Urban Hike - Beltline Trail

Who would have thought a hike through an urban area could be so interesting!  We joined the Bruce Trail Club for a hike on the Beltline Trail in midtown Toronto yesterday.  While I have to sometimes fight my way to the front to get some unobstructed photo shots, I have to confess walking with a group made me walk faster and not think about when I should stop.   Of course, there was also less dawdling for photos and it meant taking shots very quickly so I don't get run over by people coming up behind me!   The 12 km hike went quickly and we completed it with a total walking time of less than 3 hours.  There was plenty of time to have water breaks and an extended snack break at the Loblaws at St. Clair and Spadina.   It was all very enjoyable.

The Beltline Trail - originally a railway track ran through it.  It was well-hidden behind houses and I must have driven by it countless times without being aware of its existence.

After about half an hour on the shady Beltline Trail, we emerged onto the bridge over Allen Road - an unusual spot for me;  it would be more typical for me to be sitting in the traffic jam below!

My first glimpse of early fall colours

The beautiful Cedarvale Park

We even caught a glimpse of the CN Tower through the trees

All that remarkable green space!

Not to let us forget that we were in an urban area - graffiti on the overpass

Coffee break with musical accompaniment at Loblaws - very civilized!

Lovely flowers on someone's front lawn

A green porch curtain!

The grand Grace Church-on-the-Hill on our way through Forest Hill

What a gorgeous courtyard!

  

Cutting through the immaculate track and football field of the Upper Canada College with its familiar bell tower

We finished where we started, very conveniently, at Davisville station.