The Cataraqui Trail (7): Sydenham to Yarker

Fri. 16 October:  The Cataraqui Trail (7):  Sydenham to Yarker

Today's team of strong hikers averaged over 4 km/hr. (including stops)

We had fun today.

It might not have been so.  The weather forecast threatened snow flurries, and it was going to be a long walk.  And first we had to drive more than a hundred kilometres just to reach our trailhead in Sydenham.

But the team of nine hikers was well-matched.  With no apparent effort, we sped along the beautiful trail at over four kilometres an hour, including our rest breaks.

There was plenty to keep us interested:  the layers of rock on the cliffs above the line west of Sydenham, the huge rusty metal bridge crossing high above the Sydenham to Harrowsmith road, and several important junctions.  Not far west of that rusty bridge  the Cataraqui Trail meets the K&P Trail, and they parallel each other for a couple of kilometers to a point west of Harrowsmith, where they go their own ways again.  We could see the two separate railbeds.  It was easy to imagine two steam trains coming together and racing to beat each other to the station at Harrowsmith.  Today the station, now just an open grassy area with a couple of benches for weary hikers, was our welcome “elevenses” stop.

A few hundred metres west of the station, the K&P Trail turned sharply northwards, as our own grassy track curved to the southwest, across open fields.  This section of the Cataraqui Trail seemed quite lonely – but there was plenty of lively conversation as we strode along.  A wintry snow flurry could not dampen our enthusiasm.  It soon cleared up.  The time and the kilometres flew by, and there we were, striding across the exciting high bridge into Yarker.  A spectacular way to finish a hike.

There’s a cosy café/bakery in Harrowsmith.  Here the team gathered for a cup of tea before heading home.  Only one leg now remains of our Cataraqui Trail marathon.  There is no doubt at all that this energetic team will be racing to the finish line, ready for a return journey! 

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

Statistics:

Distance:              17.6 km (hike)

Height Gain:         128 ft.

Time on Trail:       4 hrs. 15 mins.

Sydenham:             9.44 am

Harrowsmith:        11.13 am

Yarker:                   1.59 pm

Temp.:                  Between +1 and +4C

Weather:              Sun, cloud, snow flurry

Crossing the Sydenham-Harrowsmith road

Junction of Cataraqui and K&P trails

Sunny morning on the Cataraqui Trail

Harrowsmith station...

...same scene today

Here the K&P turns north and we continued west to Yarker

Eighty kilometres from Smiths Falls

Lots of good conversation along the way

Nice thought!

An inflatable ball on the trail...

...which was too tempting  not to play with.

Hiking is fun!

Snow flurry sweeps in...

...but luckily doesn't last very long...

...but long enough for some accumulation on the fallen leaves

A colorful trail

Ignoring another short flurry (despite the sunshine!)

Arriving in Yarker on the impressive high level bridge