Emily's tues morn hike 2025 03 25

Narrative to follow. 

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Angel & Chrystal lakes 2025 03 22

 I led 9 from the Wash. snow dump up Bear Burl hill to the woodpecker system.. along to the Esten trail to follow that to Crystal lake.. Tom led through the woods from there down to Snot Rocks alongside the lake, past the erratic with the mature tree growing on top.

Keith and I went over to the rocks for a gander..

We bush whacked along Angel to near the end with the crust letting go underfoot ever so often.. more often for some than for others..

Nicki and Keith tried various new wrestling holds to extricate each other from holes.

Back to the Esten trail to the woodpecker cut off and hence back down the hill to the cars and coffee.. none too soon for some.

Thanks to Tom for trailfinding and Janie for Sweep..

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Esten boat launch 2025 03 18

 ...Sunshine greeted nine hikers before they even left the circle - way ahead of predictions - and it simply got better from there! Clear blue skies accompanied us all the way from the end of Esten N to the shore of Esten Lake and back along well-packed snowmachine trails - thank you Keith, for keeping us on track! Except for a few icy sections along the main trail,  solid footing, unencumered by snowshoes, was a treat despite the heavy weekend rain.  Like birds perched along a telephone wire, we enjoyed our break in full sun, a view of the lake, and the company of friends perched on a very large log, which Keith also steered us to.  With a nod to "Fred", who is still monitoring passersby - a mere shell of his former self -  we made our way back to the beginning.  It truly was a perfect day combining elements of winter hiking and the warmth of spring-like temperatures beautifully!

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Attn: all hike leaders 2025 03 18

 HIKE LEADERS ARE REMINDED TO BRING THEIR WAIVER FORMS TO THE MEETING.

If you cannot come, please send them with someone..

Stoneridge for two 2025 03 17

 A day to make you smile whether you’re Irish or not.  

Deep blue skies, brilliant sunshine and a light dusting of fresh sparking snow.   After the miserable rainy weather over the weekend, it was a joy to be out and about in the woods.

Although there were only 2 of us, we managed a lovely hike on Stoneridge, hiking up the back, across the ridge and down the backside of the ridge.  Snowshoes kept us sure-footed on the narrow trail and kept any breakthroughs from going very deep into the softened snow off the trail.  Water was running down the hill, and we noted buds on the trees. The views from the top of the ridge were spectacular.  Rabbit, fox and deer tracks criss-crossed our path, and we spotted a fox den on our descent. The wind had sculpted the snow into interesting bowls and drifts and scoured the open areas into a firm, crispy crust.

As I said, a day to make you smile. 

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Stoneridge snowshoe 2025 03 13

 A sunny gorgeous late winters day greeted the 10 hikers who made it out this morning. A hike up the back of Stoneridge got our hearts a pumping but once we got to the top we were treated to a beautiful panoramic view, down the backside we went through a huge hill of virgin snow and ended up back at the vehicles, a short hike over to Ryan lake for lunch then we called it a day, Thanks to Jean Guy for leading and Emily for sweeping.

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Frozen Lakes & Ropes

 Hike Ontario  does not approve of hiking on frozen lakes. We just had an enquiry from a x country ski club that wanted to join Hike Ontario and get our insurance, and their request was declined because we knew they ski or snowshoe on frozen lakes. 

As to your rope question, my response would be that your organization may be held responsible if you knew that the ropes were unsafe and did not do anything about it, and someone then filed a claim if they suffered an injury.  

My suggestion would be to either 

1. re-route, if the ascents/descends are not safe without ropes

2. replace the ropes and devices with proper equipment and inspect them regularly

(but I would have to check with the broker on whether they would cover that)

3. remove the ropes if deemed unsafe

Heber

Wolf run plus 2025 03 11

.... Eight trusting hikers were willing to do the Wolf Run "Plus"  adventure on what started as a grey morning with wind and dropping temperatures promised in the forecast.  As usual, once out in the woods, there is no such thing as a bad day!  We observed a large bunny gathering area on our way to the side trail which would takes us to the dam.  Crossing it was not even a challenge and we happily made our way to the end of the lake where the adventure began.  As we 'bush-whacked' our way back towards the main trail, crossing a rivulet-strewn transition zone, the sun opened up to welcome us along.  The highlight was a moose bedding area which seemed set for a cow and calf duo.  Once back on the main trail we made our way to the falls (not even visible under the snow cover) to enjoy our break.  Kevin shared with us the habits of snow fleas which were in abundance along the trail, particularly in earlier footsteps - ours and the moose's!  Arriving at our starting point satisfied and enlightened, with the sun cutting through a cool, brisk wind, all agreed it was, indeed, a good day!

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Stinson Lake stroll 2025 03 10

 Our small group of 10 set out for a refreshing morning walk along Stinson Lake Road, joined by a new member, Danielle, who we all made sure to welcome warmly. The fresh snow was like a storybook of the wild, covered in fascinating animal tracks—bobcat, owl, and even wolf—keeping us intrigued along the way. The crisp air hovered at a comfortable -4°C, with barely a whisper of wind, making for a perfect, leisurely Monday morning stroll. A great start to the week!

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Snowshow trail 2025 03 08

 For today's journey Dave took us on to the "snow shoe" trail. Brilliant sun, and -5 was just right. We stopped to feed the Chicadee's, and saw many tracks on the snow of rabbits, moles and pheasant. We were all happy to escort Emily on a hike on International Women's Day. Another great day in the woods. Always there to educate us Dave gave us the word of the day, Apricity, the warmth of the sun on a winters day.

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