Bruce Trail - Escarpment Side Road or "The Day of the Roadkill"

We made an effort to get up early (?) and managed to start the hike at 10:15. The weather was cool, cloudy and there was a nice breeze. Not forecast, but we were glad of it and both of us started out with an extra layer of clothing on.

Most of the hike was on the road (this area seems to have lots of road sections unfortunately) but in three places the trail went off the road and into bush or meadows. The summer wildflowers were in full bloom.

We started at Willouby Rd, where we had finished the day before, and there was a tunnel under Hwy 10. It was full of barn swallows, swooping around, and their nests along the ceiling.

This isn't a particularly picturesque part of the trail and the paths (and stiles) were quite overgrown from lack of use.

Where there had been blossoms, berries were starting to form.

This was the first time that the path was so overgrown that we needed the white flash markings to find our way through the meadows.

Delicate wildflower that looked like Baby's Breathe

The mixed grasses were lovely. We were very glad at this point that it was not baking sun or lightning and thunder.

This bird was fluttering, noisily beside the trail and I thought it was upset with us passing close to a nest (it might be a Thrasher)

When I got my photos onto the computer I realized that it was probably upset at the red squirrel in the same tree. It looks like it might have a baby bird in its mouth.

Kennedy Road stretching off into the distance. We had a sense of our progress from the roads we crossed.

A hitch hiker.

We passed an old cemetery with lots of Scottish family names on the headstones. Perhaps they bought the thistles with them.

Three roads - 5km, and it was time for a snack. Trail mix, snap peas and coconut water.

Beside a horse farm with amazing views to Toronto.

From here on it was a dangerous road for wildlife. Some had been hit by cars and most were half eaten - coyotes? turkey vultures? Inventory of corpses: male turkey with beautiful feathers, rabbit, porcupine, squirrel, goldfinch.

The house was also a log cabin.

We started to use Nicola's app again for wildflower identification - Anenomes

The new leaves on this shrub were reddish.

Mum used to call these "Scrambled Eggs" but they are actually Birds-Foot-Trefoil.

An info board, randomly beside the trail.

We both commented that we really prefer an 8km hike. The last 2 of a 10km hike are tough but at least we were passing another horse farm.

We were done by 1:15 and had kept up a good pace, 10km took us 3 hours. Although walking on the road wasn't as interesting and was harder on our joints, hills were not as hard and we weren't as tired from negotiating loose rocks and tree roots.
18km in total for the 2 days is pretty good for us.