We lucked out.  What started out as a threatening rainy Saturday, turned into a beautiful August 17 weather day for the 1st Wildwood Sailing Club Avon Trail Hike and BBQ.  We arrived by car pool at the Sailing Club at Wildwood as guests of member Jane Foster.   An avid sailor, Jane has been a member of this sailing club at the Wildwood Conservation area  for many years.

This August Avon Trail gathering has often occurred at the farm of Ross and Dorothy Campbell. This venue needed to change since the Campbells have retired from the farm and moved to Tavistock. The sailing club grounds provide a view of the lake from the east. A very spacious covered picnic and BBQ facility was reserved by Jane for this event.

 

The 18 members who attended had the option of joining in on a 7 to 8 kilometre hike from the sailing club onto the east Wildwood trail section.  This trail section is used during the Avon Trail Wildwood Challenge in October each year. Hiking conditions could not have been better. Following the hour in and hour out hike, we unpacked the food supplied by all the attendees as well as the burgers and hot dogs supplied by Avon Trail for the BBQ.

Clive Clark and Stella Halliwell stepped up as our chefs, preparing wonderfully tasty hot dogs, hamburgers and cheeseburgers as requested. Salads and deserts added to the overall menu.   Attendees were asked to bring their own plates and cutlery and drinks.

President Bernard Goward  thanked Jane for making the event arrangements and hosting at the Sailing Club. He  gave thanks to Ross and Dorothy for their event hosting in past summers, and expressed his hope that  this would become an annual  summer event for the Avon Trail at the Wildwood Sailing Club.

Story by Tom Kimber