we are and don't appreciate our rich heritage.

 

Our History is just a bit of a passion. I thought that Canadian history that was taught incredibly boring until one day I began to read other texts other than the standard stuff we got when. I found Butler's Rangers, Chief Tayandoga, Sam Steele, Chief Sitting Bull, and a host of other Canadian heroes and situations exciting. No...I don't teach it, but it would be fun. Our people generally don't have a clue who and what we are. What nation do you know that has 63 versions of their national anthem?

It's kinda fun to look something up, read about it, and then go find it. It's like spreading out a map of Algonquin Park, reading the various notations and then going out to actually see the place for yourself.

 

The differences are usually small - some people don't like "God"- atheists, agnostics, humanists etc., or the "Queen" for that matter; "our home and native land"- no mention of the native natives, Ethnics don't like it because they feel that they have been left out too. "in all our sons command" - we managed to leave out the women altogether, And the French? they have their own take on the subject. Yada Yada Yada...

BUT...history makes the journey interesting whether on the trail, the water, coming into an old colonial town or an unknown area. It provides clues to why things are.

And when you are in the interior - who really cares about political stuff, as interesting as it might be?

 

We are back on track - where most of the enjoyment that I get out of life comes from. Though, be assured, that there are other things that tantalize the soul as well.