Weeknight Wanders Winter Series
Join Leanne and Kamil for this Monday evening mini series of short weekday evening wanders! The perfect way to spend an evening! These hikes will be taking place in various locations, changing monthly. Our intention is to provide a regular weekday community hike night that folks can look forward to and count on year round!
Hike Leader: Leanne & Kamil Wierzbicki
Contact: 647-529-3324 | 647-529-3316
About the Leaders: Leanne and Kamil have been casual hikers since 2006, becoming more avid hikers in their mid forties! They began hiking with the GVTA upon moving back to Kitchener-Waterloo in autumn of 2023 after many years living in Northwestern Ontario. They knew they wanted to share their love of the outdoors and active living with others as certified hike leaders with this wonderful local organization. With a playful and enthusiastic approach to their outdoor adventures, this husband and wife team encourage you to get outside, move your body, and have fun doing it! Embrace your inner hike nerd.
About the hike: Kiwanis Park is open year round, located in Waterloo, an easy loop to enjoy for your weeknight wanders! A lovely walk alongside the Grand River, through forest, field, and a small chunk of subdivision towards the end, it takes approximately 1hr at a slow to moderate pace, and is a popular trail for birding and hiking. Beautiful any time of the year!
We may hike in thick mud, or wade through ankle deep water in spring, take little detours on a variety of side trails within this park, and we welcome the fun and adventure this brings!
Where: Kiwanis Park, Waterloo
Length: 3.3 km to 5 km
Category: Loop
Pace: Moderate, 3.5 - 4.5 km/hr. About 45-60 minutes.
Hike level: 1 (easy). Relatively easy, wide gravel path through the forest, mostly flat. Possible thick mud, wet and flooded areas due to spring conditions.
Depart: Hike starts at 6:45pm. Please arrive 10 minutes earlier, at 6:35 pm. In respect of all hikers, we will not be waiting for late comers.
Park at
Kiwanis parking lot, off Kiwanis Park Rd. Kiwanis parking lot (
43.500815,-80.477117).
Directions: Please use your favourite GPS app to obtain directions.
What to wear & bring: This is a late winter to early spring hike; please dress accordingly. Wear good hiking shoes/boots, merino wool socks are a great idea, and dress in layers: think lightweight and breathable (no cotton). Merino wool base layers next to skin, fleece mid layer, lightweight coat or waterproof shell and pants in wet conditions, gaiters, hat, lightweight gloves in cooler weather.
Walking poles are optional but useful, and offer an upper body workout while you walk!
**Headlamps or flashlights are required on these evening hikes as we will be walking in the dark.**
**In the season of snow, crampons/microspikes/ice cleats are a good idea to prevent slipping. Snowshoes may be required on some winter hikes given trail conditions and will be indicated in the description.**
All of our hikes are offered rain/snow or shine, unless in the event of dangerous weather. Every day is a good day to get outside! Just arrive in appropriate gear!
Sorry, no dogs on GVTA hikes with the exception of certified service dogs.
ALL ARE WELCOME ON OUR HIKES. Membership is encouraged as it helps to support our trails, $30 per household. To become a member please go to:
https://www.gvta.on.ca/Membership_App.htm
