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CRAZY HORSE TRAIL GUIDE AbridgedVersion:November2020

ThisisashortformofourinterpretivetrailguidefortheCrazyHorseTrail.Thefullversionoftheguidehasamoredetaileddescriptionofthegeology,plants,andanimalsfoundalongthetrail.Thisversionoftheguideandalargerversionofthetrailmapareavailableatcarphills.com.

INTRODUCTION

TheCrazyHorseTrail(CHT)isalowimpacthikingtrail,intendedtoallowpeopletoexperiencethenaturalbeautyoftheCarpHills,whilehavingaminimalimpactontheenvironment.ThetrailhasbeendevelopedandismaintainedbytheFriendsoftheCarpHills(FCH),avolunteercommunitygroup.ThetrailisonCityofOttawaownedlandandisa6.2kilometrereturnhikefromtheMarchRoadaccess.YoucanaccessthetrailfromthenorthsideofMarchRoadoppositeHuntmarDrive.

In spring of 2016, FCH developed two new side loops to the main trail that added another 2kilometrestothetrailnetwork.Infall2020,FCHaddedathirdsidetrail–out-and-back–accessedfromthesouthsideofthebeaverpondloop.

CrazyHorseTrail.ThemaintrailisshowninWhiteonthemap.It’smarkedwithOrangemarkers.TwoSideLoopsandaSideTrailareshowninYellowonthemap,andmarkedwithYellowmarkers.

The trail is moderately strenuous with occasional short climbs and descents over bedrock andunevenfootinginsomeareas.Peopleusingthetrailshouldwearappropriatefootwear,preferablyhikingbootswithsomeanklesupport;sandalsandrunningshoesarenotsuitable.Inthespring,andafterperiodsof heavy rain, the trail is verywetandmuddy inplaces. TheFCHhas constructedboardwalksoverthewettestareasandwillbeconstructingmoreasneeded.Thefirstsectionofthe

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trail passes close to a snowmobile track and during the winter trail users should be careful ofsnowmobiletraffic.Inthewinterthetrailissuitableforsnowshoesandwinterhiking.Theuneventerrainmakesitdifficultforcrosscountryskis.

Themain trail is designated by orangemarkersplaced on nearby treesabout2metresaboveground.Sidetrailsaredesignatedbyyellowmarkers.Bluemarkers indicate the lookouts along the trail that lead topoints ofinterest.

TRAILETIQUETTE

GoodpracticewhileontheCHTboilsdowntotwoprinciples,respectandsafety.

Respect

Giveplantsachance!Thetrailpassesoversensitiveterrain.Theplantsgrowingonrockyoutcropsareespeciallyvulnerableduringdryperiods.Pleaserespectthenaturalenvironmentyouarepassingthroughbystayingonthetrailandnottramplingon,pickingorremovingnativeplants.

Youshallnottrespass!Whilethetrailisonpublicland,allofthesurroundinglandisprivatelyowned.Pleaserespectadjacentlandownersbystayingonthetrailandnottrespassingonprivateproperty.

Downboy(orgirl)!Pleaseensurethatyourpetsareundercontrol,especiallywhenencounteringotherpeopleorwildlife,andpleasepickupafteryourpetwhileonthetrail.

Safety

WhereamI?ItiseasytobecomedisorientedontheCarpHillsastheterrainlooksthesameinmanyplaces.Byfollowingthetrailmarkersyoureducetheriskofbecominglost.Ifyoudolosesightofthemarkers,retraceyourstepstowhereyoulastsawamarkerandcontinuefromtherewhenyouhavelocatedthenextone.Youmightalsowanttocarryyourcellphonetocallforassistanceifneeded.

Ouch!ThereareTicksandPoisonIvyalongthetrail.Bystayingontheclearedpathyoulessenthechancesofcontactwitheitherofthese.Afteryouhavefinishedyourhikeitisagoodideatocheckyourselfandpetsforticks,whichmaycarrytheLymediseasebacteria.

Fire! The CarpHills are very susceptible to forest firesduringdry periods. Camp fires are notpermittedatanytime,andpleasemakesureyouextinguishallsmokingmaterialssafely.

Asyoumaygatherfromtheforegoing,thegoldenruleoftrailetiquetteistostayonthetrail!

Figure 1. Orange Trail Marker

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OVERVIEWOFTHETERRAIN

The Crazy Horse Trail parallels a 20 metre-wide road allowance leading from the March Roadtrailheadforabout750meters,andthencontinueswestforabout3kilometresovera200acreblockofland.Oneoftheinterestingfeaturesofthetrailisthatitpassesthroughthreedifferenttypesofhabitat:

• ashadetoleranthardwoodforestforaboutthefirsthalfkilometre,• rockypineuplandsovermostofthe200acreblockofland,and• asignificantwetlandcomplexfoundinmanylocationsalongthetrail.

Each of these habitats has its own distinctive plant and animal life adapted to its differentenvironment.MuchofthereasonforthesedifferenthabitatshastodowiththeunderlyinggeologyoftheCarpHills.

TheCarpHillsareanescarpmentofmainlyPrecambriangraniticrock,which ispartof theCanadianShield. Thegeologyof theHills isnotuniformthroughouttheirlength,however,anddifferentkindsofrockformationscanbefoundatvariouslocations.ThereisagoodexampleofthisalongtheCrazyHorseTrail,asitpassesovertwodistinctunitsofrock.Thefirstpartofthetrailisoveramarbleunit,whichisdarkincolourandcontainslimeorcalcium.Becauseofthelimecontentoftheunderlyingrock,thesoilhereisneutraltoalkaline,unliketherelativelyacidicsoilassociatedwithgranitebedrock.Inadditiontobeingmore

alkaline,thesoilinthisareaisdeeperandwetter,andsupportsaforestoflargeshadetoleranttreessuchasBasswoodandSugarMaple.

About a half kilometre along, the trail begins to pass over slightly more elevated and exposedbedrock.Atthispointyouwillhaveleftbehindtherichersoiloftheshadetolerantforestandwillhaveenteredthesecondrockformation,agranitic-typerocklighterincolourandvisibleinthemanyrockoutcropsyouwillseealongthetrail.Thethinner,drierandmoreacidicsoilassociatedwiththisrocksupportsadifferentkindofvegetation,mainlyconiferssuchasWhitePine,JuniperandWhiteSpruce,andsmallerdeciduoustreessuchasRedOakandRedMaple,whichprevailovermostoftherestofthetrail.

Thethirdtypeofhabitat,wetlands,largelyresultsfromtheimperviousnatureoftheunderlyingrock.ThewaterontheHillsoriginatesfromprecipitation,andisusuallymostabundantinthespring,aftersnowmelt.Thebedrockdoesnotallowthewatertoseepintotheground,anditpoolsinthelowareasbetweentherockyoutcrops.Beavers,whichtakeadvantageoftheseshallowpondsforfoodand lodging,alsoplayan importantrole inmaintaining them. Bybuildingdamstoholdwater inponds, thebeaversdelay therun-offthatwouldoccurasthewatermoves throughsmallstreamstowardsthevalleysoneithersideoftheHills.Thiscombinationofimperviousbedrockandbeaveractivityaccountsforthepresenceofwetlandsonwhatotherwisewouldbedryhighlandsformuchoftheyear.Thepresenceofwetlands,inturn,greatlyaddstotheplantandanimaldiversityfoundin the CarpHills. The Province has designated the CarpHills a Provincially SignificantWetlandComplex.

Figure 2. Marble is found at the beginning of the trail.

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Beavers,whichtakeadvantageoftheseshallowpondsforfoodandlodging,alsoplayanimportantroleinmaintainingthem.Bybuildingdamstoholdwaterintheponds,thebeaversdelaytherun-offthatwouldoccurasthewatermovesthroughsmallstreams towards the valleyson either sideof theHills. Thiscombination of impervious bedrock and beaver activityaccountsforthepresenceofwetlandsonwhatotherwisewouldbe dry highlands for much of the year. The presence ofwetlands,inturn,greatlyaddstotheplantandanimaldiversityfoundintheCarpHills.

TRAILDESCRIPTION

Thefollowingnumberedparagraphscorrespondtothenumberedlocationsontheaccompanyingmaponpage5.

1.AsyouenterthetrailfromtheMarchRoadyoupassthroughasectionofsmalldeciduoustrees,anddescendasmallrockyridgetotheshadeforest.ThetrailthencrossesthesnowmobiletrackandcontinuesnorthwestacrossaswampandasmallintermittentstreamthatdrainstowardstheOttawaRivertotheeast.Tomakethetailmorepassableandpreservetheterrain,FCHhasbuilt60metresofboardwalkacrossthissection.

2.Acoupleofhundredmetrespastthestream,thetrailstartstoclimbslightlyoverexposedbedrock.Youhavenowenteredthesecondgeologicalzoneonwhichtherestofthetrailislocated.Thetrailtravelsalongthissectionofexposedbedrockforacoupleofhundredmetres,thendescendstoalowareanexttothesnowmobiletrail.Thereisalargewetlandontheleftorwestsideofthesnowmobiletrail,and theCrazyHorseTrail followsalong the edgeof it. Pleaseuse theboardwalks. Privatepropertyliesontherightsideofthesnowmobiletrail.

3.Shortlypastthewetlandthetrailturnstotheleft,orsouthwest,overrockyuplandsinterspersedwithwetlandsthatmakeupthe200acreblockofCityownedland.About100metresfromwherethetrailbranchesofffromthesnowmobiletrailyouwillcometoarockyclearing.Toyourleft,orthesouthsideoftheclearing,thereareyellowmarkersindicatingasidelooptrailthatprovidesawalkofaboutahalfkilometre,nexttoawetlandandsmallpond,andafurtherloopofaboutonekilometreoverrockbarrens.Eachoftheseloopshaslookoutsmarkedwithbluetrailmarkersthatwillgiveyouaviewofthepondsandanopportunitytoseeaquaticplantandanimallife.Theloopsleadbacktothemaintrail,slightlytothewestoftheirstartingpoint,whereyoucancontinuewesttoacircuit

Figure 3. Beavers play an important role in maintaining the wetlands in the Carp Hills

by building dams that retain water.

Figure 4. Boardwalk

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aroundalargebeaverpond. Ifyouwantashorterwalk,youcanalsoturneastatthispoint,andreturntotheMarchRoadtrailhead.

4.Continuingwestforabout2kilometres,thetrailpassesoversomeoldbeaverdams,asuccessionofrockyknollswherethevegetationissparse,anddescendsintomorewoodedareasofsmallRedOaksandRedMaples.Inthelasthalfkilometrebeforethepond,theforestchangestomostlyWhitePinesandotherconifers.Nearthelargebeaverpond,youwillcometothemainjunctionoftheTrail,whichcontinueseitherleftorrightonacircuitaroundthepond.Theentirelooparoundthepondisaboutonekilometre.

5.Ifyoufollowthetrailtotheleftofthejunction,youwillsooncometoasmallchannel.Thebeavershavenotobligeduswithadamhere;passageoverthechannelisaboardwalk.Thereareanumberofpleasantviewsasyoutravelaroundthepond.FCHhasmarkedalookoutalongthewaywhereyoumaybeabletoseesomeofthepondlifesuchasbeaversandturtles.

A500meter“out-and-back”sidetrailcanbeaccessedonthesouthsideofthebeaverpond.Itleadstotwolookoutsoveramarsh,whosewaterlevelvariesdependingontheseasonandtheactivityofbeavers.Retraceyourstepstoreturntothemaintrailaroundthebeaverpond.

Onceyouhavecompletedthelooparoundthebeaverpondand have returned to the trail junction, you can take themaintrailbacktotheMarchRoadstartingpoint.

WehopeyouhaveenjoyedyourwalkalongtheCrazyHorseTrailandhaveappreciatedthebeautyandcomplexityofthisspecialnaturalenvironment. Wewelcomeyourfeedback. Ifyouhaveanycommentsorsuggestionsaboutthetrailyoucanleavethemonourwebsite,carphills.com,underthe“ContactUs”link,oronourFacebookpageFriendsoftheCarpHillsOrganization.

Figure 7. The entire loop around the large beaver pond is about 1 km. (photo. A. Oswald)

Figure 5. Trail Loop Junction.