In mid July of 2022 a group of us set out to do a practice overnight hike in preparation for a bigger hike we are working towards. We left some vehicles 7th Line Parking Lot and the then took a couple vehicles to Hockley Road Parking Area in the Caledon Hills Club. We chose this hike for its hilly, somewhat challenging terrain, proximity to home, campsite and water source. We wanted to simulate or goal hike as much as possible so we packed all of our overnight gear, including tents, sleeping bags and so forth.

Day 1

We started from the Hockley Road parking lot and soon reached the Hockley Valley Golf Course. I wondered if the sight of backpackers seemed unusual to them. The golf course path was a steady incline and eventually led us to the Hockley Valley Ski Resort. We then travelled through deciduous forest, coniferous forest and meadows and eventually made it to our campsite.

The Bruce Trail club thankfully placed a sign at a creek to notify overnight hikers that we had reached the last water source before camp. Thank you! The campsite was great. It was private, except for the party at the nearby farm. Sadly, someone had left food garbage, including raw meats, and camping gear. We tried to take some back to dispose of it, but were already laden with our own gear.

Day 2

The last day was also full of ups and downs, but those floral fields were stunning. The weekend was perfect and the trail was fun.