Caledon Comment. Photo Contest winners! Vol 50 - No 4 Winter (below) - taken by Peter Moule

Transcription

1 Caledon Comment Vol 50 - No 4 Winter Photo Contest winners! (above) - taken by Suhail Zubaid-Ahmad (below) - taken by Peter Moule See info on the next contest installment, page 5 E2E - Mono Centre to Cheltenham

2 PRESIDENT Jean Kerins VICE PRESIDENT Bob Ferguson SECRETARY Robert Gillespie TREASURER Andree Zeritsch HIKE COORDINATOR Marilyn Ross TRAIL COORDINATOR Joan Richard MEMBERSHIP/ CORRESPONDENCE Brenda Tipper LANDOWNER RELATIONS Carol Sheppard EXECUTIVE LAND STEWARDSHIP Hamish Duthie PUBLICITY Louise Carberry VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR Colleen Darrell SOCIAL CONVENER Greg Huffman PAST PRESIDENT Janice McClelland DIRECTORS AT LARGE Peter Leeney Diane McKenzie Fred Somerville x110 BTC DIRECTOR David Lamb Support Volunteers WEBMASTER David Lamb ARCHIVIST Helen Billing ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Louise Porter TUESDAY HIKE COORDINATOR Rob Martin EDITOR, CAL E-NEWS Kristina Zeromskiene EDITOR, CALEDON COMMENT Jan Smith-Bull TRAIL DEVELOPMENT Dave Moule (H)), (farm) DEADLINE FOR THE SPRING EDITION: January 1, 2015 Send copy by to: Opinions expressed in Caledon Comment are not necessarily the views of Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club unless stated as such. Advertisements do not necessarily imply endorsement by Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club or The Bruce Trail Conservancy. Send address changes to The Bruce Trail Conservancy at PO Box 857 Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 Caledon Comment is the quarterly publication of CALEDON HILLS BRUCE TRAIL CLUB one of the nine member clubs of the Bruce Trail Conservancy. Please visit Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club s website at Winter Spring Talk to us! facebook.com/caledonhillsbrucetrailclub Drake from Grand Valley, with a downed tree along the Trail TYPE Cal E-News is our club newsletter that keeps members up to date on major club activities between editions of The Caledon Comment. If you are interested in receiving Cal E-News, contact: calenews@caledonbrucetrail.org 300 subscribers and growing! ADVERTISING RATES Business Card (3.5 x 2.0) $30 Quarter Page (3.75 x 5.0) $60 Column (3.0 x 9.0) $70 Half Page (7.5 x 5.0) $85 Full Page (7.5 x 9.5) $145 HST will be added Terms: Cheque with order Cheque must be made payable to: The Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club

3 Notes from the President <<< Jean Kerins For this issue, find our President s message on the back cover in full colour! Don t miss a single Club event! Save these Dates: Christmas Tree Sales - weekends in December (details on page 4) December Potluck Sunday, December 14 (details on page 18) Theatre Fundraiser - March 26 AGM - April 12 Be sure to check the club s website for all the latest news, club events and hike listings. Peter Moule s Award Peter Moule receiving Caledon's Junior Achievement Award with Dave and Sally John and I met Katie Keenan on Escarpment Sideroad near Heart Lake Road on Sept. 14th. As she was carrying a heavy backpack we assumed she was doing some long distance hiking, so stopped to talk to her. Her goal that day was to do 30 km. and reach Glen Haffy CA where she would camp for the night. She told us she had left Niagara on Sept. 3rd and her mother had hiked the first 30 km with her, and her father was going to meet up with her and hike the top half of the Peninsula and arrive in Tobermory by Thanksgiving. The rest of the trail she was doing alone. Through Hiker Encouraging to see a young woman up for the challenge of completing the whole Bruce Trail, and mostly on her own! 3 Winter

4 All-Natural Christmas Trees for Sale - $30 The Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club is selling beautiful, all-natural Christmas Trees from its farm on Airport Road, near Mono Mills. These trees, Scotch Pines up to 9 feet tall, have been planted and tended by volunteers from the Caledon Hills Club. They have never been sprayed with any form of pesticide, and no chemical fertilizers have been applied. Trees will be available on a cut your own basis at $30 per tree, regardless of size. All proceeds will go toward the Bruce Trail s program to secure, protect and maintain a continuous conservation corridor containing the Trail along the Niagara Escarpment. The supply is limited. First come first served. We will also have a selection of baskets, natural decorating materials such as white pine and cedar boughs, grape vine wreaths, and red osier twigs, all at bargain prices. Where: Hockleycrest Farm, No on the east side of Airport Road (Dufferin County Rd. #18), 4.4 km north of Hwy. 9 at Mono Mills When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday beginning Saturday, December 6 th while supplies last. Come warm your hands by the bonfire while you sip on some warm apple cider our thank you for your support! For further information, call Dave Moule: Weekdays Weekends Or salydave@sympatico.ca Winter Spring

5 Hiker Caution Signs Installed <<< Joan Richard One treacherous part of our trail in Caledon is the Hwy 9 crossing east of Airport Rd. The road is 4 lanes wide at this point and the speed limit is 80 kmh. While I had not heard of a pedestrian fatality at this location, I thought it might be safer with a hiker caution sign. With direction from our Landowner Relations Coordinator, Carol Sheppard, I eventually found a person at Ministry of Transportation (MTO) who actually called me back and told me what was required to qualify for such a sign. Several s and phone calls over the past year finally resulted in 2 signs being installed in each direction. While it is still a very dangerous crossing, the signs will help to at least alert drivers to the possibility of pedestrians on the road PHOTO CONTEST To participate and for more details, find us on facebook: facebook.com/caledonhillsbrucetrailclub 2014 BI-MONTHLY THEMES NOV/DEC: Interesting Sites Along the Trail The winning photo will be printed in a future edition of the Caledon Comment the quarterly publication of the Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club. So, get your cameras ready, get out on the trails and start snapping! on facebook 5 Winter

6 Phone Committee Volunteers Needed We are looking for two volunteers to help us reach out to Club members. If you have time to make 10 to 15 phone calls per month - to welcome new members to the club and encourage them to participate in club activities, and to contact people whose memberships have lapsed to remind them that their membership is important and supports the trail and that we would like to have them back as members - please contact Colleen Darrell (kidogo@sympatico.ca). Volunteers will receive scripts to guide them through the phone calls. These phone calls play an important role in keeping the Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club membership at levels that support the Trail and the Club. Facebook isn t just for Faces While we share photos of our various CHBTC events on Facebook, our site can be used for more. Even if you are not a member of Facebook, you can view the club s page by clicking on the link on our website or by searching for Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Facebook in any search engine. When the search results come up, look for the word Facebook to be in the www address directly below the heading. If you have missed a hike or would like to meet up with hikers for a special hike that you organize you can post it to our Facebook page. This type of electronic bulletin board can help you to connect with other hikers. In order to post you must be a Facebook member. Comfortable Hiking Holidays 1 (866) info@letshike.com ISRAEL March 9 to 22, 2015 Fascinating and complex, Israel offers immense diversity. Hike the lush vineyards of the Golan Heights & the deep canyons of the Judean Desert, plus the famed Jesus Trail from Nazareth to Galillee. Visit Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Masada, Bethlehem and Tel Aviv. Although this holiday is not religious by design, we cannot help but be immersed in the dominant role it has played for centuries. CAMINO DE SANTIAGO, SPAIN April 15 to 27, 2015 The Camino de Santiago is an iconic trek covering some 800km across the north of Spain. Our journey encompasses the last 152km from O Cebreiro to Santiago de Compostela, and we ve included many extras as part of the tour in order to make it a complete Galician experience. Thousands of pilgrims have walked before us, and it is time to add your footsteps to this renown trail. KENYA July 5 to 17, 2015 Don t just drive through Kenya hike it too! Imagine encountering herds of zebras, giraffes and gazelles right on your path! Travel to 3 different parts of the country, take in incredible sunsets over the savannah, visit Masai herdsmen in their homes and, of course, see lions, elephants & leopards on our game drives. Accommodations include luxury tented camps and one night at The Ark! And did you know that July is the coolest month of the year in Kenya? MACHU PICCHU September 12 to 25, 2015 Spend a week exploring the Sacred Valley of the Incas by hiking through the famed salt pans of Maras, the ancient ruins of Pisac, and trekking high up into the Urubamba mountain range. Then that all important day arrives when we hike into Machu Picchu rounding the corner of the Sun Gate and seeing Machu Picchu with your own eyes will give you goose bumps. From the Sacred Valley, journey south to Lake Titicaca for hikes on Uros, Amantani and Taquile islands. Winter Spring

7 Hiking Schedule Winter <<< Marilyn Ross NOTES TO HIKERS Please arrive 15 to 20 minutes before departure time. Bruce Trail map and kilometre references are taken from the 27th edition of the Bruce Trail Reference. Always carry your Ontario Health Card. Carry an adequate amount of water and food. If you have to carry an auto-injector or other medical device, make sure someone on the hike knows about it. Unless stated otherwise, hiking boots are required and no dogs are allowed. Hike ratings are as follows: Pace - Leisurely - 3km/hr. or less. Medium - 3 to 4 km/hr. Brisk - 4 to 5 km/hr. Fast - 5+ km/hr. Terrain - Easy - Mostly flat and usually good footing. Moderate - Some hills and/or some poor footing. Strenuous - Hilly with steep climbs and some poor footing Notes about the winter hiking program: There are several hikes that need pre-registration. If asked to pre-register, please do. Dave Moule is leading some ski outings on Wednesdays in January and February. Several Tuesdays do not have hikes listed at this time. Check the website for possible updates. Saturday December 6: Dufferin Hi-Land Section, Boyne Valley & Murphy's Pinnacle, Map km loop hike, approximately 3 hours at a medium pace over strenuous terrain. No dropout point. No dogs please. Bring a snack/lunch and water and wear hiking boots. Refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 10:00 a.m. County Road 19, Prince of Wales Road, where the Primrose Loop Side Trail crosses it the second time. GPS Coordinates: N '/W ' Directions: Take Highway 10 north from Orangeville to Primrose, then continue north for 1 kilometre on County Road 19, parking carefully on the roadside. Hike Description: An opportunity to get away from the craziness of the holiday season at the malls, and relax in the quiet of the woods. A double loop hike, we will use the Primrose Loop Side Trail, the Boyne Valley Side Trail, and a section of the Main Trail. Hike Leader: Bob Humphreys walk2tobermory@gmail.com between 7-10 p.m. Thursday January 1: Toronto Section, Hilton Falls, Map km loop hike, approximately 3 hours at a medium pace over moderate terrain. No dropout point. Wear hiking boots and bring lunch/snack and water. No dogs please. Refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 11:00 a.m. Meet in the parking lot of the Hilton Falls Conservation Area. Note there is an admission fee. GPS Coordinates: N '/W ' Directions: Exit Highway 401 at either Guelph Line or Halton 25, and take Campbellville Rd, 5th Sideroad. Hike Description: An opportunity to keep that New Year resolution to get more exercise, and walk off some of the excess of the night before! (Note the sympathetic late start time!) Join us for the annual loop hike around the many paths and trails in the conservation area. Dogs permitted, but must be leashed and owners scoop the poop. After the hike those who want to can repair to a local franchise of "Canada's coffee shop" for some of their delicious hot beverages. We will have earned it. Hike Leader: Bob Humphreys walk2tobermory@gmail.com between 7-10 p.m. Saturday January 10: Caledon Hills Section, Hockley Valley, Map km loop hike, approximately 3 hours at a medium pace over strenuous terrain. Wear hiking boots and bring lunch/snack as well as water. No dropout point. Depart: 10:00 a.m. Parking location on 3rd Line E.H.S. GPS Coordinates: N '/W ' Directions: Take Highway 10 north from Orangeville, turn right on Hockley Road (County Road #7), follow to 3rd Line E.H.S. and turn left. Roadside parking one kilometre north on right hand side. Hike Description: We will hike the Isobel East, Tom East, and Glen Cross side trails, linked together by the Main Trail. Note, depending on the snow coverage, we will either hike or use snowshoes. Dogs permitted, but must be leashed and owners scoop the poop. Bring something to drink, a snack /lunch and (Continued on page 8) Hikes may be added or changed after the Comment goes to print. Check the website, for the most up-to-date hike listings. 7 Winter

8 Hiking Schedule (Continued from page 7) ice footwear. Hike Leader: Bob Humphreys between 7-10 p.m. Sunday January 11: Iroquoia Section, Dundas Valley, Map 8 11 km shuttle hike, approximately 4 hours at a medium pace over moderate terrain. No dropout point. No dogs please. Refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 9:30 a.m. The Gatehouse Museum Parking lot, south of km Enter from Sulphur Springs Rd., just east of the junction with Mineral Springs Rd. Directions: from Clappison's Corners, Hwy #5 and #6 intersection, travel west on #5 to Brock Rd. Turn left onto Brock Rd. At Bullocks Corners, turn right onto Hwy #8. Turn left onto Wiers Line, turn left onto Governors's Rd., turn right onto Sulphur Springs Rd. Hike Description: Snow shoe or walk this km loop hike through the Dundas Valley. Starting from the Gate House Museum, we will hike part of the Bruce Trail and Dundas Valley Conservation Area Trails, including the main trail, Sawmill Trail, Homestead trail, and Monarch trail, weather permitting. The hike can be shortened or lengthened depending on conditions. Bring snack, water, hiking boots, icers, snowshoes if you like. Pub stop afterwards. * Please note there is a per car parking fee at this location. Pre-register for the hike with the hike leader. Hike Leader: Doris Harper dorisharper@rogers.com Saturday January 17: Leslie Street Spit, Tommy Thompson Park, Toronto, Map N/A 10 km "there and back" hike, approximately 4.5 hours at a leisurely pace over easy terrain. No dropout point. No dogs please. Depart: 10:00 a.m. Tommy Thompson Park parking lot at the foot of Leslie Street, just south of Unwin Avenue. GPS Coordinates: N W Directions: From Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway continue east on Lakeshore to Leslie St., then south on Leslie to Unwin Ave. and Tommy Thompson Park. Hike Description: Winter is the perfect time to walk the Leslie Street Spit with binoculars and/or camera to view and photograph winter birds or just enjoy a winter stroll. Dress in layers and be prepared for icy conditions. This is a photography/bird watching hike. Be prepared to stop for short periods of time to enjoy nature and wildlife. Pre-register for the hike with the hike leader. Bring icers for winter hiking. Because of possible winter conditions, please register in advance of hike. Hike Leader: Gary Hall garyhall@rogers.com before 9:00 p.m. Wednesday January 21: Ski Outing Caledon Hills Section, Hockley Valley, Map 18 8 km loop, approximately 3 hours at a leisurely pace over moderate terrain. Dropout point after 3 km. Refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 10:00 a.m. Hockleycrest Farm Airport Road, Mono. Directions: Hockleycrest is on the east side of Airport Road, 4.4 km north of Hwy. 9 Hike Description: Guided Cross-country ski outing on the Hockleycrest Ski Trails. Skiers only please; no walkers or snowshoers. Skiers should be intermediate level or better. The pace will not be fast, but you must be competent on hills. Pre-register with the leader. Outing will only proceed if weather and snow conditions are suitable. I will registered participants on morning of event in case of cancellation. Hike Leader: Dave Moule salydave@sympatico.ca Saturday January 24: Erindale Park, Mississauga, Urban Walk 8 km there and back walk at a medium pace (3km / hr) on mostly flat gravel terrain. Dropout at any time. Suitable for beginners. Bring icers. No dogs please. Pub stop afterwards. Depart: 10 a.m. from main parking lot on the north side of Erindale Park parking lot. Directions: Erindale Park parking lot is on the north side of Dundas St about 200m east of Mississauga Rd. Hike Description: This is a joint hike with the Toronto Club along the scenic Credit River. Hike Leader: Tessa Shelvey tjshelvey@yahoo.com before 9:00p.m. (Continued on page 9) Hikes may be added or changed after the Comment goes to print. Check the website, for the most up-to-date hike listings. Winter Spring

9 Hiking Schedule (Continued from page 8) Saturday January 31: Iroquoia Section, Crawford Lake, Map km loop hike, approximately 3 hours at a medium pace over moderate terrain. Hiking boots and icers required and bring lunch/snack as well as water. No dropout point. Depart: 10:00 a.m. from Crawford Lake outer parking lot. Coordinates: GPS N '/W ' Directions: Take Guelph Line to Conservation Road and park in the outer parking lot. Note there is an admission fee. Hike Description: We will hike on the Leech Porter, Canyon Bypass, and Crawford Lake side trails, linked together by the Main Trail. Note, depending on the snow coverage, we will either hike or use snowshoes. Dogs permitted, but must be leashed and owners scoop the poop. Hike Leader: Bob Humphreys walk2tobermory@gmail.com between 7-10 p.m. Wednesday February 11: Ski Outing Caledon Hills Section, Hockley Valley, Map 18 8 km loop, approximately 3 hours at a leisurely pace over moderate terrain. Dropout point after 3 km. Refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 10:00 a.m. Hockleycrest Farm Airport Road, Mono. Directions: Hockleycrest is on the east side of Airport Road, 4.4 km north of Hwy. 9 Hike Description: Guided Cross-country ski outing on the Hockleycrest Ski Trails. Skiers only please; no walkers or snowshoers. Skiers should be intermediate level or better. The pace will not be fast, but you must be competent on hills. Lots of drop-out opportunities. Pre-register with the leader. Outing will only proceed if weather and snow conditions are suitable. I will registered participants on morning of event in case of cancellation. Hike Leader: Dave Moule salydave@sympatico.ca Wednesday February 18: Ski Outing Caledon Hills Section, Hockley Valley, Map 18 6 km loop, approximately 3 hours at a leisurely pace over moderate terrain. No dropout point. Refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 10:00 a.m. Mono Community Centre in village of Mono Centre, from which we will drive the short distance to the starting point. We will meet in the south parking lot, next to the Mono Centre Trailhead sign. Directions: From Orangeville, take Hwy. 10 north to Camilla, turn right and follow Mono Centre Road to the village. The community centre is at the south edge of the village Hike Description: Guided back-country ski outing. We will explore mainly open country at the north end of Hockley Valley Provincial Nature Reserve. Skiers only please; no walkers/snowshoers. Skiers should be intermediate level or better. The pace will not be fast, but participants need to be competent skiers. We will be off-trail in untracked snow. Great views from the high point on this outing. Participants should have touring skis and gaiters. Pre-register with the leader. Outing will only proceed if weather and snow conditions are suitable. I will registered participants on morning of event in case of cancellation. Hike Leader: Dave Moule salydave@sympatico.ca Saturday February 21: Iroquoia Section, Crawford Lake, Map km hike at a medium pace on variable terrain and is suitable for beginners. No dogs please. Refreshments afterwards. Depart: 10 a.m. from Crawford Lake parking lot. Directions: Take 401 west to Guelph Line and go south to Conservation Rd. (formerly Steeles Ave), and turn left and follow road to end. (Continued on page 10) We Love Hikers! Daily fresh produce Excellent selection of meats Fresh baked buns and breads Store-made deli sandwiches and hot table Only a 4-minute walk south of the Caledon Trailway on Airport Road in Caledon East Find historical articles and reflections in every issue of the Caledon Comment until 2017, as our club celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Bruce Trail! 9 Winter

10 Hiking Schedule (Continued from page 9) Hike Description: This is a 2-3 hr hike through the woods either using icers or snowshoes, followed by lunch at the warm visitor centre. Those who wish can do another hour after lunch. Admission of about $7.25 per person applies. Snowshoe rentals are available for around $10 for the whole day. This is a joint hike with the Toronto Club. Coffee afterwards at the Trail Café. Hike Leader: Tessa Shelvey tjshelvey@yahoo.com Wednesday March 4: Ski Outing Dufferin Hi-Land Section, Mono Cliffs, Map 19 6 km loop, approximately 3 hours at a leisurely pace over moderate terrain. No dropout point. Refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 10:00 a.m. Mono Community Centre in village of Mono Centre. We will meet in the south parking lot, next to the Mono Centre Trailhead sign. Directions: From Orangeville, take Hwy. 10 north to Camilla, turn right and follow Mono Centre Road to the village. The community centre is at the south edge of the village Hike Description: Guided back-country ski outing. We will explore mainly open country at the south end of Mono Cliffs Provincial Park. Skiers only please; no walkers/snowshoers. Skiers should be intermediate level or better. The pace will not be fast, but participants need to be competent skiers. We will be off-trail in untracked snow. Participants should have touring skis and gaiters. Pre-register with the leader. Outing will only proceed if weather and snow conditions are suitable. I will registered participants on morning of event in case of cancellation. Hike Leader: Dave Moule salydave@sympatico.ca Hiker Courtesy Reminder As a courtesy to oncoming traffic, especially on narrow country lanes and roads, please walk as close to the left edge as possible. Some of the cars you encounter may be local landowners - please respect their right to pass. Are You Missing Your Cal E-News? Have you seen the latest Cal E-News, our monthly electronic newsletter? Have you enjoyed being up-to-date on all our clubs events and opportunities? Or maybe you've been missing it lately? If so, you might need to re-subscribe due to Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation. A simple request to calenews@caledonbrucetrail.org will guarantee Cal E-News in your in-box every month. We love sharing news with you! Winter Spring

11 Tuesday Hikes <<< Rob Martin Tuesday December 2: Iroquoia Section, Mount Nemo, Map km shuttle hike approximately 3 hours at a medium pace over moderate terrain. No dropout point. No dogs please. Refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 9:30 a.m. at km 98.8 behind Kilbride School at the north end of Paton Street. Directions: Hwy 401 to Guelph Line. Go south on Guelph Line to Derry Rd. Turn right (west) onto Derry Rd. Turn left onto Twiss Rd., right onto Kilbride, left onto Paton St. Hike Description: We will meet behind Kilbride School, then shuttle to Mount Nemo on Guelph Line, then hike back using the River and Ruin Side Trail. Refreshment stop afterwards. There may be a parking fee at Mount Nemo. Hike Leader: Doris Harper (519) dorisharper@rogers.com Tuesday December 9: Dufferin Hi-Land Section, Boyne Valley Provincial Park, Map km loop hike approximately 4 hours at a medium pace over moderate terrain. No dropout point. No dogs please. Depart: 9:30 a.m. from the parking lot on County Rd. 19, (Prince of Wales Rd.). Directions: Parking lot is about 1 km north of Primrose, on the right hand side of the road. Hike Description: We will hike the Boyne Valley Side Trail and possibly the Primrose Loop Side Trail, and part of the main Bruce Trail connecting them. Please pre-register for the hike in case the weather is bad and I need to cancel the hike. Hike Leader: Susan Atkinson (519) before 10:00 p.m. formerbrit@hotmail.com Tuesday December 16: Caledon Hills Section, Albion Hills, Map 17 9 km shuttle hike approximately 2.5 hours at a medium pace over easy terrain. No dropout point. No dogs please. Depart: 10:00 a.m. Royal Ambassador Event Centre parking lot. Directions: The Centre is 4.3 km north of King Rd. on Innis Lake Rd. Hike Description: We will shuttle to Duffy's Lane and Old Church Rd., then walk through part of Albion Hills Conservation Authority to the Caledon Trailway which we will follow back to our starting place for a leisurely lunch at the elegant Consulate Dining lounge overlooking Innis Lake. Please let me know by Sunday night if you will be staying for lunch. Hike Leader: Barbara Euler (416) before 10 p.m. bjeuler@rogers.com No Tuesday hikes on December 23 and 30 or January 6 and 13. Check the website for possible updates Tuesday January 20: Burlington 8 km loop hike approximately 2.5 hours at a leisurely pace over easy terrain. No dropout point. No dogs please. Depart: 10:00 a.m. Discovery Centre at Spencer Smith Park (parking fee). Directions: Lakeshore Rd., west of Brant St. Hike Description: A walk along the Waterfront Trail. Nice views over the lake. We will finish in time for lunch at the Pepperwood Bistro. Icers may be needed. Hike Leader: Barbara Euler (416) before 10 p.m. bjeuler@rogers.com Tuesday January 27: Toronto Section, Hilton Falls, Map km shuttle hike approximately 3.5 hours at a medium pace over moderate terrain. No dropout point. No dogs please. Refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 9:30 a.m. Hilton Falls Side Trail parking area on Sixth Line at km 9.2 of the side trail. Directions: Hwy 401 to Regional Rd. 25, turn left (west) onto 5th. Side Rd. Turn right (north) onto Sixth Line and watch for the parking area on the left about 4.5 km. (second parking area). Hike Description: We will meet at the parking area on Sixth line and shuttle back to Hilton Falls Conservation Area. There is a fee for parking. From the parking area we will use the Philip Gosling Side Trail to access the main trail and then the Hilton Falls Side Trail, to hike back to the parking area on Sixth Line. Hiker Courtesy Reminder As a courtesy to oncoming traffic, especially on narrow country lanes and roads, please walk as close to the left edge as possible. Some of the cars you encounter may be local landowners - please respect their right to pass. 11 Winter

12 We will have a break at the Falls. Bring icers and/or snowshoes if you prefer. Hike Leader: Doris Harper (519) dorisharper@rogers.com Tuesday February 10: Dufferin Hi-Land Section, Mono Cliffs, Map km loop hike approximately 3.5 hours at a medium pace over moderate terrain. No dropout point. No dogs please. Refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 9:30 a.m. Mono Centre parking lot. Directions: From Hwy 10, go east on 2nd line EHS. Hike Description: We'll use the main trail and some side trails to explore Mono Cliffs Provincial Park. The distance may be adjusted to the conditions. Icers or snowshoes may be appropriate. Hike Leader: Barbara Euler (416) before 10 p.m. bjeuler@rogers.com A Grand Old Tree In July, our volunteer sawyers removed a massive tree that fell along the trail and over a set of steps. The location is south of 7th Line. Thanks to our great volunteers. Hikers, please report any downed trees you see, so we can clear them. Photos by John Maxwell. Sawyers are Norm Randle, Dave Sarginson and John Maxwell. Winter Spring

13 Thank You to All Trail Maintenance Volunteers <<< Marilyn Ross There have been many, very positive notes about the well maintained trails in the Caledon Section from hikers sending in their logs once they have completed their End to End hikes. Below are some of the comments made by those submitting their logs when requesting their badges: 1. Myra V says It has been an absolutely wonderful experience to hike this section and I want to thank you and your volunteers for making this possible, for the wonderful job done at keeping up the trail. We have great respect for all the work done by volunteers to make our hiking possible (wooden boardwalks, bridges etc). 2. Marian G. says This trail is very well maintained and blazed. 3. Chris V. I have enjoyed hiking this section. The trails are beautifully marked and maintained. 4. Bruce W. We noted that the trail maintenance folks have done a remarkable job of clearing the trails from all the damage from the winter ice storm. 5. Steve W. I have really enjoyed this section of trail; I have now completed the trail from Niagara to Beaver Valley and consider the Caledon section to be the best so far! 6. Margaret B. Thank you for all the work you do and the other volunteer club members. We have enjoyed our hikes in your club so very much. I also had the pleasure being and hiking at the Cedar Highlands event. 7. John M. Thanks very much to you and the Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club for maintaining this beautiful stretch of the Bruce Trail. 8. Janet B. We have just completed the Caledon Section. The trails are beautiful! Thanks! 9. Michaela S We would like to express many thanks to all the volunteers who dedicate their time to all kinds of tasks related to maintaining and promoting this extraordinary trail. Keep up the good work. 10. Bob C. We are grateful for all the work that the volunteers provide. 11. Magdalena We have just completed hiking Caledon- we just loved it! Thanks to the club for maintaining a wonderful section. 12. Tom H. The Caledon Club has done wonderful work building and maintaining this section. I had a great time hiking through it. 13. Linda Very impressed with the Caledon Hills Trail Club. 14. Joanne S. This has been my personal favourite section so far. 15. Brenda L. The Caledon Section is second to none with its varied terrains, amazing look-outs, famous river sources and the passionate people caring for this piece of paradise. 16. Jim H. Thank you for all your hard work in maintaining these trails for us. It is both a pleasure and privilege to hike them. 17. Jayne S The Caledon Section of the Bruce Trail is beautiful and very well maintained. Well done trail captains and trail maintenance workers as well our Trail Coordinator! This is something to be proud of. Maintenance volunteers hard at work keeping the trail safe and beautiful A reminder to those whose membership in the Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club is coming due in the next couple of months. You can renew online at Don't forget to select Caledon Hills as your home club or as an additional club if your home club is a different one. And when you renew, consider signing up for automatic renewal. Automatic renewal helps reduce paper and administrative costs plus it ensures that you won t miss an issue of the BT magazine or the Caledon Comment. Most importantly, selecting automatic renewal provides stable support for the Trail and the Bruce Trail Conservancy. More information about the automatic renewal option is available at 13 Winter

14 Caledon Hills Wins Tom East Award <<< Dave Moule Jean and Dave accepting Tom East Award from John Grandy At the BTC AGM held in Owen Sound in September, the Caledon Hills club was once again pleased to receive the Tom East Award given for the most significant new trail development project of the past year. The project we submitted this year was the 1.8 km reroute of the main trail through the newly acquired Cedar Highlands and Shute/Eiloart properties, just to the west of Airport Road in Mono. The new trail section was built in April and May of 2014 in a series of 5 work parties, which were well attended in spite of threatening weather on several of the appointed work days. The new route was opened on the Sunday of the Victoria Day long weekend, and immediately found favour with hikers using it for the first time. Stiff competition for the Tom East Award this year came from both the Beaver Valley Club and Niagara Bruce Trail Club. Beaver Valley had built and opened a new trail section called the Fairmount-Webbwood Passage, through 4 recently secured BTC properties. Their project removed about a kilometre of trail from road. Niagara had opened a new trail section at Rockway Falls, including a very well-crafted bridge over the creek. According to the judging panel, a significant factor that influenced them to give the award to Caledon Hills was the excellent quality of workmanship demonstrated in the construction of the treadway, including 96 log steps and about 200 metres of beautifully built side-logging. Bravo Caledon trail-builders! Also, due to the dedicated hard work of our Trail Captains Jacques and Karen Martin, the new trail section was in immaculate condition in late August when the judges inspected it. Thank you to everyone who had a hand in this project! Missing Caledon Comments Helen Billing has discovered that two editions of old Caledon Comments Fall 1993 and Spring 1994 are missing from the Archives. She would appreciate receiving copies of these to complete the otherwise complete set of Caledon Comments in the Archives. The archivist is always looking for photographs illustrating parts of our club s history. Somewhere in someone s basement an old relief map of the Caledon section may exist. It was created in 1967 by Dr. Don J. Ecobichon and displayed at the AGM that year. Tell the archivist, if you know anything of its current existence. ha.billing@sympatico.ca Winter Spring

15 Thank You and Farewell to Michael Lush & Sheree Brown <<< Carol Sheppard Rerouting the trail onto Bruce Trail owned land, in this case the Cedar Highlands property, is always a sweet experience but occasionally we move that interim trail from land where we have developed a lovely friendship with the landowners. It's especially sad for me because in 2006 I contacted Michael and Sheree to ask for a handshake and now I must say good bye which I did this past August when I presented them with our landowner appreciation certificate. The Lush/Brown handshake was an integral part of the 2009 reroute we did to remove the trail from 3.7 km of road walking. Their property was one of the 7 puzzle pieces that had to fall into place in order for that much celebrated reroute to happen and we were so thankful to get their ok. I will always remember Mike's humble and shy smile as he accepted my thanks and a calendar every fall. Our trail maintenance team will remember him as one of our landowners who used his own trailer and chainsaw to help with the new 2014 reroute. Ross McLean will remember him as the landowner that took him and Chris Walker for a serendipitous airplane ride to see the fall colours after a morning of scouting trail for the 2009 reroute. Land owners Michael and Sheree Our Club Volunteers Care Our club volunteers care for all the trails in the Hockley Valley Provincial Nature Reserve. Year round, this is a very busy area. One of our trail captains was out in the fall and noticed a tree with its top across the trail near a stile. Hikers had made a path around it, but had also cut the fence rather than use the stile. This forced our quadrant leader, Norm Randle, not only to remove the tree but also to do repairs on the fence. Like most fences, it has a purpose and cutting holes in it is vandalism. Please report immediately any damage or issues you see on the trail, preferably with a photo. Thank you to all of our volunteers for their continuing efforts! Winter Spring

16 16 Winter

17 Bruce Trail Day <<< Jean Kerins Another big success at Forks of the Credit Provincial Park After two weeks of extraordinarily lovely warm weather (at last) the weather gods caught up to us and delivered a very typical, but windy, fall day at the park for Bruce Trail Day We had none of the gloomy conditions experienced in No fog, no mist, no drizzle. This year the sun shone most of the time as the temperature hovered around 12 degrees, creating perfect conditions for beautiful fall hiking, so hike we did. About 10 hikes were offered over the course of the day, and over 300 members of the public participated in our event. The 10 a.m. Family hike was led by Karen Lomath from the MNR. The photography hike was extremely popular as always, and many of the photos that were taken on the hike have found their way to the club s Facebook page. Thanks go to guest hike leader Don Scallon for leading a naturalist hike and to all the other hike leaders and sweeps for giving up their free time so members of the public could discover the world of hiking on the Bruce Trail. Everyone enjoyed their experiences so much that we signed up six new members for the club, and this new enthusiasm for the work of our club will go a long way toward securing a conservation corridor along the Niagara Escarpment. Our annual BBQ was a huge success again this year too, thanks to the great organizational skills of Colleen Darrell and Greg Huffman. This year for the first time we gave all our Bruce Trail Day volunteers a very small token of appreciation a free hotdog, LOL! With this kind of motivation I m sure we ll be overrun by requests to volunteer in 2015! A lot of behind-the-scenes work goes into planning and executing our day at the park, from scheduling help in the parking lot and at the parking machine to putting up signs, baking cookies and organizing the boardwalk building activity, the kid s activity table, and lots of other jobs. Thanks go to the approximately 30 people who helped make Bruce Trail Day 2014 such a huge success! Photos by Kristina Zeromskiene Kid s Activities (above) Kid s Craft Table (right) Build a Board Walk! Please patronize our Advertisers They help bring you the Caledon Comment Winter Spring

18 ANNUAL WINTER HIKE & POTLUCK SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14 At Caledon Village Place 10:00 am 1:00 pm: Hike Meet in the parking lot at Caledon Village Place at 9:45 a.m. for an enjoyable hike suitable for all ages. 1:00 pm Refreshments at the Hall 2:00 pm The Amalfi Coast Slide Show Presentation by Louise Carberry 2:30 pm 3:30 pm Social Hour with lots of time to bid in the Silent Auction and to check out the merchandise table 3:30 pm - Fine Dining - Bring a potluck dish to share Please check your basements & closets for items to contribute to our silent auction Bring the ingredients list for your potluck dish so diners can allow for food allergies Please bring a donation for the local food bank Social Convener: Greg Huffman or kidogo@sympatico.ca Caledon Village Place is located at Hurontario St. (Hwy 10) on the east side just south of Charleston Side Road (#124) HF WALKING HOLIDAYS BRITAIN EUROPE WORLDWIDE WALK THE GREAT TRAILS OF THE WORLD. Beautiful countryside. Historic towns. Good food. Great company. Terrific leaders. Reasonable prices. Choose from guided or self-guided walking holidays. WALKERS WORLD / TEACHERS TRAVEL SERVICE LTD. 21 St Clair Ave East # 1003 Toronto, ON M4T 1L9 info@teacherstravel.com Phone TICO # Winter

19 50th Anniversary End-to-End a Big Success <<< Joan Richard Thanksgiving weekend in Caledon was shared by energetic hikers and volunteers during the club s annual end-to-end. This year the hikers who finished were awarded the 50 th Anniversary badge. About 90 hikers participated, 20 received badges after completing the 72 km distance over two days and 40 more received badges after hiking for 3 days. Peter Leeney managed registration and organized volunteers for 12 checkpoints who provided the hikers with food, drink and encouragement. Hikers came from far and wide, as well as close to home. Many compliments about the beauty and quality of our trail were heard. Thanks to the hikers for coming out and the volunteers for making it a success. SUSQUEHANNOCK LODGE and TRAIL CENTRE Hiking in the Highlands of North Central Pennsylvania New Years Dec. 28, 2014 to Jan. 1, 2015 Time to ourselves after the hectic season. Outside every day and a little longer by the fireplace. Easter Apr. 3 to 6, 2015 The snow should be gone & we will get some Spring Training on the trails. Ed will have a traditional Polish Easter dinner for us. On Monday I plan a morning hike before leaving for home. The Lodge is located in Potter County, Pennsylvania, 2.5 hours south of Buffalo. There is no agriculture or industry in the area, just great trails. Daily hikes of 10 to 15 km are led through hardwood forest, many beside mountain streams. Our lodge provides comfortable accommodation & excellent meals for $70.00 semi-private or $75.00 private U.S. per day per person. These outings have proven to be popular with the lodge filling up quickly. For more information, including driving directions, please see or contact Greg Vincent at or vincent.greg@gmail.com For reservations call Carol Szymanik at (above) Peter Leeney explains the blazes (below) First group to finish on Day 3 Winter Spring

20 50th Anniversary ~ Celebrating our history in your words and pictures From the Caledon Comment, August 1972, Vol. 8, #3 Excerpted by Helen Billing, Archivist THE TORONTO, GREY AND BRUCE RAILWAY to 1884 Edited by Chris Home. Caledon Hills Maps 2 and 3 show some of the abandoned sections of the former Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway between Orangeville, Melville, Alton, Caledon and Bolton. When completed in 1875 the T.G. & B. Railway ran from Toronto to Orangeville Junction, from where one branch led to Teeswater via Arthur, Mount Forest and Wroxeter, and the other branch led to Owen Sound via Shelburne and Markdale. Background Details In 1863 Grey and Bruce Counties were heavily forested and the farms were often just clearings. Water transport on the Great Lakes had led to the development of towns like Owen Sound and Kincardine, while towns like Brampton and Guelph had grown on the Grand Trunk Railway further south. The area was laid out by Government survey in a grid of concession lines and sideroads. Many were improved by settlers, as part of their payment for Government lands, though this system was replaced by taxation. These roads were basically for local use, and by the 1860's became inadequate as commerce expanded. Timber for fuel and building, and produce, were moved to the G.T.R. by wagon, a slow process at best, impossible in snowy or muddy conditions. Supplies for the settlers came the same way, and were expensive and often delayed. Orangeville (pop. 500) was then the largest settlement between the Lake ports and the Grand Trunk Railway. Orangeville merchants realized that improved transportation was necessary to develop the local economy, so in 1864 they planned a tramway along the Credit River Valley and Hurontario Street (now Hwy. 10) to Brampton, a scheme which was abandoned over uncertainty of whether to use horse or steam motive power. A steam railway was proposed by another group, then dropped. Then some Toronto businessmen planned the Toronto, Grey and Bruce railway. The remarkable feature of the plan was the narrow gauge chosen, only 3'6". Until 1867 most Canadian public railways had been built to a 5 6" gauge. The standard gauge is now 4'8-1/2". The narrow gauge had many supporters because it required smaller structures and rolling stock, narrower rights of way and less material. Hence it initially cost less than broader gauges. Also, the lighter rolling stock meant less wear on rails, wheels and ties, and a higher ratio of pay load to dead weight. And those reluctant to travel at "high" speed pointed to the added safety of the coaches lower centre of gravity! On May 30th, 1867, the Orangeville merchants gave their support to the application of the T.G. & B. for a Provincial Charter, which was granted. The Act incorporating the T.G. & B. Railway provided that the route extend from Toronto to Orangeville, Mount Forest and Walkerton, there branching to termini at Southampton and Kincardine. It also Cataract Falls in Winter (Continued on page 21) 20 Winter

21 (Continued from page 20) provided for a branch from Mount Forest to Owen Sound. The minimum gauge was to be 3 6" with provision for a wider gauge later if necessary. Construction On October 5, 1869, in Weston, Prince Arthur [Queen Victoria s third son] turned the first sod of the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway, watched by hundreds of dignitaries who had come from Union Station on a gaily decorated Grand Trunk train. The target date for completion of construction was January 1st, Finance was raised in Toronto and in townships and villages as far as Arthur. Timber for ties, culverts and bridges was drawn by horses over the snow of the winter of At the same time, work began on the Humber River Bridge, on grading in Caledon Township, and on clearing and grubbing between Orangeville and Arthur. Orangeville district farmers were optimistic about the chance of sending their 1870 produce to Toronto. All construction was on schedule except on the difficult 4.4 mile section east of Charleston (now Caledon). Operations For the inaugural run on December 10, 1870, the T.G. & B. directors rode from Toronto to Bolton at 25 mph. The first run from Toronto to Alton was in April 1871, and regular service between Orangeville and Toronto began in September Regular service to Mount Forest began on December 16, Thus in just over two years, 87 miles of railway had been pushed into a sparsely-developed part of the province. The first fourteen wood or coal burning steam locomotives were built in Bristol, England. One, called "Caledon", was unique in having two boilers back to back and the cab in the centre. This very powerful engine was used on the rugged "horseshoe" section east of Caledon. The "Grey Extension" and The "Bruce Extension" A route for the Owen Sound branch via Mount Forest and Durham proposed by the Grey County Council was voted down in elections in December 1871, so the T.G. & B. Railway decided to build to Owen Sound from Orangeville Junction (now Fraxa). The line was opened on June 12, 1873 by a special train which was greeted at every station north of Orangeville by happy crowds, bands and gay decorations. Because of financial difficulties, the Company was released from its obligation to build to ports on Lake Huron, and the route chosen was from Mount Forest via Harriston and Wingham Road to Teeswater. Regular service began on November 16th, Government subsidies were necessary to complete both extensions, because inflation was increasing the costs of construction, materials and rolling stock. Further subsidies were requested, but refused, for new steel rail and reconstruction east of Caledon, and for reconstruction of the Humber River Bridge. Also required were stations and other buildings, and snow-fencing, but money was not available. Change of Gauge Even before the T.G. & B. was completed, the inadequacy of the narrow gauge was felt. The line was being used far beyond its capacity as loads increased with the opening of new land and the rising population. Freight piled up as the few engines struggled on steep grades and sharp curves with cars of small capacity. Business and revenue were lost to other transportation companies. In February 1878, President Gordon of the T.G.& B. told the Prime Minister of Ontario that with the 4'8-1/2" gauge becoming standard in North America, T.G.& B. customers were inconvenienced by trans-shipments, etc. The fact that the presence of the railway had increased the income from sales of Crown Land was used in an attempt to persuade the Government to subsidize regauging. Approval was not given, so on June 18th, 1880 the Directors resigned, handing control to the bondholders. Their representatives handed the operation over to the Grand Trunk Railway, which paid for re-gauging and other necessary work. This task, including straightening curves, strengthening bridges, etc., was finished on December 8th, (Continued on page 22) 21 Winter

22 50th Anniversary ~ Celebrating our history in your words and pictures (Continued from page 21) Passenger Train Service By Fall 1874 twenty steam engines, twelve passenger coaches, three post office and express cars, and three smoking and baggage cars were in service, plus over 400 freight carrying units. Trains on the narrow gauge averaged 16 mph, so the trip from Toronto to Owen Sound took 7-1/2 hours and to Teeswater took 9-1/2 hours. There were two trains daily each way between Owen Sound and Toronto, and one between Teeswater and Toronto. Service greatly improved on the new gauge. The Toronto to Owen Sound trip took 6 hours and to Teeswater took 6-3/4 hours. A ticket for the 48½ mile trip from Toronto to Orangeville cost $1.50 in 1883, and up to 100 pounds of baggage could be carried free. From most of the many stations along the way (43 between Toronto and Teeswater) stage coaches operated on the concession roads to villages near the railway. On the standard gauge, evening trains ran direct to Owen Sound to connect with vessels sailing to Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay. From the latter point C.P.R. trains left for Winnipeg and the North West. Extra excursion trains at holiday times were very popular. In the 1880's most of the smaller railways began to be absorbed into a few large companies, and in 1884 the T.G. & B. Railway was leased to the C.P.R. in perpetuity. During the Depression of the 1930 s the spectacular section from Orangeville to Bolton was abandoned in favour of the less severe grades of the Credit Valley Railway. Some places to see the T.G. & B. Railway's abandoned sections are: Hwy 10, east side, just north of D.H.O. yard in Caledon. Private laneway runs on old embankment. Caledon Twp., 1st Line West, ½ mile north of Hwy 24, cutting on east side of concession north of yellow house. Caledon Twp. 20 Sideroad, ¼ mile east of Bruce Trail at mile Caledon Twp. 2nd Line West. Old roadbed crosses and re-crosses the concession on either side of mile 16.1, Caledon Hills map 3 Golf Course at Melville, Caledon Hills map 2. References: The Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway , by Thomas F. Mcllwraith (original article) Hiking Abandoned Railway Lines, by D. Sutherland, Caledon Comment Vol. 6 Nov. 4 (November 1970) Maps: Kitchener 40P and Toronto 30M (scale 1;250,000) Train Going Over Cataract Falls 22 Winter

23 Caledon Section End-to-Ends by Helen Billing While this year marked the 21 st year of the Caledon Thanksgiving End-to-End, the first end-to-end documented in the Caledon Comment took place the weekend after Thanksgiving in It was reported that a party of 16 (6 men, 6 women and 4 boys) hiked the 20 miles in the north end of Caledon from Mono Centre to Cataract on Saturday and all but one completed the 12 miles to Terra Cotta the next day. In 1968 the Mono Centre to Terra Cotta badge was established; it was a semi -circular shaped badge, designed to fit the circular club crest, which was free to club members. This badge was given to those who hiked the 32 miles from Mono Centre to Terra Cotta in two successive days. The Archives has a copy of the original crest but not the Mono Centre to Terra Cotta badge; if you earned one in the 1960s or 70s, our archivist would love a picture of it. We continued to hold End-to-End hikes from 1967 to 1975, usually in late October. During this time, the E2E badge had to be earned by hiking the entire 32 mile section in two consecutive days. Log books on the trail were set up so hikers on their own could validate their claim! In 1986 an All New Caledon Hills End-to-End was held the weekend before Thanksgiving - a demanding 70 km/45 miles over two days. It was held again the next year but not again until This hike was advertised as an Ironman on the first 2 days of Thanksgiving weekend marked the introduction of the annual Thanksgiving End-to-End. Peter Ellison organized these weekends for more than ten years, at which point Peter Leeney took over. Many others have helped with the organization, checkpoints, etc. The number of participants continued to grow: 25 completed all 3 days in 1996, and 58 in The length of the trail changed over time; 83 km in the late 90s and early 2000s but down to 67 km in 2004, when the trail was routed off the Caledon Trailway. In 2007 a second 2- day option was added and this proved to be a popular option with 21 people completing the 2-day hike and 28 the 3-day 1994 E-to-E Check Point hike in The Archives Houses a Peculiar Artifact by Helen Billing Ida Sainsbury and her husband, Fred, were very active hike leaders in the Caledon Section in the 1970s. Ida was a very keen hiker she hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in her late 60s, the Chilkoot Trail in the Yukon, and the Lyke Wake Walk in North Yorkshire. At the age of 70, she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the oldest woman to do it at that point. In 1986 the Hike Ontario Conference was held in Guelph. Ida and Fred were driving around the campus of the University of Guelph, totally lost when they spotted Dave Hull (a long-time CHBTC volunteer). Dave gave them helpful instructions and led them out of the warren of roads in the university. Dave was surprised when, a week later, a package arrived. Ida had knitted a pair of gloves for him as a thank you. They now reside in the CHBTC Club Archives. 23 Winter

24 A Tree Grew in Caledon - by Jean Kerins, CHBTC president About 30 years ago a sprig pushed through the earth in Caledon and a poplar tree was born. It struggled for its place in the world, and successfully avoided both human and natural dangers. It saw springs come and go, and put on a beautiful autumn show each year. It withstood the test in May 1985 when a tornado blew through the area wiping out Mono Plaza on Hwy 10 north of Hockley Road and destroying numerous barns in the area. It gallantly stared down the ravages of the ice storm that ripped through Caledon in December of When you walk through the woods you can almost hear some of the trees saying I am a survivor. But destiny was at hand for this particular tree. Another stalwart resident of Caledon had different ideas and this resident did what no tornado, human being or ice storm had done. It would challenge the tree to a duel, and it would win. Poplar still standing With a diameter of about 18 inches and a circumference of about 50 inches the poplar tree was a presence in the woods. It stood over 80 feet tall and was growing at least sixty feet away from the closest pond. Surely no beaver would venture that far from its home for renovation supplies. Sixty feet is a long way to drag a log wider than a telephone pole, but it turns out that beavers are smarter than that. Our intrepid beaver chomped steadily and strategically this past summer, so that when the tree finally gave up the struggle and toppled, the top branches and leaves fell right at the edge of the beaver s pond, and exactly where they were needed. The beaver was able to get busy on home improvements with a wonderful supply of raw material close at hand (...er paw?). Unfortunately, the tree was still not destined to have a peaceful end, because it fell right across our main trail. Within mere days of the tree gracing the forest floor, two of our club sawyers, Greg Huffman and John Maxwell, sprang into action and removed the poplar s trunk from the trail, granting peace at least in the woods. The remaining tree trunk will now become home to a myriad of small creatures, and it will provide shelter for another generation of trees to sprout in Caledon. Perhaps you might even use it as a seat on a lunch stop one day. Our poplar will continue to perform its magic in Caledon. Did you know that Leonardo Da Vinci used poplar wood for the Mona Lisa? It continues to perform its magic in the Louvre in Paris. Not many trees have such a distinguished ending even though they are all born equal. So next time you pass a fallen tree by the trail, give it a pat and say Carry on the good work - we have enjoyed your company. And then give it your best Mona Lisa smile! Greg with tree across Trail Bruce Trail Conservancy Mission Statement The Bruce Trail Conservancy is a charitable organization committed to establishing a conservation corridor containing a public footpath along the Niagara Escarpment, in order to protect its natural ecosystems and to promote environmentally responsible public access to this UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve Return undeliverable copies to: The Bruce Trail Conservancy P.O. Box 857, Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 Winter Spring