Wasaga Beach Club leadership has informed that ice storm damage on the Wasaga Beach Club trail was minimal and the trails remain open.
A caution reminder – All trail users should remember that even though the trails themselves are clear there may still be risks in forested areas due to overhead broken branches or leaning or weakened trees due to the ice storm. Hike with caution and watch for overhead and nearby hazards, especially if there is a strong wind or wind gusts. All trail users must accept personal responsibility for their own safety.
The Mad River Club leadership has declared that clean-up from the ice storm is complete and the trail is considered to be open (Trail Guide Maps #24, #25 & #26). Note that there is 11 km of trail running east from Angus that remains closed for reasons other than the ice storm (rail trail conversion work by the county). Be aware that sections of the Mad River trail go through wet sections.
A caution reminder – All trail users should remember that even though the trails themselves are clear there may still be risks in forested areas due to overhead broken branches or leaning or weakened trees due to the ice storm. Hike with caution and watch for overhead and nearby hazards, especially if there is a strong wind or wind gusts. All trail users must accept personal responsibility for their own safety.
The Ganaraska Oro-Medonte Club has advised that their trail is now open end-to-end (Maps #21 and #33 of the Trail Guide map series). Our thanks to the hard work of all the volunteers that helped to clear the trails.
A caution reminder – All trail users should remember that even though the trails themselves are clear there may still be risks in forested areas due to overhead broken branches or leaning or weakened trees due to the ice storm. Hike with caution and watch for overhead and nearby hazards, especially if there is a strong wind or wind gusts. All trail users must accept personal responsibility for their own safety.
The Ganaraska Kawartha Club leadership team has advised that their trail is open from the south end (KM 0.0 marker on Map #5 of the Trail Guide map series / Crosswind Road) to KM 54.6 where the trail leaves the Victoria Rail Trail (Trail Guide Map #11). Conditions on the trail going north from this point to Monck Road (the north end of the Kawartha Club trail section) will be verified in the near future.
A caution reminder – All trail users should remember that even though the trails themselves are clear there may still be risks in forested areas due to overhead broken branches or leaning or weakened trees due to the ice storm. Hike with caution and watch for overhead and nearby hazards, especially if there is a strong wind or wind gusts. All trail users must accept personal responsibility for their own safety.
2025.05.29 Update – Notification has been received that logging operations in North Barr have been completed but it may be a few days before the No Entry signs are removed to allow complete removal of the harvested logs and to give the County some time to clear up the trails. Please continue to comply with the direction on all posted signage.
We have received notification from Simcoe County Forestry that logging operations will start immediately in SCF North Barr Tract. The Barrie Ganaraska trail runs along the north edge of this tract along Horseshoe Valley Road and remains available, but there are many hiking trails inside the tract that will be unavailable while logging operations are active. Please comply with all signage about area closure and logging operations. An update will be provided when notice is received that logging operations are complete.
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 Warnand Stan Muldoon receiving Bill’s plaque in his absence.
Congratulations and thank you Bill! We couldn’t have done it without you.
We are highly appreciative of the contributions Simone Latham has made to the Ganaraska Hiking Trail Association Inc. as our Treasurer since 2018, a valued member of our GHTA Executive, as a Certified Hike Leader for the Midland club, and as a great friend.
Simone joined the Ganaraska Hiking Trail Association Inc. in 2011, and in 2012 soon after encouraged a team of 4 GHTA members to walk the 100 km Oxfam event in 48 hours. It was a very hot weekend, but we all made it in 42 hours, and only lost several toe nails in the process. However, she really enjoyed hiking and became a great hike leader.
As a member of the GHTA Executive, her skills and past experience with other not for profit and charitable boards, as well as with procedures and policies, helped us streamline & automate our GHTA processing for payments, bookkeeping, expense reimbursements, etransfers and many other administrative changes. We also thank her for the amount of time she gave us to find a suitable replacement, and get our processes documented and streamlined to pass on to our new Treasurer.
Simone Latham receiving 2025 Volunteer of the Year
We wish her all the best in her retirement as treasurer from the Ganaraska Hiking Trail Association Inc, and will miss her as a great team player and friend.
Original Posting Dated 2024.08.04 – SCF Logging Affects Barrie Trail.
Logging in SCF Smith Tract has resulted in the temporary closure of the Barrie Club Bear’s Creek Sidetrail, located just north of Midhurst where Gill Road crosses the railway tracks (KM 24.9 on the Barrie trail). The main Barrie trail is unaffected and remains open. Please obey all posted signs in the area and avoid hiking this side trail until further notice.
For those that hike in the Midhurst area please note that access to the Ganaraska hiking trail at the Belmont\Doran Rd. intersection is temporarily closed due to severe washout. A map to an alternate route (Belmont Rd to Finlay Mill Rd. to Willow Creek) along the Hunter Russell Nature trail to meet up with the GHT is posted at the closure site. From the Midhurst Community Centre one can also walk along Finlay Mill Rd. to Willow Creek where the detour begins.
A portion of the Oro-Medonte trail in Copeland Forest will be temporarily closed due to spring seasonal wet conditions. The trail section is just north of the Oro-Medonte and Barrie trail junction near sign post 5 and continues north to sign post 4 – approximately 1 km in length. There is an alternate trail that can be used to the east of the Oro-Medonte trail (see attached map).
Signs will be installed at the end points of the closed section (sample attached). Please do not try to use the closed section – walking around the wet sections on the trail can cause damage to environmentally sensitive areas in the forest. We are lucky to have access to the Copeland Forest trail system so let’s do our part to make our trail system sustainable.
There will be a follow-on notice when the trail is re-opened.
