Mon, Sep 6 2010 - Bruce Trail & Spa: Len Gertler Forest (View Original Event Details)

Event Coordinator(s): Alison
Participants:Alison, Jane C., Margaret N, Bashir, Nina C, Rebecca S, Sylvia L, Gina, becky


Click for Album
Write Up:
Apples and Monarchs - that should have been the title of this hike!
After a very wet start to the day - steady rain from Toronto to Barrie, and then drizzly showers from Barrie to Collingwood, the day brightened up into perfect hiking conditions. While the trail itself was a bit muddy, and therefore slippery in places, from the overnight/early morning showers, no-one fell and the walking was excellent. Beautiful views over Collingwood and Nottawasaga Bay were our reward for getting up early on a holiday Monday morning.
While this hike was rated as a D3 because of the distance, this valiant group managed to turn in a very creditable pace of 5kph over the entire hike, and for a couple of kilometres, was maintaining a 6kph pace, through the Len Gertler forest... Bravo to the entire team! Sol's Solace - a grand, raised deck clearly designed for the ski crowd (3-feet off the ground) - was our lunch spot, giving us benches to sit on, a dry place to stretch out and lie for a few minutes in the sun, and a place for the entire group to be able to mingle while we ate. The view across Georgian Bay was stupendous, beautiful colours in the calm waters - we were comparing it to other places in the world we've been and New Zealand came to mind for a couple of us. A plaque on the deck identified it as being for a local person who died some years ago - he's a lucky man to have such a memorial!
Throughout the day, we passed apple groves galore, with the members sampling along the way - no-one's complained yet of stomach problems from too many tart, wild apples :-) A large meadow we passed through after the lunch break was clearly a magnet for migrating Monarch butterflies. They were in the apple trees, presumably eating juice from the over-ripe fruits, in the air in clouds, in the wild-flowers amongst the grasses - a truly beautiful sight.
What would a hike in the Collingwood area be without a treat afterwards? The previous week's hike/spa combo was so successful, we did it again, heading to Le Scandinave after completing the walk. A couple of hours soaking tired muscles in the sauna, steam room and hot pools, followed by healthy soup and salads served in the comfortable lounge were a delightful way to finish up a splendid day.



Have some photos from this event that you'd like to share in our photo album? Please forward them to Erik Sonstenes at photos@torontooutdoorclub.com. Please note that we prefer to receive the photos in approximately 640x480 or 750x500 pixels - do NOT send original high-res photos. If you have a LOT of photos, please submit up to twenty of your favorites (only) for a day event, or up to forty of your favourites for a multi-day event. Thank you.