The Rideau Trail: Black Ance Point Road (09A+) to Long Lake Road (09D)

Sun. 14 September:  The Rideau Trail:

Black Ance Point Road (09A+) to Long Lake Road (09D)

The McParlan House, built 1812 (4 years before the founding of Perth)

Eleven walkers met promptly at 9 a.m. this morning at Conlon Farm in Perth for today’s hike along the Rideau Trail.  This was an experienced group, with members having recently travelled in the Arctic, in Wales, and elsewhere.  We were well matched, and made good time along the trail.

Although I could only claim 2.9 kilometres of new trail towards my end-to-end goal, it was an enjoyable revisit of a scenic stretch of country.  We started at a convenient parking area along Black Ance Road in Murphys Point Park, and travelled “north” (via every point of the compass) to Long Lake Road, a distance of just short of nine kilometres.

Soon after the start, we stopped at the McParlan House, an old two-storey log home built in 1812.  This was a full four years before the founding of Perth.  There was once a saw-mill here.  A storage shed also remains in good shape, and a few stones marking the foundation of a blacksmith’s shop.  We walked around the main floor of the well-preserved house before continuing along the trail to Lally Homestead.

As we travelled north, past the road to the Silver Queen mica mine, we skirted the swamp where I had been lucky last July to snap a photo of a startled deer.  This animal now graces the cover of the Fall  2014 edition  of the club’s newsletter.

The advantage of walking in a group is that you learn a lot about the trail.  Today I discovered many new facts about the different types of mushrooms, and how to determine which are safe to eat.  There were some good examples on display today.  We also saw a lone Monarch butterfly heading south to Mexico.  We hoped there were others out there somewhere. 

Our lunch stop was at my favorite rock, well positioned above a beaver pond.  The beavers had abandoned this swamp but may one day return.  They are highly active in other areas, and it’s a constant battle here and there to stop them damming up creeks and lakes. 

All too soon we had reached Long Lake Road, where we had parked some of our cars earlier. A simple shuttle process made an easy job of the logisitics of this one-way trip.  It had been another grand outing, and a small but significant addition towards my overall Rideau Trail goals.

Statistics:

Total Distance:               8.9 km (hike)

Height Gain:                   A few minor ups & downs

Time on Trail:                3 hrs. 21 mins.

Black Ance Rd (09A+):    9.37 am

Lally Homestd (09B):     10.23 am

Group Camp (09C):        11.27 am

Long Lake Rd (09D):      12.58 pm

Temp:                            +7C to +9C

Weather:                        Cloud, sunny later.  Cool. 

RT Completed to Date = 31.1% (= 102.8/330.4 km)

Sturdy bridge by site of old blacksmith's shop at McParlan House

Lively river passing beneath the bridge on its way to Rideau Lake

Lally Homestead

Passing the mica mine junction

This is apparently edible!

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The swamp where I captured my prize-winning deer photo!

A small Danger sign warns of a large hole right beside the trail

Lots of interesting fungus and mushrooms along the route

A very pleasant walk through the woods

The sun comes out as we approach Long Lake Road