A run in Frontenac Provincial Park

[Albertatraildog]

It was one of those rare perfect runs.

Although I’m now a resident of Alberta, I recently found myself in Kingston Ontario on a business trip. One afternoon, I got away early and headed out for a trail run at Frontenac Provincial Park. The park is located a few miles north of Kingston, Ontario.

The week before, I learned that local runners were holding a “fat-ass” style (informal) race in the park. Unfortunately, the race would be held before my arrival. Years earlier, and prior to my re-birth as a trail-runner, I had lived in Kingston, but I’d never been to Frontenac. Boy, I didn’t know what I was missing.

Before hitting the trails, I stopped in at the Park Office. Visitors are required to register their car and pay a $10 entry fee. I hadn’t yet decided on the route, but there were plenty of options. Frontenac boasts 160 km of trails, generally ranging in length from 13 – 21 km. The Ranger suggested one of the shorter routes, which I assume he figured would be about right given the time of day. I think he was a little bit wary when I explained that I was looking to cover ~20 km (there were roughly 3 hours of daylight left – plenty). I suppose most park visitors are hikers, not runners, for whom 20 km would be a full days journey, especially under loaded packs. I’d much rather travel light and fast.

I decided on the Big Salmon Lake Loop. The map calls it 19km, but this is measured from the Park Office. Instead I drove up the park access road to the Big Salmon Lake Trail Head, making it about 15km. Only one other car was in the parking lot.

They call this area Land O’ Lakes for good reason. Canadian Shield rocks and boulders, deciduous forests, and thousands of lakes and rivers define the Frontenac region.

To run the loop in a counter-clockwise direction, take the short track from the parking lot to the boat launch and then take the trail up the embankment on the right hand side. From there, it’s a big loop around the lake. The whole route is well signed, however, there are many trail intersections, so if you don’t know the area too well, be sure to bring a map. You can pick up a good one for $5 at the Kingston Indigo bookstore, or there's a free map inside the park brochure available at the park office.

I couldn’t have picked a better day. Temperatures were around 12C and it was lightly raining. The trees had burst into an amazing display of reds, yellows and oranges. The trail itself was covered in roots, rocks mud and wet slippery leaves. On a lot of long runs I’m apt to tune-out and let the miles role by, but on this run I had to sustain focus and concentration to avoid hitting the dirt. Around every corner lay the unexpected. I crossed streams on log bridges, I flushed out deer, I ran by the ruins of old homesteads located deep in the woods. I met a single hiker at 6.5 kms. Other than that, the woods were all mine. This is why I trail run.

[c-moss]

It's good to see that you discovered one of my favourite places in the whole wide world. I'm not allowed to go off leash at the Park but I don't care cuz Joanne and I have a good system...I have a special harness I wear when I hike...and we hike at a very fast clip. I do get to swim in the lakes and I love it.

Usually I get to go camping in the Spring or the Fall but I didn't this year cuz of Camp Renno and Marathon Training.

I glad to hear that you had a wonderful time...and I know just what trail you ran

[markB]

sounds like an awesome run. It makes me wish i were a runner when i lived in eastern ontario...

[RonPerth]

ha ha you were lucky you didn't do it the day before with us racers. We started out in the rain. It stopped raining, but didn't get nice till 5 oclock when we were back home. Only two others showed up, (from Ottawa). I only came because I was the sponsor/RD, otherwise when I got up at 6 am and heard the rain on the windows, I would have rolled over and gone back to sleep. I only did one loop although I had planned on two, because my shoulder started hurting me and I couldn't concentrate, and like you said, it was not a place to zone out. It was slippery enough to be dangerous; not at all the same as when I did it in the summer. Still, a nice trail, and in my neighbourhood. Glad you had a good time.

Ron