I was up bright and early taking advantage of the wifi to catch up on the blog. With a full day ahead of me I decided I’d grab some breakfast and take Winnie to one of the nearby dog parks as she had been bouncing all over the place since I’d woken up.
A short little drive through the city and I’d arrived at one of the nicest off leash parks I’ve ever seen. A huge open area had her frolicking all over the place, playing catch with jubilant glee. Other folks began showing up and with them came more friends for Winnie to play with. I found myself getting in all sorts of interesting conversations as Winnie darted all over the place playing about.
Having been at the park for a while it came time to say goodbye and venture south. Hills began to rise out of the earth, rich green shrubs finding their home upon them. As I drew closer to my destination I watched as the shrubs grew less abundant, soon revealing massive mounds of sand. The entrance wasn’t far off and soon revealed itself at last, I had arrived at the Spirit Sands.
I laced up my boots, loaded up on water and smothered myself with a generous amount of sunscreen before I was off on the trail. A grassy path cut it’s way through the various trees and hedges before the sand began appearing, every step revealing a greater abundance of the tiny grains.
I had decided I was gonna take the scenic route and explore as much as I could. This led me to journey deeper into the dunes for a better glimpse at the shifting sands. Up and down the mounds I went, a solid workout! I had been careful to keep an eye on Winnie, making sure she was holding up alright. By the end of the first big loop around the sandy dunes she was looking thirsty. I had a map with me and knowing a water pump was close at hand I set off in that direction, soon arriving at the pump where I doused her in water as she lapped up as much as she could. The pep in her step returned as she leaped about.
The various signs along the trails shared the history of the land, once home to aboriginals who lived off it’s scarce sustenance. I’ve always admired the way they would connect with nature, learning lessons from the creator as they studied the plants and animals. I feel it’s something easily lost in today’s hustle and bustle of busy cities mixed in with endless entertainment as many of us stare at screens all day. It’s nice to disconnect from the online world at times, choosing instead to admire the earth in all it’s mystery as it shares it’s wisdom with those who apply themselves.
With the first big loop done it was time to head to the next main attraction, The Devils Punch Bowl. The path was much easier than the first part of the journey as much of it was grassy with shallower inclines. I found myself walking through grassy fields and thickets of trees as I ventured fourth.
I decent hike took me to the attraction at last as I stood on one of the lookouts gazing out at the pool of water. It was interesting reading about the science that shaped the view before me, learning that water deep in the sands worked it’s way to this spot, pooling up for a time and then moving elsewhere as the sands shifted and changed the land over time. I walked down to take a closer look at the pool where I noticed turtles swimming about in it’s waters.
With the sun drawing closer to the horizon with every passing moment I decided it was time to make my way back to the car. Upon arriving I re-hydrated up and set off back to Brandon for the night, staying in Meadowlark Campground once more.
