Lessons Learned - Day 5 - August 2014

The map shows today's route as having many long, straight stretches. I thought that meant it would be a lot of walking along roads. The map description mentions the trail going along a "track" in a few sections. It also mentions that one section of the trail is on a  "road allowance" (<-- what is that?) and that it may be "overgrown in muddy in places". ...if only it had just been mud!

We had a guest star hiking with us today, my friend Kizza joined us for the day and little did she (or any of us!) know what we were getting in to! It all started off nicely walking along a gravel road and we made really good time.

We shepherded this turtle into the ditch as it had picked a dangerous spot in the middle of the road to sun itself.

Then the trail turned on to the "road allowance" that started off with this sign

"unopen"? aka "closed"?

Not far along was this bridge made specifically for the Rideau Trail users :-)

But then we came upon lengthy sections of the trail that were completely under water.

We didn't find much mud, but we did find lots of water!

 I felt bad because I had told Kizza that we would be walking on roads so she wore her running shoes and had to hike through this "puddle" that was probably about 2 kms long in running shoes - but she didn't complain once!  Thankfully the trail dried up after a few kilometres of wet and we turned on to a snowmobile trail. I learned that in the summer, snowmobile trails are covered in long grass, which we were completely unprepared for, only wearing shorts.

Kizza breaking trail through the grass.

Other sections of the trail were also quite overgrown.

Yep, that's the trail. Can't you see it?!

Walking though long grass and brush for hours really thrashes your legs. Especially when you're allergic to grass and every time it scrapes against you, you get red welts that swell and sting. 

Kizza, Rolla, Zuzka.  Guess who's allergic to grass?!

The trail did have some really nice views today though and it is always nice to be out hiking in the forest, even if the conditions are less than ideal. We had a really good time out today and it certainly was an adventure! My lessons learned are:

1. Just because the trail is straight on the map, it doesn't mean it will be easy-walking on a road. 

2. Wear long pants and long sleeves to protect arms and legs

3. Don't hike in the afternoon, it's too hot. 

4. Read the trail description on the map while planning the route. 

5. My hiking buddies are awesome! Neither Rolla or Kizza complained at all today!

 

We finished off the hike enjoying some cold gatorade that I had left in a cooler in my car. We certainly deserved it after the hike we had! We've now hiked over 50 kms. Only 250 to go until Kingston!

Trail Marker on a beautiful snag. I always think back to learning how important these are to ecosystems in ecology class. Click the link for more info :-)

Statistics:

Start Point - 16C

End Point - 17D

Daily Distance - 15 Km

Total Distance - 52.7 Km

Maps!

Here is a general map of the Trail courtesy of the Rideau Trail Association.

 
The Rideau Trail Association http://www.rideautrail.org/ publishes awesome maps on fancy waterproof paper with the trail marked on one side and then a narrative about the trail on the back. There are 19 maps in total and they have waypoints marked on each map to use as reference (ie. 18C). I bought these maps in the spring and consult them regularly to plan the route and then refer to them frequently while out on the trail because there are lots of intersections and trail tends to jump from singletrack to the shoulder of a highway then to singletrack, then to double track, so the maps come in very handy.

Here is a map of the entire trail with the 19 maps overlaid. Here is the link to this map which is easier to see on the website http://www.rideautrail.org/maps/IndexMap.html

We're very indebted to Rideau Trail Association for making all the maps and ensuring that the RT is well-maintained and that the trail has access across private and public lands. Thank you!

Hike Night - Day 4 August 14 2014

After having to change our route last weekend due to the traffic jam at Moodie Dr., we decided that we would go back and hike the section we had missed on a weeknight as it was close enough to drive there and not that long of a hike.

It was cool and rainy so it was the first time we've been out hiking on the trail when we didn't need sunscreen. Thankfully because it was cool there were virtually no mosquitoes out, so it was actually a really pleasant evening out on the trail, especially because the rain held off for the most part.

Technically we only have 269 km to make it to Kingston because we have already hiked a 9 km section south of this sign.

This section of the Rideau Trail went on more of the Stony Swamp Trails and it was lovely walking through the forest.

On some sections of the trail we walked right on the edge of suburban condos and then just a few minutes further down the trail we came upon farms. I always find it surprising how Ottawa transitions so quickly from urban to rural.

Then we made it back to some familiar territory.

Hello Hwy 417 and Moodie Drive exit.

The trail definitely took a less than direct way to get to the north side of the Hwy 417-Moodie Dr intersection. It meandered through fields and skirted a forest.  For the first time on this hike (and I suspect not the last) we crossed train tracks.

We walked past the Ottawa equestrian grounds which I believe were the cause of the traffic chaos last Saturday. On this evening there were only a few deer munching on the grass.

We finished off our this section right as darkness fell and then headed home. Not too bad of a way to spend a Thursday evening! I don't think we'll be able to do this again though because our next sections are too far out of town.

Statistics:
Start point - 18C
End point - 18H
Daily distance - 10.9 km
Total distance -37.7 km

It Started with Cows. Day 3 - 7 August 2014

After meeting at 8:00 to get an early start to the day before it became too hot, Rolla and I drove in our cars out to the intersection at Moodie & the 417 to drop one car off and then we would go together in another car to our start point, south along the Rideau Trail. As we took the Moodie exit off the highway there was a traffic jam. At 8:15 on a Saturday morning. Huh? We waited on the off ramp for 15 minutes making little progress. I had thought maybe there was construction or an accident. But as we inched along, it looked like there was some event and all of Ottawa and Gatineau were going to park in a field at this intersection. We cut our losses, turned south on Moodie, met up on the side of the road and planned our new route. Cause we are dynamic, problem-solving public servants and that's how we roll.

We left Rolla's car at an NCC parking lot and realised that we would be starting somewhere on a rural country road with no parking, so I promised to myself not be too shy to ask a farmer if we could park on their property. Good luck had it that right where we wanted to park at the back of a dairy farm, there were some people standing around at the front, so I drove up and explained that we were hiking the Rideau Trail and asked if we could park along their access at the back of the farm. They were kind enough to oblige, so we parked and started on our way.

It's the first time I've ever started a hike at a barn.

Rolla with the cows. Moo.

The trail was actually on the shoulder of the road for quite some time, but it was a very quiet road and we saw only one vehicle and about five road bikers. And quite a few cows.

Zuzka with more cows. They looked like happy cows. Moo.

We continued along the road and came upon this unique mail box / address post combination. The property was not only a farm but also had a welding shop. The sign post made me think of something my Dad would make. He always made lots of metal stuff for us when my brother and I were kids including a raised outdoor fire pit that actually looked like an alien spaceship landing craft. It was awesome!

Dad, this one's for you!

The RT then (thankfully) left the road and went along a tractor track on the edge of a corn field.

Alongside some corn. Check out the red triangle trail marker on the tree at the left.

The respite from the road was short-lived though and the trail went back to a very busy road this time. There was a new subdivision off the road, so there was lots of traffic. Not really the nicest place to walk along.

Walking along a busy road.

The final section of the trail for the day went into the Stony Swamp area of the Greenbelt. I was so happy to be in the forest and on proper trail until I realised that there were mosquitoes. Lots of them! We had intended to do a longer route but because we did a last minute re-route our hike was a lot shorter than planned so we finished our walk for the day part way through the Stony Swamp trails.

We had to resort to long sleeves in the forest because of the mozzies. Next time I'll remember the insect repellant!

Next time we'll the do the section of trail from Stony Swamp north to Moodie Dr 7 & the 417 that we had originally intended to do. We're really not being very strict about adhering to the Ottawa to Kingston direction of hiking or doing it in sequence but I'm not very bothered. In the end we'll walk the entire trail regardless of what order we do it in or whether we walk it north to south, or south to north.  Just a few days in and we're already having some good adventures and getting to see some parts of Eastern Ontario that I wouldn't have otherwise seen. The section of trail we walked today wasn't very well used and we didn't see any other hikers at all!

Statistics:
Start point - 17D
End point - 18C
Daily Distance - 9 km
Total Distance - 26.8 km
              

We found mud! Day 2 - Saturday 5 July 2014

Since we are hiking each section end-to-end, we always need to have transport worked out for the start and end of each day. For this section that meant dropping my car off at Westboro Beach and then we caught the bus at the busway heading west out to the intersection of Moodie Dr and Highway 417. Yes technically, we are walking this section from "Kingston to Ottawa" but we weren't fussed about that. The transportation worked out better that way and the map narrative is easier to read in the order that it is written in (ie. not reading it backwards).

The bus dropped us at an overpass in the middle of the Greenbelt. The bus driver must have wondered why we were getting off at that stop on Saturday morning. Perhaps people get off there during the weekday as commuters, but it is in middle of nowhere, with nothing close by, so I can't imagine it's a well used spot on the weekends! It was the perfect location though for us to start our hike that day because the Rideau Trail started only a couple hundred metres from the bus stop.  The trail paralleled the the 417 for a while.

 

In the middle of the Greenbelt, next to the 417 near Moodie Drive

Thankfully the trail veered north and away from the highway and eventually went along the Ottawa River. While walking along the Ottawa River Pathway we met a group of women who were probably in their 70's walking along with their hiking poles, chatting away and laughing about something. What an inspiration to see older women out enjoying a walk/hike! I can only hope that we're still hiking when we're that age!

We saw this sign along the trail. Apparently there was a problem with people chopping trees down?!!!

I can't say as I've ever seen such a sign before!

 We continued along, and the RT left the Ottawa River Pathway and went on to the trails around Mud Lake

A break from the pavement! Finally, a "real" trail!

Zuzka finds mud!

Mud Lake?! It was pretty enough. A wetland oasis right in the city of Ottawa. 

The RT continued along the Ottawa River pathway with scenic views of the river

Ottawa River with some sort of large bird.

We finished the hike with an ice cream at the Westboro Beach Cafe. They served liquor but we figured that 11:00 am was a bit early for a drink. Arguable I know, but we were being responsible.

Westboro Beach Cafe has a lot of rules. I think we managed to avoid breaking any of them.

Statistics:
Start point: 18H
End point: 19D
Daily Distance 10.2 km
Total Distance 17.8 km

The First of Many Steps. Day 1 - 8 June 2014

Sunday 8 June 2014 was an auspicious day to start our journey. Or not. It just happened to be the day when our busy schedules aligned to allow us to start our adventure on a hot, humid Ottawa summer day. It was lovely!

We both live close to the starting point of the Rideau Trail, so we walked from our respective homes and met at the start of the Trail. Let the journey begin!

There are 19 maps published by the Rideau Trail Association and we started on Map 19 at point 19H (the maps and the trail descriptions are written and numbered from Kingston to Ottawa). This is located at the bottom of the locks below Parliament. 

We found the first trail marker! The Rideau Trail is marked with the red triangles.

 

Kilometre Zero.

We started at kilomtre zero and we think we have 305 km to go until Kingston. Like any good adventure we aren't quite sure about the distance! There are some side routes to the RT which in total equal 387 km. We don't plan to do the side routes as we're more interested in doing an end-to-end journey. We'll tally our kilometres and when we hit Kingston City Hall, the southern terminus of the trail, we'll know how far we went.

We came upon this historic plaque during the hike at Richmond Landing. I think it used to be northern terminus on the trail, but it has now extended a few kilometres farther east.

The day ended at Westboro beach. Sorry, no photo, we were more interested in a finding cold beer at a pub close by and then catching a bus home. Even though we spent the entire "hike" on the paved NCC pathway, it was pretty cool to start the journey with a walk and finish it with a transit ride home.

Statistics:
Start point - 19H
End point - 19D
Daily Distance 7.6 km
Total Distance 7.6 km

Go for a hike!

It all started last winter when my friend Rolla lent me the book "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed, a memoir of the author's adventure hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Knowing that I love to hike and find it impossible to turn down a good adventure, after I finished reading the book she asked "Zuzka do you want to hike the Rideau Trail with me?" Of course I agreed! We decided that we would start in the spring and would hike the Rideau Trail (RT) section by section, day by day, step by step. It might take us all summer, or all summer and fall, or even all summer, all fall, and all next summer too, but we would we walk all the way from Ottawa to Kingston.

...and so our journey began.

...and yes I'm starting this blog late. It's now August. I've learned that there are very few real deadlines in life (and especially at work).

... I decided to start my first ever blog mainly so that my parents who live far away can share the adventure. And so Rolla's parents who also live far away (but close to my parents!) can also know what we are up to. And so Rolla's husband doesn't think we are crazy to do this. On second thought, he might think we are even crazier once he reads this :-)