The September sunshine was too good to miss so I quit work early on Tuesday and headed out to explore a hiking trail. It had been years since I last explored the banks of Duffins Creek so I decided to investigate the Seaton Hiking Trail as it follows the west branch of the creek flowing down from the Oak Ridges Moraine through Pickering.
With the assistance of a map downloaded from Seaton Hiking Trail web site, I found a parking spot south of Taunton Road. Despite the fine weather there was only one other car in the small parking lot – and no one else was visible on the trail. The only sounds were chirping crickets and the flutter of wings as birds flew up from the forest floor. I followed the slope of the land toward the water, enjoying the sight of late summer flowers: goldenrod, asters and jewelweed.
Roughly some 10 km long, this trail is pretty rough in places so sturdy shoes or hiking boots are essential. At times I wondered if I was on the right path, as the map warned, “We make no promise that this map is currently accurate.” A short walk brought me to the creek edge and what looked like a series of stepping stones. Rather than taking my chances jumping from stone to stone, I decided to retrace my route then head north, along an unused road and over a bridge.
Almost thirty minutes later, I still hadn’t spotted another hiker. I walked past ancient cedars, mossy logs, and maples showing a hint of orange, all the while marveling at how such a wild place could exist at the edge of Canada’s most populous city. Old cedars seemed to lean against each other and the leaves on the maples were just starting to turn orange.
As I returned to the car, I was startled by an unfamiliar noise and stopped to look around. The culprit was this squirrel busily tearing up a pinecone. Still no other hikers to be seen.
To learn more about other sections of the Seaton Trail see Information Durham. A copy of the Durham Trails Map is available through Durham Tourism.
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