Caledon Comment
Vol 55, No 1 Spring –2019
The The Trillium Badge will beawarded to hikers who complete Full details of how you can earn these badges can be found Discovery Badge will be awarded to hikers who complete a series of five hikes and discoverthe requested items on Two New BadgesHave Introduced Been 2019! in an an end to end of the Caledon Hills Section the and www.caledonbrucetrail.org on our on our club website each hike.each
2018-2019 EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT FUNDRAISING DIRECTOR Bob Ferguson Janice McClelland Follow us on Instagram & Facebook 647-224-9116 519-833-7261 @caledonhillsbtc for the latest updates, [email protected] [email protected] news and photos from the trail.
VICE PRESIDENT LAND STEWARDSHIP Fred Somerville DIRECTOR 705-435-6258 ext 110 Gary Hall Cal E-News is our club email newsletter that keeps [email protected] 905-880-4037 m members up to date on major club activities [email protected] SECRETARY between editions of the Sally Cohen PUBLICITY Caledon Comment. Subscribe at: Julia De Paz [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] TREASURER VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR Andree Zeritsch Visit our website, www.caledonbrucetrail.org for lots [email protected] Colleen Darrell 519-833-2311 more information about us, including the most up to BTC CLUB DIRECTOR [email protected] date hike listings and to sign up for our blog.
David Lamb SOCIAL CONVENER [email protected] Jackie Clark HIKE COORDINATOR 519-833-8531 DEADLINE FOR THE SUMMER EDITION: [email protected] Marilyn Ross APRIL 5, 2019
905-453-2254 Send your submissions by email to: PAST PRESIDENT [email protected] [email protected] Jean Kerins TRAIL COORDINATOR [email protected] Joan Richard DIRECTORS AT LARGE 647-216-7550 [email protected] Peter Leeney [email protected] MEMBERSHIP Sally Ker Diane McKenzie 519-938-6926 [email protected] [email protected] Heather Murch LANDOWNER RELATIONS [email protected] Louise Carberry 905-216-7559 Carol Sheppard [email protected] [email protected]
Support Volunteers
WEBMASTER EDITOR, CAL E-NEWS Heidi Bischof Kristina Zeromskiene webmaster@caledonbrucetrail. [email protected] org EDITOR, CALEDON COMMENT ARCHIVIST Jean Kerins 416-245-8662 Helen Billing 416-225-8448 [email protected] [email protected] SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATORS ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Colleen Darrell Louise Porter 519-833-2311 [email protected] [email protected]
TUESDAY HIKE COORDINATOR Kristina Zeromskiene ADVERTISING Rob Martin [email protected] [email protected] SIZE RATE TRAIL DEVELOPMENT LANDOWNER RELATIONS Dave Moule Business Card (3.5 x 2.0) $30 ASSISTANT 416-225-2069 (H) 647-973-6150 (C) Emily Stitt [email protected] Quarter Page (3.75 x 5.0) $60 [email protected] Column (3.0 x 10.0) $70 Half Page (7.5 x 5.0) $85 Opinions expressed in the Caledon Comment are not necessarily the views of the Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club unless stated as such. Full Page (7.5 x 10) $145 Advertisements do not necessarily imply endorsement by the Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club or The Bruce Trail Conservancy. HST must be added Send address changes to: Terms: Cheque or e-transfer with order The Bruce Trail Conservancy Cheque should be made payable to: PO Box 857 Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 “The Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club” 2
Comfortable President’s Message — Bob Ferguson Hiking Holidays 1 (866) 449-1908 Wow! 2018 zoomed by with many things to reflect about, and 2019 promises to be another exciting year for the Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club with lots of hiking, fund [email protected] www.letshike.com raising activities and other Club events.
There are more of us than ever before! At the end of 2018 we had just under 1,000 ICELAND members, a new Club record! And the BTC overall reflected similar success with August 17 to 27, 2019 10,400 Members. The enthusiasm of the new members is infectious when you meet The land of the midnight sun! them at the many Club events and listen to their experiences. Trek on volcanic terrain, marvel at the view atop Iceland’s “Grand Canyon”, stand at the edge of the most powerful waterfall 2018 was a sound financial year for the Club with more than $26,000 raised. The in all Europe & relax in the soothing three major fundraising events, the Elora film screening, Christmas tree and decora- thermal waters of the Blue Lagoon. From tions sales, and the Orangeville Theatre night contributed an amazing total of more Reykjavik to the northern fishing village of than $20,000. And the hiking program (Tuesday Hikers, End to Ends, Badges and Husavik, explore the most dramatic landscape anywhere. Trail Angels) garnered an additional $5800! This meant that our Club was able to donate almost $31,000 to the BTC to help secure the Trail. MACHU PICCHU On January 5th this year we held an information meeting for those members who September 13 to 25, 2019 Explore the Sacred Valley of the Incas by wanted to learn more about the recent change in BTC leadership and ask questions hiking through the famed salt pans of of three BTC Board members including Warren Bell, BTC Chair. There was a lively Maras, the ancient ruins of Pisac, and exchange of information, questions and answers. At the end of the day, all members trekking high up into the Urubamba are united in supporting the BTC Mission “Preserving a Ribbon of Wilderness, for mountain range. Then that all important everyone, forever”. day arrives when we hike into Machu Picchu – rounding the corner of the Sun Gate and seeing Machu Picchu with The keys to our successes are the many volunteers who are committed to carrying your own eyes will give you goose out the Bruce Trail Mission. The AGM on April 7 will include the elections of the new bumps! slate of directors and we have some roles not yet filled for next year. If you are inter- NO CAMPING ested in learning more about how you can get involved as a volunteer, feel free to email me at [email protected] or call 647-224-9116. JAPAN October 6 to 20, 2019 If you haven’t done much hiking over the past few months, or attended any Club An intriguing destination offering a mix of events, I urge you to take advantage of all the Club has to offer. Details are available traditional customs intertwined with in this issue of Caledon Comment, and there is a wealth of information on the Club modern realities. Its history and culture are always at the forefront - from a soak in a website http://caledonbrucetrail.ca hot spring to touring ancient Shinto shrines & dining in yukatas. Discover the I hope to see you at many upcoming events planned in 2019 like the Annual General beautiful hiking trails from Tokyo to Kyoto, Meeting on Sunday April 7, the Volunteer Appreciation Picnic in June, Bruce Trail Day including Kamikochi, the slopes of the in October and of course, on the Trail! iconic Mt. Fuji, and Takayama. Accommodations include western-style hotels & traditional Japanese ryokans, and the vibrant fall colours are at their peak in October.
Thank You INTERESTED LIST
Orangeville Salt & Soil Supply Inc. 2020 If there is a trip that interests you for 2020, email us and we will notify you when it for your generous donation of sand becomes available to book. No obligation necessary. which was used for our Christmas Planters helping us raise over $700 Dominica * Portugal * Amalfi Coast Ireland * Provence & Cote d’Azur for the Bruce Trail Conservancy. Corfu * Camino de Santiago You are a wonderful neighbour! Japan * Galapagos Islands Iceland * Slovenija
TICO # 50018498 3
SUSQUEHANNOCK LODGE and TRAIL CENTRE
Hiking in the Highlands of North Central Pennsylvania
EASTER April 19 - 22, 2019 Spring training on the trails, snow will be gone with spring on the way. Ed promises a Polish Easter dinner.
Canada Day - June 28 - July 2, 2019 Great hiking weather with lots of time on the south facing deck to relax, Jeanette will find places to swim.
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, $75.00 private-double occupancy, $90.00 private-single occupancy, 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 519-579-8210 or [email protected]
For reservations call Carol Szymanik at 1-814-435-2163
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Jackie and Cec Clark are Club Members Paying it Forward — By Ross McLean
Today, our club’s Social Convener is Jackie Clark, and her story of getting involved with the Trail is typical of many of our volunteer leaders. Jackie and her hus- band Cec had a large dog that needed plenty of exer- cise so they were always walking the trails. One day they attended a guided hike and bought a copy of the Trail Reference. “That was it.” says Jackie, “We start- ed picking different hikes each weekend and hiked sec- tions from Niagara to Tobermory. We were hooked.”
Then on a hike one day they met Diane McKenzie, a member of the Caledon executive. Diane told them about the club and encouraged them to become mem- bers. Jackie says that they had felt that they “wanted to give back to the trail for all the joy it had brought us so we were happy to join”. It was Colleen Darrell who reached out to Jackie to take on the role of Social Convener. Jackie said “We decided to give it a try”.
As so often happens with volunteers, they soon picked up other roles. Recently, for example, they have be- come Trail Captains in the Credit Forks area, and have gone out on work parties to help with trail mainte- nance. Cec also became certified as a Sawyer. In ad- dition, Jackie has been calling new members to wel- come them to the club and helped out as a Trail Angel.
Jackie describes Bruce Trail Day as their favourite event. She and Cec handle the BBQ and get to meet lots of people who are experiencing the trail, some for the first time. “I love telling people about some of the amazing hikes the trail has to offer. I especially love how much the kids like the trail.” Jackie refers to her greatest satisfaction as “knowing that we are doing something that will help preserve a natural wonder: a place where people can breathe and find peace, a place that can take someone out of the brutality, noise and pressure that life can bring, and allow them to experience wonder”. She and Cec also like introducing people to the trail and helping them understand how important it is and what we need to do to preserve it.
Jackie and Cec’s vision for the trail is that it becomes “a world-class trail completely owned or protected, with places to camp or stay along the way, making it possible to trek from end to end. People from around the world would come to expe- rience it. People from across Canada would know it and cherish it, much as they do the West Coast Trail or Cabot Trail.”
Bob Ferguson, Club President, praises Jackie and Cec: “Their perspective is the breadth of the Club and its mission. Jackie frequently contributes beyond her portfolio as Social Convener. Jackie and Cec are role models for other Club mem- bers….they help to make it fun and enjoyable.”
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Call for Club Award Nominations Prior Year Winners by Colleen Darrell
Nominations are now being accepted for the annual Caledon Ross McLean Award
Hills Bruce Trail Club awards which will be presented at the th 2010: Dave Moule 13 Annual Volunteer Appreciation Picnic on Sunday, June 2011: Laurence & Irene Christie 2nd, 2019. Please read the awards criteria below, and send 2012: Dave Platt your nominations to Colleen Darrell at colleen.darrell@ 2013: Barry Westhouse gmail.com or phone Colleen at 519-833-2311. Nominations 2014: Carol & John Maxwell will close on April 15, 2019. 2015: Helen Billing 2016: Jean Kerins THE ISABEL EAST AWARD 2017: Alan Billing 2018: Janice McClelland Must be a member of CHBTC. The successful candidate will have demonstrated the Junior Appreciation Award club’s values of transparency, excellent commu- nication and inclusiveness. 2013: Faeron Darrell The recipient of this award has clearly helped 2014: Peter Moule CHBTC members to enjoy club activities. 2015: Alison Moule The award may be given for an exemplary demon- 2017: Guste Zeromskis stration of enthusiasm in a particular project, of- 2018: Jenna Nensi fice or year. It also may be awarded for continued Barry Westhouse Award demonstration of enthusiasm over a number of years and/or variety of activities. 2007: Roy Bauman & Sally Smyth
THE BARRY WESTHOUSE AWARD 2008: Gary Hall & John Maxwell 2009: Jim Wilker Must be a member of CHBTC. 2010: Charlie Atkinson The successful candidate will have demonstrated 2011: Frank Chow active involvement in the physical work of trail 2012: Dave Hull maintenance and development. 2013: Norm Randle The recipient must have a long-standing volunteer 2014: Dave Sarginson commitment to trail work. 2015: Jacques & Karen Martin 2016: David Weicker The recipient best exemplifies an unsung volunteer 2017: Jim Graham commitment to the trail. 2018: David Lloyd
THE ROSS MCLEAN AWARD Isabel East Award Must be a member of CHBTC. The award may be given for an exemplary demon- 2007: Jeanette Cave stration of dedication and commitment to the 2008: Pat Bryant & Club. Fran Chamberlain The recipient of this award will have demonstrated a 2009: Janice McClelland long-term commitment to the club, having served 2010: Tuesday Hiker Group 2011: Greg Huffman as a volunteer for a minimum of ten years in a 2012: Robert Gillespie variety of roles. 2013: Ray Matsalla & Dave Platt
THE JUNIOR APPRECIATION AWARD 2014: Joan Richard 2015: Carol Sheppard This award is given out to club members who are under the 2016: Albert McMaster age of 18 that regularly volunteer their time and have demon- 2017: Kristina Zeromskiene strated a willingness to help CHBTC members enjoy club 2018: Marilyn Ross activities.
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How Many Volunteers Does It Take To Make a Re-Route? By Joan Richard, Trail Coordinator
Apparently, quite a few, each fulfilling different roles. Hockley Heights Side Trail has received a recent re-route which has taken some of the steepness out of the well-loved sandy hills. In the 1980s, Dave Turrell and others in the Caledon Hills club provided leadership by developing a number of side trails to create loops. Hockley Heights Side Trail was one of these early side trails. The intention was to create a loop hike for day hikers, although cer- tainly a long and challenging loop by today’s standards. Looping expanded the recreational opportunities of the trails and became very popular. Hockley Heights originally followed the road allowances, and then moved into the Anderson Tract. Following the fence lines made for an extremely steep ascent or descent. There was a reason the road was never opened.
Fast forward to recent times. A couple of years ago when Phil Kidston became the trail captain, he took a look at the hills and thought there might be a better way. Carol Sheppard, our landowner relations director, encouraged Dave Moule, our trail development volunteer, to make the contact. After flagging the route, he met with the landowner. Concern over garlic mustard was mitigated somewhat by holding a few pulling events in the spring of 2017. An advance chainsaw work party in the fall of 2017 cut and removed dead trees on the ground and hazard trees along the proposed route.
During the long hot summer of 2018, on one of the muggiest days, a group of 11 showed up to work. By 2 pm it was pouring rain and a lot re- mained to be done. Norm Randle, the quadrant leader, went in a few days later with one helper and managed to finish the first stage. For the next month, a couple of intrepid volunteers spent hours and hours on their own, working on the next section until it was done. Then the blazes were repaired and updated (some of the earlier work had washed off in the rain). Finally, Alan Billing, our trail geographer, went in to log the trail so the re-route could be passed on to the Conservancy for updating of their website and app.
Left to Right: Alan Billing, Jamie Matheson Joan Richard, Jean Trask, Peter Kahn, Dave Hull, David Weicker, Laurence Christie, Phil Kidston,
David Lloyd. Photo by David Lloyd
Well over 100 hours of sweat and love went into the re-route. But don’t worry, for those who know and love this trail, the hills are still there and still challenging, and the lookouts are still worth the effort. Give it a try some time.
Jamie Matheson, Dave Hull, Peter Kahn David Weicker. Photo by David Lloyd
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CHBTC: More Than a Hiking Club By Gary Hall, Land Stewardship Coordinator
Back in the mid 1990s, the Bruce Trail Association (now the Bruce Trail Conservancy) purchased its first property in the Caledon Hills section, the Vallis property, a narrow 2.5 acre corridor of land north of the Hockley Valley Na- ture Reserve. Up to this point, the main responsibility of the CHBTC was to build and maintain hiking trails and manage a hiking program. Over the years our trail development team has been devoted to building trails with minimal environmental impact thus ensuring that we “walk gently on the land”.
With the purchase of the Vallis property, the Bluebird on the Vallis Property Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club became more than a hiking club. It entered a new phase, one of land stewardship with the responsibility of protecting and enhancing biodiversity along the Bruce Trail corridor.
Gradually, our responsibility of maintaining the narrow treadway has been expanding as that original 2.5 acre purchase has expanded to more than 300 acres purchased or donated that include 19 properties and 3 easements. These include properties like: Mono Kiln Edge, Griffith Ravine, Hemlock Ridges, Cedar Highlands, the Gosling Forest and Nature Reserve, The Songbird Nature Reserve, and the Quarryside Nature Reserve, to name but a few and there are more in the works.
Recently the BTC updated its strategy to the year 2025. This included the new mission statement: “Preserving a ribbon of wilderness, for everyone, forever” with the vision of securing the Bruce Trail “within a permanently pro- tected natural corridor along the Niagara Escarpment”. Strategic Priority #1 of the new plan involves the accelera- tion of land acquisition by identifying and implementing tools and techniques to accelerate land preservation and support growing land steward responsibilities.
We can already see how this new vision has had an impact in the Caledon Hills Section with the recent acquisitions of The Quarryside Nature Reserve and the Tall Timbers properties adding 58 acres to our stewardship responsibilities. Little by little we can visualize the BTC dream becoming a reality as new nature reserves dot the escarpment landscape. Look no further than the trail between Airport Road and the 5th Line of Mono that travels entirely through BTC lands thanks to five property purchases over the last eight years.
Tall Timbers
Continued on Page 9
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Hemlock Ridge
This increased focus on conservation and biodiversity has resulted in increased responsibility as well as opportuni- ties for all clubs of the BTC, including:
A need for more land stewards - volunteers who have a passion for conservation to help secure boundaries of our nature reserves, protect and enhance biodiversity and compile an inventory of flora and fauna on our properties;
A need to form a biodiversity team to assist with our stewardship responsibilities;
A need for the land steward and trail development teams to work hand in hand to implement stewardship plans for each of our properties especially by clearing invasive species along the treadway and reporting locations of difficult to manage invasive species like dog strangling vine and buckthorn;
An opportunity for hike leaders to offer more hikes with an environmental focus – e.g. slower paced nature walks;
Attracting new members whose prime focus is conservation;
Continuing to donate to the BTC for new property acquisition. It’s estimated that the BTC will need to acquire 80 more properties in the Caledon section to completely secure this section of the Bruce Trail corridor.
Quarryside Nature Reserve
Photos by Gary Hall
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Some Notes by Dave Platt Spring Bed and Breakfast Outing
Many Tuesday Hikers have probably done an End to May 27th and 28th, 2019 End, some more than once, but the intent of Tuesday hikes was to have an enjoyable day's outing on the Explore Kemble Mountain & the Ross McLean Bruce Trail, with a refreshment stop either on the hike Side Trail in Sydenham or afterwards. Day 1. Monday: Map 34; 29th Edition. Meeting It's history how the Tuesday hikes were started in the time 9.30 a.m. at Grahams Hill Road Parking Lot. 1980's by Dorothy Medhurst and Sallie Smyth. Did Km. 149.7. We will car pool from here to our you know that the first hike never occurred due to in- starting location at the junction of Taylor Sideroad clement weather, but even so, the tradition was start- and Cole's Sideroad. Our hike will lead us up the Es- ed. carpment, through Kemble Mountain Management Since then, many members have picked up the staff Area and back to our starting place. Approximately and started leading Tuesday hikes over the years, in- 12 kms. cluding my friend Ray Matsalla, who with myself, first led some day hikes and then proceeded to organize Day 2. Map 34; 29th Edition. Meeting time 10 a.m. and lead 33 B&B Hikes, one each Fall and Spring for at the large parking lot on Lindenwood Road. Km. over 15 years. 129. We will hike north through the Lindenwood
I must admit I never did the Trail 'end to end' ... did Management Area and connect with the Ross most of it, but never walked that road down to Rose- McLean Side Trail loop at Lundy Lane and return to mount, near Owen Sound .... I hated main road walk- the parking lot. Approximately 12 kms. ing! Editor’s note: After Ray and Dave retired from their volunteer Our group dinner will be at Nathaniels Restaurant at role of organizing semi-annual B&B hike outings, Louise Carberry 215 8th Street in Owen Sound on Monday evening at took on the job and now organizes the outings. Look to the right 6.30 p.m.
Hike Leaders: Louise Carberry and Susan Atkinson
Please register with Louise by May 15th at: [email protected]
A map indicating meeting places will be sent to your email address when you register. Dinner will be Tuesday Hikers Heading south from Tobermory your choice from the menu. on a B&B Hike
GO GREEN!
IN 2018 THE CLUB SPENT $5884.00 ON PRINTING AND POSTAGE TO MAIL THE CALEDON COMMENT TO THE MAJORITY OF OUR MEMBERS
PLEASE CONSIDER GOING GREEN AND SEE EVERY PICTURE IN COLOUR MORE SUBSCRIBERS HAVE SWITCHED SINCE OUR LAST ISSUE
SO HELP SAVE EVEN MORE TREES AND MONEY.
TO RECEIVE YOUR NEWSLETTER BY EMAIL CONTACT THE EDITOR AT
Phoo Courtesy of Region of Peel of Region of Courtesy Phoo 10
Theatre Fundraiser
Where You Are
At Theatre Orangeville
WEDNESDAY MAY 1, 2019
8 PM
Sisters Glenda and Suzanne live a peaceful retirement selling homemade jam on Manitoulin Island. This summer, their usual concerns – trying to orches- trate sightings of their handsome veterinarian neighbour and preparing for the visit of Suzanne’s grown daughter, Beth – are complicated by a secret the sisters can no longer contain. When Beth arrives with secrets of her own, the three women are forced to face things that will change their lives and relation- ships forever.
Join members of the Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club and their guests for the Dress Rehearsal of this comedy by a Canadian playwright.
Tickets are limited so we highly recommend that you book your tickets soon, certainly no later than April 1, 2019.
Tickets: $35.
Contact Theatre Orangeville at 1 800 424 1295 or 519 942 3423 to book. Please identify yourself as part of the group from the Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club. All funds raised support the Bruce Trail Conservancy’s mission of securing the trail within a conservation corridor along the Niagara Escarpment. (Sorry, charitable donation income tax receipts are not available for this event.)
Theatre Orangeville, located at 87 Broadway in Orangeville, is fully accessible and also has a hearing assistance program. Free parking is available in the vicinity of the Theatre.
Dinner Option: if you are interested in enjoying dinner together prior to the play, around 5:30 pm, please contact volunteer, Dorothy Mazeau at [email protected].
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HIKING INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES
The hike listings in the Caledon Comment have been condensed. To get the full
description of each hike, you must go to the club website at www.caledonbrucetrail.org.
Please arrive 15 to 20 minutes before departure time. Bruce Trail map and kilometre references are from the 29th edition of the Bruce Trail Reference. Always carry your Ontario Health Card. Carry an adequate amount of water and food. If you have to carry an auto-injector or other medical device, make sure someone on the hike knows about it. Unless stated otherwise hiking boots are required and no dogs are allowed. Unless stated otherwise all hikes will depart at 9:30 am. Check the website regularly for updates to the hiking schedule.
While there are a few portions of the Bruce Trail within conservation areas that are wheelchair accessible, use of the majority of the Trail is suitable for foot traffic only. To participate in an organized hike you need to be able to complete the specified length of the hike on your own or with your own support person within the time allowed. Please refer to the hiking schedule for details.
Hike ratings have been standardized across most of the Bruce Trail Clubs.
Pace - Leisurely - 3km/hour or less Thank you for following Medium - 3 to 4 km/hour the Trail Users Code all Brisk - 4 to 5 km/hour year. Fast - 5+ km/hour Terrain - Please stay on the Trail. Easy - Mostly flat and usually good footing. Moderate - Some hills and/or some poor footing. Strenuous - Hilly with steep climbs and some poor footing
SPRING HIKES - 2019
Sunday March 3, Caledon Hills Section, Saturday April 13, Caledon Section, Hockley Valley, Map 18, Winter Blues, #3 Hockley Valley, Canada 150 Historical Hike #2, This 15 km loop hike will take approximately 4.5 This is a 10 k loop hike at a medium pace and hours and is at a medium pace over strenuous over moderate- strenuous terrain. terrain. Sunday April 14, Dufferin Hi-Land Section, Saturday March 9, Caledon Section, Mono Cliffs, Map 19, Introductory Hike, Fork of the Credit, Canada 150 Historical Hike #1, This 9 km loop hike will take approximately 2.5 This 11k loop hike is at a medium pace over hours and is at a leisurely pace over moderate moderate terrain. terrain.
Sunday March 24, Caledon Hills Section, Saturday April 27, Toronto Section , Hockley Valley, Map 18, Canada 150, #. 5, Terra Cotta Conservation Area, Map 14, This 12 km shuttle hike will take approximately 4 Introductory Hike, hours and is at a medium pace over moderate This 6 km loop hike will take approximately 2.5 terrain. hours and is at a leisurely pace over moderate 13terrain.
(Continued on page 14)
Sunday April 28, Caledon Hills Section, This is an 11 k car shuttle hike at a medium pace Forks of the Credit, Map 14 and 15, Discovery over moderate terrain. Badge Blitz, #1, This 21 km shuttle hike will take approximately Saturday May 11, Blue Mountain Section, 5.5 hours and is at a brisk pace over strenuous Blue Mountains/Pretty River, Map 23, terrain. This 15 km loop hike will take approximately 4.5 hours and is at a medium pace over strenuous Thursday May 2, Caledon Hills Section, terrain. Devils Pulpit, Map 14, Easy End to End, #1, This 9 km shuttle hike will take approximately 3 Thursday May 16, Caledon Hills Section, hours and is at a medium pace over moderate Hockley Valley, Map 18, Nature Walk #2, terrain. This less than 5 km loop hike will take approxi- mately 3 hours and is at a leisurely pace over Thursday May 2, Caledon Hills Section, moderate terrain. Quarryside Nature Reserve, Map 14, Nature Walk #1, Thursday May 16, Caledon Hills Section, This less than 5 km loop hike will take approxi- Escarpment Sideroad, Map 15, 16, Easy End to mately 2.5 hours and is at a leisurely pace over End, # 3, easy terrain. This 10 km shuttle hike will take approximately 3.5 hours and is at a medium pace over easy terrain. Saturday May 4, Caledon Hills Section, Glen Haffy Conservation Area, Map 17, Saturday May 18, Caledon Hills Section, Introductory Hike, Hockley Valley, Map 18, This 6 km loop hike will take approximately 2.5 This 14 km loop hike will take approximately 5 hours and is at a leisurely pace over moderate hours and is at a medium pace over moderate to terrain. strenuous terrain.
Saturday May 4, Toronto Section, Thursday May 23, 2019 Caledon Hills Section, Scotsdale Farm, Map 13, Hockley Valley, Map 18, Nature Walk #3, This 12 km loop hike will take approximately 5 This less than 5 km loop hike will take approxi- hours and is at a medium pace over moderate mately 3 hours and is at a leisurely pace over terrain. moderate terrain.
Sunday May 5, Caledon Hills Section, Thursday May 23, Caledon Hills Section, Hockley Valley, Map 18, Discovery Badge Blitz, #2, Map 16, 17, Easy End to End, # 4, This 20 km shuttle hike will take approximately This 9 km shuttle hike will take approximately 3 5.5 hours and is at a brisk pace over strenuous hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. terrain.
Thursday May 9: Caledon Hills Section, Saturday May 25, Dufferin Hi-Land Section, Hockley Nature Reserve, Spring Flower, Splitrock ST & Mono Cliffs, Map 19, Photography Hike, This 16 km loop hike will take approximately 5.5 The pace will be leisurely, over easy terrain. hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. This loop hike will be up to 7 km long and last approximately 3.5 hrs. Thursday May 30, 2019 Caledon Hills Section, Caledon, Map 17, Nature Walk, #4, Thursday May 9, Caledon Hills Section, This less than 5 km loop hike will take approxi- Forks of The Credit, Map 15, Easy End to End, # 2, mately 3 hours and is at a leisurely pace over This 9 km shuttle hike will take approximately 3.5 moderate terrain. hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. Thursday May 30, Caledon Hills Section, Glen Haffy C.A., Map 17, Easy End to End, # 5, Saturday May 11, Caledon Section, This 7 km shuttle hike will take approximately 2.5 Glen Haffy, Canada 150 Historical Hike #3, hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. 14
SPRING TUESDAY HIKES - 2019
FULL HIKE DESCRIPTIONS CAN BE FOUND ON THE CLUB WEBSITE AT WWW.CALEDONBRUCETRAIL.ORG
See Page 13 for More Hike Information and Guidelines
Tuesday March 5: King City. Tuesday May 7: Dufferin Hi-Land Section, A 10 km loop hike that will take approximately 3 Split Rock Narrows & Mono Cliffs, Map 19. hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. A 14 km loop hike that will take approximately 4 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. Tuesday March 12: Caledon Hills Section, Silver Creek, Map 13. Tuesday May 14: Iroquoia Section, A 10 km loop hike that will take approximately 3.5 Crawford Lake and Forestry Tract, Map 11. hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. A 12 km loop hike that will take approximately 4 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. Tuesday March 19: Toronto Section, Limehouse, Map 12. Tuesday May 21: Blue Mountains Section, A 14 km shuttle hike that will take approximately 4 Pretty River, Map 23. hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. An 11 km loop hike that will take approximately 4 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. Tuesday March 26: OPEN. Check website for updates Tuesday May 28: Caledon Hills Section, Tuesday April 2: Caledon Hills Section, Palgrave Forest North. Hockley Valley, Map 18. A 9 km loop hike that will take approximately 3 hours An 11 km loop hike that will take approximately 4 and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain.
Tuesday April 9: Niagara Section, Ball's Falls, Map 4. PLEASE BE AN ANGEL! A 12 km shuttle hike that will take approximately 3.5 hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. Sometimes planning a special hike can be complicated! Tuesday April 16: Iroquoia Section, Kelso Conservation Area, Map 11. A 9 km "there and back" hike that will take approxi- A Trail Angel can make all the difference mately 3 hours and is at a leisurely pace over moder- in the world. ate terrain.
Tuesday April 23: Elora Gorge. Being a Trail Angel is a great way to meet A 10 km "there and back" hike that will take approxi- fellow hikers who share our common mately 3.5 hours and is at a medium pace over mod- love of the Bruce Trail. erate terrain.
Tuesday April 30: Iroquoia Section, Email Dave Moule at Dundas Valley, Map 8. [email protected] A 12 km loop hike that will take approximately 4 to find out more about becoming a hours and is at a medium pace over moderate terrain. Trail Angel in the Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club.
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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
SUNDAY, APRIL 7TH, 2019
At Caledon Village Place
10:00 am – 1:00 pm: Hike. Meet in the parking lot at Caledon Village Place at 9:45 am for an enjoyable hike.
1:00pm – Light refreshments at the Hall
2:00 pm – Business Meeting and Election of Club Board Members
2:45 pm — Presentation by Nature Photographer Gary Hall:
“A Closer Look at our Ribbon of Wilderness”
Gary will take us on a tour of some of the BTC Managed properties in the Caledon Hills Section
3:30 pm - Fine Dining - Bring a potluck dish to share
Check your basements & closets for items to contribute to our silent auction Bring the ingredients list for your potluck dish so diners can allow for food allergies.
Social Convener: Jackie Clark 519-833-8531 or [email protected]
Caledon Village Place is located at 18313 Hurontario St. (Hwy 10) on the east side just south of Charleston Side Road (#124)
Taylor-Made Bed & Breakfast We Love Come and enjoy some of the best nature has to offer Hikers!
Doug and Diana would like to welcome you
Daily fresh produce 31 Bryon St. Lion’s Head, On. Excellent selection of meats Fresh baked buns and breads 519-793-4853 1-877-434-9464 Store-made deli sandwiches and hot table [email protected] Only a 4-minute walk south of the Caledon www.taylormade.bb-bruce.com Trailway on Airport Road in Caledon East
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A Tale of a Trail …. Some of What Goes On Behind the Scenes Every Day
By David Lloyd, Quadrant Leader
The Bruce Trail through the Cheltenham Badlands property was closed on or about April 1, 2017. Just prior to this date, trail maintenance volunteers closed down all three trail access points to the Badlands property. This involved disabling trail stiles, removing all signage at the start of trail sections, removing all blazes visi- ble at the start of trail sections, and installing Trail Closed signs at all trail access points. We had to remove two existing boardwalks from the property at the request of Ontario Heritage Trust (OHT). We also re-blazed the entire re-route along Boston Mills Road, the Caledon Trailway and Chingacousy Road.
During the 2017 and 2018 summer seasons volunteers continued to maintain our main trail in the Badlands (cutting trees, cutting grass, garlic mustard and other vegetation) as if the trail were still open, in order to be ready to accommodate a speedy re-opening when the announcement came.
In mid-summer upon advice from OHT that the Olde Base Line Side Trail would not be re-opened at this time, we removed the stile at the entrance on Olde Base Line Road and blocked the trail entrance at the junction with our main trail.
In June, July, and August the Badlands fence along Olde Base Line Road had to be repaired three times – damage was caused by vandals cutting the wire. A brief synopsis of the work done in 2018 follows.
May - Cut additional trees on Badlands property July 21 - Met with Scott C. from OHT at Badlands parking lot to visit property, have a tour and examine board- walks and steps they asked to be removed. August 11 - Visited Badlands to remove existing structure ID tags before they went missing. Sept 4 - Removed and cut boardwalks and steps at Badlands. Transported boardwalk sections to storage. Sept 5 - Inspected Badlands progress, cut grass at Creditview Road entrance, installed some new signage and a turn blaze into property on a t bar post. Sept 10 - Using existing and new t bar posts installed 8 turn blazes into and out of and through Badlands property Sept 12 - Worked with Scott C. to install blazes, signs etc at new Badlands parking lot. Sept 13 - Re-blazed entire Badlands trail Sept 19 - Removed re-route around Badlands property Aug and Sept 2018 - Painted and otherwise prepared numerous blaze boards, including turn blazes, diamond sign boards etc for use in re-blazing of trail.
The estimate of total volunteer trail maintenance hours involved in this project was 90 hours.
Volunteers involved were John Maxwell,
Rob Vander Sluis (Trail Captain), Ron Porter, Ek Heidebrecht, Jamie Matheson and David Lloyd.
With the arrival of spring, the new parking lot at the Badlands will be reopened. While the property is closed to the general public from November to April each year, through hikers are allowed access on the Bruce Trail through the property year round.
Editor’s Note: Special thanks go to David Lloyd, who took on the responsibility of ensuring that the work was done in a timely, friendly and professional manner, and for doing a lot of the work himself.
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2018 Elora Film Fundraiser a Success! – THANK YOU Guests/Donors and Volunteers!!
-by Janice McClelland, CHBTC volunteer Director of Fundraising
264 guests attended the film screenings of The Gardener – a fundraising and awareness building event in Elora - organized by the Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club, in October.
This event was an advance donation event (no ticket price was set). We thank our guests for their overwhelming generosity - donating over $11,000 to the BTC’s land securement program!
At the opening of the event, Beth Gilhespy, CEO of the Bruce Trail Conservancy at the time, showed slides of our garden – the lands that the Bruce Trail is securing along the conservation corridor that shelters and secures the Bruce Trail. (The Bruce Trail is currently 66% secure.)
Beth’s slides included brilliant red cardinal flowers growing wild at Driftwood Cove, a ‘water garden’ – the beautiful pond at Fisher’s Pond Nature Reserve on the north side of Burlington and the stately forest on the Tall Timbers Nature Reserve in the Caledon section, just north of the 5 Side Road in Mono – (map 18).
Our audience applauded when Beth advised that we had a healthy start from our donors on the funding that the BTC has committed to, with the federal government, for Driftwood Cove in the Bruce Peninsula.
Our sponsors – Wild Birds Unlimited in Guelph, Fusion Hair Studio in Guelph, Salon Pure Environment (organic hair salon) in Georgetown and Nicola Ross, author of the Loops and Lattes Hiking Series, helped defray the costs of the event. Please con- sider them when making your purchase decisions.
Many thanks to our volunteers who made the whole event run smoothly – Jean Kerins who carefully and competently han- dled all donations, Jackie & Cec Clark who calmly and efficiently carved ham and supervised the brunch, Margaret & Harold Plue who picked up the food from the caterer and safely delivered it to the Museum, Colleen Darrell and Greg Huffman, the friendly organizers of our cash bar at the brunch, Jean Trask who expertly ordered necessary table linens, Sallie Smyth who cooked the delicious ham for the brunch and loaned the Club additional required tablecloths & napkins, Diane McKenzie who scoured her gardens for sedum and the fields(!) for remaining wildflowers & cat-tails for table centerpieces and wel- comed our 104 brunch guests! Anne Broadhead, Lynne & David Lamb who cheerfully set out tablecloths, napkins, place settings and plates, Sheila Kingsborough, Sue Macdonald, and Gail Kerins who nobly helped with the clearing up and every- thing else that needed to be done. And then at the Cinema, Jean Kerins & Joan Richard who had a pleasant greeting for our film guests while handling admission, Louise Carberry & Julia Leon who sold memberships, Guidebooks & calendars (in the cold of the outdoor Cinema courtyard!) and Heather Murch who delivered a canopy to the Cinema and helped set it up, helped set up BTC event signs on the road and continued to help at the brunch!
As you can see, it takes many Club volunteers to run an event such as this - it cannot be done without the volunteer spirit and co-operation of each one. Thank you CHBTC volunteers! The Club is also very appreciative of Beth Gilhespy, Marsha Russell and Meghan Croll from the BTC who gave of their time and skills to assist us.
The proprietors of the Gorge Cinema – Julianna & Payton – were a pleasure to work with. In addition to making sure that the slideshow and film rolled smoothly, they gave us a little extra help in manning the IPAD to use random selection to se- lect the winners of our door prizes. There were two door prizes at each film screening – a BTC Guidebook and a $15 gift cer- tificate donated by The Healthy Owl bakery-café (across from Lee Valley in Waterloo).
At the morning film screening, Ray Matsalla won the gift certificate and Alan Buchanan won the BTC Guidebook. At the afternoon screening, Maria Vittoria Erb won the gift certificate and Chris Dunn won the BTC Guidebook.
Thank you to Resa from Desert Rose Café who reliably provided the delicious quiche, salads & desserts for the brunch and who is continuing her catering business in Elora. It was a grand team effort!
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Save the Date
Sunday, April 7 Annual General Meeting, Hike and Pot Luck. See Page 16
Monday, April 15 Award Nominations Close—See Page 6
Wednesday, May 1 Theatre Orangeville Fundraiser—See Page 11
May 27 and 28 Spring Bed & Breakfast Outing—See Page 10
Sunday, June 2 Volunteer Appreciation Picnic—Details to Follow
Budding Trillium by Christine Elliott
The Bruce Trail Conservancy Mission:
Preserving a ribbon of wilderness, for everyone, forever.
Return undeliverable copies to: The Bruce Trail Conservancy P.O. Box 857, Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 Thank you for receiving your Caledon Comment electronically