Spring fever in Mill Creek Ravine.

Taking advantage of a wave of warm weather, Andrzej Jedrych arranged for a spontaneous, "before the season," training for a small group of our members. He invited us all to Mill Creek Ravine, where, volens, non volens, the participants managed to hike for over 10 km. 

The "big group," consisting of 5 participants, started at Andrzej's house exactly at 10:30 (when have Poles become so punctual?):

They explored the West side of the Ravine. 

Being 10 minutes late, I tried to catch up with them, but encountering this warning ...

... decided to turn back and go East! Kudos to the planners who preserved, for almost one million of inhabitants, such serene spots in the middle of the city:

Going East, I took advantage of Tim Horton's at the cross of 34 Street and 34 Avenue (WC+coffee+Boston cream donut), and, thus reinforced, I was in shape to face eternity ... at Moravian Church Cemetery. 

So nice and spacious cemetery made me to think that ... perhaps ... I should join the Moravian Church!?

Millwoods, where Mill Creek is located, is very popular with Hindu and Sikh communities, celebrating Vaisakhi, a solar New Year. 

I went as far East as this bridge, making about 7 km myself. Though, reportedly, spring is already "blooming" in many parts of the world, in Alberta, our spring still appears "greyish" - vegetation only gradually raising up after a long winter. 

By one o'clock, when I returned to Andrzej's, it was already quite hot (I mean, it was +17C), so I jumped out of my hiking boots ...

... into something more comfortable. 

Luckily the host was well equipped with a nice selection of ... cold beer!

I was even lucky enough to snatch my favorite Pilsner Urquell!

As much as possible, in spite of being from the same "cohort," we were maintaining proper social distances.

However, we were shortly joined by this individual ...

... who "loosened" the group's discipline. Mikele is still recovering from a ski accident (a broken bone) in February, so he didn't join us for the hike. But he very much enjoys the "social" part of the program. 

Thanks to Andrzej and Beata, our hosts, this was a "smashing success," with all these goodies accompanying the cold beer. 

So much pleasure, and the hiking season has not even started yet! What a Club it is! What a Club!

Join us next time, or, if you are willing, organize a similar "urban hike." Bike rides are also of interest. We all crave physical activity, natural vitamin D, and fresh air, not to mention a company of other human beings, after our long, gruesome winter!

(PR)