Notes from Bonwill Shelter
There’s a hiker’s logbook at the
Bonwill Shelter on the Rideau Trail. It’s
the only one on the entire trail.
There has been a book there,
collecting hikers’ comments, for the past quarter century. The old log books are safely filed away in
the RTA archives at Queen’s University, except for the last two, temporarily in
my possession. I’ve had a lot of fun recently,
reading through the comments, which stretch back to 2006. Sometimes people had an eye on a future
reader when they wrote in the book – other times people definitely did not! Either way, these comments don’t deserve to
languish in the archives, unheralded since the day they were written.
Bonwill Shelter: a welcome sight on any day
You might think that the Bonwill Shelter, tucked away in the Skycroft wilderness between Rideau Trail waypoints 06A and 06B, might be a lonely corner of the trail. Not so! According to the comments found in these hiker log books, the open-sided shelter has seen plenty of visitors: not only by foot, but also, apparently, by bike and on horseback. And several people have happily recorded an overnight stay, despite it being intended as a rest stop only.
How to summarize fifteen years of
hikers’ comments?
The notes left by hikers give us
a good idea of the motivation that brought them here: recently of course, a simple escape from the
pressures of COVID, but more generally as a way to bond with friends and
family, to enjoy hikes with fellow RTA members, or simply to find a place to
reflect alone.
The Bonwill Shelter has been a
welcome safe harbour for those caught in an unexpected thunderstorm. It has been the base for the discovery of
plants and birds, and the greater discovery of the joys of hiking itself. For the campers at the Skycroft campsite it
has always been a beacon in the summer months.
Yet the record shows travellers dropping in at all times of year,
regardless of conditions.
Clearly revealed is the loving
care that the Kingston Club maintenance crews give to the trail and the shelter
every year, measured by the appreciative comments left behind by passing hikers.
The shelter is still a source of pride
for the descendants of Alan and Ellen Bonwill, who were such good friends of
the Rideau Trail. Bonwill family members
drop by from time to time, happy and perhaps surprised to see the shelter in
such good condition. It has been more
than thirty two years since the Bonwill Shelter was opened, on a beautiful
sunny day in September 1988. You can
read the details in the RTA Newsletter for Winter 1988 (Issue No. 70). It is good to know that people still take the
time to sweep the floor using the handy broom, as they stop for a rest and a
snack.
Hikers are inspired to
leave a comment in the book and to give the floor a quick sweep!
Next time you pass by the
shelter, stop and add some of your own comments to the book. The very act of writing in a hikers log will
take you back to simpler times. And it’s
the only remaining logbook on the Rideau Trail – unless we want to change that.
The Passionate Hiker
1 March 2021
NOTE: If you are interested to read a selection of
these hiker notes, e-mail thepassionatehiker@gmail.com
and I’ll send you a folder I have prepared.
