Waterloo Region Wednesday Wayfairers

Hosting Club: Caledon Hills
Category: General
Location (Google Maps): Meet at The Beer Store, 875 Highland Rd. W., (Highland Rd. and Fischer-Hallman Rd.)

Hike Leader(s): Dan Patterson Click here to contact Hike Leader(s)

Pace: Medium – 3 to 4 km/hour
Terrain: Easy – mostly flat and usually good footing
Distance: 10 km

Description

Meet at 8:45 a.m. and walk on the Henry Strum Trail connecting with the Hearth Green Trail to Lakeshore Park, then take the Conestoga Parkway overpass to Strasburg & Ottawa Streets for coffee. We will return on the same route back to the cars. Study boots, sufficient water, snacks and a good attitude are required. Poles are optional. This is a very flat trail.

Halton Agreement Forest

Hosting Club: Iroquoia
Category: General Hike
Location (Google Maps): Meet at the corner of 10 Side Road and 4th Line at 9:15 am.

Hike Leader(s): Karen Bergmann Click here to contact Hike Leader(s)

Pace: Medium – 3 to 4 km/hr
Terrain: Moderate – Some hills and/or some poor footing
Distance: 8 kms

Description

On the lookout for Trillium and other wildflowers.  We will hike the bike trails around a big loop.  Bring bug spray/bug net and plenty of water.

Annual Bluebell Hike

Hosting Club: Iroquoia
Category: Good Companions
Location (Google Maps): Oakville, Sixteen Mile Creek Valley

Hike Leader(s): Anne Armstrong Click here to contact Hike Leader(s)

Pace: Leisurely – 3km/hr or less
Terrain: Moderate – Some hills and/or some poor footing
Distance: Approx. 9 km. – 10 km.

Description

Please join in this hike to savour the many wildflowers which grow in the Sixteen Mile Creek Valley, especially the Virginia Bluebells. Depending on the season’s progress they should be at their best. Please meet in the parking lot at the end of Old Upper Middle Rd., located south of the current Upper Middle Rd. and west of Oxford St. We will hike north into the valley and complete a loop, bringing us back to the start. Bring water, a snack, sunscreen and insect repellent. Poles may be useful for the hills. I will send out a message the day before with my contact information in the event that you need to cancel the morning of the hike.

Car Hike: Tiptoe through the Wildflowers

Hosting Club: Toronto
Category: Car Hike
Location (Google Maps): We will meet at the roadside parking on Third Line (Map 12)

Hike Leader(s): Janet Patterson; Angelika Sommer Click here to contact Hike Leader(s)

Pace: Leisurely (2-3 km/hr)
Terrain: Level 1 (Easy – mostly on flat, well maintained trails with hard-packed surface), Variable
Distance (km): Approx 5 – 6 k

Description

Join us for a leisurely walk through a variety of forested areas and wetlands, on the main trail and the Charles Hildebrandt Side Trail.  Together with our plant experts Angelika, Gen and Rose Mary, we will search for native wildflower species that thrive before the trees fully “leaf out”, and discuss their role in the forest ecosystem.

This will be an ideal opportunity to document your sightings for the club’s Biodiversity Naturalist badge.

What to bring:

• water (1 litre minimum), lunch, snacks
• Sun screen, hat
• Insect repellent
• Smart phone, if you plan to use iNaturalist

This hike is brought to you by the TBTC Biodiversity Team. We endeavour to promote the critical role we can all play in protecting and conserving the Niagara Escarpment.

Limit of 10 participants

RAINBOW HIKE: Japanese Interval Walking - Chedokee Trail

Hosting Club: Iroquoia
Category: Rainbow Hike
Location (Google Maps): Hillcrest Loop, bottom of Dundurn stairs

Hike Leader(s): Doug O’Neill Click here to contact Hike Leader(s)

Pace: Brisk – 4 to 5 km/hr, Leisurely – 3km/hr or less
Terrain: Easy – Mostly flat and usually good footing

Description

Everyone is welcome on this uber-friendly, all-inclusive 2SLGBTQAI+ Rainbow Hike.

Japanese Interval Walking was a hit last summer and fall so we’ll try it again this season!

Tonight’s hike, along the Chedokee Trail and Robert MacLaren Sidetrail, features an opportunity to try Japanese interval walking (Nihon-shiki)—for at least two 30-minute segments. You’re welcome to hike at your own pace for part of the evening. We’ll stay on flat, rock-free sections of the trail. Suitable for first-timers.

How Japanese Interval Walking works:
• Alternate 3 minutes of brisk walking (enough to raise your heart rate and make talking difficult) with 3 minutes of slower, recovery walking
• Each cycle = 6 minutes; we’ll repeat it five times for a total of 30 minutes
• If everyone agrees, we’ll try another 30-minute interval toward the end of our hike.
• No one gets left behind (and if they did, well, we’ve not heard from them since)

The surprising part: last season’s participants actually found they had to force themselves to walk slowly for the slow segment. It’s a lot of fun!

Everyone gets a Bruce Trail Rainbow Badge. Again, this is NOT a high-intensity hike.

Bring water, perhaps a snack if you’ve skipped dinner, and sturdy shoes (runners will work for this hike). Or lightweight hiking boots.

Coming by transit?: the No 7 Hillcrest Loop bus will drop you off right where we’ll begin the hike.
Driving: there’s parking on various side streets off Dundurn.

Meeting spot: look for the benches at foot of Dundurn Stairs, next to bus loop.

Questions? Simply click “Contact Hike Leader” on the registration form.