Recently the Menzel Centennial Provincial Nature Reserve popped up on my radar. When I mentioned it to our adventuring buddies, they did not hesitate to say yes. For a day trip, it is on the edge of how far we like to travel. It is northwest of Napanee. Today was the day to check it out.
The gentlemen half of our team loves to inform themselves on where we are and what is in the neighbourhood once we get there. Sometimes, they do a quick check online before the day. Often they just wait to get there and we all hope there will be something of interest to explore.
It's almost like prospecting for gold. You get in the general area and then dig around.
Does this not look like an interesting river? Except for those bands of snow across it, this would make sense as a river. In reality, it is very flat limestone. There is very little topsoil in this neck of the woods.
The brochure which the gentlemen picked up promised that we would go through: a semi-wooded landscape, a wetland edge, a wooded wetland, a central upland, flowering fields, sand & gravel, a shrub fen, and finally the lakeside. All that in 627 ha. (1550 acres).
It still looks like a river to me.
Where each natural area begins is a clear marker indicating what you will be going through.
We met a few groups of hikers while we made our way to the lake. This family was carrying a picnic to eat at the lake. Yum! Doughnuts.
It is hard to believe it is March 26! It looks like December 26.
Today's sponsor reminded us that it really is spring. Our sponsor? The sound of water dripping from the boardwalk.
I'd love to go back there in the summer or fall. There was a little bit of vegetation to be seen today, and I can only imagine how beautiful it would be in those seasons.
Another sign of spring!
At the lake, Mud Lake, we realized why that family with the donut picnic didn't stay long. It felt like northern Ontario in the midst of winter.
We were glad to be back in the shelter of the woods and on the board walk.
I love this picture. It's like the pussy willows are shouting, "It's spring! It's spring!"
If Ruth ever changes her coat for a new non-red one, I will be very sad.
So, remember at the beginning of the hike, our two gentlemen had read the sign? One interesting possibility they noted was Forest Mills Falls. Since none of us had explored this part of Ontario, we decided to go.
You could hardly call Forest Mills a village. Let's call it a community. Maybe 30 or 40 people living there. What they lack in numbers, they make up in creativity. They are able to paddle on rocks.
And, they seem to be a tough bunch. They even play leap-frog barefoot in the snow.
My photographer buddy and I audibly gasped when we saw the falls.
Zooming in, isn't that snow formation amazing!!???!! And, the golden colour of the waterfall. Stunning.
I should say waterfalls. If you look over to below the Canadian Flag, there is another smaller one.
Now can you see it? Glimmering in the sunlight. And, do you see the mist rising from below the larger falls?
Gold. We found gold. And, we didn't even have to dig.
I've used this quote before, but IMHO there is no better quote to sum up today's adventure.
“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
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