Look How Far We`ve Come! - Guelph Hiking Trail Club

Transcription

PO Box 1, Guelph, ON Canada N1H 6J6
Telephone: 519 836 9147, Internet: www.guelphhiking.com
Volume 41, #1 - March, 2013
Many gracious landowners, both private and corporate, allow our hiking trails
to pass through their land. Without this permission, the trail system would not
exist.
The Guelph Hiking Trail Club extends sincerest appreciation to our landowners
for their continued generosity and support for allowing us the privilege of
hiking on their properties.
As trails exist only by virtue of landowners’ permission, it is incumbent upon
every user to ensure that this privilege is not abused.
Thus, hikers must always abide by the Trail Users Code.
Look How Far We’ve Come!
Excerpt from GHTC Newsletter #3, Oct., 1972.
“Pictures along the proposed Speed River route, taken
and shown by Pat O'Brien, indicated that this area has
abundant scenic appeal.
After considering its resources of personnel and
finances, the Guelph Club approved undertaking the
making of a trail from Guelph to Preston with Jill Leslie
leader of the project.”
and just one year later
In the photo at the bottom of the previous column,
Guelph Mayor Norm Jary, centre-right in the light shirt
and hat, and Cambridge Alderman Gordon Chaplin,
wearing the checkered pants, were on hand for the
official opening of the Speed River Trail on Sunday,
May 27, 1973.
NOW
be certain to bookmark
International Trails Day
Saturday, June 1st , 2013
to come out and celebrate the
Speed
River Trail’s
40th Anniversary
E2E plus section hikes and BBQ
Watch for final details in via GHTC
e-notes and in the local press.
Archive materials courtesy of Dave Hull
GHTC Newsletter - March 2013 - Page 2
Message from the President
GHTC Newsletter
Vol 41, #1, March, 2013
The GHTC Newsletter, published in M arch, July and October,
is sent to all of the club members, other trail organizations,
landowners who provide access for our trails, advertisers and
club supporters. Opinions and views expressed in this
newsletter are those of the individual writers or advertisers and
do not necessarily reflect those of the Guelph Hiking Trail Club
executive, members, or affiliated bodies such as Hike Ontario.
Check the club web site or blog for details on advertising
rates, merchandise for sale and club contacts.
www.guelphhiking.com
www.guelphhiking.blogspot.com
Mail: PO Box 1, Guelph, N1H 6J6
Club members and others are encouraged to submit articles,
notices and photographs to the newsletter editor for possible
publication in your club’s newsletter.
Deadlines for receiving material for publication from
members, hike leaders and other contributors are: February
15 for the March issue, June 15 for the July issue and
September 15 for October issue.
GHTC Contacts for 2013
President
Bill Mungall
[email protected]
Past President Kathy Somers,
[email protected]
Vice President position open
Secretary
Christine Bando,
[email protected]
Treasurer
Henry Graupner,
[email protected]
M embership
Dave Culham,
[email protected]
Hike Ontario
Mike Curtis,
[email protected]
Publicity
Susan Atkinson, 519 837
[email protected]
Hike Schedule Gayle Jeffery,
[email protected]
Social
Jane Shifflett,
[email protected]
W ebsite
Pat Scott,
[email protected]
Newsletter
Gord King,
[email protected]
Advertising
Ben Polley
[email protected]
Trail Captains
Radial Line
John Fisher,
[email protected]
Speed River
Bill Mungall
[email protected]
Kissing Bridge Mike Curtis,
[email protected]
519 836 5567
519 836 9147
519 822 8332
519 763 5842
519 716 8273
905 877 4134
9740
519 856 1012
519 822 3229
519 763 4275
519 824 0787
519 265 6546
519 853 1719
519 836 5567
905 877 4134
E-notes
Many GHTC members receive the club’s twice
monthly, e-mail reminders of upcoming events.
If you are not currently and would like to receive
these notices, please send your request and
e-mail address to Dave Culham at:
[email protected]
The GHTC is becoming
known for its “interesting”
trails. These run along
surprisingly wild river
valleys over a variety of terrain,
are well maintained and
easy to walk thanks to the
hours put into maintenance
by our trail captains, and
have many unusual points
of interest.
They are
useful, allowing you to walk continuously from the
Bruce Trail to Acton, Eden Mills, Guelph and
Cambridge and onward to the Grand River. They are
also largely on private lands, at the pleasure of some
three dozen owners. The Club sincerely thanks the
landowners for their steadfast support of the trail; this
year we will be even more focused on showing our
appreciation to the owners and in consistently
communicating with them.
2013 marks the 40 th year of the opening of the Speed
River Trail and the Starkey Hill Sidetrail. Join us
June 1 for a BBQ picnic at Silvercreek Park to cap
off a day of several hikes along the 3 sections of the
SRT. Take the opportunity to personally thank the 12
landowners, who are all being invited. And come out
to Starkey on April 27 for our 4 th season of Trails
Open (in conjunction with Doors Open Guelph),
when we will schedule several guided hikes.
Once again Gayle Jeffery has elicited from the
certified hike leaders an excellent slate of hikes for
you to choose from. In most cases, we offer three
hikes a week, in a few weeks, even more. Our
leaders report that they are most encouraged by the
increasing turnout coming out for their hikes. And
that they are getting to know some most interesting
participants!
Finally, I want to pay tribute to the well organized
leadership shown by our Past President, Kathy
Somers. Kathy encouraged others to forward their
good ideas and contributed many of her own. She
then “gave legs” to these ideas though facilitating
these through the executive committee and
delegation to ad hoc committees such as those that
have organized our successful kids hikes series and
our slate of social activities. And Kathy is already a
very active Past President, carrying on with a number
of initiatives.
Bill
Fairy Tails et al.
Little girl: “Daddy, do all fairy tails begin with ‘Once upon a time’?”
Daddy: “Oh no dear, a great many begin with ‘After I am elected’!”
Where in the GHTC World Is This?
Spectacular river view from the end of one of our newer side trails. Check it out during the 40 th anniversary celebrations!
The Guelph Hiking Trail Club
seeks a Volunteer to take on the responsibilities of
TREASURER
The Treasurer is responsible for managing the Club’s financial affairs and funds.
In broad outline, he/she will:
1. Maintain a record of income and expenditures, and
2. Receive payments made to the Club and make bank deposits, and
3. Write and distribute cheques against invoices and out-of-pocket expense claims, and
4. Sort and maintain all supporting documentation, and
5. Prepare regular financial reports including the year end report.
The Volunteer should have some familiarity with basic bookkeeping processes but does not require a formal
accounting accreditation. Experience with computer spreadsheets and access to appropriate computer
equipment, would be essential. The accounts are presently kept using Microsoft Excel.
The new Treasurer would commence her/his duties on September 1, 2013, at the commencement of the
2013/2014 financial year. Prior to this, handover assistance will be provided by the current treasurer.
A detailed statement of job responsibilities is available. For further information, please contact:
Bill Mungall, President, at 519-836-5567 or [email protected] or
Henry Graupner, Treasurer, at 519-763-5842 or [email protected]
Help Wanted:
Section leader for the Kissing Bridge Trailway
between Katherine St (Grand River) and Wollis
Rd. (2 km of rail trail) Contact Mike Curtis at
[email protected] or 905 877- 4134 for
job specifications, rates of pay including benefits,
and travel opportunities!!
This year’s Hike Ontario Summit, held in Kitchener
in conjunction with the 40 th Anniversary of the Grand
Valley Trails Association, was a splendid success.
One of the highlights was recognition of Janna and
Stan Stanek as Hike Ontario Volunteers of the Year.
The Staneks are receiving congratulations from
GHTC President, Bill Mungall, and Mike Curtis, our
club’s Hike Ontario Representative.
Hike Ontario Volunteer of the Year
Award
his November's Hike Ontario Summit held in
Kitchener featured one of HO's three Volunteer
of the Year Awards being given to Stan and
Jana Stanek, Trail Captains of Section 1 of the
Speed River Trail. The Staneks, ever so humble,
accepted their award on behalf of all of the Trail
Captains of the GHTC. Their citation for the award
was read to the assemblage as follows:"
T
Stan and Jana Stanek
Stan and Jana are long-time trail captains who have
built, improved and maintained the most challenging
and heavily used Section 1 of the Speed River Trail
(and the John Wood Sidetrails), running from the
Guelph Humane Society to Whitelaw Road on the
edge of Guelph.
The Staneks were obliged to leave their native
Czechoslovakia in 1968 during the Soviet crackdown
on “Prague Spring” (i.e. an important antecedent or
model for “The Arab Spring”) but they brought their
love of hiking the Tatras, Carpathians and the big
Bohemian hills with them to Canada. They also may
be the most traveled hikers in the Club, bringing back
insights about trails from their travels all over the
world.
Their trail section includes challenges from floods,
erosion, tall weeds, deadfall, trailhead dumping, creek
crossings, and even debris left by homeless persons
living in the woods near the trail. In 2005, and
largely on their own, Stan and Jana built 6 bridges
over seasonal creeks that discharge under the trail.
All these issues have been “managed away” through
the Staneks’ diligent efforts in maintaining the trail
for the dozens of runners and walkers that frequent it
every day of the year.
The Staneks have also been key in working closely
with the landowners to improve the route of the trail
and to create a new series of sidetrail loops, such that
their section is now truly “optimized.” They even
drafted their own house guests from Quebec to brush
out kilometers of new sidetrails!
The GHTC considers itself most fortunate that the
Staneks have devoted so much of their spare time to
the trail and also to leading hikes for the Club and the
local Czech community.
The Importance of Exercise
I joined a health club last year, spent about 400
bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to
go there.
GHTC Newsletter - March 2013 - Page5
Jim Hoare led a number of club members and friends on the traditional Boxing Day Hike at Starkey Hill.
Lots of people also joined club President Bill Mungall on January 1st for the annual Clear the Cobwebs Hike.
Hiking the Finger Lakes
By Jane Shifflett
In June 2012 I persuaded my sister to do a 5 day hiking
trip with me in the Finger Lakes Area of New York State.
This was a Road Scholar trip – www.roadscholar.org.
Not only did we hike the beautiful Finger Lakes trail but
we also visited wineries, hiked through amazing State
Parks and visited museums including Corning Glass
Museum. Our accommodations were hotel type rooms at
a retreat center. An Olympic size pool soothed any sore
muscles.
Contrast participants in the latest hikes with the
turn-out for GHTC’s first Clear the Cobwebs,
held on January 1st,1975.
Road Scholar’s mission is to provide learning adventures
so we had talks on Leitchworth park, area forestry, the
Iroquois Nation, and experienced a climbing wall and
making ice cream. Our hiking leader also explained facts
and quirks of the area as we rode the bus to our hiking
spots. And the hiking – through forests, along rivers, up
and down hills, beside vineyards – beautiful!
The Finger Lakes Hiking Trail starts at the Allegheny
State Park in the west of New York State and ends in the
Catskills. The main trail is 558 miles and has 400 miles
of sidetrails. It is a well- marked footpath and like our
trails is maintained by volunteers. There is even a
connecting link to the Bruce Trail. Information about the
trail can be found at www.fltconference.org . We
thoroughly enjoyed our trip and plan to visit the Finger
Lakes Area again to walk more miles.
Battle of the Buckthorn
By Mike Curtis
s coordinator of the Kissing Bridge
Trailway, there is always something to be
done, depending on the urgency of the
situation. On my “list” was to cut back the
small sapling growth between km 2 and 3, where
the trailway has become quite enclosed. I planned
to do it sometime in the fall. Imagine my pleasant
surprise when I was contacted by Ruth Robinson of
the Wellington County Stewardship Council asking
if we (GHTC) minded if they cut back the invasive
buckthorn in the very section which I intended to
clear. “Yes please!” was my response and we
proceeded to plan the attack.
A
about 20 m of it due to extreme bushiness of the
branches. The residual will be attended to later on
in the fall.
Only two very minor injuries
(scratches) were suffered requiring a mere cleaning
and no bandages. This was very good, considering
the number of sharp tools in use and the pointed
nature of the enemy.
Ruth invited all the
volunteers back to her place near Ariss for a
barbeque lunch and the day was a great success!
Check the GHTC e-mail messages for
opportunities to participate in future trail
maintenance parties!
Some of the trees required a chainsaw (no
problem) while others could be cut with loppers,
but it was the in-between ones which I thought
could be a challenge. They were too small for a
chainsaw and too large for loppers.
I had
purchased a battery powered reciprocating saw
(sawsall), with pruning blades, in the spring for
household use, but the battery lasted only 30
minutes – rather of limited use on the trailway.
Saws with extension cords could be used, but
power was a problem. The solution was to rent a
portable generator capable of powering two saws
with long extension cords (one on either side of the
trailway) mounted on a pickup truck (ease of
movement) which also pulled a chipper to get rid
of the brush!
On October 13th (cool and breezy) 8 GHTC
volunteers and 10 WCSC volunteers met at Ariss.
I met another volunteer with a pickup truck at
Royal Rentals where we picked up the generator
and the chipper and off we went to war.
We worked from 9:00 until 12:00 and managed to
clear about 80m of buckthorn but could only chip
GHTC Christmas Party - December, 2012
Social Activities - 2012
By Jane Shifflet
Kids Hikes
What do a skating party, a solstice picnic and a
Christmas potluck have in common? They were social
activities enjoyed by GHTC members in 2012.
In January 2012 a skating party was held at the new
skating rink in front of Guelph City Hall. Twelve
enthusiastic skaters tried out the ice amid flashing
coloured lights. Afterwards, skaters and non-skaters
enjoyed refreshments and great talk at a local pub.
The summer solstice picnic was held at Riverside
Park. The weather was perfect, the food delicious and
the talk enthusiastic. A gentle hike around the park
led by Bill Mungall helped to excuse any
overindulgence in food.
Our first Christmas party was a great success. The
union hall on Silvercreek was festively decorated and
45 people shared a wonderful potluck dinner. We are
great cooks! We got to know each other better when
we played our get-acquainted game. Thanks Gitta for
getting (forcing) us all to play the game! Thanks to
Dave Wallace for being our MC and to Terry Spittle
and Norm Sailian for leading two hikes before the
party so that everyone could truly enjoy the food.
Thanks to everyone who attended.
Do you have a great idea for a social activity or
constructive suggestions about last year’s activities?
If so we would love to hear all about it. Share your
thoughts with any social committee member – Jane
Shifflett, Kathy Somers, Christine Bando and Gitta
Housser.
The December hike was cancelled due to rainy
weather, so our last hike was on October 14th last
year with 13 kids and their 8 adults on the hare hike
plus 19 kids with their 12 adults on the tortoise hike.
With leaders, this made a total of 58 hikers (32 kids!)
on our Starkey Trail hike.
We gave pedometers to the children and they really
liked that. Generally the hares took 5,000 steps to
walk the full Starkey loop, and the tortoises did part
of the trail taking about 7,000 steps.
Next Kids Hike is on Sunday May 5 at 1:00 pm on
the Radial Line Trail, Section One. Check e-notes
and posters for final details.
Welcome New Members!
Those joining GHTC since August, 2012
John Ambrose, Nancy Atwood, Jean Burrows, Brenda
Chomiak, Dave & Doreen Clarke, Marco Durepos,
Heather Embree, Douglas England, Moira Ferguson,
Lori Gallaugher, David & Sarah Greisman , Beth
Hasson, Astrid & Trevor Hearn, Frebis Hoffmeyer.
Aphra Hughes, Jan Ingham, Pamela Jacobs, Stan
Kania & Family, Marion Kelly, Catherine Killen &
Karl Baader, Elizabeth Kovacs, Dr. Stanley Litch, Li
Fang Ma, Linda Markle, John Marsden, Linda & Dan
McCarthy, Barbara McKivor, Anne Nederend, Grace
Peters, Lesley Anne Ratky, Leonie & Steven Reinhart,
Erika Samu, Souhaila Sarkis & Gordon Skinner,
Raymond & Kathy Soucy, Jane Sutherland, Susan &
Paul Tesar. Vincent & Teresa Wall, Mark & Sandra
Wilson, Lorna Wojcicki, Sunghwan Yi, Barbara &
Stephen Zibotics, Karen Zorzi.
Habits 4 Health ....... Good!!
Christine Wenzler and Jana Stanek
Homewood/GTHC programme co-ordinators.
Throughout the spring and summer seven GTHC
members worked with the Guelph A.C.T. Team
(Homewood Health Centre community outreach) to
facilitate weekly 1 hour group hikes for clients
participating in a Habits 4 Health Programme. The hikes,
in Preservation Park, Royal City Trails and various
Guelph City Trails, usually had about a dozen clients and
staff in attendance. Jana and Stan Stanek, Paul White,
Bill Mungall, Mary Henderson and Christine Wenzler led
fun and informative hikes that included plant I.D.,
harvesting puff balls, tasting chicory coffee, as well as
bits of history and geology. Results were very rewarding
as walkers’ stamina for the exercise and level of social
interaction increased over the weeks. At least 2 are now
GTHC members and it is hoped several more will attend
some club activities.
Completion of the spring and summer modules of the
Habits 4 Health programme was marked and achievement
celebrated on Sept. 25 at Rockwood Conservation Park.
For many in the group it was an exciting first visit to the
park, for others it was a happy return trip to enjoy the
rugged scenery, caves and aquatic life. The weather was
perfect for enjoying the hike and the fine picnic lunch
provided by the A.C.T. Team. All of us who assisted
with this endeavour feel it is a very worthwhile
programme and would participate again at some future
time.
In addition, GHTC received this note (along with a
second honorarium): "Thank you for your wonderful
support to facilitate our weekly hikes! Your enthusiasm
has been contagious and our clients have really enjoyed
the hikes. Thank you so much for donating your time to
our program - your efforts have made it very successful
and much-loved by all!
Many, many thanks!
Vikki and the Guelph ACT Team staff and clients"
Invitation to Join Voyageur Trail
40th Anniversary Celebrations
The Voyageur Trail Association (VTA) extends an
invitation to all hikers/trail users to help celebrate their
40th anniversary. Plans include an end-to-end hike (over
12 months) of the 600+ km of completed trail, starting in
fall 2013. [The completed trail extends (discontinuously)
from Spanish, west of Sudbury, to Nipigon, east of
Thunder Bay.]
One of our challenges living in the north is the relatively
sparse population. VTA volunteers do a wonderful job in
maintaining our trails, but there are some areas that have
become neglected. If you are able to join us for a few
days, a weekend or even a day, please get in contact.
We'll be putting together a list of work party events this
winter. If you can only come at a specific time, let us
know and we'll try to accommodate your schedule.
It would also be great to have you join us for one or more
of the many 40th anniversary hikes and snowshoe outings
we will be planning (starting in late August 2013). If you
would like to help, please send your name, address, email
and phone # to:
Carole Blaquiere at
[email protected] or Steve Dominy at
[email protected]. We'll put you on our list to
receive regular updates of work parties and 40th
anniversary activities.
Of course, we'd also love to see you anytime you can
come to explore our trail system. Our current outing
schedule is posted at: www.voyageurtrail.ca.
DID YOU KNOW?
How the Rivers Got Their Names
By Janet Baine, GRCA Communications Specialist
Reproduced, with permission, from Grand Actions
[vol. 17, No, 6], the Grand River Conservation
Authority newsletter.
T
here are 11,000 km of rivers and creeks flowing
through the Grand River watershed and we take
them for granted. Ever wonder where the
names of these rivers and creeks come from?
With a little delving and the kind help of some
librarians, this is part of the story of how the rivers
got their names.
According to the Geographical Names of Canada set
up in 1897, there are three Grand rivers in Canada,
but only one Conestogo, Nith, Speed and Eramosa.
The Grand Native residents in the area called the
Grand River the Tintactuo. History books say that
French priest and geographer René de Galinée was
among the first explorers to encounter the Grand
River and in 1669 he named it “La Rapide”. French
cartographer Jacques-Nicholas Bellin published the
first map that showed the river, and he named it,“R.
d’Urse ou la Grand Rivière”. Governor John Graves
Simcoe christened it the “Ouse”in the 1790s. This is
a river in Yorkshire, England, and this name is still
commemorated by a road called Ouse Street on the
riverfront road in Cayuga. However, it is the
Anglicized version of Jacques Bellin’s “laGrand
Rivière” that the Grand River is known by today.
James Gordon wrote a song about the Grand River
called “She is Fickle.”
The Conestogo The Conestogo River that runs
through Drayton is spelled differently from
Conestoga College in Kitchener. In 1809,Conestoga
wagons took early Mennonite settlers to the village of
Conestogo, located just north of Waterloo and the
river was likely named after these wagons. Perhaps
it was a spelling error.
The Nith The troublesome Nith River has no
reservoir and floods occasionally around New
Hamburg. It is named after the seventh longest river
in Scotland that flows through Dumfries, Scotland.
The Speed John Galt named the Speed River because
he was impressed by the power of the river's current.
The name was intended to connote success, fortune
and prosperity, according to the book Cambridge: the
Making of a Canadian City, by Kenneth McLaughlin.
There’s a Tragically Hip song called the Speed River.
The Eramosa Local history books say it is named
after Un-ne-mo-sah, an Indian word meaning dog.
There is also evidence from books and the internet
that it could mean a specific kind of dog: black dog,
dead dog, ornery dog, old dog or dog leg. Exactly
which native language is a little murky. Virve
Wiland, the librarian at the Woodland Cultural
Centre, discovered that there is no “m” in any of the
Six Nations languages. So she checked the Ojibway
dictionaries which give “animosh” as the translation
for dog. She also looked into a book The Dog’s
Children: Anishinaabe Texts Told by Angeline
Williams and found that many Ojibwe/Anishinaabe
stories are about half-dog people.
Did you know that all of these rivers are designated
as Canadian Heritage Rivers? When the Grand River
was designated in1994, its four major tributaries were
also designated.
If you can shed further light on the origin of other
names of local waterways, please e-mail
[email protected].
To subscribe to Grand Actions by e-mail, send a blank
message to: [email protected].
To receive it in the mail, send a request with your address
to [email protected]. There is no cost.
Hike for your Heart’s Sake
hen thinking of heart disease, one tend to
imagine a sudden event - a heart attack. But
usually, that's only a small part of the story.
In fact, the good news is that most people
recover after their first heart attack. The bad news is
that a first heart attack is often the start of life with
heart disease.
W
The Conference Board of Canada estimates that heart
disease and stroke costs the Canadian economy more
than $20.9 billion every year in physician services,
hospital costs, lost wages and decreased productivity.
What are the costs per person? One US study
estimated that over a person's lifetime, the direct and
indirect cost of heart disease is more than $1 million.
Direct medical cost can rack up quickly. After a heart
attack there are immediate charges: ambulance
transportation, tests, hospitalization, and possibly
surgery. Long-term maintenance of heart disease is
also expensive, including medications, testing, and
continued cardiologist appointments.
Indirect costs are harder to grasp but they can be
enormous. The biggest are lost productivity and
income. Those without good disability insurance
could be financially ruined. But even if one does not
develop heart disease, it's still costing through taxes
and additional health insurance premiums.
One way that can help reduce your risk of heart
disease is to improve your lifestyle.
Try these 5 tips:
1. Get more physical activity. Regular exercise can
improve blood pressure and cholesterol
concentrations, control weight, and reduce the risk
of heart disease.
The Heart and Stroke
Foundation of Canada estimates that if you are
inactive and become physically active, you can
reduce heart attack risk by 35 to 55%. Thirty
minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity,
such as brisk walking or biking five days per
week, is a reasonable goal.
2. Improve your diet. Eat more vegetable and cereals
but always remember that no matter how healthy
a food might be, eating too much of it will make
you gain weight and obesity increases risk.
3. Eat less salt. Sodium contributes directly to high
blood pressure which in turn, promotes more
cardiovascular disease. Salt, if discovered today and
submitted to Health Canada for testing, would never
be approved for human consumption! Cutting out
salt isn't easy. Start by gradually reducing the amount
added to food and pay attention to sodium on
nutritional labels. Packaged or processed foods can
account for 75% to 80% of salt intake.
4. Control other risk factors like high blood pressure,
high cholesterol, or diabetes and work with your
doctor to get them controlled. If you smoke- stop!
5. Reduce stress. Researchers aren't sure how chronic
stress contributes to heart disease, but the two are
linked. Do what you can to reduce tension
through breathing exercises, meditation, yoga or
just walking along a trail.
F course, many of us have seen, and ignored,
the suggestions for heart disease reducing,
lifestyle changes before. Yet they really can
make a difference. That $25 GHTC annual
membership is infinitesimal compared to the lifetime
costs of treatment for cardiovascular disease.
O
BOOK REVIEW
Will Ferguson. Beyond Belfast: a 560-mile walk across
Northern Ireland on sore feet.
Viking Canada, 2009. 398 pp.
When I last traveled in Newfoundland I came across
two loquacious elderly gentlemen in a café north of St.
John's. I must have been in an Irish area
of The Rock for the following account by
Will Ferguson on his trek in Northern
Ireland is almost verbatim to my
encounter.
To Ferguson: "Is it hard unnerstannin us?
The accent an' all?" Ferguson: "Well
you speak fast in Northern Ireland." To
Ferguson: "Ach, we don't speak fast. You
lot listen slow."
Ulstermen are never at a loss for words.
As Ferguson points out, the longest
distance between point A and point B is
two Ulstermen in conversation. Partly a
hiking travelogue, partly a search for
mysterious ancestors, this book is full of history and
myth, sometimes outright funny, sometimes angry,
sometimes wistful or elegiac and never afraid to ask the
question "why?"
The Ulster Way, set up in the 1970s and early 1980s, is
520-630 miles long depending on your source of
information. Notes Ferguson, " If they cannot agree on
the length, how can they agree on the actual route." It
runs through some of the most glorious countryside in
the world – sea cliff tops, mountains, green-green-green
farmland, inland loughs and pretty towns. Offsetting all
this beauty is the fact that guide books probably cannot
be trusted, way markings are sometimes non existent,
local knowledge can be infuriatingly vague and the
weather can be wet, wet, WET. "Turns out in Ulster,
unless you are drenched to the bone and facing
imminent hypothermia, you didn't get rained on."
Thank goodness for Ordnance Survey maps – they
saved Ferguson's bacon on several occasions. The
locating of a telephone booth on an O.S. map turned
out to be invaluable.
In the year 2000 he took about two months to complete
the Ulster circuit. Originally he had intended to trek
through, camp out and carry a large rucksack, but the
weather soon changed all that. Day hikes of up to 25
miles became the norm. At the end of a day he would
catch a bus or hitch hike back to his B & B, then
reverse the procedure the next day.
A couple of incidents left him lucky to be alive. He
only just escaped the tide in absolutely foul weather
close to the cliff base at St. John's Point in County
Down. Another time in a pub, after a few drinks of an
evening, he got into a political slanging match with a
couple of rowdies; they followed him outside and into
an alley where heaven knows what might have
happened had not a group of "the other side" come
along and sorted out the rowdies.
Ferguson's take on the Northern Irish was as follows.
"Over the course of my trek, the one thing I learned to
rely on, other than the unpredictability of
the weather, was the kindness of the
people, whether Protestant or Catholic,
Prod or Fenian. Why they couldn't show
the same generosity of spirit to each other
I never was able to reconcile. "Aye, we
love visitors and hate our neighbours" was
how it was explained to me."
There are four pages of background
material listed at the back of the book,
mostly referring to Irish history, should you
wish to read more. In addition Ferguson
has provided decent maps of the seven
sections into which he breaks up the Ulster
Way. As this book went to press in 2009 it
was announced that the Ulster Way would
be re-launched with a new route, improved signage and
an emphasis on promoting shorter, "quality" sections.
All this sounds great but, as Ferguson might have said,
be forewarned and remember that this is Ulster!
For those of us who have done any long distance
hiking, this is a must read. For those of us who don't
understand the Northern Irish, this is a must read. For
those of us who revel in travel literature, this book
should be a very high priority read (and it's by a
Canadian!).
[Dave Hull ]
Potpourri of Resources
Listed below is a no-particular-order bunch of websites
or book stores encountered in the last while that are
useful in support of hiking. If you have your own
favorite lists or discoveries of this sort of thing, send it
off to our newsletter editor for the next issue!
A Trails Map of the Hanlon Creek Conservation Area
(and Preservation Park) – as compiled by Stew Hilts,
past Chair of the U of G Geography Dept. First time
anyone has attempted to make such a map, despite
public ownership of this area going back 35+ years.
Should prevent folks from getting lost as much as they
do in there! And he nicely gives credit to GHTC for
originally opening up some of the trails.
http://hanloncreekjournal.blogspot.ca/2010/01/trails-ofhanlon-creek.html
Toronto Hiking Website:
http://www.torontohiking.com/tohi/
A surprisingly good website with all kinds of features,
and excellent maps. The hikes listing focuses on the
GTA and variations of Bruce Trail hikes along the
escarpment, but also cherry picks some other
interesting hikes from other parts of SW Ontario.
Oddly, nothing from GHTC trails, though, many of
which are more interesting than some of their other
picks, IMHO.
Greg Vincent’s Website: Features some of the best
practical advice on hiking, by a local GVTA member
and accomplished hike leader, famous for his
Pennsylvania hiking holidays.
http://home.golden.net/~gvincent/
The Adirondacks: This site is by an engaging couple
who are “peak baggers” (isn’t everyone who goes to
this upstate NY park?) from Quebec who have seen it
all. A six hour drive to Lake Placid from here.
http://www.go.to/adirondack
Finger Lakes Trail: http://fltconference.org This 550
mile long trail runs through the “southern tier” of New
York, from the Allegheny Mountains to the Catskill
Mountains and can be reached in as little as an hour
south of Buffalo. Maps can be bought on line by the
page. Some of our members have been saying parts of
the trail are reminiscent of hillier bits of England.
Open Air Books: if you are heading out of country
anywhere, this store is an excellent resource, with very
hard to find titles, if impossibly cramped. Adelaide St.
E. in Toronto, about 2 blocks east of Yonge. (A good
backup after you have checked out The World’s
Biggest Bookstore travel section …located just west off
Yonge, one block north of Dundas.)
City of Waterfalls (Hamilton): a local marketing
individual has created a stunning site, succeeding in
increasing local awareness of the beauty spots around
the region. This has triggered much of the recent
enthusiasm at “waterfall-bagging” (i.e. seeing every last
waterfall) not only in Hamilton, but along the
Escarpment, and throughout Ontario.
http://www.cityofwaterfalls.ca
[Bill Mungall]
HIKING SCHEDULE
Mar 2013 through mid July 2013
Over the years the GHTC has enjoyed permission from the generosity of private landowners for footpaths through their
property. The friendship, respect and trust of these landowners are the Club's most important assets. Let us continue to care for
and properly use their property while maintaining the objectives of the Club.
All hikers should check the GHTC web site www.guelphhiking.com for detailed advice and information on Terrain Rating
System, Hike Speed, special seasonal instructions and other timely recommendations.
Hikes from other clubs are listed. Please check their websites for their terrain and speed ratings, as they may be different than
GHTC's.
• To avoid disappointment due to cancellation, please notify the hike leader if you intend to join a scheduled hike.
• Cancelled or rescheduled hikes will be posted on the GHTC web site. The leader may choose to post a rain date here. Be
sure to check for updates and impromptu hikes!
• Occasionally it proves more convenient for a hike leader to select a meeting place that is not in Guelph. If you cannot arrange
a ride to get there, call the hike leader who may know of someone who is willing to take you. In other out-of-town hikes the
leader will meet at a local location to carpool. If the distance is considerable, it is customary to offer to help pay for gasoline.
• It is important to stay with the group while hiking, alerting the leader of intentions to ‘drop-out' at the beginning a necessity
and appreciated.
NOTE: HIKE Dates and TITLES in BOLD are conducted by the Guelph Hiking Trail Club.
Once again the GHTC hike leaders have put together a great hiking schedule that address different interests and hiking levels. If
you have a hike location that you would like to see in a future schedule, please email me. [email protected].
Hikes from other clubs are also listed. Please check their websites for details or cancellation notices.
And just a reminder that the times listed with hikes are departure times so please arrive 5-10 minutes earlier. W e would be
disappointed if we left without you.
Sat M ar 02
GOLDIE M ILL
1-1½ hr
A "Beginner's Hike", in the north/central area of Guelph. Meet at 10:00am in the parking lot at Exhibition Park Arena on
Exhibition St / Division St. This will be an urban hike, in a figure of 8, so there will be a drop-out point halfway through the
hike if needed. Bring water & snack & icers for your shoes if the streets are icy.
Leader: Susan Atkinson 519-837-9470 evenings before 10 p.m. [email protected]
Level 1. Speed Casual
Sun M ar 03
KOLAPORE UPLANDS SKI TRAILS
5 hr
Challenging, semi-wilderness trails on the Escarpment, 90 minutes north of Guelph. For adventuresome and reasonably fit
skiers. XC ski only. Meet at 8am.
Leader: Call Bill Mungall at 836-5567 for transportation info.
Level 3
Sat M ar 09
ROYAL RECREATION TRAIL
1-1½ hr
This is the second "Beginner's Hike". Also good to start to get back in shape if you have been idle over the winter. Meet
10:00am at the Guelph covered bridge on Gordon Street to hike from Gordon street to Victoria Road then back.
Leader: Gayle 519 856-1012
Sun M ar 10
PRESERVATION PARK
2 hr
Meet at 1 pm. in the city parking lot on the North side of Kortright Rd (just west of Edinburgh Rd) Come and enjoy the maze
of trails that can be found in the 67 acres of forest. All are welcome.
Leader: Paul 519 824-6241
Level 2. Speed Moderate
Sat M ar 16
PRIVATE PROPERTY TRAILS
2 hr
By the generosity of a property owner south of Guelph in the cranberry bog, come enjoy discovering the trails meandering over
hills and meadows, in and out of woods, a weather-dependent chance to hike, ski or snowshoe. Meet at the ‘Y' parking lot for a
2pm. start. Bring water
Leader: Susan Bard 519-836-6570
Sun M ar 17
ROYAL RECREATIONAL TRAIL - PHOTO HIKE
2 - 2½ hr
This will be the first of 3 Photo Hikes. W e will take an easy stroll along the River Trails for a total of about 5 Km. Meet at the
Covered Bridge Parking Lot on Gordon St. at 2:30pm. W e will start and finish there. W e will travel at a slow pace pointing out
many photogenic scenes and providing lots of time for composing and taking pictures. The time of day was chosen with a view
to the probability of good, low angle dramatic lighting. Bring a camera that you are comfortable with, fresh batteries and a
memory stick with room for perhaps 50 or more high resolution pictures. Do not be put off by overcast skies or light drizzle,
etc. If it is raining heavily, or a thunder storm is underway, we would probably not want to proceed, but otherwise there can be
some great photo opportunities even if the day is not bright and sunny.
Leader: Bob Fanning 519 822-5181 or [email protected]
Level 1 Easy pace
Thu M ar 21
GHTC SLIDE NIGHT
Zehr's Community Room, Imperial and Paisley Roads 7-9pm. More details will be provided in GHTC "Upcoming Events"
email prior to event.
Sat M ar 23
CALEDON TRAILW AY
15 - 20 km 5-6 hrs
W e will explore the Caledon Trailway, part of the National Trail, an abandoned rail-line between Caledon East and Terra Cotta.
This will be an easy hike over 5 or 6 hours. Bring water and a lunch. W e will meet near Georgetown around 9:30am. Call Mike
for details of the rendezvous place. Optional drop out after 8km at Ingelwood needs to be arranged in advance with leader.
Leader: Mike Curtis 1-905-877-4134
Sat Mar 23
GVT PINNACLE SECTION, HIKE 1 OF 6
Elora area . For more details see www.gvta.on.ca
GVTA leader
11km
Sun M ar 24
ELM IRA RESERVOIR AT FLORADALE
8 km, 2 hr
Flat ,varied topography including Lion's Club Sugar Bush operation around reservoir on Canagagiue River. Old order
Mennonite farm country. Meet on Florapine Rd just west of Arthur St N for a 2pm departure. Guelph carpool location is
Golden Griddle parking lot by W oodlawn Rd. with a 1:15pm departure.
Leader: Stan Litch 519-843-5915, Guelph carpool Suzanne Gates 519-265-3962, [email protected]
Sat M ar 30
K/W UNIVERSITY GROUNDS
8 km, 2 hr
Meet at railway museum parking lot on Father Bauer Drive and Erb Street, 10 a.m. W alking north through university grounds.
Bring water. Suggested lunch at Sole, Erb Street. Contact Susan to arrange carpool.
Leader: Donald Hughes, Susan Bard 519-836-6570
Level 1. Speed Moderate.
M on Apr 01
IGNATIUS JESUIT CENTRE HIKE 1 OF 5
2 km, 1 hr
Catherine Donnelly W alk - Stations of the Cross & of the Cosmos. A slow meditative walk. Meet in the parking lot by the
Labyrinth and Jesuit Cemetery for a 6:30pm departure.
Leader: Vanessa Hyland, 519-821-5335, [email protected]
Level 1. Slow
M on Apr 01
HURON NATURAL PARK
8 km, 2 hr
Meet at 10am at Huron Natural Park entrance. Reach Park by Homer W atson Boulevard, Beasley Drive, Trillium Drive. Bring
water, lunch. Contact Susan to arrange carpool.
W ed Apr 03
GUELPH LAKE CONSERVATION
1½ hr
Meet at the entrance to the park on Conservation Road for a 6:15 pm start. W e will hike the trail through woods and walk some
of the roadways in park.
Sat Apr 06
GVT PINNACLE SECTION, HIKE 2 OF 6
Elora area . For more details see www.gvta.on.ca
GVTA leader
10.3km
Sat Apr 06
ELORA GORGE AREA (GVTA TRAIL)
4km, 1hr
Spectacular views of the Grand. Meet at parking lot of ball diamond on west side Ct.Rd7 (Elora Rd) and Middlebrook Rd. for a
10am departure. Guelph carpool location is Golden Griddle parking lot by W oodlawn Rd. with a 9:30am departure.
Leader: Stan Litch 519-843-5915, Guelph carpool Suzanne Gates 519-265-3962, [email protected]
Sun Apr 07
CAM BRIDGE TO PARIS RAIL TRAIL
10 km
Meet at 10am in Churchill Park off W ater Street. Bring water, lunch. Contact Susan to arrange carpool.
M on Apr 08
1½ hr, 5 km
Great Auk W etland Trail goes through woodlot and wetlands behind Marymount Cemetery. Meet in the parking lot by the
W ed Apr 10
SPEED RIVER SECTION 1
2 hr
Meet for a 6pm departure at the parking just outside of Guelph Humane Society. W e will follow Speed River sect 1 to Niska
Rd. and return on the John W oods Side trail.
Leader: Norm 519-836-3668
Thu Apr 11
ELORA/FERGUS HIKE 1 OF 3: GORGE LOOP
For more details see www.gvta.on.ca
GVTA leader
6.8km
Sat Apr 13
HALTON AGREEM ENT FOREST
3 hr, 8-10km
W e enter on the 4th Line of Nassagaweya and hike along fire road and woodland trails. Lots of wildflowers in this section,
including green and white Trilliums. Meet at Guelph covered Bridge for a 12:30pm car pool departure. Bring water and snacks.
Trails may be wet.
Leader: Norm 519-836-3668; Gayle 519 856-1012
M on Apr 15
1½ hr., 5 km
Chardin and Martin Royackers Trails explore the old gravel pit. Meet in the parking lot by the Labyrinth and Jesuit Cemetery
for a 6:30pm departure.
Tue Apr 16
DUFFERIN HI-LAND SECTION, PRIM ROSE, M AP 20
13.4 km
A 13.4 km car shuttle hike at a medium pace with some hills. Hiking boots recommended. Bring water, snack and lunch, and no
dogs please. Depart: 9:30 am from the meeting point at km 15.2 on Hurontario St. where there is roadside parking on the south
side of Hwy. 89 at least 30 metres from the intersection. Take Highway 10 north from Orangeville to Primrose (junction of 10
and 89), then east one concession to Hurontario St. Park just south of this intersection. From the meeting point, we will car
shuttle to km 29.2 and then hike back taking in W alkers W oods and the Boyne Valley. W e will look out for signs of spring.
Leader: Leader: Susan Atkinson 519-837-9470 evenings before 10 p.m. [email protected]
W ed Apr 17
ROCKW OOD CONSERVATION
1½ hr
Hike the Rockwood Conservation area trails and view some of the 200 glacial potholes found here. W e'll pass by some of the
12 caves, the ruins of a woollen mill and 500 year old cedars as we follow the Eramosa River. Park on Fall Street S. in
Rockwood for a 6:30pm departure.
Thu Apr 18
ELORA/FERGUS HIKE 2 OF 3: MUSEUM LOOP
GVTA leader
8.6 km
Sat Apr 20
M IKE'S TRADITIONAL SPRING HIKE & W ALK FOR W ILDLIFE
6hrs
This is a great hike, looping along the Bruce Trail near Scottsdale Farm, north of Georgetown. The meeting place is on
Trafalgar Road north of Hwy 7, opposite the Cango gas Station (Silvercreek) at 10:00am, and a three minute drive takes us to
the parking lot at Scottsdale Farm.
W e will follow the Bruce and a couple of side trails returning to the cars around 4:00ish. W eather appropriate clothing, and
footwear (rocks can be slippery), lunch and water are essential. Our kilometers walked will be added to the Canada-wide total
kilometers of the Canadian W ildlife Federation's 2013 W alk for W ildlife. (The goal of W alk for W ildlife is to encourage
people to spend time outdoors.)
Leader: Mike Curtis 905-877-4134
Sat Apr 20
W ILDW OOD CA
10 km
Meet for a 10am departure in W ildwood CA, located 16 km west of Stratford on hwy 8, cross dam, turn left at intersection, turn
left again at first road. You may be required to pay admission. Suggest lunch at W oolfy's at intersection. Contact Susan to
arrange carpool.
Sun Apr 21
RLT SECT 2 - PHOTO HIKE
2 - 2½ hr
Our second photo hike will take place on RLT Section 2. Meet at the Guelph Covered Bridge Parking lot on Gordon for a
2:30pm departure to the Starkey Hill parking lot. W e will hike along the side trail to the main trail in section 2, going east along
the main trail and then returning the same way, to finish at the parking lot. The turnaround point would be determined by the
groups progress, such that we would finish by about 5:00 PM. Bring a camera that you are comfortable with, fresh batteries and
a memory stick with room for perhaps 50 or more high resolution pictures. Do not be put off by overcast skies or light drizzle,
etc. If it is raining heavily, or a thunder storm is underway, we would probably not want to proceed, but otherwise there can be
some great photo opportunities even if the day is not bright and sunny.
Level 2 Easy pace
M on Apr 22 IGNATIUS JESUIT CENTRE HIKE 4 OF 5
1½ hr, 5 km
Back 40 and River Chardoner Trails explore the bee hives, the willow dome and the hermitages. Meet in the parking lot by the
W ed Apr 24
ROYAL CITY RECREATION TRAIL
2 hr
Meet at the covered bridge for a 6:30 PM start along the RRT. W e will head toward Victoria road on north side of Eramosa
river and return on south side.
Leader: Norm 519 836-3568
Thu Apr 25
ELORA/FERGUS HIKE 3 OF 3: FERGUS LOOP
Leader: GVTA leader
8.5km
Sat Apr 27
TRAILS OPEN / DOORS OPEN GUELPH
1½ hr.
Join the GHTC and GRCA in celebrating the 40th anniversary of Starkey Trail. Wild flowers such as Trilliums, Hepatica, Spring
Beauty and Dutchman's Breeches are found along the Starkey Hill trails and chickadees will take food from your hand. Meet in
Starkey Hill parking lot, south side of Arkell Rd., about 1km east of Arkell Village. Four hikes departing at 9:30, 11:30, 1:30,
3:30
Leader: various GHTC leaders
Sat Apr 27
WOODSTOCK
10 km
Use Hwy 401, exit 236 to Tower Line Road. Turn right onto Oxford Road 4. Meet at trail entrance on left just past bridge for a
10am departure. Bring water, lunch. Contact Susan to arrange carpool.
Sun Apr 28
FERGUS HISTORIC HIKE
1½-2hr
We will walk the streets of Fergus, passing by homes, churches, mills and commercial buildings built in 1800s. Are journey will
provide some great views of the Grand River. After our walk we can lunch at the Brew House on the Grand, originally built as a
home circa 1851, it was converted into a flour mill, electrical generating plant, chicken hatchery, Police department and finally an
Inn and pub. Meet in Golden Griddle parking lot close to Woodlawn Rd. for a 10:00am carpool to Fergus. Wear shoes suitable
for sidewalk walking.
Level 1 Easy pace
Sun Apr 28
CRAWFORD LAKE/RATTLESNAKE POINT LOOP
GVTA leader
14 km
Level 2/3. Speed Moderate
M on Apr 29
2½ hr, 10 km
Villa by the Speed Trail - a walk along Marden Creek to where it joins the Speed, and then out to Victoria Rd. and back. Meet in
the parking lot by the Labyrinth and Jesuit Cemetery for a 6pm departure.
Sat M ay 04
HOCKLEY VALLEY
14km
For a challenging hike in beautiful Hockley Valley we will be hiking the Bruce Trail between Hockley Road and Dunby Road
through fields and forests and enjoying the sights. Bring water, snacks, lunch and wear hiking boots. We will carpool at 9:00 a.m.
from Guelph's covered bridge parking lot east of Gordon. Pub stop after hike. Returning around 5:00p.m.
Leader: Lynn Glover, 519-780-0342 Level 3, Speed Moderate
Sat May 04
GVT, PINNACLE SECTION, HIKE 3 OF 6
Lake Belwood area. For more details see www.gvta.on.ca
GVTA leader
10.3km
Sun M ay 05
SPEED RIVER TRAIL
2½ hr, 9 km
We will hike Section 2 of our Speed River Trail and John Wood Sidetrails on Section 1. Meet at the Humane Society parking lot
south of Wellington Str. (west of Hanlon) at 1:30 PM.
Leader: Stan & Jana, 519-821-7996
Sun M ay 05
KIDS HIKE - RADIAL LINE TRAIL, SECTION ONE
1½ hr
Introduce the young people in your life to the fun of hiking as we hunt for signs of spring along the river, the meadow and ancient
coral reef cliffs found on the Radial Line Trail right in Guelph!
Meet prior to the 1:00 pm hike start in the parking area just outside the Barber Scout Camp at 733 Stone Road E. Enter via the
laneway on the south side of Stone Road E, immediately east of the railroad track (between Victoria Road and Watson Road).
You will not see a 733 sign at the roadside, instead there is a small blue "Barber Scout Camp" sign on the telephone pole on
Stone Road near the laneway.
Children must be accompanied by an adult on the Tortoise or Hare hikes. Dress for the weather. Bring water and sunscreen. No
strollers and no pets. Refreshments provided. For details and to register, please call Kathy at 519 836-9147 or
[email protected].
Leader: Guelph Hiking Trail Club Leaders
Level 1, hiking at an easy pace
Wed M ay 08
UNIVERSITY ARBORETUM
1½ to 2 hr
Come join us for the " Sights and Smells of Spring in the Arboretum". Park at the Arboretum Centre for a 6:30pm departure. The
entrance to the Arboretum Centre is off College Ave., a short distance west of Victoria Rd.
Leader: Martin [email protected] or cell is 226 979 1495
Sat M ay 11
TORONTO BT LIM EHOUSE LOOP
2+ hr
This area always intrigues any season with its novel "Hole in the Wall" and heritage lime kilns being refurbished. Bring water
and snacks. Poles are helpful with some up and down passages. Meet for a 1:00pm departure at the Guelph covered bridge
parking lot east of Gordon Street for carpooling to trail head.
Sun M ay 12
BACKUS WOODS
14km
The crown jewel of Carolinian Canada is under 90 minutes away. Ideal time to see early growth, and before bug life makes for
tougher hiking. Bring lunch. Meet 8:30 a.m. at Guelph covered bridge parking lot.
Leader: Bill Mungall [email protected]
M on M ay 13
ARKELL RESEARCH STATION
4 km
Enjoy the best views over Guelph from the open ridge. Meet at 6:30pm at Meghan Crescent and Clair Rd., one block west of
Victoria S.
Sat M ay 18
W ILSON'S FLATS
8-9 km, 2½ hr
W e will start down river on the Grand at W ilson's Flats ending up at the ball diamond at Middlebrook Rd. and the Elora Rd.( on
GVTA trail on the north side of the river) Meet at ball diamond for a 2pm departure to W ilson's Flats. Guelph carpool location
is Golden Griddle parking lot by W oodlawn Rd. with a 1:30pm departure.
Leader: Stan Litch 519-843-5915, Guelph carpool Gayle 519 856-1012
Sat M ay 18
NEW HAM BURG
6 km
This is a new trail to explore. Following hwy 7 and 8 to the third set of traffic lights, turn left onto Haysville Road. Trail begins
on the right at the second entrance to new development. Meet for a 10am departure. Suggest lunch at W aterlot Inn. Contact
Susan to arrange carpool.
M on M ay 20
STRATFORD
8 km
Meet at 10am in parking lot of Art Gallery on Romeo Street, walking east along Avon River. Suggest lunch at Mercer Hall on
Ontario Street. Contact Susan to arrange carpool.
Level 1, 2. Speed Moderate
W ed M ay 22
SM ITHS SIDE TRAIL
2 hrs
Meet at the Guelph covered bridge for a 6:00 PM carpool departure, or 6:15 at the trail head on W atson Rd. W e will hike along
the rail bed to the dam then up to a scenic view. Bring water, snacks and good footwear. Dogs Ok
Leader: Norm 519 836-3568 [email protected]
Sat M ay 25
SPEED RIVER TRAIL
3hr, 13km
Hike the Speed River Trail between the covered bridge on Gordon Street and the trail head at Roszell Road. The footing can be
wet so wear appropriate boots. Bring lunch, snacks and water. Meet at the Guelph covered bridge parking lot on Gordon Street
at 12 noon for car pooling to the Roszell Rd. trail head. Possible pub stop afterwards.
Leader: Terry Spittles 519-265-6203
Sat M ay 25
UNIVERSITY ARBORETUM - PHOTO HIKE
2 - 2½ hr
Our third photo hike will be an exploration of the demonstration gardens at the Arboretum, plus some of the woods trails along
the south side, including the trail past some old quarry ponds. W e would meet at the Arboretum Centre Parking lot just off
College Ave and start at 2:30pm. W e will finish at the same spot. Bring a camera that you are comfortable with, fresh batteries
and a memory stick with room for perhaps 50 or more high resolution pictures. Do not be put off by overcast skies or light
drizzle, etc. If it is raining heavily, or a thunder storm is underway, we would probably not want to proceed, but otherwise there
can be some great photo opportunities even if the day is not bright and sunny.
Level 1. Easy pace
Sat May 25
PARIS TO CAMBRIDGE RAIL TRAIL, PART 1 OF 2
GVTA leader
20 km
Sun M ay 26
HANLON CREEK CONSERVATION AREA
2-3 hr
Meet in the parking lot in front of The Fat Duck restaurant at the SW corner of Kortright and Edinburgh for a 1:30pm
departure. W e will hike from there through Preservation Park, down to wander the web of trails in the Hanlon Creek
Conservation Area. All welcome.
Leader: Suzanne Gates 519-265-3962, [email protected]
M on M ay 27
SECTION 2, SPEED RIVER TRAIL
3.8 km
Prettiest section of the SRT, right along the river, from the gas compressor station on 124 to end of W hitelaw/Sideroad 10N.
W e will shuttle cars to make this possible as an evening hike. Meet at Guelph covered bridge parking lot at 6:30pm.
Sat Jun 01
SPEED RIVER TRAIL 40TH ANNIV. (INTERNATIONAL TRAILS DAY)
various
Come out and help us celebrate the founding of the Speed River Trail in 1973. BBQ at 4:30 at Silvercreek Park (south of
W ellington, off Edinburgh). 14.5 km end to end hike (12:00 start at Silvercreek Pk.), plus 3 hikes for each individual section,
of 5 km, 4 km and 3.5 km., all with afternoon starts. Dignitaries, past presidents and landowners will be invited to the event.
(W atch for email update notices for start times or call Bill.) Pace moderate for all hikes, all ending at approx. 4:30 for BBQ.
Leader: Bill Mungall and other leaders [email protected] 836-5567
Level 1-2. Speed Moderate
Sun Jun 02
CALENDAR GIRLS THEATRE HIKE AND EATS
1hr
By popular demand, we'll stretch on a hike after an afternoon of theatre giggles, stopping at Eggcetera for refreshment and a
tasty meal. Meet in the lobby by 1:45p.m. to group and receive tickets. Tickets are $19. Recommend registering early to
guarantee a seat!
Leader: Susan Bard 519-836-6570
Level 1. Speed Casual.
Sun Jun 02
FORKS OF THE CREDIT LOOP
GVTA leader
8.6 or 9.8 km
Level 2/3. Speed Moderate
M on Jun 03
EDINBURGH RD TO M ARDEN TRACT
4km
W e will walk one possible connection from Guelph to the Kissing Bridge Trailway head. See it before it's converted to a private
road to service the new Cargill flour mill. Meet behind Swiss Chalet at corner of W oodlawn and Edinburgh at 6:30pm, and
shuttle cars to Marden Tract.
Level 1. Easy pace
Sat Jun 08
BRIDGE TO BRIDGE
25.5km
Meet at the Guelph covered bridge for 9:00AM departure to bus to W est Montrose Kissing bridge. From there we will hike
back to the Guelph covered bridge a distance of about 20 km. Refreshments will be provide at checkpoints. Pre registration and
a participation fee are required. Badges will be available. More details will be provided in "Guelph Hiking Trail Club
Upcoming Events" email or contact leader.
Leader: Norm 519 836-3568 [email protected]
Sat Jun 08
M ITCHELL
10 km
Follow hwy 8 west of Stratford to Mitchell, turn right at second set of lights (St. George Street). Continue to Frances Street.
Turn left and park at end of street. 10am departure. Bring water, lunch. Contact Susan to arrange carpool.
Level 1, 2. Speed Moderate.
Sun Jun 09
RIM PARK, W ATERLOO
8 km
Follow University Street, turn right onto Park Road to meet at 10am in the parking lot. Bring water, lunch. Contact Susan to
arrange carpool.
M on Jun 10
SPEEDVALE AVE TO THE BOATHOUSE
3.5km
An easy beginner hike, all on the TransCanada Trail with excellent views of rapids along the river. Possible historic and current
event vignettes along the way. Meet at Guelph covered bridge parking lot at 6:30pm.
Level 1. Easy pace
W ed Jun 12
TW O RIVERS HIKE
5km, 1.5 hr
Meet at the Guelph covered bridge for a 6:30 PM start along the RRT. W e will head toward Victoria road on north side of
Eramosa river and return on south side.
Leader: Norm 519 836-3568
Sat Jun 15
HILTON FALLS
6hr, 21km
W e will hike sections of the Bruce Trail and side trails on the Niagara Escarpment and Halton Conservation area. Meet at the
Guelph covered bridge on Gordon Street for a 9:00 am departure. Bring lunch snacks and water. Possible pub stop afterwards.
Sun Jun 16
SHADES M ILLS, CAM BRIDGE
8 km
Many favoured hardwood forest trails are here to hike along Mill Creek. Meet 10am in parking area inside the CA, 412 Avenue
Road east of Franklin Blvd in Cambridge. CA admission fee. Bring water, lunch. Contact Susan to arrange carpool.
Level 1, 2. Speed Moderate.
M on Jun 17
GUELPH'S KETTLE LAKES
2½ km
Some of the prettiest views within the City are along the edge of several deep ponds nestled under tall pines on the surrounding
hills. See it all before it becomes surrounded by industrial parks! Some bushwhacking. Meet at the front lot of Bishop
Macdonell High School at 6:30pm.
JUNE 21-23,
11 th ANNUAL ORCHID ADVENTURE, TOBERMORY
GVTA leader
Level 1. Leisurely
Sat Jun 22
TORONTO BT SPEYSIDE LOOP
10 km
Here is a lovely area close to home for a loop hike along Bruce main and side trails with variable terrain, rocky sections as well
as a great lookout. W ear proper footwear and seasonal protective clothing. Bring water and snacks. Meet for a 1:00pm
departure at the Guelph covered bridge parking lot east of Gordon Street for carpooling to trail head.
Sun Jun 23
GO BUS HIKE
28 km
Just to prove it can be done, we will board a GO bus to Acton, use the new Moroz sidetrail leading out of south Acton to the
Radial Line Trail, and walk back to downtown Guelph! No car shuttle necessary! (Note, during the weekdays, you can also take
a GO Train to the new Acton station and do the same hike.) Meet at Via/GO station no later than 7:00 a.m. to buy a one way
ticket and board the 7:10 bus.
Level 3, moderate to brisk pace
W ed Jun 26
GUELPH CORRECTIONAL CENTRE GROUNDS
1½ hrs
The Guelph Correctional Centre other than once the home for prisoners, has been the site for movies and TV shows. In 2007 a
paranormal investigation was filmed there. W e walk by the buildings and through the fields and park-like areas created by the
former prisoners. W e will meet at 6:30 in the south end of the old Legion parking lot, located off York Rd. (highway 7), just
east of W atson Parkway.
Sat Jun 29
ELORA TO FERGUS ON THE CATARACT RAIL TRAIL
2 hr, 8 km
Hike the Cataract Rail Trail between Elora and Fergus. Meet at the Canadian Tire Store parking lot on W oodlawn for a 1:00
pm departure. Drive to Fergus and then do a loop hike on the two rail trails with a brief stop in Elora to window shop. Bring
snacks and water. Possible pub stop in Fergus afterwards.
Sat Jun 29
ST. M ARY'S
8 km
Can be reached by Hwy 7 or 8. Park at tennis courts on W ater Street for a 10am departure. Suggest lunch at a restaurant in city
centre. Contact Susan to arrange carpool.
M on Jul 01
SPEED RIVER, GUELPH LAKE AND FIREW ORKS!!
1½ - 2 hr
Join in a lovely loop hike close to home along the Speed River to Guelph Lake depending on numbers as we will want to be
back to enjoy the dazzling 9:00-9:30 p.m. fireworks at Riverside Park. W ear proper footwear and seasonal night clothing. Bring
water, snacks and a flashlight. Meet 7:30 p.m. at the Golden Griddle Parking Lot off W oodlawn Rd. E.
Leader: Suzanne Gates 519-265-3962
Level 2. Speed Causal/Moderate
M on Jul 01
PERTH M USEUM AND AVON RIVER
10 km
Meet 10am in parking lot of Perth Museum just west of Stratford on Hwy 8 for a brief walk in the grounds; then, move cars to
natural area to hike along Avon River. Bring water, lunch. Contact Susan to arrange carpool.
Sat Jul 06
FORKS OF THE CREDIT
10 km
Meet at the Guelph covered bridge for a 9:00AM departure. W e will hike the Bruce Trail along the Credit river to the Forks Of
the Credit Provincial Park to view the Cataract Falls and ruins of an Hydro Station. W ear proper footwear and bring water and
snacks and lunch.
M on Jul 08
DOW NTOW N GUELPH – SATURDAY LATE NIGHT!
3-4 km
A repeat of our infamous downtown tour from 2012, exploring the underbelly of street life after dark. A very different Guelph
you probably have never seen! Meet at Guelph covered bridge lot at 10:30 pm. Pub stop afterward.
Level 1. Easy pace
Sat Jul 13
GUELPH LAKE - GORBA TRAILS
2½ -3 hr
Meet at 1:30p.m. in the Tim Horton's parking lot at the NW corner of Victoria and W oodlawn Roads. From here we can walk to
trail head on Victoria Rd. W e will then walk along the maze of bicycle trails and view Guelph Lake from the top of the dam.
Leader: Suzanne Gates 519-265-3962
Sat Jul 20
BRUCE TRAIL BETW EEN HOCKLEY ROAD AND DUNBY ROAD
14 km
For a challenging hike in beautiful Hockley Valley we will be hiking the Bruce Trail between Hockley Road and Dunby Road
through fields and forests and enjoying the sights. Bring water, snacks, lunch and wear hiking boots. W e will carpool at 9:00
a.m. from Guelph's covered bridge parking lot east of Gordon. Pub stop after hike. Returning around 5:00p.m.
Leader: Terry Spittles 519-265-6203 and Lynn Glover 519-780-0342
Information on joining a Club hike, the hike rating system, what to bring on a hike, etc., can be found on the
Club web site under "Safe Hiking" (www.guelphhiking.com/Safe_Hiking.com).
GHTC thanks
Rita Ladjansky
for designing this badge.
Join the group on June 8
to earn one.
2013 Organized End-to-End Hikes
There is a registration fee to participate in most of these organized hikes. For most of these hikes pre-registration is
required. For more hike details visit hosting club's website.
Dufferin Hi-Land
Saturday, April 20 – Dufferin Hi-Land 3 Day End-to-End, Hike 1
Saturday, May 25 – Dufferin Hi-Land 3 Day End-to-End, Hike 2
Saturday, June 1 – Dufferin Hi-Land 3 Day End-to-End, Hike 3nh
May 4th 2013 9:30 am Dufferin Hi-Land 20 Km Challenge
June 8: Dufferin One-Day End-to-End (Rick McCoy)
June 15-16: Peninsula End-to-End, Hikes 1 and 2 (Rick McCoy)
July 13-14: Peninsula End-to-End, Hikes 3 and 4 (Rick McCoy)
Details at: dufferinbrucetrailclub.org
Ganaraska Trail E2E
Sun. May 12, 2013 - Ganaraska Trail - Orillia Section, Hike 14 of 21. Level 2: Moderate ~ 15.8 km
Sat. June 8, 2013 - Ganaraska Trail - Orillia Section, Hike 15 of 21. Level 2: Moderate ~ 19.5 km
Sat. June 8, 2013 - Ganaraska Trail - Orillia Section, Hike 15 of 21. Level 2: Moderate ~ 19.5 km
Sat., July 13, 2013 - Ganaraska Trail - Barrie Section, Hike 17 of 21. Level 2: Moderate ~ 20.7 km
Sat. July 13, 2013 - Ganaraska Trail - Barrie Section, Hike 17 of 21. Level 2: Moderate ~ 20.7 km
Sun. July 14, 2013 - Ganaraska Trail - Barrie Section, Hike 18 of 21. Level 2: Moderate ~ 13.1 km
Details at: gvta.on.ca
For more hikes go to other Clubs website:
Maitland Trail Association - maitlandtrail.ca/upcoming.htm
Halton Outdoor Club - outdoor.spectranet.ca/index.html
Iroquoia Bruce Trail Club - iroquoia.on.ca/hikes.html
Dufferin Bruce Trail Club - dufferinbrucetrailclub.org
Thames Valley Trail Association - tvta.ca
Halton Hills Bruce Trail Chapter - on a link at media6.magma.ca/www.torontobrucetrailclub.org/indexhttps.php
Jim Hoare and Terry Spittle brief the hikers who turned out for the traditional Boxing day hike,
held this year at Starkey hill.
Best Lens to Take Hiking?
photographer's dilemma when planning to go
on any GHTC hike - “I’ve graduated beyond
the simple point and shoot camera so what
lens or lenses should I take?” Pack weight
and volume are always at a premium, often leaving
room for only limited photography gear.
Considering weight, function and quality, which
lens might best handle all the many requirements
one might encounter and help
bring back images that warrant
entry into a photo contest?
A
expensive, often costing more than the camera body
to which they attach.
Wide angle lens, i.e. those with a
focal length of 35 mm or less,
are ideal for landscapes. These
work great for the sweeping
vistas or flower beds, but what
about capturing the fine details
of individual blooms or bugs? A
macro lens allows very close focusing on the subject
but is only useful in these specialized situations.
Since most digital SLR cameras have a close-up
function incorporated into the body that works with
a variety of compatible lenses, this should negate
the need for carting a dedicated macro.
The question then becomes: Is it
better to have one very long lens
with a broad coverage, or a few
zooms that cover smaller but more
specific focal-length ranges? The
answer really depends on shooting
style and ones willingness (or
unwillingness) to carry gear. If you
like to travel light but still want a good zoom range,
nothing beats a quality zoom lens with a wideangle-to-telephoto range. Rather than spending time
changing lenses, you can just keep shooting – very
convenient!
Capturing pictures of wildlife is perhaps the most
demanding type of nature photography since it must
usually be done quickly and at a considerable
distance from the subject. Thus, a telephoto lens
with a focal length approaching 200mm is needed to
get those up-close views of wild animals or birds.
On the other hand, if you like to work within specific
ranges for specific subjects - such as wide-angle
lenses for landscapes and a telephoto zoom for
wildlife - and you spend a lot of time shooting those
subjects, it’s worth owning a few separate zooms.
There is no point in carrying a 28-300mm lens every
day if you’re mainly going to be working in the
wide-angle range. You’re better off owning a
dedicated wide-angle zoom because you can
probably get broader coverage, along with a faster
lens of better optical quality.
Fortunately, camera manufacturers produce zoom
lenses that can vary in focal length. With the long
focal length, one can get close-up images of an
animal without getting too close, particularly
important for animals with teeth, scent or attitude.
Employing the shorter focal lengths allows
capturing wider fields, ideal for scenery or a hiking
group picture.
Not that long ago, a travel photographer on the road
probably had so many camera cases that a Sherpa
was required just to get to the airport. Zoom lenses
have drastically changed this scenario. Today, one
might easily travel the world with just one zoom
lens and never miss a shot.
If cost is not a factor, the best compromise might be
something like an 18 to 200 or even 300mm zoom
lens which, at 18mm, is wide enough to capture the
landscape panorama, and will get you close to
wildlife when stretched out to 200mm or more.
Unfortunately, these very versatile lenses are
Thus, the two or three lens compromise, while
somewhat bulkier, may be preferable. Digital SLR
packages include a body plus lens, often one with a
variable focal length between about 18 to 55mm.
This can be combined with a second lens ranging
from 55 to around 250mm, probably
for less cost than a single 18 to
200+ lens.
On an assignment, professional photographers might
often have three zooms: a 10-20mm wide angle, an
18-70mm, and a 70-300mm. These three lenses will
cover everything from 10mm to 300mm, and that is
a huge range for three lenses. Before zooms, the
same photographer might carry six or eight lenses
to blanket the same range. However, most would
also own a 18-200mm lens for days when they were
only out for a hike!
One problem is that when shooting in anything less
than the brightest sunlight, the image obtained at 200
mm or higher will likely be blurred without some
camera support. Rather than lugging a bulky, heavy
tripod, include a carbon-fibre monopod in your gear.
This can also double as a hiking stick when not
supporting the camera,. And don’t forget to send
your best pictures for inclusion in future newsletters.
Hike Ontario’s Long Distance
Hiker Awards
Summit 2012 Update: Hike Ontario was pleased to
announce that a record-breaking twelve individuals
successfully received their Long Distance Hiker
Awards at the annual summit held in Kitchener this
past November.
These prestigious awards celebrate dedicated hikers
who logged long distances on multiple Ontario trails.
The awards are:
Red Pine Award
The red pine is noted for its two
needles, representing two trail
systems to be hiked extensively.
One must hike a total of 550
kilometers with 150 kilometers or
more on at least two trails.
Trillium Award
The trillium is Ontario 's provincial
flower, with three petals. These
represent three trails one must hike
for a minimum of 150 kilometers.
Recipients must log a total of 950
kilometers.
Tamarack Award
The tamarack, is known for its
multiple needles, representing the
multiple trails one needs to hike to
log the required 1500 kilometers.
Recipients must hike at least 150
kilometers on each of at least three
trails.
Awards Process
Keep a hiking log (upload the appropriate form from
Hike Ontario’s web site), have your log verified by
an executive member of an Ontario hiking club and
submit it to Hike Ontario . Badges cost $15.
For more award information, visit the Hike Ontario
web site: www.hikeontario.com
Remember when we had something called winter, and
our club President, Bill Mungall, could take people out
on cross-country skiing adventures?
Want to Give Up Carrying Water?
If you have a $100 to spend a water bottle, this is it:
CamelBak’s All Clear Microbiological UV Water
Purifier. As its name suggests, this is an all-in-one
purification and drinking system, handy when you’re
in the great outdoors.
Cleaning trail-side water is
quite simple: screw the cap
in; hold the power button
down for two seconds; and
rotate the bottle while the
UV rays do their work. The
LCD screen counts down
and lets you know when the
process is complete and the
water safe to drink. The UV
system is claimed to zap
99.9999 percent of bacteria,
99.99 percent of viruses and
99.9 percent of protozoa in
25 ounces (0.75 liter) of
water in 60 seconds time.
The rechargeable battery that
comes with the All Clear
bottle is good for about 80
purification cycles per
charge, and the purifying
bulb can last 10,000 cycles
— enough to clean three liters of water a day for
almost seven years, according to CamelBak. The
package includes a protective case for the All Clear
cap, mini-USB charging cable and a classic bottle cap
for drinking.
Caution, probably not for use on night hikes!
The Trails.com app
For Smart-phone owners, the Trails.com app offers
over 48,000 trail guides from top outdoor publishers.
Trail guides cover over twenty-four different outdoor
activities including everything from mountain bike
trails to off-road trails. Apparently, one can search
for trails, view details and get up-to-date weather
conditions.
The app is free but requires a paid Trails.com
subscription to access the trail guides. If anyone has
experience with this app/subscription, please forward
your assessment of suitability for our or other areas to
the newsletter editor so this can be shared with other
club members in future newsletters.
Be Careful Where You Walk
and What You Carry!
Parry Sound is more than the home of hockey legend
Bobby Orr. The local OPP detachment reported that
a man picked up some sausages at a wild game dinner
in the local community centre before making his way
over to Don Cherry’s Sports Grill for a drink.
While later walking home, the man was followed and
attacked by another man who had also been at the
grill, with the packaged meat allegedly stolen during
the altercation. An investigation of the sausage
incident led them to the home of a third man, who
they say was seen wearing bloodstained clothes while
cooking a sausage. The two men were arrested and
the sausages were seized at the scene.
Toronto Star, Thursday January 03, 2013
penalty" as smoking does;
• cease smoking, eat a healthy diet, and being active
will add 6.9 years to your life; reduce; stress and
excessive alcohol consumption and you add another
1-2 years;
• active people also have many more years free of
disability;
• trails, and organized hiking groups can help us to be
more "active";
• for a life-expectancy calculator, see
www.rrasp-phirn.ca/risktools
How Some Select a Dining Spot
A group of chaps, all age 40, decided to meet for
lunch at least once per decade and discussed
locations. Finally it was agreed that they would go to
the Old Marina restaurant on Puslinch Lake because
the waitresses were pleasant and glamorous.
Ten years later, at age 50, the friends once again
discussed where they should meet. After some
considerable debate, it was agreed that they would
meet at the Old Marina restaurant because the service
was good and the food not overpriced.
A decade later, the Old Marina restaurant was still
their choice because they could dine in peace and
quiet with a beautiful view of the lake.
At age 70, again it was agreed that they would meet
at the Old Marina restaurant because one could park
near the entrance and there was a ramp.
At age 80, the Old Marina restaurant was chosen
– because they had never been there before.
Hiking Keeps You Healthy
Exercising in Cold Weather
Or, "Move More and Sit Less: Live Longer in Good
Health" was the actual title of the keynote presentation
at the Hike Ontario Summit held in Kitchener in
November. Dr. Liana Nolan, the Medical Officer of
Health for Waterloo Region made these simple but
stunning points:
Most people can exercise comfortably in cold
weather, assuming they bundle up. The prime
concern is preventing hypothermia -- the loss of too
much body heat.
• walking 3 mph is considered to be "moderate"• level physical activity; a minimum of 150 minutes
a week of moderate to vigorous physical activity is
needed to be considered "active";
• bone and muscle strengthening activity is also
required, twice a week;
• add balance enhancement activity if over 65 and
with poor mobility, to prevent falls;
• being "active" by itself will add on average 2.4
years to your life;
• being inactive carries about the same "death
The American Council on Exercise offers these
suggestions for exercising safely in the cold:
- Wear layers of clothing that you can peel away as
you warm up.
- Keep your head, hands and feet warm with a hat,
gloves and socks.
- Always check the weather before heading out.
Don't exercise outdoors in dangerous conditions.
- Avoid cotton or tightly woven clothing, which may
retain moisture next to the skin.
- If it's very cold, wear a scarf or mask to cover your
nose and mouth.
Vice President Wanted
A vacancy on the GHTC Executive Committee has arisen out of
the 2012 AGM, and the Club is searching for willing volunteers.
No previous executive experience is necessary, and there is no
implied obligation to become the President in 2015 at the end of
the incumbent’s current 3 year term. Nor is there a formal job
description! A willingness to engage in, lead or initiate
occasional "special projects" that are priorities for the Club by
involving the executive, member volunteers and other
stakeholders and that are within the comfort zone of the
individual is the main requirement. To be a "sounding board" on
initiatives for the President and other executive members. And
to act for the President in his absence (none planned!).
Contact any member of the club executive if interested.
COVERED BRIDGE TO COVERED BRIDGE HIKE
Saturday, June 8th
Meet at the Guelph covered bridge for 9:00AM bus departure to the West Montrose
Kissing Bridge. From there we will hike back to the Guelph covered bridge, a
distance of about 25 km (a Level 2, Speed Moderate hike). Refreshments will be
provide at checkpoints. Pre registration and a participation fee are required.
Badges will be available.
More details will be provided in "GHTC E-notes” or contact the hike leader.
Leader. Norm, 519 836-3568 [email protected]

Look How Far We`ve Come! - Guelph Hiking Trail Club

Transcription

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