Niagara Km 45.1 to Km 55 - 16 December, 2014

Hikers: Helgy, Anne and Steve

Leader:  Karen

Section and Distance:  Niagara Km 45.1 to Km 55

Weather: Cloudy, mild with some rain,  no wind

Actual Distance hiked:  11.67

After parking one car at the Balls Falls Conservation Area, we drove to Rockway Community Centre and started the hike.

We took the Rockway Side Trail for 500 km to the main trail and turned left.  The trail was re-routed in August 2014 with the completion of bridge which allowed us to cross Fifteen Mile Creek within the Rockway Conservation Area.  This new route wound through the forest by the creek surrounded by steep cliffs just before Rockway Falls.

After crossing Ninth St. we entered a mature hardwood forest.  We crossed several creeks and a swampy area to a road allowance.  We passed a vineyard and re-entered the bush to the Louth Conservation Area.

We continued along the picturesque high ground above Sixteen Mile Creek past a pretty waterfall.

We climbed the escarpment and and headed southwest towards Staff Avenue.  We headed northwest along the road and turned right onto seventeenth street.  After following the road for 1.3 kms we turned left and went half way down a hill onto a switchback.  We crossed several creeks and streams
before climbing steeply to the top of the scarp and headed through a bush to nineteenth street.

We crossed the road and headed west through the bush along the brow of the Escarpment to Glen Rd.  It was here that we had our elevensies.

We headed into the woods and descended into the valley of Twenty Mile Creek. We followed the creek for a km and climbed steeply up a set of steps into into Balls Falls Conservation Area.

We entered the park through the arboretum and descended a flight of stairs.  We used the road bridge to cross Twenty Mile Creek to our parked car.

Today's hike completes the Niagara section, our fourth section.