So with December on our doorstep,
and just less than a week away, Sudbury area hiking enthusiasts
(and yes, there are hundreds) are preparing for the Christmas
on The Trail event that takes place Saturday, Dec. 3.
The organizer of the hike
is Ursula Sauvé, a well-known name in Sudbury's
outdoor adventure circles. Sauvé is a long-time
member of the Rainbow Routes Association, a not-for-profit
organization that encourages healthy adventure and a connection
to nature through the many wilderness and urban trails
in the city.
Sauvé said local hiking
has seen a resurgence since the height of the COVID-19
pandemic when so many people were being told to isolate
and to stay at home if it was not absolutely necessary
to go out.
She said when many people
needed to get out they turned to fresh-air walks and finding
nature trails.
"In Sudbury, we are
quite lucky to have so much green space that is accessible
to most people within a few minutes," Sauvé
said.
She said because of the popularity
of hiking, Rainbow Routes has re-introduced its monthly
hiking program. It was a popular thing but during the
pandemic, many of the monthly events were stopped.
"So we are in the process
of starting up these monthly hikes again, and what the
purpose of these hikes were really to showcase the trails
that Rainbow Routes built in the city, there's a lot of
them, you can go on the website and have a look at them.”
Sauvé said the Christmas
on The Trail hike takes place at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 3.
Participants are asked to arrive 10 to 15 minutes beforehand
at the Bioski Club at 2420 South Bay Rd.
She said everyone is invited
to bring their own favourite Christmas decoration to help
decorate the Conservation Sudbury Link Trail that connects
the BioSki Cottage to the Nature Chalet. This hike is
family friendly and children will love it, said the website.
The RRA website also advises
the hike is able to accommodate anyone who is capable
of walking on outdoor trails. The trail is a combination
of wide, hardpack granular and original ground. Organizers
will be wearing RRA dark blue vests at the event.
The website also advises
the hike is dog friendly. Dogs must remain leashed and
you may be asked to walk at the back of the group for
everyone's comfort.
Sauvé said she is
hoping the relaxed, family nature of the event will encourage
more people to get involved. She said the event is not
a hike in the hard sense of the word where people might
imagine going uphill and downhill through a rocky and
dense forest.
"It's like a nice walk
in nature for a couple of hours," said Sauvé.
She advises participants
that even though the hope is for mild weather to dress
warmly, dress in layers and wear sturdy shoes. Sauvé
said hikers will be treated to hot chocolate at the end
of the trail.
She added that anyone who
hasn't experienced the nature trails in recent years will
be pleasantly surprised.
"Things have really
changed over the years," Sauvé said. "First
of all the trails are much improved. There are many more
of them, but also the signage has improved. When people
go in the bush, they would always be worried that they'd
get lost. And sometimes they did. But even in the Conservation
Area now, we have like 50 kilometers of trails, and there's
signage everywhere," Sauvé said.
She said thousands of dollars
were spent to install colour-coded signs in the Conservation
Area and ski trails. Sauvé said many hikers have
said they feel more comfortable on the trails because
of the signs.
Sauvé said the nature
trails have the obvious benefit of improving your health,
but she said it goes beyond that. She said that during
the pandemic it became clear that spending time outdoors
had significant benefits for one's mental health as well.
She said it helps to get out of the house.
“People say actually,
the winter season is even more important for people to
go outside because if you tend to spend 24 hours inside,
then winter is really long. And so to get out and use
the trails is a great way to get some sunshine and fresh
air," Sauvé said.
Sauvé also encourages
local residents to consider buying a membership with Rainbow
Routes. She said increased membership makes it easier
for RRA to apply for government funding programs to improve
the trails. An individual membership is $20 and for a
family the cost is $30.
Len Gillis is a reporter
at Sudbury.com. Bold is made possible by our Community
Leaders Program.
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