[Toronto Goat]

So years ago, and not related to my nick, a bunch of us worked on a Don trail called The Goat trail (amusingly enough, it's located by where I found that grow op last year).

As I'm walking through it the other day, I notice that (a) the city has been stamping a zillion trees with metal tags, like everywhere else and (b) orange spraypainted stakes with orange tape, one of them marked "Proposed trail" route.

This intrigues me. Is someone official finally glomming on to the wisdom of our ways after seeing the hard work so many people have put into it? Who and what is the organization behind this? It'd be awesome if the Orchard trails plugged into Motown, since the Goat is the connector between them and has fallen into significant disrepair.

 

[veteran_youth]

If the city builds anything in there it is gonna be paved, unfortunately.

That being said, there is a bit of an effort by certain individuals to get that line going again. To be fair it is/has been passable for the past few years (at least before the dump hill gets too overgrown) but is a shell of its 2008 peak.

Also FWIW many also refer to this section as "Kitchen Sink". I think Goat Trail was Rob D.'s name for it (as far as I know he did original rough in of this trail and built [and named] Apple Orchard around 2007) I remember exploring in there 2006 and though the dilapidated skinny bridge near Old Eglinton was there it had more of an old hiking trail vibe. At some point Byron started helping out and I think he coined Kitchen Sink as there was tons of old garbage in there, "Everything but the kitchen sink", then one day he was building and found a kitchen sink. Name stuck.

Also, on a side note, Rob D aka Cyborg pretty much single-handedly built the East Don as we know it. Entire rock garden section of Quad's (used to have to go right up to Northline at the VW bug), all of Boomerang, probably Froot Loops too though before my time, and he got Goat/Kitchen Sink totally rideable to north of Eglinton. Moved to the states around 2009/10 and I lost contact but dude lived up to his nickname. Don't think he ever saw/rode it but I think he'd be proud of Motown.

 

[Toronto Goat]

I am Byron, btw lol

I can't remember too much of the provenance of the name of that trail, but you're right... there literally was a kitchen sink in there!

There are quite a few passable lines, but thanks to the Don being what it is, there've been slides, collapses, and all kinds of crap. It needs constant tending, and it just didn't see many people. What worries me is - as you mentioned with the city paving stuff - is that the lines will be trashed kinda like they did with extending the paved path into Dr. Quads, where some of that crazy shore stuff was. But that's fine, the Don is always about making due with whatever, we'll just wrap side trails off of and around it.

The area that *really* troubles me is just south of The Orchard, after you go under the bridge. It's becoming a creek and needs a whole bunch of bridge. I walked it the other day, and I'd have to guess a good 30m of bridge at that, too. Damn!

Cyborg was an apt name, as that lad could do an inhuman amount of work for sure! I miss him. Part of why I am thinking of doing more work restoring the Goat Trail/Kitchen sink is that after Silent Steve built Motown, it breathed new life into that branch of the Don, since STD was all frigging trashed and sliding into the river at parts. Though the problem I'm facing is that after I ride in an hit Motown, I'm usually too bagged to do any work lol. What I need to do is drive over to the trail, park, and camp there for a week and swing the mattock

 

[veteran_youth]

Lol. I saw your post in the 26-dead thread and wondered who this cranky old retro dude was so clicked your profile and saw this post.

Ted was telling me in 2004 that pavement up the east was part of the city's 10 year plan, so we are probably right on time to see it completed around 2025 in true Toronto fashion.

 

[Enduramil]

So years ago, and not related to my nick, a bunch of us worked on a Don trail called The Goat trail (amusingly enough, it's located by where I found that grow op last year).

As I'm walking through it the other day, I notice that (a) the city has been stamping a zillion trees with metal tags, like everywhere else and (b) orange spraypainted stakes with orange tape, one of them marked "Proposed trail" route.

This intrigues me. Is someone official finally glomming on to the wisdom of our ways after seeing the hard work so many people have put into it? Who and what is the organization behind this? It'd be awesome if the Orchard trails plugged into Motown, since the Goat is the connector between them and has fallen into significant disrepair.

A wee bit eroded...near the rainbow tunnel. Linking won't work since they went to the new method of pic URL crapola.

11312942_10205181016297914_1861024059781698090_o_zpsuszyyhyi.jpg Photo by Endurimil | Photobucket

From a few years ago...

 

[TedB]

Re Kitchen Sink and/or Goat trail

Hey fellow riders I have been doing quite a bit of grooming on this trail starting near Wynford Drive and going south to the big meadow south west of Bartley Drive where it connects to Motown.... this includes chain sawing felled trees, and lots of grass and weed cutting. It's basically clear to ride as of this writing.

I wanted to inquire about the old elevated and curved bridge just west of Old Eglinton. It's dangerous and should be removed and replaced with a simple trail in my humble opinion. On the other hand I don't want to piss anyone off.

Any thoughts on what to do here folks? Perhaps some others would like to help? A repair is possible but it's a danger under good conditions and I hv the titanium plates in my face from a fall on Catalyst to show for the dangers of poorly maintained bridges.

 

[Enduramil]

Hey fellow riders I have been doing quite a bit of grooming on this trail starting near Wynford Drive and going south to the big meadow south west of Bartley Drive where it connects to Motown.... this includes chain sawing felled trees, and lots of grass and weed cutting. It's basically clear to ride as of this writing.

I wanted to inquire about the old elevated and curved bridge just west of Old Eglinton. It's dangerous and should be removed and replaced with a simple trail in my humble opinion. On the other hand I don't want to piss anyone off.

Any thoughts on what to do here folks? Perhaps some others would like to help? A repair is possible but it's a danger under good conditions and I hv the titanium plates in my face from a fall on Catalyst to show for the dangers of poorly maintained bridges.

Pull it...it was unsafe years ago. Unlike Catalyst the trail sees way less use as even when it was part of the Uber Trail it was only the core Don Rats who rode it alot.

 

[veteran_youth]

I like the idea of leaving that bridge in an unrideable state as a throwback (it was already a relic when I stumbled across it in 2006). It wouldn't be too hard to make a high line around it.

Also thanks for your work! I really wanted to ride the trail yesterday but was dreading the traverse across Bermondsey dump hill, it was such a relief to see it clear! So clear in fact that a young female jogger was about to embark on the trail (north from the kennel fence) until I told her this wasn't the 'way out' like she thought it was!

Also FWIW ran into a lady with her dog around Wigmore park who is apparently chief advocate for putting a 8' wide paved trail through there. Asked me what I thought about it, I told her I thought it was unfortunate as I much prefer natural trail the way it used to be all the way up to Lawrence, to which she responded I should check out her channel on youtube to support her......what?

 

[TedB]

Yes, if I ever get to it, I could try some kind of work around with that bridge remaining intact. Sadly the paved trail is a forgone conclusion. There hv been several public consultations of which I attended one and Toronto city Councillor for Don Valley East Ward 34 Denzil Minnan-Wong told me "we hv $80 million to spend over 10 years". For an idea of the route there is a highly detailed PDF slide show. See the link below. Many new bridges over the Don and level crosses over the tracks too. It will start at DVP&DM and run north to connect with the paved path at Wynford Dr.

Here's the link.
East Don Trail Environmental Assessment - Roads and Trails - Infrastructure Studies | City of Toronto

 

[Toronto Goat]

That friggin Goat bridge that you speak of nearly cost me a couple broken ribs when I slipped on it hiking the trails in the winter. Pull it and use it for BBQ wood!

Also Ted... the Ted? The Donfather? NICE Blessings on you for all your hard work in the past and all the hard work that I am sure is to come.

 

[Toronto Goat]

"we hv $80 million to spend over 10 years" Thank god we've solved hunger and homelessness in Toronto and now we have the money saved to spend on stupid paved trails

 

[Toronto Goat]

These seem to be the most relevant pictures and maps that show where it would run

https://image.slidesharecdn.com/eas...trail-design-concepts-7-638.jpg?cb=1403524701

https://image.slidesharecdn.com/eas...trail-design-concepts-8-638.jpg?cb=1403524701

https://image.slidesharecdn.com/eas...rail-design-concepts-19-638.jpg?cb=1403524701

 

[Kay.]

"we hv $80 million to spend over 10 years" Thank god we've solved hunger and homelessness in Toronto and now we have the money saved to spend on stupid paved trails

Well that's quite a bit of money indeed. Have to ask the question, did the authorization for that expenditure come originally from the Miller government, or the Ford regime? I'm thinking the latter but don't have any specific knowledge of the issue.

 

[Toronto Goat]

I had a couple more thoughts: (a) what is this going to do to the traffic of deer and coydogs, etc which is already pretty substantial through that corridor and (b) the homeless population in the east Don? This could be a good thing for them (make it more accessible) but a bad thing (easier for authorities to police people living in the Don).

I'm not worried about trails too much, we'll always be able to make 'em and find a way to loop them around anything paved. The Don trails will always survive. They cannot be killed. THE DON TRAILS ARE.

 

[TedB]

It's almost a $10B annual city budget. $8 million a year would not get a mayor's ear or eye. Denzil M-W is the Councillor to ask. I think urban intensification is the name of the game in terms of a future without as many cars.... and the east Don trail connects Scarb and points north for cyclist commuting. Also world-class city and the insatiable appetite for governments to grow. Not my choice but this is what's causing this development. Indeed the Don valley was created during the last ice age and it won't be going away anytime soon.

 

[Enduramil]

.

I'm not worried about trails too much, we'll always be able to make 'em and find a way to loop them around anything paved. The Don trails will always survive. They cannot be killed. THE DON TRAILS ARE.

Didn't you get the memo from the current administration? We Serfs are supposed to all go to Sunnyside and stay out of the valleys and ravines.

 

[TedB]

Didn't you get the memo from the current administration? We Serfs are supposed to all go to Sunnyside and stay out of the valleys and ravines.

Haha. When we were kids we used to ride out dirt bikes at the 401 and Don Mills "trails". In fact we had several national MX riders come out of Don Mills. I helped build a real supercross track there in the early 80's and the cops came in with bulldozers. My last ride there was in 1984 on my Honda CR500R. The crazy noise gave us away of course. No need to worry about our beloved Don valley, it too remote and dangerous for anyone to really bother with us.

Cheers - I'm the other Ted. No relation to the master builder Ted I.

 

[Kay.]

Didn't you get the memo from the current administration? We Serfs are supposed to all go to Sunnyside and stay out of the valleys and ravines.

I took my son and his friend out to Sunnyside last month, thinking it was going to be a hit. I have to say, with all due respect to the good intentions behind the project, the siting is a bit of a challenge. I knew going in that it would be a wee bit noisy sandwiched between 12 odd lanes of traffic, but what I wasn't prepared for was getting across lakeshore and then the cross-street from the parking lot with two 8 year-olds on their bikes. we were stranded for a number of minutes on that tiny pedestrian island half way through the crossing, and with the kids being their usual antsy selves it was distinctly dicey. Then to make matters slightly worse, both kids took one look at it and declared joyride was better. It didn't matter to them that it was a beautiful late spring day and no time to be inside (although i couldn't help noticing a comparative lack of shade on the site and immediately worrying about whether i put on enough sunblock). So we promptly packed up and drove out to markham. I can't speak to designs of the big jump lines, but as for the pump track which is all my son can ride anyway, the one down on the flats is significantly better. Not to mention the shade, relative quiet, and a great user vibe. Can't help thinking a more entrepreneurial municipality would have found a way to make the flats site work.

 

[TedB]

The Kitchen Sink/Goat trail/East Don nasty bridge pic

Haha. When we were kids we used to ride out dirt bikes at the 401 and Don Mills "trails". In fact we had several national MX riders come out of Don Mills. I helped build a real supercross track there in the early 80's and the cops came in with bulldozers. My last ride there was in 1984 on my Honda CR500R. The crazy noise gave us away of course. No need to worry about our beloved Don valley, it too remote and dangerous for anyone to really bother with us.

Cheers - I'm the other Ted. No relation to the master builder Ted I.

Here the bridge in question - see attached pic - My friend and I hv been doing other work too.

 

[Toronto Goat]

Yeah that's the rib cracker, that damned bridge