Sep 1 – Rock Dunder and Kingston Mills

Yesterday was on and off rainy so we just took it easy. I mostly napped.

Our friend told us about a great hike she had done last weekend in the Rock Dunder Nature Reserve. She said the only problem was that it was a little hard to find. The road to the trailhead is not on any map and there are no signs on the highway indicating it either. I did find some info on a website and it gave some GPS co-ordinates and the name of the dirt road so off we went.

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You could not see this sign from the highway.

I guess a lot of other people know about it because there were about 10 cars in the parking lot although we only saw a few people on the trail.

From the trailhead you have a nice wide path through the forest out to beside the Rideau Waterway.

Jennie is always looking for interesting things by the trail side.

A bee in the flower.

Once we got to the water there was this little cabin.

It was open and looked like it had been used. There was a loft upstairs for sleeping. My only guess was that it was for people paddling long distance on the waterway.

Walking along the shoreline there were benches at a bunch of viewpoints.

 

At the point we headed back inland and up hill there was another cabin.

I guess they didn’t care how straight this wall was.

 

From here to the top of the rock and the lookout was the only steep section.

Here is the elevation profile. I am kind of glad we went the way we did around the loop as I prefer to climb up steep hills rather than go down. It seems easier on the knees.

At the top.

We sat, stared and had lunch.

Along with a few other groups.

There were lots of boats down on the waterway.

And lots of high cliffs for Jennie to stay away from.

It was very hot and again there was no wind. When the trail was in the forest it was OK but sitting out on the rock we were getting baked. We dragged ourselves away from the great view and continued around the loop.

We went down to and around a small marsh.

I don’t know how Jennie noticed this tiny snake. It wasn’t moving and was only about 8 inches long.

We were doing the trail counter clockwise. As we were leaving the lookout, another group of people left going clockwise. As we got back to the place where the trails join up near the start, we had a laugh as they arrived at exactly the same time.

Heading back out to the highway.

As it was only around 2 pm we decided to to visit one of the locks on the Rideau Waterway. Kingston Mills Locks are a National Historic site.

As it is a historic site they do everything the old fashion way, by hand. There were around 10 Parks Canada people working the 4 locks.

Opening and closing the doors.

And working the valves that flood the locks.

You can walk across the gates when they are closed.

Going down.

The sailboat had complained that they had scraped bottom on one of the locks. It sure looked like fresh paint.

Each set of boats must go through all 4 locks before any boats can come the other way. These guys are done.

A set of fast fishing boats was waiting to go up.

There is a roadway over the top lock. When tall boats come in they swing the bridge out of the way. I guess the sailboat that we first saw going down must have needed the bridge moved because when we first got here we had to wait about 15 minutes behind a line of cars for them to go through. I wish I had know what was going on so I could have gone up and grabbed a picture.

And they are done.

Now even more hot and sweaty, we head home.