Judy Mahoney and Cheryl Tomkins organized this trip as a three day event leaving Friday,  paddling Saturday and hiking Sunday. After numerous emails,  phone calls and two meetings, the group was finalised consisting of eight men, four women, two dogs, two travel trailers, one canoe trailer, six tents, four campsites, ten kayaks, and one canoe travelling in eight vehicles. Most of us managed to check into Long Point Provincial Park at the same time on a cool 12C blustery day with cold north winds of 30km/hr gusting to  50km. Nick's trailer site with hydro served as the base camp with Cheryl's site and Judy's site nearby with three tents each. Roy's trailer was on a hydro site at an adjoining campground. 

Supper was prepared ahead of time ... 

Tuesday Easy Hike Oct 29, 2019

I found myself with a free Tuesday morning on a beautiful fall day, so I signed up for my first “Easy Hike”.   

About 18 people met at Cathcart Park where the hike leader Sharon Crowe handed out strips of paper that looked to me at first like wristbands that would identify us as part of the group! They were in fact inspiring quotes about hiking and the outdoors with metaphors such as: hiking is like life; you just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other. And less inspiring ones such as: long walks give you large bunions (or something like that!) We each read our quote out loud as part of our introductions.  

This was apparently just Sharon’s second time as a hike leader. She cheerfully and confidently lead us to the Howard Watson trail, through the Blackwell park trails, along the residential footpaths behind Twin Lakes, then back again through the Blackwell trails and then quite literally around a pole in the ground to reverse directions!  

We walked along at a relaxed pace surrounded by all the colours of fall, sunshine, a mild breeze and friendly conversations with whomever was beside us at that moment. This peaceful green space was once a former garbage dump, evidenced by several large exhaust pipes venting from under the ground. Amazing.   

After two very enjoyable hours flew by, the party was just beginning, so several people decided we should go for coffee next and it was also suggested we should upscale the experience from Tims, so those who could afford it continued on to Starbucks for another hour. (Or maybe two!)

In early September I flew with my bike to Zurich Switzerland along with my buddy Al Grimwood. We arrived at the airport about noon, hoping to reach our booked B&B in Donaueschingen Germany, about 80 km to the north. Soon we found that biking north of Zurich is not nearly as easy as biking in Lambton County – not at all flat. Realizing we could not reach our destination, we stopped at Neuhausen near the border with Germany and stayed at a hostel at Rhine Falls. This turned out to be quite fortuitous! Rhine Falls is the Niagara Falls of the Rhine River - indeed the Niagara Falls of Europe! Tourists come from all over Europe to visit the falls. The hostel is a very old building right at the falls. Spectacular view! The room was not as wonderful however, as we slept side by side with about a dozen snoring old guys like us.

There was a gentle rain in the morning so we did not leave for Donaueschingen until about noon, thinking we had lots of time to reach the B&B. As it turned out, the cycling was much slower than we expected, with all the hills and our bikes being very loaded. We reached the town as it was getting dark. We navigated using my cell phone but the battery was getting run down so we asked for directions, but that was not too helpful, as we could not find the small street the B&B was on. So we stopped at a random home and told the residents the address. The mother, Diana, could not speak much English, but her daughter translated. They were so hospitable! Diana hopped on her bike and lead us to the B&B which was really quite nearby. We found the hospitality of the Europeans so wonderful everywhere we went!

Donaueschingen is considered the source of the Danube (Donau). We visited the spring where the water coming up from the earth forms a fountain and then begins its journey of about 3000 km eastward to the Black Sea. We cycled about half the distance to Budapest Hungary. Cycling along the river was quite easy compared to the previous two days, and very enjoyable. We learned a lot of history as we visited many cathedrals and other historic sites along the way. One site that really impacted me was seeing shoes lined up along the Danube in Budapest. This is a memorial to the many Jewish people who were lined up along the river and shot by the Nazis. Very sobering!

I left my bike in Europe, so I must return and bike the rest of the way to the Black Sea. Looking forward to visiting Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine  next summer.

West Highland Way Adventure

Upcoming Social Events

I first met Klaus several years ago when we met to discuss the maintenance of the Ausable Valley Trail, and discovered an energetic and visionary group on our doorstep, which was dedicated to working with partners to preserve, maintain and promote the “gems of nature” in Lambton Shores and vicinity. Lambton Shores Nature Trails was started by Klaus in 2011, who inspired a team of volunteers to clear trails and combat the destructive intrusion of ATVs and dirt bikes in fragile nature preserves. They worked with municipalities, landowners and conservationists to promote the biodiversity of the area, erected signage, graphic trailhead storyboards and formed lasting partnerships. Klaus provided the inspiration and perspiration, whether it was bushwhacking, addressing councils or raising funds. I was fortunate to visit him shortly before his passing, and he was actively promoting his “network of trails” from the hospital bed set up in his living rom. It is a privilege to meet people who make a difference, and Klaus was one such giant. Our condolences go to Marilyn and family, but he leaves a vibrant organization with a vision for the future. That is the way he would have it. 

Mike Tanner

The following announcement appears on the LSNT website:

It is with sad hearts that we announce that our leader and visionary Klaus Keunecke has completed his journey on earth. His dedication to our ‘Hidden Gems of Nature’ and to protecting our environmentally sensitive lands is truly inspirational. Klaus was passionate about the trails and volunteered countless hours to make them safe and enjoyable for everyone. His spirit will live on in our trails forever.

A Celebration of Life will be held on November 24th from 1 to 3 pm at the Port Franks Community Centre.

Sympathy may be expressed through the Gilpin Funeral Chapel website.

 e-Newsletter Submissions

This new format e-newsletter is a work in progress, and although many members bemoan access to a hard copy, we have been working within the format available on the Club Express website. One innovation for this edition, is the inclusion of linkable sections. Many of the stories submitted reflect the excitement of the author about their experience and are consequently lengthy. For those wishing to read in full, we will include a link to the document on the website. For members wishing to print a hard copy, for future editions I will try to include a link to the newsletter to a Word or pdf format. As for content, this is a newsletter about your activities and interests, and although I can compile your adventures, you must take the initiative when on a trip to decide to share the experience. Stories of around 500 words are ideal, but longer will be accommodated plus a couple of pictures.  

If you have any comments or copy, please send to:  lambtonoutdoorclub@gmail.com

Mike Tanner, Editor