Date – June 17, 2012
Location – Map 11, Kelso to Map 12, Speyside
Distance – 9.4 km
Total Trail Distance – 284.5 (609.5 to go)
Hikers – Steve, Simon, Dean, Marlene, Benjamin
Start – 2.5 Sixth Line, Toronto Section
End – 11.9 Speyside South Side Trail
Direction – North
Weather – Warm and cloudy.
Details – It’s Father’s Day, and the fathers can’t think of a better thing to be doing. We are picking up the hike from where we left off on May 6, after our very enjoyable and successful Wiarton long weekend diversion.
Harold and Janette have previous family commitments but we
don’t have many hiking opportunities in the coming weeks so we decide to go
anyway. We discuss hiking on Saturday
instead, but Harold has a golf tournament.
Janette shares that Harold has come to the shocking conclusion that he’d
rather hike than golf these days.
We need to hike up to 23.8 on Map 12, in order to meet up
with our Terra Cotta section. We briefly
consider trying to do this distance (21.3 km) in one hike, but we all agree
that splitting it up into 2 hikes is more manageable, plus it allows us to go
to church first.
Elza comes along but decides to provide shuttle service
rather than join us for the hike. We all
meet at the starting point and leave our vehicle on the side of the road.
It’s a small group, compared to some of the recent hikes we’ve
had. The route is also very level, winding
along the top of the escarpment for most of the way.
Once again we are amazed at the crevasses, the large
sections of cliff that appear ready to break off at any time, and the large
rocks lodged precariously in the openings.
It gives us a feeling of awe at the power of time, ice, and freeze-thaw
cycles that make it the way it is.