Fall is my favourite time of year so on October 18th I was happy to share my love of autumn hiking with a group of youth at Hilton Falls Conservation Area.
After meeting everyone at Kipling Station and hopping on two school buses, the 50 youth and leaders from Project Canoe plus 5 volunteers from the Toronto Bruce Trail Club headed northwest to Milton where our outdoor adventure would begin.
At Hilton Falls Conservation Area we disembarked from the buses and began our 7 km hike along the Philip Gosling Side Trail, led by Tom Swales. Martha Schrader, her daughter Emily, and David Royle hiked amongst the members of Project Canoe and I acted as sweep. Along this short side trail we spotted a swimming Muskrat, an empty bird’s nest, and Turkey Tail fungus. The Bruce Trail and its side trails are truly a nature-lover’s paradise!
We admired the stunning display of fall colours along the main trail, and then followed the Hilton Falls Side Trail as it looped around the reservoir. The members of Project Canoe were so in awe of the reservoir, we decided to stop there for lunch.
The excitement was palpable after lunch as we neared Hilton Falls, with many participants stating that this would be the first waterfall that they’ve ever seen. Although the water was trickling rather than rushing over the escarpment it was still a stunning sight that everyone wanted to capture on camera.
Roasting marshmallows at the fire pit above the falls was another first for many in the group. The TBTC volunteers had brought both regular and vegan marshmallows for the youth to enjoy, and many tried their hand at roasting their sugary treats over the fire. The sticky enterprise was well worth the mess!
Afterwards we followed the yellow-marked conservation trail to return to our starting point. Tired but content, we boarded the buses for Kipling Station. As I looked back at the escarpment cloaked in red, orange, and yellow, I felt lucky to have hiked with this vibrant group of youth on such a perfect autumn day.
- Courtesy, Monica Pasquali