Sydenham Section - East Linton Access (118.2 km) to Jones Falls (102.7 km) - October 5, 2022.
Sydenham Section - East Linton Access (118.2 km) to Jones Falls (102.7 km) - October 5, 2022.
It is the final day of our third of 3, three day trips to the northern realms of the Bruce Trail and we are finishing with a 13.8 km hike from the East Linton Road Access southward to our finishing point yesterday at Jones Falls in the Pottawatomi Conservation Area. Significantly, this will be the last hike that Sandra and I need to complete our Bruce Trail E2E and join the elite club of those who have walked the entire length of this historic pathway!
The route as seen from an eastward looking angle starting on the left and heading southward which took us a leisurely 4 hours and 40 minutes to complete and involved a mere 145 meters of ascension, most of that in one significant hill near the end...
Our happy Hiking with Friends group has gathered at the start and is ready to move!..today we are myself, Sandra (showing the number of hikes she and I have left on our plate), Lesley, Marleen (who has driven up with Catherine to join us), Andrew (my friend from Collingwood who, on just the weekend prior, completed the 70 km Blue Mountain Section sponsored end to end in just 2 days!..yes, back to back 35 km hikes), and Arpi.
So where were the aforementioned Catherine, and that other missing character, leader Steve, at that moment?..well, in a unique twist and as an added bonus for you, the blog reader, they were hiking concurrently not far from us (needed by Catherine) starting at Bothwell's Corner (75.1 km) to the Centennial Tower (89.2 km). Seasonally adjusted for a trail closure, this normally 14.1 km segment is shortened to 9 km from Oct. 1 to May 9. Our plan was for everyone to rendezvous at Jones Falls as we completed our slightly longer journey.
And here they are at the start of their route!
I have spent a large portion of my Bruce Trail experience alongside (well, actually, being "swept up") by this amazing hiker, Sandra, and it was with eager anticipation and appreciation that we would get to complete the trail together today...her quiet demeanor belies a steadfast and resolute determination, and I have have encountered no other hiker in my time who cherishes and respects the natural beauty of the Bruce Trail more than her...you may note that she is sporting her new "Hiking with Friends" logo emblazoned shirt which had been gifted to her (yes, I got one too) the night before at dinner.
Here are a couple of shots of Sandra on her first Bruce Trail hike in the Niagara Section with the Pathfinder E2E group on March 1st, 2018.
Just prior to departure for today's hike, Andrew and Steve R (shuttle driver today) chat as the morning sun rises and gleams off the shining domes of the...cars?..
Our hike is underway and no, we didn't make the same mistake twice...after suffering "right-turn blaze induced directional misjudgement" (it's a thing, really) on Monday at this location, we correctly find the southbound white blazes hidden around the corner and set off in the right (left?) direction today...
We are passing through Fossil Glen Nature Reserve, a 68 acre gem including this groundwater spring fed pond that provides an excellent habitat for waterfowl and amphibians...the unique moss and fern covered dolostone ridge supports a community of Eastern white Cedar, and Mountain Maple and is host to fossils that are 430 million years old.
We exit the forest into some open fields which are quite lovely and then it's over a stile to access the Gordon Sutherland Parkway...
Not to be confused with the Don Valley Parkway, this parkway is more like a pathway...we don't see a single vehicle the entire time we are on it...
What we do see are beautiful rural sights and emerging fall foliage that only enhances this delightful October morning...and it also gives us a chance to walk abreast and chat together...
The easy hiking is a nice break from the arduous efforts of the last couple of days...as a last hike before E2E completion, it had the feeling for me of the Tour de France final day, where the predetermined yellow jersey victor gets escorted through Paris...just have to imagine Owen Sound as the "Paris" of the Bruce Trail...
Roadside art...natural...and painted...
We take a left turn onto Indian Acres Road West and then a right into the forest again...
...and we are soon back in the wonderful world of escarpment hiking...
Meanwhile...not far away, the team of Catherine and Steve have completed some road walking and have also reached the escarpment, where they are soon immersed in a myriad of cool crevices...
They come across another great example of how intricate and expansive some of the tree root structures are...an amazing ecosystem...
Over on our side of town, it's been a great hike so far and the beauty of the landscape is everywhere...the anticipation of what will be achieved is percolating in my mind...
After passing a lovely pond highlighted by fall foliage, Steve and Catherine discover a couple of trees that have suffered, perhaps in ode to the dying leaves, the fate of "death by blaze"...
For our group, it's back out onto Gordon Sutherland Parkway (still not busy), and a chance to enjoy the fresh open countryside...
We reach the intersection of Hwy 17, known as Benallen Junction...from here we will turn left onto the Georgian Bluffs Rail Trail, an abandoned CN Rail line that runs 18.3 km in its entirety from Owen Sound westward to Park Head.
Meanwhile, to the east, the other 2 hikers see a magnificent tree just hanging on to its long established perch, come across an excellent fossil, and then take a very minimalist bridge picture before heading down the trail to wrap up their day...Catherine and Steve will have time to change and get over to our end point and greet us at the finish...job well done!
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we come across a couple of turkey vultures hanging out in a farmer's field...
We spot a slippery snake on our stroll, slithering, then sunning silently by the side...
A suitable bench provides a nice spot for our break...and Lesley has brought cookies!..baked goods on the trail are the best!
A short walk through town...no crowds lining the streets...must have been a miscommunication?..should I have brought my bike and worn a yellow shirt?..
It's the biggest (only?) climb of the day and we get to swish, swish, swish our way through the fallen leaves to the top...
The trail follows the escarpment ridge for a short while before turning back out onto West Street...
But not before we have to negotiate a few more deep crevices...
It's our last road crossing at Derby-Sarawak Townline and that means just about 2 km remaining to put this hike in the books...we are just about to enter the Pottawatomi Conservation Area...usually spelled "Potawatomi, the word means "Those who tend the hearth fire", and is a North American First Nation, related to the Chippewa and Ottawa. It reminds us that so much of this great pathway is on sacred indigenous land.
It's been a glorious day...and it deserves a pause for one last view over Owen Sound...
There's still a little bit of work to be done however, but we've received word that our welcoming party of 2 is in position at the end and eagerly awaiting our arrival...
And we are there!..a moment that Sandra and I will cherish for the rest of our lives...now a few days removed as I write this, it can best be described in my mind as an unparalleled "one step at a time" adventure of a lifetime...
And for that, I have this man to thank...Steve welcomed me into this group almost 3 years ago and has led me, as with so many others, to a place I never dreamed of going...I not only have been witness to the some of the most amazing natural wonders imaginable (if you don't believe me, you can check out my literal thousands of hike pictures), I have been able to share it with so many great people whom, although from all different walks of life, all walk the same great trail together.
Honorable mention to these guys as well, who helped get me there...I couldn't have done it without you.
The day wraps up perfectly with the traditional honor guard and then some of Arpi's homemade carrot cake before we all head back home...I am already looking forward to more adventures on the Bruce Trail with my friends.
The End...to End
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