Linda's Loop

Fri. 29 April/Thurs. 5 May:  Linda’s Loop

A vast expanse of lakes and forests

It would be very easy to get lost around here.

Surrounding Perth on three sides is a beautiful land of lakes and low forested granite ridges hidden under a woodland canopy.  From the air, the landscape seems more water than land.  Here people have their lakeside cottages, which they open up for the summer.  The lakes come alive with boats for a few short months.  Then the water freezes over and everything goes silent over the long winter.

Just fifty minutes’ drive northwest from Perth is Crotch Lake which, like most of the lakes around here, has a very irregular shape and has lots of islands dotted about on its surface.   It’s a big lake, measuring perhaps ten kilometres from north to south, and four at its widest point.  It lies within Crown Land, so there are lots of wilderness campsites on its shores, and few cottages. 

Several years ago, at the south end of this lake, a set of wilderness hiking trails was created by the owners of a cottage who were also, it seems, passionate about hiking.

These were not just short nature trails.  There are over twenty five kilometres of marked trail.

The local township has recently taken over the “ownership” of these trails, and they turned to our hiking club for help in finding out just exactly what they had committed to! Current maps were hopelessly inaccurate, and the current state of the trails was unknown.

Over the past week, two separate explorations were mounted.  We traveled all the trails, mapped them with our GPS devices, and created a report of the situation for the township.  We spent over eleven hours wandering around this wilderness, plotting the trail  system.  The rugged nature of the landscape can be seen from our average speed, which was just 2.3 km/hour – snail’s pace for a typical hike.  And we were experienced walkers.

Linda's Loop Trails:  newly mapped

Note: click on pictures for full size view.

It turned out that the trails were in good shape overall. There were fallen trees, but no major blockages.  There were missing trail markers, but not enough to cause us to stray too far off course.  The beautiful wooden trail signs were rotting away and many had fallen off the trees and were lying on the ground, but they were still serving their purpose.

The trails were magnificent:  one huge “blue” loop, and one central connecting “yellow” trail.  Up and down, over low ridges, beside the waters of the lake, across several beaver dams, one in particular a superb structure – and also a tricky crossing.  Up to rocky viewpoints of smaller hidden lakes, across open granite plateaus.  Always something to see and enjoy.

The beavers had created their own watery landscape, with tall dams and complex structures along the sides of lakes to raise the water levels.  We saw one beaver which, surprised to see us, slapped its tail noisily on the water and instantly disappeared under the surface.

These are not trails for the first-time hiker, or the casual nature-lover looking for an easy stroll through the woods.  But for someone looking for a full day’s wilderness adventure, then Linda’s Loop is the place for you.  And we hope that, as a result of our two day’s work, more people will discover this beautiful corner of Eastern Ontario.

Bring your bug spray – the black flies are out!

Enjoy these pictures:

Lookout point above  Crotch Lake

Trying to piece together the many broken signs

Steady nerve crossing the first of several beaver dams

Decaying sign-posts:  popular with woodpeckers?

Some nice granite slabs along the route

This snake was sticking out its tongue at us

Balancing act across a major beaver dam

Perfect lunch stops...

...with black-flies for dessert

Coppers Bridge near the eastern trailhead

Crotch Lake boat launch bay