Map 7: Hamilton

1st Section

At 11 a.m., after the clock had just gone back one hour, on Sunday, November 2, Federica, Malaika, and I tackled the first section of Map 7, which crosses the city of Hamilton. We started at the base of the Chedoke Park stairs, a place very familiar to us from the mountain training we do on the metal stairs that climb the escarpment wall.

This is a unique section of the Bruce Trail so far, because although it has spectacular views, it also shows a grey side of Canada: signs of poverty, traces of human encampments under the highway bridges, abandoned tents in a small, wooded areas along the trail — probably because their occupants were forcibly removed — and graffiti. Even so, it is a good trail to go by bicycle, with wide avenues that contrast with the signs mentioned above.

On Bruce Trail’s 5‑point scale, I would give it 3 points (good).

Technical Sheet:

Map 7 – 1st section:	Sunday, November 2, 2025
Starting point:	Chedoke Park (38.5)
Ending point:	Upper Wentworth St. (33.4)
Distance covered:	GPS odometer: 5.16 km Distance measured on Google Maps: 5.65 km
Speed / Breaks:	Average speed: 3.9 kph Moving time: 1:20:26 Rest time: 15:32
Difficulty:	Low to medium. It is an easy trail, but more challenging than the previous one because some sections have roots and loose stones that in November are usually covered with leaves. There is a proven risk of tripping and falling.
Parking:	Chedoke Park (38.5)

2nd Section

On Sunday, March 8, 2026, at 1:30 p.m., taking advantage of a brief break in the winter cold, we walked the second section of Map 7. It was Marcela, Federica, Malaika, and me. The Corolla’s thermometer read 11°C when we got out at Greenhill Avenue and Cortina Crescent, the intersection where we parked the car. From there, we connected to the Bruce Trail through a secondary blue‑marked path on site.

This section is quite similar to the previous one (7‑1), including the signs of poverty. It has good views of the city of Hamilton with the lake in the background. The clear day, with a clean sky and the lake’s deep blue, adds points to this route, while the traces of garbage — especially near the encampments — subtract them. I give this section a score of 3 out of 5.

A special note from the walk: we found sections of the route where ice still remained (which we had not anticipated despite the heavy winter).

Technical Sheet

Map 7 – 2nd section:	Sunday, March 8, 2026
Starting point:	Greenhill Av / Cortina Crescent (28.7)
Ending point:	Upper Wentworth St. (33.4)
Distance covered:	GPS odometer: 4.89 km Distance measured on Google Maps: 5.40 km
Speed / Breaks:	Average speed: 3.9 kph Moving time: 1:14:5 Rest time: 18:35
Difficulty:	Low to medium. It is an easy trail, but it has sections with roots and loose stones. Ice in March is an additional risk factor.
Parking:	Greenhill Av / Cortina Crescent (28.7)

3rd Section

We tackled the third and final section of Map 7 on Saturday, May 9, 2026, already well into spring — although this year spring has been quite sluggish. Temperatures have been quite low, but on May 9, a sunny sky and 16°C invited us to walk. However, the weather forecast predicted a thunderstorm at 5 p.m., which materialized at 5:25 p.m. just as we were getting back to the Corolla.

It was a pleasant walk, entirely along wooded paths with moderate slopes. Part of the trail runs along a paved path (East Mountain Trail Loop), very good for bicycles. Some very short sections were muddy. I maintain a score of 3 out of 5 for this section.

Technical Sheet

Map 7 – 3rd section:	Saturday, May 9, 2026
Starting point:	Greenhill Av / Cortina Crescent (28.7)
Ending point:	Ackland Street 42 (23.2)
Distance covered:	GPS odometer: 6.1 km Distance measured on Google Maps: 6.5 km
Speed / Breaks:	Average speed: 4.0 kph Moving time: 1:30:24  Rest time: 11:10
Difficulty:	Low to medium. It is an easy trail, but it has sections with roots and loose stones. Some stretches were somewhat muddy.
Parking:	Greenhill Av / Cortina Crescent (28.7)