Toronto Km 21.3 to Km 30.9 - 17 March, 2015

Hikers: Helgy, Case, Anne and Steve

Leader:   Karen

Section and Distance:  Toronto Km 21.3 to Km 30.9

Weather:  Sun and cloud, cold and windy

Actual Distance hiked: 11.69

Starting the hike

After positioning the cars we started the hike in Limehouse.  We crossed the road over the railroad tracks and turned left onto Kirkpatrick Lane.  We followed Kirkpatrick Lane around a corner to the right to the intersection of the Fifth Line.  

We turned left and after 75 metres we left the road to the right.  We climbed a cliff on the right and hugged a field edge and passed through a young forest before climbing the side of a large drumlin.  We followed a series of field edges to rejoin Fifth Line.

We then turned right and followed Fifth Line north for 900 metres and then turned into the bush.  We then crossed a creek and after skirting the edge of some cultivated fields we crossed a swamp on a boardwalk before reaching Sixth Line.

Elevensies - Service with a Smile

We turned left along the Sixth Line to Highway 7and turned right and followed the road for 700 metres.  We then turned left into the bush passing through sections of wet and dry land before crossing Trafalgar Road.  We followed a 250 metre board walk to the high ground of the Scotsdale Farm. 

We continued through a mature woods where tall graceful trees form a high canopy overhead.  We crossed a bridge and headed into a pasture.  We continued through a series of fields, woodlots and wet areas before reach the Maureen Smith Side Trail, which we took to the parking lot at the Scotsdale Farm where we had parked the car.

We picked up the second car, drove to Tim Horton's and went home.

Toronto Km 41.2 to Km 49.5 and Toronto Km 19.1 to Km 21.3 - 12 March, 2015

Hikers: Helgy, Case and Steve

Leader:   Karen

Section and Distance:  Toronto Km 41.2  to Km 49.5 (End of Section) 
                                    Toronto Km 19.1 to Km 21.3

Weather:  Sunny and relatively mild with some wind..

Actual Distance hiked: 10.9 km


After positioning the cars we started the hike at the Caledon Trailway.  We hiked the trailway from Winston Churchill Blvd to Isabella Street to Heritage Rd.  

Starting the Hike

We followed Heritage Rd for 700 metres and then turned left into a light bush crossing a small stream.  We continued east and entered a more mature forest and reached the lip of a valley.  We then hiked north and gradually descended into the valley and crossed a stream on a bridge.  

We came across some trees with tubing on them   I made an inquiry to the Credit Valley Conservation Area.  They told me that it was a study being done with Toronto University to see much water goes down the tree when it rains.   The snow is covering the bucket where the water is gathered.

After 300 metres we turned left and climbed the Escarpment on an old bush track.  We turned right and followed the Escarpment brow for a km and then turned away from the scarp edge and climbed a secondary Escarpment into mature woods.  

We continued north to Boston Mills Road allowance .  We turned right past the intersection of Boston Mills Rd and Mississauga Rd and turned left on Creditview Rd.  We followed the road for 700 metres to the stile which is the end of Toronto Section.

After completing this section we all agreed that we would do the 2 kms at Limehouse which some of us had not completed on the February 4th hike.  Before starting, we stopped off at Tim Horton's on the way.

We climbed a rock face into the Limehouse Conservation Area.  We crossed an abandoned roadway and hiked 400 m to the Limehouse Access Trail. We continued past a series of rock fissures before dropping through the Hole-in-the-wall on two ladders. 

After exiting the hole-in-the-wall we continued to our cars passing the lime kilns and restored powder magazine.

 

Iroquoia 120.1 to Km 121.7 Toronto Km 00 to Km 11.2 - 10 March, 2015

Hikers: Helgy, Case and Steve

Leader:   Karen

Section and Distance:  Iroquoia 120.1 to Km 121.7 (End of Section)
                                    Toronto Km 00 to Km 11.2

Weather:  Cloudy and relatively mild with little wind..

Actual Distance hiked: 12.8 km

Starting the hike

After positioning the cars we started the hike from the Kelso Parking lot.  We passed the Halton Museum to the beach at Kelso Lake and headed onto Appleby Line via the pedestrian gate.  We followed Appleby Line north through the Highway underpass which is the end of Iroquoia Section and the start of Toronto Section.

 

 We crossed Campbellville Road and headed north and passed a plaque honouring the first blaze on the Bruce Trail (July 1962)

We continued north through pines and under power lines to climb the Escarpment.  We continued along a forest path to a field from which there was a splendid view of Kelso, Milton and Toronto.

We passed the Halton Country Inn's golf course to Sixth Line.  We then turned right for 40 m before the leaving he road to the left and passing through a crevice in the rock.  

We continued along the edge of the Escarpment where there were 500 year old cedars clinging to the edge of the cliffs.

We crossed the Dufferin Quarry Bridge which spans of 40m gap in the Escarpment.  The bridge was erected in February 1991.  We continued northward past several lookout points and reached a series of deep fissures in the Escarpment.  

We crossed the Dublin Line road allowance and hiked along a forest track and then back to the edge of the Escarpment.  We reached a lookout point just south of St. Helena Rd past a set of concrete barriers.  We then headed through the forest and crossed an abandoned quarry road.  We then traversed the scenic escarpment to the Pear Tree Parking Lot where we had left our first car.

We picked up the first car at Kelso, drove to Tim Horton's and then drove home.