Capturing the Art of Nature
Day 3 - Spencer Gorge
I had never been to the gorge and with the sun peeking out; it looked like it was going to be a great day for hiking and photography.
Category
Ontario Adventures
2008
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After a dull first day out I was really hoping for a good day on my third but last full day in the Hamilton area. Mike had suggested spending the day exploring the Spencer Gorge/ Webster’s Falls Conservation Area. So when morning arrived, I was glad to see broken cloud and my anticipation of having good light for exploring this new area was growing quickly. The drive from Grimsby went without incident; I saw new areas of Hamilton and McMaster University which each had some scenic areas that looked like they would be worth exploring on a future trip.
We arrived at the conservation area mid morning, the temperature was quite cool and I sure hoped it would warm up once the sun was out for awhile. We set out for the trail that circles around most of the gorge and were soon making our way down some stairs into a lovely forested area. The ground was covered with leaves of many hues and with the sun shining through the gaps, the area looked very rustic and invoked some story-book images in my mind of idyllic autumn scenes. Soon we came to a point over-looking the gorge, but I got only a few shots as we were looking into the sun. In the gorge the mists were still rising off the creek and though back-lit from here, the day looked very promising.
We continued our way along to Tew’s Falls. The flow of the creek was not fast but the height of the fall was impressive. We were able to walk right to the edge of the drop! I got a few shots hanging over the edge while hugging a tree that made its home on the edge. I really loved the spot but after staring over the edge through a camera lens I started to develop a bit of vertigo, so it was definitely time to move back and continue along the trail. This place would be very impressive in the high flow season! I was quite surprised to see how easy it was to get to the edge – no fences or other impediments to putting oneself in danger as is so common in BC.
We walked around to the main observation deck where we could see Tew’s Falls from the front. While enjoying the scene, we noticed a few leaves suspended in an updraft and so added a few handfuls to watch them float suspended in mid-air! We then started back on the trail towards lookout point. As we wandered along the upper trail we stopped at a number of points where we made our way to the cliff edge to capture a few photos and hang our feet out over the edge. In a few places we were standing on an over-hang that I am sure has been there far longer then even the first nations have been here. By the time we got to Dundas Point the sun was quite bright and the air was a bit warmer which made for a lovely time hiking.
After the point we made our way down the escarpment via a small trail and then along the train tracks to where the main trail started up again along the lower area next to the creek. While walking along the tracks a train came towards us and zipped past at such a fast clip it knocked my cap off which sent me scrambling to retrieve it. As we walked along the creek, we entered some deep shadow which made it difficult to get many of the shots I wanted. We came to a fork where the two creeks, one from each fall, merge. I was able to get a few shots looking up Logie’s Creek towards Tew’s Falls but I will really need to cross over and explore that area more fully to really get a feel of its character.
We continued along Spencer Creek till we got to the foot for Webster’s Falls. The water flow was quite good and we enjoyed a really broad and powerful flow. Though not as high as Tew, Webster more than made up for it in volume! I image it would be a popular pastime in summer to walk right to the base of Webster Falls and enjoy the rush of the water as it spilled over you. We then climbed back up and to the top of the fall and then over the bridge on our way back to the car. The hike was not overly long or difficult but with packing my heavy camera gear I was definitely getting a bit tired by the end. So it was a welcome sight getting back to the car for a drive back to Grimsby and our room.
The scenes I saw today were quite spectacular, and even though the cliffs are small in comparison to those in BC, it was more than enough to beautifully show off the multitude of colours being displayed by the trees. I definitely enjoyed exploring this area and was able to capture the best shots of this year’s trip while here in the gorge. After today’s hike I felt I had achieved some great photos and would be satisfied even if I got no more on this trip.