Signal Hill hike

It’s stormy season here, but we got one clear and sunny day so we set aside our work for the morning and climbed up the North Head trail on Signal Hill to catch some fleeting sunshine and wintry city views. It wasn’t too windy in town, but as usual the wind came up blustery and cold as we climbed out towards the open ocean. This trail is so great because it starts in the city and takes you out through the Outer Battery neighborhood and up the side of Signal Hill. You climb up alongside the Narrows at the mouth of the Harbour, to a rugged, windswept part of the mountain that feels a thousand miles away from the world. Standing on the bare rock face and looking out to sea, it feels so wild and remote even though you’re technically still in the city – and walking distance from our house!

The trail was snowy and icy in parts, but we had good crampons, and the wind was whipping but I was so bundled up I was sweating the whole way up, and had to peel off my jacket and sweater along the climb. We didn’t linger at the top of Signal Hill because the wind was brutal up there, and we were hungry! We took off our crampons and walked the short way down, along the auto road. At the bottom we stopped for a frothy cup of mocha at the Battery Cafe, and then a great big feast of vegetarian curries and injera for lunch at the Ethiopian restaurant across the street. Then off to the studio for work in the afternoon.