Beaver Valley Section - Eugenia Falls (60.8 km) to Johnston's Side Road (74.3 km) - Sept. 21, 2023.

 Beaver Valley Section - Eugenia Falls (60.8 km) to Johnston's Side Road (74.3 km) - Sept. 21, 2023.

It's the last day of our first of two 3 day trips to the more northern sections of the Bruce Trail for the Hiking With Friends group and we are wrapping up with a 13 km walk in beautiful Beaver Valley...in a recreation of a hike that some of the group did in early June (under very hot and buggy conditions as I recall- I was not there fortunately), we are travelling from Eugenia Falls on the east side of the valley, down and around and up the west side to the parking lot on Johnston's Side Road...

We will be on the trail for 5 hours, although a good chunk of that (40 min?) was due to a very unusual delay that I will reveal later...suffice it to say that there was a "blaze of a different colour" that caught our attention...this is a deceptively challenging hike, not overly long compared to yesterday's 20 km, but requiring some real climbing effort at 525 meters, and lots of varied terrain to challenge your hiking prowess...

It's a tight group for the last day with several departures after yesterday's marathon (mostly hikers who had suffered through heat, humidity, and mosquitoes here in June and weren't prepared to return to this area just yet)...it's myself, Rhonda, Doug, Steve K, and Grace who will attempt to put this last hike in the HWF books for today...

The sound and fury of the majestic Eugenia Falls are an invigorating sensory boost to our outing...I do feel a tinge of cyclist's sadness at the sight of a child's red bike lying amidst the valley boulders...

We reach another great viewpoint a little further along the trail...

The 40 meter Upper Beaver Valley Lookout Side Trail (shortest trail- longest name?) is well worth the effort for a panoramic view of...Upper Beaver Valley of course...

A lasting impression of this particular hike, in my mind, will be its variety of terrain and surfaces over we which we will have travelled...when you consider our feet will touch tree roots, rock, sand, stony gravel, asphalt, grass, wooden planks and steel bridges, water and mud, loamy soil and slate...all part of the same trail that gets us from one place to another, it is quite remarkable...

...all the more remarkable is being able to do that in a sweet pair of hiking kicks like these...

At a low point in the valley, we cross the bridges over Rock Mills Creek...we have been blessed with another great day of weather (3 in a row!)...maybe a tad more humid, but certainly no complaints (I know the last ones who did this hike don't want to hear any!)...

The trail skirts a grassy meadow before turning back into the woods...we are not far from Hogg's Falls and a well deserved rest and refreshment break...

Another open area that proves quite pleasant with a hint of colour in the foliage being a harbinger of what's to come in the next few weeks...

After crossing Lower Valley Road, we do arrive at the falls and it's a great spot to stop and enjoy the sights and sounds of this natural wonder...

They have done a great job sprucing up this area with new info boards, boardwalks, and some fancy new bridges...

Shortly after departing Hogg's Falls, the southernmost point of the Beaver Valley Section, we turn north on the main trail and start heading up the west side of the valley...but something catches our eye about 100 meters away...it's a blaze, but not the traditional white ones we follow ardently...it's an actual blaze, a roaring conflagration in the middle of the woods!..

It's obviously unattended (although we did see what looked like an ATV leaving the scene just as we arrived) and a source of concern...Steve reacted quickly and called 911...they were able to geo-locate us through his phone but still required some direction as to how to best access the scene...we were asked to wait, which we did, and approximately 30-40 minutes later (having heard distant sirens in the meantime), these two hardy firefighters came trundling down the path with all their gear...quite a sight!..

Fortunately, the fire had begun to die down by then, and they confidently advised us that they would deal with the remnants and cleared us to proceed...I suggested that perhaps there might be a new trail badge created that they could apply for...

All fired up after that excitement, we head off down the path to seek out the more mundane blazes that we are accustom to...

There are several small streams that require hopscotch hiking to traverse...

We are getting a little on the weary side as the cumulative effects of three consecutive days of hiking take their toll, but knowing we are close to achieving our goal, and the distracting natural beauty in the forest, keeps a smile on our faces...

 A short rest with a view like this is also a good way to re-energise for the home stretch...the bluff in the distance is Eugenia Falls where we started our day...

There's a tinge of regret knowing that this trip north will soon be over...but that is easily tempered by the anticipation of removing the hiking boots from our tired and sore feet!..

As we emerge from the forest, there's one last glance back over the sun dappled valley before we reach Johnston's Side Road and the dropped cars...it's back to reality soon in the big city, but for now, a great sense of achievement and satisfaction at having spent 3 glorious days on the Bruce Trail...Hiking With Friends!

The End

Sir "Likes His Ice Cream-a-Lot"