Tuesday Hike 2026 08 25

 Beautiful sunny morning  beckoned to 3 nature nuts to come out and play.

We started at the corner of Pearson Dr and Esten Dr. N.

ELATV #1 brought us along  a well worn trail through swampy areas and hilly mixed forest. 

We spent time guessing the names of different late summer flowers. We were quite pleased on a few occasions when our plantnet app proved us right! 

Our Merlin app helped us identify a Redstart and a Red -eyed Vireo by their calls.  

There was evidence of the species Nitwitus Airhead.  Beer and pop cans along with coffee cups and other garbage were visible . We picked another $1.00 of beer cans and donations for the recycle bin.

As we returned to the trailhead  two men in a truck were amazed and disgusted  that we had filled the garbage bag along the ATV trail. 

Maybe they will spread the word about not messing up the trails!!

Jackie was our Sweep and kept all 3 of us together!

6 km.

Photos

Old Baldy 2026 08 21

 Six intrepid hikers eagerly boarded the boats and motored on Flack Lake to the trailhead of Old Baldy mountain.

Some thoughtful person had laid some logs on the rocks which made exiting the watercraft so much easier.
We secured the boats and up we went…..
We headed up the trail while doing some light clearing without any insects to mar the day. 
The leader started thinking as we hiked along that somebody had made the trek steeper since last she hiked it.
The heat and humidity took a toll but we rested and climbed some more.
The summit was reached in an hour and the views were well worth the climb. The wind was blowing 15 mph and
that made the climb doable as it helped cool everyone down.
Going down the leader and the sweep changed places and I want to thank Eva for leading us back to the boats and lunch.
At lunch we were joined by Camilla and her friend Val, and everybody had an excellent lunch.
All told, it was a really wonderful day and a very challenging hike.

Photo

Esten Dr N to Pine Point on Angel Lake and Back 2026 08 20

 A TBA Hike became a stroll from the end of Esten Dr N to Pine Point on Angel Lake and back.

The 4 of us used ELATV #2 . It is in good shape. We cleared a few fallen branches and were careful as we navigated our way up and down hills that had loose rocks and gravel. 

Despite the recent rains there were more  muddy spots than mud puddles. No problem getting around them. The bush  could still use more rain as dead leaves were easily kicked up.

Only one Side by Side met us on the trail . The solo driver had an interesting looking large bundle wrapped in camouflage and tied up with rope in the back carrier.  Still a mystery to us . 

Heard a Crested Flycatcher as we returned. Two of us used our Merlin app to identify the odd bird call. 

Lunch was at Pine Point at the south end of Angel Lake. Blue berries had all been picked.

On our return we picked up 

garbage .  Trailside is a bit less cluttered now.

8.5 km in total. Many thanks to Eva for being our trusted Sweep.

No photos were taken on this hike to protect the innocent and not so innocent.  

Tim's Kayak Days

  Join Tim continuing our kayak tour of the local lakes. Our next

outing is at 10am on Wednesday 19 Aug to the eastern end of Dunlop Lake.
  We can explore the South Bay area and check out some small islands. 
There will be a
lunch stop. Meet at the Dunlop Lake boat launch right beside the
highway. Duration will be 2-3 hours.

Wintergreen Trail 2026 08 12

 Two hikers enjoyed a morning on the Wintergreen trail.  Quite a few lovely wildflowers in bloom grabbed our attention as we made our way to the unnamed lake-at the end of it.  Calm winds made for a very relaxing lunch break.  Turns out even beavers enjoy a relaxing float every now and then - it did nothing but float for a good 10 to 15 minutes!  The morning was a bit warmer than predicted but the cool shade under the trees was much appreciated and, all in all, it was a wonderful day to be on the trails.

Photos

Sherriff Creek 2026 08 10

 Four of us hiked parts of the Mellow Yellow  and New Blue Trails. Yellow wildflowers are popping up : Tangy, St. John's Wort, Hawkweed, Goldenrod among others.  Hydro One has been replacing poles along the line north of Horne Lake.  Huge machines such as bulldozers and excavators  have widened the Blue Trail up to the top of the Horne Lake Lookout. 

We enjoyed some raspberries and will wait another 2 weeks before sampling blackberries.

Some mudstone on the lookout has been split or moved around by the impact of machines pounding holes for the new poles.

Signs of critter life:

A small frog dashing into a mudhole, an even tinier toad on the forest duff, a heron flying over Horne Lake below us, a dead mole on the shore of the beaver pond, and moose and deer tracks.

Also, we saw tracks of the critter known as "Nitwitus Airhead". 

A bench has been vandalized and a metal trail sign has been broken in half.  Bike/Ski Club will be notified. 

The trails in this part of the Sanctuary were used by horseback riders in the former Pony Club. 

A sharp- eyed hiker saw a plaque dedicated to a former coach of the Pony Club. It seems to be a heartfelt tribute to that coach.

5.5 km hike with pleasant company, good conversation and great weather.

Photos

Leisure Hikes

 Donna will not be able to lead hikes for the next few weeks.

Denison Mine Rd 2026 08 03

 A beautiful Civic Holiday Monday and four CdeB hikers made their way down a trail off of Denison Mine Road to the falls on the Serpent River.  It is surprising how different a familiar trail looks once the trees are in full leaf and the other vegetation has grown up over the summer months.  

The plan was to check out the falls, and backtrack to a trail that meanders downhill along the river to a lookout spot for our break. Unfortunately, the leader could not spot the trail they were remembering, and we tried two other tracks off the main trail.  Both tracks brought us down to the river's edge.  It was the second track that got us close to the lookout, but we could not negotiate the final 10 meters or so to actually get to the water. 

The mosquitos had made it very uncomfortable to be walking on this side trail, so we opted to return to the main trail to enjoy the breeze and  have fewer biting insects tormenting us.

Judy spotted a garter snake with a freshly caught frog in their mouth as the snake moved out of our path and stopped for a photo.

It may not have been a hike that went exactly as planned, but it was a lovely walk with pleasant company.

Photos

Lumberjack Days Thank You

 On behalf of the Social Committee

We would like to thank the volunteers who helped with the parking and traffic at Mississagi Park this weekend for the Lumberjack Days. It is very much appreciated. Thank you Astrid, Emily, David, Bev, Teresa, Don, Sue, Maret, Rosemary, Camilla, Rick, and Heber.

Special thanks to Astrid, David, Bev, Teresa, Sue, Maret, and Heber for volunteering for 2 shifts. Extra special thanks to the ever-dependable Rick who took 3 shifts and was there for 7 hours. Don was also there all day Sunday and took the lead for the Social Committee. Thank you Don.

Reneé

Jim Christ Trail 2026 07 30

 no report from hike leader

Photos