Crawford Lake / Rattlesnake Point Main & Side Trails (22k @4.5k/hr) (1/20/2018)

Route:

Starting from the parking lot the hike will meander on the main trail through Crawford Forestry Tract and Crawford lake conservation Area (until 111.8k map: 11). Take a detour to Rattlesnake point side trail and back to take Leech Porter side trail and Crawford Lake Side Trail (map 11) to get back to the main trail for the journey back to the cars. We plan to maintain a speed of ~4.5k/per hour and cover distance of about ~22 k.

Portraiture:

The hike will pass through mixed woodland, historic calcium pits and rocky outcrops into the Crawford Forestry Tract. Getting in the Conservation Area it goes through pine forests and meadows as well as some deciduous woods. A significant portion of the hike would be in the Nassagaweya Canyon. It runs between the main Escarpment and a rocky outcrop. It will cover rocky ground and some sharp ascents and descents. Some of us may find poles helpful. Using the Crawford Lake side trail we will visit the Crawford Lake, a rare example of meromictic lake (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meromictic _lake). Take a break at the Visitors Center and visit the reconstructed native American village and return to the parking place via the main trail. In between we will have lunch at a picturesque spot.

Those willing to drive will be given preference. Passengers will be add.ed as drivers become available. Maximum Hikers: About 8. I set the Maximum Group Size to 1 so everyone will first go on the waiting list.  

Drivers: Pls mention in the notes as to how many passengers you would be able to take.