Winter Trail

Sun. 1 February:  Murphys Point Winter Trails: Round Lake

That’s Canada!  On a bone-chilling winter morning, with the temperature at minus eighteen degrees Celsius and wind-chills of minus twenty four degrees, here were nine eager enthusiasts strapping on their snow-shoes for an energetic trip into the back-country.  And why not?  The sun was shining and fresh snow lay on the trail.    

Our journey today took us onto the most rugged of the Murphys Point trails, a circuit of Round Lake, starting at the Lally Homestead.  The first part of the journey followed the Rideau Trail route, and then soon after leaving the group campsite, we turned right onto the winter trail.  It is a woodland path, and far from flat, as it meandered across a rugged landscape.

For much of the route, we were breaking trail, since nobody had travelled this way since Friday’s snowstorm.  Except for the fox.  We followed his tracks for at least a couple of kilometres until he finally veered off towards the lake. 

We kept up a brisk pace.  The route seemed to reach a high point, where the trees opened up a little, before dropping back down, eventually meeting the Murphys Point road about two and a half kilometres from the start of our trip.  Some of us had parked their cars by the summer gate, but a few of us decided to stretch  our legs for a fast walk back up the snow-covered road to make a  full circuit.

By now we felt positively warm, and wondered why it had seemed so cold at the start – yet the gauge still read minus eighteen. But that’s nothing to brag about in Canada - just another day in the outdoors!  

Note:  single-click on the first picture above to scroll through the photos separately

Statistics:

Total Distance:         6.0 km (‘shoe) + 2.5 km (hike) = 8.5 km

Height Gain:             Say 80 ft.

Time on Trail:          3 hrs. 0 mins.

Start:                        10.12 am

Round Lake camp    11.10 am

Road:                       12.34 pm

Ret. to car:                 1.12 pm

Temp:            Minus 18C feels like minus 24C 

Weather:       Cloudless, biting N.wind

Setting out from the Mica Mine parking area at Lally Homestead

First section follows the Rideau Trail northwards

The group camp access road

Brisk pace on a bone-chilling day

Gnarled tree throws its shadow across the trail

Breaking trail (following the path of a fox)

Here the fox heads off to the right

Perfect back-country trail for snow-shoeing

The  final hill before reaching the Murphys Point road