Day 23 – Hiking Day 20 – Thursday September 28 2017

Day 23 – Hiking Day 20 – Thursday September 28 2017
Blue Mountains Section K 45.3 Pretty River Access Trail to Blue Mountains Section K 20.4 Hamilton Bros Side Trail
Distance – 25.41 k
Time  - 7:15









Another great day on the Bruce! The temperature changed abruptly over night! We started out at 12C this morning, and although the sun did come out later, the wind remained very cool – so about 13C! It was long sleeves, a short sleeve t-shirt on top…and to start with…my vest! That didn’t last long though. Shortly out of the parking lot we had a massive climb back up on to the top of the Escarpment….time to strip! 

Our footing today was for the most part fairly easy, except for one small section where the rocks and boulders were replaced by tree roots. We left the Pretty River Valley Provincial Park and entered the beautiful forests of the Nottawasaga Lookout Provincial Nature Reserve. Then a stint on the roads and views of the Duntroon Highlands Golf Club House. We noticed a sign for the Club which welcomed members of the public to the restaurant, which was open 7 days a week. Our mouths watered, and we imagined stopping in for a “coffee”!! When we saw that the club house was a kilometer away from the road, our minds flashed “…an extra 2 k to walk……noh!” We thought the club had a missed opportunity and that at the least they could have a coffee stand at the road side for “hikers”!! We thought about accosting a couple of players to take us up to the club house in their golf cart, but didn’t think that would go down too well!! So we passed on by!! 

We had a lovely walk along the side of the Mad River in Devil’s Glen…pretty muddy though….then we started on our climb back up to the top of the Escarpment . On the way we found a bench …with a back!! Our first on the trail!! And that is where we had lunch with a view  over to McKinney’s Hill (at least we think that is what it was) the highest point in Southern Ontario at 560 metres. Then it was on up the steep climb to the top of Devil’s Glen ski hills. We finished the day with Ray, who had hiked in to join us, along the last 2.5k winding our way through forests, farmers’ fields, and yes…more crevices, before descending to the car park.

As you can see by our times today, the trail was pretty easy compared to some of our other hikes of equal distance. We think our legs are getting stronger too, and our feet are really holding out well. I suppose the uphill work strengthens our lungs, but we don’t expect much cardio improvement from our hike. It is an amazing experience to be hiking every day and able to enjoy and appreciate…and be grateful for….the beauty that Ontario has to offer.

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