Beaver Valley Km 56.2 to Km 70.1 - 5 May, 2015

Hikers: Steve, Helgy and Case
Guest Hiker:  Joanne

Leader:  Karen

Section and Distance: Beaver Valley Km 56.2 to Km 70.1 Johnston’s Sideroad

Weather:  Hazy and warm

Actual Distance hiked:  14.75 km


We left Oakville at 8:00 meeting at Tim Horton's for a "bush" break.  We then positioned the two cars and started the hike at the parking lot of the Eugenia Fall's Conservation Area.

Starting the hike

We hiked to and viewed the lookout at the brink of 30 m high Eugenia falls.

Eugenia Falls

Eugenia Falls

From the lookout we hiked along the ridge high above the Beaver River passing the end of the Eugenia Side Trail.  We then descended gradually through a thick cedar cover and crossed an old cart track.  We then climbed to a singular lookout that affords breathtaking views up and down the upper Beaver Valley.  The lookout is a large till cone, a "kame" created by the plunge pool of an ancient intro-glacial waterfall.  We then hiked down to the Lower Valley Rd and followed it left a short distance across a wetland.

We turned left off the road and gradually climbed a rocky hogsback ridge through a mature hardwood forest.  We then entered a beautiful upland meadow marked at its summit by a single spectacular hemlock tree.

Elevensies under the hemlock tree

We kept to the left and hiked up and along forested high ground and then descended to a new bridge over Rock Mills Creek. We continued through more forest and climbed out of the creek valley.  We hiked along an open field and then descended to an old logging road into the beginning of a wide valley.

The Last Stand

We passed the Hogg's Falls Lower Side Trail before entering and crossing a natural amphitheatre-like clearing.  We then re-entered the bush passed the southern entrance to the Hogg's Falls Upper Side Trail.

We continued west crossing the Lower Valley Rd and followed the Boyne River upstream  to Hogg's Falls.  From the falls we continued upstream passing the parking lot.  We continued upstream along the river through cedar, spruce and tamarack on the East Back Line before turning right.

Amphitheatre-like clearing

Case leading with his white cane

Hoggs Falls

We turned right on the road and hiked for a km before reaching a bridge of the Boyne River.  We then turned north onto MNR property.  We hiked the high ground along the west side of the Boyne River system  on a long crossing of beautiful, rugged wilderness terrain.  With the sound of falling water we continued north crossing above two beautiful cascading waterfalls descending once to touch the river and then ascending again.

We have come a long way

We left the mature hardwood forest of the western valley slope and climbed a high meadow at the top of which was great views across to Cuckoo Valley and north down the Beaver Valley towards the high eastern edges of the Escarpment.  We then emerged onto Johnston's Side Rd and walked to our parked car.

We retrieved the other car and drove to the B&B where we checked in.  After showering we drove to Meaford for dinner at the Leaky Canoe.  Joanne decided that she was not up to hiking the full hike tomorrow.  We made some changes to our hike for tomorrow and retired early after the long strenuous hike.  We all agreed that it had been a great hike though.