There were eight of us for this exploration of an area which is planned for logging on two sections of cut block 12-148.  This was the first day we had hiked in sunshine for a very long time and we accessed a few locations we had never visited on Club hikes.   We began on the steep ascent up Back Seat Driver, a little used mountain bike trail.  Some of the rocky, mossy bluffs were very steep before it levelled out a bit more through the forest.  We more or less followed an unnamed creek up to an old, disused logging road which we followed to the north until we arrived at the trail to Nugedzi Lakes.  There were some “historic” artifacts along the way.  These first two legs of the hike took us around, but not terribly close to, the southern section of the proposed cut block 12-148.

We stopped for lunch at the bridge across the creek which runs beside the Nugedzi trail and then headed into the second section of the proposed cut block on paths that vary from well used to deer tracks.  This is a lovely area which borders on the unnamed creek where we had stopped for lunch.  The open forest, the moss, and the creek in the dabbled sunlight made an excellent ramble.  The waterfall, with its big-log walk approach, was a highlight.  We continued gradually descending through the forest and along the creek and then followed a very old, moss covered logging road back to the Nugedzi trail.  We closed the loop by walking through the parking lot and along Hyachinthe Bay road back to the vehicles.  (6.2 km, 3¼ hours, 165m elevation gain)

Debbie