Hike 7 : Short Hikes and IBAs on the Bruce Trail - Grimsby to Adam Dopko Access
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Short Hikes and IBAs on the Bruce Trail
Iroquoia Section of the Bruce Trail
Our next day on the Bruce Trail was a short walk by necessity. Today in addition to beginning the Iroquoia Section of the BTC we were also due to help a friend learn about trail maintenance on her 2 km stretch of pathway near Thirty Rd in Smithville as well as complete an assessment of a parcel of land known as the Dopko Property in Grimsby which we had taken on by volunteering as land stewards.
As such after several hours of trail maintenance instruction and an ecological survey on the Dopko property the day has already slipped past. With our work done, we stopped at Tim Hortons for lunch, and then proceeded to leave one car at the pull-off near the Adam Dopko Access Trail and drive the other back to a lot at the community centre in Grimsby parking only a couple of blocks from the trail, so we could begin our hike at km 0 of the Iroquoia section!
Winter Walking the Bruce Trail
Despite already having hiked parts of the
Bruce Trail in November and December, today was actually the first section of
the path that we ventured on that was partially covered in snow! Such is the nature of the Niagara Escarpment that while some stretches of the trail remain shaded and snow covered there are others which are warmer and thawed through.
On those covered stretches it was surprisingly much easier to walk the trail with a thin covering of snow than we expected. Navigation seemed even better than on the slick autumn leaves of the fall or through shoulder season mud that we have previously experienced. Despite the varying conditions of the pathway, it was a sunny day with very little wind, and not too cold, and so we ended up enjoying our walk.
Regional History
Again back on the Bruce Trail with Lenora and her wonderful dog McKenzie (who would subsequently join us on many of our Bruce treks) we returned to the footbridge, which serves as the dividing boundary between the Niagara and Iroquoian sections. Here we again crossed the boundary and set off hiking between two houses up the side of the Niagara Escarpment.
Shortly after passing a quaint barn/garage on someone's property, we found a unique metal marker inscribed with the words War of 1812 John Norton Trail. Curious we took the time to find out about this pathway and its namesake. In the process, we discovered that John Norton (Mohawk Chief Teyoninhokarawen) was the son of a Scottish woman and Cherokee father who was likely raised and educated in Scotland. His later life would take a varied pathway as Norton would shift from being a British army officer to a schoolmaster in the Bay of Quinte to a fur trader, and eventually would become an interpreter in the then-named Indian Department situated in Niagara. By the end of the American Revolution Norton would come to live in the Grand River region, where he would support Joseph Brant, learn Mohawk traditions, and become a leader as well as an advocate of the Six Nations. In subsequent years he would also become a missionary who translated parts of the Gospel into Mohawk. However, it was during the War of 1812 that Norton would become most known for leading regional tribes into battle against the American invasion at Queenston Heights, as well as later at the Battle of Chippawa, the Battle of Lundy’s Lane, and in countless skirmishes across the front. While little is known about the years that would follow Norton would write accounts of the history of the Cherokee as well as the War of 1812 as well as travel extensively throughout America.
Iroquoia Club Section
More aware of regional history along
the BTC we continued trekking along the edge of the ravine and soon passed a
sign alongside the footpath welcoming people to the Iroquoia Club section of the Bruce Trail!
Elated at setting out into our second section of the Bruce we soon also realized just how far we still had to go. Looking at the map of the Bruce Trail the realities and distances to Tobermory were both clearly detailed and a little overwhelming. For those who have been pilgrims on the Camino Frances, it was like standing in Roncesvalles after struggling 20+km over the Pyrenees to discover a sign saying ‘Santiago 770 km’! You have a sense of feeling both elated and struck by the sheer distance yet to traverse!
Beamer Conservation Area
Walking on we soon passed alongside Beamer's Falls and the rapid Forty Mile Creek which were wonderful, peaceful, and well-flowing given the recent snow thaw. After taking a few moments to enjoy the scene we then followed the slushy trails and stairs upwards as the path continued to switch back towards the top of Grimsby Mountain. Often just as we thought we must be at the top we would find yet another section of the pathway heading still further upward!
En route, we walked through sections of old-growth forest composed of Sugar Maple and Red Oak. Throughout this stretch signs indicated that the BTC had been rerouted on several occasions to allow the vegetation and area to restore itself – regardless of the changes however the amazing work of volunteers in re-blazing the section made the pathway easy to follow as we navigated up the steep slope of Beamer Memorial Conservation Area. Beamer is a park known for its beautiful forests as well as its amazing spring migration of birds, raptors and hawks! It is an Important Bird Area (IBA) and is the focus of Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch – a wonderful group dedicated to the preservation of raptors who survey species here from late February through to May! According to records more than 14,000 raptors pass through this area each year during spring migration!
Today however, there were more people to be seen on the trails than hawks soaring overhead. At the public access to Beamer Conservation Area in the middle of a field was a Hawk Watch Observation Tower upon which lots of children were playing and enjoying the day.
In contrast to our previous few hikes along the Bruce today was filled with lots of people exploring including many who were out with their dogs getting a long walking in before enjoying the football game tonight – as today is Superbowl Sunday. Clearly, Beamer is a wonderful and well-used Conservation Area! When we reached the top of the escarpment we found two lookout points which gave us stunning views of the region, the long Queen Elizabeth Highway (QEW) and Lake Ontario far below. From this perspective, it was surprising to see not only the staggering amount of development that has taken place around Lake Ontario but just how is bounded between the Great Lakes and the Niagara Escarpment.
Roadway Walks
Venturing here along relatively uninspiring roadways on narrow shoulders it is hard to imagine that much of this stretch was once the shoreline of a giant post-glacial lake created when a glacier blocked the St. Lawrence River to the east preventing the Great Lakes from draining! I suppose time changes everything and all things pass in their own time. Yet the scope of these changes is sometimes mind-boggling. While trekking the Bruce Trail I often wish that I knew more about the types of trees that grew throughout the area as well as the Geology of the region. I suspect that there are countless amazing stories being told here by the land and nature that I lack the skills to see and learn of while walking.
We soon arrived at Woolverton Rd. and turned towards the lip of the escarpment. Here in the local pull-off for the Bruce Trail, we enjoyed the scenery with a view allowing us to again see downtown Toronto on the distant horizon across Lake Ontario.
Woolverton Conservation Area
After a quick break to rest our feet, we continued on following the Bruce Trail as it left the pavement behind and entered the forested Woolverton Conservation Area. Here we would walk along the ridge of the Niagara Escarpment following the pathway just a few feet from the ridge itself and navigating over the fissures throughout the landscape.
A few kilometres on we met up with the Adam Dopko Side Trail and began our descent along the slowly terraced slopes to our vehicle waiting below. While today was a short hike it was nonetheless beautiful and relaxing. It was particularly nice to be able to give back to the BTC by helping out as trail volunteers and land stewards along the pathway and aiding in keeping this wonderful system alive and so well maintained.
A huge thank you goes out to those countless individuals who have volunteered and worked so hard throughout the decades to make the Bruce Trail so wonderful for so many!
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Distance: 80.0/0.00 - 4.7 km (start of Iroquoia Section!)
Duration: 1:30pm - 3:15 pm (1.75 hours)
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