Ridgetown T.R.E.E.S. Trail- Summer Edition

With the next WalkCK walking event being this Saturday at the Ridgetown T.R.E.E.S. I was inspired to go sneak a peak of what to expect from this trail in the summer compared to our winter hike we had here a few months back.


T.R.E.E.S. has such a wonderful warm welcome to anyone entering the trail with the sign within the trees and flowers in a rock garden. It seemed like a whole other trail then the one we visited in the winter with all the trees in full bloom, and the fact we could actually see the trail itself.
 

Since it was a beautiful summer day I packed a little picnic for us all. Our oldest son's job was then to find the perfect spot for our picnic. We had a lovely sit down while we enjoyed the songs of the local songbirds with the sun shining through the trees. The boys improvised a small game of hide-and-go-seek with my hubby, while I cleaned up our picnics and then away we went to continue our walk.


As the weather made it much easier to walk the trail than all the snow did on our last trek, we were able to go explore the areas we were unable to do before. I was unaware until I started to research this trail for WalkCK, that there is actually four different Eco-systems in this trail.

There seemed to be many ways you could lengthen or shorten your walk depending on your time or ambition. We were there for about an hour, and loved every minute. There was so many butterflies that kept us all entertained to watch flutter all around us from flower to flower. There was a diverse amount of plants, trees, and flowers all around to attract them all as well as birds.

The T.R.E.E.S. trail is full of so many beautiful spots and interesting things to look at. You could probably spend a good couple of hours, if not more, walking around and just enjoying every view. I can't wait to go back on Saturday with our guide who will certainly fill in a lot of questions and interesting facts on the ecosystems and the development of this trail.

This is definitely a trail you will want to check out if you are in the area, or if you even just have a free day for a drive to Ridgetown. Our boys loved it as much as we did and we will all definitely be back throughout the year.

A Canoe Trip in Wallaceburg

A couple of days ago I finally got to take care of my craving of having, almost needing, to go in the canoe. Canoeing is just part of my life, and something I have been doing for most of it. I don't think there was ever a time I was "too young" to be in a canoe, and I remember vividly being out on rivers with my brothers as young teens (though watched from the shoreline) as we figured out the ropes on how to paddle and fighting over who got to sit in the back and steer. Looking back this was probably a good team building sibling activity. Well played parents.

We took our 4.5 year old out for the first time when he was 18months old. He loved it. Due to some health reasons in the family and for some other reasons (possibly second child syndrome) we were unable to take the 2.5 year old out last summer, so I definitely wanted to make sure we took him out this year.

We went to my parents house who have and store the canoes and with the help of my dad got the canoe on top of his car and tied safely to take it over to Corothers park in Wallaceburg. They have a really nice little dock there that made it easy to get the canoe and ourselves in. Our oldest was super stoked to try out his new life jacket as he grew out of his old one just in time for little brother to take it over. I was sure the youngest, who some would consider him as our carefree, wild child was not going to like the canoe as he would have to sit still, but to my surprise he ended up loving it!

 My dad sat in the front, and the boys were in the middle with their own paddle, and I was steering the canoe in the back, while making sure the boys didn't get too excited and dump us all over board. We only had to do one rescue mission for a dropped paddle, so that was pretty good! The boys were excited to see many duck families on the river, a turtle, and lots of birds as well. The lily-pads were all out with the water lilies in bloom, and the water with a beautiful greenish tone made for a beautiful landscape. We had a couple of boats slowly go by us which the boys thought were awesome as it meant we got to go on little waves. We made it out for 20 minutes before the 2 year old started to get a bit fidgety as he was starting to fall asleep and would catch himself, then try to move around to wake himself back up. All together we spent 40 minutes with a 4 year old and 2 year old in a canoe, and I would call that pretty successful. They are already excited for the next time we get out there.

After dropping them off to my parents who took them to the play equipment in Corother's park, I took my hubby out for a ride on the canoe. He didn't start canoeing until we started dating and I love sharing my love of being in a canoe with him. We went the opposite way, and also saw the same wildlife, and met some friendly 'neighbours' in their backyard ready with a greeting and a wave. We were out for about an hour there (wherever 'there' was) and back. Then it was time to pack it all up and head back home.

I genuinely believe you can't go wrong canoeing anywhere in Chatham-Kent. I wish it was a bigger deal around here so we could have more people (especially young people) experience a canoe ride. I can already picture our boys our in the river having the battle of wills of who gets to steer, and finally figuring out a system that works for them both just as I did with my brothers. I am going to remember that team sibling building experience, thanks Mom and Dad!

WalkCK's Dresden Trillium Trail Historical Walk

This past weekend, WalkCK hosted a group led walk at the Dresden Trillium Trail. This walk was one of the walks I was looking most forward to. I have always been a history lover. I can tell you much about Renaissance Italy, or England from 1400 to present, and Canadian History, but when it comes to local history I know only the basics. The Trillium Trail will have you walking past 53 historical sites which include 22 plaques which have corresponding pictures of the key figures and industries that helped shape Dresden from 1820 to 1920.

When everyone arrived for the walk to begin at 10:00am, we had enough people so we could split the group into two different groups each led by a local person who helped develop the trail. One group went with Lynda Weese who was able to give a great tour of the horticulture seen along the Trillium, while the other was led by local historian Marie Carter for a more historical based tour.

While I heard many wonderful things about the horticultural tour, I happened to be in the group led by Marie Carter and got some amazing insight to the history of Dresden. We started at the plaque that showed where Rev. Josiah Henson’s house (“Uncle Tom’s Cabin”) actually sat originally. From there we went along the famous and once sought after “Hughes Street” which is a street with beautiful houses and some intriguing stories to go with them. We saw a house that John A. MacDonald might have stayed at when he came to visit a good friend who lived in Dresden during his last campaign tour, stories of forbidden love, and just interesting facts of architecture and the first families like the McVean’s that settled in Dresden.

 We stopped at a spot where there was nothing but some trees in front of the river and grass to find out that this spot is where the old train station once was in 1883. Upon closer inspection of the road you could see the middle of it was a lighter colour. The lighter colour was due to the fact that the road was made over top of the train tracks, so you can still see the outline.

We passed by many more interesting houses some that dated back to the mid to late 1800s and the stories that came with them were amazing. As we reached Rotary Park there were many new trees that have been planted through the past few years. For someone like me who, while appreciates the surrounding nature, but has difficulty putting a name on it, I loved the fact that names labelled the trees. I believe they planted trees that would have been native to the Dresden area when settlement was first taking place. 

Part of the trail had cement bricks in the ground we were essentially walking on, and a bit further up there was part of a wall standing. Walking by it would be seem pretty insignificant, however, learning it was remnants from a giant four floor sugar beet factory that once stood there made it much more significant.

There were so many stories and different dynamics along this trail, from the Underground Railroad to the industries of Dresden, I couldn’t possibly list them. Growing up in small towns all my life I always had an understanding of the importance and the impact small towns have on surrounding areas. This trail has really brought a whole new understanding and appreciation that Dresden was, and still is, such an integral part to Southern Ontario. I will end this with the lesson I learned the most during this WalkCK walk; never take anything you see on a walk for granted, history is always surrounding us and trying to tell its story.  Be aware and embrace it for what is was and how it has shaped the area you are in now.

A special thanks once again to Marie Carter and Lynda Weese for making WalkCK’s walk a memorable, entertaining, and educational walk. For anyone interested on going on the Dresden Trillium Trail you can find a self-guided tour brochure at http://www.dresden.ca/TrilliumTrail.pdf.

Part 2: McGeachy Pond (a very delayed Part 2)

Sorry for such a delay. I am still very active on the trails which is part of the problem, it leaves less time to write! 

The second walk we did that weekend was the McGeachy Pond near Erieau. It isn't a huge trail but it is definitely one worth checking out if you happen to be in the area. On one side of the trail there is a marsh and the other is the lake.

When we went winter was very much still alive, so the boys got to see the lake still partially frozen and a lot of little icebergs. The sound of the ice moving and shifting was a rather haunting sound admist that of the song birds trying to tell us spring was indeed going to come. There is a lovely lookout point you can climb up and get a great view of the trail up ahead and the lake.

You actually are quite high up on the trail with the marshland below it it gives a neat perspective. There is also places nearby for picnics which I would love to do as the summer approaches us.

Wildlife wise there was a lot of water fowl which is always neat to see. Canadian geese, swans, and all kinds of ducks call this place home.

We took a long time getting to the end of the trail since there was so much snow at the time so we sunk deep quite often, it was a good workout!

The boys had fun pretending to ski down the little slopes, but eventually our oldest got pooped and kept laying down in the snow pretending to be asleep.

All in all I would say it isn't enough to spend a day or even an afternoon at, but you can always pair it up with the Erieau Marsh Trail or a short stop on the way to the beach. It was a really neat trail and it was nice to be so close to the lake at the same time as the marsh!

Two Walks in One Weekend: Trillium Trail, Dresden

The second walk we took last weekend was the Trillium Trail in Dresden ON. This is another walk on the WalkCK schedule, and one I haven't been on yet. I have a huge passion for history, and this is a historic walk. There is a little brochure you can print off that details all of the historical points of interest. That brochure can be found here.

For this trek the boys and I met up with my dad while hubby was playing in a church (also in Dresden). We met at the start of the trail and with the brochure in hand, we started. By started, I mean  the boys ran to the swings, my dad walked off to look at the river, and I was trying to pull my invisible leashes on all of them to start the trail. But that is the nice parts about trail walking, there really isn't a rush. However, that cold, damp air sure showed me that we wouldn't be able to last too long.

 We all caught up to my dad to look at the river. Both the boys found big sticks to joust and drag around with and we were ready to go on the actual trail! Then, the two year old b-lined it to the park that was nearby. The four year old tried to chase him to turn him back around, then realized what he was about to do, so he quickly changed his priorities and beat his brother to the park. The boys had a few (wet) slides, and then we were actually on our way!

We came across a couple of plaques at the beginning. I love reading plaques!  They also helped to keep the boys focused by 'racing' them to the next plaque. Win-win!

Further on, we noticed a little wall of bricks. As I was wondering what they used to belong to, my dad said he had a feeling I should look up number 9 on the brochure. As I was amazed and confused about where he got 9 from, I then saw the little post with the number 9 on it. Well played Dad. The brochure said "Martha & Sarah Burket’s Grocery Store operated here c. 1860." So nice to get answers to those questions of "I wonder what that was for?".

As we strolled along we got to see a couple of signs of nature as this long winter ends. We got to see a woodpecker and a rabbit rather up close. Nothing overly exciting or exotic, but still always neat to see birds and animals on the trails.
 
We had to cut the walk short due to cold weather (and the fact my husband was done and waiting for us at the coffee shop), but I am so excited to take this trail with WalkCK on  21 June, 2014 and see it all!

I knew I would love this trail on location alone, with tall mature trees, and a river along the way, you just have to, but with the added plaques and history you also get a deeper connection and appreciation to the area, and the people who once lived here.

Two walks in One Weekend: McKerral Woodlot, Old Chatham Township

   The McKerral Woodlot is just a place I have recently heard of thanks to the development of WalkCK. There is a guided nature walk that will be taking place here on May 10, so I thought it would be neat to check it out ourselves first. On Saturday morning we had some time between getting up and ready and a hair appointment for myself so we set out to McKerral Woodlot for a quick walk.

   When we got there we could see it would be a short walk from the road where we parked to the actual woodlot. As we started the walk we soon realized it was going to take a lot longer than we first imagined. What looked like a little snow on the wet muddy field was actually over a foot of snow. This meant that our options for walking was either the muddy field or falling through the snow up to our knees every few steps.

  As we got closer to the woodlot we could hear the odd 'moo'. These were rather hilarious and frightening moments every time we heard it, as this woodlot was surrounded by farms, and we were starting to wonder if there could be cows in the woodlot, and if so what do we do? We are by no means "city folk" but we are obviously not "country folk" either.

   By the time we got to the woodlot it was about 20 minutes later. Hubby went ahead to assure me there were no cows to be seen however, neither was there any trail.

    I am assuming there probably was a walkway of some sort but there was a lot of leaves on the ground and swampy areas so it was hard to get around that day. There were a couple of signs of spring coming which was very promising to see and hear on yet another cold day. We could see some green between the leaves on the ground starting to grow, and the sound of songbirds could be heard throughout the woodlot. The boys had a blast exploring the area, and climbing over and under the logs.

    We had to head back rather shortly after we got there knowing the walk back through the field would take a while once again. We ended up leaving the woodlot a slightly different way from where we entered it, this was a much more muddy way. The boys thought it was just so much fun to get so muddy! They were pretty pooped by the end, the 2 year old hitched a ride on his dad's shoulders and the 4 yr old kept falling and laying down on the snow pretending he was asleep.



 Getting to the car was like a reward where we could get the muddy boots and coats off and crank up the heat to warm up. We drove off with our oldest telling us this was his "...most favourite hike so far!" I can't wait to go again when it gets a bit warmer so there is less snow to trudge through, and definitely more time to explore!

  

Ridgetown T.R.E.E.S. Memorial Trail

     As the weather is finally starting to warm up a bit, if you can call -4C “warming up”, we took full advantage of our first day off on March Break to go for a hike. Now we did have to go to Costco as well for some much needed bulk groceries (where else can you buy a box of cheese strings?) so the plan was to stop on a trail on the way up to London.  We turned off the highway at the Ridgetown exit to go explore the Ridgetown T.R.E.E.S. Memorial trail.

Excuse the smudge on my lens...

     This trail has been high on my list of trails to visit since summer last year. I knew it was still getting worked on so I wanted to wait until it was a bit more developed to check it out. The hubby had to trust my directions to find it as the only address I could find was that it was the end of Marsh Street. We drove down Marsh Street and to the end of it but didn’t see it so we turned back around and noticed the little sign for the trail tucked in between residential houses and industrial buildings.  There didn’t seem to be any parking so we parked in a parking lot of one of the buildings as it was closed for the day. We got the boys in their coats and snow pants, hopefully for the last time this season, and we were ready to explore.

     Now to be honest, when we drove by it I wasn’t expecting much of a trail, but as soon as we entered it I knew it would be a great walk. There were trees of many different varieties all over and the best part was that they were mature trees, for some reason I was picturing young trees for a memorial trail, but walking among big trees always makes a trail seem more special. The boys who are now getting big enough to actually walk trails and not needing the wagon were running around finding animal tracks and climbing on big rocks and logs near the entrance.  I have no idea what the actual trail is like as the snow was so deep, so we just followed in the footsteps of the (wo)man-made tracks that made its own trail.

     There was a little stream that ran to the left side of the trail that the boys inspected. With parts of it frozen with thick ice as a little bit of water quietly trickled over it, it was a good example of how ice melts. The boys also had a lot of fun learning about burrs and how they will stick to everything. By the time I caught up with them and the husband their hats were decorated with burrs as they laughed at each other’s new look.

     This trail reminded me a bit of Mud Creek Loop in Chatham in the sense it was behind a row of houses, but it felt more closed in and private as the trees were close together. There wasn`t too much today nature wise, but that is expected in this type of weather. We saw the odd squirrel and bird, but with the tracks left behind and the snow that was dug up into little burrows we could tell it was a busy little habitat for a lot of animals.

 

     We got yet another winter trail surprise by the end of the tree line of a tiny little snowman. To whoever made this little snowman we would like to thank you for bringing a big smile to all of our faces! That is one of the best things about going on trails; you never know what you might find!

      We crossed the stream once more and headed out the same way we came from. We got to the car, took off the coats and snow pants, and once again, we were ready to head back to the 401 the adults feeling refreshed by the fresh air and sunlight, and the boys ready for a nap after a very fun and active time at the Ridgetown T.R.E.E.S. Memorial Trail. 

     As the boys were starting to get tired having to walk through the very deep snow in their snowsuits, we decided to turn around before we entered another area that seemed like it might hold more of a wetland area. The hubby and our 4 year old went to the other side of the stream and started walking while the 2 year old started walking on his own back the way we came with me following him. He climbed up and sat down on one of the many memorial benches and took a small break. Then he noticed where his brother and dad were and was not happy, and unsure of how to get to them. After some tears, explaining how we can get there, and carrying we were reunited.

     By then our little guy was exhausted and luckily his Dad was happy (and energetic enough) to carry him. The oldest and I looked at more tracks and took our time coming back. He found another of the trees with berries on them and looked at that for a bit, and squished a couple of the berries for good measure. Meanwhile, the youngest who was put down for a break just laid there in the snow contemplating a nap right there.

     Taking a bit of time to explore a trail is a fun (and cheap!) way to take a break from a long drive with kids. We will have to do more of this on future trips. Everything always seems rushed, especially with two little kids, but stopping on a trail, even for a little while, is a great reminder to slow things down, to enjoy the time we have together, and just explore the world around us.  

Lighthouse Conservation Area and C.M. Wilson Conservation Area

Shot from the Lighthouse Conservation Area

     I wanted to try something new. With all of this snow coming down upon us, it obviously had to be something that was compatible with snow. So, I decided to give snowshoeing a shot. Now the whole concept of snowshoeing is not one I am completely new to. I did try it once about 16 years ago with my dad at the Pinery Provincial Park. I fell a lot, and that is basically why I never looked back, but now, I am much older, better balanced, and more determined. I knew with snowshoes it would not be a great idea to bring my little 3 and 2 year olds who are always running around with me. Since I would be tied to giant shoes, it would just not work. I figured I would leave them at home with the husband and called for backup.

      I knew I had to get someone who knew how to snowshoe, and get someone who likes to be in the snow as much as I do. I couldn’t think of anyone better than my dad. It didn’t take much convincing at all and we were on our way, him in his bright red winter coat, and me in my 13 layers of clothes (not exaggerating at all because I may love the snow but I do not like the cold). The plan was to go and explore the Lighthouse Conservation Area at Lighthouse Cove. We got the snowshoes adjusted and ready for us and packed them up in the car and away we went. These snowshoes are the real deal as well. They are over 30 years old and made out of rawhide, leather, and wood and they are pretty huge.

      The history of the Lighthouse Conservation Area is what grabbed my attention. The lighthouse here is 200 years old which makes it one of three of the oldest lighthouses on the Great Lakes. It was about a 30-40 minute drive from Chatham which was a nice drive of chatting, and seeing all the people ice fishing along the river. As we got closer, there were signs to assure us that we were on the right path to the conservation area. When we got in the parking lot we both had a “This is it?!” moment. We were right across from the lighthouse and could see a little green, but no trails or anything. It was just a picnic spot really. However, I can see how this place is a lot more exciting for those who come not looking to hike. The waterways all around are great for any water sport, and we saw a lot of snowmobiles taking advantage of the frozen water. It was pretty to look around and I know the restaurant there in the summer is delicious but, it was definitely disappointing for us since we wanted to walk and explore. We decided to take advantage of the sun shining and try our luck somewhere else.

 

     Our luck ended up taking us to the C.M. Wilson Conservation Area. I have been here before for a few events held at the Children’s Safety Village that is in this conservation area, but I have never traveled out of the parking lot. As we got our snowshoe gear on we saw kids running around with their toboggans to the nearby hill so I made sure to make a mental note to take our boys there soon. It looks like a great hill to go down. There are a couple of trails to choose from, but we chose the McKinlay Woodlands Memorial Forest trail that just goes along the outside of part of the grounds and around a big recreational pond and back to the green space where the hill and picnic spaces are.

      We strapped on the snowshoes, grabbed a pole to help stay steady (I’m definitely not a pro on snowshoes) and went on our way. There was a neat little archway to welcome us on to the trail and, thanks to the snow it was easy to see that we are not the only ones to take advantage of this as we stepped along other footprints and ski lines. Now this trail isn’t like you are in the middle of the forest like some of the other places I have visited in Chatham-Kent. The constant hum of the 401 that is nearby is a good reminder of this. However, it was a well kept trail with trees on both side, and a view all around the big pond.
 
     The shining sun and a little cardinal flying with us set the mood for a great father - daughter hike. Even if said father kept laughing at the daughter who somehow kept getting her foot stuck through the one snowshoe.

      The hike took us almost exactly an hour to complete, but keep in mind that includes time trudging through deep snow, and stopping to appreciate the views and the company and also removing feet from snowshoe holes, or trying to stop standing on one of your own snowshoes with the other one.

     We had a lot of fun at the C.M. Wilson Conservation Area and look forward to coming back to explore some more and to take the boys tobogganing before the snow disappears. I think it is safe to say we were both very thankful for having a nice conservation area so close to us, and the time that we spent together.

 Thanks Dad.