West of Port Stanley (Day6)

This field was still standing, the trees behind were incredible

Though the day was overcast there were a few brighter moments every so often and since I wasn't sure of the weather to come, I felt I needed to head out and see some backcountry. So by now it was almost noon and I needed to get going if I was to have light to photograph. I decided to head west and explore the roads that I have started to get familiar with.

As soon as I reached the first gravel road I noticed the richness of the colours in the trees. This was by far the fullest I have seen them in this region. Now if only the sun came out. Even without bright sun the reds and oranges of the leaves were amazing. I found much to take photos of and so I didn't need to travel far to capture some incredibly lovely colour. 

At 1pm I had a scheduled radio contact with Ralph back home. Though I could work the needed repeater, the signal wasn't clear enough to dial the UBC irlp node. Fortunately a local ham was on frequency and he put through the connection and as soon as we were connected I put out a call and there was Ralph waiting patiently for me. We had a nice chat, me parked alongside a back road just up from the shore of Lake Erie and Ralph driving to work in Surrey.

Once done with the radio, I continued along the gravel roads taking photos and eventually arrived at the John Pearce Park. This year the gate was unlocked and open, the first time in all my times here. I drove in and parked at the small lot near the grassy field overlooking the lake. I walked around the area for a bit and gathered a few photos of the trees and the lake. The park roadway was littered with a thick layer of leaves which added to my sense of solitude. It truly was a pleasant visit and I probably would have enjoyed a longer visit but I wanted to continue on and find a few more spots of colour before the light played out.

Leaving the park I took the main road back and away from the lake. Here I found a few spots to stop at and capture but the sky was getting much duller and I was being pelted with the odd drop of rain. So I mainly just drove back towards the port. I did see a couple of others out taking photos but it was really quite a quiet day and I was able to just enjoy nature.

Transition to Port Stanley (Day 5)

The easterly view from the rocks

Today we left Grimsby and drove to Port Stanley. We took a gentle leisurely drive through the back roads enjoying the flowing countryside as we went. It is beautiful country but as we drove I commented to Carolyn that it all seems smaller than how it felt during prior years. I guess we have started to get familiar with the area. A shame really as the grandness adds to the beauty of the region, now it seems a bit diminished.

We decided to return to Hoover Point this year having skipped it the previous few years. The rocky out crops into the lake were just as I remembered them though the farm across the lakeside road seemed different. I walked out across the flat rocks and gathered a few photos like before. Though there was decent colour in the trees the dull overcast sky kept it slyly hidden. I guess we will just need to come again next year. Done with the point we made for the town of Selkirk and the Sunflower Cafe for lunch. This small café is always busy, likely because it is the only café around, but the food is decent and we both enjoyed our choices.

After lunch we drove north to the main highway and for the rest of our drive we drove straight through to Port Stanley. The drive went smoothly and we arrived at the inn a 4:10. After checking in we drove to the grocery store and stocked up for our stay. This evening the winds and rains picked up giving us a lovely storm to enjoy. The winds were noisily howling through our room but even with the wind it was still quite warm. I just hope the wind doesn't denude the trees of all my coloured leaves I am hoping to capture.

Borer's Falls (Day 4)

A second browner toad that stayed in the water

Our day of adventure began at noon with a trip to a small sandwich shop that Mike had seen before and which looked like a popular spot. He had never tried it so we decided to take a chance and give it a go. The sandwiches were quite good and of a decent size. It was no longer a wonder that the place was very popular.  Done with lunch we set off for Borer's Falls. Last year we tried to see the falls but we were at the top of it and saw no way down to its base and so our photos were quite limited. Today Mike wanted to view the fall from the bottom and so we planned to park at the lower end of the conservation area and walk in.

Lucas was also with us and being young and full of energy he was often leading our way along the trail waiting for us to catch up. The trail at first seemed to be leading away from the falls and so Mike was eyeing the edge of the grassy field we were crossing for a path down and towards the correct location. We didn't find anything usable and so we continued along the trodden path. We were soon dropping down into a small feeder stream bed. It was completely dry and so we had no trouble crossing it and up the far side. Eventually the trail joined up with a side trail of the Bruce trail, now we had a tough decision, which way to go, neither direction seemed to go towards the fall. After some agonizing moments we went left and down slope. We had a short ridge between us and the falls so this seemed like the best way to get around it and to the spot we needed.

We continued along the well used trail but soon we realized we were getting too far away from the sliver of valley leading to the falls. So we turned back and before long found a leaf covered side trail that led in the right direction. It was easy travel for a while but soon after reaching the creek the trail ended and we had to continue along the creek bed. Tis was a difficult hike as the bed was mostly loose boulders punctuated with small pools of water and all covered in dry leaves making it hard to find good footing.

We continued along the creek as we could see that we were now getting closer to our goal. But now we were getting splattered with drops of rain and getting worried at whether we could safely continue. We pressed on and soon the falls was spotted through the trees. Finally arriving, we were greeted with a very diminished flow and an unimpressive sight, so much effort for a disappointing view. Rather than commiserate on the lack of water we looked around and found a number of smaller things to shoot graph including a pair of large toads one of which posed for us for some time.

After spending a good amount of time at the foot of the falls we saw a rough steep trail that climbed the side of the gorge to the road that passes by along the top and which we had been on last year! It was a steep climb up and one muddy spot a bit challenging, but we were able to get up the cliff face and now we were at the top of the falls and on the Bruce trail. We felt that following the trail back though longer would be easier and faster than fighting our way along the creek bed.

Now that we were on top of the escarpment we had lovely views of the trees below and could finally see the vast expanses of colour that were missed when we were hiding under it. We followed the trail along the escarpment edge and soon it dropped down the cliff face and there the side trail we were on earlier forked off it. Walking the side trail soon brought us to the spot where we first reached it, having at that time taken the direction down rather than up. So we left the side trail for the minor one back to where our car was parked. By now the rain was falling more seriously and we didn't want to dawdle. Finally we reached the car where we were able to take a needed rest before starting back for home. It was a fun hike and bit challenging in places, but worth the effort even though the actual falls was a bit lame thanks to the dryness of the season.

Albion Falls and Welland River (Day 3)

A side view of the bottom tier

Mike and I set out a bit later than yesterday but we had planned to start with a visit to Albion falls. This waterfall is truly a spectacular one with easy access and an incredible number of textures and angles to shoot. I really think one could spend days here capturing the place in detail under the varying light conditions that the sun provides. I tried a number of locations and a few new ones I didn't try last time. The water flow was much less than on my prior visit but it was still enough to provide silky images with slow shutter speeds.

After wandering over the site and also trying photos from close to the edge of the falls we finally packed up and returned to the car. We had spent well over an hour and a half at the foot of the falls capturing lots of photos. I needed to get some rest for my back but we left planning to return again. One never really finishes a place like this. 

After lunch in Stoney Creek we climbed back up the escarpment and started to explore the south Grimsby area. We were not finding much colour up here so we just kept driving. Soon we reached the location where a ham radio operator lived. He was recently written up in the national radio magazine as having an incredible station. It really was an amazing setup with 8 towers of antennas and numerous radios and amplifiers.

Done with the radio site we continued our drive through the area eventually heading south-east passed Smithville. We were still not finding much to shoot so we just kept driving. Eventually we came by a small bridge over the Welland River where we found a few colorful trees. So we stopped to enjoy the sights and capture a few photos in the warm afternoon sun. It was a nice pastoral spot and I greatly enjoyed watching the lazy river meander along.

When we were done with the site it was getting near time we returned so I could get ready for dinner. Though not as productive for photos as some drives, I really enjoyed the time and the chance to enjoy the farm land.

Rattlesnake Point and Region, Beamers Falls (Day 2)

Our first view of Rattlesnake Point

It was my first day out taking photos on this trip to Ontario. Mike, Carolyn's cousin arrived with his son Lucas a bit after 10am and off we went to find some coloured leaves. The colour change was not very far along in the immediate area so we decided to drive north to where the fall colours were more advanced and richer. We zipped along the QEW to Brampton and there we exited onto Appleby line. We were soon driving through fields and stands of richly coloured trees. 

After driving for a number of miles we found a spot to stop where we had a nice view of rattlesnake point. It was a colourful cliff face with some exposed rock peering out between the trees. The clouds were blocking the sun and we had only brief moments of bright sun on the cliff face. But we waited in the blowing wind until we had gathered enough photos in the sun to satisfy our growing impatience. Later on reviewing our photos we discovered we had captured a rock climber on the cliff face! We then circled around the escarpment looking for a place where we could hike to the trails on the escarpment. Though we found some bright colours there was no convent place to park and the ‘closed’ conservation area still wanted 20$ to park - a bit much for a short visit. We left the park and took a road traveling along the forested section of the escarpment. Along this road we found a place to stop and gather some photos of a number of subjects.

We then set off further north to a where the map showed a small village with a bridge over a creek. We arrived in high spirits but our joy was soon dashed as the colours in the creek valley were all dull browns - not at all a pretty sight. Continuing to the main road we came by a cemetery. It looked like it may have some old stones and so we decided to get out and explore it. Lucas had never explored a cemetery before so it was quite a different experience for him. The oldest stone I found was placed in 1828. By the time we had made a round of the area the wind had come up and we were getting quite cold and hungry so we returned to the car and set off to find a cafe.

As we were driving to find food we found an interesting field with some nice bright sunlight and so we stopped to gather a few photos there before continuing to the town of Campbellville. In the small town we found a cafe in a newish mall. They actually had quite decent food and good coffee. Here Mike and I chatted about ideas for improving his web presence and how to make it more effective. Done with lunch we set off for the south and a slow trek back home. Lucas expressed his desire to hike along the trails in Beamer Falls so as we had nothing planned we decided to head that way and park at the top of the escarpment and walk the trails.

This area unfortunately was still mostly green with the fall colours not yet at their peak. We did enjoy the views from the point and I gathered some interesting colour shots, it should be quite spectacular up here in a week. As we were completing our walk the wind picked up and we were getting quite chilled so we returned to the car and made for home. It was a good first day out and I am encouraged that over the next week I should see some good colours.

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