Fairmont

Friday September 11, 2020

Taking advantage of unusually cool weather for early September, we chose a walk that offers a mix of terrain and good views not far from the cottage. The route was not new to us, but was for Louise.  

We trekked through sun-dappled woods, meadows and rocky sections from Webwood Falls (km 100.7) to the intersection at Euphrasia-St. Vincent Townline (km 108).  We did this walk in the opposite direction last year.

We noted some unique fungi and many wild apple trees with ripening fruit.  

Pretty River Valley

Saturday June 13
Another cold, bright morning, ideal for a strenuous hike of about 13 kms.  From the parking lot on Pretty River Road, we headed into the provincial park which was crisscrossed by several snowmobile and mountain biking routes.  We covered the Ross McConnell Side Trail and the Pretty River Side Trail along with several pieces of the main trail.  When we arrived at the edge of the escarpment we found many informal lookouts and stopped at one of them for lunch, enjoying a view out towards the Collingwood Airport and Nottawa. 

We are noticing a more diverse range of people on our hikes this year, likely because hiking is one of the few activities permitted during this time of restrictions due to COVID.  Today we encountered a shirtless, shoeless walker and one with noise cancelling earphones (to eliminate the sound of the babbling brook?). 

Nottawasaga Lookout and South

Our first official hike of 2020. With some routes still closed, we headed for an area that was sure to be open and one that Louise would enjoy with us. It was a bright, breezy, cool morning when we started at 26/27 Sideroad heading North into the Nottawasaga Lookout Provincial Nature Reserve. Trillium carpeted the ground with tall deciduous trees above. There were pretty views of Nottawasaga Bay at many points as we walked along close to the edge.

We headed for the Standing Rock and Caves Side Trail where we encountered several families. The route of the side trail was not entirely clear and we probably missed a bit. On the way back I caught a glimpse of a red fox. We found a sheltered spot to stop for lunch not far from the starting point. Revived, we decided to cover another piece of the trail heading south towards Duntroon where we encountered meadows of wild flowers. It was good to see small groups and couples out hiking, more than we have seen on last year's hikes. All in all we covered close to 12 km and gained an appreciation for this section of the trail and the work of the volunteers who maintain it.

Windy Lane to Sideroad 13A

We had someone in today cutting down some trees around the cottage.  Not wanting to make him nervous, we left the cottage early so he could work in peace.  It was a cold but calm day when we started at Windy Lane and we were well wrapped.  Windy Lane is an access road to the Beaver Valley Ski Club.  It has a number of fairly modest ski chalets along it.  I guess the owners can ski right from their doors.

The trail is a little hard to find at first because the B.T. blazes are mixed in with all the ski-run trails.  In addition there are some cross-country ski trails in the area which have their own set of trails.  After a kilometer, all is clear and the only markings are the B.T. white blazes.

Much mature maple and beech along here.  Some of the trees had strange burls on them:

The trail winds along the top of the escarpment through an area called Wodehouse Karst (i.e. limestone riddled with sinkholes).  The actual karst area is above (west) of the trail.  There's a newish sidetrail through the karst to 7th Line.  We didn't do that today but it looks like an interesting walk for the future: the creek disappears into the ground only to reappear below the escarpment edge as Bill's Creek.  We ate lunch by the side of this creek, then continued on to the top of the former Talisman Ski area where there is yet another great view:

After Talisman the trail starts to descend partway down the escarpment by means of a ladder.  It's quite steep and would be slippery in wet weather!  Now that we are below it, the scale of the cliff becomes evident:

We were surprised not to see any evidence of climbers here.  Unlike the cliffs on the other side of the valley such as Metcalfe and McCluskey's, this one is not easy to see from the bottom of the valley so perhaps it is not as well known. 

By late afternoon we reached Sideroad 13A and found the bike stashed there.  It was getting noticeably cooler and windier by then so Steve had a chilly ride back to Windy Lane via the hamlet of Wodehouse (population still 88).

Hike 2 Herman McConnell Memorial Forest

Friday October 25 We had the energy and time for a second bike-assisted walk, so decided to cover off a 4.5 km piece of the trail from Sligo Sideroad (16C) to Sideroad 13 A.  This was a lovely path through mature hardwood forest with views across the widening valley.

Our pace allows for spotting the unusual.  The fungi below are examples.

Hike 1 Blantyre to Griersville

Friday October 25 A well-loved and well-cared-for section with most of the leaves down and now carpeting the ground. Rosehips and an abundance of wild apples provided more colour.

Griersville to Webwood Falls

A second bike-aided hike beginning West of Griersville and ending at Webwood Falls.A rain shower had mostly abated when we set out, leaving a glistening understorey to walk over.

This first part featured chunky moss covered rocks and crevices on the edge of a precipitous drop partially hidden by trees. We were concerned about finding a dry spot to stop for lunch and considered some damp rocks but sure enough when we emerged from a forested section, a dry sunny bench appeared as if on command!

The final piece was much easier going along the edges of grassy meadows.  It is encouraging to see the way the Bruce Trail Conservancy recognizes its most generous donors.