Biking Bruce County & Beyond: A Summer-Like Ride Through the Greenock Swamp Villages

About this time in September I bemoan the inevitably of propping my bike up on my in-door trainer (A piece of equipment that lifts my rear tire off the ground so I can pedal and go nowhere all winter).

But no trainer today. Rather, the real deal. Today is a gift. A probable last taste of summer. The weatherman was accurate. Once a morning fog wore off, this late September day transformed into a beautiful July-like day. Temperature in the mid 20's C (mid 70's F). A stiff warm wind pushing its way northwest, but, well, the couldn't be perfect, eh?

But it is more than good enough for me.

By 9:15 AM (0915) I got my chain lubed, tires up to pressure, water bottles loaded, and power bars and fruit in handlebar bag. Ready to roll.

And roll I do.

Our route today comprises of a loop around and through the Greenock Swamp encompassing several villages with long histories and deep roots. Check out a brief intro to this amazing piece of natural real estate: http://www.svca.on.ca/ca.php?page=greenock

After almost an hour of pedaling inland and east from my home, through the village of Glammis, I reach "the loop."

I've been in a low, easy pedaling gear since I left my driveway. The headwind won't allow me great speed. This will be the case for the first two hours of my tour.

Before reaching the first village on the loop, I am traversing the Greenock Swamp. Dispense with the typical movie image of a swamp. This huge marsh covering a vast area of the township looks like a regular forest. One might miss the swamp presence if not studied closer.

But if one stops and looks at the deep roadside ditch full of dark water with brilliant green algae floating on the surface, it will also be observed that all the visible forest of trees growing in the deep shadows of an unbroken lake.

Ecologically, we know these swamps are (amazingly) Nature's purification and filtration systems for our precious ground water. The swamps in this region are thankfully protected for that valuable purpose. There are few homes or developments here.

Some of the land is privately owned and utilized seasonally as "hunting lots." Every so often I see primative roads, actually more like driveways, jutting off the paved township road and into the swamp for a few meters (yards).

In late November, when the swamp freezes, the hunter-owner will park a small trailer on his lane way just off the main road. This trailer serves as his hunting headquarters and beer fridge during the deer season.

On a high spot in the swamp I come to Cheapstow, the first village on the loop. A delightful place with lush trees and lawns and plants, all showing the signs of the beginnings of bright Fall colours yet to come.

One can easily visualize this nice, but now sleepy village, as the vibrant community it and all the villages I will ride through today, once were. They all have at least one church (perhaps active and open, perhaps not), a one room school (all these closed by the late 1960's; most now homes or seasonal cottages), a general store/hotel (most now renovated as private residences), and a river with a mill on it (no longer in active service).

The houses in Cheapstow are quite nice, both vintage and modern. Though no real commerce is transacted in these villages these days. (Except for the variety store/post office in Cargill, I don't think you could even buy a Dr Pepper in these villages, Lord forgive them.) But these villages are great "bedroom" communities for folks desiring a very very small town feel.

At Cheapstow I turn my bike east. About 2 km (1 mi) from the village I turn north on a small but nicely paved road.

I stop here to give my bum a short break. And, as in all previous stops today, I am immediately surrounded by a friendly swarm of bees. They obsessively focus on the PowerAid bottles attached to my bike frame. Such fluids must be a sweet nectare to these creatures in these post-summer, pre-winter days.

I am now at my furtherest and turn around point of the ride and heading to the village of Cargill.

Once, just as Cheapstow, this was a thriving agriculturally based community. Now a quiet village providing housing in old homes along the four main streets that hug the sides of the river and connect at the only bridge.

Most of the business buildings are now converted to rooms and apartments. But one huge empty building on the northwest "downtown" corner was obviously the hotel that serviced the horses and buggies and stagecoaches and later bus routes.

(Large building is the local Inn of days gone by)

Just in the ten years I have lived in this area I have seen at least three courageous souls seek to make go with a restaurant / rooming house in this grand structure. But none were successful. The building sits empty and for sale today.

Continuing north of my sleepy road gently rolling through intermittent fields and wood lots I arrive at the village of Pinkerton, a different version but same story as Cheapstow and Cargill: river, mill, closed library, closed church, closed general store which is now open as an antique store.