Wash snow dump to Esten L beach 2025 08 12

 Four of us set put from the Washington Snow  Dump to Esten Lake Beach.

Sun and clouds took turns dominating the sky.  Some breezes and wind gusts kept us cool on our way in the 30C heat. 

Fresh bear tracks were seen at the gravel pit. Could have been 2 bears walking from the pond toward the bush.

A few frogs were leaping from logs into the swamp. One  Painted turtle was sunning itself on a log .  Water level  is  low in the ponds. 

A few other trails off the Esten Lake Loop were tempting us. However. They were  bit grown over and ticks might have been an issue. We stayed on a well cleared ATV trail

Our lunch stop was at Esten Beach. Some campers with trailers were enjoying the location, too.  The whole beach area was clean  

On the return hike we picked 2 kitchen garbage bags full of garbage. On the positive side, we p

also picked 22 beer cans .  $ 2.20 for the Food Bank Fund!!!

A good hike of about 6 km .

Thanks to Dave Nesbitt for sweeping. 

Photos

Slipper Lake 2025 08 09

 Led four hikers from the snow dump, up past the big bear burl, onto the woodpecker trails. We wended out to the road at Angel lake, hiked along to the trail up to the Slipper look out. After admiring the vista, (getting smaller as the trees grow tall,) we hiked down the trail to Pim's camp on the edge of Slipper. Being rested and caught up, we climbed back up the high ridge, traversed back to the trail and went downhill to the wet area and proceeded to the Slipper lakeside trail and so back to all nations and the cars. 2.5 hours, about 7 kms.

Lots of chicory, tansy, Joe Pye, trefoil, clover, milkweed, mountain pinks, even saw some dead man's finger mushroom. ghost pipe,

1 lone squirrel, after the rain last night, few tracks. one deer track. 

Rodd and Tom were back with Ginette and I.

Home, sweaty and tired.. coffee on

Jakes Lake 2025 08 05

 Jake's Lake was our destination today. It is along ATV/OFSC 2 just south of Mississauga Ave and Our Lady of Lourdes School.

We crossed Scott Rd ( in our Hike Ontario mandated method) and proceeded along the ATV 2 trail.

We saw some beautiful Brown Eyed Susan's and Indian Blanket flowers on the trail. Too bad they were growing near a discarded mattress and some other discarded household appliances!

There also was a small double hulled inboard motor boat off the trail at the foot of the big hill. There was a full sized bathtub in it!

There might be  inspiration for a good Country song  ! " She done took my truck, but I can still go fishing!!"

There were quite a few turkey vultures  circling over the dump. Understandable because it was garbage collection day.

However, we were  not sure what was attracting a large flock of them over Jake's Lake!  About 40 of them took flight as we approached. A significant pile of feathers ,  perhaps, goose feathers, were on the rocky shoreline. Perhaps that was their buffet special today. 

 

A few either eagles or viltures were perched in a tree waiting for us to leave after our snack stop. 

Bugs were not bad. We got back  before the real heat of the sun started.  Smoke conditions were quite tolerable, too.

There was time to  admire  steeple plants  and flowering  wintergreen along the way.

Four hikers, 5.6 km on a sunny August day.

Thanks to Steve for Sweeping!

Photos

Spine beach 2025 08 05

 

Three of us started at Spine Rd Beach and headed west along the Bob Stirling Trail. A new arrival to Elliot Lake  joined us.

The trail was in good condition with a few large trees having recently been cleared off the trail.

Little brown toads and one small red toad bounced among the leaf litter. 

Some flowering plants have already gone to seed. Time for Tansy, Jewel Weed, Queen Anne's Lace and other late bloomers to get some admiration! Mushrooms of different sizes and moss, mold of different colours are growing in the duff and in rotted wood.

On the return, we headed back to Spine Beach in Emily's Trail.  The closer we got to Spine Beach, the more flotsam and jetsam were seen strewn here and there along the trail. Evidence of human habitation!

A neat campsite was set up at the beach near the bench.

6.3 km. Thanks to Dave for being Sweep and bringing our treasure trove of trash to the dumpster.

Return to Old Baldy 2025 08 05

 Greetings everyone

The return to Old Baldy event is fast approaching.  The date is Friday, August 22 (rain date August 23).

,

The hike to the top of Old Baldy on Flack Lake is medium difficulty and a long way to the summit. .

We will meet at Scotia bank at 9am and car pool to Laurentian Lodge, then a boat ride to the trailhead.  We will return to the Lodge at approximately 1:30 and have a wonderful lunch at the restaurant.

The boat ride is $20 per person.  Please RSVP to Don or Renee by the 19th.  We need commitments for the number of boats to rent.

Thank you and have a lovely day.

Horne Lake area 2025 07 31

 The hike leader had a 5 year moving to Elliot Lake anniversary to

celebrate and what better way than to go on a repeat of his first hike. 
Our group of 4 enthusiasts scooted across the 108 highway, climbed the
steep Horne Lake trail, hung a right at the 2x4 and continued past the
ski hill to the firetower.  A nice long lunch, then carefully down the
lungbuster and back past the Chalet to the start.  Thanks to Tom for a
sweep and assisting in the descent.

Photos

Seniors hike 2025 07 31

 Hiked Horne Island with Rosemary. Left from the bank parking lot, crossed to the trails and followed the boardwalk and path out to the island. Big tree down but it did the gentlemanly thing and fell away from the trail.

Joe Pye in flower, crown vetch, milkweed, St. John's wort, lotsa more..

the brush has grown up so that you can barely see the stump by the start of the crossing.

boardwalk still needs work..

nice breeze, bright sun, mild day. Great day for Canada.

Beach to beach 2025 07 26

 The Fantastic Four did a Spine beach to Spruce beach hike .

The trail is generally in good condition with boardwalks with cycle paths alongside, widened path and only a few muddy patches. 

Late July brings the mushroom crop.  Oyster , coral and whitespace with less colorful mushrooms lined the path. 

We stopped for a break at Spruce Beach.  People were already enjoying the water and some daring souls were preparing to jump off The Rock.

After dumping a few items we had gathered on the trail into recycling  bins, we headed back on the same pathway to Spine Beach.  Interestingly , we wound up with about 10 plastic water bottles, assorted garbage  and  20 empty beer cans! A different point of view made it easier to see those items among the plants..

We even found a "nitwit nest". A group of them had left a lot of  garbage strewn around a campfire ring which had partially burnt cans in it. More beer  cans were found in the nearby  bush with a baby 

diaper!  Not sure about the story behind that. Anthropologists might be able to help.

All 4 of us pitched in and picked up what we could. We had a full kitchen garbage bag by the time we got back to the cars.

It was good to see other people on the trail.  Birds were also enjoying the morning: chipping sparrow, song sparrow and redstart songs  could be heard.

Thanks to Walt for Sweeping.

Photos

Rye Lake 2025 07 24

 5 of us, including 1 new hiker, hoofed it to Rye Lake this morning.  Very muggy, a bit buggy, slight breeze.  Ate some blueberries and raspberries.  Good pace and all went for coffee afterwards at McD's.  Thanks for joining me today folks!  PHOTOS

Stoneridge 2025 07 13

 Jean Guys Stoneridge hike....

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