Night Walk on the East Falaise

 

      Maria, Chris, Bruce, and Roger (aka Tibbs) met just after sunset under the big empty arrow on St Jacques for the the inaugural night time walk on the Falaise St Jacques.   This was the evening of the 6th of August.

        They headed down Bird Valley while there was still some dusk in the sky.   Stillness, stillness except for the rhythmic calls of the crickets.   Heading east on the Falaise path there was spotted the occasional firefly  hovering at mid height in the trees.   Soon every dip downwards in the trail, as at the 'Little Hill', was like descending into a darker place.   One lost one's bearings.   Familiar objects such as 'Crow Block' became a little bit endearing for they reassured that one was on a familiar track.

romantic interpretation of our walk eastwards on the Falaise St Jacques path

       We stopped a few times and covered the lights and just listened.    Not a sound, no owls, no silhouette flash of a bat against the few openings to the night sky.   A bit disappointing in that regards.  The surprise was how humid the woods were.   It was a very warm night but with the added on humidity it became sticky, for some of us a shirt-drenching night.

       At approximately the three-quarter's point of the Falaise eastwards walk we came upon daunting stands of invasives: buckthorn and phragmites.   This was disheartening.   Just at that point we heard small animals in conflict up the escarpment slope.   Thankfully we were soon off the Falaise and recouping under the east pavilion of Bande Verte.

        The return walk along the Bande Verte was pleasant.   There was a breeze from the west.   The multipurpose was like a country road.   The moon rode high in wispy clouds, never quite breaking free of them.  We stopped once at a picnic table to swap stories.  Finally back up Bird Valley and into the metropole.