Niagara Km 15.2 to Km 29.8 - 10 June, 2015

Hikers: Helgy, Christine, Case and Andy

Leaders:  Karen and Richard

Section and Distance:  Niagara Km 15.2 to Km 29.8 

Weather:  Sunny, hot and windy with a few showers

Actual Distance hiked:  15.45 km

This hike is a make up hike for Andy, Christine and Case.  With this hike Case completes his Niagara end to end.

After positioning the cars we started the hike at the Woodend parking lot.

Starting the hike

We crossed the road and continued west through the woods along the edge of a golf course.  We then followed an abandoned roadbed to the Third Welland Canal (1887 to 1931).  After a short climb we continued northeast for about 1 km along the banks of the Third Canal.  At Glendale Ave. we turned left and crossed the Glendale Bridge over the Fourth Welland Canal.

Third Welland Canal (1887 to 1931).

Third Welland Canal (1887 to 1931).

Rose Bush

Third Welland Canal (1887 to 1931).

Glendale bridge over Fourth Welland Canal

Fourth Welland Canal

We then entered the Greater Niagara Circle Route (GNCR) which is a multi-use trail and followed the GNCR under the CN Rail tracks.  We turned right into a light bush and crossed a spur line before entering a denser bush behind a new subdivision.  We took a sharp turn up another spur-line embarkment and crossed the tracks into another bush.  We paralleled the tracks for 300 metres to a sharp incline to Merritt Street.

Mulberry Tree

Rose Bush

We crossed Ball Avenue over a small concrete bridge and continued to an old chain-link fence which we followed over a steel bridge crossing the old canal.  Here we met the Merritt trail which we followed for 500 metres to Glendale Avenue.  We turned left under Highway 406 to Tremont Dr, were we stopped at Tim Hortons for our lunch.  As we ate lunch the skies got darker and before we left it rained heavily for a short period of time.

Second Welland Canal

After about a 1/2 hour break we continued to the top of the hill before entering into a light bush and then into  mature woodlot, through light rain.  We continued along Glenridge Avenue to the footpath on the Brock University Campus at which time the rain had stopped, but the trail was very muddy.

We followed the north side of the Brock University campus and then headed along the edge of escarpment.  We continued along the escarpment edge to the hydro property above the outskirts of St. Catharines.  We followed the fence along a hydro canal and then turned left over rough ground onto a gravel road.

After 600 metres we turned right into the forest.   We crossed two bridges winding through scrub land, on a very muddy trail, to the eastern side of Lake Moodie and hiked along the water's edge to the east side of the DeCew Rd. Bridge.  Along the way we came across a painted turtle on the trail.  We crossed the bridge to DeCew House Park where we had parked the first car.   We picked up the other car from Woodend and drove home.

Moodie Lake

Moodie Lake

Moodie Lake

Sydenham Km 14.5 to km 29.7 - 4 June, 2015

Hikers: Steve, Helgy, Christine, Andy and Case

Leader:  Karen

Section and Distance: Sydenham Km 14.5 to Km 29.7

Weather: Sunny and Warm

Actual Distance hiked: 15.5 km

After breakfast at the Inn, we packed up the cars and positioned them for the hike.

Starting the hike

After positioning the cars we started the hike at the highest point in the area with great views out over the Bighead River Valley.  We turned left and followed 2nd Concession S for 600 m and then turned west on the Holland-Sydenham Townline.   We followed the road for 2.7 km to the 4th Concession S. and then turned right and headed north across the Bighead River.

We turned left through old fields and young bush before climbing to another high point.  We passed the Bighead Camp site and continued west with views to the south for 1 km before making a sharp right turn.  We headed north through forest and fields before reaching Sideroad 2, where we had our lunch.  While having our lunch we me the two individuals from Guelph again.  They mentioned that there had been logging done on the trial further up and they we going to check the trail out.  They suggested that if the trial was not passable we could take the road instead. 

Lunch

We crossed the road and passed through hardwoods and a wet area to the 6th Concession S.  We continued west through a cedar forest for 200 m and made a sharp right turn heading north and east through a plantation forest before reaching the 6th Cession S again.  We turned left and followed the road for 450 m and then turned right into a thick cedar forest to Sideroad 6.  While we did notice the logging activity, the trail was very passable.  We turned right and followed the road to the next intersection and turned left onto 4th Concession S and headed north to Derry Line, where we had parked our car.

Lupins

Lady Slipper

Lady Slipper

The end of the hike

We picked up the other car, stopped at Tim Hortons and drove home.

Sydenham Km 0.0 to Km 14.5 - 3 June, 2015

Hikers: Steve, Helgy, Christine, Andy and Case

Leader:  Karen

Section and Distance: Sydenham Km 0.0 to Km 14.5

Weather:  Sunny and mild

Actual Distance hiked:  15.79 km

We left Oakville at 8:00, stopping at Tim Hortons for a pit stop.  We continued onward to 2nd Concession S, where we met up with Case.  We drove back to Blantyre and parked on Grey Rd 12 to start the hike.  This is Andy's first back to back hike since his accident last fall.

Starting the hike

We walked on Grey Rd 12 for 60 m and then turned left down a farmer's lane.  We headed around a field and then entered an open bush.  We continued west and then turned right on the Deviation Road, where we met two people who where checking the conditions of the trail and they were painting the blazes.  They had come up from Guelph.  They mentioned that the bridge which we were coming up to had been repaired last year.  After chatting a while we continued  a short distance on the road and turned left into a grassy field and then entered a woods before crossing Rocklyn Creek.  We hiked over a long boardwalk and then climbed steeply to a wooded ridge.  We crossed over another boardwalk over a sap line past fields before entering a young forest.

Chatting with the volunteers from Guelph

Rocklyn Creek

We crossed a rolling field with a view to the north.  After following a ridge for a short distance, we turned abruptly right and descended steeply until we were parallel to Rocklyn Creek.  In one of the many crevices we saw two baby foxes (no pictures) and continued on until we exited at Vincent-Sydenham Townline.

We turned left and followed the road for 700 m to a lookout. At the top we had our lunch.

Lunch

We turned right at the top of the hill into the Walters Falls Conservation Area along an Escarpment ridge, descending into the valley before heading west to Grey Rd. 29. We crossed the road and turned left along a path that runs parallel to the road for 100 m.  We entered a meadow and turned left once more crossing Grey Rd. 29.  We then crossed Sydenham-Holland Townline and descended to the right into the river valley of Walter's Creek.  We entered a cedar forest along the riverbank and climbed a cart path to the scrap edge where the valley narrows.  We left the forest at the Falls Inn and passed through its parking lot to a viewing area a the very brink of the falls.  The woolen mill is still standing today.

Walter's Falls

Wooden Mill

We crossed a bridge and returned to the edge of the Escarpment.  We turned uphill passed the water turbine which had been used by the sawmill.

We descended into the river valley and reached Grey Rd 29.  We then entered a cedar forest crossing a small stream and climbed a hill.  We turned to the right and followed the edge of a field to the tree line.   We continued north, descending a series of switch backs to the river's edge and the Holland-Sydenham Townline.

We crossed the road and entered the Walters Falls Management Area.  We followed close to the riverbank and meandered through a beautiful forest past huge stands of beech trees.  We turned left and climbed a hill following a fence line to the 2nd Concession S which is the highest point in the area and offers good views out over the Bighead River Valley.  We followed 2nd Concession S to our car to the end of the hike.

We picked up the other car and drove back to the Rocklyn Inn.  After a happy hour, we went to Meaford and had dinner at our usual hangout "The Leeky Canoe".