This course winds in and around the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve (LSCR) on moderately technical trails. There are some hills, but they are not overly challenging. Roots, logs and rocks can be extremely slippery this time of year so please use caution. Note: If in doubt at an intersection, stay on the larger, more travelled trail! This is a Club Fat Ass event so the course is environmentally friendly and is not marked, so please make sure you print out this course description (scroll down for a printer friendly version) and bring it and a plastic baggie to protect it with you on the day of the run. Better yet, train on the course and bring the directions! Here is a link to a course map.
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Fast |
Big Chesterfield |
km |
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08:00 |
Reference Point – Ron Andrews Recreation Center - Start / Finish |
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08:30 |
Start. Opposite the Chevron station. The white stop line on the road on the south side of Bendale Road at the corner of Lytton. |
0.0 |
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1. Warmup. This relatively flat section takes you approximately 2 km to Canyon Creek Park and the trails. Use this section to warm up and chat with your fellow runners. |
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- go straight along Bendale one block to Berkley Road. Go right onto Berkley. |
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- follow Berkley approximately 2 km until it ends at Hyannis Drive. Turn left on Hyannis and run one block to entrance of Canyon Creek Park. |
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2. Lower Loop Trail. This is a relatively tame section of trail that goes down to the river and back. |
2.2 |
| - Go through cement barriers. You will see a large sign: "Welcome to the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve" and a trail leading into the woods | ||
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- After about 600m, go left and onto a long section of boardwalk then about 30m to a fork in the trail. Go left and then left again onto a long downhill section on the side of a ravine |
2.8 |
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- When you come to a T-intersection with a wooden gate, go left. Continue along the wide trail (Fisherman’s Trail) parallel to Seymour River for about 200m to a well-marked intersection with the Baden Powell Trail. Go left and slightly uphill on a winding trail. |
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| -You will cross a small wooden bridge and then go left and up a ravine with a creek until you come out on a paved road (Hyannis Drive). Turn left and run down the road 20 meters to the entrance of Canyon Creek Park to where you started onto the trail earlier. | ||
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3. Scenic Route. This section takes you up and down the Seymour River valley a couple of times back to where you stand. |
5.0 |
| - continue as before along main trail, then left onto the boardwalk. At the intersection 30m after the boardwalk, stay right and uphill. | ||
| - At the T-intersection about 50m up the trail, go left and uphill. At the intersection with Bridle Path trail, stay straight. After about 500m, you will cross a bridge. Go steeply uphill to a clearing under the power lines. | 5.0 | |
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09:00 |
- Go left and downhill on trail just to the right of power lines. About half way between the first 2 towers, turn right onto a small trail that makes a tunnel through some scrubby bushes. (If you come to an open area with a single bike jump, turn back 20m…you’ve gone too far!) |
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- go straight onto a narrow trail that goes up a small ravine. After 50m, you will come to a trail intersection with a yellow tag (8) on a tree. Continue straight. |
6.3 |
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- At the intersection with trail to your left, so straight. At the first junction, go left and contour the a little swampy lake (Lizard Lake.) Go steeply uphill to a T-intersection at the top of a narrow ridge then right. |
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- the narrow trail (Bottletop Trail) winds down the side of the ravine to the Seymour River. Watch out for ruts and loose rock. At T-intersection just above the river, turn right onto the wide path (Fisherman’s Trail). |
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- In about 30m, you will cross an old iron bridge (Twin Bridges). On the far side of the bridge, take the wide trail straight up about 2K. |
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| - As the trail flattens out near the white pumping station, you will see a wooden bike gate on your right. Pass through this gate and into a wide tail (Homestead Trail) that is almost 1K downhill. | ||
| - at the T-intersection above the river, go right onto the wide trail (Fisherman’s Trail.) Enjoy this flat stretch with the river to your left for about 1.5K back to Twin Bridges. | 9.8 | |
| - Cross the bridge and follow the wide path 400m to a large blue sign “Mystery Creek Trail to Mount Seymour”. Go left and up this fairly wide, steep trail | ||
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09:20 |
- at the top of the trail, you will reach an open area under the power lines. Stop! There is a small island of scrubby bushes directly in front of you that hides a narrow path through some more scrubby bushes. Take this little path, and don’t whine if you get a bit wet from the dew. (Note: if you find yourself going uphill or downhill under the power lines, go back!) |
13.4 |
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- go uphill and away from the power lines for about 1K along a narrow ridge. You will come to a flat, somewhat clear area with a burnt stump in front of you and a couple of big fallen logs to your right. Go right at the edge of the ravine, around the logs and downhill. |
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| - At the first T-intersection, go right. Follow this trail straight about 1K flat then through a little ravine and back to the power lines. Go left. |
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- Go uphill on rocky trail under power lines. When you reach a flat open area, go right and downhill over a bridge then up a short hill. After about 200m, you will pass an intersection (Bridle Path). Stay straight. |
14.8 |
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- After 100m there will be a Y-intersection. Go right. Just before the now-familiar boardwalk, go right then left and downhill. (This is the lower loop you did at the start.) |
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| - When you come to a T-intersection with a wooden gate, go left. Continue along the wide trail (Fisherman’s Trail) parallel to Seymour River for about 100m to a well-marked intersection with the Baden Powell Trail. Go left and slightly uphill on a winding trail. | ||
| -You will cross a small wooden bridge and then go left and up a ravine until you come out on a paved road (Hyannis Drive). Go right. |
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4. Warmdown. This relatively flat section takes you back to the start/finish. |
17.8 | |
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- At the first corner (Berkley), go right. Continue approximately 1 km to Bendale Road. Go left and run one block to Lytton Street. |
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11:00 |
Reference Point – Ron Andrews Gym. Lytton and Mount Seymour Parkway. |
20.0 |
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Cushy Couch 10km |
km |
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08:00 |
Reference Point – Ron Andrews Recreation Center - Start / Finish |
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08:30 |
Start. (we meet in the parking lot at the rec centre and walk to the start together) The white stop line on the road on the south side of Bendale Road at the corner of Lytton. |
0.0 |
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1. Paved Road. This relatively flat section takes you approximately 2 km to Canyon Creek Park and the trails. |
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- go straight along Bendale one block to Berkley Road. Go right onto Berkley. |
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- follow Berkley approximately 2 km until it ends at Hyannis Drive. Turn left on Hyannis and run one block to where it ends at entrance to Canyon Creek Park. Go through cement barriers. You will see a large sign welcoming you to the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve. |
2.2 |
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2. Trail. This trail section is a mix of nice groomed, fast trails and rooty, rocky ups and downs. It's a loop that gets you back to Hyannis Drive. |
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| - after passing the concrete barrier continue straight along main trail. Go left at the first intersection and cross a section of board walk. | ||
| - At the end of the boardwalk veer right (Note: 20km runners will go left here, do not follow them!). Continue past a couple of minor trails until you come to a t-intersection. | ||
| - Go left and uphill at intersection. Trail becomes a bit rocky and may be muddy. After about 500m, you will cross a bridge. | ||
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09:00 |
- go steeply uphill to power lines, then downhill on trail just to the right of power lines. About half way between the first 2 towers, turn right onto a small trail that makes a tunnel through the bushes. (If you come to an open area with a single bike jump, turn back 20m…you’ve gone too far!) |
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- go straight along trail 25m into forest. You will come to a yellow tag (18) on a tree. Continue straight. |
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- At the intersection with trail to your left, go straight. At the next junction, go left and contour the a little swampy lake (Lizard Lake.) Go steeply uphill to a T-intersection at the top of a narrow ridge then right. |
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- Go steeply downhill on a rocky, rutted trail (Bottletop Trail). As you near the bottom, you will hear and then see a river (Seymour River) below to your right. |
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- at T-intersection just above the river, turn left onto the wide path (Fisherman’s Trail). Note: the faster 20km runners might have caught up to you here and turn right - do not follow them |
5.8 |
| - Run along this path to the intersection with the Baden Powell Trail. Turn left onto the Baden Powell trail. Follow this path and BP until you come out on a paved road (Hyannis Drive). Turn right and run up the road 100 meters to Berkeley Street. | 7.8 | |
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- Turn right onto Berkley. Continue approximately 1.5 km to Bendale Road. Go left and run one block to Lytton Street. Turn Right on Lytton and back to Ron Andrew’s Recreation Centre. |
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11:00 |
Reference Point – Ron Andrews Gym. Lytton and Mount Seymour Parkway. |
10km |