Bruce Trail- Woodend Conservation Area to Brock University

This was the first time we had hiked 2 days in a row. We returned to Woodend Conservation Area to resume the trail.

There is something about a stile that compels us to sit on it and take a selfie.

The trail passed beside and sometimes on a golf course

A little too close for comfort.

Marshy in places, in fact water was prevalent on this section of the hike.

We peaked through the foliage at this and heard the sound of falling water.

We found we were walking beside one of the old Welland Canals.

With the walls gradually crumbling into the water

and old bollards, surrounded by foliage and used as trail markers. About here Nicky found her first tick, on her arm, and after that we checked every time we stopped for water.

Evidence of an old orchard, hanging over the trail.

After a couple of hours we had to cross the current Welland Canal.

There was a boat coming up the canal and

a boat coming down.

We crossed the bridge and then, as Nicola had never seen this before, we ate an apple while watching the bridge go up

and the boats

pass each other, even though it looked too narrow.

Not only does the bridge carrying the road have to lift to let the boats pass but there are also 2 bridges for the railway that have to lift too (there are 2 locks side by side at the steepest part of the climb over the escarpment) The trail follows the road beside the locks up the hill.

Then it follows

the railway before heading into woodland again.

Beside another of the old canals and

then the worst part of the trail so far, residential streets, then a busy street under construction, that went under the 406 and then a climb up through another residential section.

The only saving grace was that I was able to find a, badly needed, washroom, in the Canadian Tire Service Centre

and this made us laugh.

Wooded trails again on Brock University property.

Skirted Glenridge Quarry where we met a couple who made us feel good by being impressed with how far we had walked.

Up a steep road to the parking lot to pick up my car and drive back to get Nicola's. We had walked 10km in just over 4 hours, which we didn't think was bad considering how long we had spent watching the boats on the canal.

On my big map, at home, this is how far we have completed (25km) in our 3 days of walking.

I found 10 kms to be tough and 8km to be fine. Hopefully we will be able to find 8km chunks to do but I am sure, especially as we get into less populated areas (therefor fewer roads) we will have to do some longer ones.
We found the camel backs easier to use than water bottles, cheese curds and snap peas to be good snacks and that we had to keep an eye on each other for ticks.