East Point Bird Sanctuary and Nature trail

We went for a nice evening walk after dinner to the East Point Bird Sanctuary the other night to get out and watch the sunset.  East Point Park (and Bird Sanctuary) together is one of Toronto's largest parkland areas along the City's east waterfront. 

It is a migratory staging area for monarch butterflies and over 178 species of birds. There are trails to explore and the park offers a two level softball centre pavilion, washrooms, showers, change-rooms, umpire room, indoor lounge and outdoor patio.  

We passed and greeted a handful of fellow nature lovers.  Even during these unprecedented times of the COVID pandemic, you need to explore nature and fill your lungs and head up with the fresh outdoors.  

In fact, the air quality has never been better since air transportation has been reduced substantially.  As well, if one of the outcomes of this virus results in the reduction if not the complete elimination of Cruise Ship travel with its disastrous affects on our oceans and marine life, it will be something good that comes from this incursion of illness that has plagued many around the world.

For many millions of us we have been fortunate enough to have never lived through a world war, famine, fire, plagues or diseases.  This year has been an emotional, physical and financial meltdown for so many.  

My husband and I have supported the local restaurant businesses within our community as well as the surrounding areas and commended the restrictive reopening of so many hard working men and women who are trying to stay afloat during these times.

Many of the family businesses we have known have since closed it's doors.  My husband has had to update the aycetoronto food blog many times to keep up with the closures.  We've lost many businesses like Tuckers and Frankie Tomatoes that have been around for over 30 years.  But through this all I have seen so much support and kindness for each other.  In fact I believe that through hardship and pain, lives the true spirit and strength in people they never realized they had.  

This is why it is so important to try and find some enjoyment in life that comes at a low cost.  Nature is free.  Enjoy it.  There are heroes living in all of us.

Happy trails!

Unionville Valleylands Trail (Toogood Pond)

 

Markham, just north of Toronto has some beautiful trails  Easy access to most of them, including the one we went to on Sunday afternoon.  The Unionville Valleylands trail off of 16^th Avenue is only about a 5 km loop, but it has it all.  Watersheds, woodlands, ponds, marshes and wildlife.  

The wildlife seems to thrive and co-exist here in this suburban parkland and at times even a tamed squirrel will crawl up your pant leg to grab a shelled peanut from your hands.  Geese, herons, foxes, snapping turtles, muskrats and deer are common sightings. 

 

   

What is great about this one is that it connects to over 10 km of trail networks in the Markham area so if you have time you can easily spend a day.  The trails are marked and have easy access through wooden bridges and paved pathways.

    

The heron I spotted was so tame it didn’t budge when I pulled up my camera.  They must be so used to people around them.  I probably wouldn’t bring my bike to these trails, although it’s certainly doable, there are too many people and the trails are too short.  Perfect for young families with strollers and safe for kids.

One of the main parks within in this trail is locally known as “Toogood Pond” which was named after Arthur Toogood who owned the pond prior to the Town’s acquisition in 1980.

      

I was surprised to find very little information about Arthur Frank Toogood (passed away in 1995) while doing a bit of research.  Most of what I discovered was about his wife Mildred.  It seems they had met in Alberta where they had a travel business called Alberta Recreational Tours.  I am not sure what Arthur Toogood had done in Markham after leaving Alberta though.  His wife was very active in the community as a college teacher, a music instructor and was passionately taught piano and violin and conducted community orchestras and choirs until she passed away in 2012.

 

Markham’s trails are also a part of the Rouge Valley system.  It wasn’t until we almost completed this loop and we crossed over another bridge on the south side when I realized that we had been here before with my son and his wife last year in June.  It’s posted in my blog as “Markham Rouge Valley, Wilbur Latimer Way”

Happy Trails!

Harold Town Conservation Area

I couldn't wait to get a chance to make a trip back out to Peterborough this weekend.  We checked out another All You Can Eat restaurant in town and planned on hiking another trail afterwards.

We found the Harold Town Conservation area which was located off of Old Norwood Rd in Otonobee – about 15 minutes from our location, so it worked out perfectly. 

The parking lot didn't have any fee stations, and there are portable washrooms so you can plan to spend the day trying out different routes. 

The one feature you'll notice when you first arrive is this ginormous hill front and centre of the parking lot as you come in.  Your first thought would be no way would anyone ever dare to go down that hill on a bike, let alone hike it!  Unbelievably though, cyclists do this all the time I was told.

This would definitely be a must see for mountain bikers as it offers a network of trails available for off-road cyclists.  Even if you're a beginner, there are over 10 km of trails designed to challenge you with funny names such as Porcupine Pie and Screaming Trees. 

The trails are also well maintained and constructed in accordance with the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) guidelines and standards. 

Yup, they have standards.  You can see trail features like switch-back climbs, small rock drops, and tight turns with some log hops and berms if you’re into that.  

We are just happy to go for some safe-on-the-ground hiking trail called Kessel Run.   It ran through some pretty impressive forestland with lots of wildlife and wildflowers and open meadows.  There's a scenic view from the Meade Creek Drumlin which is part of the Peterborough Drumlin Field as part of the Otonabee Conservation watershed.

I wondered who the

Harold Town Conservation Area was named after and discovered he was a Canadian Painter who made a name for himself after he started a group of 11 artists known as the "Painters Eleven" which dates from 1953 when a group of young artists banded together with the purpose of exhibiting abstract art in Toronto.  

Although I didn't particularly understand his paintings (a lot like Picasso or Jackson Pollack) he made enough money to purchase this land and enjoyed it as his personal retreat until he passed away in 1990.  On April 11, 1994, the property was donated to Otonabee Conservation by Harold Town’s estate. The property was then named in his memory and was dedicated as a park for public purposes, as requested by the estate.

 

Happy Trails

Trent University Wildlife Sanctuary Nature Area (Yellow/Red and Blue Trail)

As Phase III finally began in Ontario during the Covid-19 Pandemic, we were able to enjoy the trails again!

We made the trip east to Peterborough to visit my family and do a bit of hiking on one of the many trails in the

Trent University Wildlife Sanctuary.  

 

The town of Peterborough sits on the Otonabee River in Central Ontario and is known as the gateway to the Kawartha's through the Trent-Severn waterway which moves upward to the Peterborough Lift locks. 

The Trent University Wildlife Sanctuary Nature area has 3 separate trails to choose from.  We went on the blue trail which is the longest of the three, covering a little over 3 kilometres.  

 

The hike is very easy and features a bit of both during the nature walk from dense forests and wildlife to wildflowers in open meadows and farmer's fields.

It is accessible all year round, but with the exception of one slight dip on the trail head (which can become muddy) I would say it is stroller and wheelchair friendly.  I also like that it is a loop trail which will take you out and back to your car again.

Currently as you enter from the parking lot, you will see about a dozen photographs hung from trees taken by the local students of Trent who have won a contest for best wildlife photo.  (the squirrel and the frog) I thought it was really cute to see the photos displayed on the trees like that.

As we went here on a Saturday it was fairly busy but I suspect most were locals as most foot traffic has been somewhat reduced due to the pandemic.  It will be such a relief once a vaccine has been tested and cleared.  2020 has been a crusher for the economy and I suspect it'll take a decade before the country will fully recover.  

In the meantime, we've learned a lot about each other and how to keep safe and have gotten much closer to our families and friends during this time.

 

Stay safe and happy trails!

Rockway Conservation Area

 I loved the Rockway Conservation area, located in Lincoln.  We parked at the Community Centre on the top of the hill.  The first thing you see entering into the gorge are the duo waterfalls off into the distance, which are unfortunately almost completely hidden behind trees.

As you can see by my photos, it's early spring but even with the sparse trees, there's no way you can take a decent shot of them.  I won't even post mine because I don't want to encourage anyone to take better pictures of them (which is easy to do! lol).

The first waterfall is known as Rockway Falls which is a ribbon cascade waterfall where 15 mile creek drops 18m into the gorge below.  It's one of four waterfalls in the immediate area and has a width of 4.5 m.   I wondered if there was a way to get a closer picture.  We spoke to a young guy taking photos down by the bridge, but he was unsure of how to get closer.


There also no barrier up top, and I'm sure by looking at the mud tracks, there are people who dare themselves to the extreme.

Really, it's not ever worth it, and if you are a social media buff, you've probably seen young people who take pictures of altitudes that would make you cringe.  I don't advocate thrill seeking behaviour and I think if we all encourage it, it won't ever go away.


Back to the trail-the path in it's worst state is mucky, slippery and slopy.  Wear well-treaded boots or shoes and be prepared to get dirty.  I love this kind of hike because it is good exercise, but there are plenty of trails here that are safe after all it is the Bruce Trail so it's pretty well maintained.

The trees are well marked and because it's early spring, we found a few divergent rivers caused by flooding.  Once you get into the valley near the bridge, you will see a very pretty cascading waterfall, which is a classical cascade water fall with a crest of 4.5 m and a drop of 5 m.   with an amazing flow from the 15 Mile creek.

Further down into the valley, there is another waterfall cascade which is best seen right after the rain, like you seen my pictures, I really can't complain about the water flow even if I was disappointed by many of my shots as I didn't bring my tripod!

I'm coming back again to this spot when the foliage is out,because I think this would be an absolute gorgeous here when the grass has grown.

All the conservation areas south of Jordan and around the St. Catherine's area are all beautiful.  We stopped for lunch just before the COVID-19 became a pandemic so now that all those places are closing down for the time being I will concentrate more on hiking and exploring and less on eating.

Good news for me as I love to do both!

Balls Fall Conservation Area

 We recently spent some time near Jordan, which is just southwest of the town of Lincoln, located in the gorgeous Niagara region of Ontario.

This is in the heart of Niagara wine country - prevalent vineyards and acres of farmland.  Much much prettier in the summer months when everything is green.

I've seen it then when there are rows and rows of perfectly planted grape vines and there is a stark difference in the early signs of spring.

In this historical ghost town is Balls Falls Conservation area.  It occupies a small portion of the 1200 acres bought by the Balls Brothers in the mid 1800s.  There are two waterfalls at it's location, known simply as 'Upper falls' (10.7m), and 'Lower falls' (27.4 m) high.

They both run out of the 20 Mile Creek and both are pretty impressive to look at and easy to get to which is why it's family friendly and great for families with little kids.

One of the most frustrating aspect of taking waterfall pictures is when there always seems to be a tree(s) in the way!  Such is the case here in when I was taking pictures of the Upper falls.  It's really difficult to get a picture around it, but the Lower Falls has a clear path.  It also doesn't help when the trees are mere stick-like twigs!  It sure doesn't make much of a picture frame, but you can get the idea of how lovely the water flows over firmer limestone and several weaker sandstone layers.  

The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority had purchased this land in 1962.  The gorge has become somewhat of a scientific interest and at the Ball's Falls Centre for Conservation (located near the parking lot as you come in), there is a lot to help visitors learn of the area's cultural and natural history.

Inside when opened (may-October) includes galleries, exhibits and interactive displays, archaeological finds and some information about the watershed ecosystem of the 20 mile creek.


The village of Glen Elgin is located near the Lower Falls, just opposite of the foot bridge located at the bottom of the park.  In the village, you can see the original Ball family house, and operating gristmill, a lime kiln, a restored church, a blacksmith shop and a carriage shed.

The Ball family house is a Georgian style home, and was built in 1846 for George Ball and his family.  The front of the house was then used as a general store.  George's idea was for Glen Elgin to become somewhat of a hamlet for local residents.  It never came to pass and when Mortimer inherited the home in 1883, he decorated the home to be a law office so he could work from home.


You can also see the renovated Woolen Mill was reconstructed in the early 1840s to manufacturer cloth with water and the power of steam.  By 1851 George had over 30 employees working at the mill.

There is a quaint little church in the village called, St. George Anglican church.  It was built in 1865 to serve the growing hamlet of Glen Elgin.

By the 1960s due to the growing population on the Hamilton Mountain, it was advised to build a larger church to accommodate all the parishoners.  The old church was bought by the Niagara Conservation Authority and put on the Balls Falls Conservation area as part of the Elgin Mills village.  The church today is still used occasionally for small wedding services.

I had a wonderful time here, and despite slightly chilly temps, it was still a great visit.  This is no my list to return once the weather is warmer again.  I really do need to remember to bring my tripod!