Summerstown, ON – All the weather systems invited themselves at the annual Family Day Festivities organized by the Friends of the Summerstown Trails (FOTST). It was raining at 9:00, sunny for a short while at noon, and then a brief blizzard, followed by fluffy snow which was followed 15 minutes later by sunny skies again.
But the temperatures were mild and many, many families showed up, taking advantage of the free rental of XC skis, snowshoes and fat bikes.
The more than 35 volunteers were kept busy throughout the day, handing out the free equipment, the free food and giving directions to those who were visiting the trails for the first time. The young, and not so young enjoyed the free hot dogs, homemade cookies, roasted marshmallows by the fire, hot chocolate, maple taffy sticks, etc.
FOTST president, Vic Leroux, was pleased with the number of families who came out in spite of the uncertain weather. “It was great to see so many young children out on the trails, all having a good time,” said Leroux, adding: “Putting on this event is a lot of work for our volunteers, but the smiling faces are our reward. That is what our organization is all about.”
The trails are located on Summerstown Road, 1.6 km north of exit 804 of the 401, and are open seven days a week. There is no charge to access the trails and donations are accepted to offset the cost of maintaining the trails. Rental of equipment on weekends only. More information at www.summerstowntrails.com or on the FOTST Facebook page.
