Sun, Nov 12 2006 - Walker Woods (View Original Event Details)
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As November days go, we were pretty lucky with this one. The weather was cool but not cold, and though the skies were generally grey, the sun did poke through occasionally to bathe the woods in light. This late in the season, of course, the leaves were completely down from the hardwood trees, layering the ground in a deep carpet of yellows and orangy-reds, tempting one to lie down on it and just drift into sleep. But we were hiking and peer pressure kept us all going! The bareness of the trees also meant that one could see for long distances. The terrain in this eastern stretch of the Oak Ridges Moraine is quite rolling, higher in the main Walker Woods area than it is in the North Walker Woods. The variety of tree types is also interesting: stands of maple and oak give way in places to coniferous forest (some of it planted in rows) with the odd apple tree and cedars adding to the diversity. As for the hike itself, we all arrived at the Walker Woods parking lot on time around 10:45 AM, which must have impressed Anne as she was already there waiting for the rest of us. We started the hike by heading up into the northern section and walking a big loop through it. Arlene’s two mid-sized dogs, Stripey and Coco, were clearly in dog paradise, running at great speed through the woods on either side of us and out in front. Cordelia’s subcompact canine (Simba is a dog, is he not?) also had a ball—amazing that a critter with four inch legs can move at such velocity and for so long without seeming to tire. If we did 12 kms, Stripey, Coco and Simba must have done 30 at least! About half past 12, Sue spotted the perfect lunch spot, a sheltered hollow with a convenient log to sit on, at just the right moment, when stomachs were beginning to growl. After lunch, we finished that loop and went back into the main Walker Woods where we made another big loop through the middle of it, finishing up at the parking lot shortly after 3 PM. On that last leg of the loop, Hong spotted a pile of rocks beside the trail. She insisted that the formation resembled a beaver though no one else could quite see it—in fact, some of us began to wonder just what she’d been drinking from her two mega-thermoses. Just before reaching the cars at the end of the hike, Rob mentioned that there was a nice bakery-café in the nearby town of Goodwood. Ever the schoolteacher, Rob was dithering about, trying to ascertain if anyone might NOT want to go when Emma D. (sorry, can’t help but get that initial in there) told him to stop being a baby and just take charge ie. tell people that this is where they were going and leave it at that. So on to the café for what I think all would agree was a sweet end to a fine 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.