EtoE #2 - Long Sault to Purple Woods (19.7km) - 2015-4-20
E2E hike #2, 20 April 2015.
Hike: Long Sault CA to Purple Woods CA.
The weather forecast was correct, significant rain fell overnight.
12 hikers arrived in the Long Sault CA parking lot in light rain and very strong winds.
How stiff was the wind? They were so stiff it took two to wrap rain gear around the body.
Soon we entered the relative calm of the forest heading North West.
On nearing Burketon, Bill raced ahead of the pack to verify the café was open.
Our luck was in; we spent some very welcome time downing coffee in a warm shattered space.
Too soon we hit the road and trail again. The rain continued intermittently until noon when we reached the high point on Buyers Rd. At that point visibility had improved allowing us to see Lake Scugog and Port Perry in the distance.
We held off eating lunch until we reach the Summerlea Golf Course. The Golf Course was closed but the skeleton staff opened the washrooms for our benefit and let us eat our lunch on the patio which has a wonderful panoramic view to the north. During this break the clouds parted and the sun peaked out, for a while.
After lunch we pushed on past the Oshawa Gun Club and arrived in the Purple Woods CA parking lot having covered 19.7Km, by 2:00PM (approximately 4 hours walking).
Some said we made good time because there was a lot of road walking although the mini lakes and significant muddy sections of the unassumed roads slowed our progress.
Icers would have given better footing through the mud but again luck was with us, no one fell in the mire which at times appeared to be 1/2meter deep. Thank you Julie for entertaining us with your nibble acrobatics to stay out of the mud.
Thank you Bill for buying coffees for all in Burketon and Mel. for plastic bags to pack wet gear and muddy boots (Mr. Kleenex would be proud of you).
Trail blazing was adequate. Much of the trail follows straight unassumed roads leaving nowhere to deviate from the rout.
