Sydenham Km 101.3 to Km 115 - 11 August, 2015

Hikers: Steve, Helgy, Christine, Andy, Case, Anne Giles and Carolyn

Leaders:   Karen and Richard

Section and Distance: Sydenham Km 101.3 to Km 115

Weather:  Cloudy and warm with some sunshine

Actual Distance hiked:  15.74 km

After breakfast we positioned the cars and started the hike.

We hiked along the edge of the Escarpment which soon provided a lovely view from downstream of Jones Falls before turning inland briefly.  We headed north along the edge of the Escarpment giving good views of fields and farms in the Sydenham Valley.  We left the Pottawatomi Conservation Area at Derby-Sarawak Townline.

Flower Pot

We followed West St north for 600 m and then turned right into Brookholm Conservation Area.  We reached the Escarpment and again turned left to follow the Escarpment edge.  There were numerjous deep crevices in this area.  We passed a wonderful flowerpot rock formation on the right.  We hiked along the edge of a small field and then descended on a right-of-way to the intersection of 19th St. and Park St.  We followed 9th St. to Sommers Street and turned left.

We now entered the residential area of Georgian  Bluffs.  We followed Sommers St. to its intersection with Range Rd.  We turned left and left again onto the Georgian Bluffs Rail Trail.  For the next 2.7 km we followed the old rail line west and north across Grey Rd. 17A to the Hamlet of Benallen.

We left the Georgian Bluffs Rail Trail and continued north on a narrow gravel road.  We turned right to cross through a hardwood forest and a small meadow before descending the Escarpment.  We crossed the talus base and up a series of steps to a hay field and Indian Acres Rd.  We continued north into the forest once again and followed the scarp edge before meeting a fence line where we turned west.  We turned right again onto a gravel road known as the Gordon Sutherland Parkway that soon became a dirt track.

Road to No Where

Abondoned Car

Abandoned Car

Side Trail to the cars

We took to East Side Road where we had parked our car.  Again we were lucky as the rain held off for the hike.

Richard drove Christine and Karen back to her car and we all drove home.

Sydenham Km 91.7 to Km 101.3 - 10 August, 2015

Hikers: Steve, Helgy, Christine, Andy, Case, Anne G. and Carolyn

Leaders:   Karen and Richard

Section and Distance: Sydenham Km 91.7 to Km 101.3

Weather:  Cloudy and Warm

Actual Distance hiked: 10.47 Km

We left Oakville at 7:00 a.m in three cars and met at Tim Horton's Hwy 89/10

After positioning the cars, we admired the Falls and crossed the Sydenham River on a bridge above the Falls.   We continued along a stone wall at the est side of the gorge.  We headed across Inglis Falls Rd and turned right passing through farms fields before turning right into a hardwood bush.  We climbed a hill to Grey Rd 5 at the top.  

Inglis Falls

We turned left and followed the paved road to Concession 3.  We turned right and followed Concession 3 for 1.2 km before turning right into a bush.  We continued east to reach the brow of the Escarpment and turned left to follow the cliffs above Owen Sound.  There were many lookout with views of the city, the harbour and Georgian Bay.

We continued north for 120 m and crossed a hydro corridor before re-entering the cedar forest where it twisted and turned at times hugging the edge of the cliff.  |We continued north and reached a normally dry stream bed which we crossed and made a steep descent via a ladder and stairs to Highways 6 and 21.  We turned left and hiked the north shoulder of the highway for about 300 m before turning right.

We entered the Pottawatomi Conservation Area and crosssed the Pottawatomi River on the Sid Peace Bridge above Jones Falls, and admired the falls before we took the blue trail to our car.  

Jones Falls

Jones Falls

As we finished the hike it started to rain.  The drivers left and picked up their cars.

The group went to the Grey Roots Museum and Archives and spent a few hours there before checking into our hotel.

For dinner we went to Shorty's Grill and then spent the evening discussing future hikes and playing dominoes.