The Passionate Hiker: Beside the Tay

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Beside the Tay

Thurs. 8 October: Beside the Tay

Beside the Tay

It was too nice a day not to be outside.

Overnight the temperatures had edged closer to freezing and it was a cool morning. L. kindly dropped me off at Rathwell Road and I walked back home along the Rideau Trail. In the corner of the first field there used to be an ugly pumphouse structure. It was now a pile of wood and metal, and the corner of the field was a mess. Someone had been digging up the earth, perhaps to improve drainage? Luckily the path was still walkable.

It is always an enjoyable stroll along the banks of the Tay River. The water seemed almost stagnant, but if you stop and watch the water, it is steadily flowing along. I almost caught a heron unawares but it sensed my presence and flew off into the trees just as I was taking its photo. It’s hard to surprise a heron.

Closer to Perth, the footbridge was in need for some new planks. I measured the size, and later today, D. and I returned to the bridge to replace the boards. At the same time, we trimmed a few small trees which were sagging across the trail.

That made two visits to the towpath in one day, and on a very pleasant day to be outdoors. The early bright Fall colors were already disappearing, despite there not having been any really cold temperatures or winds yet. The season had shifted. Fall was now in control.

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

Statistics (morning):

Total Distance: 6.0 km (hike)

Height Gain: Negligible.

Time on Trail: 1 hr. 21 mins.

Rathwell Rd: 9.01 am

Footbridge: 9.30 am

Home: 10.22 am

Temp.: +6 to +9C

Weather: Cloudless.

Statistics (afternoon):

Total Distance: 2.6 km (hike)