Back to Bear Country Saint John, NB 2023 McKay Skyway Trail, Rockwood Park

Saint John, 2023.  Rockwood Park

Ooooh.  It looks cold down there.

First warmish day, perfect for hiking trails in Rockwood Park.

No skating.

Me and my good buddy, Bullwinkle.

Offering a helping hand at the working class monument.

Time to explore the death trap trail, MacKay Skyway.  This is the trail where just a week previously someone planted a booby trap for cyclists with a wire stretched across the trail at neck level.  The first and last victim escaped death or life-threatening injury only because he had been wearing a bicycle helmet with a full face visor.  This cyclist took his protective gear seriously for good reason but no one expects a Wile E. Coyote trap.

Glad I wore my boots.  Sketchers would have been the most practical choice.

There it is, the scene of the crime and my first time on this particular trail.  

Most cyclists take this trail from the opposite direction for the fast and daring thrill of downhill.  

I wiped out here and it took 15 minutes to ease my way up and down the slick embankment to retrieve my water bottle.

It was icy enough to be treacherous but undoubtedly much more so on the previous week when the unsuspecting cyclist hit the clothesline snare left by someone with severe mental health issues.  

There are enough roots and twists to wipe out on without the added trouble of snow and melting ice.

There really aren't any soft places to land if you fall over the embankment.

I can't imagine riding down this way.

Jumps for the daredevils.

One guess which route I took.  These signs actually shame you for taking the less hazardous way

I groaned when I saw this steep rocky cliff.  Fortunately there was an easier chicken route.

Of course, no one is expected to climb that rock.  It's for descending. Um, hard pass.  It's safe to assume the cyclist who hit the hidden wire was wearing full body armor.  Even with all the skills in the world, no one should attempt this ride without plenty of protection.   

That's the McKay Highway below.

San Miguel Allende: The Big Road Trip with Francisco and Natalie: Getting Lost on the Return

          Road trip!  There were a few snags getting on the road, thanks to a shady budget car rental company with hidden surprises but we sidestepped that disaster by switching to a more reputable airport approved service and away we went.

We're here!  San Miguel Allende!

This has to be the most elegant upscale Starbucks on the planet!

I find it almost impossible to take these magnificent cathedrals all in on one shot.

Every inch of this town is worth a picture.

You could spend a week just checking out all of the intriguing art galleries.  We were only there for the day so we started with this one and ended with just one other.  The other wasn't quite so picture worthy.

This chair was the main point of interest in the second gallery.  By itself, worth the stop.

San Miguel Allende is rich in fountains.

and ornate door knockers (pictures courtesy of Francisco)

This picture of the old ruling class was displayed in the park.  Look how happy all that money from exploiting the working class made them.

From the park, Natalie leading the way, we began the ascent to the top of the town.

Right about here, we saw storks flying by.

A little further.

We can't stop now.

Up we go after a little break.

We made it!  Remember that enormous cathedral in the town center?  Find it in this picture and that will tell you how far we climbed.  It looks so tiny.

Dinner time.  We were famished.  We probably ordered more food than we really needed at this gourmet Italian restaurant but we managed to do it justice.

It was just getting dark when we turned back to Leon.  Weddings had been going on all day at the cathedral and they hadn't stopped.  Francisco and Natalie went inside while I drank coffee but it didn't feel right taking pictures so they didn't.

We met a detour on the way back and that's where we got a tad lost in the middle of the countryside.  A horrible multi-car accident had traffic completely blocked on the main road to the highway.  The detour was just a rough dirt road at first.  Everyone drove extremely slowly past isolated ranches and farmhouses.  And then it got rougher.  The isolated farmhouses became a thing of the past.  

Francisco realized first that we weren't on an actual road anymore.  We were crawling down an old dry riverbed.  Some of the ruts I could see from the headlights were total canyons.  One false move and we would be blocking every car behind us and good luck to everyone backing up the whole way because I couldn't imagine anyone turning around.  Eventually, it was too nerve wracking to watch so I just closed my eyes and trusted Francisco's driving skills.  And he didn't let us down!  Well done, Francisco!  We knew there was hope when we saw lights up ahead and the river bed morphed into a rough road.  It was such a relief moment to see real pavement again.