Hike #4 - Niagara section 56.2-68.1
total hiked: 68.1
total time: 12:20


A quick weekday hike, from Balls' to Beams'. Its a good section, almost all trail with lots of rocky sections to negotiate. From the start there was one last look at the falls and into the woods. It follows the top of the escarpment with some good views of the water, and its actually the first time you can even really see Lake Ontario. It was clear enough to even see the Toronto skyline.

This area has really only 2 things you will see, one after another. Trail, and vineyards. Over and over.

Halfway through I came across this sign, marking the first blaze of the trail in 1962

She is still young. On a side note, I was just reading about a hiker named Doug Sloan, who last year finished his 50th end-to-end hike of the bruce trail, totaling over 40,000km of this trail.


The trail follows under the escarpment for a few km, and eventually there is a steep climb to bring you back to the top. You walk along the top of cave springs, but I couldn't help by take a small detour down into the rocks. It looked like a trail, and seemed to follow the same direction, so why not.

The cave spring

The trail quickly disappeared and I was into the bush for a bit, walking along the wall. I decided to try and find a place to climb up instead of turn around. There was a massive overhang and lots of rocks than had come down. I eventually found a place I could climb out out of and found the bruce again.

I finished shortly after and in Kinsmen park and was greeted by a large deer. My ride back to the car I realized I look like like a hiker, and probably more like a working from vineyards covered in mud.