This time of year in the Collingwood area, mother nature loves to play games. While the local kids were knocking on doors in town ‘trick or treating’ in the wind and rain, lake effect snow was falling in the higher elevations around town. When I woke up Saturday morning, Facebook and Instagram was full of pictures showing 4-5 inches of white stuff up on the escarpment.

I didn’t have time Saturday for anything but a quick ride out to Northwinds Beach on the Georgian Trail, up through a few neighbourhoods near Blue Mountain and back to town; so I was looking forward to a great gravel ride with a few friends on Sunday morning. Mid morning, under cold temps (1degrees) and blue skies we set out for the ‘Goat Path’ a classic gravel climb named appropriately, followed by a short descent into the Pretty River Valley and an climb up Reid's Hill. We took our time on the flats and descents, but for some reason felt the need to hammer the hills, after all we are cyclists. By the time we got to Gibraltar, the cold was beginning to set in. We opted for the slower gravel descent down past three stage for the views overlooking Georgian Bay, Collingwood, Wasaga Beach and Midland. As we popped out on Grey Road 19, the bandanas came out to block the windchill on our faces as we rode back into town.

This ride changes with every season, this time we were lucky enough to witness the beauty of what mother nature has to offer early in November, 4 inches of glistening white snow everywhere, we couldn’t have asked for a better route for the day.

Download route Thefirstsnow.gpx