YCK to Lentor – Semi Urban Trek

We could not pass up a hike in our back yard organised by the Trailblazers folks. Todays group is huge with 37 people in total. The trek started with a 1km canal walk  from YCK MRT.

The floating device that you see here is a litter trap. It helps to retain litter from our waterways. The litter is then removed so clean water flows into our reservoir for everyones enjoyment.

It was an enjoyable walk along the waterway and we soon cut through the tall yam plants to enter an area that looked strangely like an army training ground. There are no signs that this is a restricted area though. We walked along the concrete path amidst the trees only to come to a dead end about 4km in.

Time to for a break and group shot. I believe everyone that turned up today shuld be in this photo.  Not sure why I keep counting 2 short though. Anyways, I sat down and watched everyone get a little trigger happy, wondering where Clara (our trek lead) was going to take us next.

Trithemis aurora (Crimson or Dawn Dropwing) – This a common dragonfly species and often can be seen at ponds, drains, small streams. They are most active at mid-noon when the sun is hot and one can see them perching in an “obelisk” position basking under the direct sun.

Before we knew it, we we back in the green and made our way through some tall grasses. A short bash brought us back into the open along the SLE, and we continued our hike.

Walking along the SLE and Simpang Bridge completed in Febuary 1990 by the Public Works Department. The cross-section view of Sungai Seletar from the bridge is gorgeous.

We spotted the most wild life during this stretch of the hike. Here’s a Banded Bull Frog. Known to have immigrant from West Malaysia during the 1800s, it is commonly seen island-wide, especially after heavy down-pour.

Below is a Black Spitting Cobra – Though not aggressive in nature, these snakes can accurately spit a powerful neurotoxic venom into the eyes which can cause temporary blindness. The bite, however, can be fatal.

A shack with a Hindu shrine – I can’t seem to find very much information about it except that it may have been known as Lord Muneeswarar Temple, Riverside Sivan Temple, or Maha Kaliamman Temple.

After visiting the shrine, we came to another dead end and bashed through some swampy areas and tall grasses to come back out to the reservior.

A view of Lower Seletar Reservior – recreational fishermen casting their lines at the edge of the water. A quick stop to ensure that everyone is accounted for and we headed back inland.

Walking along Lower Seletar Close – a long and quiet road all with a restricted fenced up area on the left. I assume that it is some communications base as it has a bunch of satellites in it’s compound. A man cycled over to us as we passed to inform us that photography of the premise is prohibited.

All-in-all, glad that we joined the group to trek the areas surrounding Yio Chu Kang and Lentor Avenue. Walking on roads and concrete was a bit of a struggle for me due to the heat, but I’m happy that we got to explore new places and saw some wild life. Total distance covered: 11.3km including the walk back to YCK MRT from Lentor Ave.