Monday, May 26th to Monday, June 2nd, 2014 (12 rides)
Tour leaders: Nel Ahmed, (613) 592-2891 or petronellaa@primus.ca
Geoff Kennedy, (613) 232-6642 or gkennedy10@rogers.com
Participants: Maximum 30: Participants must be current CCCTS members and will be selected on the basis of date of receipt of registration fee on the internet. Once the tour has been fully subscribed a waiting list will be established. If cancellations occur, individuals from the waiting list will be invited to join the tour based on their position on the waiting list.
Costs: Non-refundable registration fee of $40.00 to cover maps, photocopying, and incidental costs. Please register for this event using the CCCTS online registration at http://tinyurl.com/m9dw6g. All accommodation and meal costs are to be paid directly by the participant (see below). Any surplus funds from the registration fee will be applied to costs for a group dinner to be held at the end of the week.
Registration Opening Date: January 10th, 2014 at 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Location: This year’s Ottawa H&S explores yet another interesting part of Southern Ontario. Centered in the Blue Mountain/Collingwood area, a 2 hour drive North of Toronto and 6.5 hours west of Ottawa, six days of long and short rides will explore the area where the Niagara Escarpment meets the shores of Georgian Bay off Lake Huron. Scenic back country roads and 3 rail trails run up, over and down the escarpment and along stunning shorelines. Wide vistas, quiet streams, rushing waterfalls, caves/caverns in the limestone rock and nature reserves and parks are features of the escarpment while beaches, small towns, historic/cultural sites, art galleries/studios and gastronomic opportunities abound along the Georgian Bay shores. All in all, a great road cycling destination.
Description: Short and long rides will be offered on all days except the first and last, which will be travelling days. Daily cycling distances range between 44 and 98 kms. There are some hills but generally the countryside is gently rolling so the H&S is rated as “intermediate” (see the CCCTS classification system in this Newsbrief). Your organizing committee of Nel Ahmed, Geoff Kennedy, DonTaylor and Ed Weber exhorts you to come and join the fun, and experience some great Collingwood and Grey County hospitality!
Accommodation: will be at the Mariner Motor Hotel (www.marinermotorhotel.ca) 305 Hume St. in downtown Collingwood from May 26th to June 2nd (7 nights). The rates are $95 per room. + HST per night based on double occupancy and include a continental breakfast and permission to keep bikes in the rooms. We have a block of 6 rooms with one queen bed and 12 rooms with 2 double beds. This is a special group rate, so when you call the hotel directly at 705-445-3330, mention that you are part of the CCCTS cycling group. The rooms have been blocked until March 1st. Individuals will be responsible for their own reservations. Cancellation after May 18th will result in payment for the whole week, unless the room can be rented. Reservations are required with one credit card only per room. Please make your own arrangements for room-mates and cost-sharing and book as soon as you get confirmation of acceptance on the H&S.
Transportation: Participants will be expected to provide their own transportation to Collingwood although we will endeavour to arrange car pooling for those travelling from Ottawa on the 26th, arriving late afternoon. The distance from Ottawa is about 580 kms (6.5 hours). The nearest airport to Collingwood is located in Toronto . Please let us know your travel plans and needs.
Hub and Spoke Itinerary:
Monday, May 26th:
Travel to Collingwood, arriving at the Mariner Motor Hotel late afternoon. After check-in and a look around, there will be a Happy Hour before heading out for supper.
Tuesday, May 27th:
Wasaga Beach (There are 3 options: an extra long ride of 111 km, 224 m ascent; a 98 km. version of the same ride, and a shorter ride of 57 km with a modest 109 m ascent.)
The Wasaga Beach ride heads east from Collingwood through rolling countryside before turning north to the Georgian Bay shore and returns past the famous Wasaga Beach Provincial Park and summer resort area.
Wednesday May 28th:
Badjeros-Creemore (78km, 474m ascent) and Creemore (50km, 244m ascent).
Starting from Collingwood the route heads south along the escarpment towards the towns of Badjeros and Creemore, the latter being the home of Creemore Springs Brewery. Along the way the route passes the Pretty River Valley Provincial Park and Noisy River Provincial Park.
The shorter ride takes a slightly different route to avoid the steeper escarpment slopes and heads out of Collingwood south easterly along an old railway and rolling valley roads to Creemore and the Noisy Valley Park for a total of 50 kms and an easier 240 m elevation gain.
Thursday May 29th:
Blue Mountain-Feversham (72km, 581m ascent) and Blue Mountain (54km, 389m ascent).
The Blue Mountain-Feversham ride heads west out of Collingwood up the escarpment to the Blue Mountains before turning south through rolling countryside towards Feversham in the Beaver River valley then descends past the Pretty River Valley Park and into Collingwood.
The short ride follows a somewhat different route heading west along the Georgian Bay shore past Craigleith to Craigleith Provincial Park then south to the Blue Mountains, climbs easily to the escarpment and descends via the Collingwood Scenic Caves and Scenic Caves Road to Collingwood.
Friday, May 30th:
Blue Mountain-Beaver Valley (90 km, 613m ascent) and Feversham (60 km, 422m ascent).
Departing Collingwood, the long route heads west then north-west through rolling farmland to Georgian Bay. It follows the Bay west past Craigleith Provincial Park to Thornbury, then turns south to Kimberley, climbs steeply to the east past the Duncan Escarpment Nature Reserve, descends and climbs again back to Collingwood.
The short route to Feversham heads west from Collingwood also, but continues in a westerly direction and climbs through farmland and forest, then turns south through the Kalapore Uplands to Feversham and east through the Pretty River Provincial Park and descends into Collingwood.
Saturday, May 31st: (remote start from Owen Sound, 1 hr drive)
Owen Sound-Big Bay (76km, 290m ascent) and Owen Sound Short (44k, 132m ascent)
Starting in Owen Sound, the long ride follows the west side of Owen Sound Bay, climbing slowly and then along the coast of Georgian Bay for 45 km, past the Bruce Caves Conservation Area to Oxenden on Colpoyd’s Bay. Here the route turns south away from the water and climbs through forests, around Lake Charles, and south past Bass Lake, returning to Owen Sound.
The short route starts as the long route, but after the initial ride along the Bay, it turns inland through farmland and climbs to Kemble then due west to Wolseley where it turns south, past the forested Bass Lake Management Area and returns to Owen Sound.
Sunday, June 1st: (remote start from Durham, 1 hr drive)
Saugeen River Ramble (98km, 349m ascent) and Saugeen River Short (62km, 227m ascent)
Leaving Durham, the long route continues through the Durham Conservation Area and heads on a gentle climb past farmland for 5 km, then west through forests and rolling terrain. Turning south it passes the eastern outskirts of Hanover and the Sulphur Spring conservation Area. Just past the villlage of Neustadt, the route turns east and climbs slowly in rolling countryside before descending into Durham.
The short route starts as the long but after 4 km heads west, descending through forests, farms and rolling countryside some 13 km before heading south and to the west of Hanover, after which it follows an easterly path climbing gradually on the return to Durham.
Monday, June 2nd: Departure Day
Check out of the Marine Motor Hotel and return home.