Irene's Fave Trail

Irene Richardson’s grandkids enjoying the trails at Hendricks Farm behind Fairbairn House.

The Fairbairn House Hendrick Trail may officially be just 1.8 km long, with an estimated walking time of 30 minutes, but when you're exploring it with four grandkids, all bets are off. We easily cover at least 4 km, and our adventure stretches well beyond an hour—sometimes two!

Before we even set foot on the trail, there’s an essential pre-hike ritual. The kids bolt around the old farmhouse in a frenzy of excitement. Has a new tractor wheel appeared? Is there a new scarecrow in the garden? Are the berries ripe for picking? No matter how many times we've been here, there’s always something to discover.

Next up is the race to the round-log cabin schoolhouse. They press their noses against the windows, peering inside as if expecting to see schoolchildren from a bygone era. Then we’re off—climbing the hill toward the waterfalls.

The waterfalls are a favouite stop, made even more magical when I tell them the story of how Ken Bouchard and his friends built them. The kids’ eyes widen as I describe how these dedicated trail builders hauled heavy stones up the hill, using a wrench to carefully position each one, crafting the staircase-like cascade we admire today. I often settle onto the nearby bench, watching as they hop from stone to stone, race to claim the bridge, and enjoy playing in nature.

Then, the real challenge begins—the hunt for the geocaches. No GPS or phone needed; they’ve done this enough times to remember the hiding spots. The first cache is on the side of a hill. With delighted grins, they crouch down and slide on their haunches. “Found it!” they shout. “Twelve people have signed it since the last time we were here!”
Next, they dash toward a tall, well-trimmed tree. One of them turns to me with a proud smile. “Grandma, remember when we climbed this tree with a harness? The guide said I made it 44 feet up! When can we do that again?”

The third geocache sits atop a hill near an open field where raspberries grow. If it happens to be late July or August, the hunt momentarily shifts—every last berry must be picked and devoured before the search continues. From there, they bolt across the field, eager to check out the newly installed bridge. They walk over it, jump on it, hang over the side, and the boys crouch down to inspect the underside. The youngest nods in approval. “It’s well built,” he declares. “Dad would be proud of them.”

The fourth geocache lies across the field, and they take off running. “Too bad about ticks,” one of them laughs. “We’ll check our legs later!”

Then we reach the stage area. The grandkids have attended performances here before, but today, they are the stars. One does handstands, another twirls in a ballet spin, and the boys grab imaginary microphones to tell me a story.

No walk is complete without a visit to the Wakefield Covered Bridge for a view of the river and to check the geocache. As we gaze down at the water, one of the kids grins mischievously. “I know it’s illegal,” he whispers, “but I kinda hope we see someone jump off the bridge today. Someday, I’m going to do that.”

Honestly, I’m not sure if the Fairbairn House Hendrick Trail is my favourite trail. But I do know these grandkids have created so many incredible memories here—memories they’ll cherish forever—and so will I.
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Irene Richardson, Director, Sentiers Wakefield Trails