Irish Mountain Lookout

Before we leave Georgian Bay, let me share one more viewpoint that I discovered last week, the Irish Mountain Lookout.  The photo below is looking east over the bay to the point where the photos in the last post were taken.  They were taken looking back in this direction.  This lookout is really worth a visit if you live locally, especially on a sunny day like this!

You can just barely see 'Blue Mountain' in the farthest distance, below which is Craigleith, where we hunted for fossils just a few days ago.  But we're not just looking over the Beaver Valley.  This view is from further west, also encompassing the Bighead River valley, and along the shoreline both the towns of Meaford and Thornbury, looking southeast, about 30 km.  I was surprised how being up on the escarpment gave the water of the bay a much deeper blue colour.

A closer look shows Blue Mountain more clearly - compare this picture to the one posted last Thursday, also of Blue Mountain, but taken from an inland location.  In the foreground, but partly out of sight to the right is the town of Meaford.  Beyond the large headland sticking out into the bay is the town of Thornbury.  Through the haze you can see the claybanks along the shoreline east of Meaford, and note the dramatic amount of sediment in the water there, giving the bay a definite light brown colour along the shore.  These are the Blue Mountain and Georgian Bay shale formations which erode easily into fine clay particles.

If you're local and looking for the Irish Mountain Lookout (named after early white settlers in the area), it's north of Hwy. 26 on Grey Rd. 112, the road to the army base, just as you go up the hill - but there are no signs.  You need to turn left on the road at the top of the hill and go round the curve, and there it is on your left.  Well worth a visit.