Bruce Trail Fall Colours Hike

The four of us (Foxco, Sherry, Taylor, Liam) and Taylor's g/f Meg went on the Highlands Trailblazers Fall Colours Hike in Septemeber, 2010.




Given that the five of us brought the average age of the assembled hikers down considerably, the hike was not as rigorous as it had been in the past.

The hike is one of many fundraisers put on in support of the Highlands Trailblazers,

a Nordic Ski team based at Highlands Nordic, near Duntroon, Ontario.

We started near the top of Grey Road 19, near Castle Glen. We took the Petun Side Trail and climbed up one of the runs at Osler Bluff Ski Club. A beautiful view of Collingwood, Georgian Bay, and Western Simcoe County was the reward.

Continuing along the main trail, we traversed

along the top of Osler Bluff. Many fine photo ops

were found, as the cobwebs of early morning

gave way to a sunny fall day.

At one point, we were pretty much directly opposite our home, which lies on the flat, sandy plains that stretch from Collingwood east to Elmvale, and south almost as far as Creemore.

The hike then meandered inland, following the contours of the Pretty River Valley.

Some of the more senior members of the group began to tire, and we became a strung-out collection of hikers.

Slowly, we descended down the north side

of the Valley, and began to wind our way

through wild apple orchards and cedar

groves to the parking lot on Westchurch

Side Road.

A convoy of vehicles shuttled us back to Highlands

Nordic, where a warm buffet greeted the hungry

hikers.