The Passionate Hiker: Blue Mountain

Tues. 15 September: Blue Mountain

My base of operations

This ridge, rising above a sea of trees all around, is the highest point in Leeds County.

There are all-round views which today seemed to stretch forever. I imagined I could see the Adirondacks to the south, across the St. Lawrence River in the USA, and Flagpole Hill in Frontenac Park to the northwest.

My base of operations was Charleston Lake Provincial Park, which L and I had last visited exactly a quarter century ago with our two girls, then aged four and two. I seemed to remember them dancing on the top of a picnic table!

It is possible to reach the summit of Blue Mountain from inside the Provincial Park, but only by canoeing up the lake first. The usual hiker’s route starts from the south, in the flat fields beside a quiet Highway 4 at a tight bend in the road.

The track heads due north, the destination just visible ahead above the trees. There were puddles from the recent heavy rains. There would be no chance of rain this week. This was late summer at its best.

Entering the forest, the track continued north, beside a swamp, with the destination directly ahead, hidden in the trees. A direct approach up the cliffs would be possible I suppose, but the trail made a pleasant wide loop to the left, coming up onto the ridge from the north side. The views all around were good, with plenty of open spaces and rock slabs on the summit, plus an (obligatory) inukshuk.

On my return journey, a jogger passed me on her way up the hill. She never did catch up with me, for some reason. Her car was parked opposite mine at the trailhead. Hopefully she got back safely.

Later in the day, I enjoyed one of the trails in the campsite, called Sandstone Island Trail. This is not an island, but an elevated section of the land bordering the lake, composed of sandstone.

There was plenty to enjoy along the 2.7 kilometre loop. Highlight was a rock shelter, created by weathered sandstone along a cliff line. Apparently various items have been found pointing to this being used as a shelter for thousands of years. The plateau was farmed by a family of Irish immigrants, but there is nothing left of the farm, except for a ruined stone basement and the foundations for two gateposts. It was a meagre existence at best, in this rocky Canadian Shield country.

The campsite was sparsely occupied. It became totally silent at night, with no breeze and only the occasional vague sound of voices floating up from other campsites. Before seven o’clock the sun had dipped below the trees surrounding my campsite, and the summer-like temperatures finally started to drop too.

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

Statistics:

Total Distance: 9.8 km (hike)

Height Gain: Say 300 ft.

Max. Elev.: 636 ft.

Time on Trail: 2 hrs. 42 mins.

Dep. car: 11.42 am

Summit: 12.54 pm

Ret. to car: 2.24 pm

Temp: +25C

Weather: Breezy, cloudless.