Kemble Rock; Bottom to Top Hikes #23 & 24

Kemble....it's north, up the Peninsula (with a dismissive wave of my hand).

That's likely what I would have said last year. This year I seem to be spending a lot of time in this craggy part of Grey-Bruce.

It is an incredibly warm November Saturday and we're so happy that the autumn has held on for Sandra and I to hike this set of 5 blue side trails.

The main Bruce Trail has been re-routed up and around the Kemble Wetland Reserve and Kemble Rock Reserves because this area is WET. As little as a year ago the main trail stayed south and then east of these two reserves, but the sideroad has become a mucky ATV mess. (I've been here before, remember?!)

It's wild up in Kemble...I think this sign says it all.

We've parked at the corner of Taylor and Cole Sideroad and we see the first blue trail through the split rail fence, Don Richards Side Trail.

I'd like to say that we started off at a leisurely pace, but Sandra's stride is longer than mine and even though I'm in the lead, I don't want to appear slow, so I lead with brisk intention. (it feels like that to me anyways) We chat our way through fields and mixed forest until the Kemble Wetland Side Trail splits off to the right and we follow it.

The wetland is beautiful. My hikers are not waterproof, so I'm hopping along like a little green frog and it's not long before I'm down to my short sleeves. In November?!!

Shortly past the wetland we meet up with the main trail, taking it to the right and making our way through a beautiful hardwood forest.

I've managed so far not to get a soaker, and also not to fall on my butt trying to avoid the soggy parts. The start of the short Cedar Point Side trail promises to test both of those fortunes.

The book has made it clear that there is a code on this part of the trail. A family home was once down this lane that is now all hawthorns.

Sandra and I gamely look the whole way along this trail for "an enormous tree felled by Canada's emblem", but find ourselves at the end of the loop without the code?

We continued along the main trail to Birch Camp before Sandra's EUREKA moment when we realize we have misinterpreted the clue. Very tricky Ron Savage!

It's worth doubling back 1.5km for the satisfaction of collecting it. Sandra's first code and certainly not her last. She's got the Secret's bug now!

Ok, where were we before our detour? We've got code #23 and we're back on the main trail headed east. We check out the Birch Camp Side Trail which just leads to one of the many camps along The Bruce Trail that long distance hikers can use. This one has a chair height privy that you can lift the lid to use. Oh the glamour!

We are hiking on the top of the escarpment now and we follow this great pioneer rock wall for a way searching for a notch in the wall that contains a 450 million-year-old fossil. I think? this is it on the bottom left. The idea is mind boggling!

A couple photos of Sandra and I conquering the escarpment rocks!

When the main trail meets a road allowance (the ever muddy Coles Side Road) we did a U-y to enter the Mystery Cabin Side Trail and head back towards our vehicles along the Don Richards Side Trail.

The leaves may be off the trees, but you can still see colour for miles here!

We ended this part of our hike at Sandra's secret look out rock with gourmet sandwiches and Swiss chocolate. Sandra, who hikes longer distances on the trail, knows that its all about the food!

Awesome morning!

Saturday, November 7, 2020

7.4 km hiked

2.5 hours