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.
