That part of the ravine where the entrance adjoins our street leads down in either direction, once you've descended the first long slope, toward a bridge. To access other portions of the ravine through interlocking trails, it's necessary to cross one of those bridges, and there are, as one hikes along in either direction several additional bridges to be crossed to enable a ravine circuit. We've one bridge left, and once it is gone, likely some time this week, our circuits become more difficult to access, and certainly of longer duration as we're pressed to take other, alternative routes.

Access from other neighbourhoods give on to areas of the ravine that tend to be flat, the trails wider, more like cart tracks now that the municipality has contracted for the removal of existing bridges and their replacement. In the process of which, the work crews found it necessary to widen existing trails, and dump rough-cut gravel more like rocks than what a trail might possibly have scattered on it, though we would much prefer to leave those trails in their natural condition, unspoiled by gravel or stone-dust which over time gets washed down the slopes, in any event. Their concern, however, is making the trail accessible for the tracked vehicles and the large earth-moving equipment.

It was the extended forested flat plateaus of the ravine whose trails resembled Central Station on Monday, crowded with people on Thanksgiving week-end, traditionally enjoying nature and working off large meals. There were extended families, couples, groups of teens, and people out walking their pets, who would never enter the ravine under any other circumstances. It was a glorious weather day, and the trees were in full autumn colour, all of which conspired to incite people to their annual walk-in-the-woods.

Everything has calmed down now. Not that anyone but the regular trail-goers extended themselves to explore the ravine through the trails that lead into valleys and from there often physically-challenging (for those of a certain age) steep ascents. Yesterday a very emphatic wind blew continually through the ravine in quite impressive gusts, sending showers of leaves to sprinkle themselves lazily, drifting down to the forest floor. For this brief period, the trails are covered with masses of lovely-tinctured expired foliage.

Now, when we exit the ravine on our daily walks we have good reason to feel ourselves more than a trifle exercised. Our trail forays have of necessity become more time-consuming as we search out alternative passages through the woods. There are large woodland areas with interweaving trails that are not disturbed by the work that's ongoing because there are no bridges there. It's the problem of how to manage to get to them without too much uphill bushwhacking that consumes us now. The effort of which does require more physical stamina, particularly when the clay-based environment is sodden and therefore quite slippery, as it has become increasingly with frequent rain events.

Once out there, though, the pleasure of observing everything around us in the transformative stage from fall edging into winter makes the effort well worthwhile. Most particularly since the past week has edged up into the 20-degree-plus range.