We have held two hikes during the year, one in spring around Victoria Day, the other during the autumn season when we are so privileged to experience the gorgeous beauty of nature with the crimson and golden foliage in our mountains and valleys.

On May 22, 2017, twenty-five HKU alumni and friends met together at eastern part of Aurora. We hiked along the Eldred King Woodlands which is part of the famous Oak Ridge Trail. The hike was about 10 Km. We had a lot of fun during the 3 hour journey, roaming in and out of the woods and appreciated various kinds of wild plants. It was especially amazing to find some morel mushrooms along the trails. After the hike, the majority of the group continued with dinner and as usual it was a wonderful gathering for the evening.

The autumn hike took place on October 1, 2017. We chose a trail in Bolton for our trip. It rained in the morning but dried up around noon time to make our hike a pleasant journey. Thirty seven people showed up, including ten exchange students/ mentees from HKU. The hike was about 10 Km long going from paved walks to uphill slopes and grassland. We saw a few trees with the autumn red/ orange leaves and our visitors from Hong Kong were excited to take photos. The hike was completed in about three hours. As usual, part of the group went on to join the dinner afterwards and had a good time before the day finished.

Reported by Hannah Cheung