Submitted by Peninsula Bruce Trail Club
Happy Heart Month! February is Heart Month. Hiking is good for body and mind. It can improve your mood, increase your Vitamin D intake, improve your cardio health and help make social connections. Take time for a hike on the Bruce Trail and take care of your heart health. Bring along a friend or family member to “spread the love”.
Winter hiking provides beautiful and enchanting landscapes, transforming our familiar trails into our own version of Narnia! It can, however, be more challenging – requiring our attention to clothing, footwear, pace, temperature – even considering parking spaces.
Recent snowfalls have created great opportunities for snowshoe hiking and in some places cross-country skiing along the Bruce Trail. If you are winter hiking, think about the following:
• Pace will be slower and a little more effortful.
• Balance – This may be different in snowy conditions. Consider using hiking poles.
• Terrain – Be knowledgeable about the terrain below the surface of the snow and ice; snow can cover fissures and cracks in the rock and ice makes a normally safe foot placement, a slipping hazard.
• Weather – Always check the weather forecast for temperature, precipitation and wind.
• Equipment – Consider what type of footwear would help you enjoy a safe winter hike. Do you need snowshoes, hiking poles, gaiters, icers or crampons to make your hike safe and enjoyable?
• Clothing – Dress for the weather – layers, mitts, hats, scarf and warm winter boots.
• Parking – The usual roadside parking, parking spaces and lots are not always plowed in the winter. Make sure you know where you can safely park during the winter months.
Plan to join one or all of our small group (10 maximum) Wednesday Hikes in the Woods! These shorter hikes are intended to provide an opportunity to engage with others at a social distance, relax and enjoy the healing effects of nature – taking about 2 ½ hours. Peninsula Bruce Trail Club hike leaders are trained by Hike Ontario and have First Aid Training.
Our February heart healthy hikes are free and all begin at 10:00 a.m. at the following locations:
1. Burnt Loop Side Trail on February 2
2. Otter Lake Side Trail on February 9
3. The Corran on February 16
4. Juniper Flats Side Trail on February 23
Bruce Trail hikes are free, but all hikes require registration. You can find hike descriptions, details of the meeting locations and registration access here: https://hikes.brucetrail.org/ Bruce Trail hikes are open to BTC members and non-members. If you need further information or assistance, please contact: Marg Glendon at pbtcoutreach@gmail.com.
