Training Log Archive: boyle

Event: ROC - Ski-O at Mendon Ponds Park
 

Rideau Trail kilometres 14.0-21.3
Kingston township
windchill -18

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 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.

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.

I did not log the walk back to the start.

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.

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.

>ibuprofen

NT 0%

Well, that was the run for this month. How sad is that?

Because of the bruise on my eye, I may cancel plans for race efforts in Rochester on Sunday. I hope to fill the weekend with less strenuous adventures on the Rideau Trail.

NT

I've noticed slight bleeding on the outside of my right eye. I do recall being whipped by branches there on Sunday.