Iroquoia km 46.1 to 58.1 - TUESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2015

Hikers: Helgy, Steve and Case

Leader: Richard

Section and Distance: Iroquoia km 58.5 to km 46.1

Weather: -9 to -6 Celcius, Mostly cloudy at first to partly cloudy later.

Actual Distance Hiked: 12.2 km.

A selfie to start, Hamilton from Sydenham Lookout

We decided to hike north to south in case the wind freshened. So we started at Sydenham Lookout and descended into the woods after a short walk up the Sydenham Lookout Side Trail.

Frozen waterfall below Sydenham Lookout

 Icers were the order of the day. We had them on from the outset. They were only taken  off for the hike through the streets of Dundas which started once we exited the woods on the south side of Sydenham Rd. The hike along Sydenham Rd, Melville St, Brock St, Park St and King St is disappointing compared with the old routing that took in Dundas Peak, Tews and Webster Falls. These are of course still accessible via the Webster Falls side trail.

Dundas Peak and Dundas High School Lofts

   Just before King St goes under the tracks the trail follows Woodley Lane in past the Dundas Valley Golf and Curling Club.

Dundas Valley G&CC

Back in the woods, we had our "Elevenses" close to the intersection with the Davidson Boulevard Side Trail.

Elevenses

As we continued to parallel the CN lines we met an Iroquoia Club volunteer work crew complete with chain-saws doing trail maintenance. 

Magnificent old oak tree

The trail entered the Dundas Valley Conservation area and we followed the McCormack trail out to Governors Rd.

Skates or Icers (our preference) were the best gear for these trails

Once on the south side of Governors Rd we re-entered the Conservation area after a steep up and down through private land. We had deer sightings as we followed the Nordic ski loops.

Bambi's Mum

Bambi

 Soon we were passing the Dundas Valley Trail Centre.

Trail centre

 We continued past the Sulphur Spring (some tasted the waters!) and over Sulphur Creek. The trail then goes past the Hermitage Ruins now fenced off for safety. After crossing the Hermitage creek and we looked back at the waterfall on private land.
Then the Bruce follows the Heritage trail for a while before it bears left taking us to the Canterbury Falls and Little Canterbury Falls.

Bridge shot at Canterbury Falls

 One last deer sighting and a perilous descent of ice coated steps to the Sherman Falls Access Trail and we were back to the 2nd car. The icers had done their job, final result zero falls and no submissions!

We collected car 1. Stopped at Timmies at Clappisons Corners and did the settling up before driving home.

Iroquoia Km 58.5 to Km 67.6 - 15 January, 2015

Hikers: Helgy, Anne, Case and Steve
Guest Hiker:  John G., John N., Annie, Mike

Leader:  Karen

Section and Distance:  Iroquoia Km 58.5 to Km 67.6

Weather:  Hazy and Cold with minimal wind.

Actual Distance hiked:9.4

After positioning the cars we started the hike at the Sydenham Lookout.

We hiked the Sydenham Lookout Side Trail back to the main trail and followed the road into a small subdivision to reach Romar Drive and followed it to the end.  We then entered the Royal Botanical  (RBC) Gardens Rock Chapel Nature Sanctuary which parallels the escarpment brow and then crossed a narrow concrete bridge.  We continued along the escarpment edge past a lookout with a view of Hamilton and Burlington Skyway Bridge to parking lot at Rock Chapel Road.

We continued north beside Rock Chapel Road to a bridge across Borer's Creek and then turned right into another RBC property with views of Borer's Falls.

We passed a viewpoint of Cootes Paradise and the City of Hamilton.  We then descended the escarpment via a wooden stairway and entered a wooded area of the Hamilton Conservation Authority.

We continued through woods and across a deep valley to Valley Road.  We crossed the road and entered another RGC property and continued to Patterson Road.  After crossing the road, we climbed the escarpment and followed its brow for 1.4 km.  We descended via a series of wooden steps to reach Old Guelph  Road.

We crossed the road and descended concrete steps and turned left to the tunnel under Highway 6.   We turned left and and climbed more concrete steps and after several turns passed the ruins of an old homestead.

We continued through woodlands and emerged at the lip of a restored quarry site and then turned a few times to cross a bridge at the Upper Quarry Cascade.   Several other trails crisscross the trail as it traverses an area of valleys and ridges.  We then crossed the railway and descended the ridge to Snake Road where we had left our cars.

We retrieved the other cars, stopped and Tim Hortons and drove home.

Iroquoia Km 67.6 to Km 78.8 - 13 January, 2015

Hikers: Helgy, Steve and Case

Leader:  Karen

Section and Distance:  Iroquoia Km 67.6  to Km 78.8

Weather:  Sunny and cold (-18 degrees Celsius) - the coldest day this year.  Minimal wind.

Actual Distance hiked: 11.4

After positioning the cars, we started the hike at Snake Road.

We hiked along a road allowance past swamp and sumac to the edge of the Grindstone Creek Valley and gradually descended to the floodplain and then crossed a bridge over Grindstone Creek.   We continued on a gradual climb of forested slopes and continuous streams with views of the fast-flowing creek.  Today the creek was mostly frozen.

We climbed across the  valley slopes to reach steps leading to a switch back.  We continued to an open area leading to a lookout over Great Falls and a small parking lot.  We took a sharp right turn and followed a gravel path and steps to cross Mill Street and then crossed a grassy plain.

We entered a housing subdivision and followed Flanders Dr. for 85 m before turning left between the houses on the right-of-way and then turned right following the hydro lines south of Mountain Brow.

We crossed the road and climbed a stile into the BTC-owned McNally property.  We turned left and soon entered the Conservation Halton's Waterdown Woods area.  From here we followed an old race track and proceeded through a wooded area and crossed a grassy field.

We crossed a private road and continued through mature hardwoods to reach King Road.  After crossing the road we entered another wooded area passing a lookout with views of Burlington and Lake Ontario.  We left the brow and hiked to Kerns Road.  After crossing the road, we passed through a small woodlot and skirted Kerncliff Park which is the site of a former quarry now being developed as parkland by the City of Burlington.  We continued through the woods at the edge of a field and then descended into a wooded valley.  Despite the cold we still stopped for our elevensies.  After a short climb we turned left before leaving the escarpment to the north through a young woodlot to reach Signal Hill at Dundas Street.

We crossed the highway and turned right to pass through woods.  We crossed Cedar Springs Road and followed the road for 100m.  We climbed a stile and passed through private woodlots until we reach Fisher Access Trail.  We took the access trail to our parked car.

We stopped at Tim Hortons on the way back to Snake Road, picked up the other car and drove home

Iroquoia Km 34.1 to Km 46.1 = 8 January, 2015

Hikers: Helgy, and Steve
Guest Hiker:  Case

Leaders:  Karen and Richard

Section and Distance:  Iroquoia Km 34.1 to Km 46.1

Weather:  Cloudy and cold and windy to start changing to cold, sunny and windy.  There was a wind chill factor

Actual Distance hiked: 13.34 kms

From the Sam Lawrence Park (Jolly Cut) we took the access side trail to the main trail.  We followed the Jolly Cut down a paved sidewalk over Claremont Access to the underpass under Arkledun Avenue, where we put on our icers.

We gradually ascended a wooded ridge parallel to the Claremont Acecess and reached the sidewalk along the elevated road at the end of the James St. steps. The sidewalk took us over James Mountain Rd. We continued along the the trail crossing Beckett Drive and continued around Reservior Park and crossed the Dundurn Steps.

We continued through the woods before we descended along the lower part of the Chedoke Creek to an old railway line which operated from 1908 to 1931.  The line is now called the Chedoke Radial Trail.  We climbed a long set of steps leading to a lookout over Lower Chedoke Falls.

We climbed back into the woods above the Chedoke Civic Golf Course before reaching a set of metal steps which we descended to the golf club parking lot.

We followed the radial railway line and entered the Iroquoia Heights Conservation Area and continued along the railway line through woods and open meadows before crossing over Highway 403 on the paved footpath to Filman Road.

At the end of the road we re-entered the woods.  After crossing a bridge we ascended to the escarpment brow and then descended sharply to Wilson Street.  We crossed the road and continued through a wooded and rocky area and descended to small creek before crossing Old Dundas Road.

We followed the trail along Ancaster Creek to Sherman Falls.  The falls was completely frozen; although we could here a small trickle of water under the ice.  We continued to Sherman Falls Access Trail and took the access trail back to our parked car.

We were not able to take any pictures after the first one because of the cold.  The camera froze up. 

We stopped in at Tim Horton's before we went back to Sam Lawrence Park (Jolly Cut) to pick up the other car and drove home. A cold, but beautiful hike.

Iroquoia Km 23.2 to Km 34.1 - 6 January, 2015

Hikers: Helgy, Ann G and Steve

Leaders:  Karen and Richard

Section and Distance:  Iroquoia Km 23.2 to Km 34.1
Weather:  Cold with light snow to start changing to cold and sunny, minimal wind

Actual Distance hiked:11.39

Starting the hike

This was our first hike after a two week break for the holiday season.

After positioning the cars, we started the hike.  After admiring Felker's Falls, we hiked the new, multi-use East Mountain Trail Loop along the Escarpment Brow before emerging from the Conservation Area into a more open area.

We continued along the brow to the now closed Mount Albion Road.   We followed the old road downhill and passed under the viaduct for the Red Hill Valley Parkway.  After a series of turns we came to an asphalt path, the Red Hill Valley Trail.  On the left was the eastern terminus of the Mountain Brow Side Trail.

We continued straight and followed the Red Hill Creek to a concrete bridge over the creek.  We continued up the Escarpment through a mature woodlot above Red Hill Creek and the King's Forest Golf Course to a large clearing.  We continued across the slope of an old ski hill  through the woods onto the Escarpment Rail Trail.

Wild Turkey Prints

We continued along the Escarpment Rail Trail to the Wentworth Street steps which we climbed to the Sherman Access.  We followed the Sherman Access for 100 metres and then turned left into the woods to the Jolly Cut.

We took the Sam Lawrence Side Trail to the parking lot on Concession Street where we had left our car.  We picked up our second car, stopped at Tim Hortons and drove home.

Iroquoia Km 0.0 to Km11.1 - 18 December, 2014

Hikers: Helgy and Steve
Guest Hikers:  John G., John N., Carol and Anita

Leaders:  Karen and Richard

Section and Distance:  Iroquoia Km 0.0 to Km11.1

Weather: Cloudy and mild,  no wind

Actual Distance hiked: 12.6

After parking one car at the shopping centre, we drove to the Lewis Access Side Trail and started the hike.

We hiked the stairs and switchbacks of the Lewis Access Side for 350 metres up to the main trail.

We turned left and hiked the  trail along the escarpment.  The trail was rocky with slippery wet spots.  Just before the Adam Dopco Access Trail we stopped for elevensies.

After our elevensies break we climbed a number of stairs to the top of the escarpment.  We continued along the top of the escarpment and came out onto Wolverton Road.  From here we walked along Wolverton Road to Ridge Road and along to Quarry road then proceeded into the Beamer Memorial Conservation Area.  Here we found open washrooms for a short pit stop before proceeding on the trail to Grimsby Point.

 

At Grimsby Point we had spectacular views of the escarpment towards Niagara.  We then headed down stairs passing by some fast flowing water.  At the bottom by the bridge was the start of the Iroquoia section.  We took the Forty Mile Creek Side Trail and the road back to the shopping centre where we had left the car.  

We picked up the other cars and drove home.