End-to-End on the Bruce Trail
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 kilometers in
length it is the second shortest portion of the BTC network.
Dufferin Hi-Land End-to-End Hike
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.
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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 1st 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 1st 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 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.
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