Nov 20/25 - Christine Bentham Hike

We decided to take advantage of another gorgeous fall day by exploring the trails in the Christine Bentham KLT property of 137 acres in the "Land Between"featuring a pristine wooded area, 1200 feet of shoreline on Clear Lk & large limestone ridges. Starting from the parking lot on Juniper Pt Rd we walked on the 0.7 km Juniper Point Trail to the 2 km circular Michael's Limestone Ridge Trail where we walked on the eastern section down to the Kawartha Park Trail for a short hike down to the 1.5 km Ruth's  Wetland Explorer Trail which takes you beside Clear Lake before returning to the Kawartha Park Trail for a return to the Limestone Ridge Trail where walked on the western section to the Juniper Pt trail & a return to the cars for a walk of 5.0 km.  After the hike we had lunch at the Canoe & Paddle pub in Lakefield. The trails are well marked & maintained with boardwalks & bridges over the wet sections. We highly recommend a hike on this property which will be preserved in it's natural state by KLT 

                                            Junction of the Juniper Pt & Limestone Ridge trails

               Blake Frazer, Alan Ingram, Frank Marett, Barry Diceman on the Clear Lk shoreline

Clear Lake inlet on Ruth's Wetland Trail

Wed November 19/25 - Ganaraska Trail Hike at Sylvan Glen

 We met John Ambler at the Sylvan Glen Conservation Area on Sylvan Glen Rd off of Dale Rd. The Ganaraska Trail starts over the bridge on the other side of the Ganaraska R from the conservation parking lot. This a well maintained trail with benches, boardwalks & bridges that is on private property but maintained by Ganaraska Trail volunteers. The trails psses thru a large area of mature cedar trees before reaching a meadowlike area beside the river. After walking this section we walked on the conservation trail which is along the south side of the river & is not well maintained with difficult gullies to cross. After hiking in this area Barry, myself, George , Davy & Blake drove to Richardson's Lookout which is west of Garden Hill off Cty Rd 9 & has panoramic views of the Oakridge Moraine & south to Lake Ontario where we could see the Wesleyville stack.  

                                      Richardson's Lookout view south towards Lake Ontario

                                    Richardson's Lookout - view north towards the Oakridge Moraine

                                        Ganaraska River with our shadows on the shoreline

                                

Hikers on a Ganaraska Trail bridge

October 29/25 - Barry's ride from Beavermeade

 On a sunny but cool fall day Barry led 8 cyclists on a 26 km rolling ride thru Otonabee Twp. From Beavermeade we cycled east on Ashburnham Dr across Landsdowne St, over Hgw 7 & on to Crowley Line past 100 Acres Brewery, across Assumption Rd to Base Line which has a few challenging hill climbs as we cycled east across Keene Rd then beside Pinecrest Golf Club to a drumlin with the steepest climb before reaching Drummond Line where after a break we continued cycling east to a private bush lane which took us north to the TCT & a return ride to Beavermeade.  

                                                Arndt & Barry on Assumption Line

                                                  Base Line at Crowley Line

Dale approaching Drummond Line

Wed Oct 22/25 - The 3B's Ride from Beavermeade

Hi Pete: Here is a description  of our ride today. Bill, Barry & Burton met at Beavermead in cool but dry conditions. We rode north on the trail to Trent U., through the university grounds , & west on Woodland Dr. to Hilliard St. From there we rode north to 5th line, & west across Chemong Rd. to Fife's Bay Rd. Turning south, we cycled all the way down Ackison & Brealey, turning left past Stenson's farm to ride through the newer subdivision , across Sherbrooke St. where Burton & Barry turned off for home, having ridden to Beavermead to start the ride. Bill continued down Brealey & Airport Rd. to Fisher Dr, crossing SSF Dr & continuing along Crawford Dr & back home for a total of 40 km. The rain held off nicely for us. A good workout as there are several good sized hills. See you next week (I think!).Bill  

Oct 15/25 - Ride from the Airport

 Barry led us on a 45 km ride thru the rolling Cavan-Monaghan countryside. It was cold, cloudy & breezy when we arrived at the airport but it did warm up when the sun came out to highlight the fall colours. From the airport parking lot we cycled on Mervin Line to Airport Rd over Cavan Creek to Bartlett Rd & south to Whitfield Rd for a short ride down to Whitfield Landing on the Otonabee R before returning to Atchison Rd for a ride to the 6th Line & Hyw 28 & a short ride south on a paved shoulder past Baxter Creek Golf Club to Cedar Valley Rd then west to Hutchison Dr & north to Larmer Rd, west for a short but steep hill climb, followed by a 6 km ride over Hgw 115 to Tapley 1/4 Line & north to Syer Line for a ride west with a jog up & over Hgw 115 to continue west across Hgw 28 to Whitfield Rd to Bartlett Rd, Airport Rd & a return to the airport terminal for lunch at The Good Baker YPQ restaurant  

                                           Otonabee R @ Whitfield Landing

                           Peter Hamley on the Larmer Rd hill climb from Hutchison Dr

 Cty Rd 10 at Syer Line

October 8 -Lang to Hastings on TCT

 On a cool but gorgeous fall day Barry led us on a ride of 42 km on the TCT from the soccer fields in Lang to the Hastings swing bridge & back. We cycled out of Lang on Allendale Rd to Nelson Rd & south to the PHTCT. The trail winds thru farmlands, drumlins, woodlots & wetlands until it reaches the Trent R. where it overlooks the water before crossing the river on the swing bridge. After the ride we had lunch at Muddy's Pit BBQ in Keene, a classic roadhouse.

                                                  TCT at Settlers Line

                                                      TCT at Birdsall Line

                                              Trent R swing bridge at Hastings

Dave Messervey at Birdsall Station with the Cty Rd 2 underpass behind him

Oct 1/26 - Garden Hill Ride

We met in Garden Hill at the Conservation Park for this 45 km rolling ride thru the Northumberland countryside, cycling east on Cty Rd 9 thru Garden Hill to Grist Mill Rd for a ride south to the 5th Line & a short ride west to Cty Rd 10 & a welcome long descent thru Canton up to the 4th Line where we found the old Midland -Port Hope Railway bed (which became part of the Grand Trunk Railway then CNR)  on Kellogg Rd. This is the sane raikway that built the stone bridge south of Millbrook that we se hiking the Baxter Creek Trails south of Zion Line. From Kellogg Rd we continued west on the 4th line to Deer Park Rd for a ride south across Cty Rd 2, over Hgw 401 to Donaldson Rd & south to Lakeshore Rd for a ride west on the Waterfront Trail beside Lake Ontario thru Port Britain to the Wesleyville stack. From there we cycled north on Morrish Church Rd for a long uphill ride over Hgw 401, across Cty Rd 2, to the 4th Line & west to Cty Rd 65 & a ride north thru Osaka then 2 big gullies to the 7th line for a ride east to the infamous steep climb followed by a downhill ride to Mill St & north thru Garden Hill for a picnic lunch in the park. Arndt & Dale rode 34 km by cycling west on the 4th Line past Deer Pk Rd to County Rd 65, bypassing the ride down to Lake Ontario.  

                                                          Deer Park Rd

                                           Barry on Grist Mill Rd at Cty Rd 9

                                        Morrish Church Rd view towards the Oakridge Moraine

7th Line hill summit