Snowshoeing 2:40:25 [2] 13.4 km (11:58 / km)
ahr:107 max:131 slept:9.4 shoes: Atlas 1025
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.