Woodland Wonder

Sun. 6 December:  The Rideau Trail: Ferrier/Mackler Loop

One-eyed guardian of the woodland

This section of the Rideau Trail contains some of the grandest woodland and tallest trees along the entire route.

There’s a beautiful Christmas carol whose first line is: “I wonder as I wander out under the sky”.  This was actually written as a folk hymn in 1933 by American composer John Jacob Niles.  One day while in Appalachian North Carolina he had heard a young girl sing the melody, and thus the tune was born.

On such a perfect day for hiking, we wondered whether Christmas could really be only nineteen days away.  There might have been a cool wind in our faces, but the sun shone warmly and there was no snow or ice on the leaf-packed trail. 

We stopped to admire the many large trees along the way, and wondered how old some of them might be.  There was the well-known guardian of the forest, with his one long arm held perfectly horizontal.  There was also a huge double-trunked tree which had fairly recently toppled.  One trunk was being held up by nearby trees, and the other trunk lay on the ground, forming an ideal seat for several hikers.  Here we enjoyed our “elevenses” (early!).

While crossing the swamp on the long boardwalk, we saw stacks of newly cut tree branches, and wondered whether the beavers had once more returned to the area.

This might be the finest loop walk in the Perth area.  Even the road portion is a pleasant stroll along silent country lanes.  Our small party of four also wondered what had happened to all our hiking friends today!

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

Statistics:

Total Distance:         9.0 km (hike)

Height Gain:            Say 60 ft.

Max. Elev:               173 m (568 ft.)

Time on Trail:          2 hrs. 26 mins.

McLaren Road:         9.14 am

Ferrier Road:          10.54 am

Ret. to car:              11.40 am

Temp:                     +6C

Weather:                 Clearing, slightly hazy, cold S. wind

Crossing the ford on McLaren Point Road

The RTA footbridge below the hunters camp

Magnificent woodland trail

Our Country Seat (elevenses!) - plenty of room for our small team

Admiring the trees in the heart of the forest

"I wonder as I wander out under the sky"

At the boardwalk...

...where it seems that the beavers have returned

Deer jawbone

Green grass and sunshine in December!

Approaching Ferrier Road through the trees

Low sun and long shadows...

...and some friendly neighbours

Striding down McLaren Point Road at a good pace

A wider perspective of this 9 km hiking loop, showing nearby Otty Lake