The Passionate Hiker: The North Shore

Sun. 23 December: The North Shore

Here’s a great section of Rideau Trail for those who want to stretch their legs. It’s mostly on a roller-coaster cottage road, but there’s a 1.4 km woodland section of pure magic.

North Shore Road

I parked beside Narrows Lock Road at a handy pull-off place just big enough for one car, a few metres from the Lanark County sign. Here the Rideau Trail heads into the woods. But instead of taking the trail I walked up the road to the junction with Merkley Road, then on to North Shore Road. There had been a fresh dusting of snow overnight, and it all looked very scenic – and there was no traffic.

After hiking three kilometres from the car, I met the Rideau Trail coming out of the woods. For the next four and a half kilometres the trail follows the road westwards towards Foley Mountain. It’s a quiet cottage road, with many beautiful homes overlooking Upper Rideau Lake. The water was starting to freeze over. I could see the curved line across the lake where the ice was rapidly advancing on the open water.

Trail markers!

It was an enjoyable stroll along the road, with plenty of ups and downs to give the legs a good work-out. I saw just an occasional vehicle and one set of dog walkers to break the silence of a peaceful Sunday morning.

Finally the trail heads into the woods again, and I followed it for a couple of hundred yards to an ideal lunch spot in a clearing, facing the sun. The fresh snow showed that this was a busy place for deer and other smaller wild animals.

I returned along the same four and a half kilometre section of road, before heading out onto one of my favourite short sections of Rideau Trail. Leaving the road, the trail drops down through the trees to a valley floor then climbs an open hillside to a viewpoint above Duck Bay. The next kilometre is a random wander through undulating woodland, past a lake, over rocky ledges, twisting and turning. This short section of trail has so many of the features that make the Rideau Trail such a special experience. And it’s a good test of one’s ability to find the next sign and not get lost in this magical kingdom.

The route to Foley Mountain

The fresh snow lay on the bare tree branches and bushes as in a Christmas card setting. I made new tracks through the snow. All too soon, I emerged onto Narrows Lock Road at my starting point.

This makes a perfect fourteen kilometre round trip. And if you are looking for a much shorter version, including my so-called magical kingdom, then see the map and follow the obvious circle route, which measures only 4.6 kilometres. And don’t forget your MICROspikes – there’s lots of ice along the road.