PO Box 1, Guelph, ON Canada N1H 6J6 Volume 40, #2 - July 2012 Telephone: 519 836 9147, Internet: www.guelphhiking.com International Trails Day Plus a Much Improved RLT Section 7 The Guelph Hiking Trail Club celebrated International Trails Day with the grand opening and inaugural hike along a new section of the Radial Line Trail, our pathway from Guelph to Limehouse that roughly follows the old Radial Line railroad’s right-of-way. Greg Moroz and his sister Lisa McIlmoyle kindly gave permission for the club to re-route through their cedar forest, taking this western section off-road for almost two kilometers. Twenty-six people, including members of Acton Seniors walking club, attended the ceremony. The event featured Tortoise and Hare hikes, with a 2½ hour hike for Hares and an easy 45 minute stroll for Tortoises. Both groups headed west through the newly completed portion of Section 7 passing through the Moroz property. The longer hike continued through Section 6 (Dublin Line to 6 Line). Thanks th to the new routing, the hikes were in wooded country for most of the way. A very Special Thanks to John Fisher and the many volunteers who contributed to this improvement! Thanks to the new rerouting, the western portion of RLT Section 7 now goes through wooded country rather than along the busy Side Road 25 and up the Dublin Line. With John Fisher, Radial Line Trail Coordinator on her left and Kathy Somers, the president of GHTC on her right, Lisa McIlmoyle, the landowner who, with her brother, gave permission for the new routing across their property, prepares to cut the ribbon. Photo by Bob Fanning.
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PO Box 1, Guelph, ON Canada N1H 6J6 Volume 40, #2 - July 2012Telephone: 519 836 9147, Internet: www.guelphhiking.com
International Trails DayPlus a Much Improved RLT Section 7
The Guelph Hiking Trail Club celebrated InternationalTrails Day with the grand opening and inaugural hikealong a new section of the Radial Line Trail, our pathwayfrom Guelph to Limehouse that roughly follows the oldRadial Line railroad’s right-of-way. Greg Moroz and hissister Lisa McIlmoyle kindly gave permission for the clubto re-route through their cedar forest, taking this westernsection off-road for almost two kilometers.
Twenty-six people, including members of ActonSeniors walking club, attended the ceremony. Theevent featured Tortoise and Hare hikes, with a 2½hour hike for Hares and an easy 45 minute stroll forTortoises. Both groups headed west through thenewly completed portion of Section 7 passing throughthe Moroz property. The longer hike continuedthrough Section 6 (Dublin Line to 6 Line). Thanksth
to the new routing, the hikes were in wooded countryfor most of the way.
A very Special Thanks to John Fisher and the many volunteers who contributed to this improvement!
Thanks to the new rerouting, the western portion of RLT
Section 7 now goes through wooded country rather than
along the busy Side Road 25 and up the Dublin Line.
With John Fisher, Radial Line Trail Coordinator on her left
and Kathy Somers, the president of GHTC on her right,
Lisa McIlmoyle, the landowner who, with her brother, gave
permission for the new routing across their property,
prepares to cut the ribbon. Photo by Bob Fanning.
Radial Line Trail Report We’ve been busy! A number of newsworthy activitieshave taken place over the last few months that Ithought would be of interest to club members.
Let me start at Section 1. After very protractednegotiations with the City and Province, the Club hasfinally secured an agreement to install the OR SideTrail. (See separate article from Bill Mungall and standby for work party requests!).
Section 2. Over the last couple years, along withother community groups, we met with the citywaterworks department concerning the closure ofthe dam which used to provide access from SmithProperty to the Arkell Springs grounds. The citysecured funds to rehabilitate the dam and provideseasonal access for public crossing. Such a projectneeds significant regulatory approval and,unfortunately, the plans for public access did notpass muster. Satisfying these demands would haverequired significant additional funding which wasnot available. However, as an indication of thewaterworks desire to share the springs with thecommunity, they asked the city parks department towork with community groups to develop a planformalizing trails and public access to the area, usingexisting infrastructure. Plan development is targetedby year end. The first group “walk about “ was heldin early June and we are working on a response tothe parks department request for input.
Starkey Hill. The Club has had a long history withthis property including its trail founding. For someyears we decided to leave GRCA to manage allaspects of the trail. Several years ago, club memberJim Hoare started to do routine maintenance andactively engaged the GRCA by recommendingimprovements to the trail. This year we extendedour formal maintenance agreement with GRCA andthe Smith Property to include Starkey Hill. GRCAsecured a Trillium grant for $2000 for trailimprovement on the property. (See Jim’s article onthis activity). Our members are also working closelywith GRCA to develop QR code technology on thetrail to replace the interpretative brochures thatwere available when hiking this property. Thisinnovative approach to trail interpretation may haveadditional application to other trail systems.
Section 3. Those familiar with this section know wecross a river on a bridge with a span of about 20ft. It
has shifted several times and is in need of anupgrade. Phil Kidston put his engineering hat backon and is involved in redesigning the bridge. This islikely to be a multi- year project, but the landowner,Ed Parker, has given his blessing for the upgrade.
Section 6. The “Moroz “work party hauled out 3bridges that were abandoned after a trail reroutethat took place a couple of years ago. We hauled thebridges to the 10 tee of Blue Springs golf course andth
they were good enough to take them back to theirmaintenance shop for our convenient pick up. Thesebridges were subsequently reinstalled on the newlyestablished trail on section 7.
Section 7. The big event of course concerned the“handshake agreement “ with the Moroz family thatestablished a new trail replacing 2 km of roadwalking. Bill Mungall deserves credit for trackingdown the landowners and initiating the request. Asa result of those efforts we flagged a cross countryroute through farmland and cedar forest of 1.9 km. Greg Moroz came out and walked the proposed maintrail reroute and a side trail that would link the maintrail to Greenore Crescent in Acton. Greg gave us theofficial approval to proceed and we put out a call fora work party. Fifteen club members responded andcame out to install the trail on May 6. Three teamsworked on different sections and by days’ end wehad a new main trail established and blazed. A gooddays work for all involved. We finished up the trailover the subsequent two weeks with signage andbridges (from section 6). We were ready for theofficial ribbon cutting on International Trails Day(See cover article).
Section 8. We had to close the trail for a short periodwhile the additional hydro line was installed, butwere able to open again in mid May.
Section leader changesSteve Mercer took over Section 1 after AnnMiddletonn’s retirement last year. John Duthiereplaced Andy Cann on the Sugar Shack and BlueSprings side trail. Section 7 is now somewhat moremaintenance intense with the new trail replacing theroad walk, but Joe Jany has recruited a neighbor,Walter Staples, to assist him. Section 6 is in need ofan assistant to help Bob Fanning. Henry Graupner, who shared trail maintenance with Bob, tenderedhis resignation as section leader. Thanks Henry!
John FisherRadial Line Trail Captain
GHTC Newsletter - July 2012 - Page 5
Bug Off
Nothing can disturb ones pleasure of the great
outdoors more than being pestered by hoards of
flying nasties. Not only is it unpleasant being bitten,
but insects and ticks might transmit disease. Thus, it
is very good sense to apply insect repellents and,
hopefully, not get bitten in the first place!
An insect repellent is a substance applied to skin or
clothing that discourages insects from landing or
climbing on that surface. The active ingredient
slowly evaporates, producing an invisible chemical
barrier around the areas where it was applied,
repelling incoming insects.
There are a number of insect repellent types, some of
which are well tested and proven to work and others
which are perhaps a little suspect. Various naturally
occurring compounds like citronella, myrtle leaf oil,
catnip oil and neem oil have repellent properties. In
addition, there are synthetics like DEET and Icaridin.
All contain active ingredients with a marked
repellent effect on flying and hopping insects.
Health Canada recommends choosing a product that
meets your needs. For example, if you plan to be
outdoors for a short period of time, choose a product
with a lower concentration of repellent, and repeat
application only if you need a longer protection time.
They also emphasize that besides using an insect
repellent, risk can be reduced by taking the following
steps.
Whenever possible, avoid being outdoors at dawn or
dusk when mosquitos are most active.
Remove standing water from items such as pool
covers, saucers under flower pots, pet bowls and
wading pools on your property. Empty and clean
bird baths twice a week, and regularly clean
eavestroughs to prevent clogs that can trap water.
Wear long-sleeved shirts, full length pants and
closed shoes if outdoors when mosquitos are
active or where ticks might be found.
Tuck shirts into pants and pull socks up over pant
legs to help keep ticks away from bare skin.
Wear light-colored clothing, which will help reduce
overall attractiveness to mosquitos and allow
seeing ticks more easily.
When returning from areas with ticks, check clothes
and entire body for ticks. Check pets regularly, as
well.
If planning travel to tropical areas where serious
mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria are
common, see a doctor or visit a travel clinic
several weeks before departure.
With any product, always read the entire label
carefully before using. Follow all of the label
directions, including restrictions for use on children
and the maximum number of applications allowed
per day. Apply the repellent sparingly, and only on
exposed skin surfaces or on top of clothing. Heavy
application and saturation are unnecessary for
maximum effectiveness. Repeat applications only as
necessary and directed on the product label
If concerned about sensitivity, apply the product to a
small area of skin and wait 24h to see if a reaction
occurs.
Tale of Two Doctors' Offices
Two patients limp into two different medical clinics
with the same complaint. Both have trouble walking
and appear to require knee surgery.
The FIRST sees his family doctor after waiting three
weeks for an appointment, then waits twelve weeks
to see a specialist, then gets an x-ray, which isn't
reviewed for another week, and finally has his
surgery scheduled for six months from then.
The SECOND patient is examined within the hour,
x-rayed the same day and has a time booked for
surgery the following week.
Why the different treatment for the two patients?
- the FIRST is a Senior Citizen
- the SECOND. Is a Golden Retriever.
Next time, take me to a veterinarian!
Unhappy with the weather this spring? One
thing that seemed to thrive on it is poison ivy
- so TAKE CARE on the trails!
GHTC Newsletter - July 2012 - Page 11
HIKING SCHEDULE
July through mid November, 2012
Over the years the GHTC has enjoyed permission from the generosity of private landowners for footpaths through their
property. The friendship, respect and trust of these landowners are the Club's most important assets. Let us continue to care for
and properly use their property while maintaining the objectives of the Club.
All hikers should check the GHTC web site www.guelphhiking.com for detailed advice and information on Terrain Rating
System, Hike Speed, special seasonal instructions and other timely recommendations.
• To avoid disappointment due to cancellation, please notify the hike leader if you intend to join a scheduled hike.
• Cancelled or rescheduled hikes will be posted on the GHTC web site. The leader may choose to post a rain date here. Be sure
to check for updates and impromptu hikes!
• Occasionally it proves more convenient for a hike leader to select a meeting place that is not in Guelph. If you cannot arrange
a ride to get there, call the hike leader who may know of someone who is willing to take you. In other out-of-town hikes the
leader will meet at a local location to carpool. If the distance is considerable, it is customary to offer to help pay for the
gasoline.
• It is important to stay with the group while hiking, alerting the leader of intentions to ‘drop-out' at the beginning a necessity
and appreciated.
NOTE: HIKE Dates and TITLES in BOLD are conducted by the Guelph Hiking Trail Club
Sun Jul 01 SPEED RIVER, GUELPH LAKE AND FIREWORKS!! 1½ - 2hrs
Join in a lovely loop hike close to home along the Speed River to Guelph Lake depending on numbers as we will want to be
back to enjoy the dazzling 9:00-9:30 p.m. fireworks at Riverside Park. Wear proper footwear and seasonal night clothing. Bring
water, snacks and a flashlight. Meet 7:30 p.m. at the Golden Griddle Parking Lot off Woodlawn Rd. E.
the sound of falling water. To register send a $10.00 cheque (made out to the Beaver Valley Bruce Trail Club) to Joëlle
Martin, P.O. Box 3251, Meaford, N4L 1A5, 519-538-5766. Please include your name, telephone number and e-mail address.
Fee will cover refreshments and the special FWT hike badge awarded to all hiker who completes the hike.
Bruce Peninsula
Nine days beginning Aug 11, starting in Wiarton, continuing every Sat and Sun until Sept 3, finishing in Tobermory. Details at
www.pbtc.ca/hikes_end2end.html
Ganaraska Trail E2E
Sat & Sun, July 14/15, Hike 5 & 6 of 21; Sat & Sun, Aug 11/12 Hike 7 & 8 of 21; Sat & Sun, Aug 25/26, Wilderness Section,
Backpacking Weekend; Sat & Sun, Sept 8/9 Hike 11 & 12 of 21; Details at gvta.on.ca
Opening up “The O.R.” Sidetrail
GHTC has received all approvals and recent financialsupport from the City of Guelph that now allow us toannounce exciting plans to open up a brand new, 2.5km long trail, all within Guelph, and on lands ownedby the Province and the City.
This trail will be built as a sidetrail off Section 1 of theRadial Line Trail, running from Stone Road East toYork Road, at the parking lot for the Bicentennial Parkball diamonds. It will run alongside mostly woodedeast and north banks of the Eramosa River, and the eastbank of Clythe Creek. Aside from some nice views ofthe river, a geologically significant quarry will beopened up to public viewing for the first time since itsacquisition by the City in 2004. (For those not long inGuelph, the locals referred to the Guelph CorrectionalCentre as “The O.R.”, for “The Ontario Reformatory”for most of that institution’s 95 year existence. Thesidetrail and Section 1 RLT both run over formerreformatory lands.)
Several work parties to brush out the trail over thesummer months will be put together from the existinglist of trail maintenance volunteers. To have yourselfadded to the list, contact the membership secretary,Dave Culham. [Bill Mungall]
Ode to the Bruce Trail
Here’s to you old friendThat you may live a thousand years or moreThat those who care will continue to careThat your lakes and streams will always be there That your trees will abound and continue to growThat wild life will flourish and be free to roamThat your breezes will blow to freshen the dayThat the sun will shine and show the way That rains will nourish your forest groundThat your treadway will be forever soundThat your leaves will fall giving life belowThat hikers will come to love and to know That your hills and valleys will be gentle and kindThat strangers become friends with the passage of timeThat you continue to give strength to those who exploreThat those who tread will respect you more
That your followers will give as you have givenThis is our wish to you old friend
[Donald Cangiano]
Hike Ontario Summit 2012 and GVTA 40 Anniversary Celebrations th
The Grand Valley Trails Association is thrilled to announce the details of its 40 Anniversaryth
Celebrations to be held November 2- 4, 2012, in conjunction with the annual Hike Ontario Summit. Come to Kitchener and celebrate with hiking friends from across Ontario!
Check the websites for detailed descriptions and updates. Hike Ontario: www.hikeontario.com GVTA Anniversary: www.gvta.on.ca
Register online at www.gvta.on.ca. Registration deadline, Monday, October 22, 2012.
GHTC Newsletter - July 2012 - Page 19
GRCA Summer Camps
The Grand River Conservation Authority has a
variety of summer camps this summer to
encourage learning and making friends in the
great outdoors. There are a multitude of
camping opportunities at five different locations with
a variety of options for 6 to 16 year olds.
Information and registration is available at
www.grandriver.ca.
Pedestrian Based Trails and Their Benefits
Hike Ontario recognizes and supports trails
throughout Ontario and appreciates that every trail is
unique. Every trail can't be all things to all people
but all trails can play beneficial roles. Trails play
roles in the economy, play roles in the environment
and perhaps most importantly, play roles in our
health.
As defined in the new Ontario Trails Strategy, trails
can be:
• Footpaths with natural surfacing
• Multi-use tracks with manufactured surfaces
• On-road bicycle routes
• Walkways, boardwalks and sidewalks
• Utility corridors or former rail lines
• Forestry and mining access roads designated as
trails
• Waterways and portage routes
While Hike Ontario recognizes the diversity of trails
and trail uses, our focus is on the representation and
promotion of pedestrian based trails and their
benefits. [From Hike Ontario web site]
GHTC Newsletter - July 2012 - Page 23
PLEASE PRINT THIS FORM AND MAIL WITH CHEQUE PAYMENT TO:
David Culham
GHTC Membership
19 Munroe Crescent
Request for Membership G^, ON N,G 5E5
Guelph Hiking Trail dub
Membership: D $25.00 per year or D $100 for 5 years*
Name (in full)
additional family member(s)
Address
City
Postal Code
Email
Province
Telephone
How did you discover the Guelph Hiking Trail dub?
Would you prefer email link to colour online newsletter D, or printed black/white newsletter mailed to address listed above D?
The GHTC depends on volunteers to carry out administrative functions and various trail programs. Please indicate ifyou have interest in investing time during the upcoming year to help the club in any of the areas listed below.
Trail Maintenance
Leading Hikes
Other
Newsletter
Administration
Publicity Social Events
Not able to volunteer this year
(describe)
I would like to purchase the items as indicated below:
Membership lyr@$25or 5yrs@$100* ->
Handbook with trail maps
dub badge
@ $15.00** ->
@ $3.00 -*
Donation ->
Total*Special rate for 5yr membership requires selection of electronic newsletter.**Handbooks are $15.00 for members, $20.00 for non-members.
I have read the GHTC Trail Users Code and agree to abide by it. SignaturePlease make cheques payable to 'Guelph Hiking Trail dub'