Caledon Comment. Vol 53, No 1 Spring -2017

Transcription

1 Caledon Comment Vol 53, No 1 Spring Did You Know? Between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016 the club s 31 Trail Captains performed 985 volunteer hours, work crews put in 729 hours and the four Quadrant Leaders performed 786 hours of volunteer work. This equates to more than 300 eight-hour work days spent keeping our 73km of main trail and 38km of side trails in shape. No doubt there were many, many more hours that slipped through the reporting cracks.

2 EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT Bob Ferguson VICE PRESIDENT Fred Somerville ext 110 SECRETARY Marg Bonk TREASURER Andree Zeritsch BTC CLUB DIRECTOR David Lamb HIKE COORDINATOR Marilyn Ross TRAIL COORDINATOR Joan Richard MEMBERSHIP Sally Ker LANDOWNER RELATIONS Carol Sheppard LAND STEWARDSHIP Hamish Duthie PUBLICITY Louise Carberry VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR Colleen Darrell SOCIAL CONVENER Jackie Clark FUNDRAISING DIRECTOR Janice McClelland PAST PRESIDENT Jean Kerins DIRECTORS AT LARGE Peter Leeney Diane McKenzie Marisa Jokelainen Follow us on Instagram & for the latest updates, news and photos from the trail. Cal E-News is our club newsletter that keeps members up to date on major club activities between editions of the Caledon Comment. Subscribe at: Visit our website, for lots more information about us, including the most up to date hike listings. WEBMASTER Heidi Bischof ARCHIVIST Helen Billing ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Louise Porter TUESDAY HIKE COORDINATOR Rob Martin Support Volunteers EDITOR, CAL E-NEWS Kristina Zeromskiene EDITOR, CALEDON COMMENT Jean Kerins INSTAGRAM COORDINATOR Christine Elliott TRAIL DEVELOPMENT Dave Moule (H) (C) DEADLINE FOR THE SUMMER EDITION: APRIL 5, 2017 Send copy by to: Opinions expressed in the Caledon Comment are not necessarily the views of the Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club unless stated as such. Advertisements do not necessarily imply endorsement by the Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club or The Bruce Trail Conservancy. Send address changes to: The Bruce Trail Conservancy PO Box 857 Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 2 SIZE Cedar Highlands Open House Spring 2013 ADVERTISING RATE 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 must be added Terms: Cheque with order Cheque should be made payable to: The Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club

3 New Look for Our Website by Heidi Bischof Have you noticed that our website has a new look? We gave it a makeover and relaunched it on October 31, 2016! It still has the familiar features you were accustomed to on the old site, plus a few new ones. We wanted you to know about the club s important roles in Land Stewardship and Trail Development & Maintenance, so we added pages for them. We wanted to share more information about hiking, so you ll see new pages on Student Hiking as well as on the Overnight Rest Area in the Caledon Hills section. And for added convenience, our hiking pages now also include printable versions of scheduled hikes. We wanted to make it easier for our volunteers to find resources, so we added a page for that, too. We also added one to tell you about the annual Volunteer Appreciation Picnic. But our most exciting change was the addition of a weekly blog! This feature helps us keep the website fresh by posting articles with our latest news, as well as articles on topics we think you ll find interesting. The blog has a subscription feature, which enables you to receive the latest news in your inbox as soon as it s posted. If you want to keep current about what s happening in the club, you can subscribe from any page on the website. If you like what you see on the new website and want to share it with your friends or family, you can do that now using the sharing buttons that appear at the bottom of all pages and posts. As you can see, we ve made lots of changes to the website, so if you haven t had a chance to check it out lately, we encourage you to take a look at: SpringView from Devil s Pulpit 3 3

4 4

5 Marilyn Ross and the Joys of Being a Director This past fall, Volunteer Coordinator Colleen Darrell in Cal E-News invited members to Be a Part of the Future. Join the Caledon Hills Board of Directors. Marilyn Ross is one of those members who in the past accepted such an offer, and she has made major contributions to the club and gained a great deal of satisfaction in that role. It was Janice McClelland, former CHBTC and BTC president, who first approached Marilyn to join the Caledon Hills Board. As Marilyn says, Janice was so good at highlighting your skills and indicating how beneficial they would be on the executive. Marilyn accepted and began as the Tuesday hike coordinator. When the hike coordinator role became available, she moved on to that position. Marilyn had become interested in the Niagara Escarpment because of an attraction to the natural world. She explains that she wanted to get out and enjoy the outside world and see trees, flowers and mushrooms. I find being outside with nature very relaxing and peaceful. She joined the Bruce Trail because it gave her a chance to join guided hikes in areas she did not know. Then, as she reports, since retirement, I have taken up hiking on a more regular basis. This has given me the opportunity to meet many new wonderful friends with similar interests and abilities. Marilyn soon became active with Caledon Hills: after retiring from work, she wanted an activity that was worthwhile and in an area of interest to me; assisting with the Bruce Trail seemed like a fun way to do this and in a social environment. I enjoyed the physical work and being outside meeting new people was great. The praise from her fellow volunteers is strongly voiced; Jean Kerins writes that Marilyn is one of my favourite volunteers. She is always willing to support new initiatives both in concept and in practice, offering her time and talents willingly. Joan Richard as Trail Coordinator also comments about Marilyn as one of those people who sees a problem or an opportunity for improvement, puts her head down and does something about it. She is a great person to have on your side in a project. Janice McClelland summarizes the person whom she encouraged to join the Board as hard working, reliable, extremely competent and friendly. Marilyn has contributed so much but she also has gained a lot of personal satisfaction: I have enjoyed meeting all the like-minded people, who hike or are involved with the Bruce Trail she says. There is a very active group of people out there doing very beneficial work for the trail. This is working towards providing a secure conservation corridor for the future for all to appreciate and enjoy. She looks ahead too and perhaps in ten years the Bruce Trail will be almost completely secured and we will have it on our Optimum Route. The Cal E-News article (referred to at the outset) asked readers: Are you looking to make a difference in our world? Do you have untapped talents looking for an outlet? Are there leadership skills lurking in your portfolio? If any of these questions strike a chord with you, consider becoming part of the Caledon Hills Board of Directors. 5

6 Call for Nominations By Colleen Darrell Nominations are now being accepted for the annual Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club awards which will be presented at the 11 th Annual Volunteer Appreciation Picnic in June. Please read the awards criteria below, and send your nominations to Colleen Darrell, Volunteer Co-ordinator, at or phone Colleen at Nominations will close on April 15, THE ISABEL EAST AWARD Must be a member of CHBTC. The successful candidate will have demonstrated the club s values of transparency, excellent communication and inclusiveness. The recipient of this award has clearly helped CHBTC members to enjoy club activities. The award may be given for an exemplary demonstration of enthusiasm in a particular project, office or year. It also may be awarded for continued demonstration of enthusiasm over a number of years and/or variety of activities. THE BARRY WESTHOUSE AWARD Must be a member of CHBTC. The successful candidate will have demonstrated active involvement in the physical work of trail maintenance and development. Must have a long-standing volunteer commitment to trail work. Best exemplifies an unsung volunteer commitment to the trail. THE ROSS MCLEAN AWARD Must be a member of CHBTC. The award may be given for an exemplary demonstration of dedication and commitment to the Club. The recipient of this award will have demonstrated a long-term commitment to the club, having served as a volunteer for a minimum of ten years in a variety of roles. THE JUNIOR APPRECIATION AWARD This award is given out to club members who are under the age of 18 that regularly volunteer their time and have demonstrated a willingness to help CHBTC members enjoy club activities. 6

7 Overnight Rest Areas on the Trail By Dave Moule When our founders started to build the Bruce Trail in 1962, they had in mind a trail that would be very much like the Appalachian Trail (AT) in the eastern USA. It is no accident that our blazes are identical to those of the AT. One of the components of their vision for the trail was a series of Overnight Rest Areas (ORAs) or campsites, similar to those found along the AT, where backpackers or through hikers could stop and spend a night. The AT of course, has developed an impressive nework of shelters or huts, some of which now require advance registration, and have staff dedicated to them. In the early days of the Bruce Trail, a few similar shelters were built: at High Dump in Peninsula, in the Pretty River valley of the Blue Mountains, in the Beaver Valley near Bill s Creek, and one in the Noisy River valley, called the Eden Shelter, and one near Blantyre, named Ambrose Camp. It was also possible at that time to camp in the back yard of the Horseshoe Inn (now called the Cataract Inn). Over the years, however, this part of the vision stalled, and rather than being expanded, the number of overnight rest areas began to shrink. Several of the shelters were badly damaged by vandalism, on a repeated basis, so that they became virtually unmaintainable. The culprits were not hikers of course, but local rowdies taking advantage of the hut to hold beer parties. Rather than being repaired, some of the shelters (Beaver, Pretty River) were simply demolished. There was also an opinion that developed (perhaps rightly, perhaps not) that the Bruce Trail was no longer a backpacking trail. After all, access points along the Bruce Trail are relatively closely spaced, and there are very few areas that could be truly described as remote. In spite of this, people have continued to backpack the Trail. At the remaining shelters, trail users write comments in the log book, profusely thanking the club that maintains the shelter, and expressing the wish that there were more campsites. If you follow the exploits of hikers on social media such as Facebook, you can t help but notice there are quite a few people backpacking the trail, and looking for places to camp. With a shortage of authorized overnight rest areas, many of these through hikers are camping wherever they please, in some cases probably on private land. It s obvious this could become a Landowner Relations problem. The Caledon Hills Club is doing something about this situation. This spring, the club established a new ORA just off the main trail in the Hockleycrest area, at approximate km It is located on land that belongs to Dave Moule and Sally Cohen, but is protected by a Bruce Trail conservation easement agreement. This site has no shelter; simply a flat, private place to put up a tent, and a rudimentary latrine (thunder box). To date, the experience has been excellent. There has been no litter, and no open fires have been lit. Campers writing in the log book have been most grateful, and wished there were more places like it. The Club is currently looking for more locations that would be suitable for use as Overnight Rest Areas. The guideline for location is that it should be not less than 10 km from another ORA, and that it should be at least 1 km from a road access point. Hopefully, we will be able to announce one or two more ORAs in the coming year. Old Bruce Trail Campsite Sketched by George Rickard 7

8 8

9 Changes Are Coming to the Hike Listings by Marilyn Ross In our Summer Caledon Comment you will see some changes to the information published about each hike. Full hike details will only appear on the web site and in the usual Tuesday hike for the Tuesday hikes. An abbreviated hike description will be published in the Caledon Comment. What you will see in future Caledon Comments will look like this: Example 1: Sat June 4: Caledon Section: Hockley Rd to Mono Rd, Map 18/ km shuttle hike, moderate terrain and medium pace. Or Example 2: Tues June 28: Toronto Section, Scotsdale Farm, Map 13, 8 km loop hike easy terrain and leisurely pace. There will be a preliminary paragraph of information in each Caledon Comment which will include standard statements like: All hikes will start at 9:30am unless stated otherwise No dogs on hikes unless stated otherwise A refreshment stop afterwards unless stated otherwise The Hike Rating Criteria will continue to be included regarding Pace and Terrain as well as standard information about what hikers are to bring/wear on a hike. In addition, for those members receiving the electronic version of the Caledon Comment, it will include a direct link to the website where you can read the full hike description. There is also a print option for our website hike listings. By making this change we will be reducing our printing and mailing costs which will enable us to put more funds towards trail maintenance and securing the trail. If you have any questions or comments regarding the changes, please contact Caledon s Hike Coordinator, Marilyn Ross at marilyn76@rogers.com 9 9

10 HIKING INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES Please arrive 15 to 20 minutes before departure time. Bruce Trail map and kilometre references are from the 28th 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. While there are a few portions of the Bruce Trail within conservation areas that are wheelchair accessible, use of the majority of the Trail is suitable for foot traffic only. To participate in an organized hike, you need to be able to complete the specified length of the hike on your own or with your own support person within the time allowed. Please refer to the hiking schedule for details. Hike ratings have been standardized across most of the Bruce Trail Clubs. Pace - Leisurely - 3km/hour or less Medium - 3 to 4 km/hour Brisk - 4 to 5 km/hour Fast - 5+ km/hour 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 Thank you for following the Trail Users Code all year. Please stay on the Trail. Spring Hikes 2017 Please check the website regularly for updates to the hiking schedule. Saturday March 18: Iroquoia Section, Crawford Lake, Map 11, This 12 km shuttle hike will take approximately 3.5 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. There is a dropout point after 7 km. No dogs please. There will be a refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 9:30 a.m. Calcium Pits on Twiss Rd. between Derry Rd. and Conservation Rd. GPS Coordinates: / Directions: 401, exit south on Guelph Line. Turn right (west) onto Conservation Rd. Turn left (south) onto Twiss Rd. Parking area on left side of road across from Calcium Pits. Hike Description: A loop/there and back hike from Calcium Pits on Twiss Rd., to Crawford Lake, around the lake and looping back using the Crawford Lake Side Trail and the main trail. We will break at Crawford Lake where light snacks can be purchased. Bring water and snacks. Hiking boots recommended, trails can be muddy in the spring. 10 Pre-register for the hike with the hike leader. Hike Leader: Doris Harper dorisharper@rogers.com Saturday April 8: Iroquoia Section, Crawford Lake & Rattlesnake Point, Map 11 This 15 km loop hike will take approximately 5 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. There is no dropout point. Depart: 9:00 a.m. Crawford Lake Conservation Area, outer parking lot. GPS Coordinates: N ', W ' Directions: Take Guelph Line to Conservation Road and park in the outer lot. Note: an admission fee will need to be paid in accordance with Conservation Halton policy. Hike Description: An opportunity for a warm up hike on well known trails to prepare for a new season of hiking. A double loop hike, we will be using the Leech Porter ST, the Canyon Bypass ST, and Crawford Lake ST, all linked together by the main trail. Dogs permitted, but must be leashed and (Continued on page 11)

11 Hiking Schedule (Continued from page 10) owners scoop the poop. Hiking boots required, bring a snack lunch and a minimum one litre of drinking water. Hike Leader: Bob Humphreys Weekdays between 7-10 pm. walk2tobermory@gmail.com Hike Description: Easy, flat rail trail. We will hike east 6 km to Humber Station Road then re-trace our steps the same way. Drop-out anytime. This is a joint hike with the Oak Ridges Hiking club. Hike Leader: Tessa Shelvey tjshelvey@yahoo.com Sunday April 9:Toronto Section, Introductory Hike, Silver Creek, Map 13, This 9 km loop hike will take approximately 3 hours and is at a leisurely pace over easy terrain. There is no dropout point. No dogs please. Depart: 9:30 a.m. Scotsdale Farm parking lot. Directions: Take Trafalgar Rd exit off Hwy 401 and travel north on Trafalgar Rd through Stewartown and continue to lights at merge with Hwy 7. Turn left at lights and continue traveling north for about 4 km where Hwy 7 carries on to left and Trafalgar Rd exits on right. Continue north on Trafalgar Rd and after about 2 km turn right into Scotsdale Farm. Drive east along the gravel road to the parking lot on the left in front of the farmhouse. The hike leader s car will have a Canadian flag attached to the window behind the driver s seat. We will leave all cars at the meeting place while we complete this loop hike. Hike Description: We will hike from Scotsdale Farm along the Bennett Heritage Trail to join the main trail just south of 27 Sideroad and then return to Scotsdale Farm via the Maureen Smith Side Trail. Hike Leader: Robert Gillespie robert_gillespie@bell.net Saturday April 22: Caledon Hills Section, Caledon Rail Trail, Map 16, This 12 km "there and back" hike will take approximately 3 hours and is at a medium pace over easy terrain. There is no dropout point. No dogs please. Depart: 10:00 a.m. Caledon Community Complex at 6125 Old Church Road in Caledon East. Directions: Heading north or south on Airport Road into Caledon East, turn east onto Old Church Road at the T-junction traffic lights in the centre of town. Go approx. 0.5km to the Caledon Community Complex. We will meet in the parking area. Sunday April 23: Iroquoia Section, Waterdown, Map 9, This 15 km shuttle hike will take approximately 4.5 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. There is no dropout point. No dogs please. There will be a refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 9:30 a.m. Cityview Park off Kern's Rd. NE of Waterdown. GPS Coordinates: / Directions: From 401, exit 6 South towards Hamilton. At the Traffic Lights at Clappison's corners, turn left (east) onto Highway 5 to Waterdown. Continue through Waterdown towards Burlington. Turn right onto Kern's Rd. Parking lot is first driveway on left. From Toronto - west on 403. Exit at Brant St./ County Road 18. Turn right (north) on Brant, turn left (west) on Dundas, turn left (south) on Kern's Rd. Hike Description: A shuttle hike from Rock Chapel nature sanctuary to Cityview/Kerncliff Park in Waterdown. We will meet in the parking lot in Cityview Park, shuttle to Rock Chapel then hike back through the Highway 6 tunnel. On the way we will pass Borer s Falls, enjoy views over Hamilton, hike beside Grindstone Creek and Great Falls. Bring water and snacks. Hiking boots recommended, trails can be muddy in Spring. Pre-register for the hike with the hike leader. Hike Leader: Doris Harper dorisharper@rogers.com Sunday, April 30: Caledon Hills Section, Hockley Valley, Map 18, This 12 km hike will take approximately 3.5 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate to strenuous terrain. An optional refreshment stop is planned for afterwards. Depart: 9:30 a.m. Parking lot on Mono 5 Sideroad on the north side of the road where the Bruce Trail crosses. GPS Coordinates: N ' W ' (Continued on page 12) Check the website for the most up-to-date hike listings. 11

12 Directions: From Airport Road turn east onto Mono 5 Sideroad. The Trail parking lot is just east of the Fung Loy Kok Institute of Taoism. Hike Description: The Caledon Hills will be alive with the sounds of nature's music and beauty as we traverse (sometimes trudge) along the Main Trail, Glacier Valley and Hockleycrest Side Trails. Bring your choice of hydration and snacks or lunch. Hiking boots are required. Hike leader: Sandy Green Text or sgreenhikes@gmail.com. Saturday May 6: Dufferin Hi-Land Section, Mono Cliffs & Splitrock ST, Map 19, This 16 km loop hike will take approximately 5 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. There is no dropout point. Depart: 9:00 a.m. Splitrock Narrows parking lot. GPS Coordinates: N ' W ' Directions: Take Highway #10 north from Orangeville to Side Road 25, turn right, follow to 2nd Line EHS, turn left, and drive 1.5 km north to the fenced parking lot on the right hand side of the road. Hike Description: An opportunity to hike the Splitrock ST, 2nd Line ST, Walter Tovell ST, and Lookout ST, all linked together by the Main Trail. Dogs welcome, but must be leashed and owners scoop the poop. Hiking boots are required. Bring a snack lunch, two litres of drinking water and sunscreen. Hike Leader: Bob Humphreys Weekdays between 7-10 pm. walk2tobermory@gmail.com Sunday May 7: Iroquoia Section, Kerncliff Park, Map 9, This 13 km "there and back" hike will take approximately 4.5 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. There is a dropout point after 5 km. No dogs please. There will be a refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 9:30 a.m. City View Park in Burlington, south-east corner of Dundas St and Kerns Rd. City View Park is about 3 km east of Waterdown. From Dundas St drive south on Kerns Rd 400 meters to the second (south) entrance to the Park. Turn left to parking. (Might be called "New City Park" in some maps). Near km 75.7 on Map 9. Directions: From Hwy 401 come south on Guelph Line to Dundas. Turn right and go 3 km to left turn at Kerns Rd. From QEW come north on Guelph Line to Dundas. Turn left, go 3 km to Kerns Rd. Hike Description: We will hike the Main Trail and side trails in the Kerncliff Park / Waterdown area. Hike Leader: Peter Leeney peter.leeney@utoronto.ca Thursday May 11: Caledon Hills Section, Spring Flower Photography Hike, Hockley Nature Reserve, Map 18, The pace will be leisurely, over easy terrain. This loop hike will be up to 5 km long and last approximately 3.5 hrs. No dropout point. No dogs please. Refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 9:30 a.m. from the 3 rd Line parking area about 1.2 km north of Hockley Road. Directions: Take Hwy 10 north of Orangeville to Hockley Road (Dufferin Road 7), turn right (east), then drive approx. 6.2 km to the 3 rd Line at Glen Cross then turn left to the parking area ( , ) (Continued on page 13) 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 12 Taylor-Made Bed & Breakfast Come and enjoy some of the best nature has to offer Doug and Diana would like to welcome you 31 Bryon St. Lion s Head, On taylormade@bb-bruce.com 12

13 Hiking Schedule (Continued from page 12) Hike Description: We will walk up to 5 km on the Glen Cross Side Trail, Main Trail and Isabel East Side Trail stopping frequently to identify and photograph spring flowers. Bring a macro lens if you have one. Please pre-register with the hike leader. Hike Leader: Hamish Duthie evenings before 9 p.m. hduthie2@amtelecom.net many of us and the opportunity to enjoy spring flowers including trilliums. A long hike, hiking boots required, bring at least two litres of drinking water, a snack lunch and sunscreen. Hike Leader: Bob Humphreys Weekdays between 7-10 pm. walk2tobermory@gmail.com Saturday May 20: Caledon Hills Section, Hockley Valley, Map 18, This 13 km loop hike will take approximately 4 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. There is no dropout point. Depart: 9:00 a.m. Parking location on 3rd Line EHS. GPS Coordinates: N ', W ' Directions: Take Highway 10 north from Orangeville, turn right on Hockley Rd (County Rd 7), follow to 3rd Line EHS and turn left. Roadside parking is 1 km north on right hand side. Hike Description: We will hike the Isabel East ST, Tom East ST, Cam Snell ST, and Glen Cross ST, linked together by the Main Trail. All old favourites, but note we are starting from a different location. Dogs are permitted, but must be leashed and owners scoop the poop. Hiking boots required, bring a snack lunch, two litres of drinking water, and sunscreen. Hike Leader: Bob Humphreys Weekdays between 7-10 pm. walk2tobermory@gmail.com Two New Hiking Badges Coming in 2017 Saturday May 27:Toronto Section, Hilton Falls & Speyside, Map 11 & 12, This 25 km loop hike will take approximately 7 hours and is at a medium pace over strenuous terrain. There is no dropout point. No dogs please. Depart: 9:00 a.m. Pear Tree parking lot, at km GPS Coordinates: N ', W ' Directions: Exit 401 at Milton, and take Highway 25 north to 15th Sideroad at Speyside. Turn left, and the parking lot is 300 metres along on the left hand side. Hike Description: A favourite BIG loop on a section of the Main Trail, plus the Hilton Falls ST and Al Shaw ST. We will enjoy great views familiar to The second in our series of Wildflower Badges will be ready very soon. So if you hike the entire Caledon Hills section this year you will be able to earn our new wildflower badge. Caledon will also be celebrating Canada s 150 th birthday this year along with the whole country. We will be offering a special 150th birthday hiking badge which you can earn by completing a series of special hikes. Full details will be available soon on our website, in cal e-news and on social media. Stay tuned! Did You Know? In the past three years, $ has been raised from our club badge sales, $5.00 at a time. Congratulations to everyone who has earned a Caledon Hills club badge. 13

14 Tuesday March 7: Toronto Section, Hilton Falls, Map 11, This 10 km loop hike will take approximately 3 hours and is at a medium pace over easy terrain. There is no dropout point. No dogs please. Depart: 10:00 a.m. Hilton Falls Conservation Area parking lot. Directions: Exit Hwy 401 at Hwy 25 (exit 320) and drive north 1.7 km to 5 Sideroad just past Tim's, then drive west for about 5 km. Look for Hilton Falls on the north side. Hike Description: Nice loop in the woods. We'll visit a pretty waterfall where chickadees are often feeding. Admission fee applies. Hike Leader: Tessa Shelvey tjshelvey@yahoo.com Tuesday March 14: Check website for updates SPRING TUESDAY HIKES OPEN Hike Leader: Doris Harper dorisharper@rogers.com Tuesday March 28: Toronto Section, Limehouse, Map 12, This 14 km shuttle hike will take approximately 4.5 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. There is a dropout point after 7 km. No dogs please. There will be a refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 9:30 a.m. Limehouse Ball Park. Directions: Fifth Line, between Sideroad 22 and Sideroad 17. Shuttle to Canada Goose parking lot. Dropouts can be arranged at 7 or 9 km. Hike Description: A varied hike using parts of the Black Creek, Canada Goose and the new Todd Bardes Meadowland Side Trails along with the Main Trail. Pub lunch in Georgetown. Hike Leader: Barbara Euler cell (day of hike) bjeuler@rogers.com Tuesday March 21: Niagara Section, Grimsby, Map 5, This 13 km shuttle hike will take approximately 4 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. There is no dropout point. No dogs please. There will be a refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 9:30 a.m. Beamers Falls overlook parking lot, 121 Ridge Rd. W. Grimsby. GPS Coordinates: / Directions: QEW south. Turn off at Exit 71 - Christie St./ Regional Road 12. Turn right onto Christie St., turn right onto Ridge Road west. The parking lot will be on the right. Hike Description: Scenic hike from Mountainview Conservation area to Beamers Falls. The hike will take us through forested areas across the top of the escarpment with scenic views over Grimsby and will end at Beamers Falls. It is a bit challenging at the beginning. Option for wine tasting after the hike. There are several wineries on Mountainview Road, after the hike if anyone is interested, we can visit one or two. * There is also a Pub in Grimsby called the Judge and Jester for refreshment after the hike. If anyone is interested in one of these options please let me know by Sunday afternoon so I can make reservations. Thank you. 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. 14 Tuesday April 4: Caledon Hills Section, Forks of the Credit, Map 15, This 10 km loop hike will take approximately 3 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. There is no dropout point. No dogs please. Depart: 10:00 a.m. Roadside parking at km 8.8 on the north side of Forks of the Credit Road at Dominion St. Directions: Head north on Hwy 10 to Forks of the Credit Rd. (just north of Olde Baseline Road) and then west to Dominion St. (about 1 km west of McLaren Rd). Hike Description: A nice loop hike in the park. Bring a snack or lunch for a break on the trail. Hike Leader: Tessa Shelvey tjshelvey@yahoo.com Tuesday April 11: Caledon Hills Section, Hockley Valley, Map 18, This 7 km loop hike will take approximately 3 hours and is at a leisurely pace over moderate terrain. There is no dropout point. There will be a refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 10:00 a.m. We will meet at the parking area on the 3rd line EHS, approximately 1 km north of

15 Hockley Road. Directions: the 3rd Line EHS runs north from Hockley Road, between Hwy 10 and Airport Road. Hike Description: We will hike a figure 8 loop starting at the Isabel East Side Trail, on the main trail to the Tom Snell Side Trail and returning on the Glen Cross Side Trail. Hike Leader: Louise Carberry before 10 p.m. louise.carberry@rogers.com Tuesday April 18: Blue Mountains Section, Black Bank/Devil's Glen, Map 21/22, This 13 km shuttle hike will take approximately 4 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. There is no dropout point. No dogs please. There will be a refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 9:30 a.m. by the cemetery on Mulmur- Nottawasaga Townline, east of Lavender Hill Rd. GPS Coordinates: / Directions: From Shelburne, at Highway #124 and #89, go north on 124 about 9.5 km, then turn right onto County Road 21 towards Honeywood. Turn left onto Centre Road, then right onto Mulmur- Nottawasaga Townline, through Lavender to the parking area by the cemetery. Hike Description: From km 0, the start of the Blue Mountain Section of the BTC at Lavender, we will shuttle to Sideroad 9/10 and hike back to Lavender. Bring water and snacks Hike Leader: Doris Harper dorisharper@rogers.com Tuesday April 25: Iroquoia Section, Rock Chapel to Arboretum, Map 8, This 13 km loop hike will take approximately 3.5 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. There is no dropout point. No dogs please. There will be a refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 9:30 a.m. Rock Chapel parking lot. A fee applies. Directions: From Hwy 6, go west on Hwy 5 (Dundas St.) to Rock Chapel Rd. Turn left and follow to the parking area on left. Hike Description: We'll pass Borer's Falls and then use the Main Trail and the Ray Lowes Side Trail into the RBG Arboretum, visiting the interpretive centre and walking along the shoreline of Coote's Paradise. Expect to see many signs of spring. Hike Leader: Barbara Euler cell (day of hike) bjeuler@rogers.com Tuesday May 2: Iroquoia Section, Kerncliff Park, Map 9, This 13 km "there and back" hike will take approximately 4.5 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. There is a dropout point after 5 km. No dogs please. There will be a refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 9:30 a.m. City View Park in Burlington, south-east corner of Dundas St. and Kerns Rd. City View Park is about 3 km east of Waterdown. From Dundas St. drive south on Kerns Rd. 400 meters to the second entrance to the Park. Turn left to parking. (Might be called "New City Park" in some maps). Near km 75.7 on Map 9. Directions: From Hwy 401 come south on Guelph Line to Dundas. Turn right and go 3 km to left turn at Kerns Rd. From QEW come north on Guelph Line to Dundas. Turn left, go 3 km to Kerns Rd. Hike Description: We will hike the Main Trail and side trails in the Kerncliff Park / Waterdown area. Hike Leader: Peter Leeney peter.leeney@utoronto.ca Tuesday May 9: Iroquoia Section, Crawford Lake and Forestry Tract, Map 11, This 12 km loop hike will take approximately 4 hours and is at a medium pace. Terrain is flat alternating with rocky; hiking boots are strongly recommended. Bring water and lunch/snack. No dropout point. No dogs please. There will be a refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 9:30 a.m. from the parking lot of Scout Camp Manitou, 7484 Twiss Road opposite BT km GPS: , Directions: From Hwy 401 exit at Guelph Line (#312), immediately turn right (west) on Reid Sideroad 1.3 km, left (south) on Twiss Rd. 5.0 km to Camp Manitou gate on right, 250 m to camp parking lot. From QEW/403, take Guelph Line north 14.8 km, turn left (west) on Derry Rd. (Halton Rd. 7) 1.5 Did You Know? In 2016 it cost the club $6,876 to produce and mail the Caledon Comment. Please consider going green. Just contact the editor to make the switch. 15

16 km, then right (north) on Twiss Rd. 2.0 km to Camp Manitou gate on left, 250 m to camp parking lot. Hike Description: We ll follow the main trail north through Crawford Forestry Tract, along the escarpment edge overlooking Nassagaweya Canyon to km 108.5, then south on the Crawford Lake Side Trail to the boardwalk for lunch. Finally, we will continue south to the cars. Hike Leader: Bill McDonald (cell ) rec@sweettalker.ca Tuesday May 16: Dufferin Hi-Land Section, Split Rock Narrows & Mono Cliffs, Map 19, This 14 km loop hike will take approximately 4 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. There is no dropout point. No dogs please. There will be a refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 9:30 a.m. Splitrock Narrows parking lot. Directions: From Hwy 10 between Orangeville and Primrose, go east on 25th Sideroad to 2nd Line EHS. Turn north and go approximately 2 km to the parking lot on the right. If you wish a shorter hike (10 km), meet us at the junction of 25th Sideroad and 2nd line EHS (at stile), roadside parking, at approximately 10 a.m. Hike Description: We'll explore side trails in the Splitrock Narrows property and in Mono Cliffs Provincial Park. There should be lots of spring wildflowers. Hike Leader: Barbara Euler cell (day of hike) bjeuler@rogers.com Beaver Valley on our way. * Please note the earlier meeting time of 9 a.m. Hike Leader: Doris Harper dorisharper@rogers.com Tuesday May 30: Dufferin Hi-Land Section, Boyne Valley, Map 20, This 14 km shuttle hike will take approximately 4.5 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. There is no dropout point. No dogs please. There will be a refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 9:30 a.m. BTC parking lot on 1st Line E. at the 29.4 km point of Dufferin Hi-Land section. Directions: North on highway 10, north of Orangeville to Primrose, continue north through Primrose, east on 5 Sideroad, north on 1st Line E., parking lot is on east side of 1st Line E. about 3 km. north of 5 Sideroad. Hike Description: Hike the main trail through Boyne Valley Provincial Park and along the Boyne River from 15.2 km. to 29.4 km. of the Dufferin Hi-Land section of the Bruce Trail. We will meet at BTC parking lot at 29.4 km point and shuttle to parking lot at 15.2 km point. Hike Leader: Ralph Shapiro (prefer text) shapirors@msn.com Tuesday May 23: Beaver Valley Section, Eugenia, Map 26, This 14 km shuttle hike will take approximately 4.5 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. There is no dropout point. No dogs please. There will be a refreshment/pub stop afterwards. Depart: 9:00 a.m. Johnston's Sideroad, km 70.1 map 26, where the main trail crosses the road. There is a small parking area on the north side of the road. GPS Coordinates: / Directions: From the corner of Highway 10 and 4 in Flesherton, go north on Highway 10 and turn right onto County Road 32. Turn right onto Johnston's Sideroad. Hike Description: Part of the Falling Waters hike in the Beaver Valley. We will shuttle to Eugenia Falls to begin the hike and hike back to Johnston's Sideroad, passing Hogg's Falls at the end of the Did You Know? Our section of the Bruce Trail depends on handshake agreements with twenty-eight private landowners. When public lands such as conservation areas or municipalities are included, the Caledon Hills section of the main Trail and side trails crosses a property line 87 times. 16

17 Spring 2017 Bed & Breakfast Hikes Monday, June 19: Beaver Valley Section, Kolopore Uplands and Duncan Crevice Caves, Map 25, This 10.5 km hike will take about 5 hours to allow for time to explore the caves and a lunch stop. The hike will be at a leisurely pace over moderate terrain. There is no drop-out and no dogs please. Depart: a.m. from km Please arrive at least 15 minutes before departure to sign the waiver sheet. Directions: From Shelburne, take Dufferin Road 124 North to Regional Road 4, approximately 30 km. Turn west (left) onto Grey Road 4 for approx. 10 km and then north (right) onto Grey Road 2. Continue north for 12 km. to Sideroad 9 and turn west (left). The road curves left (south) at the 10 th line. Continue on this road for approximately 1 km to the parking area at km 27.9 on the east side of the road. Please have a copy of Map 25 for reference. Hike Description: We will begin our hike exploring the Metcalfe Crevice Side Trail and then join the Chuck Grant Side Trail to connect at the main Trail at km to Pinnacle Rock and then loop back to our parking area. Tuesday June 20: Beaver Valley/ Blue Mountain Sections, Gertler Memorial Loree Forset, Map 24, This 9km hike will take approximately 3 hours and will be at a leisurely pace over easy terrain. No dropout and no dogs please. Depart: a.m. from the parking lot on 21 st Sideroad, east of the 6 th line. This leads to a dirt road which gives access to the forest. Directions: From Grey Road 2, go to Victoria Corners and turn right (east) onto the 21 st Sideroad. Continue for 5 km. to the parking area on the north side of the road. The parking area is located between km 4.2 and km 8.4. Hike Description: We will hike part of the Forest and along the top of Blue Mountains and return to the parking lot. Dinner arrangements for Monday evening in the Thornbury area are pending. Hike Leaders: Louise Carberry louise.carberry@rogers.com and Marilyn Ross marilyn76@rogers.com Please register with Louise Carberry no later than June 1 st. 17

18 Pack it in - Pack it out by Joan Richard One of the less than pleasant tasks for trail maintenance workers is picking up garbage. You d be surprised at what people drop, either intentionally or otherwise. If you have an empty plastic water bottle, carry it inside your pack. Its light weight seems to want to pop it out of exterior pouches. Empty snack bar wrappers also should go securely inside your pack. Carrying them in your pocket is asking that they fly out with whatever else you take out of your pocket. This includes the corner you ve ripped off. Orange peels, banana peels, even apple cores from some foreign country. Save till you reach a bin. And the biggest issue is tissue used for pit stops. Again, pack it in, pack it out. A ziplock or other plastic bag is sufficient to carry it out. Tissue does not decompose well, contains chemicals and is not attractive alongside the trail or in a parking lot. If you wouldn t leave it on your lawn, don t leave it beside the trail or throw it into the woods. Winter Pot Luck Social Enjoying Winter with Bruce Trail Friends by Joan Richard The forecast was grim, with snow and cold, but inside all was cozy and cheery. A brave group of intrepid hikers spent the morning in the woods, led by the ever faithful Albert McMaster. The hall in Caledon Village was decorated in festive red and green, as if we were waiting for Santa. An overabundance of eclectic items appeared as if by magic for the silent auction. Finding the perfect item at a remarkably low price, while saving it from the landfill and contributing to the Bruce Trail all in one. It really is magic. Christine Elliott who has been administering our club s Instagram account gave a short talk on Facebook and Instagram as the way of the future and how to use it to attract new members in the younger demographic. And then the best magic of all was the meal itself which somehow always satisfies with a wide variety of interesting dishes. Cleanup was pretty quick with a lot of willing hands. Everyone was trying to get home before the snow became too much. Thank you Jackie and Cec Clark who put in a great deal of effort, and thanks to all who came out and made the event a fun sociable day

19 Notice of Annual General Meeting and Potluck Sunday, April 9, 2017 Caledon Village Place Hurontario St/Hwy 10 in Caledon Village On the east side of Hwy 10 just south of #24 (Charleston Side Road) 10 am Hike Meet in the parking lot at Caledon Village Place at 9:45am Car-shuttle to start of hike. Beginners welcome, slow-medium pace. 1 pm - Refreshments & Social Hour at Caledon Village Place 2 pm Annual General Meeting Participate in elections to the board and in club decision-making. 3 pm Guest Speaker Peter Leeney Since 1933, the Skyline Hikers of the Canadian Rockies has offered a unique way to experience the back country of Canada s mountain parks.peter Leeney will put on a slide presentation and talk about his trip to the Rockies with the Skyline Hikers 3:30 pm - Potluck Dinner Bring your favourite dish with a list of the ingredients for those with food sensitivities. All Day - Silent Auction and BTC merchandise table Check your closets and bring your unwanted treasures to donate to the silent auction. Bring a non-perishable donation for the food bank. 19

20 2016 Property Acquisitions and Trail Upgrades in the Caledon Section By Phil Kidston In 2016 the BTC acquired 3 properties in the Caledon Hills section and the Club accomplished several noteworthy trail upgrades, 4 of which are featured here. Property Acquisitions: Immediately west of Airport Road at km 50 is the 1 acre parcel purchased. It is the open field right next to the road. To the west of it, and separated from it by a 66 foot road allowance, is the 6 acre Galbraith parcel, which includes the red pine plantation and a bit of ravine abutting Cedar Highlands. In 2016 the BTC acquired these properties, packaged them together and called them the Cedar Highlands Reach Nature Reserve. They total 7.1 acres and secure 250m of trail. The trail was already on these properties before they were bought, through handshake agreements. Dave Moule reports that the only piece remaining to secure the entire concession between Airport Road and Mono 5th Line is the 66 ft road allowance of the original 6th Line, which the BTC is currently negotiating. The third parcel acquired is just to the north of the junction of Hockley Heights Side Trail with the main trail at km It lies between the open portion of 3rd Line and the unopened road allowance which our trail used to follow. The BTC is calling this the Mono Kiln Edge Nature Reserve. It is 6 acres and secures 400m of trail. As the name suggests, this property contains remnants of an old lime kiln. The entire property is forested, with the flat upper area all hardwoods (maple, beech, ash, ironwood) and the slope having cedar and hemlock as well. Our trail previously followed the unopened road allowance of the 3rd Line (along the west edge of this property) which is relatively flat and does not provide much in the way of views. Trail Upgrades: After the above property was acquired, Dave Moule and Norm Randle flagged a potential new trail route along the crest of the escarpment, to enable hikers to see down the escarpment slope into the various crevices and among the big boulders, and also in winter to have a view over the lower land to the east. They had already fine tuned this route before the big ice storm on March 24, The Hockley Valley area, including the vicinity of this property, was severely damaged by the ice storm. There were big limbs and entire trees down everywhere. A number of work parties were required to clean up the mess see photo of one of them. Norm suggested that on this property we simply clear the new route rather than spend a lot of time and effort clearing the existing trail. This was done on April 14 th on a work party consisting of Ross McLean, Bill Nelson, David Lloyd, Fred Nix and of course Dave Moule. Following a handshake agreement, the 400 metres of trail on Finnerty Sideroad closest to Innis Lake Road (at approx. km 34) was moved to just inside the property on the south side of the road. Dave Sarginson recounts meeting with the landowner and learning that when her parents bought the 20+ acre property in 1947 there was not a tree in sight! In January 2016 Dave and long-time trail worker Jim Graham flagged the trail and chain sawed the big stuff. Dave Moule came in with his GPS shortly after and sent the data to BTC with his trail description in time for publication in the Spring 2016 Bruce Trail Magazine. Dave Sarginson organized a work party on April 29th to install the steps, bench, screw in the signs and pre-made blaze boards, lopping, etc., attended by John Maxwell, David Lloyd, Jim Graham, Jamie Matheson and long-time hike leader Ross Wood. They also cleaned up most of the loose garbage at this time. Another work party on June 14th finished the job, cutting grass, benching a little further and getting the discarded furniture onto Finnerty Sideroad for pick up by the municipality. Toward the southern end of the unopened road allowance of Chinguacousy Road (at about km 3), the main trail had several wet spots. In May, trail captain Alan Billing and quadrant leader David Lloyd planned the necessary reroutes. With the help of Dave Sarginson, John Maxwell, Jamie Matheson and Bernie Volkmann, over several days they rerouted about 500 m of trail to higher ground and built two small bridges (8 ft and 14 ft). Continued on Page 21 at bottom. 20

21 EARTH DAY EVENT Saturday, April 22 nd at 10:00 am Meet at the Gosling Nature Reserve parking lot on 5 Sideroad just east of Airport Road about 3 km north of Highway 9 (km 46.6 on map #18 in the BT Reference Guide Edition #28) We have a variety of Earth Day activities planned including: tree planting at the Gosling Nature Reserve and Matilda s Way installation of bluebird boxes environmental cleanup sign unveiling light refreshments and of course a walk in the woods Please come out and participate in our club s EARTH DAY activities. If you have your own work gloves and shovel it would be good if you could bring them. Continued from Page 20 - Hockley Heights Side Trail: Spring ice storm damage in the Anderson Tract (a forest on the south side of the 15 th Sideroad, west of 5 th Line EHS, owned by the Town of Mono), was so severe that in the summer the town hired loggers to clear-cut whole swaths of the damaged trees! Unfortunately one of these clear-cuts demolished about 100m of the trail, so in the fall Norm Randle and the writer rerouted it to avoid the clear-cut. This entailed flagging a new route, clearing it with chain saw, hand saw and loppers and installing new blazes. Alan Billing GPS d it and all that remains to be done in the spring is to smooth out the new treadway. 21

22 GREECE Teachers Travel Service Ltd 2017 ACTIVE HOLIDAYS WALKING WITH THE GODS One week of guided walking and sightseeing in the Peloponnese region. Optional 3 day cruise of the Greek islands. PORTUGAL CAMINO DE SANTIAGO Support bus, two guides, comfortable accommodation. FRANCE ITALY SPAIN BRITAIN PROVENCE & LANGUEDOC Vineyards, pretty villages, quiet country paths. Two levels of guided walking. Variety of restaurants. TUSCANY, SORRENTO, SICILY Two levels of guided walking and sightseeing. CAMINO DE SANTIAGO May and Sept -15 nights across Northern Spain - Support bus, two levels of guided walking, comfortable accommodation Choose from 18 locations - Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Yorkshire one week guided walking holidays with three levels of guided walks. WINTER AND BIKE & BARGE HOLLAND AND BELGIUM One week from Amsterdam to Bruges on board a river barge with guided cycling each day. Teachers Travel Service Ltd. 21 St Clair Ave East # 1003 Toronto, ON M4T 1L9 Phone info@teacherstravel.com TICO Did You Know? In this issue of the Caledon Comment, most of the pictures were provided by Christine Elliott or taken from the CHBTC archives. 22

23 Fundraising Event At Theatre Orangeville The Gentleman Clothier WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, pm This wonderful play, written by Canada s most popular playwright, Norm Foster, is about a Gentleman Clothier Norman Davenport feels he was born in the wrong century. As he opens a brand new clothing store, disappointed because he feels forced to cater to the latest fashion trends, he makes a wish that changes his life forever. Written by Norm Foster, Canada s most produced playwright, this tailor-made play will not only fit you like a glove, it will transport you to a magical bespoke world that will keep you in stitches. Join members of the Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club and their guests for the dress rehearsal of this play. Tickets: $35. Contact Theatre Orangeville at or to book. Please identify yourself as part of the group from the Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club. All funds raised support the Bruce Trail Conservancy s mission of securing the trail within a conservation corridor along the Niagara Escarpment. (Sorry, charitable donation income tax receipts are not available for this event.) Theatre Orangeville, located at 87 Broadway in Orangeville, is fully accessible and also has a hearing assistance program. Free parking is available in the vicinity of the Theatre. Dinner Option: If you are interested in enjoying dinner together, around 5:30 pm prior to the play, please contact Janice McClelland at janicedon86@gmail.com. 23

24 Save the Date Orangeville Theatre Night Wed. March 22nd. See Page 23 for details Annual General Meeting Sun. April 9th. See Page 19 for details. Award Nominations Close April 15th. See Page 6 for details. Earth Day Event Sat. April 22nd See Page 21 for details. Volunteer Appreciation Picnic Sun. June 4th Details to Follow Bed & Breakfast Hikes June 19 & 20 See Page 17 for details Christmas Tree Pruning June 22 & 24 Details to follow 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 Thank You for Receiving Your Caledon Comment Electronically.