Greenbelt Route launches Aug 16th: York Region highlights

Last week, I was fortunate to join 130 cyclists from cities across North America to participate in the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure - Greenbelt Edition.  The Greenbelt Route, a 475 km cycling route from Northumberland County to Niagara Region, has now launched.  I rode the two days through York Region and had a fantastic cycling adventure exploring the countryside and it's communities along the way.

"After three years of planning alongside the Waterfront Regeneration Trust and in collaboration with 27 partner communities, the official launch of the Route is a spectacular milestone. More than 1,100 signs are up, the Route is mapped, the website is live, and all in time for last week's inaugural six-day ride celebrating 10 years of Ontario's Greenbelt." 

http://www.greenbelt.ca/greenbelt_route_making_headlines_2015

• Learn more about what the Greenbelt Route in York Region
• Tales from York Region: Five things to do along Greenbelt Route
• Landmark sign erected along Greenbelt Route in King
• Tips for riding the Greenbelt Route

Here are a few highlights:

Whitchurch-Stouffville

• Right in the heart of Memorial Park is the Whitchurch-Stouffville Leisure Centre (a good rest stop)
• Stouffville Main Street offers many shopping opportunities as well as food stops like the Earl of Whitchurch Pub
• Galluci Winery is directly on the Greenbelt Route, on Ninth Line, as is Timber Creek Golf and Family Fun Centre
• The Route passes Musselman's Lake with a ice cream shop, Belgian Chocolates as well as Fishbones Restaurant, with a patio overlooking the lake.

Aurora

• As you cross Hwy 404 along St. John's Sideroad, look for the horses roaming the fields
• As you approach Industrial Parkway, the Nokiidaa Trail continues south past the Aurora Arboretum.  This is where the Greenbelt Route intersects with the future Lake to Lake Route.
• As you pass by the provincially significant McKenzie Marsh wetland on the Nokiidaa Trail boardwalk link, look for turtles, herons, and other wildlife.

Newmarket

• Take a detour north along the Tom Taylor Trail another 2km for the historic Main Street Newmarket with lots of shops and restarants such as Cachet or Hungry Brew Hops, or cool off in the fountains at Riverwalk Commons.
• Cross Yonge Street along Savage, and connect with the John F. Smith Trail to Mulock.

King

• Be prepared for some hills along 19th Sideroad between Bathurst and Keele.  You'll pass by Thornton Bales Conservation Area as well as the Koffler Scientific Reserve at Jokers Hill.

• I stopped for lunch at the Kettleby bakery.  A sleepy and picturesque little community with a great park at the end of the main street.  Holland Marsh is directly to the north.
• Round the Bend Farm is a short detour on Jane St, south of Lloydtown-Aurora Road.
• In Pottageville, I recommend a stop at Pathways to Perrenials, which is like an oasis.  The Blossom Cafe is open from 11am - 3pm and is staffed by a professional chef.

• Schomberg has a nice Main Street with some unique shops and restaurants.  Sheena's Kitchen, the Schomberg Pub, and the Grackle Coffee Company are among them.

A few more photos: http://www.waterfronttrail.org/pictures-from-2015-gwta-day-3

Cycling in the Greenbelt allows you the opportunity to enjoy its beauty and bounty:  Rolling hills, scenic landscapes, farm fresh food, and welcoming people.  Adventure awaits!

Cruisin' the Holland Marsh

On the morning of Saturday, May 2nd, I did my first ride with the Toronto Bicycling Network.  It was one of their morning cruiser rides, this one through "Ontario's vegetable patch", the agricultural and wetland area known as Holland Marsh.  I was late for the start, but did manage to catch up to some TBN members during the 75 km ride.  Starting at King City Arena, I headed north on Keele along rolling hills and scenic countryside.  North of Highway 9, I entered the Holland Marsh area where there were endless farms with rich organic soil.  One of the first attractions I came across was Holland Marsh Wineries.  If I had more time, I would have stopped.  I'll have to come back!  The sights and smells of the Marsh gave me a deeper connection to where my food comes from, and it seemed fitting to experience it by bike.

King Road

Some roadside chickens

Canal Road.  There was a race on the canal called the Marsh Mash, and it was a treat to watch over a hundred people in kayaks, canoes, and standup paddleboards go by me while I rode alongside the canal.

Farmers market and garden centre along Hwy 9, east of Rupke Road.

Historic Plaque of Toronto Carrying Place

Here's the route.  Holland Marsh is really a unique and fascinating place, and very bike-friendly!

Testing the Greenbelt Cycling Route

The Waterfront Regeneration Trust has received funding from the Greenbelt Foundation to implement a new cycling route connecting communities throughout the Greenbelt. The project will create a signature provincial cycling route from Northumberland to Niagara (460 km) using existing infrastructure, and is expected to launch in late summer 2015.

I was fortunate to be one of the over 200 people who participated in the Greenbelt Route Mobile Workshops from May 5-10. The Workshops were a great opportunity to hear presentations from visiting and local experts on cycle tourism, cycling infrastructure and services; network with other cycling, tourism, business and Greenbelt leaders; and, most importantly, experience and evaluate the route.

Here are some of the highlights of the 63 km York Region segment of the route from the mobile workshops on May 7 and 8, 2014.

Greenbelt Route Mobile Workshop from Shawn Smith on Vimeo.

Bring on the trails!

After participating in a mountain biking section of the Oak Ridges Trail Adventure this past June, I was compelled to get myself a mountain bike and take to the trails.  I asked for a Ghost SE 2920 Mountain Bike for my birthday.  What a sweet ride.  I love the 29 inch wheels.

Here's a map compiling my online research about mountain bike trails in York Region.

View Mountain Biking in York Region in a larger map

I decided to check out Centennial Park in King Township.  It has about 5km of single-track mountain bike trails, categorized into three skill levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.  It was exhilarating to travel these forest trails by bike!  I can see myself getting more into this sport.  Here are a few pictures I snapped of Centennial Park (entrance on the east side of Jane, north of 16th sideroad).

There are no park signs on Jane, and there's a long driveway, so the park is easy to miss.  Here's the view from the park looking toward Jane St.

King offers a Mountain Biking Camp for ages 9-14

Entrance

Trail map.  Yellow is easy, orange is intermediate, blue is advanced.

2013 Ride for Karen

This year, I had the pleasure of participating for the first time in the Ride for Karen.  Starting in Maple, the route explores parts of Vaughan and King in York Region, as well as sections of Peel Region.  It was the 12th consecutive year the event has run and, since the beginning, has raised over $2M to help kids with cancer.  What's impressive is that it is all run by volunteers, and thanks to sponsorship from Scotiabank, 100% of funds raised go to charity.

"Everyone who's here today had a choice.  We chose to be here to help kids with cancer.  When you're riding down the road today, think about how lucky you are to be able to ride." Kirk & Kris Tobias, organizers

100km route option (25k and 160km also available)

"Holy smokes," said a little girl playing on her front steps as the huge pack of cyclists passed through her neighbourhood.  I couldn't help but grin to myself.  It is quite a wonderful feeling being part of a special event like this.  It was like I was being pulled along by the other cyclists, and I shared their sense of community and camaraderie.

The ride took us through scenic countryside, forests and wetlands, and rolling hills, and the weather was beautiful.  At the first rest stop, at about the 50km mark, I loaded up on electrolytes, powerbars, oranges, and other good stuff.  Having not done any long training rides leading up to this ride, my thighs were feelin' the burn.  The second rest stop, near Weston & 16th Sideroad, was the point where the 160km and 100km riders split, and the 100km riders like myself bypassed a challenging hill north on Weston.  A delicious BBQ awaited me at the finish and I celebrated a successful ride.  It was a top notch event and I hope to participate again in the future.