Reproduced with permission - The Toronto Star Syndicate

Sep. 16, 2004. 01:00 AM

Following new paths

Cyclists head out on trail trips that introduce them to Niagara's beauty as well as some unexpected adventures

KATE HARRIES
TORONTO STAR

NIAGARA FALLS, ONT.—That first glimpse of the Falls is always a breathtaker — all the more so after cycling all morning from Port Weller on Lake Ontario and up the escarpment.

Pedalling hard past the bed-and-breakfasts, we finally crest the River Rd. hill to come upon a distant view — both familiar and magical — of the cascading white waters.
I mentally pause, caught by the awe-inspiring sight — but there's no rest for the cyclist at the rear of the pack, and I put my head down and work to catch up.
This is the first day of a three-day trek on the Greater Niagara Circle Route, a series of trails that link two Great Lakes, running along the Niagara River on one side and the Welland Canal on the other.

Our party of eight assembled in Port Weller at 9:30 a.m. The total distance we'll cover is just shy of 180 km. We've chosen to go clockwise — up the Niagara River and back down the canal in order to get the climb up the escarpment over with in one go. The climb isn't as steep going up the canal, but it's over a longer distance.
"It's best if we get it over with fast," said Marlaine Koehler, who planned the details of the trip. The same theory seemed to inform a decision to ride the longest stretch on the first day — some 90 km to Fort Erie.

We leave our cars parked in Charles Ansell Park by the side of the Welland Canal and head out on the Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail and then along Lakeshore Rd. (not bicycle-friendly so travel with caution) and through Niagara-on-the-Lake. The Niagara River Recreational Trail takes us off-road for the 56-kilometre length of the river — running past breathtaking views of the gorge and the more placid waters of the upper Niagara.

We stop for coffee at the 200-year-old McFarland House, taste some wine at Reif Estate and sample the ice-cream at the gift shop in Queenston.

Then comes the rude awakening. There's a 99-metre drop in elevation along the Niagara River, and most of it happens within a couple of kilometres at Queenston with the ride up to Brock's Monument. For the last backbreaking climb, a friendly push from Ken Forgeron, a strong cyclist who works for Niagara Region and has been lent to us as a guide for the day.

We don't stop until 2 p.m., when we pull in to the Creekside Café in Chippewa, by the side of the Welland River. A leisurely lunch has us leaving for the last 30-km stretch at 4 p.m., somewhat later than is comfortable and definitely a concern for Alex Reimer, 13, who is mindful of pool closing times at the Holiday Inn where we'll be staying in Fort Erie.

We give Alex and his dad Peter — experienced riders who've been doing cycling trips together for three years — permission to speed ahead.

The trail is perfect, shaded by large trees. A pleasant breeze picks up. Then it morphs into a headwind and by the time we reach the Fort Erie border, I've hit my limit.
There is absolutely no push left in my legs. The other riders head off to summon our support vehicle and I and my bike are driven to the Holiday Inn where I check in and fall into a hot bath.

A whirlpool and sauna are available to those with more energy.

The next day, we backtrack to start at Old Fort Erie and slip on to the trail along the shore of Lake Erie. I mention to Vicki Barron that my knees are hurting.
"Is your seat high enough?" she asks.

I check and find that during the previous day's ride it has slipped right down. Some quick work with an Allen key and my riding posture is immensely improved.
"That's probably why you had a hard time at the end of the day yesterday," Barron says. Bless her.

We hook on to the Friendship Trail, 30 km of abandoned rail track. These types of trails — straight as an arrow, can be boring, but this one, in a little wilderness corridor, is full of interest: birds, rabbits, locals picking berries.

The trail stops in Ridgway, and we have to go on-road to pick it up again near Sherkston.

The four-km missing link will be completed by the end of the year, promises Councillor Bruce Timms, our Niagara Region guide for the day.
Into Port Colborne and the bell sounds the warning that the bridge over the canal is about to lift.

We skitter across to the west side and have a delicious lunch at the marina restaurant.
The Welland Canals Trail which branches away from today's canal — the fourth version since the first one was completed in 1833 — to follow the third canal, now used by recreational boaters, runs much closer to the water than elsewhere on the trip and is delightful. The trail stops in Welland, and so do we, for a night at the Ramada Inn.

The next day, our Niagara Region guide George Nicholson, one of the area's most diligent trail supporters, takes us through hidden places back to where the paved trail ends. The 10-km stretch through Thorold is uneven in quality, gravelled in parts, potholed in others.

March, 2006, is the target date to get this portion completed to the circle tour standard, Nicholson tells us. Lock 7 in Thorold is where the canal action starts. First, there's Charlie's Kissing Rock, just by the information centre where you can learn about seaman Charlie Snelgrove, who started an enduring tradition when he told the girls he'd have bad luck unless they kissed him goodbye before a voyage.

From there, it's swiftly downhill to Lock 3 in St. Catharines, where we stop at the Welland Canals Centre which has a museum, gift shop and snack bar.
Outside, I fall into conversation with 82-year-old Norman Bayne who is about to hop on his bike.

"Which way are you headed?" he asks.
"Down," I say thankfully. He's going up, back to his home in Thorold.
"I have a hill to climb, but I have a tail wind, it evens out," he says with a grin.
And so to Port Weller — against the wind, which calls for serious pedalling on the flat — and the end of a satisfying trip.
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Kate Harries reports on Ontario issues for the Star.