Monthly Archives: September 2020

Situated on the Niagara Escarpment 518 m above sea level, this park features rock outcrops, forested slopes and wetlands, and protects a geologically significant incised river valley. Meltwater from the last retreating glacier carved the steep gorge of Devil’s Glen, where the Mad River now winds its irregular route. Today, I did a 7 kmContinue reading “Devils Glen Provincial Hike Bruce Trail”

Natural area of varied forests, beaver ponds, marshes, and abandoned pastures; Niagara Escarpment and the Bruce Trail; remnants of an early sawmill from the area’s historically important logging industry; geologically interesting features such as glacial marks on bedrock, ancient shore boulders and walls upon walls of deep ancient crevices that seem to never end. WhatContinue reading “The Glen Management Area and the Black Stone Creek”

The Webwood Falls Nature Reserve is located north of the Town of Kimberley in the municipality of Grey Highlands. A true cascading waterfall, although not a ‘bridal veil’ falls such as you find at Indian Falls or Hogg’s Falls, it’s much more akin to Walter’s Falls in style. The water flow is definitely not heavy,Continue reading “Webwood Falls, Fairmount Passage, Grey County”

In the middle of a peaceful forest are the remains of an old pioneer road traveled regularly, despite its chronic state of disrepair, by settlers taking up land in the new townships. The Old Mail Road must have been, at least in part, an old Indian route, because ancient artifacts have been found along it.Continue reading “The bear and I walking the “Old Mail Road””

High on the Escarpment overlooking Nottawasaga Bay and Collingwood is a rocky oasis of trees, ferns and deep crevices that were created when huge blocks broke away from the cliff face. The Trail begins at the Nottawasaga Lookout and passes by ancient cedars that cling to the Escarpment face, zigzagging through the Pretty River ValleyContinue reading “Nottawasaga Bluffs and the Amabel formation”

Today, I hiked a 19km loop at Skinners Bluff to Bruces Caves atop the Niagara Escarpment. It is so breathtaking, I can honestly let the pictures do the talking for me. Along the way, I stopped and enjoyed many spectacular lookouts over Colpoys Bay with the Escarpment ridge showing on the other side . FinishedContinue reading “Skinner’s Bluff & the Sea Cave”

As I hike the path leading to the forest, there is a transformation that begins to take place. I can feel the earth’s warmth being released from the ground beneath, travelling up my body and relaxing my muscles. The grasshoppers on the path spread their wings and fly to the fields on either side, allowingContinue reading “Remnants of long ago lives on in the magic of the forest .”

At the Boyd Crevices, the Bruce trail leads through a labyrinth of crevices and mini-canyons lined with sheer walls of limestone rock that define the many fissures. The crevices only get a little light, perhaps no direct sunlight at all, so they form a cooler-than-normal micro-climate. The walls are covered by mosses and ferns, andContinue reading “Boyd’s Crevices and the Horse skull”

Did you know that there are actually two different ‘Escarpment’ cliffs, depending on where you are in the Beaver valley? The one is obvious on Grey Rd 13, with Old Baldy and Eugenia Falls. The second one travels along Pioneer drive and passes the Beaver Valley Ski Club. I hiked 21 kms here, and IContinue reading “The two Scarpes of the Beaver Valley”