HEALTHY AT HOME
TRENTON PARK
MORE THAN JUST A HIKING TRAIL BY TRISH JOUDREY
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Great walks of the
North Shore
L
ocated just steps outside the town of Trenton, Trenton Park’s understated entrance ushers you into a gem of a park. I had the rare opportunity to explore this amazing place with a special group of hikers, the Scotsburn 55+. They have met regularly for the past 15 years to either hike, bike, walk or kayak. Today, was my lucky day. I’m usually a lone walker these days, so when I was asked to accompany an eclectic group to hike around Trenton Park, I was unsure of what to expect. What I discovered brought me back to my days walking the Camino in Spain, where I formed many close and lasting friendships through our shared experiences of walking. “Meet you in the Trenton Park parking lot,” says Pat McConnell, a member of the 55+ group and resident of New Glasgow. “We’ll start the light to medium loop of about six and half kilometres from there.”
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ah! Summer 2022
The park has six hiking trails, each winding its way through 565 acres of century-old hemlocks and other coniferous trees. We head off down the wide and well-maintained Founders Trail. The crusher dust path leads us through the centre of the park where smaller trails lead off through the forest. Our guide, Sandra Malenfant, tells me that most of the lesstravelled trails through the woods are in their natural state and not maintained, which instantly piques my interest. “The main trails, where most people walk, have been upgraded with these wonderful, new route-map signs that we were able to install after recently receiving a $3-million grant.” Sandra points to a blue line on the map designating the Druhan Trail we are about to enter. “We’ll take this trail through some pristine woodlands,” she says. After turning off the main trail, we enter an expanse of forest. It’s unusual to be in the deep woods so naturally
At Home on the North Shore
