Caledon Hills Section - Chinguacousy Road (2.8 km) to Willoughby Road (15.9 km) - June 4, 2026.
WARNING :
The images you are about to see and the words you are about to read depict a factual recount of the most recent Hiking With Friends adventure in the Caledon Section, where a group of amenable folk got what they signed up for with another beautiful experience on the Bruce Trail. On this day, we got to travel almost 14 km from Chinguacousy Road, through the Credit River Valley, and finished at Willoughby Road. This blog's sole intention, (other than being a creative masterpiece of course), is to convey what fun it is to spend time walking and talking together in nature on a warm summer's day...please continue on ONLY IF you are comfortable seeing and hearing how much we enjoyed ourselves...

Assembling at the top of "grumpy guy hill" (my new name after having met the grumpy self-proclaimed parking czar whose driveway and residence are close by last time here-he didn't show today) are a squinting, hat-less me (left in my ride's car at the other end, doh), Catherine C, Faryde, Ivan, Josie (photos), Barbara, Laura (photos), Steve K (H.C), Donna, Catherine V, Rita, Peter, Frank C, Nancy, Doug (photos), and returning for an exclusive engagement after a couple of years of not appearing in any such HWF photo, Tom!..who knew?..well, we did when he showed up...16 on the roster for today's first June hike of the year...

After gathering at the start to receive some last minute instruction from Steve regarding what we'll be facing today...if we don't behave ourselves and follow his every command...and then reminders about "not forgetting your hat on a hot day", or something to that effect, we set off in single file for a brisk start...only to do the gathering thing again at our first opportunity...is it inherent behavior, or just using the beautiful space afforded to maximum effect?..
It's warming up nicely, as are we after the climb up to The Grange (where The Rich keep The Horses on The Farms)...time to gather again, at least until we see our H.C heading off down the road to find the next entrance to the much cooler forest...and we follow of course...
There's some decent climbing to do through this stretch until it's down the sketchy stairway (which most hikers forego to travel beside since the footing is dry and firm) to McLaren Road and the beautiful Credit River...
And surprise!..we gather again...for a bridge picture...
Faryde exhibits perfect hiking form as established by the "Stickman Hiking" sign...she is fully prepared to cross over to...
Sometimes I feel like I hike in a bubble....after having survived a long stretch of pavement, we begin our approach to the Credit Valley Conservation Area by "Puckering Up"...
Where else on the Bruce Trail can you go from being northbound on the path, switch to southbound for a while, and end up in the same spot going northbound on the trail again?...no where else!..in contravention of the B.T dictated directional "suggestion", Steve forces us (well he did a have our well being in mind) to travel counter clockwise. This unique lollipop trail scenario, which has existed for two years now in light of the closure of Dominion Road near the Forks, means this is the only location in the 900 km or so of trail where you retrace your steps for a stretch...the Conservation Area gateway beckons...
Doug leads us to the promised land...a familiar spot for our refreshment break on the banks of the Credit River...
There's the climb out of the valley and perhaps we are "tuckering out" a little as we begin "Puckering down"... crossing McLaren Road means we can set off through the forest on the last kilometer or so to reach the cars...it has warmed up considerably and they will be a welcome sight...
It's the end of the line at Willoughby Road as, seemingly without warning (unlike the one given at the start of this blog), we emerge from the woods and breathe that sigh of relief mixed with that sense of accomplishment for having completed a quite pleasant 14 km hike with friends...thanks for spending the day with us...it was as fun as it looked, but I warned you!
The End
She obviously fell under the spell of her hiking boots from hell...oh well.
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