The Cataraqui Trail (1): Smiths Falls to Lombardy

Sat. 11 April:  The Cataraqui Trail (1):  Smiths Falls to Lombardy

Our goal:  104 km end-to-end hike of the Cataraqui Trail (in stages!)

There’s a railway museum in Smiths Falls.  But it’s much more than that.  It’s the old Canadian Northern railway station, built back in 1912.  A rail line once ran from here south to Sydenham and Napanee.  The last train left the station in 1979, and the abandoned route now forms the Cataraqui Trail.

The short section of line, from our starting point on Ferrara Drive north to the railway museum, has been lost to roads and supermarkets, but we could see the historical bascule bridge which once carried the trains across the Rideau Canal.

Our mission this year is to walk the full 104 km length of the Cataraqui Trail, from Smiths Falls to Strathcona, near Napanee, in a series of stages. 

It was clearly a popular choice.  Over twenty hikers converged on the trail sign, ready for the first leg south to Lombardy. 

This year, as we make our way down the trail, I’ll let the pictures tell the story.  This first section soon left the town behind, and continued in a dead straight line through fields and swamps.  In the middle of the swamp we passed a golf course.  I wouldn’t want to spend very long looking for a lost ball in early summer!

Last night a warm, blustery wind had blown into town, and the final traces of snow were quickly disappearing.  The trail was a little damp in places, with one short icy patch, but otherwise ideal for walking.  And naturally, with so many keen hikers assembled together, the pace was brisk and the conversation energetic.

In no time at all we had completed the first nine kilometres of trail and had arrived at the Anglican Church Road in Lombardy, ready to tackle the upcoming, perhaps more challenging, stages ahead of us, as we approached the Canadian Shield country.

So far, so good.  We were on track, and on time.

  

Note:  single-click on the first picture above to scroll through the photos separately

Statistics: 

Total Distance:         10.0 (hike)

Height Gain:             16 ft.

Time on Trail:           2 hrs. 24 mins.

Smiths Falls:               9.48 am

Golf Club Rd:           11.09 am

Kellys Rd:                11.38 am

Anglican Ch. Rd:     12.12 pm

Temp:                       +4 to +5C

Weather:       Cloudy, cool W wind =>clearing

Old Canadian Northern Railway bascule bridge over the Rideau Canal

Hikers converging on the starting point in Smiths Falls

Unofficial team snapshot
(please let me know if you don't  want to be shown and I can remove this pic)

Kilometre 1 - heading south

Luckily the only trail vehicles we saw today

Setting a good pace...

...with our trail stretching out ahead of us

This is a winter snowmobile highway

The last remnant of the winter: the snow has melted rapidly  

Golf  Course Road

Kellys Road

Fast-flowing spring run-off..

...and downstream of the same bridge

This section of trail is dead straight

Open farmland to the west of the trail

End of today's journey

The skies were rapidly clearing, and temperatures climbing