We had to be up early on Sunday morning for a variety of reasons, so we decided to work a winter hike into our day. The snowy 3.1 KM path offered at The Riverwood Conservancy in Mississauga made for a perfect hour long joruney with minimal complaints about cold feet.
With free parking and a well worn trail, with decent signage we were able to navigate our way around easily.
The food stands throughout the trails allowed us to spot many squirrels and birds. On our hike we saw bluejays, chickadees, cardinals, ducks, and even a mourning dove.
The trails were well packed because of other hikers, bikers, and cross country skiers. It was only slippery in certain portions thanks to the fresh snow from Friday. This trail would be appropriate for kids of most ages, providing there hasn't been too much thawing and freezing and we even saw a toddler hiking while we were out.
We didn't initially recognize this bird, as it is much too big to be a wren, so when we got home I looked it up. Having lost a friend last week, I found the symbolism of seeing a mourning dove a particularly wonderful part of our time at Riverwood. This is what I discovered about the mouring dove: In some cultures, the mourning dove stands for new beginnings, great expectations, and as a spiritual messenger. The roles of these birds may include helping us to find inner peace and go about our lives calmly and with purpose.
Now that we have had several winter hikes under our belt, I have begun to realize how silly it is that this is the first year we've done them. It's been a fantastic way to get our vitamin D and log more hours of our 1000 hours outside.
Despite Jack complaining that he was tired, and Molly that her feet were sore, they insisted on taking the time to venture down a small side path to check out this art exhibit.
Cheers to nature, beautiful moments, and time with family. We will be back here again, maybe even before spring!
