SPRUCEDALE RECREATIONAL TRAIL

The recreational trail winds deep into the rugged and beautiful terrain surrounding Sprucedale. The trail is located directly behind the Municipal Office at 31 William Street, Sprucedale and begins on a boardwalk that stretches across a solitary beaver pond and then proceeds into a forest where you will come across broad maples and high ridges. You may not see deer, moose or beaver, but all around you, there will be signs of their activity.

We hope you will enjoy your walk and please do not litter. Click here for trail map. This recreational trail was designed and constructed by Paul Poulin and Ray Griffiths in co-operation with the Township of McMurrich and the Environmental Youth Corporation.

POST 1

The Wetland around you was created by beavers many years ago when they dammed a small stream. As food became scarce they moved, leaving the dam to run down and trees to grow in the drained pond. The beavers later moved back in and re-flooded the area. This has happened many times until we are left with what you see around you.

POST 2

This field is one of the last remaining pieces of a farm operated years ago. The many types of plants around the field are very light dependant. That’s why they won’t be here for long. Soon trees like maples, will take over and the other trees and plants will soon die off. The thick canopy of the maples will choke off the trees like poplar and cherry trees.

POST 3

This part of the trail used to be an old logging road, last used in the late 1950’s by a local family. They used it to reach their property farther in. Logging is very important to the balance of nature. Logging removes the sick and the old trees and leaves room for young ones to grow. Also in a bush primarily made up of one type of tree, it allows other types to grow.

POST 4

This rock face you can see was once part of the shoreline of the Algonquin Sea millions of years ago. The constant wave action revealed these rocks and when the last glacier retreated it took with it the water that was covering them, leaving them much as you see here today.

POST 5

The large boulder, “rockin’ rock”, you see here, was most likely deposited here eleven thousand years ago, during the last ice age. However it is not the most important feature here. You will notice more oak and striped maple here than on the rest of the trail. Striped maple are a favourite food source of moose and deer. Acorns are a favourite food source for squirrels. Both species of trees are rare in a maple dominated forest.

POST 6

Between oak and maple trees there is an ongoing struggle for dominance. Maples always win. Oak trees need lots of sunlight to compliment good soil conditions. Maples can grow almost anywhere. They grow faster than the oaks cutting off their sun, starving them. Both nature and man have ways of insuring the continuation of oak and other intermediate trees. Fire clears out all the large dominant trees so that the faster rooting intermediate trees have a chance to grow and reproduce. Wind falls make a break in the canopy allowing other trees to take root. A controlled from of logging can also give the trees a chance to grow the same as a fire or a blow down would. The more dominant trees would again take over but the other species would be given a chance to survive. You may also notice some iron wood around you. It can be distinguished by its tattered and stringy bark. It had an important role in the past as well as in the present as wipple trees and axe handles.

POST 7

If you look beyond this post you will see a large number of black spruce trees. They make up a spruce bog. Black spruce had a role in the past as well as in today’s industry. In the past it was used with horses for sleighs and other equipment. Because of its light weight and its strength it was an ideal choice. Today it is used in the pulp and paper industry. It makes a strong paper with a shining finish. The floor of the bog is lined with sphagnum moss. You may recognize it as a lining for worm buckets. The soft base of the bog makes for a tough pursuit of prey. This makes it an ideal hiding place for deer and moose. But they not only seek shelter amongst the mass of trees, but they also seek shelter from the elements. The trees also make use of their tight togetherness. The soft ground makes it easy for the wind to blow trees over. The tightness of the roots provide a strong base and the many branches provides a wind break for other trees.

POST 8

The beavers not only used the beaver pond for protection from predators, but also for their survival in the winter. Beavers take branches they gathered during the other three seasons and stash them on the pond floor. The ice makes for a perfect cover when going out to get some food. The cold wind would freeze the wet beaver before he made it back to the water. From there they return to their lodge to eat in safety.