Long Lake Park is a mostly undeveloped provincial park, but it has some nice established trails. I started into the park on one of these and began following the shore. Clear, fresh water, bolder-strewn rises and expanses of forest were so refreshing to be surrounded by. I miss environments like this when I have been away from them for weeks at a time.
Eventually I was walking off the trails and following the shore by sight and sound. This was at once frustrating –having my hair tangled in more trees than I could count– and exhilarating. There’s something invigorating in forging new paths and exploring seldom encountered areas, even if it means crawling on my hands and knees under a particularly large tree or stepping into a deep puddle because no other route would work.
I hiked around the entire lake, into the early evening. I was exhausted by the time I had walked home, and this felt wonderful. I enjoy pushing my body to its limits of endurance and to do so in such a beautiful setting made for a delicious contrast.