Tag Archives: Kingston

Posts from the road

Return to the K&P Trail

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Last year, one of my posts was about hiking on the K&P Trail north of Kingston. This old railway line has been converted to a recreational trail and we are continuing our attempt to hike its entire length.

We’ve managed to cover two more segments of the trial since my previous post.  We have now walked all the way from Kingston to the northern edge of the village of Verona (and back).

View of the K&P Trail from Boyce's Road in Hartington
View of the K&P Trail from Boyce’s Road in Hartington

We had low expectations for the portion leading north from Hartington.  However, after a not-very-tranquil segment near Highway 38, the trail plunged into wilderness.   Following a dramatic rock cut, we began to see all kinds of interesting wildlife.  First up was an active beaver population:  I didn’t act quickly enough to get a photo of a diving beaver, but I then spotted the unmistakable evidence of  very recent beaver activity (see photo at the top of this post).   From then on, our eyes were furiously scanning for signs of wildlife.

Many turtles on a log, as seen from the K&P Trail south of Verona
Many turtles on a log, as seen from the K&P Trail south of Verona

While we didn’t see any other beavers, we did see lots of gnawed trees….and a lot of turtles.  We saw massive lines of turtles sunning themselves on fallen trees.  Once, we even saw an unusual turtle-snake interaction…eventually,  the snake gave up and left the turtle alone.   Although they never got too close, birds of prey were also circling above us with rather unnerving frequency.

Mysterious Christmas tree, north of Hartington
Mysterious Christmas tree, north of Hartington

There was the occasional sign of human  interaction here:  for reasons unknown, somebody decided to put Christmas ornaments on a tree beside the trial.  We almost walked right past the tree without noticing.  Since then, however, we have been speculating about why this happened.  If anybody knows the story (the tree was no more than 30 minutes’ walk north of Hartington), let me know.

Close-up of a pair of turtles
Close-up of a pair of turtles

Our second segment took us from just south of Bellrock Road to just north of the village of Verona.  It was quite hot and we didn’t feel like pushing ourselves too much.  As part of the trail is actually on one of the streets of Verona, it also didn’t have quite the same ruggedness as the previous segment.

Rock cut north of Hartington
Rock cut north of Hartington

However, one of the advantages of traveling through a village is that you can take refuge from the hot weather.  After finishing our walk, we stopped in at a local trail-side restaurant called “Martha’s Place” (which we used to know as the “Bravo Restaurant”).  Pulled pork appeared in several different forms on the menu, so I figured that it must be a specialty.  I enjoyed the pulled pork sandwich very much, even though it was one of the messiest things I have ever eaten.  There was sauce everywhere:  I nearly got some in my eyes.

View of Hardwood Creek from the K&P Trail, just south of Verona
View of Hardwood Creek from the K&P Trail, just south of Verona

While Verona is nowhere near the size of the “real” Verona (which is coming up soon in one of my Travel Flashbacks!) in Italy, it is also the last major settlement on the currently developed portion of the K&P Trail.  Everything from this point forward will be much more remote.

Stay tuned for more Travel Flashbacks, local travel stories, and our exciting international trip in July!  We’re really going off the beaten path for this one…I’ll have some hints for you as the trip gets closer.

Posts from Base Camp

Walking through history on the K&P Trail (and another “Big Reveal”)

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

The K&P Trail follows the railbed of the old Kingston & Pembroke Railway.  Informally known as the “Kick & Push” Railway, this rail route from Kingston to Renfrew (it never reached Pembroke) played an important role in opening up the hinterland north of Kingston in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  It then declined until the tracks were removed in the 1980s, with passenger service ending some time before that.

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Part of a bridge (from 1927) on the K&P Trail, just north of Kingston

Extensive local efforts have now resulted in the redevelopment of parts of the railbed for recreational purposes: walking and biking in the warmer months, skiing and snowmobiling in the winter months.  While I never had the chance to ride the actual railway, I have always been interested in this relic from a bygone age.  One reason is that we often rented a cottage on Eagle Lake in the 1970s and the drive to the cottage closely mirrored the K&P route.  However, I’m generally intrigued by small local railways:  I’ve always enjoyed riding the tiny but still-in-service rail line from Spiez to Zweisimmen in the valley of my Swiss ancestors.

View from the K&P Trail
View from the K&P Trail

With the K&P Trail now open for walking from Kingston to just north of Verona, it is possible to get a feel for what riding the actual K&P might have been like.  My wife and I are gradually walking the line:  we have already walked from Kingston to Hartington (and back).  It can get a little warm during the summer months but it’s much more enjoyable now that the weather has cooled off a little bit.  As a bonus, the trail is never very challenging because railway lines were built as level as possible.

A rare lengthy incline on the K&P Trail
A rare lengthy incline on the K&P Trail

For our most recent hike on the K&P Trail, we revisited a (relatively) steeper section just north of the urban portion of Kingston.   All of the photos in today’s post are from the portion just east of the intersection of Bur Brook Road and Cordukes Road.

When we start walking north from Hartington to Verona, we will see the transition from a primarily farming environment to the rocks and lakes of the Canadian Shield.  It must have been extraordinarily difficult to build the railway through the rocky sections using the technology of the 1800s; in fact, many workers died in the process.

View of a nearby farm from the K&P Trail
View of a nearby farm from the K&P Trail

Once we’ve finished the K&P Trail, we will probably try to see some of the Cataraqui Trail too.  It also follows a former rail line:  it is currently developed for walking between Strathcona (near Napanee) and Smiths Falls.  Because most of the Cataraqui Trail is relatively far from our home in Kingston, we might travel it by bike or (in winter) on cross-country skis.

Another view from the K&P Trail
Another view from the K&P Trail

And the “Big Reveal”?  Although I wrote this blog entry in Kingston, I will probably have already arrived in Costa Rica (via Panama) by the time you read this.  Upon arrival in San Jose, I will be joining a group tour focusing on the natural highlights of Costa Rica.  As always with group tours, it is unclear whether I will have the opportunity to blog in “real time”.  If I don’t have that opportunity, I will definitely report on the Costa Rican adventure once I’m back in Canada!

Posts from Base Camp

Staying in Shape for Travel

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I do a lot of walking (and eating) when I travel, so I try to stay in peak travelling condition by being very physically active when I am in Kingston.  Hockey lasts all year, while soccer has just started and curling will end this week.  I supplement these sports with brisk walks in and around the city. 

Today’s post contains some photos from my local wanderings.  A favourite local destination is Lemoine Point, which is also home to an increasing number of wild animals.  

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Lemoine Point, Kingston (March 2014)

We used to see deer from time to time but they are now almost an everyday occurrence.  All of the deer in this post were spotted on the same trail, at approximately the same time of day. 

Lemoine Point, Kingston(February 2014)
Lemoine Point, Kingston (February 2014)

When Lemoine Point is too wet or muddy, there  is a (mostly paved) waterfront trail between Lake Ontario Park and Portsmouth Olympic Harbour.  It is a good place to cool off, as the wind really keeps the temperature down.

Lake Ontario Park - Kingston, Ontario (April 2014)
Near Lake Ontario Park – Kingston, Ontario (April 2014)

Running north from the built-up part of the city is the K&P Trail.  The most interesting part of this former railway is the long climb between Jackson Mills Road and Cordukes Road.  We walked the entire trail between Kingston and Harrowsmith last fall and are walking north of Harrowsmith this spring.   

Next Tuesday, I’ll be leaving on a lengthy (almost three weeks) overseas trip .   As always, I won’t specifically identify my destinations in advance on this blog.  One interesting aspect will be the use of two different alphabets, as well as at least four different languages (in name, if not necessarily in substance).  While there, I hope to see some professional soccer, as two of the countries I’ll be visiting will be participating in this year’s World Cup and two others narrowly missed qualifying.  However, the most important thing will be experiencing a beautiful region with a tragic recent past.