Queenston Heights Loop - 28k + 2 wineries + dinner (8/27/2011)

This hike has some ups and downs, some flat sections, a visit to two wineries in the morning, some incredible views across the Niagara River, followed by dinner in Niagara on the Lake.

Please note that everyone is expected to attend the dinner, as the group size matches the number of dinner reservations.

Total distance is about 28 kilometers. This will NOT be a slow walk. We will hike between 4.5 - 5 km per hour. Hikers coming on this event are expected to have some previous D4 level experience. If you don't have a history with the TOC, please include some comments in the notes about your hiking background.

Please note that as dinner reservations have already been made, late cancellations will be a big problem for me. So please, please, check your schedules and make sure that you can make it, and if not, remove your name promptly from the registration and waiting lists.

The hike starts in Niagara on the Lake and follows the former route of the New York Central Railway on the Upper Canada Heritage Trail (11.5 km). Along the way we'll visit Maryni ssen Estates, a family run vineyard where grapes have been grown since the 1950s, and Frogpo nd Farm, Niagara’s first organic winery. We'll walk to Queenston Heights and return to Niagara on the Lake on the General Brock Side Trail (12.3 km). In conjunction with the Main Trail this gives us a hike of about 28 km.

We have dinner reservations for 12 people in Niagara on the Lake, at Stone Road Grille. Stone Road Grille has been named as one of the best places to eat in Niagara by Frommer's Guide to Niagara, and features house made breads, artisanal cheeses, seasonal local fruit and produce, and Niagara-area VQA wines. Dinner will be approximately $50.

Members willing to drive will get first priority on the wait list.