Toronto traffic sucks

Toronto skyline

I haven't spent significant time in Toronto (typical local pronunciation: "Toronno") in over a decade, and in my wanderings I discovered an almost completely unfamiliar landscape, especially in the Harbourfront area, where numerous condos and apartments have sprouted up.

My stay in Toronto reinforced that there's no way in heaven or hell that I'd live in a big city.  For me the sheer aggravation of driving in traffic and the amount of time it takes to get to and from "fun" destinations far outweigh any advantages of the big-city life.

Climbing at Mount Nemo Conservation Area

My intention had been to go to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), but I ended up spending an inordinate amount of time fighting traffic while trying to replace all the stuff that had been stolen the other day.  Just as well; I wasn't really in a cultural kind of mood anyways.  Leisure time was largely spent climbing with my brother: first at the Rock Oasis - where the 60-foot walls were an endurance test to this New Jersey climber, who had rarely ventured onto walls higher than 30 feet - and later outdoors at Mount Nemo Conservation Area in Milton, and then finally in a gym in Burlington when inclement weather forced us back indoors.

We also managed to escape to Hardwood Hills near Barrie for some mountain biking on Saturday, the one and only day of really good weather.  Weaving through the trees on the buff Southern Ontario trails was a blast, and was also a ride down memory lane - I'd spent a few long nights on these same trails many years ago on 24-hour mountain bike relay races.

Looking out at Toronto from the Niagara Escarpment

Now my task is to charge across the Midwestern states; Colorado, here I come!