The Passionate Hiker: The Rideau Trail: Bedford/Salmon Lake Roads (04E) to Perth Road (05C)

Fri. 19 September: The Rideau Trail:

Bedford/Salmon Lake Roads (04E) to Perth Road (05C)

Signs of Fall

Day three dawned cloudless but very cool - a few degrees below freezing. After a welcome bowl of hot porridge I was on my way, glad of my gloves and wooly hat. Mist was rising from the lakes as I walked down Salmon Lake Road towards Frontenac Provincial Park.

If I had been walking through wilderness yesterday, then today it was even more so. The only way you can stay overnight within Frontenac Park is to hike into one of the back-country campsites dotted around this large area of lakes and forests. Today I would hike right through the Park from west to east, gaining an idea of what Frontenac has to offer.

During September and October, they sponsor the “Frontenac Challenge”, in which people are encouraged to hike every one of the eleven loops around the remote Park, a distance of 160 kilometres. Apparently over two hundred people successfully complete this challenge each year.

The trail passes the modern concrete lakeside visitor centre before heading out into the forest. It was a pleasant path through the woods, but not dissimilar to many other sections of the Rideau Trail. The further east I walked, the more spectacular it became. The trail brought me, in about four and a half kilometres, to Doe Lake, perhaps a kilometre from end to end. Here was a pretty campsite by the water’s edge. There were no campers, but there was a park worker busily maintaining the campsite with shovel and rake. All around were small signs warning of poison ivy. We greeted each other – he assumed I was on the Frontenac Challenge, and he was a little surprised I was “doing the Rideau Trail”.

The next section of trail took me through an enchanted land. Each small lake or swamp was prettier than the next, with early Fall colors reflecting in the water. The rocky pathway wandered through the rugged landscape, with a surprise around every corner. Distance seemed to play tricks, making each kilometre feel three times as far. But I wasn’t complaining.

The biggest surprise of the day was Flagpole Hill. Suddenly I came out of the forest to find a bare rocky slope ahead of me. A quick scramble brought me to a spectacular 360 degree viewpoint. I heard voices, and two minutes later, a party of three appeared up the trail from the east. One of the party was a senior member of the Friends of Frontenac Park, and he invited me to join the Fall trail maintenance crew later this month. He also kindly took a rare photo of The Passionate Hiker on the trail, enjoying the view from this magnificent vantage point.

The trail became more challenging as I continued east, with constant ups and downs. I passed a swamp where a Rideau Trail marker sat on a tree stump in the middle of the water – perhaps more useful in winter when you could walk across the ice!! Further on, I dropped down into a chasm where a bridge crossed over beneath the cliffs. I passed the junction to Slide Lake Loop, considered highly scenic apparently.

Finally, after my magical journey through this enchanted land, I found myself suddenly on the Perth Road. I had made it through perhaps the most rugged section of the Rideau Trail, but there was plenty more ahead.

Statistics:

Total Distance: 14.6 km (hike)

Height Gain: Say 600 ft. in small gains

Time on Trail: 5 hrs. 50 mins.

Salmon Lake Rd (04E): 7.35 am

Frontenac Park (04F): 8.10 am

Doe Lake (04G): 9.28 am

West Slide Jn (05A): 12.03 pm

South Slide Jn(05B): 12.35 pm

Perth Road (05C): 1.25 pm

Temp: Minus 2C rising to +10C

Weather: Cloudless.