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Great outdoors 10

19 Apr 2005   | Entertainment · James D. Schwartz · nature · Travel

I returned home last evening from a weekend up north where the beautiful weather allowed me to escape from the city to a cottage and hike along Canada’s longest footpath, climb a 220 meter ski hill by foot and by Jeep, toboggan down the ski hill in a recycling box, cross a suspension bridge and all the while managing to get a pretty good tan.

The temperature was beautiful in Collingwood Ontario; close to 20 degrees Celsius, but there was still snow on the ski hill so the hiking was interesting. We hiked for about 20 kilometers along the Bruce trail, Canada’s longest footpath that spans more than 800KMs along the Niagara Escarpment. The Bruce trail was instrumental in the Escarpment being named a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations in 1990.

Below are some pictures from the weekend:

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  • http://elektric.kat.free.fr/ WhyNot

    Wow, great piccies, Jim.

    “The Bruce trail was instrumental in the Escarpment being named a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations in 1990.”

    Sounds like the ideal place for Bush to start drilling for oil, lol.

  • http://elektric.kat.free.fr/ WhyNot

    PS: the swan pic wins my heart!

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/16252632293116411353 iBrett

    That’s no mountain! ;)

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/08331511377649799538 n.v.

    Nice shots, Jim. The Bruce Trail runs through Hamilton and it’s a great place to be once the weather gets kinder. I’m glad you had a good time.

    That suspension bridge looks scary. I feel like I wanna pee whenever I’m on one of those things.

    Dena

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/04454437680686627778 Jim

    iBrett – You’re right.. it’s not a mountain.. I was very hesitant to write the word mountain in there ;) But the ski resort and village is called “Blue Mountain” so I caved in and wrote Mountain.. but I should have wrote “hill” or “escarpment” ;)

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/04454437680686627778 Jim

    WhyNot – hehe, I’m sure he’d love to ;) Did you hear about the sanctions that Canada is imposing on the US? Seems like Paul Martin might have a backbone.

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/04454437680686627778 Jim

    Dena – I used to ride my mountain bike on the Bruce Trail in Hamilton all the time when I used to live there. It’s a lot of fun.

    And yes, the suspension bridge was kinda freaky, especially when I was on the middle of it, and my buddy Tim was grabbing on to the suspension cable and shaking it like a madman, the whole bridge was shaking. hehe

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/08331511377649799538 n.v.

    Jim are you from Hamilton? Did you just go to university here? Or are you one of the sex offenders Toronto releases into our area after “rehabilitation”? :)

    I’ve never ridden my bike on the Trail. I think I’d run into terrain that is unbikeable. Maybe I should try. The weather is great, so I’m taking my dog for a hike this weekend.

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/08331511377649799538 n.v.

    I’ve gone biking on the paths in and around Dundurn Castle. It’s so beautiful there in the Spring and Summer.

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/04454437680686627778 Jim

    I just went to school there for 3 years. I’m originally from the Niagara Region, and I moved to Toronto for work when I completed my program. I always used to run and roller blade on the paved bike path near Coote’s paradise.. kinda near Dundurn castle. The path goes along the waterfront, and underneath the highway, etc.

    That’s one of the things I miss about Hamilton. I also miss the cheap beer, pizza & wings, and Hess Village. That’s about it ;)

    There are spots on the Bruce trail that aren’t too difficult on a bicycle. Namely along where the 403 goes up the escarpment, and also through Chedoke golf course.