Hike #49 - 1st Line EHS (Granger), Centre Road (Boyne Valley Provincial Park)
Today we left a vehicle at our destination on Center Road and had our daughter, Nichole, drop us off at 1st Line EHS. We decided to drive the 2 km stretch from where we ended our journey last time (at km 7.9 on 1st Line EHS) to where we would enter the woods at the roadside parking located on 1st Line EHS, just north of 25 Sideroad (at km 10.0; accommodates 5 cars). We were surprised at the amount of snow that had accumulated - more than two feet. In Stoney Creek the snow had all but disappeared over the last few days. We were glad we decided to wear our winter boots, despite the nice temperatures, as there was two plus feet of snow in some sections of the trail. Chloe had a difficult time of it, especially when she broke through the two inch crusty layer on top of the snow!
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| Nichole dropping us off at the Bruce Trail access point on 1st Line EHS |
We began our journey by climbing over a huge snow drift at the side of the road. The tail immediately ascended northwest through a hilly forest, which then opened onto rolling meadows covered in snow drifts. We passed a few wooded areas next to the trail. The trail continued northward, passing through a few small wooded areas and crossing one significant stream, before eventually exiting onto 30 Sideroad. This section of the trail was particularly 'slow going' as the snow was at are shins and passed our knees in some sections.
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| Snow bank at west side of 1st Line EHS. |
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| Stile at end of the first set of woods, which opened up to rolling meadows (view northwards). |
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| Chloe navigating the deep snow. |
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| The snow was not so deep at the tops of the hills owing to the action of the winds. |
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Amanda was glad that we had brought the hiking poles!
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| One of many corpses of trees alongside the trail. |
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| Pine plantation encountered on the trail. Very common in this region. |
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| Taking a rest in the shelter of a tree that featured a comfy hay bail. |
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| Trail briefly leaving meadow to dive into a dense cedar forest. |
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| One of several wooden beam bridges encountered today. |
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| This rolling wooded section was close to several residences. |
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| Slogging through the snow really slowed down our trek today... |
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| Beam bridge over first significant stream on this trek. |
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| View westward down 30 Sideroad |
After exiting the woods at 30 Sideroad, the trail followed the road westward for 800 meters and then turned north on Hurontario Street. There is roadside parking for 3 to 4 cars on 30 Sideroad. The trail continued north on Hurontario Street for another 1.1 kms. We were so glad to be out of the snow and on the roads, which were nicely plowed! We were able to pick up the pace and make up for some lost time. Hurontario Street meets Highway 89 at a T-junction. The trail crosses the intersection here, to continue due north throug the woods just south of Boyne Valley Provincial Park. The paths on this section of the trail were wide and the snow was packed down by foot traffic and snowmobiles. |
| Horse farm located at the intersection of Hurontario Street and Highway 89 (southwest corner). |
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Trail continues into the woods on the north side of Highway 89.
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| Trail entering wood just south of Boyne Valley Provincial Park |
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| Peter wasn't brave enough to test the electric fence... |
The woods to the east of the trail are part of the Boyne Valley Provincial Park. Just before entering the park proper, we came across the Boyne Valley Side trail, which runs eastwards into the woods of Boyne Valley Provincial park. The trail continues north through evergreens into the Provincial park. It descends towards the Boyne River which is surrounding by a dense forest of cedars. We encountered several beam bridges in the river valley.
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| Picnic table encountered at southern entrance of Boyne Valley Provincial Park. |
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| Park boundary marker at southern section of trail near Boyne River. |
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| Chloe had an easier time with the packed-down trails in the Provincial Park. |
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One of many beam bridges crossing tributaries of the Boyne River.
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| A section of the Boyne River viewed from the trail. |
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| Yet another beam bridge! |
After crossing the Boyne River, the trail curves first northwest, then northeast, as it climbs out of the river valley. The trail eventually turns due east and presents an exit at the base of Centre Road. This is were we ended our journey today. We encountered two side trails in this section. The Primrose loop that runs westward through the Provincial Park, and Murphy's Pinnacle Side Trail. I decided to invest some energy in exploring Murphy's Pinnacle, while Amanda continued towards our goal - a comfy seat in our SUV!
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| View of Murphy's Pinnacle from the south. |
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| View of surrounding lands in the Boyne Valley Provincial Park from Murphy's Pinnacle. |
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| View of Centre Rd in the distance from the Bruce Trial on the northern border of Boyne Valley Provincial Park (view northwards). |
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| Boyne Valley marker at base of Centre Road. |
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| View northwards down Centre Road from Boyne Valley. |
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| Given the conditions today, we decided to park further up on Centre Road - where the road was clear. |
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| Brave soul parked at the southern end of Centre Road at northern entrance to Boyne Valley. |
Hike #49
Time: 4 hours (slow going!)
Distance: 10.8 kms (as the crow flies)
Difficulty: Moderate: rolling hills, meadows, some climbs
Trail Use: Hiking Only
Total kms hiked: 345.4
kms remaining: 566.5
Points of Interest in the Area: We didn't stop at any points of interest on this leg of the hike so here's a link to what Trip Advisor recommends for Shelburne
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