The Passionate Hiker: Kate's Lake

Sun. 28 September: Kate’s Lake

Our hiker's gathering point: Conlon Farm, Perth

This hiking club outing took us up into the Lanark Highlands, to the northwest of Perth. Driving up the Lanark Road, Hwy 511, is always enjoyable, and today it was made more so by the early Fall colors all around.

Turning right on the Tatlock Road, then left on Concession Road #6, we were soon at our trailhead, on a good gravel road. We followed this road for about three kilometres as it climbed quite steeply then undulated through the forest. An occasional rustic hunter’s cabin was passed. These cabins will soon be filled, as hunting season gets under way.

This road ended at Highway 511, where the weekend traffic was whizzing by at great speed, around a blind corner – not a place to linger. We retraced our steps for a kilometre or so, before turning off onto a fainter trail. We negotiated a beaver dam across the end of a swamp, and then very soon afterwards reached the edge of Kate’s Lake.

Here a truck was parked, and four young guys were enjoying some fishing. We stopped beside the lake on a handy rock for our lunch. An upturned boat sat beside the dark waters. This would have made an ideal place to swim, although we could see how steeply the rock disappeared into the inky depths of the lake.

There was much to learn on this trip, and knowledgeable hiking partners. For example, the different types of maple trees, the calls of different birds, and the ecology of a healthy lake, just to name a few topics.

On our journey we also passed by several “erratics”, or rocks which were left behind by the glaciers from the last ice age. Moss and lichen were now growing profusely over these rocks. This was once a great mountain chain, now a fascinating forested wilderness.

We left our fishing friends frying up their trout, and completed a circuit, returning to our cars along a good forest trail, under a colorful canopy of tall trees.

As an additional bonus, we also visited a gigantic quarry which was close to the Tatlock road. Walking up the steep road, we suddenly came to a white wall of rock. The quarry must have been half a kilometre wide at the top, and descended in multiple layers to the quarry floor far below. A tall wire fence kept visitors out, although a handy set of bleacher seats was positioned to allow a school party to watch the mining trucks at work. This is the OMYA calcium carbonate quarry. OMYA is a Swiss company. The mineral is used as a filler for paints, plastic and toothpaste. OMYA has a large plant just outside of Perth, where they turn the rock into a slurry for shipment across Canada and the USA. I selected a good size rock to take home, which grew in weight as we returned to the car.

This last fascinating side trip sealed a very successful outing, on a day which was perfect for outdoor adventure – and the hiking club calendar is full right up to Christmas!

Statistics (Kate’s Lake plus the Quarry walk):

Total Distance: 9 + 2 = 11 km (hike)

Height Gain: Say 200 + 100 = 300 ft.

Time on Trail: 4 hrs. 09 mins. (202+47 mins.)

Start Kate’s L. hike: 9.54 am

Hwy. 511: 10.46 am

Kate’s Lake arr.: 11.43 am

Kate’s Lake dep.: 12.29 pm

Ret. to cars: 1.16 pm

Start Quarry hike: 1.24 pm

Ret. to cars: 2.11 pm

Temp: Rising to +23C