Category: Pine Ridge Club

Blog Posts for Pine Ridge Club News & Events

Ice Storm Restoration Update

Posted on by Campbell Britton

 As per our announcement of April 3, 2025, following the ice storm of March 29/30, the entire 500 km long Ganaraska Hiking Trail was officially closed. Meanwhile, our club volunteers have been busy assessing and restoring their sections of the Ganaraska Hiking Trail and as a result of their hard work, we hope to be able to “open” up some sections very soon. Stay tuned for further announcements, hopefully by this coming  weekend. 

Our volunteers have already cleared a lot of the fallen debris, put caution tape around some dangerous hazards and/or created a small reroute, all this in an effort to make the trail “passable”. Trail Closed signs are being installed on those sections of the Ganaraska Hiking Trail, which are still considered impassable, or where we have not been able to even start or complete any restoration.  In the most affected areas, such as many of the Simcoe County Forests in Oro Medonte, salvage efforts are scheduled by the landowner. These logging operations may last well into the summer, but will open up the forest access roads, and make it easier for our volunteers to access the trail for restoration efforts.  

As we cannot enforce physical closure of trail access, we ask that persons traversing the trail be guided by the following principles:

  • As is always the case, even under normal circumstances, HIKE AT YOUR OWN RISK. It remains the individual’s own responsibility to decide what their own risk tolerance is. 
  • There are still a lot of overhead hazards such as tree branches hanging above the trail, or leaning trees near the trail, which we plan to deal with in due time. Several of our volunteers  have taken chainsaw training to help tackle the situation.
  • Consider the wind. Higher wind speeds and gusts can dislodge the overhead hazards or topple leaning trees.
  • Leave a hike plan with someone (i.e. where you plan to hike, when expected back, etc.)
  • Hike with a buddy

Enjoy the hiking season, but stay safe out there!

Frieda Baldwin

President, Ganaraska Hiking Trail Association Inc.

2025 Volunteer of the Year – Bill Zeran

Posted on by Campbell Britton

Over the years Bill Zeran has held various leadership positions within the GHTA and the Pine Ridge Hiking Club including:

  • Member of the GHTA Executive (2014-2018) as Recording Secretary and later on as Secretary-Treasurer
  • Member of the GHTA Risk Assessment Committee;
  • President of the Pine Ridge Club (2018-2012);
  • Hike Leader at Pine Ridge since 2014; and
  • Member of the Pine Ridge Maintenance Committee (2017-the present).

Through all of these commitments Bill has demonstrated a positive and friendly demeanour which endears him to those around him. Bill’s smile and sense of humour are contagious. The Vice-President at Pine Ridge during Bill’s time as President stated how much he valued Bill’s mentorship. With the ongoing support of his spouse Rita, Bill is also involved with a number of other volunteer programs especially within their local church community. Bill’s family roots are steeped in service to others.

Pine Ridge Club representatives Cynthia Warn and Stan Muldoon receiving Bill’s plaque in his absence. 

Congratulations and thank you Bill! We couldn’t have done it without you.

Safe Hiker Course April 26 at Tiffin Centre for Conservation

Posted on by Campbell Britton

On Saturday April 26, 2025 Ganaraska Hiking Trail Association will be offering a Safe Hiker course for members and non-members. The course is built on the Hike Ontario Safe Hiker course, but will include other topics such as information about safe hiking after the ice storm, protecting from ticks, carpool etiquette, planning for a hike, navigation tools, What3Words, what if you get lost/injured, weather, etc.

Following the course, there will be a 1 to 1.5 hour hike on the beautiful Tiffin CA property. Both the course and parking are free on April 26.

Address: Tiffin Centre, 8195 8th Line of Essa, Utopia, Ontario on Saturday April 26 at 12:30.
Park in the large parking lot by the green Administration building and proceed past that building via the covered boardwalk to the Learning Centre.

To sign up for the free course, enter your name and email on the following link. Your email will only be visible to the instructors and will be used in case of a change or cancellation.
Safe Hiker Course Registration

Awards Night!

Posted on by Heather Briant

At the Annual General Meeting on May 9, the Volunteer and Trail Maintenance Awards were announced for 2023.

Volunteer of the Year – IRENE BELL

This year we recognize Irene Bell for her contributions to the Ganaraska Hiking Trail
Association Inc.

Back in 2014, she and Shirl McArthur formed a 2 women’s team to take over the Club Presidency
of the Wasaga Beach Ganaraska Hiking Trail club, but in the last few years, Irene continued on
her own until 2022.

She not only made sure the Wasaga Beach section of the Ganaraska Hiking Trail was in good
shape, but with her volunteers they created a new route along the Collingwood to Barrie
rail trail. She made sure there was a hiking schedule for members and organized many local
social activities for club members.

As the president of the local Wasaga Beach club, she attended the board meetings of the GHTA
Inc. for the last 9 years and contributed valued input to our discussions. She also acted as the
GHTA rep to Ontario Nature, and as such was GHTA’s sounding board on all things nature
related.

Well done Irene! We herewith would like to show our appreciation by presenting you with the
Volunteer of the Year Award for 2023. Thank you for your past contributions. Irene, we all enjoyed working with you, you are an excellent ambassador for hiking, and we wish
you all the best for the future.

Trail Maintenance Club Award – PINE RIDGE

Following a Ganaraska Hiking Trail Association Inc board decision in the fall of 2022
that the building of bridges is now allowed, the Pine Ridge Club of the Ganaraska Hiking
Trail Association Inc is among the first to implement the new policy and is therefore
being nominated for building new bridges over tributaries of the Ganaraska River:

On December 2, 2022, 5 Pine Ridge Hiking Club members (Jimmy Edwards, Stan
Muldoon, Jay Sherwin, John Ambler and bridge designer Ted Van Netten) installed a
new 20′ bridge between 4th and 5th lines of Hope Township, at km 12, on the property
of Gord and Judy Austin.

A further 2 bridges are currently being built at km 8. This project is being spearheaded
by property owners Bill and Penny Harris with several PRHC members contributing
numerous hours of volunteer labour. We are also appreciative of a $1730 donation from
an anonymous donor to fund the bridge.

Great work, Pine Ridge!

Fallen Trees in Ganaraska Forest

Posted on by Heather Briant

In the Pine Ridge section of the Ganaraska Hiking Trail, between km 31 and km 39 in the Ganaraska Forest, there still are a number of fallen trees due to storm damage. Ganaraska Regional Forest staff will be clearing this area in the near future. Until that happens, Ganaraska Hiking Trail volunteers are not allowed to do regular trail maintenance and refresh the blazes, which may cause some confusion with navigating the Ganaraska Hiking Trail in that part of the Ganaraska Forest.

Ganaraska Forest (Central)

Posted on by Heather Briant

The section of the GHTA trail from km 31.1 to 39.7 will not be open to hikers until April 1st. Until then hikers must use the bypass trail west along the 10th line of Hope Township from km 31.1 to the Cold Springs Camp Road and then north on the Cold Springs Camp Road to the point where it joins the GHTA trial at km 39.7.  The bypass is marked with blue blazes.  Only hikers on a GHTA club-sanctioned hike or GF members are permitted to use the GF trails without paying a day-use fee.  The only place to purchase a day pass is at the GF Centre.  It is planned to have day-use permits available online by April 1st.  

New Bridge in Pine Ridge Section

Posted on by Heather Briant

The Ganaraska Trail follows a former railway between the 4th and 5th lines of Hope Township.  Most of the trail is pretty well level, but there is one spot where the railway crossed a creek.  The old trestle bridge had been taken out years ago and hikers needed to navigate two sagging, slippery cedar logs to get across that creek. There was a 25’ horizontal cedar tree next to the logs for holding on to. To make matters worse, the trail down to the bridge and up the other side was steep and treacherous.

On December 2, 2022, life got easier for trail hikers and dog walkers.  5 Pine Ridge Hiking Club members installed a new 20’ bridge a short distance downstream from the old crossing.  Both access trails were moved and hand-shovelled to be easier to traverse.  Congratulations to Jimmy Edwards, Stan Muldoon, Jay Sherwin, John Ambler and bridge designer, Ted Van Netten.

Volunteer of the Year Award

Posted on by Heather Briant

Some people just keep on giving – and this year we are recognizing Stan Muldoon for being one of those people in the Ganaraska Hiking Trail Association, Inc. 

Stan has been a member of the Pine Ridge Club for years and has served as its President and representative to the Board.   As well, he chaired the 50th Anniversary Celebration Committee – and during that time he prepared and delivered a history of the organization from its inception, bringing recognition to the founding members.  At the 50th Anniversary celebration, Stan also delivered a workshop on stretching, much appreciated by the attendees! 

Stan joined the Executive as Vice President for a few years as well and more recently has stepped up to Chair the new Mapping Committee, as well as the Indigenous Engagement Committee.

Well done Stan – you are a great example to us all – and we want to show our appreciation by presenting you with the Volunteer of the Year Award for 2022.