Hike 15 : Historical Traces, Geological Deposits - Limehouse to Cheltenham Badlands

Bruce Trail and Beyond

After a long delay owing to work commitments, preparing to hike the 700+ km long Via Podiensis or GR65 across France, and difficulties in getting all of our schedules to fit together, we are finally getting back to the Bruce Trail – almost 4 months after our last trek.  The last time we were on the Bruce Trail we walked the final kilometres of the Iroquoia section and entered the Toronto section.  Today, starting in Limehouse Conservation Area and walking to the Cheltenham Badlands, we will complete the Toronto section.  This quick completion of the Toronto Club’s segment is not the result of two stunningly long treks, but rather a reflection of the fact that this is the shortest section of the Bruce Trail at approximately 50 km in length.

Limehouse Conservation Area

Having dropped off Lenora’s vehicle off at the destination for the day’s hike, we returned to the parking lot at the Limehouse Conservation Area.  Here, rather than immediately pushing north we took the opportunity to backtrack and explore the remains of the region’s historic lime kilns.  During our last hike we walked amid biting cold temperatures, which meant we largely traversed this conservation area quickly and did not spend much time enjoying it. As such, it was nice to explore it in a little more detail today.

Historically, this region was known as Fountain Green, but in 1857 it was renamed by a local postmaster for the limestone kilns in the area. The most prominent remaining Limehouse kiln was built in the 1870s, and is more than a dozen meters high.  Kilns were once used to melt down quarried dolostone into lime, which in turn was used in construction. According to online resources, it would take almost three days for the kiln to reach the needed temperature to be operated.  As a result, the vast majority of the region’s trees were eventually cut down to feed the fires.  Today’s forest here represents a profound regeneration of the area. 

Amid the pleasant spring temperatures we backtracked along the pathway to find the remains of an old Mill – whose stone arch crosses the Black Creek.

Shortly after we were amazed by the braced structure of the lime kiln towering above the trail. 

We also took the opportunity - with the landscape no longer covered in snow - to revisit the ‘Hole in the Wall’ which we had struggled through last December.   There is no denying how much difference the conditions of the day can make in terms of the ease of exploring a region.  In addition, as we ventured around the Limehouse Conservation Area the hopeful signs of the world waking up amid spring were everywhere.  Here we spotted a groundhog munching on grass, could hear the calls of Chickadees and Red Wing Black birds, saw Northern Leopard Frogs and Ebony Jewelwing insects, and watched as a Canadian Tiger Swallowtail butterfly glided past.

With our curiosity about the region satisfied, we began the day’s hike by crossing a bridge which took us over an active Via Rail train line at the northern edge of the Limehouse Conservation Area.  Next the route took us along quiet back-country roads and concessions, mostly following along the Fifth and Sixth lines.  Some six or seven kilometres later we arrived at the border of the Scotsdale Farm and Silver Creek Conservation Areas which we would traverse for ten kilometres of pathway.

 

Scotsdale Farm 

The property of Scotsdale Farm was donated to the province in 1982 by Stewart and Violet Bennett.  Here the Bruce Trail followed the driveway into the property and took us past a number of farm buildings and across a swampy section which we thankfully traversed on a number of boardwalks.  Here we were also stunned to find that under trees and amid the crevices of the landscape there were still patches of snow along the trail.   By comparison, the cow pastures and fields around us in open sun were green meadows filled with spring flowers.

 

Walking on, the trail conditions were variable, as they tend to be in the spring, frequently shifting between hard packed earth and mud.  While many trail groups promote that people don’t go out during these periods owing to the damage that can occur to these paths, it is hard to resist nature once the weather has turned. We, like so many others, are clearly guilty of wanting to enjoy the season as we followed the meandering Bruce Trail throughout Scotsdale Farm.  This enjoyment came at the cost of all of us soon hiking in very wet shoes for the remainder of the day.

Silver Creek Conservation Area

By the time we entered into Silver Creek Conservation Area the trail itself had begun to vary between the gravel paths of Scotsdale Farm and the rocky terrain of the coming stretch.  Following the ridge of the escarpment parallel to Silver Creek, which wove through the base of the forested canyon, we had to constantly watch to ensure that we were still on the correct pathway.  Throughout this beautiful region there were a number of side trails that one could easily end up following.

At the northern edge of the Silver Creek Conservation Area we came to the intersection of the Bruce Trail, the 10^th line concession, and the Credit Valley Footpath.  Now some 18 km and 4 hours into the day’s hike, we decided to take our break here.  Curious about the Credit Valley Footpath, I soon had my cell phone out and discovered that this trail follows the connection of an old hydro station and an historic paper mill.  Following along the gorge created by the Credit River and its tributaries, the footpath, which is a side trail of the BTC, is more than 16 km long and connects Silver Creek Conservation Area with the city of Georgetown.  Before today we had never heard of this interesting trail.

Terra Cotta Conservation Area

Rested and ready to go, we crossed the 10^th line roadway and entered into Terra Cotta Conservation Area.  This region was originally known as Tucker’s Mills, after a regional Mill owner, and was later named Salmonville during the 1860s.  By the 1890s the town was renamed after the rich deposits of terra cotta clay, brick yards, and forge used for making bricks that developed there.  Even today the footprint of these industries can still be seen amid the striking red rocks along the trail and in the ruins of the historic brickworks. 

Trekking Terra Cotta we followed a narrow earth trail through a forest which varied between being shaded deciduous trees and dense stands of conifers.  As seems typical of the BTC there are stretches – such as this – which alternate between step ascents, precarious descents, and long ventures along the top of the escarpment.   By end of this short two kilometre section we trekked toward Rogers Creek, a tributary of the Credit River and a local rail trail.

Leaving Terra Cotta, we followed a former rail line towards Heritage Rd. where we resumed concession hiking for some six or seven kilometres northward.    Admittedly, this long stretch of road walking was briefly interrupted when the Bruce Trail wove through a small green space.   Here, despite being amid the lush agricultural fields of the region, the Greater Toronto Area predominated the landscape across the horizon.  The sheer size and scope of the GTA is stunning – especially when one is on foot.

All too soon we were back on the country lanes, following Boston Mills Road to the edge of the famed Cheltenham Badlands, and the boundary between the Toronto Section and the Caledon Hills Section of Bruce Trail.  This means that today we are entering the fourth of nine sections of the BTC since hiking heading north out of Queenston Heights more than a dozen hikes ago.  The Caledon Hills Club segment of the Bruce Trail Conservancy spans 71 km from the Cheltenham Badlands to the southern boundary of Mono Cliffs Provincial Park.

Cheltenham Badlands

As we approached the boundary of the Cheltenham Badlands in 2017, we soon noticed that the section was closed off, and the Bruce Trail was rerouted around this geologically unique area. Apparently, from 2015 until 2018 the Cheltenham Badlands were closed by the Ontario Heritage Trust to protect the region from the “excessive number of visitors who were walking on the formations, causing damage that accelerated erosion” in this unique landscape.  During this period, the region was fenced off while accessible boardwalks and information signs were installed.

We had been fortunate to visit the undulating landscape of Cheltenham several times before the necessary protective renovations began.  This region has a number of local names including the Red Clay Hills, Caledon Badlands, and Inglewood Badlands.  Essentially, it is an area of exposed, hard-packed, bright red soil that undulates like a folded blanket.  It has been designated as an Escarpment Protection Area and is considered an Area of Natural Scientific Interest.  Historically, the exposure of the Cheltenham Badlands is the result of poor farming practices in the early 20^th century, which revealed the Queenston shale, a dried river bed.  The results of thousands of years of geological action, the Cheltenham Badlands are characterized by being a landscape which is vibrant red in colour with grey-green lines running through it. 

At the time of our previous visit we had followed the established Bruce Trail pathway, but watched as many others slid down, skateboarded, and mountain biked across the undulating red hills.  It was therefore not a surprise to us when we hiked this section of the Bruce Trail in 2017 to learn that conservation measures had been implemented, and that the area was closed to the public. 

Our entrance into the Cheltenham Badlands region also meant that we have ventured into the Caledon Hills section of the Bruce Trail, which will be our fourth region to explore. At of the end of today’s trek, we have now hiked almost 30 % of the Bruce Trail!

Leaving the Cheltenham Badlands, we picked up our parked car and made plans for our next hike, which would take us through the Forks of the Credit Provincial Park, Caledon and Albion Hills, and Hockley Valley.  Today’s hike was a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the warmer spring weather and to see life returning to the woods around us.  The colours around Scotsdale Farm were amazing, just as the history of Limehouse and geology of the Cheltenham Badlands were fascinating.  Every day in nature provides the opportunity for something new to learn.