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All Simcoe County Forest logging operations affecting the Orillia Section of the Ganaraska Trail – including the Breedon Tract and Rathburn Tract – have been completed. Also all those logging operations in the many Simcoe Country Forest Tracts in the Bass Lake Side Road East and Line 6 – 7 – 8 areas are completed.
Carol Strickland, President, Orillia Club of the GHTA Inc.
The logging operations in the Arbour Tract that had blocked that section of forest for hiking are now complete. Arbour Tract is now open and available. (west of LIne 7 and Bass Lake Side Road).
Regarding the overhanging branches about 1/2 km west from the parking lot at 1832 Line 8 Oro-Medonte, one has been pulled down, and the other has been bypassed by a short loop around the overhanging branch. The trail is “obstructed” from both sides of the hazard, and a semi-circular trail marked with pink ribbons guides hikers around the hazard. We hope that winter will bring the overhanging brach down, but for the meantime, hikers should use the re-route.
There are two overhanging branches on our trail about .5 km west of the parking lot at 1832 Line 8. They are about 200 meters apart, and one can bypass them by going around the overhanging branch, but hikers probably should not pass underneath them until they are cleared.
Another post will follow when these have been cleared.
The Breedon Tract of the Simcoe County Forest is closed due to logging. This affects the Orillia Section between Lines 9 and 8, the most easterly half. Attached is an image showing the (2-3 year old) re-route of the Ganaraska Trail from Line 10 south to Old Barrie Road, along Old Barrie Road and north along Line 9 to the entrance to the Breedon Tract. The Ganaraska Trail is shown in pink, and the Red Cross-hatches indicate active logging operations as per the Simcoe County Forest. This map also takes in the Arbour Tract as noted on Nov. 2, 2023. We have not heard of re-opening of the Arbour Tract as of today.
As soon as we hear of a change in the status we will update on Trail Changes.
The Arbour Tract of the Simcoe County Forest (the westerly tract of the two tracts that lie to the north of Bass Lake Side Road West between Line 7 and what would be Line 6 if it extended north of Bass Lake Side Road West) is commencing tree cutting and therefore off limits for hikers. This affects the Ganaraska Hiking Trail for the last 1 – 1.5 km of the Orillia section (roughly Km 68.3 to Km 69.8, Orillia). Signs are posted. Effective immediately, hikers must stay out of the logging area, and be aware of possible heavy equipment moving along forest roads. We will update when the Arbour Tract is again available for hiking. Meanwhile, the Ganaraska Hiking Trail and the SCMBC trails in the Johnson Tract are still open.
Effective immediately, our Covid protocol changes as follows:
Vaccines are no longer mandated;
Hikes are available to non-members, with the requirement that they complete the GHTA Inc. waiver every time they hike.
Covid is still present and still a possible threat, albeit less life-threatening than 2 years ago – so if someone is not well, it is expected that they will not attend a hike.
With the change in Provincial restrictions, group hikes can be up to 100 persons.
Otherwise we continue to require that attendees be fully vaccinated, wear masks when they cannot maintain distance, and not attend if they have possible Covid symptoms (even if negative on Covid-19 Rapid Antigen test).
Car-pooling recommendations remain in place – maximum 4 per vehicle, windows cracked, wear masks. If you do not feel comfortable car-pooling you are not under pressure to do so.
This protocol is effective as of Feb. 17, 2022.
While being cautiously optimistic, we are looking forward to the loosening of the Ontario Health Regulations with respect to Covid, which – as announced yesterday – will be effective as of January 31, 2022. At that time, we expect that outdoor group hike attendance can be increased to 25.
However, until that time, strict guidelines have to be followed by all hike participants:
– max 10 for group hikes; social distancing, including mask wearing if within 2 m of each other; only fully vaccinated hikers can participate in group hikes; car-pooling not recommended, unless with members of your household.
We have no provincial guidelines regarding carpooling, but we set our car-pooling guidelines to be logically consistent with the tightened restrictions currently in place. Thus, in keeping with the “loosened” restrictions expected Jan. 31, at that time we think it is reasonable to resume carpooling within the previous guidelines – windows cracked open for ventilation, and masks on, max 4 per vehicle.
In keeping with today’s provincial announcement, hike attendance will be limited to 10 persons including the hike leader, starting Jan. 5, 2022. We expect this restriction to last at least for 3 weeks, but an updated protocol will be issued as the situation changes. At this time, we should not carpool other than with members of our own household. Otherwise, all the other public health measures remain in place – observing social distance, wearing masks where distance cannot be maintained, and staying home if feeling ill.