Niagara Section - Kinsmen Park (68.5) to Glen Road (55.5) - February 5, 2026

 Niagara - February 5, 2026 - (nominally) 13km from Kinsmen Park to Glen Road


It is a cold and stormy night. No! That's not right. It is a cold and sunny Thursday after the big freeze for the last 10 days.  Only eight of us hiked and we all show up early at the Glen Road parking.  Steve K demonstrates enviable suppleness putting on his icers.


Shortly afterwards, here we all are at Kinsmen Park at 8:40, ready for the Off.  From left to right, Frances (photos), Andrea, Renu, Annette (photos), Barbara, Georgia, Steve K (Sweep & photos) and Doug (HC & photos).


Off we go - the trail fairly comfortable.  There is a lot of snow, courtesy of the January 25-26 storm.  No ice and well trodden.  We made decent time.  An early bridge - we're not yet warm but we get the picture out of the way!


Half-an-hour later and going strong - see how cheerful we are!
 

An hour later and the snow is getting trickier.  Not as trodden and definitely more corrugated!



Where's Waldo?  How many hikers can you see spread among these trees?  If you count six, you've got good eyes!  


By this time we're all getting tired, stumbling in deep snow which has been walked through but not trodden flat.  We keep breaking through.  When we get to Cherry Avenue and cross into the section which cuts the corner to Moyer Road, we retreat and take to the road.  Doug goes in a little too far and practically has to swim out!  Even though he is wearing gaiters, his boots get full of snow.  We stay on the road, zigzagging to Fifth Line where we find well-trodden trail again and head into the Balls Falls Conservation Area.  The Falls are spectacular.


Giorgia had taken off her icers for walking on the roads and hasn't bothered putting them on again until we reach these really steep stairs.


Some of us anxiously watching her descent.


Last stretch.  Last photo.


Back to the 'nominal' 13km. Many of us use the Heart app on their iPhones and chide one of us who didn't know he had the app and doesn't know how to use it.  Challenged, they report wildly different hike distances.  According to one iPhone, the owner hasn't finished the hike yet!

The End








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