The Trail Guy
(also known as
Bob McMullen)
After 33 years in a high school classroom, retirement provided time to work towards completion of tour trail system in Cambridge
as a member of Cambridge Trails Advisory Committee from 1993 until 2010 when cancer forced me to leave the committee.
Cathie and I also to travelled in search of new and distant bike trails
A new website has been created that presents photos and maps of travelled trails: www.bobmcmullen.infoBut retirement also allows the opportunity to volunteer in other community activities: Bob the poster guy
A third website is dedicated to local Cambridge municipal issues: www.bobmcmullen.biz
Much of the content deals with the political bafflegab related to Smart Growth and traffic issues.Google maps is an incredible resource ..... try this link for trail maps click on MY MAPS for the list
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wlps - as of Oct. 2010 I have a slight medical problem with multiple myeloma that makes cycling a problem - no stamina or strength.
Oncologist says things are under control and we are in remission. Velcade has been replaced by Revlimid for chemo.
[2] Started a new chemo regime in Dec. 2011 using REVLIMID ... thankfully it is a daily pill. First blood tests indicate that Revlimid has cancer under control.
If it was not for the wonderful effects of the Well Fit program at the University of Waterloo daily life would be much worse. I cannot
overstate the positive physical and emotional results of the personalized fitness program that staff have prepared for me. Thanks!
This is the Electra Townie ... Euro 24D model .... cannot fall with my shakes and wobbles!
thumbnail photo ... click for enlarged photo http://www.electrabike.com/Bikes/townie-bikes-electraMarch 18/12 YIPPEE a personal best on the old Trek 7500. Did 12.5 km this morning in one hour .... never thought I would be back on the Trek.
Have better stability as well as strength, so working for distance and endurance on the Trek .... and perhaps by summer back on trails!!**** Walter Bean Trail bridge over the Grand River is finally in place. ( Nov. 2011) *****
[1] Osprey nest and birds have returned again to the nest on Fountain St. at Grand River bridge (March 29/12)
Amazing Osprey web cam - follow this link :www.terrapincove.org (April 14/12)
For everything you ever wanted to know about Osprey: http://www.bioweb.uncc.edu/Bierregaard/migration11.htm (May 5//11)
Osprey webcam at Blackwater, MD Refuge: http://www.friendsofblackwater.org/camhtm.html One egg so far (April 14/12)
[2] One current project involves outlining a cycle route between Elmira and Port Dover. I have now cycled all of the route.
All sections of the route, except through the City of Kitchener and Benjamin Rd in Waterloo, have been constructed and provide a safe cycling experience.
Details about this 130 km cycle experience will be posted on www.bobmcmullen.info
Brant County has completed the trail from Mt. Pleasant south to county line, and Norfolk County completed the link south to Waterford in 2010.
The abandoned railway bridge in Waterford has been converted to a cycle/pedestrian bridge (Oct. 2011)
Not certain how many times I had to wear a tie during 33 years in a high school classroom, however, the ugly guy mowing a forest trail is really a statement of fashion freedom. After all those years of being confined in a classroom with adolescents, I find happiness in working out on the trails and traveling to cycle in new locations.
The 'trail guy' name resulted from numerous people telephoning my home and asking if "the trail guy lived there." So in retirement, it has become an unofficial name.
Photo below left is from 1998 trail mowing near Blair Road along our Grand Trunk Trail.
centre photo at Herndon, VA on Old Dominion Trail
right photo on Virginia Creeper trail at Abingdon, VirginiaCome and visit our wonderful trails and natural heritage. Hike, bike, ski, bird watch, canoe, fish: the choice is yours. You can trace some of the earliest history of Cambridge and Waterloo County as you travel along the trails: Mennonite wagon routes, dams, mills, historic electric railway lines and vanished water power mill settlements. Historically, they were here first!
The City of Cambridge website has an interactive trail map: http://www.cambridge.ca/community_services/trails_and_cycling
I have also compiled a trail list of trails that are within a day's drive of Cambridge. In many cases I have cycled the trails and probably have photos and maps in case you are interested. If you want a .jpg of any map, just let me know. Now also have gps files for Garmin ... .gpx or .kmz for google earth format
Many more trail photos and maps are located at my new photo album website: www.bobmcmullen.info
bobmcmu@sympatico.ca
[updated Feb.
20, 2012
Construction of the cycle/pedestrian footbridge over highway
#401 began during the fall of 2005.
In addition to linking Cambridge and Kitchener, this is the Trans Canada
Trail's missing link in southern Ontario. In view of the numerous
pedestrian/cycle bridges in other jurisdictions, it still amazes me that we had
to argue/lobby so hard for this structure.
With all due respect (not much due for sparse vision) to the powers that be and
our Cambridge Councillor Millar who voted against funding the bridge - this is
MY bridge
and Claudette you had no vision.... only built after 6 years of lobbying: pleading,
kicking, screaming, begging = advocacy
Official bridge opening ceremony occurred on
October 21, 2007.
Weather was fantastic and crowd totaled more than 500 for the day
An incredible day for advocates of the bridge .... a seven year effort.
http://www.cambridge.ca/community_services/trails_and_cycling/highway_401_pedestrian_bridge
Oct. 5 photo
gps location: N43 23.521 W80 23.814 or find our TCT pavilion on Fountain St at Blair road, then go .8 km north on Morningside Drive.
On a trip through North Dakota we spotted many pedestrian/cycle bridges. And remember that North Dakota has a population of only 640,000, compared to our 450,000 in Waterloo County. The link also has photos of other pedestrian/cycle bridges.