Treasure Hunters

Wed. 1 August:  The Ottawa Valley Rail Trail (OVRT)

The OVRT starts just north of Smiths Falls
and heads north to Arnprior and beyond
(see dotted line)

Note: click on pictures for full size view.

That’s MY name for it.  The official name for this old CP Rail line is the Ottawa Valley Recreation Trail, and it will stretch 296 kilometres from Smiths Falls north to far-off Mattawa.  The Lanark County section, as far north as Arnprior, is about 61 kilometres long.

Progress has been made.  Over recent weeks, the old rough railbed has been transformed into a smooth, wide, gravel path.  It is designed for all recreation users, but we saw nobody on the trail today – which is not surprising since it is not yet finished – barriers and signs to install.

Today the Wednesday Wanderers made our first exploratory trip on the OVRT.  Starting at the south end, just north of Smiths Falls at Sturgess Road, we travelled just over 3.5 km north to Ferguson-Tatlock Road, returning the same way.

To the south of Sturgess Road, the old line remains in place, but no longer used – or so we thought.  But as we prepared to start our hike, we were alarmed to see a distant train approaching from Smiths Falls.  Its light shone brightly and we could hear its warning horn, but then it disappeared – a ghost train perhaps?

The route is littered with hardware, mostly spikes, making our walk more of a treasure hunt – if you can call old railway spikes “treasure”.

At Ferguson-Tatlock Road is the flat base of what was once a railway station.  Across the road is a small cemetery, a place to relax and reflect.

Don’t let anyone tell you that walking on old railway lines is boring.  There was plenty to see, not just at our feet, but also on each side of the line, as we passed from open fields to swamps, with small rock cuts and embankments along the way.

 

This was just a start – no doubt this energetic group will want to walk north to Arnprior, and perhaps far beyond.

Approaching train???  Sturgess Road - start of the OVRT

The OVRT is part of a major snowmobile network

Rail pioneers

Heading north on a beautiful, smooth surface

Our first spike

On the trail

Open farming country

Helpful distance marker stakes along the route

Halfway along our route at Kelly Jordan Road

Continuing north

Small treasure trove

Into swamp land

The cemetery on Ferguson-Tatlock Road