Road Walking and Wet Feet : Rocklyn Creek to Silent Valley

Road Walking and Wet Feet 

Back to the Bruce Trail

Unfortunately, at the end of yesterday’s trek our rental car was broken into and we lost our camera and with it all our pictures from the Beaver Valley section. In response, we took a day off from hiking the Bruce Trail to report the incident and think about whether to proceed or just call it a wash and go home early.  Not really up to continuing, we were nonetheless uncertain as to when we would be able to find the time to get back to this area.  

 
And so, since time and tide wait for no one, we ultimately decided to push on. Aiding in this effort was a local Bruce Trail volunteer who had heard about our troubles and sought to help us trek from Rocklyn Creek Management Area through to Owen Sound.  Her generous offer was to transport us from our parked car at the end of each day’s stage back to where we were due to begin.  Her kindness enabled us to approach the next three days of hiking in a new way.  It meant that we would be able to return to Owen Sound each night and stay in a local motel room – avoiding wild camping any further on the BTC.   In addition, it also meant that we would be able to slack-pack, or not carry our gear, for the estimated 100 km push to bridge the gap between Rocklyn Creek Management Area and Owen Sound.  While 35 km or so a day of hiking is definitely possible under full-pack weight, it is also far easier and more enjoyable without such encumbrances. 

Sydenham Section of the Bruce Trail        

Having thru-hiked the Beaver Valley section over the course of four days, relying on a combination of wild camping and cabin rentals, we had previously ended our last walk just beyond the boundary between the Beaver Valley and Sydenham sections of the BTC. This meant that after dropping off our car at the Silent Valley Side Trail parking on the northern boundary of Bongor Marsh, the wonderful volunteer drove us back to the western boundary of Rocklyn Creek – a trail distance of some 38 km.
 

The Sydenham section of the Bruce Trail is the eighth of nine clubs, and it spans 170 kilometres between the Beaver Valley and Peninsula regions.  Starting in Blantyre and weaving north, the trail in Sydenham ventures through forests, wetlands and valleys, passes stunning waterfalls and protected conservation areas, and visits the communities of Owen Sound and Wiarton. 

Setting out onto Sydenham 

Thanking the volunteer for her kindness today, we stepped away from her car and slipped on our day packs to enjoy our first full day on the Sydenham section of the BTC.  As we watched her car pull away, we were both ready to hike off our frustration.  Crossing Deviation Rd we ventured into a field, re-entering Rocklyn Creek Management Area.  Immediately, we followed a dirt track into the woods and over a long wooden bridge that spanned Rocklyn Creek.  According to a sign on site, the Rocklyn Creek Bridge was built by the Canadian Army’s 32 Combat Engineer Regiment! 

 
Our route, now proceeding on a sectional wooden boardwalk, then continued uphill to the top of a rocky forested ridge along the escarpment.  From there we descended down the undulating landscape through a low-lying marshland and toward the next concession roadway.  Following the St. Vincent-Sydenham Townline, we climbed … and climbed …and climbed back uphill for the first of our many road treks for the day, to the entrance of Walters Falls Conservation Area. 

Walters Falls Conservation Area 

Climbing a wooden stile over a wire fence we entered into Walters Falls Conservation Area and continued along the ridge of the escarpment before crossing another concession.  There we came to the junction of the Walters Creek Side Trail – a route which could cut about 4 kilometres from today’s trek if we took it.  However, despite the temptation, we aren’t here to take shortcuts.  Following the main BTC route, we turned south, once again crossing and following the same concession we had just traversed.  Back off the road, we descended into a river valley through a cedar forest toward Walters Falls. 

Passing a hotel on the edge of the escarpment, we took a few moments to admire the falls.  This region was purportedly developed in the mid-nineteenth century by John Walter, who settled the region in 1850 and subsequently built a saw, feed, and wool mill near the falls.  Today, both the feed and wool mills can still be seen.  Located just to the south of the conservation is the small town of Walters Falls, also named after John Walter, which has a wonderful variety store with Ice Cream.  Discovering this on the cell phone, regardless of it being a little early in the day to take a break, we nonetheless enjoyed the opportunity to buy ourselves a cold treat.

 
Refreshed, we returned to the Bruce Trail, which wove 3 kilometres north along the edge of the escarpment to where we met with the other junction with the Walters Creek Side Trail shortcut.   Once again descending into the river valley, we arrived at Grey Rd to commence our next round of concession trekking for the day. 

Boxing Concessions and Roadways 

Off dirt trails and out of the forest, we had 4-5 kilometres of road hiking in front of us, which boxed around three sides of the same region– down 2^nd Concession South, along Holland-Sydenham Townline, and north up the 4^th Concession.  Throughout this stretch, we were rewarded with open views of the pastoral landscape and gently rolling hills around us.  We walked past dairy farms and fields of sheep and were grateful for the lack of traffic.  Amid it all we were nonetheless stunned by the sheer amount of litter and garbage along the roadside. 

 

Trudging on, some 40-50 minutes later, we crossed the Big Head River on the 4^th concession and were soon back on the actual pathway. There, with 15 kilometres of the day’s trek behind us, we took a break at the trailhead into the Big Head property on the edge of regenerating agricultural fields. 

Bighead Property 

Walking on, we traversed fields and growing brush before climbing out of the Bighead River Valley back up onto the escarpment. Once at the summit, we found the Bighead Campsite – the second legal camping area we'd encountered in two days of trekking – a real rarity on the BTC.  

Standing at this campsite, it was easy to see why it would make for a great evening on the trail.  From that spot, there were great views of the region!  Pushing on, we continued through forests and fields for only a few kilometres before crossing a concession road, traversing a marshy stretch and then crossing another roadway prior to entering Massie Forest. 

Massie Hills Management Area 

Massie Hills Management Area is home to the Massie Ski Trail, which the Owen Sound Cross Country Ski Club has maintained since the 1980s.  In this green space of rolling hills, wetlands, and pine plantations there is a network of trails that visitors can explore.  For its part, the Bruce Trail, sadly, only cuts across the eastern edge of the Massie Hills property.  While we enjoyed the chance to take a break in the shade of the pine forest, we nonetheless had the sense that the Bruce Trail had woven across several concessions and almost 10 kilometres of roads just to bring us into this property for a few brief minutes.  After only a short stint in Massie Hills, the Bruce Trail again returned to another long stretch of 4-5 kilometres of concession trekking, before descending into the forest and crossing the southern boundary of Bognor Marsh. 

Bognor Marsh Management Area 

After an hour under the scorching heat, trudging along the exposed concessions and access roads of the region, we took a break on the southern boundary of Bognor Marsh. Thankfully, upon our arrival, we found a large roofed picnic shelter and washroom, both of which were welcome and provided a chance to take a break.  Bognor Marsh Management Area is one of the largest marshes in Grey County, and it features almost 12 kilometres of trails which take visitors along boardwalks and to an observation tower.  The wetlands of the region also make Bognor Marsh a hotspot for naturalists and birders.

 

With approximately 7 kilometres of trail left to hike today, we set off, only to almost immediately discover that there was another blue-blazed route – the Bognor Marsh Side Trail – that could again cut several kilometres off our trek.  I would be lying if I said that after 31 kilometres of hiking today we weren’t tempted by the shortcut.  Nonetheless, striving to remain steadfast in our resolve, we turned west and continued to follow the main trail around the property. 

Crossing the Bongor Marsh, we walked along a floating wooden boardwalk amid tall reeds and with the sound of Mallards quacking excitedly around us.  Put another way, the first few kilometres of Bognor Marsh were … well, a marsh.  This stretch also reminded us to beware of what we wish for.  Now that we were no longer walking on roads, we were soaking wet and being inundated by lots of mosquitoes, deer flies, and black flies. 
 
Beyond the marsh, the trail became a bit of a challenge as the low-lying pathway was wet and the grasses and brush around us were tall.  As a result, we were soon soaked to the skin from our knees down and trekking in very wet and muddy shoes. Given how wet the trail was despite the hot weather we've been having already this year, I can’t imagine what trekking through this region during a rainy season would be like. The path soon transitioned into a cedar forest, where we spent most of our time carefully navigating tree roots. The Bruce Trail soon joined with a wider path and began a tough and exhausting climb up the escarpment.  Once back on top, we followed the edge of the escarpment and soon reconnected with the northern terminus of the Bognor Marsh Side Trail, as we walked through a forested stretch overlooking the wetlands below. 

Beyond the Bog 

With our climb done, we had hoped for an easy trek along the top of the escarpment.  Instead, we found the footing to be tough as the trail navigated a lot of crevices, traced mossy outcrops, and passed along startling drop-offs.  With that said, the topography was not the only thing that garnered our attention.  The dense mosses on top of the erratic rocks spread throughout this stretch were stunningly green and lush. In addition, we could periodically catch views of the landscape spreading out around us.  Between the dense stand of trees, we even spotted a number of hawks and Turkey Vultures playing in the clear skies high above us.

 
Just north of Bognor Marsh, we reached our destination for the day, the Silent Valley side trail, which we followed back down the escarpment to our parked car. Dropping our day packs into the trunk we finished off our bottles of water, bringing our 35-kilometer trek to a conclusion.  We soon whisked off to Owen Sound and checked into our accommodations for the night to plan our return to the Bruce tomorrow.  Given how warm, wet, and muddy we were, I think it is safe to say that we were both grateful for the chance to escape the mosquitoes for the night, take a relaxing shower, and attempt to dry out our sodden shoes before tomorrow’s trek. 

Reflecting on the Bruce Trail 

Our first full day on the Sydenham section of the Bruce Trail, while wonderful, was a mixed trek.    On one hand, it took us through a number of naturally beautiful properties, while on the other we spent a great deal of our time walking along roads.   At certain points it seemed as though we were boxing along gravel roadways, only to add kilometres to the BTC trail system. 

 
In addition, today we came face-to-face with the increasing seduction of side trails along the Bruce Trail.  Specifically, we passed a number of blue-blazed pathways that when combined would have cut 5-10 kilometers from our route.  Amid the challenging terrain and long concession walks, the temptation to trim distance from the day increasingly called to us.  That was until we remembered that we weren’t hiking simply to get from point A to point B in the fastest possible way.  Instead, we are trekking to enjoy the moment, explore the region, and get away from being strictly focused on efficiency, schedules, and distances.   Our goal is to hike the full length of the main Bruce Trail, and so despite the temptation to do otherwise, we are proud to have stuck to our goals and not ventured downside trails to shorten the journey.
 
With the day’s trek done, and now some 35 kilometres more of the Bruce Trail completed, we were grateful for having continued on with our thru trek.  Being back in nature put recent events a little more into perspective, and the rugged terrain certainly gave us the opportunity to focus our energy. Instead of venting about our loss in a motel or while driving home, we focused on being grateful for the opportunity to trek the Bruce Trail, for being physically capable of walking such a long distance, and for being able to spend so much time in nature.

See you on the Trail!