We met at The 100 Acres Brewery on Ashburnham Dr for an informal get together to close out the cycling/hiking year, The brewery offered a selection of their tasty craft beers & wood fired pizzas baked in a large pizza oven. Dave Messervey gave an interesting talk about the restoration of the Hope Mill that we tour each year. Dave sold copies of the booklet The Hope Mill Challenge that he updated for the years from 2006-2023.
Pete Gardner, his brother Tim, George Post & Pete MacLoghlin met Thursday morning for a 3 km hike on the Red Trail in J E Chase Memorial Park a magnificent 400 acre KLT property at Gannon's Narrows. The trail was safe for walking with firm footing & the weather was ideal, -4 C, sunshine under clear blue skies.
After a 15 cm snowfall 5 intrepid hikers met at Warsaw caves for a 6 km slog in powder snow on the Caves & Scenic Lookout trail to the Lookout over the Indian R gorge that we reach from Rock Rd on our Warsaw ride. From the entrance take the road on your left past the flagpole to the big parking lot, not the road to the boat launch & campsites. The trail starts in the SE corner of the parking & was a bit challenging with snow covering the uneven terrain, 1st photo, takes you down to the bridge where the river goes underground, 4th photo. From there we had difficulty finding the unmarked trail, head a bit right & follow a narrow path that widens as you approach Cooper Rd. After a 1 km walk you reach a side-trail, K, that takes you to a lower lookout. From there marked L it is another 2 km walk up to the Lookout where we took a break before retracing our steps.
On cold but sunny day we met at Harold Town Park for a 3 km hike up the Meade Creek drumlin. From the parking lot we walked east on a level path where we had to walk around a muddy stretch before starting the climb where there was a difficult detour over wet rocks. From there the trails were dry as we walked up to the "summit" then taking a trail down the east side of the drumlin to the cars after an hours hike. We decided to do a 2nd hike of 4 km in the Robert Johnston Eco Forest Trails on the Douro 5th Line, off County Rd 8 between Hwy 28 & Douro, for an hours walk starting on the Lowland Trail over a large wetland on a boardwalk to the Birdwatching Trail which takes you to the Wildlife Trail & a hike up to a lookout. This is a "hidden gem" that is well worth the effort to explore
On another gorgeous fall day we met in the KLT parking lot on Fire Rd 10 off Northey's Bay Rd. During the walk Bill Hardwick noticed a bracket fungus which Garry Kotelse said was a Turkey Tail mushroom & as we continued Garry was able to identify several other types of mushrooms, plants & trees. This is a rolling walk thru the woods to a hilltop overlooking Stony Lake & the surrounding area including KNSC followed by a long walk down to the Stony Lk shoreline. After a break beside the lake we hiked on a bush road on the recently acquired Jeffrey-Cowan extension property which includes 300 feet of shoreline on Northey's Bay. After the hike we had lunch at Honey's
We met John Ambler in the parking lot at King & Caldwell Streets who led us on a 7 km walk starting on the Waterfront Trail for a 4 km walk on a gravel trail beside Lake Ontario. From there we walked over railway tracks & up Elgin St to a trail that took us eventually to William St & down King St which has lovely heritage homes to a boardwalk that took us to The Ganaraska Brewery for lunch.
We met in Beavermeade on a beautiful fall day for a 34 km ride on the TCT instead of the more challenging route on rolling country roads, described in the Sept 27/23 post, cycling east on the TCT past the Keene Station shade shelter to Nelson Rd, north to Allandale Rd & thru Lang to Hope Mill where Dan Volman & Dave Messervey led a tour of the this working water powered sawmill which dates back to 1832! One of the photos shows Pete Gardner loading a board cut at the mill from an ash tree on his property. From the mill we cycled thru Lang to Heritage Line for a 1 km ride on paved bike lanes to the TCT & a return to Beavermeade for a picnic lunch beside Little Lk. Burton's photos (left click to open)
11 cyclists met just outside of Warsaw in Back Dam Park on Rock Rd on a cool fall day for a 35 km rolling ride thru the Douro-Dummer countryside. The ride starts with a long gradual uphill ride on Rock Rd (paved) past Douglas Rd to the viewpoint overlooking the Indian R gorge. After the break we cycled for a short ride east on Cooper Rd (Burton's photos) up to the 4th line for a ride south up then down to Centre Rd, gravel, & a 4 km ride east to the start of the bushtrail on the 6th line road allowance for a 2 km ride thru woods to the 6th Line (gravel) & a ride south across Webster Rd to Cty Rd 8 (Burton's photos) & a 4 km ride on pavement east to the 8th Line (gravel) for a 4 km ride north to Webster Rd. West on Webster & Cty Rd 8, paved, to the 4th Line in Cottesloe & an uphill ride north, Buton's photos, to Douglas Rd (paved) for a ride west starting uphill (Burton's last photos) then downhill to Rock Rd & a return to the park Burton's photos
On a cold dreary fall day with rain in the forecast we did a 20 km ride from Beavermeade cycling south on Ashburnham Dr over Hgw 7 past Neal Dr where it becomes Crowley Line continuing to cycle south across Assumption Rd to Base Line for a rolling ride west across Bensfort Rd to Stewart Hall & a return ride north on Wallace Pt Rd where it started to rain as we approached Bensfort Rd on which we cycled north to Otonabee Dr for a ride to Ashburnham Dr & a return to Beavermeade. After the ride Pete, Barry, Blake & Dan had lunch at the Porch & Pint . Dale Standen joined us for his 1st ride with the Dudes & Blake got lost ending up cycling on Bensfort Rd but fortunately did meet us on Baseline Rd.
On a gorgeous fall day 15 cyclists met in the Bewdley Municipal parking lot for this 35 km ride above & beside Rice Lk. We cycled east on Cavan Rd to Cty Rd 9 for a long challenging uphill ride to Lander Rd & a welcome long downhill ride to Gores Landing & the Rice Lake shoreline. From Gores Landing we cycled east on Rice Lake Scenic Dr for a rolling ride beside the lake to Harwood where there is an artesian well to top up your water bottle. From Harwood we cycled south across Cty Rd 9 to Beavermeadow Rd W, a long gradual uphill ride. Then east on Beavermeadow to Cty Rd 18 & short ride north into Plainsville to Cavan Rd & another rolling ride east across Cty 9 into Bewdley. After the ride we enjoyed pub grub at Rhino's Burton's photos
This a 35 km route we do every year, cycling north from Beavermeade on the RGWT to Trent, east on Pioneer Rd to Cty Rd 4, a short jog east to Cty Rd 8 & a ride thru Douro to the Douro 2nd Line south to Division Rd west across Hgw 28 to Sweeney Line. south to the Old Norwood Rd east past Harold Town Park to Ashburnham Dr & a return to Beavermeade for a picnic lunch.
From Beavermeade we cycled north on the RGWT & River Rd to Lakefield then out Bridge St to Cty Rd 23 (Buckhorn Rd) south to the 7th Line. west to the Bridgenorth Rotary Trail & a return to Beavermeade for a ride of 40 km.
On an ideal day for cycling Barry led us on this new 50 km ride thru the western part of The City of Kawartha Lakes countryside. From the parking area on Ken Reid Rd we cycled west up to Angeline St then south to Thunderbridge Rd for a ride west across Hgw 35 to Cty Rd 18 & north to Cambray. West on Cambray Rd to Cty Rd 6 north to Cty Rd 9 (Woodville Rd), east to Cambray Rd winding our way back thru Cambray eventually crossing Hgw 35 to the Victoria Rail Trail & a return to Ken Reid Pk for a picnic lunch overlooking Sturgeon Lk. We all agreed that this ride was a "keeper" & should be one of our yearly rides. The roads are paved as are many of the shoulders, not much traffic & the drivers were courteous
We met Peter Hamley in Oshawa at Lakeview Park. From the park Peter led us on a 50 km ride on The Waterfront Trail to HMS Ajax Park & back followed by a picnic lunch. This a spectacular ride thru a magnificent linear park beside Lake Ontario. It is not a rail trail so there are undulations & is well signed in the few sections that are on side streets.
We met in Beavermead for this 51 km ride that we last did several years ago, cycling north on the RGWT past Trent to Centre Road (gravel) for a rolling ride to the 3rd Line including 2 significant hill climbs, North on the 3rd to Lynch's Rock Rd then up to the 5th Line for a short ride north to Cty Rd 6 & a ride into Lakefield taking River Rd to Trent & the RGWT back to Beavermead for a picnic lunch
