My daughter and I headed out to Port Carling for a short trek along the Hazelwood trail. This is a surprising trail hidden right near the downtown. I imagine the locals like to keep it a secret, as it is wonderful spot for a short hike. Follow the main road through Port Carling to the Hazelwood Road and stay to the right of the no exit sign to a small parking. As we started down the trail, I was amused by the glitter of small pieces of glass scattered throughout the bush, until there seemed to be crystalline shards everywhere. This oddity is soon explained by the large sign indicating that this was an old dump site, along with a warning about staying on the trail. Absolutely, because no one wants to get an updated tetanus shot from having walked through a pile of rusty cans! On the other hand, this is also an historic pioneer trail that connected Port Carling and Port Sandfield to the west. Pioneer wagons and garbage trucks all on the same trail, though not at the same time of course!
The trail is easy to navigate and there is no worries about losing the route and while it has several elevation changes they should not be too difficult for most people. The landscape is one of mature hardwoods, green undergrowth and acorns everywhere. That green landscape was being helped along by the pitter patter of rain through the canopy. I like hiking in the rain, the soft patter of tiny drops hitting each leaf, the stillness of the forest and that moist earth smell. That is at least how this hike started, just a gentle rain as we explored the winding trail. This linear trail is only 2.5 km, or 5 km in and out, which gives lots of time for meandering and exploring, as there is always new fungi to find. Near the final km, the trail becomes smaller and twister, with many exposed roots waiting to trip you up. If you take a moment to stop checking your feet, you can look up at the beautiful limestone bluff to your left. While a small bluff compared to those on the Escarpment, it is still a beautiful are of large grey rocks and leafy green ferns. This is also where I heard a roaring sound coming towards us from behind. Oh boy.
The leaves high up on the oaks and maples began to dance furiously, as the tiny and gentle rain drops morphed into massive spheres the size of teacups! Despite our rain jackets and hoods, we were both soaked within seconds. Talking was impossible, as the sound from those trillions of raindrops was deafening, and visibility was drastically diminished. This is also where the highlight of the trail was, a marshland and then a large beaver pond usual resplendent with birds and other wildlife. Instead of admiring the scenery, we slogged on through elephant sized puddles. I image on a nice day this is a lovely place to spend some time, but right now I was worried about disappearing into the thickening mud. This is also where the trail ends, at a local road that you can use to loop back to the parking lot. Instead, I turned my daughter around, and when she realized we had to go back the way we had come, through that rain, well, you can imagine the withering look that twenty-year-old managed to convey. Ok, so rain is not everyone’s cup of tea.
We did make it back to the car, just in time for the rain to stop. As we wrung the water out of clothing and attempted to dry our hair, I mused that this is a perfect hike, because I had an adventure with my daughter. There is nothing better than that.
A note here, while writing this article tonight, I noticed an update that the Hazelwood trail is closed starting Sept 23-Oct 4 for remediation work at the landfill. This will make the trail safer for everyone.