Walk the line: Yellow Line (28 km for a 28th b-day!)

A message from our host & birthday mans, Andy: “When I was a kid, my birthday really felt like a massive, magical deal. I’ve found as we get older, people tend to care less and less about celebrating their birthdays. I refuse to let that happen. I want to make my birthdays feel special and full of community again. So: instead of sitting in a crowded bar, I’m going to celebrate the best way I know how: by turning “another year older” into an absurd endurance walk across Toronto, from the southern tip of the TTC yellow line all the way up to Vaughan.” It’ll be a day full of good conversation, fresh air, wandering through new neighborhoods, and pushing our (step count) limits. Let’s do this!” How It Works (This is an 18+ event) We'll be walking along the western-half of the Yellow Line, going from Union station to Vaughan. As 28 kilometers is a serious distance, this is a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure style walk, meaning you can join in at any of our stops and leave when you feel you've had enough. What to Bring If you're joining for the long haul, please make sure you come prepared: Comfortable Shoes: Broken-in walking shoes or runners. Your feet will thank you. Water & Snacks: Bring a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated, plus some trail snacks to keep your energy up between stops. Money/Transit Card: Bring cash or your PRESTO card for our timed breaks along the way, or in case you need to hop on the TTC to bail out early. Good Vibes: Bring an open mind and leave out the work/networking talk. Logistics & Safety Pace: This is a community walk, not a race. So we will be keeping a steady, comfortable conversational pace. We won't be stopping for unprompted breaks - we've built in regular and timed stretch, bathroom, and refuel breaks. If you need more time or an emergency comes up, you can catch up with the group with the TTC! And since we'll be tracking near transit lines, there will be plenty of subway stations along the route. If your legs give out or you hit your limit, you can easily drop out and head home without any pressure. The Route (courtesy of Curtis!): Starting Point: Union Station (meet right in front of %Arabica at 12:00 PM sharp) Stop 1: Union to St. Clair West Depart Union Station and walk up University Ave until reaching St. George Station From there, walk along Bloor to Spadina At Spadina, head north until reaching Davenport road and going up the Baldwin steps to Casa Loma Cut through the Nordheimer Ravine park to reach St. Clair West station where we will take a 30 minute break Travel Time: 1.5-2 hours Stop 2: St. Clair West to Yorkdale From St. Clair West, head through the Cedarvale ravine until reaching Cedarvale station At Cedarvale, walk along the east side of Allen road using a series of small parks and pedestrian walkways until reaching Lawrence West Station At Lawrence West Station, cross over Allen road and proceed to walk through the public housing development to the west of the Lawrence Allen centre until reaching Yorkdale Mall for another 30 minute break Travel Time: 1.5 - 2 Hours Stop 3: Yorkdale to York University From Yorkdale Mall, head north along Dufferin until reaching Wilson avenue Head east on Wilson avenue until reaching Wilson Heights blvd Head north on Wilson Heights blvd until reaching Sheppard ave Head west on Sheppard until reaching Sheppard West Station Continue walking to Downsview Park station and then turn north once reaching Keele Street Arrive at York University for a 30 minute break Travel Time: 1.5 - 2 Hours Final Part Walk through York U campus until reaching Pioneer Village Station Continue north on Jane until reaching Vaughan Travel Time: 1 Hour Ending Point: Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Station.