Caledon Trailway in Fall

The Caledon Trailway follows the path of an abandoned railway line that once lined Hamilton and Barrie. The multi-use trail spans the Town of Caledon from Terra Cotta in the South-west to Palgrave in the North-east, about 35km.  The flat terrain and crushed limestone surface make it very pleasant riding even with a road bike.

My family did an outing to the trail near the Durham/York boundary to a bike ride.  Driving west on Hwy 9, we headed south on Mount Wolfe Road.  We accidentally drove past the trailhead, which crosses Mount Wolfe Road just north of the railway tracks, but eventually found it.  We rode the section through Palgrave.  There aren't too many amenities along the trail in this section.  A good picnic spot, gas station, saw a sign for a bakery down the road.  It was a lovely ride and I hope to come back to cycle, hike, or ski more of this trail.

The road crossings all have narrow gates.  Our Chariot Carrier just managed to squeeze through.  There's parking for a few vehicles at all the road crossings.

Trail Guide: http://www.walkandrollpeel.ca/trails/pdf/TPL-0029.pdf

Interactive Map: http://www.walkandrollpeel.ca/map/themap.asp#caledon_trailway

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.