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!

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!

Hiking the Emily Tract - The Kawarthas

It's been a while.  Probably the longest break I've taken from blogging since I started nearly seven years ago. Summer got in the way.  Time with kids got in the way.  Deadlines got in the way, and a broken laptop got in the way.

Thankfully one of the other blogging 'barriers' was a week away in the Kawarthas with my family, the minions, and limited time spent online.

We were able to explore some fantastic hikes thanks to some cool breezes that prevented Jack from getting 'too sweaty' - something that he hates when hiking, and that often gets pushed to later in autumn when the nice weather is fleeting.

Over our week we tried out three hikes and by far the best one was the one at Emily Tract Trail (not to be confused with Emily Provincial Park, whose hikes were a huge disappointment (and waste of a $14 day pass fee.)  This hike of Emily Tract had free parking, well marked trails, and sweet small views of nature as opposed to big "Awwww moments" often found on hikes with big climbs or waterfall features.  If you ever find yourself in the area consider checking out these dual 2KM loops.  Word to the wise, avoid these trails when it's wet outside (early spring or right after a lot of rain) as it could get quite muddy, slippery, and buggy.

Our own miniature Smurf or Fairy Village 

Our Trail Leader...Miss Molly

The weather may be warm, but the fallen red leaves say that winter is coming

The sun peaking through our shady trail

Final leg of the trail

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Hiking The Catskill Mountains

I've always wanted to hike the Catskill Mountains.  Maybe 13 year old me saw Dirty Dancing one too many times, but for whatever reason exploring the trails in Upstate New York has been something I longed to do.  That's one of the many reasons it made my 101 in 1001 bucket list and I was happy to cross it off.  It was a challenging hike and both Chris, I, and the kids huffed and puffed our way up the Kaaterskill Waterfall trail on a hot summer day.  I am so thankful I got to do this and share it with my kids.

Here are 13 tips for hiking the Catskills Kaaterskill Waterfall Trail

People swimming at the base of the waterfall (about half way up the mountain so to speak)

1.  Be prepared to walk along a fairly busy roadway after you park your car to get to the trail head.  Keep your kids close and make sure that oncoming traffic sees you
2. Start early in the day to beat the heat.  Our trail was quite shady, but by the time we were headed to the car (at around noon) it was a scorcher.
   
   

   

   Small Streams Beside the Path

3. Wear proper shoes.  I saw a number of people wearing flip flops on the trail, which would be great for dipping your toes in at the bottom of the waterfall, but not practical for the number of rocks you'll be climbing up and the type of tread you'll need.
4. Bring a backpack to dispose of any snacks you eat on the trail. Although it's a very heavily trafficked trail there are no garbage cans.
   
   
   

   

   Stopping for a water break along the stair portion of the hike

   
   
5. Go to the washroom before you head out.  We learned from personal experience when one of the little ones had to go that it can be hard to find a private space near the trail to take a wee.
6. Sign the hikers registry.  Do it for safety so people know you were on the trail that day and to help let conservationists know that you've enjoyed the trail. No one will know just how may people have benefited from hiking a trail, or just how popular it is if you don't fill out the guest log.
   

   

   The bottom of the staircase part way to the top of the falls

7. Go on a dry day.  I can only imagine how slippery this trail would be after the rain.
8. Try and convince your kids to be quiet on the trail.  During quieter moments we spotted a snake, several chipmunks, and a mouse.
   
   
   

   

   Our Chipmunk Friend Who Molly named Cookie

9. Pay attention to the caution signs, many of these cliffs are without barriers and it's a far drop.  Don't risk your safety for that perfect photo.
10. Pack plenty of water and a snack.
    
    
    

    

    A good reminder to us and the kids to be safe with our steps

11. Bring a change of socks, shirt, and some deodorant if hiking on a hot day and heading somewhere other than a shower afterwards. 
12. Remember - take only pictures, leave only footprints.  Even the hiking stick Molly found was left beside the trail for someone else to enjoy.
13. Hiking is about the journey and the destination.  Take a deep breath and a moment to really experience both

Me  - Victorious at the top of the falls

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Happy Wanderer - Hiking Algonquin Park Booth Rock Trail

Every once in a while I think I forget that the minions are only five (almost six) years old.  Because I'm so excited for them to be big kids, I'll push their boundaries.  Sometimes it totally blows up in my face.  Other times, like the case of the hike we embarked on in Algonquin park this past week, I find myself incredibly proud at the abilities, patience, and positivity of our nature loving billy goats.

The Booth Rock Trail is deemed a difficult trail, but it's only 5.1 KM long, and when I read the reviews on Trip Advisor I knew this was the hike we wanted to take.  Besides, we'd been even given coupons for day pass parking at Ontario parks in Molly and Jack's report cards, so what could go wrong?

We had forgotten exactly how much rainfall Ontario had seen this spring.  This meant what was normally dry conditions sometimes mirrored a swamp for kms on end.  This meant climbing around bogs, black flies, and more than a couple of soakers.  We ran into a family around KM 1 who were turning back and suggested we do the same.

We asked the kids if they wanted to earn their adventure badges for the day, and it turns out they were up for the challenge, just like their stubborn mom and dad.

Beauty & the Bog 

The Rock With A View

By the time our hike was complete Molly and I both had to take off our shoes for the car ride home because they were so caked in mud, and I'm not going to lie, everyone was getting a little cranky towards the end.  It was hard to stop and take a breather, other than enjoying the beautiful view from the top of the hike, because otherwise the bugs wouldn't stop gnawing at you.  But the kids didn't really complain, which meant it would be unfair for the adults to.

The climb

The Mossy Rock That Chris claimed used to be an ogre 

The only creatures we saw, other than a few other hikers, were bugs, birds, frogs, and chipmunks, although we did come across a big pile of bear droppings that made us pay extra close attention to our surroundings.

When the minions got tired and were on the verge of complaining Chris told them fairy tales, that he impressively made up on the spot, and I had Molly talk about what type of treat she wanted to reward herself for completing such a grown-up hike.  She eventually landed on freezies

Even in the heat long sleeves were a necessity.

With the current muddy condition of this trail I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under about 10 years old, that being said I'm glad we did it, and I'm so incredibly proud of Molly and Jack who stopped us complaining for two and a half hours through the wilderness.  Added bonus, we got to check one of our three summer hikes off of our summer bucket list.

The stuff postcards are made of

So proud of my little ones enjoying a snack at the top of our climb

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Happy Wanderer - Hiking Halton Hills

It's really easy to blame our inactivity on parenthood, but I know that's not setting a good example for our kids.  This is one of the reasons why I purposely workout in front of the minions, as well as try to incorporate some heart healthy active family outings to lead by example.  We've been lucky enough to enjoy a few hikes this summer, although hot weather usually makes hiking more spring and fall focused.  

While I'm still wistful with memories of pre-children days when weekends included very lengthy, challenging hikes, followed by even lengthier afternoon naps.  Molly and Jack have both begun to enjoy a good hike just like their mom and dad.

This weekend was no different when the minions, along with their cousins, hiked the 4KM waterfall trail at Halton Hills near Milton.  There was a nominal per person fee to get access to the conservation areas for day use trails, but it was worth it for the beautiful views.  There is no admission fee for kids under 5, kids 5-14 pay $5.00, and adult admission is $6.75 each.

Molly wanders the gravel trail as our hike "leader"

A view worth hiking towards

Jack and his cousins explore the rocks by the falls

Still Exploring...

Going up, beyond, and behind the falls, the kids even went under and got wet!

The hike was a huge success, although a little longer than we planned.  A hiker before us had decided it would be hilarious to turn one of the trail marker arrows the wrong way and we ended up hiking an extra 2KM total with four very tired kids because of someone's "Genius" prank. Seriously, who does that? Thankfully we found the offending trail arrow, fixed it, and made our way back to the car with minimal complaining, although there were a few piggy backs.  One of the coolest things about this particular trail is that by the falls there is a fire going and several picnic tables so people can stop for a snack, lunch, or even to roast marshmallows and hot dogs.  Both the minions and their cousins can't wait until our next hike.

To read about our Lakeshore Palace Pier hike from the spring, click here.


To share other awesome family hikes, please leave a comment below or email multiplemomstrosity @ gmail.com.

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