Northward to Lundy Lane - Hike 40

I am late again logging this post for my Hike 40 on the Bruce Trail.

My wife and son and his girlfriend travelled with me north in early December to hike this next section of the trail.

That day was supposed to have been a high of 10 degrees and sunny but we woke early and travelled through wet, foggy and cool conditions. As we drove north towards the Owen Sound area we went through nicer, sunny weather and then back into foggy and cool weather.

We met my brother at our end point near the corner village of Wolseley, parked our car and then had him drive us down to our starting point, The Gap Sidetrail, at the 121.6km mark of the Sydenham section.

As we started our hike in the cool and very damp weather, I realized, for the first time over the few years doing this end to end hike, that I had forgotten my trusty Olympus Weatherproof camera in my car at the end point. I used my mobile phone camera but it just doesn't take the greatest pictures. So, I didn't end up taking too many pictures from this hike, although with the dreary and foggy weather there weren't too many good opportunities for photos anyways!

We climbed the escarpment via The Gap Sidetrail - a steep climb through a crevice in the escarpment edge!

Once on top of the escarpment, the trail headed north and then west and descended to a valley and stream around the 123km mark. The trail continued west through BT owned property, following a fence line for a kilometer or so.

The trail then turned north along another fence line through a nice hardwood forest. The escarpment emerged again and we climbed back along the top, coming out on Lindenwood Road at the 125.4km mark. Here photos along this section.

The trail continued north along the top of the escarpment with many crevices and what would have been wonderful views to the east off the escarpment (if it hadn't been so foggy!).

At about the 129km mark the trail turned and headed west through a nice wooded area following an old logging road. We came across this little "work of art" that someone had built along the trail! Not sure if it's acceptable for a "family rated" post given the strategically placed hatchet marks - but I'll post it anyways!

At the 130.2km mark the trail turned north east again along the escarpment, looking down on the low lying marsh on the eastern end of Bass Lake. We didn't see Bass Lake itself but from what I see from an on line search, it's a beautiful small, spring fed lake with nice fishing and a family campground.

The trail dropped down off the escarpment around the 131km mark, through some fields and then east along a path to the farm house and shed where we parked at about the 132km mark.

Everyone was fairly muddy and cold at this point but happy to have hiked this section.

As I write this post in late December, the weather continues to be fairly mild with no snow but things may now change going into January. Definitely my last hike for 2015 but maybe not my last hike before spring 2016 - we will see!


Completed: 690.4km

Around The Glen to The Gap - Hike 39

Finally, after being a bit lazy, I am posting about my Hike 39 which I did back in early November.

The weather again was very nice for November - sunny and fairly warm.

I met my brother at my end point and parked my car. He drove me back down to my start point at the 107.5km mark of the Sydenham section of the trail.

The trail followed the Georgian Bluff Rail Trail west and north through farm fields for about 2.5km to the tiny village of Benallen. Here are some photos from this section.

At the 110.2km mark the trail headed north along a gravel road for about 1.5km before heading east into the woods and back north along the escarpment. The trail traversed a BT property below the escarpment.

At the 112.5km mark the trail crossed Indian Acres Road and the continued north along the escarpment meeting Gordon Sutherland Parkway at the 113.3km mark. Just before the Parkway, in the woods, was an old car that had clearly been here for awhile!

The trail turned north and followed the parkway for almost 3km.

The trail heading into the field after a style crossing a fence line.

The trail headed back into the woods and along the escarpment after the 115km mark. This section of the trail was very spectacular as it wound below the escarpment through crevices and around large blocks of escarpment long separated from the main escarpment. Here are some photos from this section.

The trail continued west and southwest along the escarpment rounding a large low, forested but marshy area known as The Glen. Looking across The Glen, you can see the escarpment on the west side where the trail headed north again. Here are some photos of this area.

Around the 118km mark of the trail, at the southwest end of The Glen, there was a clearing for a primitive camp site. It would be a nice spot to camp - maybe on a future BT hike.

The trail continued up the west side of The Glen following along the top of the escarpment.

At the 121.6km mark The Gap Sidetrail exited to the right down through a narrow gap in the escarpment to a pond and marshy area crossed with a wooden bridge. The Sidetrail came out on Concession 14 where I had parked my car. Here are some photos from this area.

Another wonderful day of hiking!

Completed: 680.5km

Lunch beside Jones Falls - Hike 38

I headed out early one Sunday morning in late October for a single day hike on my next section heading north. The weather was generally sunny and warm.

I drove and parked my car at my end point and called a local taxi company and had a taxi in 10 minutes - 15 minutes later I was at Inglis Falls for the start of my hike.

I picked up the trail just west of the falls at the 91.5km mark. The trail led through a wooded area and then crossed Inglis Falls Road and turned north into a field.

The trailed continued north and west through woods and fields to the 93.7km mark where it met 2nd Avenue S/E.

The trail followed the road and turned north on Concession 3 for about 1.2km before turning east into the woods and towards the escarpment. Here are some photos from this section including a lone pig in a pen at the side of the road!

The next 5km or so of the trail followed the edge of the escarpment with many beautiful views out over different parts of Owen Sound.

Looking north along the western edge of Owen Sound harbour - the Bruce Trail eventually climbs that small hill in the distance, Kemble Mountain - a couple of hikes into the future.

Historic Owen Sound grain elevators.

The trail between the 98 and 100km marks provided for some very exciting hiking as I encountered many crevices that crossed the trail. Some of these crevices were only 6 or 8 inches wide so a short step gets you across. The largest was probably 15-18 inches and, definitely for me, required a few minutes to gather my courage to step over. Some were only a few feet deep but many were 20-30 feet deep and some you couldn't see the bottom. Definitely made for some adrenaline filled moment over this section of the trail. Here are some photos.

The trail dropped down off the escarpment at the 100.9km mark where it met Highway 21. The trail followed the Highway 21 shoulder for about 300m and then crossed to Jones Falls in the Pottawatomi Conservation Area.

Jones Falls is very beautiful - 12 meters high. I stopped at the north side of the falls and ate my lunch - very, very nice and relaxing! Here are some photos from the area.

The view from where I was sitting by the river having my lunch!

The trail headed north through the Pottawatomi Conservation Area, along the escarpment edge to Derby-Sarawak Townline. The trail crossed the road and followed West Street north for about 600m. At the 103.6km mark the trail turned east into the woods and headed back towards the escarpment edge. The trail followed along the escarpment edge for 1.2km and again provided for exciting times with many "leaps of faith" over crevices both small and large.

  

Here are two section of escarpment that have broken away and a photo of a "flower-pot" rock formation in the woods.

At the 104.8km mark the trail descended the escarpment and into a residential area of northwest Owen Sound. For the next 2.5km the trail followed residential streets to the north finally reaching farmland at about the 107km mark.

The trail followed Range Road north to the 107.5km mark where it met the Georgian Bluff Rail Trail.

This where I had parked my car.

Lesson for this day was that if I hiked this section again or recommended it to someone else, I would highly suggest not hiking alone or in wet or snowy weather. Most of the crevices are an easy step but a few required a bigger step or small jump and if there ever was a slip or fall into one of them, you would be in trouble - probably not a good idea to hike alone. Again though, the crevices added some adventure and excitement to the hike!

Another wonderful day of hiking 

Completed: 666.4km