The Passionate Hiker: The Rideau Trail: Kingston City Hall (01A) to McIvor Road (02A)

Tues. 9 September: The Rideau Trail:

Kingston City Hall (01A) to McIvor Road (02A)

The Rideau Trail starts in front of Kingston City Hall

Here in front of Kingston City Hall, beside Lake Ontario, is the start of the magnificent Rideau Trail. It was a perfect morning for walking. The waters of the lake shone bright gold in the sun, the waves rippling in the strong breeze, as early risers were making their way to work.

The first section of trail follows the shoreline of Lake Ontario for about seven kilometres. It was well signed with new trail markers. This spectacular pathway links several waterfront parks and harbours. Over its three hundred kilometre length, the Rideau Trail passes through such varied scenery that comparisons between sections are hard. But perhaps there is no more spectacular stretch than this very first few kilometres, with views across a vast lake whose far shoreline was beyond the horizon, and plenty of choices for that perfect photograph.

On a couple of occasions the path turned back inland to follow the street around a section of private property. One such jog took me past the front gate of Kingston Penitentiary – a classic old fashioned prison. Immediately afterwards, the trail turned back to the water, at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour. The guard tower of the prison frowned down on the rows of expensive yachts at their moorings – a stark contrast.

Finally, after passing through several treed parks, each one more beautiful than the last, I turned inland at Elevator Bay Park. Here across the road was the original starting point for the Rideau Trail, in the days before the magnificent Waterfront Trail had been created. The trail runs northwards along a secluded route beside Little Cataraqui Creek. I passed beside the Cataraqui golf course on my right, where several groups of senior citizens were playing serious golf.

Leaving the golfers behind, I passed through two wetland areas on boardwalks, and crossed a railway line twice. On my second crossing I stepped over the line well ahead of a reversing train, but the young guy riding the rear of the train gave me a lecture about walking in front of trains!

Now the trail headed through pleasant residential neighbourhoods and across a couple of busy city roads before turning off onto a track leading directly to the southern platform of Kingston railway station. This part of the trail must be the most incongruous. The path actually enters the station buildings, crosses beneath the railway line and comes out into the main station concourse and out the front door past the taxi ranks! Convenient for purchase of a snack and a visit to the washrooms but not very scenic. I lingered a while, hoping to see a train come by, but was rewarded only by an announcement that the train to Toronto was running forty five minutes late!

Across the road from the station I entered another world. Here was the beautiful Cataraqui Cemetery, set in a rolling, wooded landscape, and containing the graves of several notable Canadians, none more so than Sir John A MacDonald, first Prime Minister of Canada. I stopped to admire the simple cross and obelisk which marked his grave and that of his family members. A little higher up the cemetery was a fountain and small lake, beside which sat a stone bench with this inscription: “A Remembering Place on the Rideau Trail”. I rested a while to reflect on the beauty of this place, and the contrasts which this trail offers the traveler.

After a short road walk up the busy Sydenham Road, I turned left onto the K&P Trail. This was once the Kingston and Pembroke railway, and is now a perfect route for bikers and walkers. The first section passed beside swamps where I enjoyed trying to take good photos of the birds on the water and in the reeds. The trail swung north and under the crazy traffic of Highway 401 through a long corrugated metal tunnel. At the far end of the tunnel a very large spider was playing around on his gigantic web, designed to catch birds and careless people by the look of it!

Not long after this tunnel the trail crossed McIvor Road, and this is where I finished my hike today. There were one or two other walkers on this section of trail, and a few cyclists, making the best of this perfect day. To the west I could see some clouds gathering, but they brought no change to the weather.

So I had made a start on this southern section of the Rideau Trail, and had been amazed by the variety of experiences along this first seventeen kilometres of trail. Each hike along the Rideau Trail has brought its share of pleasant surprises and today was up there with the best. I have some exciting stretches ahead of me.

Statistics:

Total Distance: 17.4 km (hike)

Height Gain: 100 ft. (76m to 106m)

Time on Trail: 4 hrs. 42 mins.

City Hall (01A): 7.32 am

Penitentiary : 8.31 am

Trailhead Pl. (01B): 9.22 am

Bath Road (01C): 9.57 am

VIA Stn. arr. (01D): 10.22 am

VIA Stn. dep. (01D): 10.48 am

K&P Trail (01E): 11.38 am

McIvor Road (02A): 12.14 pm