What are the first signs of spring you usually look for? Tree branches swelling with buds, dainty flowers poking their delicate heads through last year’s leaves, that cheerful bird twitter in the morning. How about rushing waterfalls? Or better yet ankle-deep, thick mud. We certainly encountered a lot of the latter on our most recent microadventure.

Spring, when rivers are at their fullest after the snowmelt, is the best time for waterfall chasing. And with Hamilton, the waterfall capital of the world, located less than an hour away, finding one is never a problem. (Although deciding on which of its 100 tumbling water features to visit can sometimes present a dilemma). Then, once we enjoy the sight and sound of rushing water, we find Bruce Trail or one of its tributaries, which are always bound to be somewhere nearby, and set out on a hike.

Our most recent microadventure took us to Smokey Hollow Falls, also known as Grindstone, Waterdown or Great Falls

The water was roaring “spring” 

But winter whispers were still lingering in the air

In Hamilton, Bruce Trail is always nearby

The first section of our hike was an ice-covered zig-zag of a slide

Once we made down the slide, the going got easier

For the most part, it was a pleasant walk accompanied by the rumblings of Grindstone Creek

Winter still clinging to logs and rocks but it is no match for the mighty spring

A muddy path awaited us at the bottom of the valley

More slippery bits of the trail, this time because of mud, not ice

Yes, my boots are quite photogenic

The trees were still bare, their naked branches poking the blue sky

But signs of spring were everywhere