The Passionate Hiker: Ghost Town

Sat. 10 October: Ghost Town

Cooper Drive - just driveable access to trailhead

This may have been a ghost town trip, but there was nothing scary about the weather.

It was another glorious, if cool, autumn day. My trailhead was at the bottom end of Cooper Lane, where it joins North Shore Road. Cooper Lane was just a grassy track, twisting and turning through the swamps and woods – no problem for a trail-rated jeep!

A little way up Cooper Lane is a Blue Trail (a side trail maintained by the Rideau Trail Association) leading to the ghost town. The trail was overgrown, but luckily some recent travellers had beaten down the tall brush. The sun shone through the golden leaves, and it was a perfect Fall day for a stroll.

This so-call ghost town appeared to consist of two wooden buildings hidden in the trees. One of the buildings was just a ruin, its roof caved in. The other still had its roof, but no doors or windows. It might make a good shelter in a storm, apart from the animal droppings piled up on every surface inside. There were two rooms; a bedroom, complete with bedsprings, and a living room, which would have had a stove in one corner. Now it is open to the elements, and even a ghost might find it a little chilly in winter. But at one time this was somebody’s cosy home – perhaps an early farmer or mica miner.

Back on the Rideau Trail, I soon came to the swamp where last year a precarious plank crossed the water at a narrow point. Since that time, beavers had built a dam, perhaps twenty feet across. It was a narrow dam, and unstable. Grabbing a sturdy pole in one hand, and my walking stick in the other, I carefully negotiated the dam, ending up with only slightly wet boots. This might be a trickier crossing than some hikers would want to make.

Reaching North Shore Road, I continued east to Red Rock, the spectacular lakeside viewpoint, and a highlight of the Rideau Trail. It was a perfect afternoon to sit on the rock and enjoy the view across Big Rideau Lake to the distant southern shoreline, the sun glinting on the water.

In no time I had returned to the car, making an easy seven kilometre trip. I strongly recommend this route to travelers. It has lots of interest, adventure, and scenery along the way – and especially on a golden fall afternoon under blue skies. Today even the ghosts might have been tempted to step outside for a stroll.

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

Statistics:

Total Distance: 7.1 km (hike)

Height Gain: Say 80 ft.

Time on Trail: 1 hr. 50 mins.

Cooper Rd: 2.09 pm

Ghost Town: 2.32 pm

Red Rock: 3.19 pm

Ret. to car: 3.59 pm

Temp.: +12C

Weather: Sunny, cool.