Dufferin Hi-Land End-to-End Hike : Mono Cliffs to Whitfield

Dufferin Hi-Land End-to-End Hike

Since our Last Hike 

The next portion of the Bruce Trail for us was the Dufferin Hi-Land Section, which means that over the last 18 hikes we have trekked around 340 kilometres since leaving Fort Erie on the Niagara Recreation Trail, and about 300 km kilometres since Queenston Heights.  While this sounds impressive, the length of the Bruce Trail helps put it into perspective, given that we still have more than 550 km to go before arriving in Tobermory.  As such our excitement is somewhat tempered. 
 
The Dufferin Hi-Land Section extends from Mono Centre at the southern end to the town of Lavender in the north.  This club lays claim to being the midpoint of the Bruce Trail, and at 56 kilometres in length, it is the second shortest portion of the BTC network. 

Dufferin Hi-Land End-to-End Hike on the Bruce Trail 

As we did on the Caledon Hills section of the Bruce Trail, we are tackling the Dufferin Hi-Lands during an organized End-to-End event over the course of two days.  While our first dozen hikes on the Bruce Trail were undertaken as a series of day treks, the distance from Simcoe, Ontario on the northern shores of Lake Erie to our present location on the BTC is now too far for day treks.  This means that we are now taking the approach of travelling north, camping at an established provincial park, and completing an entire section in one go.

Bruce Trail Conservancy End-to-End Patch  

 

Challenges and Benefits 

While organized End-to-end events have a lot of benefits for those striving to hike the entire Bruce Trail, there are a few challenges.  These weekend events do not necessarily follow the BTC in order, systematically moving hikers either south to north or north to south.  Instead, the organizers typically choose a rallying point near the middle of the section, have everyone meet there each morning, and then bus the hike participants to a particular section.  This means that one morning you might travel from the southern edge of the section to the middle, while the next day you might be hiking from the northern edge back to the centre.  For those striving to get a feel for the trek in one direction, these events are somewhat discombobulating.   However, this is a mild critique. 

 
Regardless of the specific direction and order we hiked the Dufferin Hi-Lands during this organized event, this blog will flow (hopefully) seamlessly and sensibly, from south to north.
 
On the upside, one the greatest benefits of these organized End-to-End hike is that there is a lot of moral support from fellow hikers and volunteers, as well as a number refreshment stations along the way.  Mostly, these rest areas are crewed by amazing volunteers who also provide great encouragement en route.  This means that there are a lot of great people to chat with as you trek! 

Back to the Bruce Trail

This morning we woke early, excited to get back to the Bruce Trail. We soon enjoyed a quick breakfast of oatmeal and coffee before cleaning up and setting off.   The emailed instructions for the End-to-End event noted that the rally point this weekend was at the intersection of HWY 17 and Centre Rd, which is also known as Whitfield.  Thankfully, we had a cell phone on us and were able to use Google Maps to find the inconspicuous red brick church situated on a remote corner of these two roadways. Upon arriving, we parked and locked the car and collected our backpacks. 
 
Once again, while Lenora wore her usual day pack complete with a water bottle and treats, and Saryon enjoyed walking with no pack on at all, Sean and I chose to carry full backpacks in preparation for an upcoming hike across France’s GR65 or Via Podiensis.

Soon we had registered and joined the lineup to board the bus to Mono Centre, which is the dividing line between the Caledon Hills and Dufferin Hi-Land sections of the BTC.  Apparently, 95 people pre-registered for this hike, a sure sign that they are becoming more and more popular. Today’s trek was set to be a longer one than usual and would see us walk 31.5 kilometres from the southern boundary of Mono Cliffs Provincial Park back to the country intersection at Whitfield.
 
Loaded onto the trail transport bus, we were soon off to begin the day.  The trip on the bus to the beginning of the day’s hike is a wonderful luxury that relieves us of dropping cars off at each end of the trail.  However, I am always struck by the fact that the distances travelled by car or bus seem so much longer than those covered while on foot.  This morning was one of those times when it seemed that the bus just kept driving and driving, making me doubt that we would be able to make it back to the car in a single day.  Perhaps this is one the reasons people are hesitant to set off on a 20 or 25-km walk since when you drive the same distance it seems so much further.  Regardless, we were soon stepping off the bus and ready for the fresh air and exercise that the day would bring. 

Hopping the Fence

The three buses transporting our large group pulled into the community of Mono Centre together.  From there we had a short walk to the southern corner of Mono Cliffs Provincial Park which is the border between the Caledon Hills and Dufferin Hi-Land sections of the BTC, and the point where our previous End-to-End hike had concluded. 

Image from Lenora Sawyer

 
After trekking that short distance, we came to the corner of Mono Cliffs Provincial Park and reached a wooden stile over a fence that we needed to climb to enter the property.  The logistics of this meant that there was soon a lineup of more than 100 people (hikers and volunteers) waiting for person after person to climb up and then down the stile to continue on.  While waiting in line a number of people good-naturedly made fun of us for having “so large a backpack on” noting “that we didn’t need to bring the kitchen sink”.  As it turned out, these comments would continue throughout the day, with other concerned individuals critiquing that “we had to learn not to pack so much for a quick day hike”.  An hour into our trek, and a dozen comments later, we both stopped trying to explain that we were training for an upcoming trek across France.  For some reason, few people could grasp this concept.  

Mono Cliffs Provincial Park 

Over the stile and off the road, we crossed an open meadow before entering the main part of Mono Cliffs Provincial Park.   The warm spring time weather was welcome as we ventured through an amazing mixed hardwood forest which covered the rolling hills and landscape of the park. 

 

Side Trails, Ferns, and Cedars

Like many of the Conservation Areas and Provincial Parks along the Bruce Trail, Mono Cliffs is a popular destination that hosts a number of well-maintained pathways.  Therefore, with the volunteers and sweeps well behind us, we opted to take a slight detour (which would make our day a bit longer) but which according to the BTC guidebook would give us a chance to view some amazing geology and fauna.  As such, we diverted off the main Bruce Trail onto the Spillway Side Trail for a bit of exploration.

 
One of the challenges during End-to-End events is that hikers are funnelled down the main trail with little opportunity to take in the regional highlights that the guidebook notes.  Mono Cliffs Provincial Park is known for the geology of its cliff faces along the Niagara Escarpment, which supports an unprecedented diversity of ferns, as well as some truly ancient cedars.  Interested in seeing these amazing sights, we followed a wooden staircase down the escarpment, tracing along the cliff edge.  En route, we navigated past rock deposits and saw various plant species, unique ferns sprouting from the rock side, remnants of fossils, and a natural regeneration zone. Here it was amazing to see the geology up close and to note the precious strength of old cedars growing along the escarpment.   While much of our hike along the Bruce Trail has taken us over the Niagara Escarpment, along glacial moraines, and to amazing landscapes, today was one of the times that we were able to stop walking on the geology and get a close look at it.

 
Reaching the bottom of the cliffs, we followed the Spillway Trail past a number of large boulders.  Fascinatingly, the crevices throughout this stretch exuded extremely cold air around them.  Even amid the heat of the day, it was very much colder throughout this stretch.  Our curiosity was satisfied, we rejoined the main trail near McCarston’s Lake, and as a result of our interest in the local plants and geology we had to motor through the next part to get to the checkpoint on time.

 
Walking onward, we came to McCarston’s Lake, which is a kettle lake.  This means the body of water formed when a piece of glacier detached, was partially buried, and then slowly melted.  The result of this process is a small depression that then becomes a pond or a kettle lake.  With all the geological wonders and amazing fauna, Mono Cliffs was a lot of fun to explore.  

We could happily have spent the entire day investigating the bird nest boxes that lined the trail, following the pathway that wove through a dense forest along the Niagara Escarpment, enjoying the fascinating views of the area’s geology, and taking in the stunning number of unique ferns.  Unfortunately, we still had 23 kilometres to go.  Heading north, the Bruce Trail followed McCarston Lake Trail, taking us to the 1^st Line EHS.

Farmlands and Concessions 

We walked the length of a concession, which seemed more of a road allowance than roadway, for about 2 kilometers.   A huge highlight was spotting a porcupine in the trees above us as we strolled past Victorian brickwork farmhouses. Our time on the roadway made us grateful for the shade of the large coniferous trees growing alongside the backcountry road.

 
The Bruce Trail soon navigated off of the concession and took us trekking uphill into a forested farm area for a short time.  Here, we walked along pastures and enjoyed the quiet of the countryside.  I am sure the line of 95 people marching single file across the landscape must have looked like ants returning to the colony.

 

The Bruce Trail soon deposited us back onto the roadway, which we followed for another 2 kilometres, boxing through the agricultural region until we crossed the busy HWY 89 – a treacherous undertaking that stands out as one of the few truly unsafe parts of the Bruce Trail. 

Boyne Valley Provincial Park 

We entered Boyne Valley Provincial Park via a disused road allowance.  Boyne Valley is a wonderful provincial park located an hour north of Toronto (by car, much longer by foot!).  A number of rivers traverse the park along the Orangeville and Singhampton glacial moraines.  The rolling terrain in Boyne Valley includes a mixture of hardwood forests, open fields, and marshlands, making it a wonderful place for bird-watching, nature exploration, and hiking.

 
Leaving the road allowance once again, our route soon had us descending into a lush forested valley and a bit of a marshy patch.  Thankfully, the trail in this stretch consisted of a number of boardwalks and bridges, rather than relying on dirt pathways, which helped us navigate over the tributaries of the Boyne River.  Given the increasing warmth of the day, we were grateful to be venturing through a dense forest of conifers, which we learned was the result of regional reforestation.   Climbing up the moraine, we trekked to Murphy’s Pinnacle, where we were given an amazing panoramic view of the surrounding countryside.  From this viewpoint, we could see large tracts of agricultural fields extending out below us, and a local wind farm.  This small hill is one of the highest viewpoints on the Primrose Moraine, which was formed during the last glacial retreat in the region.  Walking on, we navigated past a disused orchard and some open agricultural fields.

 

Overall, this was a beautiful but challenging region given the undulating landscape that included a few climbs and creek crossings.  The trail here was well-established, very clearly blazed, and well-maintained.   In particular, we were very thankful that we never had to get our feet wet, nor did we have to ford the rivers courtesy of the wooden log bridges that had been installed throughout the park.  

Following the Boyne River 

Leaving the Provincial Park behind, we crossed the 1^st Line E concession and made our way along the edge of a farmer’s field.  Next, we skirted a ravine overlooking the Boyne River and the marshlands below.  Our route took us through a colourful forested area known as Walker’s Woods Lookout, from which we could see parts of Mono Cliff Provincial Park – now some 20 kilometres south of us. 

Throughout this stretch, the trail wove through the local green space before descending on a steep hill toward Oliver Creek. Thankfully, the BTC has installed a number of boardwalks and bridges throughout the dense cedar forest and marshy parts of this property, or our feet would have been very wet.  Overall, tracing the escarpment over the Boyne River we enjoyed the deep shady valleys, streams, and wooded slopes before arriving at a parking lot just south of Dufferin Country Rd 17. 

Bibbulmun Track Friendship Trail 

As we trekked through this section we met a group of BTC land stewards who were planning the installation of new signs.  Being curious, we asked what the signage was set to indicate, and so discovered that recently a nearby section of Bruce Trail had been twinned with the Bibbulman Track in Western Australia.  According to the Bruce Trail Conservancy website, this pathway stretches approximately 1000km from Kalamunda in the Perth Hills to the historic town of Albany on the south coast of Australia. In the process, the trail traverses the karri forest and coastal heathlands through some of Australia’s top biodiversity hotspots. 
 
Also according to the BTC website, an International Friendship Trail is used by the Bruce Trail Conservancy and the World Trails Network to raise awareness of and support for public trails around the globe.  The concept is similar to “twin towns” where regions across the world partner towards mutual cooperation and publicity.  At present, the Bruce Trail has 9 Friendship Trails along its route, which means that we have already visited 5 of them! 

                                                                                        
These include a section of the BTC in Short Hills Provincial Park that is twinned with the Rim of Africa, a section near Waterdown that is matched with Offa's Dyke Trail in England, a piece of the BTC north of Milton that is twinned with the Kythera Hiking Trail in Greece, and a section of Hockley Valley Provincial Park that is connected to the Jejo Olle Trail in South Korea.  Perhaps one day we will have a chance to trek some of these partnered trails around the world.

 
With only a couple of kilometres to go, and near the end of the day, we pushed on and ventured through a short section known as Rock Hill Park.  Here the pathway navigated and wound its way over crevasses and rocky terrain.  Given the uneven nature of the ground, we spent much of our time here watching our feet and where we were stepping.   We soon found ourselves on the roadway walking the final kilometre back to the intersection of HWY 17 and Centre Rd.
 

Reflecting on the BTC at Day’s End 

Back where we had begun our day at the historic crossroads of Whitfield, we were greeted by volunteers ringing cowbells and cheering us on outside of the quaint abandoned red brick church which was once part of the community of Whitfield.  Having hiked approximately 31 kilometres under heavy pack weight, we were glad to have gotten through the day.  Our arrival back to Whitfield also meant that we were now more than halfway done the Dufferin Hi-Land Section of the Bruce Trail.
 
After taking 20 or 30 minutes to rest, and enjoy cool refreshments and baked treats, we returned to our parked car and set off back to the campground where we are staying this weekend.   By the time we were back at Albion Hills Conservation Area and changed out of our hiking clothes, we had decided that we did not have the energy to make dinner.  As a result, we treated ourselves to a meal at East Side Marios – likely overeating a little (for energy) and enjoying a chocolate cake with ice cream (for happiness).    Afterward, we returned to our campsite and tents, where we soon lay down on our air mattresses and quickly fell asleep – full and satisfied after the day’s achievements.

See you on the Trail!