Brian and Ken joined Ann on today's long hike.
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Enjoying the view from City View Park |
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Shopping at the Iroquoia Seed Garden |
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Great Falls aka Grindstone Falls aka Waterdown Falls aka Smokey Hollow Falls |
Susan Nash joined 19 seasoned Pathfinders hikers on a sunny, temperate morning with Liz Davies as Hike Leader, for some exercise and fellowship. Thank you Tom Stephens for the pictures below that show waves wiped up by wind over lake Ontario, a clear view of downtown Toronto across the bay, and a calm and inviting trail.
The amazing and scary summer weather in October blessed 21 hikers for this riverside romp, led by Sid. We did not see the salmon that were promised, but was the weather too hot and humid for sex? Maybe. But it was cool enough the night before for the grass to have a good coat of dew.
Ready to charge up our favourite hill The start of Fall colour, but no salmon At the bridge, traditional photo spot
Balls Falls is always a treat, but this was special as we were all consciously working up an appetite for the lunch following at The 13th Street Winery. Our leader Jim, knowing the perils of getting between seniors and food (and drink), kept up the pace and we covered the prescribed 7.0 km in good time. It helped that it was a gorgeous early fall day. Lunch was wonderful.
The Falls were a trickle and Autumn colour was playing hard to get, but it was still beautiful. Apparently crows and other birds prefer red wine grapes because they were protected by nets while the white grapes were available for the picking. Our group of 20 in the home stretch. 17 stayed for lunch and seemed happy that they did.
Twelve hikers from the early group of Pathfinders started out for a hike in Niagara Glen Nature Reserve.
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Getting the perfect picture |
We started on the Whirlpool Trail which follows the river. This area in the Niagara Peninsula is considered the Carolinian Life Zone. In Canada this zone is a narrow band across Southern Ontario which supports the most productive and endangered assortment of plant and animal species.
Once we caught the trail, we followed the river on a technical and rocky trail which led us to the Flat Rock where we took a minute to take in the beauty of the river and take a few pictures.
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One of the many tricky bits |
Table Rock |
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On the Whirlpool Trail |
From there we continued until it was time to take a break and have elevensies.
After elevensies we continued our
hike up on the Main Loop and Cliffside Trails and into the forest on the Terrace Trail. There
are tens of thousands of years of geological history in this area. The boulders in the Niagara Glen were formed
as the Niagara River and Falls eroded the ancient limestone bedrock, leaving
behind these massive rocks over the millennia.
The area’s geological history dates back over 400 million years.
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The leaning rock |
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A little rest before the final climb |
Sixteen hikers from the later group set out for their hike in Ball’s Falls Conservation Area in the Twenty Valley area.
Ball’s Falls occupies around 200
acres with two waterfalls on Twenty Mile Creek.
The Twenty Mile Creek is rain fed so the character of the falls can
change dramatically within the seasons, from a raging torrent in the spring to
a thin veil in late summer and fall.
The Conservation area still has
the original Ball family home which dates back to the early 19th
century, an operating gristmill, lime kiln, a restored church, blacksmith shop
and a carriage shed.
Niagara Glen group – Ann, Brian, Richard, Carolyn, Liz, Lesley & Stephen, Marleen, Christine, Andrea, Michael, and Peter
Ball’s Falls group – Jim &
Carol, Tom & Sue, Hubert, Sue, Hattie, Cathy, Colin, Ann, Ross &
Kathryn, Sorrel, Dianne, David, and David’s
brother-in-law, Andy
Many thanks to Andrea for coordinating the two groups and booking lunch!!!!
Six hikers joined Richard on today's hike. The main parking lot was closed because of a movie shoot, so we had to park elsewhere and do the hike in the opposite direction...thank goodness Richard was leading!
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A tractor trailer fire at Nicola Tesla meant we got off to a slow start |
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A light drizzle and most donned rain gear, although it didn't stay on for long! |
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A big welcome to Ted who just started hiking with us. Bet you can't find Marleen, who is having a bad hair day and hiding from the camera! |
Thirteen hikers took part in this late-summer waterfront walk in perfect weather. It was a friendly pier-to-pier stroll....
The only downside was spotting a poisonous hickory tussock caterpillar on the pier near the canal. Cute but it can deliver a nasty sting.
Hike Leader: Brian O'Heare guided twenty nine hikers, 7.2 km on a trail rated E/N
The President's hike was originaly scheduled for September 4th a tradition symbolizing a fresh start of a new season. But due to rain, it was rescheduled to September 11. A diverse crowd gathered at the trailhead, the air buzzing with excitement of stories of days gone by.
Along the trail, hikers paused to admire the valley's rich biodiversity, towering trees, vibrant wildflowers, and along the Grindstone Creek hoping to catch a glimpse of spawning Salmon.
The hike concluded with a picnic at the end of the trail where we gathered to continue our stories and promises of hikes to come. See you all on the trail.