Mission fails

While on the Rideau Trail in snowshoes this morning, returning from two geocaches, I accepted the reality that I won't be completing the mission: end-to-end trail hike by snowshoe. The mission was in jeopardy after a Schnauzer joined the household, filling my play time. Now a grandson has arrived and I am already experiencing his demands on my time and energy. Nevertheless, today I covered a mile in each direction, north of Timm Drive on NCC trail 20. Photographic evidence is from two caches which must now be visited for a third time each, this time with black light.

Mission Continues?

After nearly ten years of attempting to snowshoe the length of the Rideau Trail (and after taking a break from doing so for nearly five years), I now suspect that my mission cannot be completed. The Rideau Trail has been re-routed more rapidly than I can visit the trail. Perhaps this is a good thing. I can visit new alignments of the Rideau Trail that are closer to home.

Ziggy the Schnauzer joined the universe in the summer of '08. While I expect that he will join me while attempting to complete the trail, I'm not comfortable confining him in the car for the 2+h drive to the southern portions of the Rideau Trail which I have yet to attempt. It might happen. Last Saturday, Ziggy and I finally got on the snow on the Rideau Trail, in the Richmond area south of Franktown Road on the extension of Conley Road. However, as of last November that alignment of the Rideau Trail was changed yet again so we actually only covered about 100m of the current trail alignment eventhough we were on trail for more than 5k, return. Considering that it's been years since I was on any yet-to-be-snowshoed segment of the trail, I should have photographed the event.

Bedford Mills

These photographs date back to my visit in late March 2008.

Longest winter yet: No April Fools

Sunday morning
Rideau Trail kilometres 101.8-103.6
North Crosby township
Tenth concession road allowance

With the significant base of snow (46cm), this was my latest winter-outing on the Rideau Trail.

Sunday afternoon
Rideau Trail kilometres 95.7-99.6
Bedford township

Pay close attention to the trail flashes. This is not a stroll along a road allowance. A couple of minutes south of McAndrews Road, the owners of the private lands have posted a blue-flashed alternate, closing the main trail through the winter. Because I disturbed so many deer, heron and geese, I suspect that the owners closed the trail so that they could hunt on their land through the winter. The blue alternate trail adds 6 to 7 minutes to the adventure but avoids a large beaver dam.

Nearing the Perth Road, the Kingston-bound ascent is too steep. On the return journey, I chose my own routing, correctly assuming that the pond ice would hold my weight (backpack included).

The road through Bedford Mills forced me on to the road-side grass and gravel. The adventure included an additional un-logged sixteen minutes for carrying snowshoes back along Perth Road and for exploring Benjamin Tett's Bedford Mills. In recent family-history research, I've been investigating the life of Benjamin Tett in 1840s North Crosby.

Tuesday evening
Rideau Trail kilometres 281.9-283.7
NCC trail #20 between Timm Drive and ditch to Stillwater Creek
12°

With the warm temperature, the snow is too soft and too deep (44cm). Even if I had worn the gaiters, my feet would still be soaked. However, I would have had fewer snow grains in my running shoes.

The highway 417 overpass is under construction and the trail is closed there. The official detour of the Rideau Trail is along Timm and Moodie.

In this short section, I pass three TCTrail plaques (red maple, iron wood and sugar maple) and two NCC plaques.

Rideau Trail snowshoe mission in review
01 Apr 2008: 281.9-283.7 NCC trail #20
30 Mar 2008: 95.7-99.6 McAndrews Road
30 Mar 2008: 101.8-103.6 North Crosby Tenth concession
20 Jan 2008: 14.0-21.3 Kingston township & K&P Railway
19 Jan 2008: 63.5-66.6 Hidden Valley Road
19 Jan 2008: 21.3-25.2 Murvale station
18 Jan 2008: 125.8-132.8 Narrows Lock
08 Dec 2007: 106.6-113.0 Old Mountain to Salem roads
08 Dec 2007: 47.8-50.6 west of Frontenac Park

19 Mar 2007: 41.7-47.8 Gould Lake - Bedford Road
18 Mar 2007: 63.5-58.9 Perth Road - Caldwell Creek, Frontenac Park
17 Mar 2007: 67.4-76.1 Opinicon - Maple Leaf Road
17 Mar 2007: 144.9-153.0 Murphys Point - Narrows Lock Road
07 Mar 2007: 279.2-279.7 Stony Swamp Score-O map
18 Feb 2007: 277.2-279.2 Stony Swamp w/ my darling
17 Feb 2007: 166.7-164.9 Frizell Road - Tay Canal
17 Feb 2007: 179.9-176.3 Wildlife & Ferrier Roads
24 Jan 2007: 183.9-185.4 Port Elmsley Drive-In - Beveridge Lock

12 Mar 2006: 76.1-81.5 Upper Rock Lake - Wagon Loop
11 Mar 2006: 114.0-125.8 Narrows Lock Road - Perth Road
15 Jan 2006: 113.0-114.0 Perth Road - Mountain Road
08 Jan 2006: 32.0-41.7 Sydenham - Gould Lake Conservation Area
07 Jan 2006: 191.5-195.1 Hillcrest Cemetery - Poonamalie Road
27 Dec 2005: 261.0-262.7 Richmond Lagoon
24 Dec 2005: 200.1-207.3 & 208.8-210.0 Wood Road, Matheson Drive & Smiths Falls
11 Dec 2005: 87.1-95.7 Chaffeys Locks - Massassauga Road

12 Mar 2005: 280.9-281.9 Robertson Rd
19 Feb 2005: 81.5-87.1 Chaffeys Locks - Wagon Loop
05 Feb 2005: 256.8-258.3 Richmond
date? 283.1-284.1 Corkstown Rd w/ my love
16 Jan 2005: 265.0-262.7 & 208.9-207.3, from Twin Elm rugby park then drove to cover side of Rosedale Rd S
10 Jan 2005: 290.6-291.8 former CPR Carleton Place subdivision
08 Jan 2005: 279.7-280.9 Stoney Swamp w/ my love

21 Mar 2004: 225.7-230.1 Dwyer Hill Rd to Flood Rd
07 Mar 2004: 66.6-67.4 Maple Leaf Rd & CNR Smiths Falls sub, too many dogs & too little snow
06 Mar 2004: 132.8-140.7 Murphy's Pt Prov Pk to Big Rideau North Shore Rd, too wet to continue to Cooper Dr
04 Mar 2004: 9.4-14.0 14.2-14.4 15.3-16.3 Kingston Twp avoiding open water in fields
29 Feb 2004: 163.1-164.9 166.7-168.9 191.5-190.9 Ferrier Rd & Wild Life Rd to Scotch Line then to Poonamalie Rd but too many dogs
28 Feb 2004: 172.0-176.3 Tay River
25 Feb 2004: 186.8-190.9 from Port Elmsley
22 Feb 2004: 183.9-179.9 Tay Canal
13 Feb 2004: 297.8-301.1 Ottawa River
11 Feb 2004: 274.4-277.2 Lime Kiln trail
10 Feb 2004: 297.8-295.5 Ottawa River
08 Feb 2004: 140.7-144.9 Murphy's Pt
07 Feb 2004: 158.4-153.0 car stuck in snow off Narrows Lock Rd
01 Feb 2004: 163.1-158.4 from Ferrier Rd
22 Jan 2004: 267.5-265.0 old Richmond Rd @ night
15 Jan 2004: 257.4-261.0 Richmond village
12 Jan 2004: 293.6-295.5 ex CPR Carleton Place sub
11 Jan 2004: 292.7-293.6 Britannia
10 Jan 2004: 210.0-213.8 Long Bush
09 Jan 2004: 213.8-218.0 McConnell Rd
08 Jan 2004: 230.0-234.7 mile trek to trail off Flood Rd, lots of rocks
07 Jan 2004: 234.7-238.0 Marlborough Forest by head lamp, too many branches
04 Jan 2004: 218.0-221.9 Gilroy Rd
03 Jan 2004: 221.9-225.7 Dwyer Hill Rd
02 Jan 2004: 284.1-288.1
21 Dec 2003: 291.4-292.7 Britannia
20 Dec 2003: 251.2-256.8 245.1-248.0 Franktown Rd, lost glove back thru Ottawa St swamp then drove to Kettles Rd
06 Dec 2003: 238.0-245.1 Ruffed Grouse Trail
05 Dec 2003: 267.5-272.3
30 Nov 2003: 304.0-304.3 trail head Richmond Landing
29 Nov 2003: 256.8-257.4 251.2-248.0 244.7-244.3 Jock Trail & Munster Rd, very little snow cover

15 Jan 2003: 301.1-303.2 Remic Rapids

kilometres completed = 259.7 85%
[Kingston] 9.4-25.2 [Sydenham south] 32.0-50.6 [Frontenac Park] 58.9-99.6 [McAndrews Road] 101.8-103.6 [Salem Road south] 106.6-168.9 [Perth] 172.0-185.4 [Port Elmsley] 186.8-195.1 [Smiths Falls] 200.1-272.3 [Fallowfield] 274.4-288.1 [Bayshore west] 290.6-303.2 [LeBreton Flats] 304.0-304.3

More Kick & Push

Rideau Trail kilometres 14.0-21.3
Kingston township

I've now snowshoed more than 83% of the Rideau Trail.

I headed back to Kingston because yesterday's forecast called for a dump of 35cm of snow. I need the snow to help with urbanized portions of the trail. No snow fell.

Temperatures were frigid (windchill -18) but not cold enough to keep me on the ice and protect me from wading through the marsh.

I began at the intersection of Unity and Cordukes roads, heading north on the road allowance until it ends at the marsh, then west on ridge above marsh and then north under the hydro wires through the unfrozen Glenvale Creek marsh, leaving the hydro corridor following farmers tracks east and north, coming out on Lees Road three buildings from Babcock and then up the length of Babcock and back. Expect dogs.

Upon return to the marsh, having sighted the K&P embankment to the west, I decided to take a less wet route. In hindsight, the seventeen-minute addition may not have been efficient. Once I left the open field, I fought my way through a forest of unfamiliar nasty thorny trees. When I neared the abandoned right-of-way, I then encountered the fence still protecting the railway. Eventually, I found a spot to crawl under the fence.

Interestingly, after taking the rail bed over the marsh, I found a stile to cross over the fence. Reviewing the map later, I learned that the trail was once routed that way.

Retracing the trail, I passed my starting spot, took Unity Road east about a kilometre, then over a stile (this adventure had four stiles in each direction, not counting the retired stile at the K&P) heading south and turned back at the corridor hosting the gas pipeline.

Back at Unity Road, I took off the snowshoes.

kilometres completed 253.1 83%

Kick & Push

Rideau Trail kilometres 63.5-66.6
Loughborough township

Last night, while mentally preparing for the 4h+ return trip from Frontenac Park trail centre to Caldwell Creek, I had terrifying visions of my knee giving up that final time, 8 kilometres in to the woods, 200k from home, M off the Baja coast and jd all alone. There is no way it's worth the risk. Now I must come up with a strategy to complete that most isolated portion of the Rideau Trail.

Instead, I chose two adventures that just happen to be near former railways.

The morning hike began from midway along Hidden Valley Road. This segment of the trail is on road or on private property, three stiles in each direction. I headed east on Hidden Valley Road and then south on private land, the valley right after the farm house is very dangerous. For the Ottawa bound hiker, the journey is the more dangerous downhill.

I turned back at the intersection with the ex-Smiths Falls subdivision (CNR) / Cataraqui Trail / Trans Canada Trail. For once, those dogs weren't home.

Retracing my steps, I passed my starting place, down Hidden Valley, then north on Perth Road until I got to the Rideau Trail's single-vehicle parking spot and there I took off my snowshoes. Some of that trail parallels the highway off road.

Rideau Trail kilometres 21.3-25.2
Loughborough township

This pace is faster only because the adventure was all on flat road, road allowance or rail bed. I began at the five corners of Forest, Murton and Murvale roads and headed south on the road allowance which is actually the town line between Loughborough and Portland. At Orser Road, I went east all the way to Babcock which felt like forever.

When I began the Rideau Trail snowshoe mission, the routing of the trail was only half that distance along Orser before heading south.

Even though I was zonked by the time I got back on the town-line road allowance, I could not resist following the hydro-corridor trail west over to the Kick & Push (Kingston & Pembroke) rail bed.

I followed the K&P north, clearly passing a siding to the Cataraqui transformer station, a siding which I'm certain would not show on a photograph today, crossing Murton Road, then up to curve away from Forest Road, backtrack to Murton and take the road back to my start.

It may be tough walking tomorrow.

kilometres completed 247.0 81%

Big Rideau Plateau

Rideau Trail kilometres 125.8-132.8
North Burgess township

There was no work today and I went out to trail play. It was good to explore a segment of the Rideau Trail that I'd never seen in winter or summer. I started at Narrows Lock and hiked about seven minutes to the trail, then headed east. After only 100m, fording the first stream a soaker was required. I wasn' t pleased with the trail design. On my return, I followed the deer across the stream. She wants wet feet no more than I do.

After 85 minutes, I finally reached that segment of trail previously visited. Here, back in March '04, I had been defeated by open water. The same puddles caused issues again today.

From the turn-around, I used Big Rideau North Shore road until the intersection with the blue markers. En route, I got a flurry of text messages from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. ;)

I had expected an out-and-back trail to the ghost town but was happy to find that the blue-flashed Big Rideau Plateau Trail was a short-cut home. I'm not sure if I actually passed a ghost town though I did encounter cairns of stones and I photographed a large window frame.

Back at the intersection with the paved Narrows Lock Road, I headed up the road with the recently plowed shoulders. I tortured the bottoms of my poor snowshoes but I was determined to complete this segment of the Rideau Trail. Map 5 is complete!

Mercifully, I carried the snowshoes back to the bridge.


kilometres completed 240.0 79%