Exploring Old Baldy

    
Old Baldy from the Junction of Grey Road 7 and Grey Road 13                  Hiking the Bruce Trail - Old Baldy in early spring
            If you want to see Old Baldly and are traveling from Highway 10, you should head for Flesherton.  From downtown turn right onto Grey Road 4 for about 3 km then onto Grey Road 13.  Your will see a sign Eugenia Falls Provincial Park.  If you want to stop and look at the lake then you should turn down Canrobert St.; if not, then continue on past the Beaver Valley Ski Club and the village of Kimberley.    As you drive along you will view the Niagara Escarpment rising to your east and west.    There is 3 km of Niagara Escarpment cliffs, slopes and plains rising 130 m above the Beaver Valley floor.  Below the slopes are cliffs and terraces displaying various type of Manitoulin dolostones and Queenstone Shales .  Behind this is a rolling escarpment plain with glacial hills and bedrock exposed along the rims and on knolls.  You will see a large variety of trees including Sugar Maple, White Cedar, White Ash and Mountain Maple. There are two major promontories on this site that are capped by Amabel dolostone cliffs.  Ravines and crevices separate the two peaks; one of the ravines is up to 340m long and 30m wide.  The larger of the two promontories is known as Old Baldy because it represents a large bald spot amid the forest of trees.

Old Baldy from Shilvock Road

To reach this place from the north, from Thornbury go through Clarksburg and south on Grey Road 13.  From Meaford you should turn onto Grey Road 7 heading toward Grey Road 13.  As you drive toward this junction you see the mountain looming up in front of you.  It is a wonderful spot to take a picture of it.  

            Old Baldy is on the eastern rim of the Beaver Valley and has an arch-shaped dome of hard Amabel dolostone illustrating the changes formed by the processes of erosion both past and present. It was highly glaciated during the ice age and the valley was widened and made smooth by the large rivers of ice that went by.  The soft under layers of the escarpment were eroded by glaciers and left the harder dolostone cap on top.  As large blocks of rock are separating it from the main cliff, Old Baldy is gradually separating itself from the main escarpment.

The highest point of the mountain is 449.6 m above sea level and its sheer cliff has a vertical drop of 30.5 m illustrating one of the most dramatic changes in elevation in Grey County.  The total drop from the top of the mountain to the valley floor is 228.6 m. and is one of the most scenic and significant sections of the escarpment.

The 15 minute walk through the forest 

            To reach the lookout for a spectacular view of the area below, turn off Grey Road 13 onto Euphrasia Sideroad 6-7 near Talisman Ski Resort.  You will be entering a 72 hectare conservation area that is managed by the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority.  You can also reach this area from Sideroad 3-4 that runs up the valley south of Kimberley.  There is parking but few facilities; except it does offer beautiful scenery and impressive views.
   
It will take approximately 15 minutes to walk through the woods of Maple, Oak and Birch trees.  During the spring and summer you may also see ferns and flowers and when you reach the lookout a spectacular view of the valley. You will see fields, forest, ski hills and the Village of Kimberley.  You may also see some turkey vultures as they soar off the rim of escarpment.  This area can also be reached from the Bruce Trail Access simply by following the white blazes across the meadow and through the woods. Of course if you are hiking you won’t want to stop here ; this is only the first lookout point.

       
           The First look-out point takes your breath away                                    A lookout point further along

            If you wish to hike further, continue to follow the Bruce trail markings, they will lead you through woodlands. In the spring there are patches of wild columbine and white trillium along with more breath taking views from several lookouts along the way.  You may be able to see almost to Georgian Bay from the higher points.  Flowerpot rock formations that have broken away from the main cliff may also be seen.  Autumn is another pretty time for this hike when all the leaves are changing colors with displays of red, yellow and orange for as far as you can see.

            There is also an opportunity to do some rock climbing, but you will have to get a permit from the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority, and abide by their list of rules and regulations.

View of Kimberley from Old Baldy in the Fall

Sources:  www.applefest.ca.    www.beavervalleybrucetrail.com www.greysauble.on.ca  www.meaford.ca     www.georgiantriangle.com   http://escarpment.org