Hike to Mill Creek

I went hiking this morning with a friend and his two grandsons, 10 and 13.  I think we provided enough adventure for them, but we couldn't quite keep up with them!  They were polite hikers though, and waited for us every now and then.

We got in to Mill Creek fairly easily, about half an hour's walk on the Bruce Trail.  It's a beautiful little stream, a significant tributary of the Beaver River, over on the east side of the valley.

We'd been here in the spring for the first time, and knew it was a nice spot to see.  It had a lot more water flowing then though; all the exposed rocks in these pictures were covered.

I guess the 'rebuilt' Mill Creek bridge is the largest bridge on the Beaver Valley section of the trail, as you can see by these pictures.  Quite substantial fence railings, and a double bench where you can sit and take a break - which we did!

It was completely rebuilt 5 years ago, using the original piers in the river.  It must be at least 100 feet long, and won't need replacing now for many years.

The actual construction work was mostly carried out by the 32nd Combat Engineer Regiment, for a training exercise.  The main army training base in Ontario is located here in the valley, and you often see vehicles out and about.  Such co-operation with the Bruce Trail is an enormous help for some of the bigger trail projects.

Looking over the edge of the bridge, I was delighted to see a group of Cardinal Flowers, Lobelia cardinalis, a genuine native plant, and one of the brightest wildflowers in the woods.

I've seen it before in the valley, especially when paddling, but this was my first chance to get close and capture some good pictures.

As we turned to walk off the bridge I couldn't resist the brilliant green leaves of the Sugar Maples shining in the morning sun.

Linking to: