Easter Sunday Radial Trail Hike

Just a few days ago I showed some pictures and gave a description of a hike I took almost two years ago. This past sunday, I went for a stroll with friends in the same area. Beautiful weather and temps, and the area is just beginning to blossom. 

Started at the Chedoke clubhouse.

Same spot, just pivot to the left a little.

Lower Cliffview Falls, with Cliffview Falls just out of view.

Echo chamber.

My friend grew up atop the Escarpment, and learned to ski here almost 40 years ago. This spot was one of the ski runs, one of the beginner runs. Quite a few of the others have been overgrown with trees in the intervening years.

This was one of the intermediate hills. I think mountain bikers are probably the only people who race down it now.

This picture doesn’t really do justice to how steep this hill is. Apparently the steepest ski run in Ontario when it was operational. (There is about a similar distance to the left below the trail.) Standing there looking up and down it, my friend mentioned going down it on a toboggan as a kid. The speeds attainable on that slope must be insane. I can only imagine how many kids got carted off by ambulance after a wipeout. Consequently the killjoys have posted no tobogganing signs at any spot someone might be tempted to do so.

This was apparently part of a ski run too, 40 years ago.

I had always imagined that the railway line had remained a clearly distinguishable pathway after it was abandoned. But according to my friend it had completely overgrown in the 60+ years between its abandonment and its revitalization into the Radial Trail. The Bruce Trail cut through here, and the white blazes on the trees indicate that. He used to mountain bike along trails here 25 years ago, and according to him, if you hadn’t been aware that a railway line once ran there, you probably wouldn’t realize it.

Not quite a stream.

Not quite king of the hill. Prince of the boulder?

Searching for salamanders.

Down the hill, right below this spot is Rifle Range Road. A century ago, people were much saner and realized the value of having a place to practice musketry. What a back stop the Niagara Escarpment makes. At that time it was also the hinterland between Hamilton and Dundas. When the railway line went in, they constructed this wall to protect the passengers from the very remote possibility that a bullet might hit a rock and ricochet up and hit someone on the train. The range was a long way down, but they weren’t taking a chance. Sadly, the rifle range disappeared long ago, to be replaced by baseball diamonds.

Dundas.

Hamilton. McMaster on the left.

Upper Princess Falls. Not the best time to take a picture. Oh well.

Walking back. The lookoff spot.

Shaped by man.

Lovely day.