Earlier this week, Nathan and I embarked on a 13-hour, 45-kilometer hike through numerous cities and villages in the northern part of York Region. The purpose of the walk was to explore new territory and to demonstrate that we had the physical and mental strength necessary to endure a long, grueling hike. We successfully arrived at our goal (Jackson’s Point), overcame several obstacles, and learned new strategies for improving our performance on long, strenuous walks.
Our journey begins at the corner of Yonge Street & Queensville Sideroad, at the northeastern edge of Holland Landing. The intersection forms a frontier between small towns and rural farmland. Two small communities, Holland Landing and River Drive Park, are located on the south and west sides of the intersection. Although isolated and sparsely populated by Toronto standards, these communities are the last trace of civilization that Nathan and I will see for several hours. Our path heads towards the northeast, into York Region’s most remote rural areas.
We begin walking east on Queensville and, after 45 minutes, arrive at the intersection of 2nd Concession Road & Holborn Road. This intersection is one of the sparsest and most remote parts of York Region; the area is surrounded by farms, fields and forests for as far as the eye can see. The lush, green scenery is beautiful, but foreboding; given how far we are from the nearest residential area, we’d be helpless in the event of injury or illness. The roads consist of gravel and cracked pavement, and sidewalks are nonexistent. There’s virtually no traffic in the area. Perhaps a dozen residential homes exist, though they are all spread far apart on large, green lots. The intersection is only a few hundred meters away from the impassable Holland Marsh, which precludes any further development to the north or west.
After reaching the corner of Leslie Street & Holborn Road, we continue north en route to Keswick. The four-kilometer stretch from Holborn to Keswick is quite sparse and rural, though not quite as barren as 2nd Concession & Holborn. Farms and fields continue to dominate the landscape; there are a small number of residential homes situated deep inside large, green lots. Still, the atmosphere here is quite different given that Leslie is one of only two streets that runs north into Keswick; thus, the flow and speed of traffic increases dramatically. The weather is unfavorable; even though it’s only mid-morning, it’s already 300 K, humid, and unbearably sunny.
Eventually, we arrive in Keswick, a community with a population of 21,000. It is, by far, the largest and most bountiful town that we pass through. Keswick is a long, narrow city that borders Cook’s Bay on the west and vast stretches of rural farmland on the east. Nathan and I walk west to Lake Drive South & Ravenshoe Road. As we turn north on Lake Dr, we get a great view of Cook’s Bay. While much of the shoreline is privately owned, we stop at several small, public beaches along the way and admire the view.
Around noon, we turn onto The Queensway (the main arterial road in Keswick) and eat lunch at Pat’s Place (299 Queensway South). It’s a welcome break to get a good meal and some more water in an indoor, air-conditioned restaurant. I tell the waitresses how we’ve walked thus far, and explain our goal of reaching Jackson’s Point. The waitresses seemed impressed (and more than a little disturbed). They told us to come back the next time we’re in the area to let them know what happened.
Unfortunately, I start feeling dizzy and nauseous during the meal, probably due to the combination of fatigue, inadequate liquids, and the sweltering heat. I space out for around 10 minutes; when I wake up, I feel refreshed and invigorated. We finish our meal and continue north.
The next two hours are disastrous. Due to inadequate planning, we wander aimlessly for 30 minutes in the scorching heat, trying to find Cook’s Bay Park. We’re unable to find it and have simply fatigued ourselves further. This problem is exacerbated by our confusion at the intersection of The Queensway & Morton; the road splits into two equally busy halves, Metro Road (heading northwest) & The Queensway (heading northeast), and we don’t know which way to go. Furthermore, we backtrack (almost all the way back to Pat’s Place) because I need to use a bathroom. Finally, Nathan suddenly becomes exhausted and begins walking with his eyes closed. Eventually, he collapses onto a grassy field near the marina at The Queensway S & Riverglen Drive. Nathan falls asleep immediately, as I and try to figure out how we could salvage the journey.
After two hours, I wake Nathan up. After discussing our situation, we decide to continue onwards. In fact, if we walk quickly and take only few short breaks, we could still make it to Jackson’s Point by sunset. It’s a long shot, but we feel compelled to try.
We continue along Metro Road and turn onto Lake Drive North in northern Keswick. Lake Drive is a quiet residential area, built along the shoreline of Cook’s Bay. It is perhaps the most picturesque portion of the trip; the cottages, thick vegetation, and long, winding shoreline form a relaxing, pleasant landscape. The cool breeze from the waterfront and shade from the trees ensures that the hot sun doesn’t irritate us further. It's a welcome relief from the stress we faced a few hours ago.
The picturesque lakeshore area ends abruptly near Boyers Road. Lake Drive vanishes and is superseded by Metro Road North which, unfortunately, veers away from the waterfront. We exit Keswick’s city limits and walk towards Roche’s Point, a small suburb towards the north. The route to Roche’s Point is rural and barren; it is merely a one-lane road curving through a thick, old forest. There are no signs of civilization. We quickly pass through Roche’s Point; the village is tiny and has little more than some houses and a few small stores.
We continue northeast to Willow Beach, a small village north of Keswick. Again, we walk on a narrow road through an excavated section of a forest. We make a brief stop at North Gwillimbury Park, a large recreational area with trees, a playground, and a small opening along the waterfront. At this point, we’re sufficiently far north to see the main body of Lake Simcoe, as opposed to Cook’s Bay. We’d like to rest for a bit, but know that we must arrive in Jackson’s Point before the final bus departs around sunset. After enjoying the scenery for a few minutes, we continue onwards.
Willow Beach is a tiny suburb concentrated along the shoreline of Lake Simcoe. I’d estimate the population to be around 1,000. It’s perhaps the most scenic village in southern Ontario; the town features numerous beaches along the shoreline, intricate canals, several public parks, and lush, green trees lining every street. Additionally, the people there were very helpful. We ask a local resident how to get to the bus stop in Jackson’s Point (time is starting to become a concern for us; the last bus leaves in two hours). She gives us detailed instructions and even (generously) offers to give us a ride to our bus stop. The offer is tempting given the grueling distance we've already covered, but Nathan and I know we need to prove that we have the endurance necessary to make it to the bus stop ourselves. We take a quick break at Kennedy & Lake Drive East (Willow Beach’s eastern town limits) and continue onwards.
All of the small towns north and northeast of Keswick are heavily concentrated along the waterfront. In fact, sometimes there are untamed forests or undeveloped fields perhaps 10 meters south of the shoreline. It shows the financial value of the waterfront; a 10 meter distance is the difference between a $400,000 cottage and an empty field!
At around 20:00, we start becoming very concerned about how we’ll get home. The final Go bus leaves at 21:05 and we still have a lot of ground to cover. If we don’t make it to the bus stop on time, we’d either need to take a very expensive taxi ride home, or find a hotel for the night. To make matters worse, we’re slowing down due to the great distance we’ve traveled; we likely surpassed the 40 km mark around sunset. As much as we want (and probably need) to take a break, we know that doing so would probably leave us stranded in Jackson’s Point. Continuing onward, we barely have time to notice the beautiful sunset along the waterfront.
Timing isn’t our only concern. Since we didn’t bring a map, we’re having trouble finding the bus stop. We haven’t passed the main landmark suggested by the couple in Willow Beach, indicating that we’re either lost or behind schedule. (In retrospect, we were probably both).
Fortunately, we talk to a man in a parking lot on Salvation Army Road. He gives us directions to the bus stop but warns us that it’s around 1.5 kilometers away. We have 20 minutes to get there. Normally, Nathan and I could easily cover that distance in 20 minutes; however, given how tired we are, we know that, at best, we have no margin for error and, at worst, we might get stranded in Jackson’s Point overnight. Of course, Nathan and I continue onwards. The bus stop was clearly visible in the distance, taunting us, at the easternmost edge of Metro Road North.
Somehow, due to adrenaline-fuelled jogging, we arrive at the bus stop, with a few minutes to spare. Exhausted, we fall asleep on the bus ride home. We must have averaged 6.0 km/hr during this final, desperate stretch, which is an exceptional pace given that we’ve literally been walking all day.
The trip taught us several lessons. First, we demonstrated that we have the physical and mental endurance (and, indeed, perhaps the insanity) necessary to take a 45-kilometer walk. Second, we learned that we need to improve our logistics; our lack of a map caused delays or panic on at least three occasions. Finally, we learned the importance of sleep. Neither of us slept at all the night before, and it required us to take a long rest around noon. Indeed, given our improved experience and knowledge, we might try to break 50 km later this summer.
Why? To prove that we can.
Labels: Hiking
