Oak on the Rocks
If you like oak trees and rocks, there is a great hike in the Haliburton Highlands that will fill your soul. Unlike quick melting highball “rocks”, the rocks on the Circuit of Five Viewpoints (C5V) trail are part of the Canadian Shield and have been around for billions of years and are not going anywhere soon!
The trailhead for the C5V trail is at 2029 Little Hawk Lake Road north of Carnarvon off Highway 35. With lots of parking, the trail starts with a gradual ascent to a boney ridge of rock and roots. This trail combines challenging sections with flat, easy parts giving the hike a mix of terrain variety and diversity of habitats.
The five viewpoints are a set of lookouts to a variety of landscapes. Hiking counterclockwise around this loop trail, viewpoint number 5 is the first viewpoint and number 1 is the last. Viewpoints 4, 3, 2 give colourful vistas of distant lakes and forested ridges with twinkling peeks at the Kennisis River below. Viewpoint 5 is over a small rocky canyon and viewpoint and number 1 overlooks a wetland with its hummock islands and swaying cotton grass.
What stood out for me on this hike was the number of oak trees, both red and white. Masses of acorns lined the trail, the red oak acorns being one to three centimetres long and the white oak acorns being about half that length.
Oaks are tough trees. Red oaks in Central Ontario are often found along dry, rocky ridges like the C5V trail as their deep tap root and tough, waxy leaves gives them an advantage in finding and withstanding water scarcity. Although they grow bigger and stronger in deep, rich soils, oaks are not shade tolerant; these high points allow them to flourish without being shaded out by faster growing beeches and maples.
The trail stays high on a ridge through the first two kilometres and then drops down into a valley. The forest changes at lower elevations, the soils are deeper and wetter. Towering white pines flourish amongst the mixed hardwoods. The valley route of quiet backroads eventually directs hikers back a single-tracked forest trail.
A significant climb greets hikers after a saunter through the flat terrain of the valley. Huge random boulders line the trail on this ascent. With the migration of warblers, vireos and many other songbirds almost complete, the twitter of birdsong is replaced by clucks, squeaks and scolding natter of chipmunks and squirrels.
Taking advantage of the bounty of acorns strewn about, these two common forest dwellers use their well-appointed rodent dental formula to gnaw away at the hardy acorn shell to get to the rich seed inside. Being eight percent protein and thirty-seven percent fat, the oak seed will help these frisky critters survive the deep winter chill. When not eating their fill, they keep busy burying caches of acorns for future use. Hiding them from other acorn lovers, this hoarding behaviour, inadvertently, helps to disperse the seeds − forgotten caches can sprout into saplings away from the shade of the mother tree.
Acorns are also an important food source for bears, deer, racoons and even birds like wood ducks, blue jays and nuthatches. Many insects use oaks as a host for their larva including wasps, beetles, moths, butterflies, aphids and flies. Oaks are considered a keystone species, an important tree that supports a tremendous amount of forest biodiversity.
Soon after the steep climb out of the valley, hikers can rest at a nice vista at viewpoint number 4. Yellow signs warning of a steep cliff are prominently displayed along the trail here. There are no safety barriers on this trail, so hikers need to be vigilant while visiting lookout locations. All viewpoints are safe viewing areas in my opinion.
The Circuit of 5 Viewpoints trail is a gorgeous loop that also provides access to other hiking trails including the Crest of Kennisis and the Ridge Trail. Well marked and maintained, I took the full three hours to complete the trail, enjoying a slower pace, stopping often and savouring the solitude of a solo hike with no other hikers in sight. Leaving me tired but not exhausted, this six-kilometre loop blends destination worthy viewpoints along rocky ridges cloaked with mature forest. Oh… and yes, lots of acorns!
Submitted by Rick Whitteker. You can find Rick at home in the forest, as a seasoned trail guide, nature writer and passionate wildlife enthusiast in the Haliburton Highlands.
Photo Credit – Chipmunk – Tammy Nash
