Capturing the Art of Nature
Webster & Tews Falls Conservation Area - Ontario (Day 3)
Another good weather day so our trip to Spencer Gorge looked very promising.
Category
Ontario Adventures
2009
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I was looking forward to a return trip to the gorge. Last year we had good weather but we were a bit after the peak colour. So this year held great promise as we were just before the peak and the day was looking very agreeable. Mike and his son Luke picked me up mid morning and we made our way out to the gorge. We decided to try a different route this year to avoid driving through Hamilton. So we made our way up the escarpment east of the gorge and drove west until we reached the parking lot on the Tew's side of the conservation area . We paid our five dollar fee - much nicer than yesterday's rate - and collected our gear.
We walked over to the trail that skirted the bluff and joined a number of others making their way to the observation area overlooking the Falls. It was a beautiful sight again as we reached the platform. The water volume was a bit higher than last year giving a bit thicker ribbon of water as it descended the rock face. The colours were definitely fuller than last year and they gave a great contrast to the rock face and water fall. We waited patiently enjoying the view as a number of groups came and went , then I was able to position the tripod for some longer exposures of Tews. It was a bright day and I couldn't get the exact exposure I wanted, so my waterfall is a little less silky than I would have preferred. I need to make a neutral density filter a priority for my kit.
After enjoying the view for some time we moved to the second viewpoint and grabbed a few last shots of the waterfall. We briefly chatted with another photographer who was busy shooting the scenery like us. We made our way along the upper trail that leads to Dundas Point stopping every so often to collect a few images. This trip we stayed on the main trail until we got to a spot that we really loved last year and there we clamored down to the edge of the drop. We all took some photos though Luke seemed a bit hesitant to get near the edge, probably a good level of caution for a pre-teen.
We returned to the trail and made our way further along not stopping until we got to the side trail that led to the main overhang prior to the point. The sun was just right to bring out the dense colours of the trees this morning. It was an amazing view, leaves ranging in colour from strong rich greens through yellows, oranges and deep reds. It was so beautiful I could have stayed there for hours. But we had a dead-line - Luke had a birthday party to get to by 3pm! We continued on to the actual point and grabbed some more photos. Once we had enjoyed the scene and refreshed our souls, we set off back to the car. Due to the time constraint we had decided to remain on the top of the gorge this year and not do the circle route like we did last year.
Soon we were back at the car and we drove around to the Webster side parking lot. This lot was almost full and we just managed to snag a stall after it was vacated. There were attendants collecting fees on this side this morning but we had paid at the other side and so we were waved through. It wasn't until later that Mike remembered that he had an annual membership and didn't need to pay anything! Oh, well, the extra fiver goes to a useful cause. After parking we set off for a top view of Webster's Fall. The flow volume was much higher this year and looking at the bottom we could see that the places we collected images from last year would not be accessible so we decided to remain at the top.
After collecting a few images we moved further along and found a small trail down to the cliff edge which we followed and found the photographer we met at Tews grabbing some photos here. This time we had a lovely chat with him, Mike spent quite awhile chatting while I took my photos. He had a Nikon camera and through our chatting we learned that he was hoping to own a 70-200mm one day. I pulled out mine and let him try a few shots with it. I think that made his day, of course now he wants that lens even more.
After a few more images I packed up and we returned to the car so we could get Luke to the party he was invited to. Once we had dropped him off, Mike and I decided to find a restaurant for a late lunch. We had a good meal and then set off back to Grimsby. Later this evening Mike's eldest daughter would be celebrating her 16th birthday and we would have a chance to meet more of the extended family. It was a good day of hiking and picture taking and family fellowship over a home cooked meal.