Sat, Jan 1 2011 - A Hike in the Rain @ Hilton Falls (View Original Event Details)
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A Hike in the Rain - New Year's day 2011 @ Hilton Falls
Total distance ~ 13.5 km
Moving average (according to my GPS): 5.5 km/hr!
# participants: 8
Daytime high in Milton: 12°C
Donations to the TOC: $9
A good old fashioned hike: that's what I needed to start the New Year off right. I won't get into the how devastating Climate Change is right now, not the right venue. But for some reason (cough) the forecast was for 10° C -- but that apparently comes with a price: RAIN! What the heck, I thought, I can't possibly be the only one who wants to go for a hike, rain or not. So I scoured the Bruce Trail guide, looking for a decent loop (those car shuffles are the pits). After discovering that my preferred loop at Terra Cotta was no longer a loop L I settled for an improvised loop at Hilton Falls. I posted the hike and waited… hoping someone out there was crazy enough to join me.
In the end, 7 crazy someone's agreed that it was a good idea! And it's a good time to mention that it was Paul's very first TOC Event… Welcome Paul!!
So the day arrived, and we all met at the car pool. It was a light drizzle in Toronto, but MaryLouise assured us that proper rain was waiting for us in Milton. A quick shuffling of cars and we were off! Unbeknownst to the cars following me, I almost - due to my mind being in automatic pilot mode - led us all to Algonquin Park! LOL. Just in time I remembered our true destination, and kept us on the 401. Once there, we decided to check out the small lots off Rd 6, which would save everyone the $6.25 entrance fee. Since we were only using the Bruce Trail, this seemed fair. We found the first lot had room, although were nonetheless surprised to find a couple of cars there… Hey! We weren't the only crazy ones!
And true enough, a nice steady, but light rain was awaiting us. We scrambled into our rain gear, and headed up the road to the more northern entrance to the trail. We officially jumped onto the trail at the second parking lot (which was completely empty!), heading south-west into the Conservation area. As this was Matthew's first time on the Bruce Trail, I stopped and explained how to read the blazes when we happened upon one that was telling us a change in direction was needed. We all hiked and chatted away, enjoying the company and scenery. Soon Larry noticed an area with lots of fresh beaver work. We called everyone over to look, and admire the handiwork (or teethwork, I guess!). We found the trail easy to follow, it's well blazed in this section. After only about 5km, I called a snack/nature break. We had come across an empty picnic table, and it seemed like the right time. Alison and Tom spent some time comparing GPS readings, and I'm pretty sure that mine didn't match either of theirs. It seems funny that everyone can be on the same trail, and end up with different distances and speeds!
We soon hit the trail again, and the rain seemed to be coming and going. Although each gust of wind was sending more rain down from the tree branches and cedar leaves. Finally reaching the Falls, we passed a family or two making a big fire and having a picnic. The kids were feeding chickadees seeds from their hands. We walked down to view the falls, having the whole platform to ourselves! It was splendid with the snow and ice still formed around the outside, but the water gushing down in a roar. After a few photos (no Model in the water, that day) we got back on track. The trail varied a lot from place to place. Sometimes it seemed we were on a dirt road, and others the rocks and roots made it impossible to take a step without watching very carefully where the foot was landing. On we went, keeping to the trail right up until we popped out at the golf course. By then we were at over 11 km. Now it was just a jaunt up the road back to the cars to close the loop! Time to do everything in reverse: slip out of the rain gear, get into dry shoes, and hop back into the cars.
Five of us decided to have that bite to eat at the Pickle Barrel. MaryLouise, myself, Matthew, Daniel and Paul. Conversation seemed to mostly revolve around survival shows and skills, and Daniel got to tell everyone the Julian hike story. I never seem to get tired of hearing that story! Shortly after 6 PM we paid and parted ways.
Thanks everyone for making my New Year's day something special and a great memory.
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.