Exploring the Oak Ridges Moraine
Saturday May 4 – Monday May 6, 2024
Leaders: Jim and Patti Blair, Dave and Collette Somerville
The Oak Ridges Moraine lies approximately 60 kms north of Lake Ontario and stretches from the Niagara Escarpment in the west to the Trent River in the east. It creates a watershed divide that parallels Lake Ontario giving rise to 30 rivers. The Oak Ridges Moraine Trail offers 275 kms of trails as well as additional side trails. Early spring will be a wonderful time to explore these trails for the first time!
On this three-day hiking trip, we will travel by coach bus to a variety of trailheads, staying two nights at the Best Western hotel in Cobourg, a pretty town on Lake Ontario. This puts us in a perfect location to explore several different sections of the Oak Ridges Moraine.
Itinerary
Saturday May 4th: Arrive at the Guelph Line Carpool Parking at 7:45 for an 8:00 a.m. departure. We will travel by coach bus to the Ganaraska Forest Centre where will spend the day on the trails, before heading to the Best Western in Cobourg. Guelph line carpool - Google Search
Sunday May 5: We will depart Coburg at 9:00 a.m. and travel by bus to the Northumberland Hills area, northeast of Cobourg. After hiking a good portion of the day, the bus will take us back into Cobourg leaving time to explore the town and walk along the Lake Ontario Waterfront. On Sunday evening we have arranged for a group dinner at the hotel.
Monday May 6th: The bus departs at 9:00 a.m. to drive to the Durham Regional Forest and Walkers Woods trail networks south of Uxbridge for our final day of hiking. The bus will depart at approximately 4:00 p.m. and arrive in Burlington at 5:30 p.m.
*Please note that the order of the hikes may change.
The Hiking
The Oak Ridges Moraine is a glacial deposit of sand and sediment, creating undulating terrain, a mix of forests, open areas, wetlands, and possible views of Lake Ontario. The footing on the trails is easy to moderate but expect hills.
Every effort will be made to offer three levels of hikes on each day. The ‘Hale and Hearty’ hikes will cover greater distances (i.e. 13 – 16 kms) at a faster pace of 4-5 kms per hour with possibly more hills. The “Fair to Middlin’ hikes will be approximately 8 – 10 kms at a moderate pace of 3.5 - 4 kms per hour. The ‘Take it Easy’ hikes, will cover 6-7 kms at a more relaxed pace of 3 kms per hour. We will describe the hikes in more detail after the leaders have had a chance to scout the trails.
Hikers should be prepared with appropriate raingear, waterproof and supportive hiking boots, hiking poles and should be able to carry a daypack with ample water and food for a day of hiking.
Accommodation
We stay at the Best Western Plus Cobourg Inn. It is located outside the downtown area just off the 401 and close to grocery stores, a plethora of restaurants, LCBO, and a Tim’s. The hotel has an onsite restaurant, the Arthur’s Pub, an indoor swimming pool, fitness room, and free Wi-Fi. Rooms are equipped with a mini fridge, free Wi-Fi, and a coffee maker. Cobourg ON Hotels | Best Western Plus Cobourg Inn
Trip Cost: The trip cost is $422 for double occupancy and $585 for single occupancy.
NOTE: If we are unable to match you up with a roommate and there are no alternative rooming arrangements, we will cancel your registration and process a refund.
The Trip Price Includes:
Not included in the Trip Package:
Cancellation Policy:
If you need to cancel, please contact Cheryl, our Club Manager at info@haltonoutdoorclub.ca.
If you need to cancel, a refund (less a $25.00 processing fee), will ONLY be issued if we can replace you from the waitlist.
If the trip is cancelled by the club at any point, you will be given a full refund.
If the trip experiences inclement weather that interferes with our planned activities, the trip will NOT be cancelled. Leaders will try to find suitable alternative activities.
While in progress, if the trip experiences unexpected circumstances that are beyond our control, that result in changes to the itinerary and unexpected expenses, members are responsible for any extra expenses that may be incurred.
In Summary:
It’s been a while! We are excited to offer a multi-day hiking trip that explores new trails. We hope you are excited to join us!
Jim and Patti Blair
Dave and Collette Somerville