June
1-17: There and (sore) Back: The Cataraqui Trail
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| Sydenham Lake from the Cataraqui Trail |
These days the Passionate Hiker cannot hike, but he
has discovered that he can do some gentle bike riding. So wishing to test the limits, on June 1st
he made a hopeful start at the north end of the Cataraqui Trail in Smiths Falls, with the idea
of seeing how far he might get, over the next few weeks. The first trip was a tentative seven
kilometres down the trail and back again.
So far so good.
Just over two weeks - and eight more trips - later, he
had completed the whole 102 km trail, there and back. And he felt none the worse for his adventure –
although his back is no better.
Here are the basic statistics:
Total dist. biked =
204.7 km
Number of legs =
9
Time on trail = 19 hrs. 19 mins.
Av. dist. each trip =
22.7 km
Av. speed = 10.6 km/hr.
No records broken, but a point made: The Passionate Hiker can still get out there
and enjoy the outdoors, even if it’s a gentle bike ride.
If you haven’t explored the Cataraqui Trail yet, or a few
years have slipped by since you last did so, then this is a very good time to get
out there and set your own outdoor goals.
A battered point-and-shoot camera managed to capture
the magic of this trail, as these photos show.
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| Alcohol available - took drugs (Robaxacet)! |
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| Kilometre 1 and so far so good |
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| Luckily few people on this trail |
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| Ever-changing scenery. here: swamps.... |
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| ...and then here: woodland |
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| Problems with my hybrid bike: next trip I switched to my mountain bike (good choice) |
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| Little Lake (km 36) |
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| Swamps east of Chaffeys Lock |
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| I disturbed this family of Canada geese |
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| High level bridge at Chaffeys Lock: Indian Lake |
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| Site of old trestle bridge, west of Indian Lake Road |
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| Here the Rideau Trail turns north towards Ottawa |
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| Around the 50 km mark |
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| Deer right beside the trail |
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| I was JUST able to ram on the brakes to avoid running over this snake |
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| Turtle probably busy laying eggs right on the trail |
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| Tiger lily adds some colour |
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| Approaching MacGillivray Road |
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| East of Maple Leaf Road |
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| This family took to the water as I carefully approached |
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| Sydenham Lake and a small railway bridge. There are two major river crossings at Chaffeys Lock and Yarker. |
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| A stiff westerly breeze today |
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| At the junction with the K&P Trail, east of Harrowsmith (km 76+) |
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| West of Harrowsmith: here the K&P turns right (north) and I continued straight on. |
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| An overgrown section west of Colebrook Road |
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| Almost there |
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| Gentle downhill gradient as I speed west to Strathcona (end of trail) |
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| West of Strathcona the last section of line to Napanee is 'out of bounds' |
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Here at Napanee the line crosses the 401 Highway: looking NE towards Strathcona.
Perhaps the trail may one day be extended to Napanee VIA Station? I hope so. |
