‘People just love it’: Winter hiking a popular pastime along trails in Halton Hills
By: Christian Collington, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TheIFP.ca
This article was originally published by Christian Collington, a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter with TheIFP.ca
While many residents might prefer to stay indoors during the colder months, the Halton Hills chapter of the Toronto Bruce Trail Club sees its largest turnout during winter.
Angelika Sommer, the club’s chair and a hike leader, said she’s “always surprised” to see more hikers in winter than in summer.
“We’ve got like 15 people instead of the normal five or 10,” she said. “People just love it.”
Founded 25 years ago, the Halton Hills chapter serves as an affiliate of the Toronto Bruce Trail Club and hosts hikes every Sunday morning and some Wednesdays, rain or shine.
Sommer said the reason for this seasonal surge is that the winter landscape offers a reprieve from the heat and insects that can make summer treks a challenge.
“It’s too hot for some people,” she explained. “You have the mosquitoes and black flies and so on.”
While walking through snow or ice is more strenuous, Sommer said the snow also levels out the trail’s rocky sections by filling in crevices, sometimes making the path easier to navigate than in the summer.
Sommer emphasized that safety remains the top priority for the club as hikes are only cancelled in extreme conditions, such as freezing rain or thunderstorms.
To enjoy the trails safely, whether with the club or independently, Sommer recommends the following gear and preparation:
Specialized footwear: Boots should be warm and water-repellent, especially in slushy conditions.
Traction aids: “Icers,” such as ice cleats or studs, are essential to avoid slipping during freeze-and-thaw cycles. These range from small grips to heavy-duty steel triangles that are attached to the bottom of boots.
Layering: Hikers should dress in layers to manage body temperature as exertion increases.
Warm refreshments: While water is a summer staple, carrying hot tea or other warm drinks makes winter outings more pleasant.
While the larger Toronto club handles trail maintenance and landowner relations, the local chapter helps when needed and focuses on the social and active side of the trail.
The group occasionally hosts potlucks and special hikes, such as a New Year’s Day hike.
Sommer said the group remains open to anyone who wants to join.
“Come out and try — we always accept new hikers,” she said. “We have people from Burlington, Mississauga, Halton Hills, so we accept anyone who would like to come along.”
For those who find they aren’t suited for hiking, Sommer said the club also connects individuals with the Toronto club to be involved with trail maintenance or serving as land stewards.
More information about the trail club can be found on their website or by emailing HHC@torontobrucetrailclub.org.
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Great piece on the counter-intuitive winter surge! Sommer's point about snow leveling out rocky sections by filling crevices is somethign most casual hikers would never consider. The safety trade-offs are real though, and requiring traction aids during freeze-thaw cycles makes sense. I've noticed similar seasonal patterns around here where the mental barrier to winter hiking is huge, but once you're geared up properly, the conditions can actually be more pleasant than peak summer heat.