Trail Talk 407 April 1st 2026
We have had very changeable weather with large temperature swings, one day it is sunny, then snow, then wet, then windy coming it seems in random order,. On March 15th I originally planned to hike the Maitland Trail East of Sharpes Creek Line but due to a cold easterly wind we decided to hike on the West side of Sharpes Creek Line where there was more shelter from the wind.
On Wednesday March 18th seven of us hiked into the Morris Tract from Londesboro road. I found out that putting 36833 Londesboro road into google directions misleads you to go down Falls Road. To get google directions to work properly you have to enter “Morris Tract Trailhead” to direct you to the correct entry on Londesboro road. The trail was mostly covered with a thin skim of snow. We admired the work done by the volunteer chain saw crew clearing the windfall across the bridge at the creek. They still have plenty more work to do to clear several other windfalls.
On Saturday March 21st ten of us hiked the trails at Exeter, the trail on the South side of the Ausable river was clear of snow, but there were a few patches on the North side that had significant amounts.
On our Thursday morning hike on March 26th we hiked the Maitland Trail at the Auburn end and in the Robertson Tract for about 1 ½ hours. There were several windfalls but all very easy to step over. Although most of the trails were free of snow, there were parts with snow and a section with ice. We saw a Bald eagle sitting in a tree before flying off. Recently I have found most trails have been free of snow for the majority of their length, but usually have sections with snow still across the whole width of the trail, which can be quite high if part of a snow drift.
Rick, Richard, George, Carolyn, Susan, Dianne, Irene, Paula, Anne, Doug and John
Lampton Museum reports that most Tundra swans have moved North of Grand Bend, but several hikers including me have seen flocks of various sizes flying overhead. When I went up Sanctuary Line on March 19th I did not see any swans but did see two Sandhill cranes and a couple of muskrats.
I am still eagerly waiting to see spring flowers other than snowdrops and crocuses. Some skunk cabbages now have a purple spadix which contains tiny flowers. I expect to be able to see some coltsfoot and hepatica in bloom before this issue is published, due to a few days of warm sunny weather. One thing I look out for when there are no interesting flowers or insects is looking for interesting patterns. Recently I saw an interesting C in the ice on a pond.
Both the Maitland and Bayfield rivers have receded from their near record high flood levels.
Skunk Cabbage Spadix on which the flowers are born
Trail Talk will no longer appear in the Signal Star after nearly 400 additions starting on Feb 7th 2018 and now will only be published in the Goderich Sun and on the Maitland Trail Association website. The original Trail Talk was written by Wendy Hoernig and was published biweekly in the Focus starting on August 7th 1999.
Events
Saturday April 11th 7.30-9.30 pm BRVTA Candlelit Memorial walk on the Taylor Trail at Varna.
Sunday April 12th 1.30-4.00 pm Hike from Sharpes Creek Line to Cherrydale road. Meet at Cherrydale Road at the Maitland Trail entrance and carpool to Bishop’s Road to hike back along the Maitland Trail. This section does not have any big hills except at the end with a climb up 104 steps to Cherrydale Road. This is a forested area with many views of the Maitland River. For more information and to confirm your attendance, please contact Patrick Capper at pcapper99@gmail.com. This is a moderately fast paced, 2.5 hours
Sunday, April 19, 2026 – 01:00 – 3:00 p.m. Hike: Millenium Trail Hike Meet at East St. Cider at 01:00 p.m. We will walk to the Millenium Trailhead at Nelson St, downstream and return to East St. This is a co-promotion event with East St. Cider. You can register with either organization. Maitland Trail registrants must sign the online waiver annually. For more information and to confirm your attendance, please contact Con Melady at 519 – 530-8998.
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 meet at 9 a.m. and hike for 1 ½ to 2 hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Contact Patrick Capper at pcapper99@gmail.com
LIFE hikers meet every Friday for a hike of about 1 1 /2 hours, with a choice of pace, striders moving a little faster than the strollers. The hikes now start at 9a.m. and can be joined through One Care.
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
