Silvermine River Walk

We've missed quite a few hikes lately due to rain, and it doesn't take long to lose fitness, so yesterday's walk up the Silvermine River trail was just the thing to get back into the swing of things. It's a steady uphill but not at all steep, and the sound of the rushing water hidden away in the thicket is music to the ears - this year the mountains are sucking in maximum moisture and letting the excess run off down to the sea. The river is in spate and the little waterfall quite thunderous. The ground is sodden and the paths all show evidence of being watercourses; even the rocks are oozing dampness - not just cold to the touch. The water is the dark brown of a good strong cup of tea (same thing really, as the colour comes from the tannins in the vegetation), while the banks of foam trapped by fallen logs and boulders resemble an expertly made cappuccino. You see we are always thirsty on a walk, mostly for a hot drink in winter!
Cloud cover from the southeast kept us comfortably cool for most of the morning, and the prospect of rain forecast for midday melted away as the sun climbed higher, allowing the yellow daisies to open and dazzle us with a brilliant display. Sunbirds and sugarbirds flitted between the protea bushes, where only the mimetes is currently putting on a show - they are certainly the most spectacular of the late winter fynbos and a delight to behold. 
A pair of Southern Boubous joined us for our tea break in the picnic area, looking hopeful for a snack as they hopped closer and closer. They pecked at a piece of banana quite enthusiastically, but they generally prefer a meaty diet. Not at all shy and easy on the eye being bigger and more strikingly marked than the usual LBJs.
The trail was particularly busy with dogs enjoying the great outdoors and the added bonus of a splash in a fresh mountain stream! Silvermine is always a wonderful place for hiking with a good variety of trails to suit all levels of fitness and some breathtaking views.