Buckthorn Pulling Party

Transcription

1 Summer 2016 THE QUARTERLY OF THE TORONTO BRUCE TRAIL CLUB Vol. LIII No information@torontobrucetrailclub.org Buckthorn Pulling Party by Marlis Butcher for the Conservation Committee On April 9 eleven volunteers from the TBTC Conservation Committee and Crew eradicated over 100 buckthorn plants. Buckthorn is an invasive species in Southern Ontario. The small buckthorn fruits are eaten by birds that can t digest the seeds properly, and end up spreading the seeds throughout open fields. The plants also send up suckers (new saplings) where their stems are cut or broken by storms or animals passing by. As a result, this invasive species has crowded out native plants and created its own virtual forest on our Springle property. photos by Marlis Butcher Our team of conservationists spent a cool sunny day working with extractagators and shovels in the ankle deep mud, laughing, getting dirty, and getting the job done. We opened up a small clearing where native wildflowers and grasses can now grow, and allowing space for the development of a new sidetrail. A big thank-you to Lois Bastell, Vlad Bosnar, Rob Brown, Andree-Ann Cyr, Gord Fowler, Sandy Gillians, Janet and Sam McColeman, Lesley Saffrey, and Kevin Warburton. As there s still a lot of buckthorn for everyone interested in helping to bring this environment back to its native state, we are looking forward to the next Buckthorn Pulling Party! Conservation Committee: New Web Pages by Marlis Butcher A big THANK-YOU to Deb Brander and Magdalena Vander Kooy for making this happen! Deb and Magdalena, together with George Lennon of the Conservation Committee, worked tirelessly through many iterations to get the committee s first web pages up and running. Our wonderful new pages contain information about exciting upcoming events and how you can participate, as well as action photos of past events, and more. Check it out: Committee/010~Who_We_Are/ Watch for updates and new events to be posted soon!

2 Table of Contents Buckthorn Pulling Party Conservation Committee President s Pen Hiking Director s Notes Anatomy of a Hike General Information Activities Calendar Other Hikes Hike-A-Thon News P1 P1 P3 P3 P4 P5 P6 P22 P22 Log in to the Members section of the Club website using your BTC membership number and your own password Publication Deadlines ISSUE: ADVERTISING/EDITORIAL Fall 2016: June 17/June 24 Winter : Sept. 15/Sept. 24 Spring 2017: Dec.15/Dec.20 Summer 2017: March 11/March 18 Send advertisements to: information@torontobrucetrailclub.org Footnotes is published quarterly by the Toronto Bruce Trail Club PO Box Dundas Street West Toronto, Ontario M6P 4E7 information@torontobrucetrailclub.org ISSN A member of the Bruce Trail Conservancy Many thanks to all the volunteers who helped in the production of this issue. Send address changes to: The Bruce Trail Conservancy PO Box 857, Hamilton, ON L8N 3N For missing copies of Footnotes call , Monday to Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Opinions expressed in Footnotes are not necessarily the views of the TBTC unless stated as such. Advertising does not imply endorsement by the TBTC. Footnotes Resource Support (not members of the Board) Publication Editor: Sharon Magor Footnotes Editor: Brent Michaluk Proofreaders: Marilyn MacKellar Kathryn Emirzian Advertising & Mail Coordinator: Jude Keast Activities Editor: Victor Ramautar Webmaster: Stephen Kamnitzer e-notes Editor: Brent Michaluk Archivist: John Drew Information Line: Judy Leeney City of Toronto Liaison: John Hough Halton Hills Chapter: Janet Le Lievre The Toronto Bruce Trail Club is one of nine clubs making up the Bruce Trail Conservancy, which is dedicated to the conservation of the Niagara Escarpment. You are invited to visit the Toronto Club s website at Toronto Bruce Trail Club Board of Directors President: John Grandy johncgrandy@gmail.com Past President: Peter Leeney, peter.leeney@utoronto.ca BTC Director: Marlis Butcher, m.butcher@live.ca Hiking Director: Wayne Crockett, wayne.crockett@gmail.com Secretary: Robert Gillespie Treasurer : Malcolm Sanderson, malcolm.sanderson@sympatico.ca Public Relations & Education: Magdalena Van Der Kooy Mvkooy@gmail.com Trail Maintenance: David Paape, dpaape@sympatico.ca Land Owner Relations Paul Vanhanen, pvanhanen@sympatico.ca Land Stewardship: Vladimir Bosnar, bosnar@sympatico.ca Fundraising: vacant Land Management Committee Chair; Land Securement Secretariat BTC Representative: David Tyson, tyson.consult@sympatico.ca Volunteer Co-ordinator: Kevin B. Warburton, kbw4343@gmail.com Membership: Sima Patel, essvpatel@gmail.com Director of Communications: Sharon Magor Directors at Large: Olena Stevenson Graham Allen 2 Summer 2016 Club Info Line:

3 President s Pen by John Grandy Spring is here at last, and just as we can see the energy going into the newly growing plants, so we can see many signs of energetic activity in our Club. Several new members have volunteered to join our Board of Directors, and have hit the ground running in taking over important areas of responsibility. My thanks to them (by the time this is published, you will have met them at our Annual General Meeting), as well as to our other longstanding Board members who have agreed to renew their terms. Our new website is a great way to communicate with our members, and our volunteers are also working hard to improve the reach and content of our E-Notes, Facebook, and Twitter message contact. My special thanks are due to Stephen Kamnitzer and Deborah Brander, who have led our website development to date, to Sharon Magor, who has taken on the responsibility for Publications and social media, and to Brent Michaluk, who has handled editing of Footnotes and E-Notes. For yet another year, seven of our members have stepped forward to participate in our Hike Leader Training program, ensuring that our Club will continue to be able to offer more than 400 hikes at all levels of difficulty, in many different environments, led by highly professional volunteers. My sincere thanks are due to the members of our Hike Leader Training Committee, under the leadership of Hiking Director Wayne Crockett. New hikers have also had a training opportunity our annual Hiker Initiation Program, led for yet another year by Sarah Hopton. Our Stewardship Committee has been remarkably active in developing plans to remediate and improve the lands which the Bruce Trail Conservancy manages in Toronto section. There are many opportunities to join this group for invasive species removal, tree plantings, habitat improvement for birds, bees and butterflies, and other worthwhile activities. Marlis Butcher, Kevin Warburton and Vladimir Bosnar have been leading the charge for this group of volunteers. Our Trail Captains continue with their largely unnoticed work keeping our trails clear and safe. Thanks are due to Peter Leeney, Rose-Mary Mitter, Paul Vanhanen and all their colleagues. The future growth of our Club is very much on the radar for our Committee 4000, originated by board member Dave Tyson, and now led by Magdalena Vanderkooy. This committee is developing strategies to grow our membership by nearly 50% over the next few years. So there is a huge amount of worthwhile activity taking place at your Club. I am sure you can find some areas which will be of interest to you. Please put your hand up and fill in the volunteer submission on our website! I guarantee that you will find healthy outdoor activity, comradeship and fun as you get more involved with our Club. information@torontobrucetrailclub.org Hiking Director s Notes by Wayne Crockett Hard to believe with snow on the ground (in April) that the summer season is coming up fast. But the warm and humid weather is approaching so take it into account when you are hiking on your own or with the Club and keep hydrated. The hiking program is moving forward through a couple of initiatives that we hope will benefit members and increase the profile of our outings. By the time this issue of Footnotes comes out you should notice that there are more opportunities for ride sharing on our car hikes. Take advantage of the expanded carpooling function on the website to find out who is offering rides on specific trips. Of course it will only work if people are willing to participate and follow through. If you offer to drive or meet with a driver and don't show up the idea will fizzle. A second initiative is to expand our presence in social media by making use of the Meetup system. The Board of Directors has approved a pilot initiative whereby hike leaders have the option of placing their events on a TBTC Meetup page. For the time being this will only involve urban and car hikes. All TBTC outings will continue to be featured on our own website. We hope to reach a larger group of interested walkers and that elusive younger demographic needed to keep the Club growing. Meeting the demand for urban hikes continues to be a challenge. The number offered is less than I would like but I continue to work with the hike leaders to expand urban hikes in the City of Toronto and the surrounding municipalities. Please do not hesitate to contact me at tbtchikedirector@gmail.com if you have any complaints, compliments or suggestions regarding the hiking program. As always have an enjoyable and safe hiking season. Summer

4 Anatomy of a Hike: Among the Zapatecas in Mexico s Sierra Norte Mountains by Nicola Ross A hike is a hike is a hike. Right? Of course not. Anyone reading this publication will know there are as many types of hikes as there are models of hiking boots. There are day hikes and overnight hikes and long distance hikes. There are mountain hikes and valley hikes, intertidal hikes and smell-the-roses hikes. There are pilgrimages, rambles, tramps, treks, strolls; and the occasional slog. I like just about any hike, but my favourite is usually the one that I am currently hiking. And so it was in mid-february, when my partner Alex and I set out for a seven-day, village-to-village caminata among the indigenous Zapatecas in the Sierra Norte mountains in southern Mexico. Hiking in Mexico, you say? Yup, you heard right. We hiked in Mexico and we weren t robbed by bandits, stung by scorpions or kidnapped by drug lords. Just the opposite. Starting at over 3,100 metres (about 11,000 feet) in the village of Llano Plano, the route eventually took us down to about 2,000 metres in San Miguel de Amatlán. Along the way, we spent nights in Cuajimoloyas, Benito Juarez, La Neveria and Latuvi. The general direction may have been downhill, but don t be fooled. The route was up and down, providing us with spectacular vistas of layered green mountains, strolls alongside working farms; and walks near clear streams where the dappled sun illuminated the rainbow hue of the resident trout. At times, the scent of pine resin made us wonder if we were back in Canada. In all, we covered 73.7 kilometres for an average of 10.5 kilometres per day. No distance by Bruce Trail standards, but the Sierra Norte isn t the Niagara Escarpment. In total, we climbed 4,215 metres and descended 5,175. Put it this way, when we arrived at our destination each afternoon, we were ready to unlace our boots and shed our packs. At night, clean, well-appointed cabins with crisp white sheets and a hot shower awaited, as did hearty Mexican meals made with local produce. The cooks joked as they turned out a seemingly endless supply of steaming homemade corn tortillas and large pitchers of fresh natural juice my favourite was cucumber and guava. In La Neveria, Josephina concocted a watercress frittata that would have passed muster at the best Canadian restaurant. At higher altitudes, the cabins had wood-burning fireplaces that removed the chill as we tucked thick wool blankets under our chins. photo by Nicola Ross Continued on page Summer 2016 Club Info Line:

5 Comfortable Hiking Holidays (416) OPEN HOUSE NEW TRIPS! We re cooking up something new and we can t wait to tell you all about it! Sunday, September 11 th at 3:30 pm Crescent School Auditorium 2365 Bayview Ave, Toronto (1 light north of Lawrence Ave. E on the east side of Bayview) FREE PARKING! Corfu Patagonia Amalfi Coast Ireland Iceland Machu Picchu Kenya Turkey Japan Camino de Santiago IRELAND June 7 to 17, 2016 With more shades of green than you can imagine, the Emerald Isle lives up to its deserving reputation. From historical Dublin to picturesque Killarney & parts in between, we will take you hiking through some of the most sought-after scenery the country has to offer - and we'll even make a few pub stops along the way! SLOVENIJA Only 3 spots left! July 15 to 25, 2016 Slovenija, where the Alps meet the Mediterranean, is a country of amazingly unspoiled beauty. Our program includes hikes behind the thundering Slap Pericnik waterfall, through Vintgar Gorge gushing with white water, on the slopes of Mt. Triglav, & around the glacier-fed Lake Bohinj. Home base for the holiday will be the fairy-tale setting of Bled. TURKEY October 15 to 26, 2016 Hike in Cappadocia with its secret frescoed churches, underground cities and volcanic tuff sculpted into fairy chimneys. Visit ancient ruins, shop the bazaars of Istanbul and take a history lesson through time. Steeped in tradition and a masterpiece of nature, Turkey will impress you. TICO # General Information Bus Hikes Hikers are discouraged from meeting bus hikes at the Trail in their own vehicles, unless the hike description includes this option. Meeting Place: For maps, see under General Information on Bus hikes. York Mills subway station: buses park on Old York Mills Road near the south exit of the station (not the exit for TTC buses) Islington subway station: buses wait at the Beer Store on Bloor Street, two short blocks west of the subway station and opposite the TTC parking lot Clarence Square: located south of King Street, north of Front Street, at 49 Spadina Avenue on the east side (south of the gas station). Buses wait at the west side of the Square. Return: usual return time is 6 pm; late returns are noted in the listing Seating: based on a first-come, first-seated basis guests are welcome but they must pre-register check the listings for exceptions leaders may give priority to defined groups some outings involve extra costs; some require advance registration Bus Fare (includes $1 donation to the Escarpment Legacy Fund): $17 members, $23 non-members; $5 children under 12 Long distance fares (over 140 km one-way) $22 for members and $28 for non-members Car Hikes meet at the point stipulated in Footnotes and travel by car shuttle to the starting point; contact Hike Leader if you have questions Car-Pool Hikes meet at the point listed in Footnotes and ride or drive to the starting point as a group; save fuel and reduce pollution passengers are expected to contribute to the driver s costs (the suggested amount is $10, which should be offered the driver should not have to request it) Map References the 28th edition of the Bruce Trail Reference is used Things to Remember Changes are also posted in the Members section of the website ( org). Members log in using their BTC membership number and their own passwords. all Club events are non-smoking carry your BTC membership card at all times bring a lunch, 2 litres of water, suncreen and insect repellent arrive at least 30 minutes before the departure time for any hike dogs are not permitted on bus hikes with the exception of registered guide dogs. Dogs may only be taken on urban and car hikes if published in advance by hike leaders. Pre-registration ( Online, or Phone ) You must pre-register even though the meeting time and place may be listed.please register using the listed method before the deadline. information@torontobrucetrailclub.org Summer

6 Summer 2016 Notice to Participants All Hike Leaders are volunteers. You are welcome to take part in their activities, but you do so at your own risk. Only written complaints against a Hike Leader or end person will be considered. Complaints (or commendations) may be addressed to the Hiking Director, Toronto Bruce Trail Club, PO Box 597, 2938 Dundas St. W., Toronto, ON M6P 4E7. The focus of the complaints policy is on improvement rather than discipline. Please note that the maps and kilometre references in this listing are from the 28th Edition of the Bruce Trail Reference. Thursday, June 2 -- Toronto, Toronto Islands Level I/II Urban walk Duration of Hike: 3.0 hrs, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Mostly flat, drop outs, beginners. Dropout, Beginners, Families, No dogs. Depart 6 pm, At the Ferry Docks near the gate to Wards island. From Union station take the LRT (street car) to the stop docks. Then walk southbound over to the ferry on the south side of Queens Quay at the foot of Bay st. Or take bus number 6 to the ferry docks stop and walk south bound to the ferry. Miriam Stevens, (416) pm FOR MEMBERS ONLY with valid membership card. Rain or shine. After a days work come and cool off on the Islands where there are no fumes. Enjoy the view of the city skyline. Bring dinner for a sit down picnic. A warm jacket and a flashlight.you can not buy food on the Islands. Ferry cost return approx. $8 for adults and less for seniors. No reservation required. Just show up on the day of the hike. This hike is repeated each Thursday in May and June Friday, June 3 -- Blue Mountains, Pretty River (Map 23) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 18 km, Terrain: Hilly, with some rocky sections. No dropout, Refreshments after, Depart 9:30 am, Sideroad 33/34 (near km 45.4, map 23) [GPS coordinates: N W ]. From Hwy 89, drive north on Airport Rd to Stayner, then 8.2 km west on County Rd 91 to Duntroon, then 5.5 km north on County Rd 124 to Sideroad 33/34 (Collingwood Airport Rd is on your right). Drive approx. 5.7 km west on Sideroad 33/34 (past 10th Conc. and Blue Mountains-Clearview Townline) to the parking area on your left. Charlie Atkinson, (905) or (day of hike) mobile (416) or CAhikes@ bell.net A combination of parts of the Bruce Trail with the maze of unmarked trails in the Pretty River Provincial Park; with most of it being on the latter. Saturday, June 4 -- Blue Mountains, Devil s Glen (Map 22) Level II Bus hike Length of Hike: 15 km, Pace: 3 km/hr,y Terrain: Hilly, Variable. Dropout, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Pub stop after, Long distance bus fare applies, Depart 8 am, York Mills. Alex Brown, (905) or thumperhead@sympatico.ca Larry Haigh, (416) before 8 pm We will hike through the Devil s Glen area. Some serious hills to challenge us. Refreshments in Creemore after the hike. Saturday, June 4 -- Caledon Hills, Forks of the Credit, Descending Devil s Pulpit (Maps 14/15) Level II Bus hike Length of Hike: 17 km, Pace: 3.5 km/ hr, Terrain: Hilly, Rocky. Dropout at 9 km, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Pre-registration Online using Website. Depart 9 am, Islington. WayneCrockett, waynehikes@gmail.com Join me for a more challenging walk: The Main Trail down Devil s Pulpit and along The Ring Kiln Side Trail and then along the Credit River. Always great photographic opportunities on this walk. After the hike we will visit the Spirit Tree Cidery. Saturday, June 4 -- Caledon Hills, Hockley Valley (Maps 18/19) Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 11 km, Terrain: Hilly. No dropout, End to End #1 of 7, Beginners, Families, No dogs. Depart 9:30 am, Hockley Valley Provincial Nature Reserve parking lot. Hockley Rd runs between Hwy 10 and Airport Rd, north of Hwy 9. The parking lot is located between 2nd and 3rd Lines EHS, on the north side of Hockley Rd, across from the Black Birch Restaurant. Join us for a series of seven moderately paced hikes over hilly terrain to earn Caledon s End to End badge. Come for one or some or all of the hikes. No pre-registration required. This hike goes from Hockley Rd to Caledon s border with Dufferin, km 61.6 to Distance includes side trail access. Saturday, June 4 -- Beaver Valley, Blantyre (Maps 28/29) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 21 km, Terrain: Hilly. No dropout, End to End #1 6 Summer 2016 Club Info Line:

7 of 6, Hiking boots, be prepared for ice and/ or mud. Depart 9 am, km 92.5 parking lot of John Muir Lookout, Epping, on 7 (Eric Winkler Parkway) north of Sideroad 19. Brenda D, or brenda_ dalglish@ Jim Vanderlip, (416) pm We will car shuttle to the end of the Beaver Valley section (km 113.8) and hike back south. Saturday, June 4 -- Beaver Valley, Eugenia Falls (Map 26) Level III Car hike Length of Hike: 20 km, Terrain: Hilly, Variable. No dropout, Hiking boots, No dogs, Trekking poles highly recommended, Depart 9 am, Eugenia Falls Conservation Area parking lot, km Go north on Hwy 10 to Flesherton. Turn right at County Rd 4 and then left at County Rd 13 to town of Eugenia. Turn left at Pellisier St to Eugenia Falls Conservation Area parking lot. Luisa Lee, (647) before 9 pm or luisa.brucetrail@gmail.com Smiti Gupta A 20-km lollipop hike with lots of ups and downs. We will be crossing over the Beaver Valley twice via the Valley Crossover Side Trail and the Campbell s/graham s Hill Side Trail. Saturday, June 4 -- Iroquoia, Waterdown (Map 9) Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 10 km, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Hilly, bring water and bug spray. No dropout, Beginners, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Pub stop after. Depart 9 am, Tim Horton s, Waterdown. In the open mall at the junction of Hwy 5 and Hamilton St. Vladimir Bosnar, (905) pm Join the walking wounded for a shorter, gently paced, hike through spectacular scenery. Sunday, June 5 -- Toronto, Cedarvale Ravine Plant ID Hike Level I Urban walk Length of Hike: 3 km, Pace: 1 km/hr, Terrain: Mostly flat. Dropout, Beginners, Families, No dogs. Depart 10 am, St. Clair West Station, Heath St. exit. Marilyn MacKellar, pm Glynn Richardson, (905) pm This hike will follow the Cedarvale Ravine north from St. Clair Ave. It will be very slow. It will focus on plants in the area and some of the historical background, since the Eglinton Crosstown has an older history in Cedarvale (and so do the Spadina Line and the Allen Expressway). We will stop and go for the length of the hike, so be prepared for a slow progress. The distance we travel will depend on what we see. Bring lunch and water. Sunday, June 5 -- Toronto, Waterfront and High Park Level III Urban walk Length of Hike: 10 km, Pace: 6+ km/hr, Terrain: Hilly, Challenging. Dropout at Numerous dropout. Depart 9 am, White Squirrel Cafe, 907 Queen St W. We ll meet at 9am at the White Squirrel Cafe at Queen and Strachan and will go from there. Ipana Chambers, (647) Come out on Sunday morning, breathe in some fresh air and enjoy a very brisk walk along the lake and through High Park. This walk is designed to get the blood pumping. We ll be doing 6km per hour, so is best suited for those who enjoy a fast pace and a challenge! We will finish at High Park TTC station. The route will be mainly paved and flat, though we will go off path and up some steep hills in High Park. Sunday, June 5 -- Beaver Valley, Epping (Maps 26/27) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 18 km, Terrain: Hilly, Challenging. No dropout, End to End #2 of 6, Hiking boots, be prepared for ice and/or snow. Depart 8:30 am, same as Saturday s hike km 92.5 parking lot of John Muir Lookout, Epping, on 7 (Eric Winkler Parkway) north of Sideroad 19. Brenda D, or brenda_ dalglish@ Jim Vanderlip, (416) pm We will car shuttle to km 74.8 and hike north through Wodehouse Karst and other areas. Thursday, June 9 -- Toronto, Toronto Islands Level I/II Urban walk Duration of Hike: 3.0 hrs, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Mostly flat, drop outs, beginners. Dropout, Beginners, Families, No dogs. Depart 6 pm, At the Ferry Docks near the gate to Wards island. From Union station take the LRT (street car) to the stop docks.then walk southbound over to the ferry on the south side of Queens Quay at the foot of Bay stt. Or take bus number 6 to the ferry docks stop and walk south bound Hike Difficulty Levels Our level of difficulty ratings follow these general guidelines: Level Average Pace Distance Terrain I 3 km/hr 10 km Easily managed II 4 km/hr 15 km Variable III 5 km/hr 20 km May be difficult These are general guidelines. In rating their hikes, hike leaders use a two out of three rule. For example, a Level II hike could correspond to the table above for average pace and terrain but be considerably longer or shorter than indicated there. Be sure you look at both the rating and the description to decide whether the hike suits your abilities and preferences. Hike only along marked routes. Do not take short cuts. Do not climb fences - use the stiles. Respect the privacy of people living along the Trail. Leave the Trail cleaner than you found it. Carry out all litter. No open fires are allowed on the Trail. Use a portable stove. Trail Users Code Camp at designated camp sites. Leave flowers and plants for others to enjoy. Do not damage live trees or strip off bark. Keep dogs on a leash and under control at all times. Do not disturb wildlife. Leave only your thanks and take nothing but photographs. Obey all signs. information@torontobrucetrailclub.org Summer

8 to the ferry. Miriam Stevens, (416) pm FOR MEMBERS ONLY with valid membership card rain or shine after a days work come and cool off on the Islands where there are no fumes. Enjoy the view of the city skyline. Bring dinner for a sit down picnic. A warm jacket and a flashlight. You can not buy food on the Islands. Ferry cost return approx. $8 for adults and less for seniors. No reservation required. Just show up on the day of the hike.this hike is repeated each Thursday in May and June Saturday, June Beltline Trail, Mount Pleasant Cemetery and the Vale of Avoca to the Brickworks. Level I Urban walk Duration of Hike: 4.5 hrs, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Mostly flat. Dropout at 5 km, Beginners, Families, No dogs, Refreshments after, Depart 9 am, Eglinton West Subway main entrance. Wayne Crockett, waynehikes@gmail.com Join me for a stroll along the central part of the Beltline Trail into Mount Pleasant Cemetery and and through the Vale of Avoca. Caledon s New Guidebook 37 Loops Buy your copy at NicolaRoss.ca Saturday, June Niagara, Ball s Falls (Map 4) Level I/II Bus hike Length of Hike: 10 km, Terrain: Rocky, Hilly, Stairs. Dropout at several location, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Depart 9 am, Islington. Barbara Euler, (416) before 10 pm or bjeuler@rogers.com Geri Poulouski, giftingconcerns@rogers.com A leisurely hike on the Main Trail, Jordan Side Trail and local trails with plenty of time to explore the historical village, the Centre for Conservation, the Upper and Lower Falls as well as Jordan Village. We may stop for strawberries on the way home. Saturday, June SEATON HIKING TRAIL, PICKERING Level II Bus hike Length of Hike: 14 km, Terrain: Hilly, Challenging. Dropout, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Pub stop after, No Dogs, Depart 9 am, York Mills. Fred Berktin, or fberktin@ rogers.com Victor Ramautar, Before 9 pm or mychamprian@gmail.com Established in 1970, and brought back to life only a few years ago, Short drive from the City, in Pickering, let me introduce you to this gem if you have not been on this hike with me before.. It is the perfect time of the year to hike this well maintained and blazed trail where I work as a trail maintenance volunteer. We will hike from south to north, although the trail s tendency is uphill the challenging hills are in the beginning. I will slow down on the hills and allow fast hikers to pass and wait for the slower hikers at the top. The trail visits two spectacular lookout points on top of a glacial till, where you can see how the West Duffins Creek has carved the glacial till for over ten thousand years. Trail follows this creek which is in the Duffins and Caruthers Creek watershed and it is one of the most widely studied riparian habitat watersheds in Ontario if not Canada. This is a Level II/III terrain but we will hike at a slower pace. Refreshments will be at an outdoor complex where there is a very hiker friendly British sports bar, Swiss Chalet and Tim Hortons. Saturday, June Niagara Glen, Ontario and Cave of the Winds on Goat Island in New York State Level II Bus hike Length of Hike: 15 km, Terrain: Variable. Dropout, Hiking boots, Late return (after 6pm), Long distance bus fare applies, Depart 7:30 am, York Mills. Lucy Leung, (647) or hikeontario@ gmail.com Luisa Lee Enjoy the day exploring the Niagara River gorge and getting a glimpse of the majestic beauty of the falls within the Niagara Falls State Park in the United States. Our hike begins at Niagara Glen on the Canadian side, an enchanting nature reserve deep in the Great Gorge with its tangle of giant boulders. We meander along the river edge and reach the Niagara Whirlpool, a mesmerizing natural phenomenon formed at the end of the rapids. Walking across the Rainbow Bridge to the oldest state park in the United States, we explore the uninhabited Goat Island surrounded by fast running shallow waters and offering a magnanimous view of the falls. From atop the Niagara Falls Observation Tower, we look directly out into the cascading waters of the American Falls and peer into the raging torrents below. Discover the thrill of walking right up to the base of Niagara Falls in the Cave of the Winds tour. Clad in a souvenir rain poncho and sandals, we follow wooden walkways to the Hurricane Deck, a mere 6 metres (20 feet) from the billowing torrents of Bridal Veil Falls and face tropical storm-like conditions. This is a truly amazing experience. Those who have already experienced the exhilarating Cave of the Winds tour in previous outings would have the opportunity to visit Terrapin Point overlooking the Canadian Falls and Three Sisters Islands which offers a great view of the Upper Rapids. You must BRING A VALID PASSPORT for border crossing. The toll to 8 Summer 2016 Club Info Line:

9 cross the Rainbow Bridge is 50 cents (two quarters exact change). Admission to the Cave of the Winds is US$14; and the Niagara Falls Observation Tower is US$1. Saturday, June Beaver Valley, Hogg s Falls (Map 26) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 19 km, Terrain: Hilly, Challenging. No dropout, End to End #3 of 6, Hiking boots, poles recommended, bring lots of water. Depart 9 am, km 56 parking lot of Eugenia Falls C.A. go to Flesherton on Highway 10 and then to Eugenia on Country Rd 13. Brenda D, or brenda_ dalglish@ We will car shuttle to km 74.8 and hike back around the Hoggs Falls loop to Eugenia. Very scenic. Sunday, June Niagara Glen Level I/II Car hike Duration of Hike: 4.0 hrs, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Rocky, Variable. Dropout, Beginners, No dogs. Depart 10 am, Niagara Glen Nature Centre/ Pavillion Parking Lot Niagara Parkway, half way between Whirlpool Golf Course and Botanical gardens N /W Gregory & Jeanette Vincent, vincent.greg@ gmail.com Jeanette Vincent Talk about geology, history, plants, trees gigantic rocks! This hike has them all. The Niagara Glen is located in perhaps the best example of Carolinian Canada beside a raging river, amazing rock formations and a world famous whirlpool. Trekking poles and hiking boots recommended. There may be an entrance and parking fee. You will need a car to access this hike, there is no public transport. More information hikevincent. wordpress.com. Sunday, June Beaver Valley, Old Baldy (Maps 25/26) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 18 km, Terrain: Hilly, Challenging. No dropout, End to End #4 of 6, Hiking boots, poles recommended, bring lots of water. Depart 8:30 am, same as Saturday s hike km 56 parking lot of Eugenia Falls C.A. go to Flesherton on Highway 10 and then to Eugenia on Country Rd 13. Brenda D, or brenda_ dalglish@ We will shuttle to km 37.6 and hike back to Eugenia past Old Baldy. Some road work. Thursday, June Toronto, Toronto Islands Level I/II Urban walk Duration of Hike: 3.0 hrs, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Mostly flat, drop outs, beginners. Dropout, Beginners, Families, No dogs. Depart 6 pm, At the Ferry Docks near the gate to Wards island. From Union station take the LRT (street car) to the stop docks. Then walk southbound over to the ferry on the south side of Queens Quay at the foot of Bay st. Or take bus number 6 to the ferry docks stop and walk south bound to the ferry. Miriam Stevens, (416) pm FOR MEMBERS ONLY with valid membership card rain or shine after a days work come and cool off on the Islands where there are no fumes. Enjoy the view of the city skyline. Bring dinner for a sit down picnic. A warm jacket and a flashlight. You can not buy food on the Islands. Ferry cost return approx. $8 for adults and less for seniors. No reservation required. Just show up on the day of the hike.this hike is repeated each Thursday in May and June Friday, June Beaver Valley/Blue Mountains: Ravenna, Scenic Caves (Map 24) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 18 km, Terrain: Variable, with rocky and hilly sections. No dropout, Refreshments after, Pre-registration by to Leader. Depart 9:30 am, Blue Mountain Resort parking lot on Scenic Caves Rd (km 63.8, map 24) [GPS coordinates: N W ]. From Hwy 89, drive 30.5 km north on Hwy 124 to the Singhampton stop sign, continue straight (on the Osprey-Clearview townline) for another 5 km, then turn left on 12th Line (County Rd 31). Take the second right, Road 57D, then at the T-junction, turn right on the Osprey-Blue Mountains townline, then at the 4th Line, drive 9.3 km north (to Banks), then 3.3 km east on 15th Sideroad/Scenic Caves Rd, then turn left into the parking lot. Charlie Atkinson, (905) or (day of hike) mobile (416) or CAhikes@ bell.net We will shuttle to the 6th Line (near km 13.3) and then hike back - using the Main Trail combined with the Swiss Meadows Side Trail. Some fine views over Nottawasaga Bay and Collingwood. Saturday, June Dufferin Hi- Land, Mono Cliffs (Map 19) Level I/II Bus hike Length of Hike: 13 km, Terrain: Hilly, Variable. No dropout, Families, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Depart 8:30 am, York Mills. Victor Ramautar, Before 9 pm or mychamprian@gmail.com Fred Berktin, Indeed a beautiful time of year to hike Mono Cliffs Provincial Park with Splitrock Side Trail in our sights. Bring the essentials including a lunch and lots of water. SUSQUEHANNOCK LODGE and TRAIL CENTRE Hiking in the Highlands of North Central Pennsylvania CANADA DAY July 1-4 Celebrate two National Holidays and the kick off of summer. The long days make for comfortable time on the south facing deck after the hikes. LABOUR DAY Sept 2-5 Enjoy a few days of walking and relaxing before the busy September season starts. Lyman Lake will still be warm for swimming. THANKSGIVING Oct 8-10 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 USD per day per person. These outings have proven to be popular with the lodge filling quickly. For more information, including driving directions, please see hikevincent.wordpress.com or contact Greg Vincent at or vincent.greg@gmail.com For reservations call Carol Szymanik at information@torontobrucetrailclub.org Summer

10 Saturday, June Kelso through Hilton Falls (Map 11) Level II Bus hike Length of Hike: 16 km, Terrain: Hilly, Variable. Dropout at 9 km, Pub stop after, Depart 9 am, Islington. Wayne Crockett, waynehikes@gmail.com Join me for a hike with great views and the beauty of Hilton Falls. The hike will take in a part of the Main Trail plus a portion of the Hilton Falls Side Trail. Saturday, June Toronto Section, Scotsdale Farm Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 13 km, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Rocky, Variable. No dropout, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Pub stop after. Depart 10 am, Parking lot at Scotsdale Farm. North on Trafalgar Rd past the west side of Georgetown. Turn North onto Hwy 7 and continue to Silver Creek. Go right at stoplight back onto Trafalgar Rd. North 1.5 km to entrance to Scotsdale Farm. Parking area near old farmstead. Alex Brown, (905) We will complete a loop hike including the Bennett and Great Esker side trails and the main Bruce Trail. Refreshments in Georgetown after the hike. Saturday, June Caledon Hills, Hockley Valley (Map 18) Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 9 km, Pace: 3.5 km/hr, Terrain: Hilly. No dropout, End to End #2 of 7, Beginners, Families, No dogs. Depart 9:30 am, Hockley Valley Provincial Nature Reserve parking lot. Hockley Rd runs between Hwy 10 and Airport Rd, north of Hwy 9. The parking lot is located between 2nd and 3rd Lines EHS, on the north side of Hockley Rd, across from the Black Birch Restaurant. Join us for a series of seven moderately paced hikes over hilly terrain to earn Caledon s End to End badge. Come for one or some or all of the hikes. No pre-registration required. This hike goes from 5th Line EHS to Hockley Rd; km 52.9 to 61.6 (28th Edition). Distance includes side trail access at each end. Saturday, June Beaver Valley, Kolapore (Map 25) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 19 km, Y Terrain: Hilly, Challenging. No dropout, End to End #5 of 6, Hiking boots, bring lots of water. Depart 8:30 am, km 18.4 roadside along 12th Sideroad between 2 and 6th line. Note the earlier start time to beat the heat. Brenda D, or brenda_ dalglish@ Jim Vanderlip, (416) pm We will car shuttle to km 37.6 and do the road work early in the day. Duncan Crevice Caves and Metcalfe Rock make it worthwhile. Saturday, June Niagara (Maps 4/5) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 14 km, Terrain: Variable. No dropout, Beginners, Pub stop after, Depart 9:30 am, Kinsmen Park, Beamsville. GPS / QEW south. Exit 64, Ontario St/Regional Rd 18. Continue on Ontario St/Regional Rd 18/ Mountain St Turn Left onto Kinsmen Rd; turn Left onto Frost Rd. to parking lot. Doris Harper, do not call after 10:00pm or dorisharper@rogers.com Enjoy a hike along the Niagara escarpment and sample some of its fruits as well. This 14 km shuttle hike will take us from Grimsby to Kinsmen Park, Beamsville, past vineyards and wineries. Along the way we will stop at 1, 2, or maybe 3 for wine tasting. Sunday, June Toronto, West Humber River Level I/II Urban walk Duration of Hike: 4.5 hrs, Terrain: Mostly flat. Dropout, Beginners, Families, Refreshments after. Depart 10 am, Islington and Rexdale Blvd. Meet at Walmart, in front of the Garden Centre. Bus 37 (Islington). Monica Feran, (416) Before 9 pm or mferan@teksavvy.com We will walk along the West Humber River, ending at the Humber Arboretum. Sunday, June Beaver Valley, Blue Mountain (Maps 24/25) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 18 km, Terrain: Hilly. No dropout, End to End #6 of 6, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, bring lots of water. Depart 8 am, km 0 of Beaver Valley, km 66 of Blue Mountain parking lot at end of Maple Lane in Swiss Meadows. Note earlier start time to beat the heat. Brenda D, or brenda_ dalglish@ Jim Vanderlip, (416) pm We will shuttle to km 18.4 and finish off the Beaver Valley section. Thursday, June Toronto, Toronto Islands Level I/II Urban walk Duration of Hike: 3.0 hrs, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Mostly flat, drop outs, beginners. Dropout, Beginners, Families, No dogs. Depart 6 pm, At the Ferry Docks near the gate to Wards island. From Union station take the LRT (street car) to the stop docks.then walk southbound over to the ferry on the south side of Queens Quay at the foot of Bay st. Or take bus number 6 to the ferry docks stop and walk south bound to the ferry. Miriam Stevens, (416) pm FOR MEMBERS ONLY with valid membership card rain or shine after a days work come and cool off on the Islands where there are no fumes. Enjoy the view of the city skyline. Bring dinner for a sit down picnic. A warm jacket and a flashlight. You can not buy food on the Islands. Ferry cost return approx. $8 for adults and less for seniors. No reservation required. Just show up on the day of the hike. This hike is repeated each Thursday in May and June Friday, June Toronto Level II Urban walk Length of Hike: 10 km, Terrain: Variable. Dropout at Anywhere, Refreshments after, Pub stop after. Depart 9 am, Meet at Yonge & Lawrence South/East corner at the library. Ruth Dorey, pathway.tech@sympatico.ca Larry Haigh, (416) before 8 pm 10 Summer 2016 Club Info Line:

11 Join us for a hike from Lawrence Park to Sunnybrook Park, ending at the Olde Yorke for fish and chips. Lunch specials are available. Saturday, June Mississauga Level I/II Urban walk Length of Hike: 8 km, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Mostly flat. Dropout at after 4 km, Beginners, Families, No dogs, Depart 10 am, Erindale Park - Dundas St. From QEW take Erin Mills Parkway north to Dundas St. Turn right and after about 1.5 km turn left into Erindale Park. From Hwy 401 or 403 come south on Erin Mills Pkwy to Dundas and turn left. Note: The exit from 401 is called Mississauga Road. Two kms south of 401 Mississauga Rd goes left, but keep right on Erin Mills Parkway. Peter Leeney, (905) Mon-Thur before 10 pm From Erindale Park we will walk north on the Culham Trail and then cross over the Credit River, returning south on the Sawmill Valley Trail. Saturday, June Beaver Valley, Blue Mountain (Map 24) Level I/II Bus hike Length of Hike: 13 km, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Variable. Dropout, Hiking boots, SKYLINE HIKERS OF THE CANADIAN ROCKIES Celebrating 83 years of backcountry hiking Join us for an incredible wilderness experience in 2016 The camp fee includes return bus transportation from Banff to the trailhead, 5 nights in the backcountry, tent accommodation with heating stoves, wholesome meals, camp support staff, day hikes and an evening campfire program. Hikers carry only a daypack, but must be fit for mountain hiking. This year we will be at beautiful Whiteman Pass, on the British Columbia side of the Continental Divide bordering Banff National Park. For more information visit our web page at call or us at registrar@skylinehikers.ca. Registrations open January 2, Refreshments after, Pub stop after, Late return (after 6pm), Long distance bus fare applies, Depart 7:30 am, York Mills. Alex Brown, (905) or thumperhead@sympatico.ca Edmond Brown, (416) This is the anual berries and beach hike. We will hike a section of the trail with excellent views of Georgian Bay. After the hike we will drop in to a berry patch if in season (we will buy berries only) then visit Wasaga Beach. Bring your bathing suit. The expected return from this hike is 8:30 pm to allow all to enjoy the beach. Saturday, June Caledon Hills (Map 18) Level I/II Car hike Length of Hike: 9 km, Terrain: Hilly. No dropout, End to End #3 of 7, Beginners, Families, No dogs. Depart 9:30 am, Bruce Trail parking lot on east side of 5th Line EHS, immediately south of Hockley Rd. Hockley Rd runs east-west between Airport Rd and Hwy 10. 5th Line EHS is the first road west of Airport Rd. The parking area is accessed by a driveway on the east side of 5th Line EHS, just south of Hockley Rd. Join us for a series of seven moderately paced hikes over hilly terrain to earn Caledon s End to End badge. Come for one or some or all of the hikes. No preregistration required. This hike goes from 7th Line Mono to 5th Line EHS; km 44.4 to Distance includes side trail access. Saturday, June Toronto Section, Speyside (Map 12) Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 10 km, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Rocky. No dropout, Beginners, Hiking boots, bring water and bug spray. Depart 9 am, Tim Horton s. East side of hwy m north of the junction with 401 near Milton. Vladimir Bosnar, (905) pm Great views and rugged bush terrain on a shorter, gently paced hike with the walking wounded. Sunday, June Iroquoia, Dundas Valley (Map 8) Level II Bus hike Length of Hike: 15 km, Terrain: Variable. Dropout, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Depart 9 am, York Mills. Old York Mills Rd and Yonge St - beside the Shell car wash. Kent Breen, (647) or carpediemkent@rogers.com Larry Haigh, (416) before 8 pm Come join us for a beautiful hike in the land of waterfalls - Dundas Valley. Three on this hike alone! Bring plenty of water and proper gear. Don t forget your cameras!. Sunday, June Caledon Hills, Hockley Valley (Map 18) Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 14 km, Terrain: Hilly. No dropout, Hiking boots, No dogs, Refreshments after, Cell number for day of hike is Depart 9 am, Hockley Road Parking Lot. Take Hwy 410 north, continue north on Hwy 10 north of Orangeville to County Road 7. Hockley Road veers off on the left. Continue on Hockley Road to just east of 2nd Line EHS. The parking lot is on the north side of the road Camp dates: Camp 1 July 11 to July 16 Camp 2 July 18 to July 23 Camp 3 July 25 to July 30 Camp 4 August 1 to August 6 Camp 5 August 8 to August 13 Skyline Hikers is a not-for-profit organization information@torontobrucetrailclub.org Summer

12 Maureen McFarland, (416) Not later than 9 pm or maureen.mcfarland@gmail.com Jim Vanderlip, (416) pm or jvanderlip@sympatico.ca Come out and enjoy an early summer hike in the Hockley Valley, where there is usually a breeze to blow the bugs away. We will hike a loop including the Tom East Side Trail, the Isabel East Side Trail and the Cam Snell Side Trail. Thursday, June Toronto, Toronto Islands Level I/II Urban walk Duration of Hike: 3.0 hrs, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Mostly flat, drop outs, beginners. Dropout, Beginners, Families, No dogs. Depart 6 pm, At the Ferry Docks near the gate to Wards Island. From Union Station take the LRT (street car) to the stop DOCKS. Then walk southbound over to the ferry on the south side of Queens Quay at the foot of Bay st. Or take bus number 6 to the Ferry Docks stop and walk south bound to the ferry. Miriam Stevens, (416) pm For members only with valid membership card rain or shine after a days work come and cool off on the Islands where there are no fumes. Enjoy the view of the city skyline. Bring dinner for a sit down picnic. A warm jacket and a flashlight. You can not buy food on the Islands. Ferry cost return about $8 for adults and less for seniors. No reservation required. Just show up on the day of the hike. This hike is repeated each Thursday in May and June Friday, July 1 -- Toronto, Highland Creek Level I/II Urban walk Duration of Hike: 5.0 hrs, Terrain: Mostly flat, remote areas having natural undisturbed environments. Dropout at any time, Bring a lunch, water, sunglasses, sunscreen. Depart 10 am, Guildwood GO station ticket collector. Guildwood GO station, 4105 Kingston Rd, is serviced by the TTC 86 Scarborough bus from Kennedy subway station as well as the Lakeshore East GO train. For GO train info: or call GET ON GO. Ray Berzins, berzinsg@sympatico.ca Canada Day Hike along Highland Creek from Guildwood GO station through Highland Creek Park, Morningside Park, Colonel Danforth Park and finally East Point Park on the shore of Lake Ontario. It is a loop hike, as we shall return to Guildwood GO station. Voluntary contributions to the Escarpment Legacy Fund will be greatly appreciated. No pre-registration required. Friday, July 1 -- Rouge Valley Level I Bus hike Length of Hike: 12 km, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Mostly flat, Short steep sections. Dropout at 6, 8 km, Families, Hiking boots, Pub stop after, Depart 9 am, Islington. Barbara Euler, (416) before 10 pm or bjeuler@rogers.com Geri Poulouski, (905) or giftingconcerns@rogers.com Follow in the footsteps of centuries of aboriginal people on an important portage route. We ll take time to look around at some of the natural features and will visit the grounds of the Italian-style villa, Valley Halla. Refreshment stop is one of hikers favourite pubs. Friday, July 1 -- Peninsula, Colpoy s Bay (Maps 35/36) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 23 km, Pace: 4.5 km/hr, Terrain: Rocky, Variable. No dropout, Hiking boots, Depart 9 am, We will meet at km 22.9 map 36. Hwy 6 north from Wiarton to Bruce Rd. 9 nd go through to Colpoys Bay to Purple Valley Rd. Turn right on Purple Valley Rd, go about 10km to McIver Rd. Turn right on McIver Rd and right on Boundary Rd. Meeting area is one km ahead. Smadar Junkin, (905) or smadarjunkin@ We will start the hike by the famous Wiarton Willie, we ll hike along Colpoy s Bluff and Melcolm s Bluff. We will go down the Moss Crevice Ladder. On the day of the hike you can reach me at phone # Friday, July 1 -- Sydenham, Lindenwood (Maps 32/33) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 23 km, End to End #6 of 8, Hiking boots, No dogs, Depart 8:30 am, Map 32 Km 103. Roadside parking on Derdy-Sarawak Town Line and West St. Ron Granger, (519) pm or ron.granger1@yahoo.com Car shuttle to Km Map 33. Hike back through the Glen Management Area. Friday, July 1 -- Iroquoia, Waterdown, Burlington (Map 9) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 19 km, Terrain: Variable, with hilly and rocky sections. No dropout, Refreshments after, Depart 9:30 am, Snake Rd (km 67.6, map 9) [GPS coordinates: N W ]. From Hwy 403, exit north onto Hwy 6, then shortly after, take the ramp onto Old York Rd. Turn left at the junction, then follow Old York Rd (eastbound) until it joins with Snake Rd. Turn left (north) and follow Snake Rd for approximately 900 m to roadside parking on your right (under the power lines). Use caution when pulling of this road. Charlie Atkinson, (905) or (day of hike) mobile (416) or CAhikes@ bell.net A combination There and Back and a series of loops in the Grindstone Creek, Waterdown- Burlington area, consisting of the Main Trail (from km 67.6 to km 76.4) and most of the side trails in between. Saturday, July 2 -- Iroquoia, Mount Nemo (Maps 9/10) Level I/II Bus hike Length of Hike: 10 km, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Rocky, One steep canyon.. Dropout at 5 and 8 km, Beginners, Families, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Depart 10 am, Clarence Square. Clarence Square located south of King St, north of Front St at 49 Spadina Ave, on the east side, south of the gas station along the edge of the square. Miriam Stevens, (416) pm or stevensmiriam1@gmail.com Magnificent views along the Escarpment, a few short hills and one mini canyon accessible by steps. Lots of water breaks along the look out points. Refreshments at the end at Tim Horton s and Longos on Hwy 5. Please bring your valid BTC membership and conservation membership. Hiking boots 12 Summer 2016 Club Info Line:

13 required. Saturday, July 2 -- Oak Ridges Trail, Map 5 Level II Bus hike Length of Hike: 15 km, Terrain: Variable. Dropout, Refreshments after, Pub stop after, Depart 8 am, York Mills. Larry Haigh, (416) before 8 pm Ruth Dorey, pathway.tech@sympatico.ca We will hike mostly in the forest with lunch on the trail and we will end at Annina s Café. Saturday, July 2 -- Caledon Hills, Forks of the Credit (Maps 14/15) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 17 km, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Hilly. No dropout, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Pub stop after. Depart 10 am, km 8.8 on Forks of the Credit sideroad. Take Hwy 10 north to the Forks of the Credit Rd. Drive west about 5 km to the parking area on north side of the road along the Credit River, east of the meeting point. Alex Brown, (905) or thumperhead@sympatico.ca This is a loop hike through the Forks of the Credit Provincial Park and McLaren Road Side Trail. After the hike we will have refreshments at a local cidery. Saturday, July 2 -- Peninsula, Cape Croker (Maps 36/37) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 20 km, Pace: 4.5 km/hr, Terrain: Rocky, Variable. No dropout, Hiking boots, Depart 8 am, Km 42.6 map 37. Take Hwy 6 north from Wiarton to Bruce Rd 9 and go 17 km to Beech St. Head into Hope Bay, meeting area just around the corner past the campground entrance. Smadar Junkin, (905) We will start the day enjoying the Jone s Bluffs and the view. We will hike through Cape Crocker Park and the 900 meters boardwalk. We will go up the steel staircase to the lookouts from Sydney s Bay Bluffs. We can enjoy the ice cream and a swim at the end of the day in Hope Bay. You can reach me in the hike day morning at Saturday, July 2 -- Sydenham, Kemble Mountain (Maps 33/34) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 22 km, End to End #7 of 8, Hiking boots, No dogs, Depart 8:30 am, Map 33,Km Roadside parking on Lindenwood Rd. Ron Granger, (519) pm or ron.granger1@yahoo.com Hike back through the Kemble Mountain and Lindenwood Management Areas. Sunday, July 3 -- Caledon Hills, Palgrave, Oak Ridges Trail (Map 17) Level I/II Bus hike Length of Hike: 12 km, Terrain: Variable. No dropout, Beginners, Families, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Depart 9:30 am, York Mills. Monica Feran, (416) Before 9 pm or mferan@teksavvy.com Tessa Shelvey, Beautiful section, variable terrain, walking through the woods on the Palgrave Side Trail, good views. Refreshments in Bolton. Sunday, July 3 -- Peninsula, Hope Bay (Maps 37/38) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 24 km, Pace: 4.5 km/hr, Terrain: Rocky, Variable. No dropout, Hiking boots, Romantic Romania & Majestic Spain Await Black Sea and Danube Birding: Exploring the Wild Side of Romania: Kristen Martyn of Natura Tours escorts this small group to the relatively unknown, western shores of the Black Sea, one of Europe's major migration areas. Farmland along the Black Sea coast feeds an excellent array of birds on their way from and to their breeding areas in Northern Europe and also a diversity of birds that breed in the area. The wonderful Danube Delta with it s extensive reed beds, channels and lakes is one of the little known birding areas with ever changing conditions featuring local harbor wetland birds, a large variety of passerines and birds of prey. We also go in search of Eurasian Brown Bears and visit Dracula s Castle in the village of Bran! Departing Toronto on September 10, this inclusive tour for 16 travellers is attractively priced at $3,495 p.p. double. Walking the Carpathians: Foothills in Romania: You are invited to join Charles Whitlock of Walkaway Treks as he explores the Eastern European treasures of Romania. Departing September 24 from Toronto our fully-escorted tour includes return air flights, very interesting accommodation, almost all meals, and some of the most scenic walking in Europe. The tailor-made itinerary will be especially well-received by those looking for a visually spectacular late fall tour in the company of a small group of walkers. September 24 to October 5 priced at $3,680 p.p. double. Andalusia An Exploration of Moorish Spain : We return with Charles Whitlock in March 17 to 28, 2017 to southern Spain walking and visiting Granada, Alpujarras (Sierra Nevada Natural Park), Doña Mecia, Cordoba, Medina Azahara, Seville, Antequera, "Caminito del Rey", Malaga (Costa Del Sol) and Gibraltar. ADVANCE REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR THIS TOUR. YOU CAN ACCESS INFORMATION ON OUR WEB SITE. DO NOT BE DISAPPOINTED ACT EARLY AS THIS TOUR IS VERY POPULAR! Frederick Travel Waterloo Worldwide Central Trips 572 Weber Street North, Unit 1, Waterloo, On N2L 5C6 TICO: (519) ext 303 (800) to: scotta@ftwaterloo.com Scott cell (519) information@torontobrucetrailclub.org Summer

14 Depart 8 am, km 42.6 map 37. See directions on day 2. July 2nd. Smadar Junkin, (905) or smadarjunkin@ We will be heading south, so the road work will be done in the morning. Three coves, a cape and potholes. Ice cream and swim in Hope Bay again. You can reach me in the morning of the hike at Sunday, July 3 -- Sydenham, Skinner s Bluff (Maps 34/35) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 22 km, End to End #8 of 8, Hiking boots, No dogs, Pre-registration by Mail to Leader. Depart 8:30 am, Map 34,Km Roadside parking on Coles Roadside. Ron Granger, (519) pm or ron.granger1@yahoo.com Hike back through Skinner s Bluff Management Area and pass by Bruce s Caves. Monday, July 4 -- Peninsula, Hope Bay (Maps 37/38) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 20 km, Pace: 4.5 km/hr, Terrain: Rocky, Variable. No dropout, Hiking boots, Depart 8 am, Km 66.4 map 38. Take Hwy 6 from Wiarton for 27 km to Cemetery Rd. Turn right, go to the end. After two big bends on the road the meeting area will be on the left past McKague Rd. Smadar Junkin, (905) or smadarjunkin@ We will head south on the trail, road work in the morning. We will hike the Lion s Head section, enjoying the lookouts. You can reach me in the morning of the hike at Saturday, July 9 -- Toronto Section, Limehouse (Map 12) Level II Bus hike Length of Hike: 14 km, Terrain: Variable. Dropout, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Depart 9 am, York Mills. Kent Breen, carpediemkent@rogers.com Larry Haigh, (416) before 8 pm Come join us for a hike starting at Limehouse. We will hike south from the Hole in the Wall to Speyside. After we will stop at Scotch Block Winery for pie and refreshments. Saturday, July 9 -- Caledon Hills (Map 17) Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 11 km, Terrain: Hilly. No dropout, End to End #4 of 7, Beginners, Families, No dogs. Depart 9:30 am, SE corner of Innis Lake Rd and Finnerty Sideroad. Finnerty Sideroad runs east only off Airport Rd and is south of Hwy 9, north of the village of Caledon East. Innis Lake Rd is the first road east of Airport Rd. Roadside parking is on Finnerty on the east side of Innis Lake. Join us for a series of seven moderately paced hikes over hilly terrain to earn Caledon s End to End badge. Come for one or some or all of the hikes. No pre-registration required. This hike goes from Finnerty Sideroad and Innis Lake Rd to 7th Line Mono; km 33.8 to Distance includes side trail access. Saturday, July 9 -- Caledon Hills, Forks of the Credit (Map 15) Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 9 km, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Hilly. No dropout, Beginners, bring water and bug spray. Depart 9 am, Tim Horton s. At the SW corner of the junction of hwy 10 and Charleston Side Rd. north of Brampton. Vladimir Bosnar, (905) pm in varied great scenery within the conservation area. Leisurely paced to suit the wa;lking wounded hikers. Sunday, July Toronto Humber Valley Level I/II Urban walk Duration of Hike: 4.5 hrs, Terrain: Mostly flat. Dropout, Refreshments after, Depart 10 am, Old Mill Subway Station street level. Wayne Crockett, waynehikes@gmail.com Andrew Wood, (416) :00 pm to 10:00 pm or prafesser@gmail.com A fairly flat but pleasant walk from Bloor St north through the parkland along the Humber River. Depending on heat and humidity we will set a moderate pace. Dropouts available at all major road crossings. Registration is recommended but not mandatory, it speeds up sign in. Sunday, July Toronto Section Level II Car Pool hike Length of Hike: 14 km, Terrain: Mostly flat, Variable. Dropout, Beginners, Families, Dogs welcome, Refreshments after. Depart 9:30 am, Yonge and York Mills. We will meet on Old York Mills Rd, just south of the Shell Station (where the bus hikes depart from). We will carpool together to the Rouge Park from there. Danny Pivnick, (416) Ipana Chambers, (647) About to become the Rouge National Urban The Toronto Hiking and Conservation Club organizes Sunday hikes in the countryside surrounding Toronto Hikes leave each Sunday at 10:00 a.m. (unless stated otherwise in the program) from the parking lot on the northwest corner of Yonge and York Mills, via car-pools. Hikes usually end around 3 p.m. and return to York Mills around 4 p.m. See our program at or call for more information 4 Easy Steps to get Footnotes, hike schedules and updates by 1. Visit brucetrail.org and click on Subscribe to Newsletters 2. Login as a member (or create a member login first) 3. Add or update your address 4. Choose to receive any or all of the following by BTC enews, Trail Change Notices, Footnotes Newsletter, Updates from the Toronto Club 14 Summer 2016 Club Info Line:

15 Park, Canada s first national urban park. The park is going to get even larger and eventually will be one of the largest and best protected urban parks of its kind in the world. Located just east of the city. Walk along trails in the lovely, very accessible Rouge Park and proceed south to the beautiful Waterfront Trail. Loop back to starting point. Please bring your lunch, sunscreen, and plenty of water. Saturday, July Oak Ridges Trail (Map ORTA #2) Level II Bus hike Length of Hike: 16 km, Terrain: Variable. Dropout at 7 km, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Pub stop after, Depart 8:30 am, York Mills. Larry Haigh, (416) before 8 pm Ruth Dorey, pathway.tech@sympatico.ca We ll stop at Pine Farms Orchard for lunch and end in Schomberg at Sheena s Kitchen or a local pub. During the hike we will visit Eaton Hall and the Augustinian Monastery. Saturday, July Beaver Valley, Falling Waters Hike (Map 26) Level II Bus hike Length of Hike: 15 km, Terrain: Hilly, Rocky. Dropout at At 8 km, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Pub stop after, Late return (after 6pm), Long distance bus fare applies, Depart 8:30 am, Islington. Nijole Mockevicius, (416) or nijole.mockevicius026@sympatico.ca Wayne Crockett, waynehikes@gmail.com The first of two hikes to explore the Falling Waters section of Beaver Valley. We will hike the eastern edge of the valley, stopping to view Eugenia Falls, spectacular lookouts and take in the surrounding beauty of the trail. After the hike we will be going into Collingwood for a refreshment/pub stop. Saturday, July Caledon Hills (Maps 15/16) Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 12 km, Terrain: Variable. No dropout, End to End #5 of 7, No dogs. Depart 9:30 am, SE corner of Innis Lake Rd and Finnerty Sideroad. Finnerty Sideroad runs east only off Airport Rd and is south of Hwy 9, north of the village of Caledon East. Innis Lake Rd is the first information@torontobrucetrailclub.org road east of Airport Rd. Park on Finnerty on the east side of Innis Lake. Join us for a series of seven moderately paced hikes to earn Caledon s End to End badge. Come for one or some or all of the hikes. This hike goes from Escarpment Sideroad and Kennedy Rd to Finnerty Sideroad and Innis Lake Rd; km 21.8 to No pre-registration required. CAUTION: This hike is primarily on the road, and is suitable for hikers who are doing the end-to-end for their badge. It is not a typical pleasure hike. Wear lighter hiking/ walking shoes and sun protection. Saturday, July Caledon Hills (Map 18) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 15 km, Terrain: Hilly, Challenging. No dropout, Hiking boots, No dogs, Bring sunscreen, insect repellent, a snack lunch and two litres of drinking water. Depart 9 am, Sideroad 5, at km 46.6, GPS co-ordinates N , W Take Airport Rd north from Hwy 9 to Sideroad 5, turn right and follow for half a kilometre to parking on the left. From there we will shuttle to the start and hike back. Bob Humphreys, (519) pm or walk2tobermory@gmail.com A stretch of the trail that tends to get forgotten. A large variety of trees and lots of hills make this an energetic but really scenic day out. Sunday, July Highland Creek Trail to the Mouth of the Rouge Level II Urban walk Duration of Hike: 5.0 hrs, Terrain: Variable. Dropout, No dogs, Refreshments after, Depart 11 am, Scarborough Centre Station bus level. Wayne Crockett, waynehikes@gmail.com Andrew Wood, (416) :00 pm to 10:00 pm or prafesser@gmail.com Join me for a walk from the UofT Scarborough Campus south along the Highland Creek Trail to the waterfront and east to the mouth of the Rouge River. Very nice mixture of scenery and the pace will suit the temperature and humidity of the day. Registration is not mandatory but is recommended, it saves time signing in on the morning. Sunday, July Toronto Section, Scotsdale Farm (Map 13) Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 14 km, Terrain: Rocky, Challenging. Dropout, Families, Hiking boots. Depart 9 am, Scotsdale Farm parking lot. Take Trafalgar Rd exit off Hwy 401 and travel north on Trafalgar Rd through Stewarttown 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. Brandon Fahy, (416) before 9:00pm or bgfahy@mccain.ca Larry Haigh, (416) before 8 pm A loop hike: we will use the Main Trail and a selection of side trails. No refreshment stop so we should have an early return. Friday, July Glen Major (Uxbridge/Pickering area) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 18 km, Terrain: Variable, with hilly sections. No dropout, Refreshments after, Depart 9:30 am, Brock Tract parking area [GPS coordinates: N W ]. From Hwy 401 (interchange 399) or 407 (east terminus), drive north on Brock Rd to the Claremont junction at 9th concession (Durham Rd 5). From here, continue on Brock Rd for a further 3 km to parking area on the east side. Look for the East Duffins Headwaters sign. Charlie Atkinson, (905) or (day of hike) mobile (416) or CAhikes@ bell.net A meadowland/woodland walk, linking together the TRCA Brock Tract with the Glen Major Forest. Saturday, July Blue Mountains, Blue Mountain (Maps 23/24) Level II Bus hike Length of Hike: 13 km, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Hilly. Dropout, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Pub stop after, Late return (after 6pm), Long distance bus fare applies, Summer

16 Depart 8 am, York Mills. Alex Brown, (905) or thumperhead@sympatico.ca We will enjoy a short hike in the Pretty River area and then go to the Elvis Festival in Collingwood. Elvis is sure to be seen. Bring your sequinned jump suits. Saturday, July Beaver Valley, Falling Waters Hike (Map 26) Level II Bus hike Length of Hike: 15 km, Terrain: Hilly, Rocky. Dropout at At 8 km, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Pub stop after, Late return (after 6pm), Long distance bus fare applies, Depart 8:30 am, Islington. Nijole Mockevicius, (416) or nijole.mockevicius026@sympatico.ca Wayne Crockett, waynehikes@gmail.com The last of two hikes to explore the Falling Waters section of Beaver Valley. We will start our hike exploring Hogg s Falls before continuing across the Boyne River along the western edge of the valley. Magnificent views of waterfalls, the valley and surrounding landscape. After the hike we will be going into Collingwood for a refreshment/pub stop. Saturday, July Caledon Hills (Map 15) Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 13 km, Terrain: Hilly. No dropout, End to End #6 of 7, Beginners, Families, No dogs. Depart 9:30 am, km 8.8, Roadside parking on Forks of the Credit Rd near Dominion St., Caledon. Forks of the Credit Rd runs west from Hwy 10, north of Olde Baseline Rd and south of Charleston Sideroad. The meeting point is about 4.5 km west of Hwy 10. Join us for a series of seven moderately paced hikes over hilly terrain to earn Caledon s End to End badge. Come for one or some or all of the hikes. No pre-registration required. This hike goes from Forks of the Credit Rd to Escarpment Sideroad and Kennedy Rd; km 8.8 to Distance may be 2.5 km shorter if viewing platform remains closed. Saturday, July Humber Valley Heritage Trail Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 10 km, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Variable. Dropout, Beginners, Refreshments after, Pub stop after. Depart 9 am, Tim Horton s, Bolton. West side of hwy 50 a few meters north of the junction with King St. Vladimir Bosnar, (905) pm The Heritage Trail is a true gem of a trail that passes through beautiful unspoiled countryside. Sunday, July Toronto High Park and the Waterfront West. Level I/II Urban walk Duration of Hike: 4.5 hrs, Terrain: Mostly flat. Dropout, Beginners, Families, No dogs, Refreshments after, Depart 10 am, Grenadier Restaurant, High Park. Wayne Crockett, waynehikes@gmail.com Andrew Wood, (416) :00 pm to 10:00 pm or prafesser@gmail.com A reasonably flat walk beginning at the Grenadier Restaurant in High Park. The walk will take in the waterfront westward to the Humber Bay Park then north by a mixture of parkland and residential roads along Mimico Creek to Bloor Street midway between Islington and Royal York. Registration is recommended but not mandatory, it saves time signing in. Saturday, July Mystery Hike Level II Bus hike Length of Hike: 15 km, Terrain: Variable. Dropout at 8 km, Depart 9 am, Islington. Wayne Crockett, waynehikes@gmail.com Join me for a mystery hike. The route will be scenic and suitable to a late summer day but I will keep it secret until the day. No more than 15 km and a drive no longer than 90 minutes. And there will be a suitable refreshment stop afterward. Saturday, July Caledon Hills, Forks of the Credit (Maps 14/15) Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 9 km, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Hilly. Dropout at 2.5 km, Beginners, Families, No dogs. Depart 9:30 am, Roadside parking Forks of the Credit Rd at Dominion St. Highway 10 to Forks of the Credit Rd. Turn West on Forks of the Credit Rd and proceed about 4.5 km to the meeting point. Work toward your Caledon sideways badge. See Caledon Hills Club website for details. Today we will hike Ring Kiln, Trimble and Crowsnest side trails. This is a loop hike. No pre-registration required. Saturday, July Beaver Valley, Eugenia Falls (Map 26) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 14 km, Terrain: Hilly. No dropout, Families, Hiking boots, No dogs, Refreshments after, Pub stop after, Depart 9:30 am, Eugenia Falls Parking lot, Eugenia. Hwy 10 N to Flesherton. At the traffic lights in Flesherton turn right onto County Rd 4. After about 3 km, turn left onto County Rd 13. After about 2.5 km turn left onto Pellisier St/Eugenia Falls parking lot GPS coordinates / Doris Harper, do not call after 10:00pm or dorisharper@rogers.com Hike in the beautiful, scenic Beaver Valley. Along this section are several lookouts with great views across the valley. We will hike part of the section known as The Falling Waters. Bring plenty of water and a snack. From the parking lot we will shuttle to Old Baldy Parking area. From there we will hike back to Eugenia Falls. Please note there is a parking fee at Old Baldy (see note below) Paid Parking Coming to Beaver Valley (reprinted with kind permission from the Beaver Valley Bruce Trail Club) The Grey Sauble Conservation Authority is implementing a paid parking system which will affect users of The Bruce Trail in the Beaver Valley section as well as Blue Mountains, Sydenham and the southern Peninsula sections. The new system does not allow for cash payments. Parking permits must be obtained prior to your trip or at the trailhead using your smartphone. The daily parking rate is $5.00 and each parking lot will have an associated Zone Number that you use to indicate at which lot you are parked. Or purchase a season s pass for your vehicle, which covers the calendar year, by 16 Summer 2016 Club Info Line:

17 registering the license plate for only $ Prepay by phone (toll-free) or online at mackaypay.com (works on mobile devices only) or download the Mackay App (for Android and Apple devices) to your smartphone and pay on the fly. Upon initial use, you will need to create a user account and enter your payment information. Saturday, July Peninsula, Colpoy s Bay, ff (Maps 35/36) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 21 km, End to End #1 of 8, Hiking boots, No dogs, Depart 8:30 am, Map 35,Km 0.0. Bluewater Park,Wiarton.Parking area opposite the Arena,. Ron Granger, (519) pm or ron.granger1@yahoo.com Hike back through Malcolm Bluff and Colpoy s Bluff. Sunday, July Peninsula, Sydney Bay (Maps 36/37) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 22 km, End to End #2 of 8, Hiking boots, No dogs, Depart 8:30 am, Km 20.6,Map 36. Roadside parking at the bend on Coveney s Rd. Ron Granger, (519) pm or ron.granger1@yahoo.com Car shuttle to Km 42.6 Map 37.Hike back through Sydney Bay Bluff and Jones Bluff. Monday, August 1 -- Caledon Hills, Hockleycrest (Map 18) Level I Car hike Length of Hike: 6 km, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Variable. No dropout, Beginners, Families, No dogs. Depart 9:30 am, Parking lot No. 5 Sideroad (km 46.6). From Hwy 9 and Airport Rd travel 3.5 km north to No 5 Sideroad (Tai Chi welcome sign). Turn right (east). Travel 500 meters to the parking lot on the left. Work toward your Caledon sideways badge. See Caledon Hills Club website for details. information@torontobrucetrailclub.org Keep a log of your sideways hikes. Today we will include Hockleycrest, Harmony, and Darcy s side trails. This is a gentle loop hike. No pre-registration required. Monday, August 1 -- Peninsula, Rush Cove and Barrow Bay (Map 37) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 18 km, End to End #3 of 8, Hiking boots, No dogs, Depart 8:30 am, Map 37,Km Hope Bay KM 42.parking lot located south of Cedarholm Campground General Store. Ron Granger, (519) pm or ron.granger1@yahoo.com Car shuttle to Km 60.2 Map 37.Hike back through Hope Bay Forest Provincial Nature Reserve. Thursday, August 4 -- Toronto, Old Mill subway Level I Urban walk Length of Hike: 8 km, Terrain: Mostly flat, gravel path. Dropout at any time, Beginners, No dogs. Depart 11 am, Outside Old Mill Subway station. Old Mill subway station is on the Bloor line, West of Jane. Tessa Shelvey, or tjshelvey@ yahoo.com Nice hike along the Humber River. We ll walk north to James gardens then return the same way. Bring lunch or a snack for break at the Gardens. Friday, August 5 -- Caledon Hills, Forks of the Credit (Maps 14/15) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 18 km, Terrain: Variable, with hilly sections. No dropout, Refreshments after, Depart 9:30 am,. km 18.3, map15 [GPS: N W ]. From Hwy 10, drive west on Escarpment Sideroad for 1.5 km and park on the corner of Willoughby Rd. Please use caution when pulling off busy Hwy 10. Give yourself ample time by indicating early. Charlie Atkinson, (905) or (day of hike) mobile (416) or CAhikes@ bell.net A Forks of the Credit loop involving the village of Belfountain, the Elora-Cataract Trailway and a combination of Main rail and side trails. Saturday, August 6 -- Rockwood Conservation Area. Level I/II Bus hike Length of Hike: 10 km, Terrain: Mostly flat, Variable. Dropout, Beginners, Families, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Depart 9:30 am, Islington. Barbara Euler, (416) before 10 pm or bjeuler@rogers.com Geri Poulouski, (905) or giftingconcerns@rogers.com Spend a relaxed day in this recreational area on the Eramosa River. We ll explore the interesting geological features, including potholes and caves (challenging climb into North America s second largest pot hole is optional), as well as some of the history of the area as evidenced by the ruins of the Harris Mill. We ll be mostly on nature trails. Bring your bathing suit to make use of the beach after our hike or you can rent a canoe or paddleboat. On the way home, we ll stop at Andrew s Scenic Acres and Scotch Block Winery. We will be collecting the $5.25 conservation area admission along with the bus fare. Saturday, August 6 -- Caledon Hills (Map 14) Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 9 km, Pace: 3.5 km/hr, Terrain: Hilly, Rocky. No dropout, End to End #7 of 7, Beginners, Families, No dogs. Depart 9:30 am, km 8.8, Roadside parking on Forks of the Credit Rd near Dominion St., Caledon. Forks of the Credit Rd runs west from Hwy 10, north of Olde Baseline Rd and south of Charleston Sideroad. The meeting point is about 4.5 km west of Hwy 10. Join us for a series of seven moderately paced hikes over hilly terrain to earn Caledon s End to End badge. Come for one or some or all of the hikes. No pre-registration required. This hike goes from Caledon s border with the Toronto club to Forks of the Credit Rd; km 0.0 to 8.8. Distance includes side trip Summer

18 to Badlands viewing area. If current parking restrictions are still in place, we will be adding 2 km of road walking at the start of the hike. Saturday, August 6 -- Caledon Hills, Hockley Valley (Map 18) Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 12 km, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Hilly, moderately challenging. No dropout, Beginners, Hiking boots. Depart 9 am, Tim Horton s on hwy 9. A few yards west of the junction with Airport Road. Vladimir Bosnar, (905) pm Varied scenic hill trails and a chance to see a wild turkey flock. Sunday, August 7 -- Toronto Bluffs Level II Urban walk Duration of Hike: 4.0 hrs, Terrain: sand, may be logs and debris on the beach. Dropout at 5 km, Refreshments after, Depart 10 am, Warden Subway Station. Wayne Crockett, waynehikes@gmail.com Andrew Wood, (416) :00 pm to 10:00 pm or prafesser@gmail.com An intermediate level urban walk that will take in both the base and the top of the Bluffs, one of the major glacial features in Toronto. The walk will include parts of both Scarborough Heights Park and Scarborough Bluffs Park. Registration is recommended but not required, it speeds up sign in on the morning of the trip. Sunday, August 7 -- Dufferin Hi-Land, Mono Cliffs (Map 19) Level I/II Bus hike Length of Hike: 12 km, Terrain: Variable. No dropout, Beginners, Families, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Depart 9:30 am, York Mills. Monica Feran, (416) Before 9 pm or mferan@teksavvy.com Tessa Shelvey, Beautiful scenic hike through the Provincial Park. The trail is mostly in the shade, making it pleasant in the summer. Good views. No drop-outs, but easier option is possible. Saturday, August Toronto, Lakefront Level II Urban walk Length of Hike: 12 km, Terrain: Mostly flat. Dropout, No dogs. Depart 8 am, Neville Park, the east end of the Queen St car line. Do not come by car as we will end up downtown. Larry Haigh, (416) before 8 pm We will hike along the lakefront of Toronto starting at Neville Park in the East. We will continue along various trails ending at downtown Toronto. We will have lunch on the trail. Saturday, August Beaver Valley, Blue Mountain, Loree Forest & Swiss Meadows (Map 24) Level II Bus hike Length of Hike: 16 km, Terrain: Hilly, Variable. No dropout, Refreshments after, Late return (after 6pm), Long distance bus fare applies, Depart 8 am, York Mills. Martina Furrer, or martinabeatrice@ David Royle Join us for a 16 km hike (4 km/hr pace) with great views of Georgian Bay and the surrounding countryside. We will explore the beautiful Loree Forest and Swiss Meadows, have lunch overlooking the Bay, and refreshments in Blue Mountain VIllage after the hike. Wear long pants to protect yourself from poison ivy, and bring at least two litres of water. We hope to be back in the city around 7 pm. Non-members and fit beginners welcome. Members please register online. Non-members should call, text, or Martina to register. Saturday, August Caledon Hills, Hockley Valley (Map 18) Level II Bus hike Length of Hike: 15 km, Terrain: Hilly, Variable. Dropout at 6 and 10 km, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Pub stop after, Depart 9 am, Islington. Wayne Crockett, waynehikes@gmail.com Join me for a scenic hike through some, at times, challenging terrain. We ll walk from the 5th Side Rd along the Main Trail with detours via the Hockleycrest Side Trail and the Hemlock Ridge Side Trail. The pace will depend on the heat and humidity but it will be moderate. There will be dropouts at roughly the 6 km and 10 km points. Refreshments afterwards in downtown Orangeville. Saturday, August Dufferin Hi-Land, Boyne Valley, & Mulmur Hills (Map 20) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 15 km, Terrain: Hilly, Challenging. No dropout, Hiking boots, No dogs, Bring sunscreen, insect repellent, a snack lunch and two litres of drinking water. Depart 9 am, County Rd 19, north of Primrose, GPS co-ordinates N , W Take Hwy 10 north of Orangeville to Primrose, then continue north for 1km to the second bend in the road and park on the right. From there we will shuttle to the start and hike back. Bob Humphreys, (519) pm or walk2tobermory@gmail.com A stretch of the trail that provides the opportunity for great scenic views across the landscape. A large variety of trees and lots of hills make this an energetic but really scenic day out. Sunday, August Dufferin Hi- Land, Boyne Valley (Map Map 20) Level I Bus hike Length of Hike: 8 km, Pace: 1 km/hr, Terrain: Variable. No dropout, Beginners, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Pre-registration by Telephone to Leader. Depart 10 am, York Mills. Taizo Shinkoda, (416) pm Johanna Lanfranco, (416) pm We will take a leisurely hike through the meadows, valleys and forests of the Boyne Valley Provincial Park and pause for scenic photos along the trail. Friday, August Toronto, Lake Front to CNE Level II Urban walk Length of Hike: 6 km, Terrain: Mostly flat. Dropout at Anywhere. Depart 8:30 am, Meet at the ferry docks at the foot of Bay St. Ruth Dorey, pathway.tech@sympatico.ca Larry Haigh, (416) before 8 pm Hike with us along the lake front from the ferry docks to the Canadian National Exhibition and enjoy CNE opening day admission price of $8 which includes free 18 Summer 2016 Club Info Line:

19 shows, farm exhibits, crafts, etc. We will arrive at the CNE around 10:00 am and split up at the gates so that everyone can enjoy what interests them. Food and water can be purchased at the CNE or you can bring your own. Friday, August Caledon Hills/ Duffern Hi-Land: Hockley Valley, Mono, Cliffs (Maps 18/19) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 18 km, Terrain: Hilly, Variable. No dropout, Refreshments after, Depart 9:30 am, 2nd Line EHS (near km 3.1, map 19) [GPS: N W ]. From Hwy 10 (north of Orangeville), at Camilla, turn right at Mono Centre Rd (Dufferin Rd 8). Follow this road for 6.1 km to the stop sign in the village, then continue straight (north) for another 1.5 km to roadside parking at the end of the road. Charlie Atkinson, (905) or (day of hike) mobile (416) or bell.net We will shuttle to the 3rd Line access point and then hike back - combining the upper part of the Hockley Valley Nature Reserve with Mono Cliffs Provincial Park via a combination of the Main Trail and several side trails. Saturday, August Northumberland Forest and Alderville Black Oak Savanna Level II Bus hike Length of Hike: 16 km, Terrain: Variable. No dropout, Refreshments after, Late return (after 6pm), Long distance bus fare applies, Depart 8 am, York Mills. Martina Furrer, or martinabeatrice@ David Royle Join us for a 15 km hike in the Northumberland Forest and Peter s Woods (an old growth forest) in the Rice Lake Plains. After the hike we ll go for a two hour guided tour of the Alderville First Nation Black Oak Savanna ca, Canada s eastern most prairie and one of Ontario s rarest and most endangered plant communities. We ll learn about the cultural and ecological significance of this special place, and have time to take photos and enjoy information@torontobrucetrailclub.org the plants and the rare wildlife that feed on them. Cost of the tour is $10 per person. Non-members and fit beginners welcome. We hope to be back in the city around 7 pm. Saturday, August Caledon Hills, Hockley Heights (Map 18) Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 9 km, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Hilly, Challenging. No dropout, No dogs. Depart 9:30 am, BT parking lot on east side of 5th Line EHS, immediately south of Hockley Rd. Hockley Rd runs east-west between Airport Rd and Hwy 10. 5th Line EHS is the first road west of Airport Rd. The parking area is accessed by a driveway on the east side of 5th Line EHS, just south of Hockley Rd. Work toward your Caledon sideways badge. See Caledon Club website for details. Keep a log of your sideways hikes. Today we will include Hockley Heights, Glacier Valley and Hemlock Ridge side trails. This is a car shuttle hike. No pre-registration required. Saturday, August Dufferin Hi-Land, Boyne Valley (Map 20) Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 10 km, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Variable. No dropout, Beginners, Refreshments after. Depart 9 am, Pete s Donuts, Primrose. SE corner of the junction of hwys 10 and 89. Vladimir Bosnar, (905) pm A hike through very varied natural countryside with a fabulous lookout. Saturday, August Beaver Valley, Blue Mountain (Maps 24/25) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 22 km, Hiking boots, No dogs, Depart 8:30 am, Map 24.Km 0.0. Roadside parking on Maple Lane in Swiss Meadows. Ron Granger, (519) pm or ron.granger1@yahoo.com Car shuttle to Km 21.8,Map 25.Hike back through Len Gertler Memorial Loree Forest. Sunday, August Sunnybrook to Victoria Park parkland Level II Urban walk Duration of Hike: 4.0 hrs, Terrain: Hilly. Dropout at will, Hiking boots, No dogs, Refreshments after, Depart 10 am, Lawrence Subway Station. Wayne Crockett, waynehikes@gmail.com Andrew Wood, (416) :00 pm to 10:00 pm or prafesser@gmail.com The walk will take in the walking trails running from Sunnybrook Park through Serena Gundy Park and along Massey Creek to Victoria Park Rd. A mix of woodland and open park, a few hills. Registration is recommended but not required. Sunday, August Oak Ridges Trail, Long Sault Conservation Area (Map ORTA 7) Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 15 km, Terrain: Hilly, Variable. Dropout, Families, Hiking boots. Depart 9 am, Long Sault Conservation Area parking lot. Hwy 401, Exit 431 at Waverly Rd. Travel north for 17 km on Regional Rd 57. Turn right at Regional Rd 20. After 2 km, turn left at Woodley Rd and travel 2 km to conservation area parking lot. Bring some toonies/loonies for the parking meter. Brandon Fahy, (416) before 9:00pm or bgfahy@mccain.ca Larry Haigh, (416) before 8 pm We will meet at the parking lot in the Long Sault Conservation Area. Come out with friends for some exercise. Sunday, August Beaver Valley, Kolapore (Map 25) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 16 km, Hiking boots, No dogs, Pre-registration by to Leader. Depart 8:30 am, Map 25,Km 21. Roadside parking on County road# 19 where trail cross road. Ron Granger, (519) pm or ron.granger1@yahoo.com Car shuttle to Km 37.6,Map 25.Hike back pass Pinnacle Rock,Metcalfe Rock and Kolapore Uplands. Summer

20 Friday, August Magical Manitoulin Island August 26 to 28 (Friday to Sunday) Level II Bus hike Duration of Hike: 4.0 hrs, Terrain: Variable. No dropout, Hiking boots, Long distance bus fare applies, Depart 6:30 am, York Mills. Lucy Leung, (647) or gmail.com, Luisa Lee Manitoulin is a magical and remote place; it is the largest freshwater island in the world where Native life and legend blend with European history to provide a unique and enchanting experience. Join us to explore this idyllic retreat and let the spirit of this place capture your soul. We depart early on Friday and our comfortable coach will take us across the Bruce Peninsula to Tobermory where we catch the Chi-Cheemaun ferry for a cruise to South Baymouth at the southern tip of Manitoulin. There is incredible natural beauty with intriguing landscape in Manitoulin. We hike each day on select scenic trails and many of which are on the Niagara Escarpment, including the Cup and Saucer Trail which is the highest point on Manitoulin and has spectacular views. We also have time to experience the history and enjoy the culture from an Aboriginal perspective. After spending the weekend exploring Manitoulin; we leave on Sunday afternoon crossing the historic swing bridge from the northeastern tip and return to Toronto late in the evening. Bus fare is $170 for BTC members and $210 for non-members; this includes the Chi- Cheemaun ferry cruise and three days travel in an air-conditioned coach with washroom. Accommodation is at comfortable hotel in Little Current and will be booked directly by each participant. The rate per person is $154 Twin, $117 Triple, $98 Quad and $289 Single for two nights accommodation and two hot buffet breakfasts with taxes included. This special outing is organized in honour of the TBTC August Hike-a-thon fund raising campaign, albeit not on the Bruce Trail, all participants are asked to make a special donation of $35 to the BTC; a tax receipt will be issued. Our goal is to raise over $1,000 towards securing the remaining 50% of the Bruce Trail corridor still vulnerable to development. If you are interested to join our Manitoulin Island hiking venture or would like more information, please contact Hike Leader Lucy Leung at hikeontario@gmail. com. Saturday, August Magical Manitoulin Island August 26 to 28 (Friday to Sunday) Level II Bus hike Duration of Hike: 7.0 hrs, Terrain: Variable. No dropout, Hiking boots, Long distance bus fare applies, Depart 6:30 am, York Mills. Lucy Leung, (647) or hikeontario@ gmail.com Luisa Lee This is our second day in Manitoulin as described for August 26. We have a full day to experience the unique beauty and nature the Island offers. Saturday, August Iroquoia, Dundas Valley (Map 8) Level II Bus hike Length of Hike: 15 km, Pace: 4.5 km/hr, Terrain: Rocky. Dropout at 6km, at 12km., Depart 8:30 am, Clarence Square. Ipana Chambers, ipana_c@ Danny Pivnick, (416) or dannypivnick@ Join us on this lovely summer hike through Dundas Valley Conservation Area as we walk through open meadows and pass a number of waterfalls. Bring lunch and lots of water!. Saturday, August Caledon Hills, Hockley Valley (Map 18) Level I/II Car hike Length of Hike: 7 km, Terrain: Hilly. No dropout, Beginners, Families, No dogs. Depart 9:30 am, Roadside parking lot on 3rd Line EHS north of Hockley Rd, where Glen Cross Side Trail meets the road. Hockley Rd runs east from Highway 10, north of Orangeville. At 3rd Line EHS turn left (north). Travel about a km until you see a small parking area on the right. Work toward your Caledon sideways badge. See Caledon Hills Club website for details. Keep a log of your sideways hikes. No preregistration required. Today we will hike Glen Cross, Isabel East and Cam Snell side trails. This is a loop hike. If you are looking for a beautiful hike, this is it. Sunday, August Toronto, G. Lord Ross Park Level I Urban walk Duration of Hike: 3.5 hrs, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Mostly flat. Dropout, Beginners, Families, Refreshments after. Depart 10 am, Finch Ave W. and Dufferin, NE corner. Bus 36 from Finch subway station Bus 105, 117 or 196 from Downsview station. Monica Feran, (416) Before 9 pm or mferan@teksavvy.com Walking through G. Lord Ross Park, including a loop north of Steeles Ave. Sunday, August Magical Manitoulin Island August 26 to 28 (Friday to Sunday) Level II Bus hike Duration of Hike: 4.0 hrs, Terrain: Variable. No dropout, Hiking boots, Late return (after 6pm), Long distance bus fare applies, Depart 6:30 am, York Mills. Lucy Leung, (647) or hikeontario@ gmail.com Luisa Lee Our last day on Manitoulin Island we explore a nature reserve located on an ancient flat rock sea bottom. See the write up of August 26 for more information. Saturday, September 3 -- Iroquoia, Waterdown (Map 9) Level II/III Bus hike Length of Hike: 15 km, Terrain: Variable. Dropout, Beginners, Families, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Depart 9 am, Islington. Geri Poulouski, giftingconcerns@rogers.com We will start our hike from the Guelph Line, staying mainly on the Main Trail, venturing onto a few side trails. Our hike will end at the Smokey Hollow Side Trail. We will then proceed into Waterdown for refreshments. 20 Summer 2016 Club Info Line:

21 Saturday, September 3 -- Caledon Hills, Forks of the Credit (Maps 14/15) Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 9 km, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Hilly. Dropout at 2.5 km, Beginners, Families, No dogs. Depart 9:30 am, Roadside parking Forks of the Credit Rd at Dominion St. Highway 10 to Forks of the Credit Rd. Turn West on Forks of the Credit Rd and proceed about 4.5 km to the meeting point. Work toward your Caledon sideways badge. See Caledon Hills Club website for details. Today we will hike Ring Kiln, Dorothy Medhurst and Quarryman s side trails. This is a loop hike. No pre-registration required. Saturday, September 3 -- Peninsula, Lion s Head (Maps 37/38) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 20 km, End to End #4 of 8, Hiking boots, No dogs, Depart 8:30 am, Map 37,Km Hope Bay Parking lot located south of the Cedarholm Campground General Store. Ron Granger, (519) pm or ron.granger1@yahoo.com Car shuttle to Km 80.3,Map 38.Hike back through Lion s Head Provincial Nature Reserve. Sunday, September 4 -- Peninsula, Smokey Head (Maps 38/39) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 24 km, End to End #5 of 8, Hiking boots, No dogs, Depart 8:30 am, Map 37,Km McCurdy Drive Parking lot off of Moore St. Ron Granger, (519) pm or ron.granger1@yahoo.com Car shuttle to vkm 104.6,Map 39.Hike back through Cape Chin North and South and Smokey Head White Bluff Provincial Nature Reserve. Monday, September 5 -- Caledon Hills, Hockley Valley (Map 18) Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 11 km, Terrain: Hilly. No dropout, Beginners, Families, No dogs. information@torontobrucetrailclub.org Depart 9:30 am, Roadside parking lot on 3rd Line EHS north of Hockley Rd, where Glen Cross Side Trail meets the road. Hockley Rd runs east from Highway 10, north of Orangeville. At 3rd Line EHS turn left (north). Travel about a km until you see a small parking area on the right. Work toward your Caledon sideways badge. See Caledon Hills Club website for details. Keep a log of your sideways hikes. Today we will hike Glen Cross, Isabel East, and Tom East side trails. This is a loop hike. No preregistration required. Monday, September 5 -- Peninsula, Dyer s Bay (Maps 39/40) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 22 km, End to End #6 of 8, Hiking boots, No dogs, Depart 8:30 am, Map 39, Km Roadside parking on Cape Chin North Rd. Ron Granger, (519) pm Car shuttle to Km 126.6, Map 40. Hike back through Dyer s Bay and Cape Chin North. Saturday, September Iroquoia, Mount Nemo (Maps 9/10) Level I/II Bus hike Length of Hike: 10 km, Pace: 3 km/hr, Terrain: Rocky, One steep canyon.. Dropout at 5 and 8 km, Beginners, Families, Hiking boots, Refreshments after, Depart 10 am, Clarence Square. Clarence Square located south of King St, north of Front St at 49 Spadina Ave, on the east side, south of the gas station along the edge of the square. Miriam Stevens, (416) pm or stevensmiriam1@gmail.com Magnificent views along the Escarpment, a few short hills and one mini canyon accessible by steps. Lots of water breaks along the look out points. Refreshments at the end at Tim Horton s and Longos on Hwy 5. Please bring your valid BTC membership and conservation membership. Hiking boots required. Saturday, September Peninsula, Emmett Lake (Map 41) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 19 km, End to End #7 of 8, Hiking boots, No dogs, Depart 8:30 am, Map 41, Km Crane Lake Rd at the National Park Gate. Ron Granger, (519) pm or ron.granger1@yahoo.com Car shuttle to Km 145.6, Map 41.Hike back Bruce Peninsula National Park. Sunday, September Caledon Hills, Hockley Valley (Map 18) Level II Car hike Length of Hike: 14 km, Terrain: Hilly, Challenging. Dropout, Hiking boots, No dogs. Depart 9 am, We will meet at the parking lot just off Hockley Rd and past 3rd Line. Go north on Hwy 400, turn west (left) on Hwy 9, then north on Airport Rd, then west (left) on Hockley Rd. The parking lot is just past 3rd Line. We will depart promptly at 9:00am and hike both blue trails and the Main Trail. Brandon Fahy, (416) before 9:00pm or bgfahy@mccain.ca Larry Haigh, (416) before 8 pm Come out for some fresh air and exercise and enjoy some time with friends and family. Sunday, September Peninsula, Cyprus Lake (Map Map 42) Level II/III Car hike Length of Hike: 20 km, End to End #8 of 8, Hiking boots, No dogs, Depart 8:30 am, Map 42,Km Park in the Tobermory Community Centre parking lot in Tobermory on Hwy #6. Ron Granger, (519) pm or ron.granger1@yahoo.com Car shuttle to Km Hike back through Cyprus Lake, Loon Lake and Little Cove. For membership information, call the Bruce Trail Conservancy Head Office at HIKE ( ) 8:30 am -4:30 pm Monday - Friday or visit Summer

22 Other Hikes 1. Independent outings: Independent outings are not sanctioned by the Toronto Bruce Trail Club (TBTC). The TBTC accepts no responsibility for how these events are run, nor is it involved in the collection of funds or administration of these events. The events listed here are not commercial operations but are offered by members of the TBTC on a cost shared basis. 2. Commercial Trips: FOOTNOTES has a number of advertisements from commercial hiking and outing organizations. Friday, June Peninsula, Tobermory 14th Annual Excellent Orchid Adventure Tobermory June 17,18,19. Please join Jeanette and Greg on our annual flower trip to Tobermory and the Tip o the Bruce. The wildflowers will welcome us as we visit Flower Pot Island, Singing Sands, Bruce Alvar Reserve and other flower hot spots. Our walks are short and slow. The cost of the ferry to Flower Pot Island and the Parks Canada fee is approx. $ We stay and have our meals at a comfortable hotel overlooking Little Tub Harbour. More information hikevincent.wordpress.com and from Greg at vincent.greg@gmail.com. Please note you will require a car to access this outing as there is no public transport to Tobermory. The Hike-a-thon is moving! In response to your feedback, we are moving the annual Bruce Trail Hike-a-thon from the month of August to the month of October (October 1 to 31 st, 2016). The Hike-a-thon is a month-long fundraising event that challenges you to maximize your kilometers on the Bruce Trail and share your love of hiking with your friends and family. New this year: Trendy and practical Hike-a-thon-branded swag for the first 50 registrants. Friendly competition between the nine Bruce Trail Clubs. The annual Kick-Off Event is joining the BTC s Bruce Trail Day on October 2, 2016 for twice the fun! Registration for the 2016 Hike-a-thon will open, two months prior to the start date, on August 1, Stay tuned for more event details in the fall issue. 22 Summer 2016 Club Info Line:

23 WALKERS WORLD 2016 GUIDED WALKING GREECE WALKING WITH THE GODS Sept guided walking and sightseeing in the Peloponnese region plus an optional 3 night cruise of the islands. PORTUGAL CAMINO DE SANTIAGO Sept from Porto to Santiago 12 nights. Support bus. Two levels of guided walking SOLD OUT - BOOK NOW FOR 2017 FRANCE PROVENCE Sept based in a small town near Avignon LANGUEDOC Sept based in the seaside town of Collioure ITALY SOUTHERN TUSCANY Sept based in a village near Siena EASTERN TUSCANY Sept 24 Oct 1 based at Cortona SORRENTO & THE AMALFI COAST Oct 7-14 includes a visit to Pompeii SICILY Oct explores Eastern Sicily SPAIN CAMINO DE SANTIAGO Sept 17 Oct 2 15 nights across Northern Spain from Roncesvalles to Santiago de Compostela. Support bus, two levels of guided walking, SPAIN CAMINO DE SANTIAGO Oct nights across Northern Spain from Burgos to Santiago de Compostela. Support bus, two levels of guided walking. SPAIN CAMINO DE SANTIAGO SELF-GUIDED -start any day. Luggage transferred, comfortable inns pre-booked. 100 km in 6 days or 239 km in 13 days BRITAIN we are Canadian representatives for HF Holidays who offer guided walking holidays at 17 UK locations from Cornwall to Scotland. Ask for an HF Holidays brochure. WINTER WALKING 2017 with HF Holidays Two weeks in Canary Islands. Malta, Portugal CUBA register now for walking in Cuba winter 2017 WALKERS WORLD (a division of Teachers Travel Service Ltd.) 21 St Clair Ave East # 1003 Toronto, ON M4T 1L9 Phone info@teacherstravel.com information@torontobrucetrailclub.org Summer

24 Anatomy of a Hike, continued from page 4. All good, but as anyone who has hiked above a certain altitude knows, a slope that would normally go unnoticed can make one s heart race. For the first three days, we remained at about 3,000 metres and I felt as though the fat circus lady s legs had been transplanted onto my hips. We were lucky to cover three kilometers in an hour. Then we dropped down to nearer 2,000 metres. Suddenly, I was bursting with energy. Those fat legs had been replaced by Secretariat s. I savoured the combined effects of increased oxygen and being hike-ready. Much as I d loved the thin, crisp mountain air, I reveled in the mounting humidity as the temperature climbed above 20 degrees. The stones that had weighed down my pack turned to feathers, and we congratulated ourselves for electing to carry our gear rather than have it transported (an option on offer). The pine, spruce and oak forest gave way to foreign-looking hardwoods. Bromeliads, cacti and orchids clung to their hosts forming complete branch-top gardens. Each day we had a new guide who told us about the flora and fauna. We began to better understand their Spanish, a relief since we hadn t taken advantage of the offer of a translator. If a plant didn t have a medicinal use, it had a clever name. All the birds seemed to be brilliantly coloured but what would one expect in an area with more than 400 species of birds, 350 different butterflies and more than 2,000 types of plants. So rich is the population of mushrooms that they hold a mushroom festival each year in August. Our favourite guide was Memo. He happily shared his stories and was delighted to teach us a few Zapateca words as we walked the 12.6-kilometre route between La Neveria and Latuvi. Upon arriving in Latuvi, Memo joined us for a meal and then walked all the way back home a good day s exercise for anyone, but Memo was 74 and this was his third round trip in as many days. Our guides, cooks, waiters and housekeepers were all volunteers. In the Zapateca way, they must complete three, one-year terms of voluntary community service. In return, they receive land and standing in the community. This unpaid labour made the eco-tourism project, of which our hike was part, highly economical. Each of the villages shared the eco-project s revenue and the benefits were obvious: clean streets, new schools, tidy medical clinics and covered basketball courts. For us, this adventure was a perfect blend of wilderness and rural. One morning, Alex had to pinch himself because the lane where we walked might have been in England where he was born until that is, he spied Mexico s flag bird: the red, white and green trogon. We walked for five kilometers through a mystical forest of oak trees draped in Spanish moss that flowed in the breeze. Near metre-long, snakelike cacti populated a rock face, and delicate peach blossoms heralded the arrival of spring. We dropped into incised river valleys where the sun peeked through trees too tall by half and we seemed centuries apart from what was happening out there. Then we d come upon a small farm where a question about sheep or the difficulties of ploughing with bulls would transform a stern Zapateco farmer into our best friend. We had nature. We had culture. And the morning we soared with vultures on a kilometre-long zip-line, we had adventure too thereby demonstrating that a hike is not just a hike when it s a caminata in Mexico s Sierra Norte. photos by Nicola Ross More information Read more about hiking in the Sierra Norte by checking out Nicola s blog Dusty Travelling at You will find details about hiking in the Sierra Norte including the cost and other arrangements at (Info on Hiking Sierra Norte). You can also contact Nicola at nross@woodrising.com. Nicola Ross is a prize-winning author of five books including the hiking guide: Caledon Hikes: Loops & Lattes (see ad on page 8). Later this year, look for her new guide: Halton Hikes: Mostly Loops & More Lattes. In addition to writing about hiking and other travel adventures, Nicola leads day hikes in the Caledon area. Visit her website at nicolaross.ca. 24 Summer 2016 Club Info Line: