This past weekend I was up in Owen Sound visiting my parents for Easter. This gave me an opportunity to do some initial "field" investigations on my upcoming unicycle trip on May 8th (only a month away). I decided to do a trial run of the last leg of the trip - from Leith Church to Owen Sound. My two sons, Noah (the unicyclist) and Yannick (the cyclist) were keen to tag along so we first went to Ainslie Woods, across from the farm where I grew up.
(Yannick, Noah and my Dad at the entrance of Ainslie Woods)
I enlisted the aid of my father to drop us off at the entrance of Ainslie, and we made our way down to the shore. The shore of Ainslie Woods is the skipping stone capital of the world.
(Yours truly, and my boys at the Ainslie Woods shore)
From there we made our way to Leith Church about 2 km away. This is where Tom Thomson's grave is located.
(Tom Thomson's Grave Site)
I try to visit the cemetery at least once a year, not just to visit Tom Thomson's grave but also to pay my respects to several dearly departed neighbours and a recently deceased relative of mine. If someone asked me what defines me most as a Canadian, I would without hesitation say it is this very place. Leith Cemetery links me to the first settlers who worked this land, carried on by my Dutch immigrant parents, and part of my family line resting amongst these settlers .
(Noah behind Leith Church)
After this brief respite, the kids loaded back into Dad's truck, I commenced the final leg of the Tom Thomson Trail. What was an unexpected challenge (which I will now factor into my planning) were the gale-force winds in the afternoon. Strong, unpredictable winds are the nemesis for any unicycle rider - it wreaks havoc on your balance. The winds were so strong, I had to walk the first portion of the trail, because I could not stay atop the unicycle.
However, it only took me little over an hour to get to the trailhead (averaging about 7.8 km/hr, including the walking). This is still in line with my estimation that I will be able to complete the trail in 5-6 hours. The biggest unknown is whether my butt can hold out for 43 km.
(Tom Thomson Trailhead, my final destination)
Rest in peace, Findlay. We miss you dearly.
4 comments:
Ainslie Woods is a must visit spot for me too. I enjoyed sitting on the beach watching my daughters and my neices swim together the summer of 2008. Mom and I were able to have a wonderful visit that summer.
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