Dufferin Hi-Land Section - km 0 to 15.2 - 21 October, 2014

Hikers: Andy, Christine, Helgy, Anne G, Nancy and Steve

Leaders:  Karen and Richard

Section and Distance:  Dufferin Hi-Land Section - km 0 to 15.2.

Weather: Rain, fog and cool

Actual Distance hiked:  15.5 km

Starting the hike

After leaving the centre we positioned our cars and started off from Mono Centre.  We began our hike ascending a hill and entering Mono Cliffs Provincial  Park.  This is one of the most striking and popular sections of the Dufferin Hi-Land section of the Bruce   The area is noted  for its old growth cedars and a variety of ferns.  It passes along McCranston Lake, which is a kettle lake formed by the glacial melt some 13,000 years ago.

After exiting the park we started a 3 km road walk along 1st Line EHS.

A very friendly dog (Kuvasz) followed us for a while.  The owner came along to take him home, but he was not having any of it.  We were finally able to capture him by enticing him with some food.  The owner mentioned that she had had to retrieve him from Highway 89 once after he had followed some hikers.

We entered a bush where we had our lunch.  After lunch we hiked though private fields walking along the fence lines and passing many stiles.

We reached 30 Sideroad and walked the final 2 kms on the road to the car.

Peninsula - km 80.3 to Km 86 - 16 October, 2014

Hikers: Andy, Christine, Helgy, Anne H, Pam and Steve

Leaders:  Karen and Richard

Section and Distance:  Peninsula - km 80.3 to Km 86.

Weather:  Cloudy and cool

Actual Distance hiked:  6.53(including the side trail)

Before retiring last night the group decided to do an early sun rise hike.

We drove the first car to the end of the hike and then the group drove to the start and parked the car at the parking lot at Richardson Side Trail. 

 Pam joined us for this hike

We hiked the side trail to main trail and hiked through a cedar bush for 500 m before exiting onto Forty Hills Road.  We then hiked 3 kms up Isthmus Bay Road.  We then followed the shoreline before entering a mixed forest where we came upon spectacular caves.  We continued along the trail through Lion's Head to our ending point at McCurdy Drive parking lot.

Although we did not see the sunrise we all agreed it had been a great hike.

After retrieving the other car we went back to the cottage,  packed up, had breakfast and headed home.

Peninsula - km 50.4 to 66.4 - 15 October, 2014

Hikers: Andy, Christine, Helgy, and Steve

Leaders:  Karen and Richard

Section and Distance:  Peninsula - km 50.4 to 66.4.

Weather:  Cloudy and Warm

Actual Distance hiked:  17.9 (for Karen)

We left the hotel 9:30 and left one car at Barrow Bay on the way to Jackson Cove to start the hike.

We entered the trail and headed downhill to the right for a short distance and turned left to climb again to the top of the scarp.  We followed the scarp east to beautiful lookouts.  We then turned away from the scarp and followed a winding bush road before turning left into the forest, and crossed a road.  We then descended an old glacial terrace, among huge boulders, to a mixed forest and the elevated shoreline of Georgian Bay.

We descended stairs to the rocky shoreline of the beautiful Chris Walker Nature Reserve at Rush Cove, which was secured by the BTC in 2006, where we had our elevensies.  We then climbed a ladder to the upper terrace.

We followed the Rush Cove Rd west and away from the shore and climbed a steep hill up the escarpment.  When we reached level ground at the top we continued along the road to Barrows Bay Side Trail where we had lunch.

Lunch

After lunch we continued along the road to our final destination Barrow Bay to finish the hike.

Leaders in Training

We went back to the cottage after taking a short detour to view the fall colours.

View from our cottage

Peninsula - km 66.4 to 80.3 - 14 October, 2014

Hikers: Andy, Christine, Helgy, Anne H, and Steve

Leaders:  Karen and Richard

Guest:  Pam

Section and Distance:  Peninsula - km 66.4 to 80.3.

Weather:  Cloudy and humid with drizzle

Actual Distance hiked:  14.9 km

The two cars left Oakville at 6:00 am and we stopped at Tim Horton's at 8:30 in Hepworth to meet with Anne.

After a pit stop we traveled to Barrow Bay to start the hike at 10:00.  Pam went on to the hotel to check in and to prepare our dinner.  It was warm, humid and  raining when we started the hike but it soon turned to drizzle with period of dry spells.

After a 2 km road we entered the forest and turned to the edge of the Escarpment with great views of Barrow Bay, Cape Dundas and Barrier Island.

At the Gun Point the trail bore left providing us with spectacular views of McKay's Harbour and across Isthmus Bay.  We followed a logging track to McKay's Harbour and continued along the shoreline to a broad cobblestone beach where we stopped for our elevensies (snack time).   We left  the beach and entered a dense forest.  After lunch,  we climbed the Escarpment and passed a huge boulder and then under an impressive overhanging ledge.   At the top were great views of Cape Chin, White Bluff and Isthmus Bay.

The climb continued to Lion's Head Point with spectacular views. The trail then turned south inland and passed between two rocky outcrops.  We hiked the short side trail  to view a chimney-like pothole formation.

After three kms we reached the end of the hike at McCurdy Drive parking lot where Pam was waiting for us.  We headed back to the hotel and picked up  the other two cars at Barrow Bay.

We retired relatively early after Pam's delicious supper.