Almost blackberry season: Rideau Trail Day 14 – 09C to 10B (and a bit)

Date of Walk: Sunday July 21, 2024

Total Distance: 16.05 km 

Total Time: 4:05:41

Honestly, this was probably my least favourite walk so far, but I swear that is NOT why it took over a month to write about it. After having an issue with Landy, and busy August weekends (sisters birthday, chicken processing, treetop trekking!), we have been off of our hiking game. Finally got back at it Labour day weekend, so need to catch up on posting.

This walk started back at the Group Camping are of Murphy’s Point provincial park, before going through a swampy region of waist-or-taller wet grasses, or thorn bushes depending. We then started seeing lots of Mica on the ground, and even snagged a pretty large chunk as a souvenir – very aptly named Mica Mines Conservation Area! Saw some really neat old excavations while getting eaten alive by our bitey flying friends — that is, we didn’t really stop to look at many, as moving helps keep the bugs off a bit lol

My worst experience on the Rideau Trail so far was the floating bridge of doom we came across. Not wide enough to span the water you were crossing, not really floating too well, and sinky as you cross it. I’m being overdramatic but this kind of “water crossing” is the type of thing that I don’t sign up for! I ended up making it across instead of being left to “float” downstream. Bryan did a good job to talk me across it after snapping some photos of me stranded out there of course. (Shout out to my Keen boots for NOT letting in any water when mostly submerged again).

By the end of the walk I was as crabby as ever, yikes! We were very happy to come back to the road at 10B and meet back up with Landy just up the road. The lunch we had in Perth completely changed my sour mood 😉