Riding/Hiking Oct 21st Weekend

At the outset I have to say this weekend did not go as I had hoped. The plan was to spend saturday immersed in a 5hr godzilla of a mnt bike ride on single track outside of the Albion Conservation area. Thereafter followed by what can be only classed as an indecent attempt at debauchery called a mnt bike bonfire and party! The problem was I had to work saturday and thus miss the ride and the weather geek's promised rain in late afternoon and delivered with a vengence. I was feeling less than juiced when I arrived home from work so after a quick siesta I thought I'd do a quick ride over at the local park...Earl Bales Park. This is the park where I run 'The Hill.' But I never rode the bike on what must be trails. I couldnt believe that with all this forest no enterprising young turks have bushwacked a trail or two for the benefit of trail hogs like myself. So I ventured. If no trails were found I would still be able to do some urban guerrilla riding on stairs, curbs and ledges. But my scribes, trails tho few in number were found. Certainly I would classify everything I rode as beginner but I noticed there were a few trails I was unable to spend the time and ride. Gems to be found perhaps? And I remember a biker I met last week when climbing 'The Hill' telling me that there are some technical trails across the river on the northeast side of the park. Those I will check out another day. I have to say that if time is a factor the park is a great place to ride because there is a valley and the climb from the valley floor to the plateau on Bathurst street provides a very decent cardio. Though the workout was worth sweat down the spine I found myself in sleeper's corner by 9pm that night. Totally spent from the 70 hrs of work this week.

Sunday was not a good weather day. Rain. Rain. And more rain. Temp about 9c. I grabbed Hiker Annie and we headed out to the Rouge River Valley Park at the eastern edges of Toronto. This is a really wonderful place. Quite big and not overly used. But mnt bikers are not welcome to the trails here. And what great trails the park has. Though, even with just hikers the trails suffer terrible erosion and the two Rouge rivers eat at their banks with startling results. Still....I wish bikers were welcome. The terrain is killer!