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Sunday, January 12, 2014
Views of the Valley
On one of those nice sunny but very cold days before the recent sequence of storms I hopped in the car and went for a drive around the valley. It might be too cold to snowshoe or ski, but I could get out of the car a moment and take pictures - which I did. The first few here are taken (mostly) quite close to home.
We actually live outside the valley, but close to one of the main roads into the valley, down Bowles Hill (named locally after the family who farmed land on the north side of the road). There are several nice views to the north as you drive down this hill, with the cliffs on the east side of the valley in the distance. This is actually the old Bowles family farm.
A little further down the hill is another barn, this one with nice red doors that add a touch of colour (and a few recently replaced boards). The further bluff in this picture is the well known 'Old Baldy', or 'Kimberley Rock', a popular lookout on the Bruce Trail that I've featured before in pictures.
And of course the two ski clubs are a big part of the winter scenery in the valley. There is a viewpoint on the east side where you can look back at the slopes of the Beaver Valley Ski Club, now very busy with skiers. All ski clubs around here are on the west slopes of the escarpment, because the snow melts more slowly there in the spring, and drifts a little heavier, adding to the ski season.
On the other hand, these are the very sad abandoned ski slopes of the former Talisman Ski Resort, once bustling with skiers all winter long. This was a popular place for schools to bring students for field trips; I came with my own daughter once, and learned to ski here myself several decades ago. A big loss to the local community. If you haven't read the story, check my past posts here and here.
These last two pictures are a neat pair of pictures. The first, taken from the road leading down into the valley from the south, looks straight north. The village of Kimberley is hidden in the trees at the bottom of the valley. Take a look at the highest point where the road disappears, and the photo below is taken from there.
This one looks back to the south, the opposite of the photo above, again with Kimberley hidden in the valley bottom The tiny patch of trees that look like they're in the middle of the road are actually a curve and corner near the village. The picture above was taken looking this direction from a point just this side of the curve near the top of the far hill.
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Wow! What a beautiful area you live in. Glad you braved the freezing weather to take these beautiful sunlit shots!
ReplyDeleteI never realized how similar those first two photos are until I posted them side by side - sorry about that. But both views are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you returned to Sunlit Sunday this week, Furry Gnome. There's pleasure to be found in a lovely drive through the countryside and the landscape near you is beautiful. I can see the long winter shadows in some shots.
ReplyDeleteKaren
Gorgeous shots.Love the barn with the red doors. I didn't realize that Ontario is so hilly. We lived in the Lancaster/Ottawa area for 3 years and it was rather flat.
ReplyDeleteThat's a part of the world I know well, though it's been a long time since I drove those hilly roads. We used to fish the streams in the Beaver Valley - well, The Great Dane fished and I read and served tea.
ReplyDeleteYou live in a beautiful part of the world. Gorgeous scenery and love your photos.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog and commenting today. You get a lot more snow than we do. In fact, they are calling this a winter drought around here. But maybe later rains in the low areas and snow in the high country will get is better prepared for summer.
ReplyDeleteNice scenery shots! I really like the barns.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the photos, I enjoyed hearing about your area of Canada:)
ReplyDeleteThe hilly roads dividing deep and dense forests, leading to quaint little hamlets, guided by that bright, Ontario winter sun, warms my heart; a dose of mood medicine to combat the homesickness I feel for my province and country!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos, thank you.
Poppy
Beautiful views and hills in the Beaver Valley and I love the long views of the valley from both directions. I went back and read your posts on the ski hill. How sad indeed! I take it no one had a few million to buy it. It's really too bad for the whole community.
ReplyDeleteOh! I love those two views from each direction. I would like to do that, but I'd probably have to make a drive with that purpose. And often, here, the road doesn't continue up the next hill- maybe a power line or something.
ReplyDeleteThe weather was bad this weekend, and it was surpringly busy for us...but this was a thought for me to do.
ReplyDeleteWow that is one long road. Cool picture.
ReplyDeleteWe live near a ski place too - 6 miles down the road.
Gorgeous shots! I love the barn. Old barns have such character.
ReplyDeleteLovely collection, the road shot is amazing, never thought of going a distance and taking a shot back. I folowed through on the link and read aout the ski hill. So sad, to see. I know during this road trip I'm finding a lot of store fronts and shops closed up, times of the recession. I have taken a few walks without mycamera and found someold interesting barns that I will share as soon as I return with pictures.
ReplyDeleteReally exotic to my eyes this snowy landscape! Nothing wintry here, we have 18 Celcious in the day, it's incredible...it almost feels the spring!
ReplyDeleteNice to find you, Olympia
I am reading your blog thanks to Cindy's Ontario Bloggers Day. I live in London which isn't quite as scenic as the Bruce but I'll be moving to PEI eventually when I retire. I'm a fan of photography also and enjoy taking photos of the sky (sky porn!), sheds, barns, deserted houses, landscapes, birds etc. I've enjoyed reading your blog!
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