Sat, Aug 6 2011 - (I've got the) Bruce Trail BLUES (#2) (View Original Event Details)
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It's been a hot summer. So when the forecast was calling for 30C on Saturday, I had a choice to make. Slow down the hike to the point that we wouldn't be finished until nightfall, or shorten it. "Things to do", as in "I've probably got other things to do than hike All Day" won out, and I shortened the route and distance.
Still, there were four full side trails, 3 access trails, and a partial side trail on the roster!
By the time the day arrived, they said a chance of rain, and 28C. Ah… clouds, a welcome addition to any summer hike!
With a very minor delay, we got on the road. 3 cars left, 2 going directly to the start, and 1 to the end to pick up "the end car driver", and then to the start. Somehow despite the different routes and even lead times, we all arrived at the start within only a couple of minutes of each other!
Limehouse Conservation Area. And we needed to hit the first access trail. At the end, it was an easy calculation to determine which direction to head out in. Soon we were all scrambling down the ladder through the infamous "Hole in the wall". And that's where things fell apart (yup, we were lost within 10 minutes of the hike). Which direction? We knew a blue trail should be close, but where? Chris sprinted down the trail a few hundred metres to see if it was there. No luck. We were on our way back UP the ladder (and some of us were already at the top) when a confused comparison of maps suddenly shone the sunlight onto our mixup. I had an older map that I didn't find a re-route for on the website! Umm sorry guys, come on back down! We had to keep on the white trail and eventually we did find the blue trail (and Chris had only missed getting to it initially by 50 meters or so!) Thus it was that we hiked the Black Creek Side trail. And then the main trail, and then the Brown Benton trail. And then…. (and I am still itchy just saying it) the Canada Goose Side Trail. WHY oh why does this trail have an "out and back" that sure, it leads to a road, but not only does it dead end there, but there's not even anywhere to park your car on that road? So.. WHY? Except maybe that someone felt sorry for the mosquito breeding grounds that this section of the trail runs past, and thought that to give those mosquitoes a fighting chance at survival, a trail really should be put there in order to herd the warm blooded humans, in search of a sign, attached to a tree, that they needed to take a picture of, past. And not just once, right? There AND back! And to give those poor, starving mosquitoes an even better chance, just in case, let's throw lots of treacherous rocks on the ground, covered in wet and slippery moss, and why not a fallen tree and some overgrown grape vines. All the better to slow us down, you know!
I can't say I was sorry to see the end of that trail. (Sorry, Jenn!)
Not sure how, but all 10 of us missed seeing the sign for the 3rd line access trail, but we did see the one for the Vanderleck ST. Great! This is where we can find the bridge where we need to take a photo for the Keen "boots on the bruce" promotion. And maybe a nice babbling brook to rinse off in. Maybe a cool breeze and the perfect lunch spot we've been looking for for about 2 km now.
That looks like it! Yes, here it is: a bridge. Overtop lots of mud. Which apparently mosquitoes love. We quickly took one photo and moved onwards!
After a while we found the parking lot, and although there were no picnic tables, we took advantage of the open space that was bug-"less", and had our lunches.
Fast forward now… back on the trail, got to the road, found the car! Did the car shuffle, and then 7 of the 10 of us went into Milton for dinner. We initially had the whole place to ourselves, but it wasn't because the food or service was bad. We were just early in the day!
We all had great dinners, and had a blast chatting about the day, and past and future adventures. Et le service été très bien!
Thanks so much to Lori for helping with the car shuffle, and congrats on your first TOC hike! J
Thanks also to Gina and Carmen for driving.
Thanks Chris for remembering your whistle!
And also thanks everyone for sharing a great day with me!
Till next time!
Have some photos from this event that you'd like to share in our photo album? Please forward them to Erik Sonstenes at photos@torontooutdoorclub.com. Please note that we prefer to receive the photos in approximately 640x480 or 750x500 pixels - do NOT send original high-res photos. If you have a LOT of photos, please submit up to twenty of your favorites (only) for a day event, or up to forty of your favourites for a multi-day event. Thank you.