One surprise for me was how dry the trails were after over 3 inches of rain. On our Thursday morning hike, there were no puddles and hardly any mud, either at the Varna or Bannockburn trails.
Have you noticed how blue the edges of many roads are? This is due to chicory, which is in bloom. It is native to Europe. Many varieties are cultivated for salad leaves, chicons (blanched buds), or roots which are baked, ground, and used as a coffee substitute and food additive. In the 21st century, inulin, an extract from chicory root, has been used in food manufacturing as a sweetener and source of dietary fiber. Chicory is also grown as a forage crop for livestock.
Eleven cyclists enjoyed the ride at the Pinery. I noticed quite a lot of Butterfly Milkweed at the side of the trails and some Fragrant Sumac which I had not seen on the Maitland trails. Among many other species, these have now been planted in the Sifto loop to help fill the gaps from the Buckthorn removal. The Maitland Trail Association were very grateful to receive grants from the Invasive Species Action Fund 2024 to pay for these native plants and remediation work on the Sifto Loop.
Fireflies may still be observed as it gets dark. I remember seeing a great display several years ago when I took my dog Chewy to Lobbs Trail (which is now closed) to avoid his trauma from the fireworks on Canada day. I recently read an article by Margaret Renkl in the New York Times International Weekly about fireflies. There are more than 2200 species of fireflies (170 in the U.S.A. and Canada), and they are in decline. One species of fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park flash in unison. One in three North American fireflies may be at risk of extinction due to habitat destructions, pesticides, and climate change. Research also shows that artificial light disrupts their courtship.
On our July 17th hike at Hullett, there was a lot of Milkweed in blossom. I saw five Monarch butterflies, none of which were near the Milkweed!
Notes:
TRAIL CLOSURE: Maitland Trail from Cherrydale Road (20km marker) to Nature Conservancy property (25km marker) due to a coyote problem.
Saturday July 27th 10 a.m. a Stop and Look Walk on the Sawmill Trail. Leader Ralph Blasting 519-525-3205 or rjblastingjr@gmail.com
Saturday August 10th 9 a.m-11.30 a.m. Hike from River Line to Sharpes Creek Line on the Maitland
Meet at 80918 Sharpes Creek line and carpool to River Line – some large hills. For more information and to confirm your attendance, please contact Jonah Melville at Jonah.melville@gmail.com or George Cantin at
streamsideinc@gmail.com. This is a Level 3, moderate pace, 2.5 hours.
Maitland Trail Association ‘s El Camino on Saturday September 21st and 22nd is sold out.
All participants taking part in the Maitland Trail events should sign the waiver for 2024, preferably the online version.
Tuesday Trompers meet at 9 a.m. on Tuesday to hike for about an hour. If you wish to be on this email list, send an email to mta@maitlandtrail.ca.
Midweek Hikers hike for 1 ½ to 2 hours on Wednesdays or Thursdays, contact Patrick Capper.
Both groups meet at 9 a.m. and are open to non-members provided they sign the MTA On-line waiver.
If you have questions or something of interest for Trail Talk email me Patrick Capper at pcapper99@gmail.com.
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