Blue Mountain - 30.1 to 47.1 - 11 November, 2014

Hikers: Bob, Helgy and Steve

Leaders:  Karen and Richard

Section and Distance:  Blue Mountain - 30.1 to 47.1

Weather: Warm with Sun and Cloud

Actual Distance hiked:  18.1 km

After positioning the cars we followed Simcoe Rd 124 for 50 m and followed the edge of the escarpment until we reached a road allowance.  Crossing Simcoe 124 we entered the woods and crossed a boardwalk through a privately owned forest and farm land to Concession 10.  At Concession 10 we turned right and crossed 21/22 Sideroad to Simcoe Rd 91.

We paralleled the road for 700 m and then headed north following the east side of a hedgerow skirting the edge of a field.  We turned left and entered a maple forest and followed the escarpment through a mixed hardwood forest.   This section will be closed from Nov 15 to Feb 28 because the landowner is undertaking logging.  We noticed that many trees had been marked for the operation.  We had our elevensies here.  Because it was remembrance day we observed a two minute silence. We then hiked to a large field and turned right to cross a farmer’s field.  At the fence line we turned left and continued along the edge of the field along a cedar rail fence to 26/27 Sideroad.

Elevensies

Crossing 26/27 Sideroad we continued north along the escarpment edge, meandering through a mature forest to Osprey-Clearview Townline.  The trail then turned right and headed back to the edge of the escarpment to a lookout.

Some of  us descending through a cut in the cliff dropping steeply to a stream at the base of the escarpment on the Standing Rock and Caves side trail and rejoined the white trail at km 42.  It was here that we had lunch.

We passed the stream and hiked northward along a decaying rail fence descending to 30/31 Sideroad.

We crossed 30/31 Sideroad and continued north on the Blue Mountain-Clearview Townline to the top of the hill.  We descended the unopened road allowance to reach the Pretty River and followed the north bank of the river, heading through a cedar forest to Pretty River Road.

Pretty River

Heading west we climbed steeply up and over a moraine (a mound of sand and gravel left behind by the glacier 12,000 years ago) with excellent views to the south over the Pretty River Valley.  We entered a transitional forest and descended steeply down the other side of the moraine.  We turned left winding through cedars and then got to the Pretty River Access Trail, which we took for .3 km to our parked car on Pretty River Road.

We picked up the other car, stopped at Tim Hortons, and drove home.