Lately I have been making a point of re-visiting the many trails that I discovered over this past winter and early spring. Seeing them again now fully covered in their summer foliage feels like visiting for the first time and the increased level of activity of native animals and songbirds makes the forest feel that much more alive.
A couple of weekends ago I visited one of these trials that I was particularly impressed with when I last visited in November.
The Ray Lowes Side Trail starts by a small parking lot on York Road in Dundas. As the trail descends to the valley floor the air feel cooler with every step, a welcome relief from the hot humid temperatures that we have been experiencing.
On this day there seemed to be an abundance of woodpeckers and chipmunks and I observed a small family of raccoons foraging in some downed timbers. They continued to peek inquisitively over the logs as I walked by until convinced that we didn’t mean them any harm.
As the trail approached the escarpment, we continued upwards, admiring the moss covered rocky outcroppings and stands of birch. Taking in the view from the top, I stopped to enjoy the view and some coffee and then continued along the escarpment edge on the trail heading towards Rock Chapel and Borers Falls.
I always enjoy the view of Borer’s Falls, a classical, 17 metre (56 foot) waterfall but with the low volume of rain we have seen this year the flow was greatly reduced. We rounded the trail to the top of the waterfall and sat there awhile enjoying the view of the valley and the quiet. This is a great place to view hawks and other birds of prey and on this day we observed quite a number of vultures as they glided in lazy circles overhead.
A relatively short hike of about 40 minutes each way, there is lots to see on this trail and the ever changing landscape and escarpment views guarantee that it always worthwhile.
There are always photos being added on my Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dundas-Valley-and-beyond/120774278042380
Check it out if you get a chance! Thanks and have a great weekend!
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