The Capilano gorge area just below the dam is a popular hiking area and offers the visitor many lovely scenic views of the river. The big negative of the area is that it has very easy access with easy walking trails making it a regular stopping point for bus loads of tourists who are visiting Vancouver in addition to large numbers of sport fishermen. The public viewing of the fish hatchery only adds to the crowds. This aside, the area still has ample spots where you can get some solitude and some good unobstructed views of scenery. Watching some of the fishermen standing on rocks near straight drops to the river below makes one wonder about their sense of safety. At-least they have traveled the cliff walls enough to develop quite useable trails for others to use.

So I decided to head to the river on May 31, 2008 to see the dam and capture a few glimpses of the river gorge. We arrived to partially cloudy skies which provided sufficient light of the river views. Our first stop was straight down to the river from the parking lot to the cable pool lookout. We then made our way up-stream towards the fish hatchery. The cable pool bridge was swarming with people as we approached and so we decided to go past and look at the exhibits at the hatchery, several bus-loads of tourists were arriving so I didn’t want to stay long. As we started back down the river a group of white water kayakers were unloading for a trip down river. I chatted with one of them as they were getting organized.

We made our way to the Cable Pool bridge where I got a few interesting photos at a point between groups. Then it was on to the view point of the upper canyon and dam. The water flow was high and the mist generated was dense. It was in fact dense enough to completely soak us at the viewpoint in a few minutes. This limited the time I could have the cameras out as they were getting drenched! We then made our way to the top of the dam, but first stopped by the giant “Grandpa Capilano” fir to ponder the massiveness of its size. These trees surely do reach an incredible mass.

It was a good day for hiking, dry and some cloud to cool down the excess sunlight and add a bit of interest to my photography. We got to the trail with little delay, traffic was light and there were few SUV’s on the logging road kicking up dust. When we arrived at the trail another group was already packing up having completed the hike. It isn’t a very long trail, only 4km return but it is quite steep in places – climbing 350 meters over its length. The trail itself is well marked and maintained and is easy to follow and was a good starter hike for me this season.

The views along the trail were interesting and gave a view of Harrison Lake which was being occluded with smoke from a new forest fire on the far side. Though the area around the trail showed some signs of its past logging, it was mostly treed and a lovely location for a trail. The trail starts on an old logging road and leads to an abandoned fire watch lookout on the top of the peak. The cabin stopped being used by the forest service many years back but local hiking groups have maintained it and today it provides a welcome overnight cabin for those desiring to spend a night on the top. 

I quite enjoyed the bit of snow shoeing I did last season and dearly wanted to get out for some more snow filled adventures; but the season was rapidly closing and I still hadn’t gotten out. Finally on April 12 I had the opportunity to get to the Chilliwack River area with my Snow Shoes. I had planned to drive up Church Mountain and hike along the higher portions of the logging roads as it is a scenic area and quite easy to reach. Unfortunately, as we got only a short way along the FSR we were blocked by a new locked gate! This was recently put up – not by forestry companies protecting their equipment but by the military to keep the area clean so as to prevent embarrassment in front of international visitors. It would appear that so many people would dump garbage along the road that it had become a big ongoing task for the military base in the area to clean it up. Since they had regular foreign visitors they wanted the area to look presentable and so after years of cleanup they finally gave up and simply locked 4x4’s out! They did provide for access to quads and others by permission. I find it appalling that so many do dump garbage out there, it really needs to stop.

So as Church was not accessible, we moved on up the valley to the Chipmunk FSR, the main access to Mt Cheam. We were able to drive in only 2km before the snow blocked the road and we had to park. So though we didn’t get in as far as I had planned, we did reach the snow and we quickly got out the snow shoes and started up the FSR. We made it to the 4km mark where we felt quite tired and worn out, so back we went. We had to jump out of the way of a few snow mobiles as they ripped past at full throttle. It was a good work out – and the weather was hot and cooling so it made for a pleasant hike.

Our way home had much excitement as we decided to travel the logging road that parallels the main paved road along the Chilliwack River. About half way back to pavement our cab filled with smoke and we suddenly fearful of a car fire! It seemed that the transmission was on the verge of igniting. So we quickly stopped and let the SUV rest. After a short while and looking over the vehicle we tried moving again, but quite soon smoke started filling the cab. We were starting to panic as while I may have BCAA roadside service, it doesn’t help on a logging road, so I had to find a way to get the several kilometers to pavement. The strange thing about our situation was that there was no smoke outside the cab! As we were getting close to the final downward part of the road, we limped the SUV along keeping the RPM’s low which slowed the smoking to a simmer. Then we coasted out of the logging road onto pavement. But we noticed that low RPM’s stopped the smoke so we kept driving and did make it home.

It looked like it was going to be a great day for photography. The clouds were broken and full of texture; the temperature was cool, almost ideal for casual exploration of the outdoors. I had really enjoyed my previous visit to the small lake in Murrin Park which goes by the name of Browning Lake. Though it is fairly small it has easy access around its entirety and every few feet around offers differing and quite scenic textures to explore. So I thought a visit in winter may present a few new adventures at the lake. As we approached the entrance we were greeted with a locked gate and a parking area full of construction equipment. It was not welcoming and the signs warned us off. So although being rather disappointed I decided to carry on further up the road and see what Brohm Lake could offer.

Brohm Lake is another lovely area to explore. Quite a bit bigger than Browning, Brohm takes much longer to walk around and has a much more rugged atmosphere to it. I wasn’t planning to walk around it today but did want to explore the one small area I missed on my last trip. Fortunately this section was the closest area to the entrance. When we arrived the lot was deserted, we were the only one there except for a pile of snow at the far end of the lot. This was a bit unnerving but I was determined to get some lake photos so we headed out for the water. We quickly got down to the shore and noticed that the far side was still covered in ice! I no longer was surprised that it was not a major tourist stop this early in the year.

I have been to the Beamer Falls Conservation area a few times during my prior visits to Grimsby, but I had never actually gotten to the base of the actual falls for a view looking up at them. So for today’s visit we decided we would hike in along Forty Mile Creek to Beamer Falls and explore what sights we were offered.

We began our day with a quick stop to the observation area overlooking the upper part of the falls and creek. The colours of the trees were quite lovely but with the overcast skies the colours were muted and didn’t scream out with their true vibrancy. The clouds were threatening rain so we were a bit apprehensive as to how we would fair on our longer hike along the creek. Getting caught at the far end with rain coming down and now wet slippery rocks between us and the car were not the adventure we were looking for. But a small amount of spitting didn’t stop us, so after capturing some panoramic shots from the top we got back in the car and headed for the lower entrance to start our hike.

Once we got parked and started on the hike along the creek we were more than satisfied with the beautiful colours and the variety of images before us. I spotted one log below the trail that was covered in layers of brown fungus – the many layers of fungus were quite spectacular. Once we reached the end of the trail and started off along the creek are fears were quieted as the rocks were damp but not wet and slippery so it looked like the hike along the creek would not be too difficult. 

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.

On my previous trip to Ontario I took a slow drive along the shoreline of Lake Erie. It was quite interesting and scenic but by the time I got to the Inn I was exhausted. So this year we decided to take a more direct drive and cut the time down. I did want to stop by Hoover Point on Lake Erie, followed by lunch in the little town of Selkirk, both of which have become a bit of a tradition. So we set off after a final breakfast at the hotel and took a direct route along the more major roads.

When we arrived at the lake shore and I was able to get out on the rocks, I took a bit longer than prior years to really enjoy the location. The air was fairly cool but at least the winds were only mild so it made for a pleasant time out on the rocks. The sky was overcast so the fall colours were muted and as we were past the prime for this area the leaves were not a vibrant as they would have been a week or two earlier. Consequently I gave more attention to the various rocks I was standing on along the shore.

On our previous trip to Port Stanley we were unable to take in the ride on the Port Stanley Terminal Rail which runs only on the week-ends this time of year. But this time we had lots of time on the Saturday and so we decided to try out the touristy thing. The ride, though not long, was fun and we learned about the history of the rail line which in its prime carried 1000’s a day between London and the port. The slow trip opened up some nice scenery in the area and with the sun peeking out I was actually able to get some decent colour to the leaves. The train itself was quite well restored and all of us travelers had fun learning about the area.

The winds were severe today and it looked like I would need to spend the whole day taking it easy in my room. But by the time I finished lunch I just had to get out and see the waves as they crashed into the beach. So I got in the car and drove to the far side of the harbour where the beach was taking the brunt of the weather. When I got to the end of the road the winds were whipping up the sand and creating drifts on the pavement. I wasn’t sure I wanted to get out as sand in the camera was not a pleasant thought.

When I got to the furthest part of the road I noticed a local TV news cameraman taping the waves and wind action. He had found a small patch where the sand was staying low and not bothering his equipment. I chatted with him a bit and saw how he was keeping the camera out of the sand. I walked out a short ways on the beach to get a few shots of the waves and noticed that he was filming me with the winds blasting my jacket! I may have had a brief moment on the local news that evening! Then just as we were both packing up a pair of guys came by with a large kite and we took a few minutes to watch them get it in the air!

Our stay at the port was drawing to a close and today would be my last chance to explore the area for some photos. I had hoped for better weather this year but that was not to be. So as the day seemed not too bad at the moment I decided to head out and see if there were some scenic shots I could discover in the area. 
I often looked down the short road the Inn was on towards the lake but hadn't checked it out to see if there were a few spots of interest at the end of the road. Instead of it being a short drive, the area opened up into a hard packed sandy area that was fairly large. I was able to drive a fair ways past the end of the road and came upon some good vantage points of the lake and breakwater. The clouds and rain squalls out over the lake were very pretty and I got a number of lovely shots of the lake setting between brief showers. At least I could jump back in the car to stay dry and wait for the brief shower to pass. The strong contrasts of the bright cloud tops and sun reflection off the lake against the rain and cloud bottoms made for some very inspiring lighting effects.

After exploring the beach area I decided to drive the short distance to Hawk Cliff where I had captured a few images the last time I was out. The area at the cliff edge had a stark feel to it in the wind and squally day. I decided to risk the weather a bit and walked east along the cliff edge to see what sights could be gleaned from the far side of the corn field. The area along the cliff edge seemed well travelled and so I felt fairly comfortable walking along the side of the field. The cliff edge looked surprisingly sharp and not at all smoothed by ages of erosion. I guess the area was undergoing more rapid erosion and the effects of time were not yet present. I wonder how much of the cliff caves in each year.

As I was taking a few shots mid way across the field I was joined by another walker who was out hoping to see some of the hawks the area is named for. We didn't see any while I was there but I did have a nice chat with him. He was out exploring the area with his father and would try again earlier in the day. He also loved taking photos but preferred wildlife to straight landscape.