2019/02/09 – Lower Humber II

For all the times I walked down the Lower Humber, I have never done a full thread or collection of pictures. So that’s where I’ll be walking today. Starting near the confluence of the East and West Humber. Over the former, then the latter, and heading due south.

Trail is quite slippy. Still the typical mature growth, strangled by vines and bearing the scars of past ice storms.

Wind is calm, clouds are starting to break. Only disturbance in this stretch is the inbound air traffic to Pearson.

The Humber Trail is part of the Pan Am Path, a project designating a continuous trail from Etobicoke to Scarborough. It was supposed to be a 2015 legacy project that also filled in some gaps. 4 years later, this gap south of the 401 isn’t done; big detour needed. Promise broken.

High rises of Weston, former stomping grounds. Large chunks of ice deposited on the banks.

Raymore Park. Once a crescent of single family homes, until they were wiped out by Hurricane Hazel. Only remnant is a former bridge abutment. Helped create the conservation authority system we have today.

Raymore Drive, 1953-1957. Courtesy City of Toronto.

Ice fields continue. Weir, complete with fish ladder. Treacherous hill. Diverting temporarily to plowed sidewalk on Scarlett. It’s a real struggle to avoid slipping and falling.

Back to the slippy-slidey. Prompts an exchange with a fellow walker:
“Just so you know, it doesn’t get much better up ahead.”
“Yeah, I know, I’ve been walking this since 10:30.”
“Oh, sh*t man! Well…have a good one.”

Big old bridges. More ice fields. Stretch of the river with multiple consecutive weirs.

I’ve been misusing the term ‘ice field’ up until this point. I dunno if I can get through this.

I pushed too far. Half an hour in, I fell through ice in a flooded valley area, soaked up to my knees. I’m okay, managed to clamber out of the ravine, jog to the subway and put on a spare pair of dry socks. Needless to say, that’s the end of today’s walk.