It seems that the thing to do this fall is one, go visit a pumpkin patch and two, chase fall foliage. In fact, I’d never heard the words “fall foliage” more in my life than this year. Not surprisingly either since 2020 is all about taking as many local adventures as you can. After my visit to Mono Cliffs Provincial Park this October, I might even have to name fall my favourite season. The colours had me in awe and I finally met my quota for exercise last month by hiking in my favourite pair of booties. It may not be everyone’s first choice of footwear on a hike but for me, I take any chance I can to be extra this year. I also have a feeling this will be the first of many years that I’ll be chasing fall foliage at Mono Cliffs. Read on to see how my fashion choices got on in this hike.

 

We drove about an hour and a half to get to Mono Cliffs Provincial Park on a rainy day. I’d heard it was one of the best spots outside of the city to witness some beautiful fall foliage and I wanted to look my best (and edgiest) against the changing colours of the leaves. By this time, I’d gotten enough inspiration for fall foliage photos that I was ready to take some of my own. I made sure to come prepared and by that, I mean I came in the most unconventional hiking outfit. Dressed in my new leather joggers, black crop top and my cozy long wool coat, I was ready to take on this hike. Pictured above, I tried my hand at a “giant” maple leaf shot and this was probably one of my favourites of the day – representing Canadian fall in style.

 

The truth is the entire hike to the staircase point – which is the most photographable spot in the hiking trail – could’ve been done in 40 minutes. For us, it took about two hours to and from because we kept stopping for photos. Good thing we didn’t get rained on for most of the hike – just slightly on the way back. On average we kept stopping every three minutes because every part of the hike was so goddamn photogenic. There was also a fair amount of people on the hike with us but not an overwhelming amount where I felt we had to fight for space. I felt free to wander in peace and for some reason, I didn’t feel much discomfort walking the entire trail in heels either. Dare I say, I actually felt pretty comfortable in these black suede booties?

 

Most of the leaves on the maple trees had turned beautiful shades of vibrant yellow and orange when we visited. Although it would’ve been nice to see some bright red leaves too, it probably still needed another week to reach that point. I also really liked the cedar trees – which never really change colour – but they made for a beautiful backdrop in the wild. It was also the only patch of the hike that was dryer than the rest with no leaves lining the trail. Although I came here for the fall foliage, there’s something very magical about surrounded by complete greenery – especially when you’re dressed completely opposite of what you’d expect of a hiker. Who says you can’t take an urban chic outfit and make it work in the middle of nature? The black and pink combo gave it a (very) modern fairytale look.

 

This was the first hike I’d been on since the springtime and the experience was completely different this time. I felt like I’d stepped into a different world altogether, what with the warm tones encapsulating me as I wandered further into the wilderness. It was a beautiful sight for sore eyes and the colours only became more vibrant as the sky became darker. I’d suggest staying a bit later if you can. The parks further outside of the city also change colour earlier so at Mono Cliffs, I finally understood why people love to witness fall foliage so much. You only get a small window to see the leaves at its peak. On average, they last a few weeks until late October at most. For this reason, it’s definitely worth the short trip out of town to see the leaves in all its glory before it’s all over.

 

When we reached the point to get up to the staircase, that’s when I started thinking maybe I should’ve worn a different pair of shoes. There was a slightly steep hill to hike up – covered in damp leaves and mud – before making it to my dream photo spot. I included a photo of it in the gallery down below. Although the elements might’ve been against me that day, there was no way I was leaving without making it all the way up. I’m pretty sure other people were thinking I was a little psychotic for continuing to keep go uphill in my three inch heels. However, with a little bit of patience (and very slow walking), I was able to make it safely to the stairs. After that, I endured three more flights up to finally take in the beautiful fall foliage at Mono Cliffs Park and let me tell you – it was worth every single step.

 

It may have taken me a few breaks in-between but I made the trek all the way up. To be honest, it wasn’t so much the view that took my breath away but more so the experience – literally and figuratively. I’d been a bit out of shape up to that point so it was quite a mission to make it past the second flight, especially in my choice of footwear. However, I felt blessed to have come on a day with mild weather as I took in this spectacular view. Not to mention, I felt like a badass in my leather joggers and feeling like I’d just climbed Mount Everest in them. Sometimes the outfit really does make the person. It gives you motivation to reach higher heights (no pun intended) because when you look your best, you also tend to do just that.

 

Although peak season for chasing fall foliage at Mono Cliffs is over now, I had to document this experience on the blog. If anything, to demonstrate the amount of amazing photos you can get out of a 40-min hike like this one. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a more photogenic experience in such a short amount of time in my life. This was also really different from my usual photo ops. I came here with the purpose to fuse my love of travel and fashion together. Many times people think you can’t be stylish when doing outdoorsy activities but for me, I’m the most comfortable when I feel confident. Although I wouldn’t recommend going hiking in heels (it can be quite hazardous), they do give you that added confidence boost to kick ass.

I’d highly recommend saving this spot for next year’s fall foliage trip. There are different entrances to Mono Cliffs Park; make sure to go in from the entrance closer to the staircase or else you might miss it. As well, try to go mid to late October to witness the leaves at their peak. Although we didn’t get to see much of the red-coloured leaves, I was still really impressed by my first-ever fall foliage trip. It’s inevitable that while living in the age of COVID, it will make people want to go out and do more. As well, it’s been making me adopt the dress to impress mentality every time I do get to go out. Hoo-ray for proving you can climb anything in a pair of heels.

 

 

 

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Adventures in Mono Cliff

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