Sunday 14 June 2015

Sydenham Km 44 to Km 60.6 - 19 June, 2015

Hikers: Steve, Helgy, Christine, Andy and Case
Guest Hiker:  Ann Giles

Leaders:  Richard and Karen

Section and Distance: Sydenham Km 44 to Km 60.6
Weather: Sunny, cool and breezy

Actual Distance hiked: 18.25 km

Starting the Hike

After breakfast we positioned our cars and started the hike by hiking the rest of the re-route on the River Kwai Side Trail.  We crossed an old logging road and meandered through a hardwood forest for 1.5 km.  We then hiked through a field before crossing the River Kwai Bridge.  We turned right onto the St. Vincent-Sydenham Townline and followed it for 400 m to reach the intersection of Sideroad 24 to meet the main trail again.  This re-route was made necessary because the landowner had refused permission to enter his field.


Crossing the River Kwai




We continued northeast to the escarpment edge.  The views for next 2.5 km over Georgian Bay were magnificent as we hiked along the scarp edge though the mixed cedar and hardwood forest.  We passed part of the Meaford Land Forces Training Centre.  We continued past the National Defence property and finally headed south to St. Vincent-Sydenham town line.  We continued for 5.7 kms on the road to the end of the hike and drove home.




Hart's Tongue Fern











Sydenham Km 29.7 to Km 44 - 18 June, 2014

Hikers: Steve, Helgy, Christine, Andy and Case
Guest Hiker:  Ros

Leaders:  Richard and Karen

Section and Distance: Sydenham Km 29.7 to Km 44
Weather:  Sunny, hot and humid

Actual Distance hiked:  19.25 km

We left Oakville and met at Tim Hortons for our usual pit stop.



After positioning the cars we continued north into the Bognor Marsh Management Area along an access road for 500  m to a clearing where there were picnic tables and washrooms.  The Management Area includes upland forests, three major marshes, natural regneration areas and several small springs feeding the marsh and stream system.  It is home to a variety of waterfowl and other marsh-living animals, birds and plants.

We turned left at the edge of the dam  and continued west, crossing a pond on the floating boardwalk.
Entering the Bognor Marsh Management Area




Ontario Anemone

We then turned right into a cedar forest and continued to the west to an old cart path.  We turned right and followed the path, which was very muddy, to a bridge, where we turned sharply left and we climbed the escarpment.  When we reached the summit we turned right and followed the scarp edge to another cart path.








We continued east and exited the Bognor Marsh area and entered the BTCs recently acquired Silent Valley Nature Reserve, where we said goodbye to Ros.  We descended the Escarpment only to ascend it again and entered the property donated to the BTC.  We continued east and then north and eventually reached a glacial spillway.  We followed the spillway down the escarpment past a cave and continued left along a forested path.  We then climbed back up the escarpment to a thick stand of spreading Canada Yew.

Saying Goodbye to Ros






We suddenly turned right and descended a spectacular crevice.  We gradually ascended the escarpment to BTC-owned land.  We passed several crevices and caves and then crossed Hwy 26.
Lunch








We followed the road through the hamlet of Woodford and then turned left onto a private laneway.  We followed a narrow easement along the edge of the laneway for 100 m and reached the foundation of a pioneer church.  

 We continued around an old limestone kiln, which was made from a glacial pothole.  We continued through a mixed hardwood forest to a "disappearing waterfall".  (For approximately one week of the year, in the spring water thunders over the edge, for the rest of the time, the lower amounts of water find a crevice upstream and re-emerges on a spring at the base of the waterfall.)




We crossed the usually dry stream above the waterfall and descended the escarpment to the outlet of the spring. We passed the foundation of the settler's barn and cabin as we climbed up to the scarp edge and then dropped into a narrow crevice.  We continued eastward to reach the St. Vincent-Sydenham Townline.  We turned left and followed the re-route north on the road to the River Kwai Side Trial, where we had parked our car.








Because of the time, we decided to go to dinner in Meaford at the Leeky Canoe before we went to our accommodation at the Rocklyn Inn.