Hiking Shade's Mills Conservation Area

When my alarm went off really early Sunday morning so we could beat the heat and the crowds, I almost shut it off and bailed on our scheduled hike. I was sore from painting the upstairs hall on Friday and Saturday, but I set some personal mileage goals for running and hiking and knew that the fresh air would be good for all of us.

We drove to Cambridge for a hike that promised good shade coverage and easy terrain at Shade's Mills. We decided on the Toyota, yeah that Toyota, 3.9km loop trail which took roughly an hour to complete. The cost was $21.00 for our family of four to enter the park.

The path is a wide, accessible one that you could even take a large wheeled stroller on if you wanted to, just keep an eye out for tree roots and the occasional rock.

Being near the water certainly cooled things off, but what I didn't account for was the bugs. Be sure to pack some bug spray. Our hike was considerably faster than usual because the bugs were leaving us less of a want to stop and smell the wild flowers.

The soft wood chip, pine needle, and sometimes gravel pathways were refreshingly soft to walk on. 

Molly spotted two snails on the path during our hike.

 A highlight of this hike was a small really dense section of forest with old trees that looked like something out of a fairy tale.

The kids discovered that someone had started a make-shift shelter they just had to explore.

We went to check out the beach area after our hike and Molly built a sand cave and a castle with a moat while distancing herself from others. If you went early enough a hike followed by a swim and picnic would be really nice here.

Although there was nothing extraordinary about this hike, I'm glad we checked it out. If you live nearby or love the beach it's worth putting on your list. The woods would be stunning in the fall with all the colours. Chris and I were particularly excited that Shade's Mills has snowshoeing trails, something that we're going to add to our "to do" list for winter 2021.  And yes, to reward myself for getting up early I had a lovely, lazy Sunday afternoon nap when we got home!

Urban Hiking - Humber Bay Park East

Some of the best hikes are really close to home. We're fortunate enough to live close to Lake Ontario and to enjoy some of the lakefront trails in our neighbourhood. This one is only about a 15 minute drive away from our home and was well worth visiting one evening before dinner.

There are about 3KM of looped trails to explore along the lake that will eventually take you back to the parking lot.  Because this trail is right in the city it was busy, even at 5:30 on a Wednesday afternoon. I'd suggest going early in the morning or skipping weekends all together to avoid crowds. This will give you more time and space to explore. If you want to make it a "lunch hour" hike, parking is free until 5PM on weekdays.  We stayed here for around an hour with zero complaints of boredom from Molly and Jack.

Just outside the parking lot (which I believe hosts farmers markets on weekends in the summer) is this reservoir area.

We found a family of ducks within the first few minutes of our adventure.

Some skyline views of downtown Toronto.

Molly checking out the sailboats at a distance.

When all the playgrounds are closed because of COVID-19 it's a good time to crawl along the rocks to practice your climbing skills.

Some of the tall grass paths could get a little buggy when it's rained or it's close to dusk.

Even human-made waterfalls are pretty.

A pretty beach near the end of our hike.

Things My Kids Say As Posted On Twitter

During these times, the small moments can be especially important. Not everything my kids say or do warrants a blog post.  This is why I like to share this roundup and snippets of recent conversations I've had with M&J as shared on Twitter. 

Dad: Are you interested in playing sports at the park? J: maybe puppets? #parenting #gosports

J: can you check and see whether or not it’s legal to own a caiman in Toronto? Me: I can, but the law is not what is preventing you from owning a crocodile. J: huh.

During a recent binge watching of #johnwick we realized we'd both go "full wick" if anything happened to the kids, but would tire of it quickly should someone take out the other parent. I feel this is a pretty accurate representation of #parenting

Added “do not put a Jason mask on the dog” to the list of things I never thought I’d say #parenting #thingskidssay

M: J has a great memory, so what are my super powers? Me: One of your super powers is your charisma. M: Clamisma? Is that a disease? Am I going to be okay? Me: Never mind #parenting

Me: You can go and watch some TV after you clean up your craft supplies. J: Okay. Me: I love you. J: I love TV #parenting

This morning began with a 5 minute debate over why J should be allowed to have a KitKat for breakfast. Convincing arguments and debate skills that counts as #homeschooling right?

J: Can I have some beef jerky? Me: No it's only for days we go on hikes. J: But I'm an apex predator. Me: Go find something else. J: You wouldn't say no if I was a lion. (Not sure where he's going with this argument) #parenting

“No you can’t play your harmonica in bed to help you fall asleep tonight.” Words I never thought I’d have to say but now have #parenting

Urban Hiking Rattray Marsh Conservation Area

This weekend we went with an urban hike and picked something that would be on the way to the grandparents in Oakville for a social distancing visit with Grandma. Like usual we got up early to make sure things wouldn't be too crowded when we visited the Waterfront Trail in Jack Darling Memorial Park that leads directly into one of Mississauga's best kept secrets Rattray Marsh Conservation Area.

After parking in Jack Darling Memorial Park's lot, turn right when you face the waterfront to make your way towards Rattray Marsh via the waterfront trail.

The path towards the Conservation area isn't well marked, which is probably why it isn't better known. If you look into the distance you can see the Toronto skyline across the water (including the CN Tower).

The kids always enjoy climbing along the rocks and exploring. 

Molly watching the waves crash on a slightly crisp morning.

Large sections of beach on the waterfront trail are fun to explore.

A lot of the rocks made noises like wind chimes as we walked along them.

Rattray Marsh Conservation area is a series of dirt paths and wooden bridges and boardwalks taking you through the only waterfront marsh between Toronto and Burlington. Here Molly is doing a bridge on the bridge, because she's a goofball like that. 

Because it hadn't rained in several days and was a little cool and breezy bugs were not a problem while we were there.  We spent nearly two hours exploring the waterfront trail and Rattray Marsh.  In terms of wildlife we saw a Heron, but weren't fast enough to snap a picture of it. This pretty urban hike is close enough to our house that we'll try to come at least one or two more times this season. I may bust out my snow shoes this winter and visit as well.  Molly's favourite part of the hike was the wooden boardwalk and Jack liked the beach and rocky climbs along the water. The area opens at 8AM. I recommend arriving early on weekends to make social distancing easier. By the time we left the park was beginning to get busy.

Waterfalls - Hiking Beamer Conservation Area

In our efforts to get outside, stay healthy, and remain socially distanced we've begun going on early morning hikes and exploring new trails. In terms of keeping kids attention what could be better than cliff side views, breathtaking lookouts, and, wait for it, WATERFALLS.

This week we headed to Grimsby to visit Beamer Conservation Area to hike the lookout trail (a 25 - 30 minute loop) along with a portion of the Bruce Trail tie in to visit Upper Beamer Falls.

The parking lot is currently open for free parking and the conservation site is open to enter the paths. With current COVID-19 rulings there are no washrooms here open. We left early enough in the morning that it took us less than an hour to get here.

This is the section of the Bruce Trail that leads to Beamer Falls. They are much prettier in person and with the low flow of water right now their beauty doesn't quite translate into photos.

Photo from the bottom of the falls. To access the falls you'll need to take the paths out to the road way following along the river bank and walk a small section of road before re-entering the path system to get to the waterfalls. 

Travelling along the rocky path

Heading back from the falls we ended up climbing a rock face. it was steep enough that Chris and I had to hoist our dog Ted up to each other. There is a longer, easier route around. Lucky for us Ted trusted us enough to lift him over the steepest portion of our climb back up.

The lookout trail was breathtaking and I've already sent myself a calendar alert to come back here late September early October to check out the fall colours.

These views are amazing, particularly for such a short hike, but hikers be warned there are a lot of huge drops and cliffs that are not fenced in. If you're travelling as a family you need to make sure your kids will listen and not go too close to the edge.

Our hiking rule of single file travel on this trail with an adult in front and an adult behind was a great way to ensure safety. While we were on this trail we saw a couple of families with kids aged 3 to 5 who were just too young to understand the dangers. Both families seemed really stressed and had resorted to carrying their kids to avoid them wandering too close to the edges of the cliffs.  I wouldn't have been comfortable here with Molly and Jack until they were about six years old.

This trail is rated moderate, mostly because of the climbs, cliff edges and rocky terrain.

This forest had many huge trees and some interesting fallen trees to check out. Don't forget your bug spray as this was the buggiest trail we've done to date in the 2020 hiking season.

We spotted this little guy on our way back. After a lengthy debate on whether he was a frog or a toad, we'll be implementing some reading for homeschooling next week to learn how to tell the difference.  We also spotted a hawk soaring above one of the cliffs.

Our hike lasted for about an hour and a half to two hours including stops for snacks and water. Molly said her favourite part of the hike was the waterfall, while Jack loved exploring and seeing our friend the toad. By the time we left, mid-to-late morning the parking lot was packed with cars parked along the highway, so our early morning hikes have been a good way to get out and avoid others while on narrow trails.  Stay safe and healthy.  Happy Hiking Everyone!