The Meisel Woods

Wed. 25 November:  The Meisel Woods

And we certainly did enjoy this trail today

This was short hike along a rugged trail.

Yet, looking at the actual GPS contour map afterwards, I could see that we only varied between a low point elevation of 181 metres and a high point of 208 metres, a difference of only 27 metres (89 feet).  What made it rugged was that we never walked on flat ground.  The trail rose and fell continuously all the way from end to end, like a roller-coaster.

But we had expected this, and so we chose a measured pace that suited all of the team, giving ourselves plenty of time to enjoy the scenery along the way.  The Meisel Woods Conservation Area, which encompasses Beaver (or Bass) Lake, sits just above the shoreline of Crow Lake.  It’s about a forty minute drive west of Perth, along quiet country roads which roughly parallel the route of the Tay River.  Not many of our team were familiar with Meisel Woods, and so it was with an adventurous spirit that we set out on our hike.

The trail does not follow the edge of the lake.  It climbs above the opposite shoreline, in the forest, to the far end of the lake.  Here we found ourselves standing at an impressive viewpoint above the Canadian Pacific railway line. Unfortunately, there were no trains, at least until we were almost back at our cars and no longer in sight of the line.  There must be a “Murphy’s Law” which covers this!  We agreed that on our next visit we will take lunch at the viewpoint and wait for the trains.

Today’s lunch stop was at an ideal picnic area just above the lake.  At exactly the right time, the sun appeared, bringing out the late fall colours of the woodlands and turning the lake to silver.

It seems that not many people visit Meisel Woods.  It’s another of the hidden gems of Eastern Ontario.  There’s another trail along the eastern shoreline, and an enthusiastic group of hikers is ready to explore it.

Note:  single-click on the first picture above to scroll through the photos separately.
Also note that some of these photos were taken two days previously on my pre-hike.

Statistics:

Total Distance:                5.0 km (hike)

Height Gain:                    Say 160 ft.

Max. Elev:                       208 m (682 ft.)

Time on Trail:                  2 hrs. 21 mins.

Parking Lot:                       9.43 am

Far end (CP line):            10.45 am

Ret. to cars:                     12.04 pm

Temp:                              +3C rising to +6C

Weather:                          Cloudy, sunny spells. 

Nice parking area

Our kind donor

We did the left-hand loop (which is more than 3.5 km!)

Sturdy footbridge across the outlet to Beaver Lake

Good example of a beaver dam - water freezing over

A rugged trail...

...easily negotiated today

Good signage at key locations

Above the CP main line

Some of our team above the rail tracks

An enjoyable woodland walk

Good vantage point for Beaver Lake

A perfect picnic spot - where the sun came out

Tree art

Beaver Lake from the footbridge

Curiously designed private residence by the trail

Surprising colour in the woods

Magnificent Meisel Woods

Crow Lake

Our route in dark blue.
The other trail is shown in light blue.