[revrnd]

Yesterday afternoon, I took the GO Train to Pickering then rode the Waterfront Trail west. From Lawrence Avenue I took the Higland Creek trail down to the lake. The MapArt Toronto bike map doesn't show it but you can ride west to Beechgrove Drive. From there there is a gravel path that continues further west to some singletrack trails between the lake & the East Point ball diamonds.

I turned around & headed north. Be forewarned that because of erosion @ the Morningside Ave. bridge, most of the paved path under the bridge is gone. You can get around the obstacle, but there is about a 6' drop if you aren't careful & go thru the snowfencing.

I continued along to the end of the trail @ Livingston Rd. Rode over to the Guildwood GO station & caught the train back to Oshawa. Just shy of 17 miles for the ride.

 

[SuperNewb]

Dont like the Rouge or Greenwood?
Actually I never rode in morningside but drove by there many times.

 

[revrnd]

Dont like the Rouge or Greenwood?

Are there trails there? Where would you access those trails? I'm just goimg by what I saw on the Toronto Cycling Map.

 

[Picard]

weather sucks

This weather really sucks. it is raining all week long and fluries next week. I wonder when the Duham forest trail will dry.

 

[Chad-WL]

Durham

This rain should help melt any left over snow/ice or frost in the ground, Durham dries amazing ly fast considering it's location and not having any creeks/waterbeds

I'd still give it a week or two yet, I know that my local trails here were damp yesterday, so they will be wet till end of this week atleast.

Cheers

 

[revrnd]

When we rode up in the Forest on Tuesday, there was very little snow left. It was in the portion north of the Forest Center.

 

[canadian-clydesdale]

Out here in the west GTA the trails are in great shape, Presently it's raining so that may change, but if you need to get a dirt fix load up the wagon and head west young men!

 

[SuperNewb]

Head towards the Toronto zoo and when you go on the bridge to goto the zoo you make a right instead of the left. You'll see the garbage dump hill and you can park on the sides before the fence.

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=43.804958,-79.137053&spn=0.007980,0.014179&hl=en

Try that link for another entrance you can do along Kingston rd. Trailer dr is the main ent to the park. Theres no biking along the ridge but ppl do anyways and noone really says you cant.

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=43.861176,-79.111704&spn=0.007980,0.014179&hl=en

An entrance to the Seaton Trail too and you can get to the rouge as well from a lil path thats around that corner too If you know how though. Hitting the satellite option even shows it! If you know what your looking for though.

*by the tracks

 

[Picard]

garbage dump stink?

Head towards the Toronto zoo and when you go on the bridge to goto the zoo you make a right instead of the left. You'll see the garbage dump hill and you can park on the sides before the fence.

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=43.804958,-79.137053&spn=0.007980,0.014179&hl=en

Try that link for another entrance you can do along Kingston rd. Trailer dr is the main ent to the park. Theres no biking along the ridge but ppl do anyways and noone really says you cant.

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=43.861176,-79.111704&spn=0.007980,0.014179&hl=en

An entrance to the Seaton Trail too and you can get to the rouge as well from a lil path thats around that corner too If you know how though. Hitting the satellite option even shows it! If you know what your looking for though.

*by the tracks

How long is this trail ? Is this human garbage dump or construction garbage dump? Doesn't it stink at all when you ride there?

 

[revrnd]

How long is this trail ? Is this human garbage dump or construction garbage dump? Doesn't it stink at all when you ride there?

I think it's a regular garbage dump. They probably cover the garbage w/ dirt so I don't think it's a bad as you think. I've never heard anyone that has been to the Metro Zoo complain about the smell.

 

[SuperNewb]

I think it's a regular garbage dump. They probably cover the garbage w/ dirt so I don't think it's a bad as you think. I've never heard anyone that has been to the Metro Zoo complain about the smell.

I ride up it on my bike and havent really smelt anything. Its a closed dump anyways (at least I never seen trucks dumping anything there to date) Prob the longest hill you can find in the area that isnt paved

Length of the rouge? Umm Im not sure but you can make some nice loops out of it. Just some areas you have to cross the road (a road runs through part of it)

When its dry down there I like to do a loop in the rouge then head out to the seaton and ride that whole trail to end and then back to the rouge. A good long ride then. The rouge dries out fairly quickly too but the Seaton doesnt drain as well. Something to remember if you do both.

 

[revrnd]

Dont like the Rouge or Greenwood?

Actually the reason I did the Pickering to Guildwood route was to see what it was like taking the bike on the GO Train. If I do some more riding in Toronto, taking the train in might be less aggravating than driving & parking. To do the Taylor Creek & Don Valley north & south from the junction, I'll probably get off @ Danforth & ride up Main St & over to Dawes Rd.

 

[Jos]

I think it's a regular garbage dump. They probably cover the garbage w/ dirt so I don't think it's a bad as you think. I've never heard anyone that has been to the Metro Zoo complain about the smell.

That's because Garbage Mountain is downwind from the Zoo.

 

[revrnd]

That's because Garbage Mountain is downwind from the Zoo.

You mean the wind is always out of the west @ the zoo?

 

[Picard]

trail is in dump site ?

I ride up it on my bike and havent really smelt anything. Its a closed dump anyways (at least I never seen trucks dumping anything there to date) Prob the longest hill you can find in the area that isnt paved

Length of the rouge? Umm Im not sure but you can make some nice loops out of it. Just some areas you have to cross the road (a road runs through part of it)

When its dry down there I like to do a loop in the rouge then head out to the seaton and ride that whole trail to end and then back to the rouge. A good long ride then. The rouge dries out fairly quickly too but the Seaton doesnt drain as well. Something to remember if you do both.

I want to confirm the fact one last time. Is this trail located in the garbage dump? if it is true, I got to pass on it. I don't want to contaminate my bike with unknown substances.

 

[SuperNewb]

I want to confirm the fact one last time. Is this trail located in the garbage dump? if it is true, I got to pass on it. I don't want to contaminate my bike with unknown substances.

No the garbage dump hill isnt the trail. I was just saying you could ride up it if you wanted to. Plus its a decomisioned dump as far as I know and you wouldnt be getting unknown substances on your bike or you unless you like to dig then roll around init

The garbage hill is not even something you have to ride if you dont want to. The trails are in the park.

 

[cdnbkrdude]

Actually, two dumps.... but both are closed... no smell

.... in the areas that Supernewb mentioned in his post above.
The one map is the area out near the zoo and the dump there is covered over.... no smell that I have ever smelled.
The other map is the map of the area at the top of Dixie Road, North of Finch. The dump here is on the east side of Duffins Creek... again, it is covered over and there is no smell!!!!
Both of these dumps are not accepting garbage anymore.... it's all going to the US now.
I ride the trail from Dixie at the railway tracks, go south on the west side of the creek, down into the valley, follow the creek down to Valley Farm Road, cross the bridge, pick up the bottom of the Seaton Trail and go up to north of the railway tracks. The trails north of there are pretty rough sometimes especially after some heavy rain or in the early part of the year.... lots of loose rocks and ruts; pretty much impassable. You can go right up to Taunton Road. The trails are kind of tame, but there are some good areas.... not as good as Durham Forest's best trails, but on par to some of Durham's tamer trails.
Total length of doing both sides of the creek is about 25kms. with some heavy climbs.
I'm too out of shape after a long winter to do the whole thing now, but hopefully soon.
The other trail over by the zoo is shorter and has some pretty tough ups and downs... don't go there too much as it is a drive from here.
See some of you out there!

 

[Picard]

trail legal to ride ?

.... in the areas that Supernewb mentioned in his post above.
The one map is the area out near the zoo and the dump there is covered over.... no smell that I have ever smelled.
The other map is the map of the area at the top of Dixie Road, North of Finch. The dump here is on the east side of Duffins Creek... again, it is covered over and there is no smell!!!!
Both of these dumps are not accepting garbage anymore.... it's all going to the US now.
I ride the trail from Dixie at the railway tracks, go south on the west side of the creek, down into the valley, follow the creek down to Valley Farm Road, cross the bridge, pick up the bottom of the Seaton Trail and go up to north of the railway tracks. The trails north of there are pretty rough sometimes especially after some heavy rain or in the early part of the year.... lots of loose rocks and ruts; pretty much impassable. You can go right up to Taunton Road. The trails are kind of tame, but there are some good areas.... not as good as Durham Forest's best trails, but on par to some of Durham's tamer trails.
Total length of doing both sides of the creek is about 25kms. with some heavy climbs.
I'm too out of shape after a long winter to do the whole thing now, but hopefully soon.
The other trail over by the zoo is shorter and has some pretty tough ups and downs... don't go there too much as it is a drive from here.
See some of you out there!

Is the trail legal for us to ride? I hope that the police won't arrest me for tresspassing.

 

[cdnbkrdude]

No, it's legal....

Is the trail legal for us to ride? I hope that the police won't arrest me for tresspassing.

Haven't seen any signs for "No Biking".
There are signs for "No Motorized Vehicles" and I have seen the police several times after guys on motorcycles and a four wheel drive.
I come across hikers all the time and I am polite and will stop to talk..... always been positive and have had positive responses.
Ride on!!

 

[old_dude]

Highland Creek Ravine?

Yesterday afternoon, I took the GO Train to Pickering then rode the Waterfront Trail west. From Lawrence Avenue I took the Higland Creek trail down to the lake. The MapArt Toronto bike map doesn't show it but you can ride west to Beechgrove Drive. From there there is a gravel path that continues further west to some singletrack trails between the lake & the East Point ball diamonds.

I turned around & headed north. Be forewarned that because of erosion @ the Morningside Ave. bridge, most of the paved path under the bridge is gone. You can get around the obstacle, but there is about a 6' drop if you aren't careful & go thru the snowfencing.

I continued along to the end of the trail @ Livingston Rd. Rode over to the Guildwood GO station & caught the train back to Oshawa. Just shy of 17 miles for the ride.

Hey Revrnd, I grew up near Scarborough Golf Club Road and Ellesmere Road. We used to play in the Highland Creek Ravine. I had an old single speed Super Cycle, when I was a kid, and I used to ride it down in the Ravine. We called the trails "paths", short for "foot paths", but they were singletrack.

I recall that there were some good trails down in the ravine. There was a Boy Scout camp down there and there was a park accessed off Morningside Drive.

That was in the late fifties and and during the sixties.

The whole thing was wrecked when they built the bridge on Ellesmere Rd. That was just before the Scarborough Centenary Hostpital was built. They brought in bulldozers and straightened the meandering creek, and they built caged rock retaining walls on the banks of the creek, so they could turn it into an open sewer.

They also started dumping garbage off the side of the ravine, just unstream from Ellesmere Road.

The Boy Scout camp moved out, and there was industrial waste coming down the creek from the Finch Ave. direction.

It was very sad to see the whole ravine evironment destroyed by urban sprawl. It still pi$$es me off to think about it.

Even so, I would be interested in hearing if there is still some good riding in the ravine, since that was my childhood stomping grounds. I wonder if that old abandonned Bren Gun carrier is still down there, or if someone finally removed it.

old_dude