Niagara Km 0.0 to Km 15.2 - 26 November, 2014

Hikers: Helgy and Steve

Leader:  Karen

Section and Distance:  Niagara Km 0.0 to Km 15.2 (Start of Niagara)

Weather: Coldish, Cloudy with little or no wind

Actual Distance hiked:  13.4 Km

Starting the hike

After positioning the cars we started the hike at the southern terminus cairn at the eastern end of  Queenston Heights Park, which is situated on top of a bluff that marks the shore of Lake Iroquois, the forerunner of Lake Ontario.  The floor of Lake Iroquois, called the Iroquois Plain, extends about 11 km northward and is the area where the glacial ice and melt water dropped loads of gravel, sand and clay as the glaciers melted.  Today orchards and vineyards thrive on these glacial soils.

We followed the first blaze westward along a row of trees and entered deep woods along the brow of the escarpment on the edge of a quarry.

First blaze

We then descended steeply to reach the railway bed of the former New York Central Railway and followed the railway bed south.


We left the railway bed at the intersection of Niagara Townline Rd and Four Mile Creek Rd and passed under Highway 405 and then climbed a 500 metre hill before turning right into the bush along a well-defined pathway.  We continued to Dorchester Rd and followed a multi-use trail on the south side of railroad.

We followed the railroad for a short distance and then went down a steep hill, across a small creek and looped around the ravine coming back to the railroad.  We then reached the pedestrian bridge across the QEW.  This bridge was built with the co-operation of the Ministry of Transportation and Canadian National Railway and was jointly funded by the Province of Ontario, the Region of Niagara and Bruce Trail donors.  We continued along the railroad to a concrete underpass known locally as "Screaming Tunnel" before reaching Warmer Road.

Pedestrian Brudge

Pedestrian Bridge

Screaming Tunnel

We followed Warmer Road for 1.4 km's before turning right into the woods.  The trails in the Woodend Conservation Area were closed due to construction, and we were detoured through the woods to the parking area were we had left our car.

Boots on a Tree

We picked up the second car, stopped at Tim Horton's and went home.

Niagara Km 70.6 to Km 80.4 - 24 November, 2014

Hikers: Helgy and Steve

Leader:  Karen

Section and Distance:  Niagara Km 70.6 to Km 80.4 (End of Niagara)

Weather: Warm, Windy with Cloud and Sun

Actual Distance hiked:  10.57 Km

After positioning the cars, we started the hike at the Mountain View Conservation Area parking lot.

We climbed steeply to the top of the escarpment through a mixed forest to Walker Road.  There was no snow on the trail.  The trail was very rocky with lots of crevices and several ups and downs.  We were protected from the wind in this section of the trail.

We hiked Walker Road to Thirty Road before descending into a wooded area crossing Thirty Mile Creek at a waterfall.

We continued along the escarpment through woods and clearings over stream beds to Park Road.

We climbed Park Road to Ridge Rd. East following Ridge Rd. East for 200 metres to a steep downhill through the woods.  We followed the crest of the escarpment back to Ridge Road which we followed for 500 metres.  After passing the intersection of Russ Road we entered a road allowance and continued along the escarpment brow and steeply climbed to the intersection of Mountain Road and Ridge Road.

We continued along Mountain Road for 50 metres before turning left onto the Escarpment.  We descended steeply to Mountain Road.  After 100 metres we turned left onto Gibson Street and continued across the pedestrian bridge over Forty Mile Creek, the end of the hike.

We took the Forty Mile Creek Side Trail back to our car.

We retrieved the second car, met at Tim Hortons and went home.

Iroquoia Km 11.1 to Km 23.2 - 20 November 2014

Hikers: Helgy, Ann G. and Steve

Leaders:  Karen and Richard

Section and Distance:  Iroquoia Km 11.1 to Km 23.2

Weather: Sunny, Windy and Cold

Actual Distance hiked:  13.67 Km

Starting the hike

We initially intended to hike the Niagara section, but given the weather and road conditions we decided to hike a shorter hike in Iroquoia closer to home.  This was our first winter hike of the season.

After positioning the cars we started the hike at Falker's Falls, which was frozen over.

We crossed a steel bridge and had a great view of the Falls from the east side.

Felkers Falls

The trail had a few inches of snow on it and it was relatively slippery.  Most of us wore icers.  The weather was fabulous with sunshine.  We went under the Centennial Parkway beside the railway tracks and passed a Battlefield Monument for the war of 1812.

We proceeded to the lower waterfalls at the Devil's Punch Bowl.

Devil's Punch Bowl

From the Devil's Punch Bowl we proceeded up a diffucult flight of steps.

One km past the Devil's Punch Bowl we met the Thursday 8:00 hikers who were doing a loop hike.  It was at this time that we had our elevensies.  We did not stop too long because it was cold.

We continued crossing several more streams and access roads.  With 3 km's to go we had our lunch.

Lunch

When we reached the Lewis Access Trail we took it to reach the parked car.  The downhill for this access trail was very treacherous. The footing for this hiking had been difficult.

We retrieved the other car, went to Tim Horton's on Bronte Road and returned home.

Blue Mountain - km 47.1 to km 66.0 - 13 November, 2014

Hikers: Bob, Helgy, Ann G. and Steve

Leaders:  Karen and Richard

Section and Distance:  Blue Mountain - km 47.1 to km 66.0 (End)

Weather: Coldish with Sun and Cloud and a few ice pellets

Actual Distance hiked:  19.79 km

After positioning the cars, we hiked the .3 km Pretty River Access Trail back to the main trail and turned left.  We crossed the stream several times as we ascended to the top of the escarpment.  We continued climbing onto a ridge, near the edge of the escarpment along the Osler Bluffs where there were several unmarked scenic lookouts.   We turned left to 6th Sideroad for 500 m., where we turned right to follow a dydroelectric corridor and lane for 500 m.  It was here that we had our elevensies.

Elevensies

We continued through a mature forest to the Petun Conservation Area, where there were lichen-encrusted granite boulders moved by  the glaciers when the ice melted.  We gradually descended 500 m.  through broken rock towards 2nd Line.  We crossed the road and ascended the escarpment.  After the short steep climb over rocks we headed through forests and fields to 3rd Line.  We turned right and followed a very wet pathway to a closed road allowance.  We continued to Grey Rd 19.  Turning right we followed the road back to 2nd Line.

We continued along a road allowance to 12th Side Road.  At this point we were redirected to the Mission Road Side Trail, which we followed to Scenic Cave Road.   We turned left on Scenic Cave Road to the Scenic Cave Side Road which we took back to the main trail.  We turned left on a multi-use trail.  There were spectacular views of Georgian Bay and Collingwood just below the escarpment brow.  We continued through a forest to Swiss Meadows Side trail which we took to the end of the hike.

Ontario's first chair lift

The End

This finishes our third section of the Bruce and we celebrated with some bubbly.

We retrieved the other car, stopped for coffee at Tim Hortons and drove home.