The Maitland El Camino was again a great success, largely due to the effort of 84 volunteers and the cooperation of the weather that resulted in clouds, some sun and no rain.
273 hikers took part, many of whom hiked only part of the trail, but a sizable number managed the whole 50 km. I know many found it a struggle after 29 km to climb the 104 steps up to Cherrydale road. Most hikers came from outside Huron county including form Barrie, Burlington, Kitchener Waterloo, London. GTA, Midland, Niagara Falls, Orillia, Sarnia, St Catherines and Woodstock. Of the local hikers, Goderich was well represented with 40 participants, while 68 others came from local communities such as Bayfield, Benmiller, Blyth, Clinton, Seaforth, Brussels and Wingham.
I joined Rick Poisson and hiked the whole trail. We met several other hikers who joined us for part of the way, especially Roman from London and Steve from Brussels. Luckily, we had no serious problems other than some tight muscles, some minor skin irritations, and a muddy pair of jeans after slipping on a muddy portion.
One thing I only realized after talking with Roman was the absence of wildlife. Apart from some birds, we only saw a chipmunk and a garter snake. Some of this may have been due to the earlier hikers causing the wildlife to avoid the trail. On the Saturday, I just saw a dozen common butterflies near Sharpes Creek Line and only three on the Sunday, due to the cloudy skies. Many of the double blazes indicating a sharp turn in the trail, were supplemented by large signs. However, as I found out myself, when you get to talking, it is very easy to miss a turn, or even create a turn such as some hikers did when they set off down North Harbour Road.
A great big thank you to all the volunteers involved, in very many different roles including the organization, production of the maps, manning check points, organizing and providing snacks and the list of tasks is nearly endless. As well as Maitland Trail Association volunteers, checkpoints were manned by MacKay Tai Chi, Huron and Area Search and Rescue, Maitland Stewardship Group, and the Lehnen and Baker family.
Notes:
All participants taking part in the Maitland Trail Association events should sign the waiver for 2024, preferably the online version.
Tuesday Trompers meet at 9 a.m. on Tuesday to hike for about an hour. If you wish to be on this email list, send an email to mta@maitlandtrail.ca.
Midweek Hikers hike for 1 ½ to 2 hours on Wednesdays or Thursdays, contact Patrick Capper.
Both groups meet at 9 a.m. and are open to non-members provided they sign the MTA On-line waiver.
If you have questions or something of interest for Trail Talk email me Patrick Capper at pcapper99@gmail.com.
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